Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On the morning of Sunday January 24, the Minister of National Defense Suh Wook had phone talks with his new United States (US) counterpart Lloyd Austin.

During the phone talks, which had been requested by the US in consideration of the significance of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and US alliance, the two ministers reaffirmed the strength of the mutual alliance between the two countries, and the importance of a close cooperation system between the defense authorities.

Celebrating Austin’s inauguration, Suh said that Austin is the person best qualified to serve as US Defense Secretary based on his diverse experiences and expertise in the defense area, as well as the multiple 'firsts' he has achieved throughout his career.

Austin stressed the need for close cooperation to further strengthen the ROK-US alliance, assessing the ROK-US alliance as not only a linchpin of peace and security in North East Asia but also as the most exemplary alliance of its kind.

The two ministers shared the opinion that close ROK-US cooperation is more important than ever, due to the situation in the region, particularly on the Korean Peninsula.

The two ministers also agreed to have heart-to-heart talks on mutual interests, including pending issues related to the ROK-US alliance, as well as to work together so that the ROK-US alliance can continue to be developed as a complementary and forward-looking alliance.

The ministers also agreed to have in-depth talks on other pending issues by meeting face-to-face as soon as possible to build trust and friendship.