(VOVworld) –South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and US Secretary of State John Kerry have reaffirmed the importance of maintaining pressure on North Korea until it gives up its nuclear ambition, said South Korea’s foreign ministry.
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| South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and US Secretary of State John Kerry meets on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Laos. (Photo: Yonhap News/VNA) |
At bilateral talks held Monday on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Laos, the two diplomats agreed to work closer together to drive toward the international community's firm stance against Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons and to make the North feel the international community's resolute will during the upcoming ASEAN-related meetings.
Yun and Kerry also shared the view that their planned deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea will enhance their joint military deterrence against the North. They will make full use of any possible chance to make it clear that the system only aims to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The deployment decision faced strong opposition from China and Russia, who claimed that the anti-ballistic missile system could hurt their strategic security interests.