South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (left) and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (Photo: AFP/VNA)

In a joint statement released Thursday on the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-1953 Korean War, South Korean Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper reiterated their support for ongoing diplomatic efforts for the complete denuclearization of the North and their commitments to strengthening and adapting the alliance to meet present and future challenges.

Both leaders called on North Korea to meet its commitments in to agreements such as the joint statement signed in Singapore after the North Korea-U.S. summit in 2018 and the 2018 inter-Korean military pact. The two sides pledged their continued efforts to promote regional peace by information sharing, high-level policy consultations, and military drills.