简体中文
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Wednesday spoke by phone with his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin to discuss the heightened tension on the Korean Peninsula, the Pentagon said.
"Secretary Hagel and Minister Kim reaffirmed the strength of the alliance, which has been, and continues to be, instrumental in maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.
Hagel highlighted the steadfast U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea, including extended deterrence capabilities, and pointed to the recently signed counter-provocation plan as a mechanism and a response to aggressive behaviors of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Little said.
The two defense chiefs also discussed the recently announced U.S. plan to increase U.S. ground-based interceptors and early warning and tracking radar in response to the DPRK threat, Little added.
The U.S. defense chief also expressed his strong confidence in the leadership of James Thurman, commander of the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, while applauding the steps taken by Thurman to further integrate command and control functions with South Korea.
Tensions have been running high on the Korean Peninsula since the DPRK conducted its third nuclear test on Feb. 12 as a countermeasure against the joint military drills of the United States and South Korea.
Pyongyang also threatened to launch a preemptive nuclear strike for self-defense, and unilaterally nullified the 1953 armistice that suspended the Korean War.
About two weeks ago, the DPRK severed the inter-Korean Red Cross hotline in protest against the joint military drills.
Earlier Wednesday, South Korea confirmed the notification by the DPRK of cutting off military communications hotline.
