US, S Korea Strengthen Alliance to Improve Asia-Pacific Security - Pentagon

Ashton Carter and South Korean officials discussed ways to broaden allied security cooperation into new domains like space and cyberspace.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with South Korea President Park Geun-hye in Seoul to discuss the ongoing progress in strengthening the two countries’ alliance against threats to regional security, US Department of Defense said in a statement on Friday.

“The leaders discussed the importance of their countries’ partnership, both in deterring North Korean threats to security and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and in helping assure continued peace and prosperity throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” the statement said.

#SecDef Carter gave an engraved keepsake to S. Korea's Minister of National Defense with the US-ROK alliance motto pic.twitter.com/2KkAFGNs1k

— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) 10 апреля 2015

Carter also met with South Korea’s National Security Advisor Director Kim Kwan-jin, according to Defense Department.

#SecDef Carter shakes hands w/ #POTROK Park Geun-hye at Blue House in Seoul. @koreanet @usembassyseoul #rebalance pic.twitter.com/dRXCWgIShI

— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) 10 апреля 2015

Carter and South Korean officials covered the progress in moving to a conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control as well as the December 2014 trilateral South Korea-US-Japan information-sharing agreement to help deter North Korean aggression, the statement noted.

#SecDef Carter signs the guest book at the Korean Ministry of National Defense. pic.twitter.com/fnste80hJV

— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) 10 апреля 2015

In addition, they discussed ways to broaden allied security cooperation into new domains like space and cyberspace.

Carter is visiting the Asia-Pacific region for the first time in his capacity as Defense Secretary. The meeting with President Park Geun-hye came ahead of his upcoming visit to Washington, the statement said.

In March, US defense contractors and South Korea signed two major deals for $35 million in Stinger missiles and air-to-air launchers for Apache helicopters, as well as another $769 million contract to upgrade South Korea’s Patriot advanced missile defense system.

The United States has about 28,500 soldiers stationed in South Korea, and has been militarily present in the country for nearly 60 years.