U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter And South Korean Defense Minister Han Min Koo Reportedly Agree On Plan To Combat North Korea’s Missile Threat
Speaking to the reporters, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said he and South Korean Defense Minister Han Min Koo "spoke candidly about North Korean threats" during an annual security meeting for the two countries.
"Nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, cyber, and conventional military threats," Carter said, as noted by Security Week Monday. "Those threats continue to put at risk the peace and security of the peninsula, the region, and the United States."
Reports revealed that Carter and Han reportedly reached an agreement to fight North Korea's missile threat during the annual talks held in Seoul.
Bloomberg forecasted Monday that the two agreed on the execution of a plan to monitor, disrupt and demolish North Korean missiles if needed.
The recent agreement between the two defense chiefs emphasized the growing urgency among the two countries to plan in case North Korea found the ability to "tip a missile with a nuclear warhead."
On the other hand, Carter and Han reportedly signed a deal that classifies provisions for a "transfer of control of the South Korean military from the US to Seoul in a time of war."
According to reports, South Korea is slated to take wartime control called OPCON by the end of 2016. However, the transfer is now based on provisions being fulfilled. Hence, the transfer of wartime control does not have a timeline.
The US defense secretary said South Korea needs to fulfill main conditions including the advance development of its intelligence potentials and the country's counter-artillery powers.
When asked why South Korea is not ready to manage its own military, Han answered, "If we look at global trends in terms of national security, many countries in the world conduct self-defense in the form of cooperation with regional and local partners."
In addition, the two defense chiefs have also agreed to reinforce their competence in dealing with North Korea's cyber attacks.
