Now, commenting on the frosty relationship between Seoul and Tokyo,...
South Korea's top military officer has stressed the importance of cooperating with Japan on security issues... in the face of continued threats by North Korea.
Our Kwon Soa has this report.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Choi Yun-hee , is on a week-long trip in the United States to reaffirm and strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance and talk about security issues on the Korean Peninsula.
He met with his counterpart, Army General Martin Dempsey, at the Pentagon on Tuesday, local time, for the first time since coming into the post last year.
The two discussed a range of security issues, including bolstering combat readiness against North Korea.
Choi also emphasized that Japan's cooperation is needed to deal with N. Korea issues.
Admiral Choi told reporters after the meeting that South Korea, the U.S., and Japan must form a tight trilateral partnership to deal with the constant and unpredictable threats posed by the North Korean regime.
He also said he would keep an eye on the bilateral relationship between Korea and Japan, while promoting security cooperation between the two countries.
He added, however, that this does not constitute an immediate military alliance.
Another topic that came up during the two-hour meeting between the two military officers was the transfer of operational control over South Korean forces from the U.S. to South Korea in the event of a war, but Choi told reporters it is not yet time to set a date for the transfer.
Choi also expressed his hope for a comprehensive strategic partnership between South Korea and the U.S. in various fields including politics, the economy and society, in addition to their solid military alliance based on 60 years of cooperation.
Kwon Soa, Arirang News.
