President Moon Jae-in met with U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis at Cheong Wa Dae for 50 minutes from 2:30 this afternoon. The Defense Secretary is in Seoul to attend the 49th U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting. President Moon urged Secretary Mattis, on the strength of the ironclad ROK-U.S. alliance, to play a key role in resolving security issues on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile development programs.

Welcoming him to Korea, the President expressed gratitude to Secretary Mattis for his unwavering dedication to the defense of Korea, especially since the North’s enhanced nuclear and missile capabilities have heightened regional tensions to an unprecedented degree. 

President Moon said Korea and the United States shared the common goal of stopping further North Korean provocations and persuading the North to abandon its nuclear program once and for all. He went on to note that international cooperation in this effort was closer than ever before.

In addition, the President underscored the paramount importance of security and peace on the Korean Peninsula, saying peace could not be maintained without strong security measures. He continued to stress the need for Korea and the United States to bolster deterrence against North Korean nuclear threats on the basis of the current robust combined defense posture.

Among other things, President Moon requested the Defense Secretary’s support to ensure the rotational deployment of U.S. strategic assets in and around South Korea and the development and procurement of advanced U.S. strategic assets, as agreed during the last Korea-U.S. summit.  

The President noted it was crucial to maintain a stable posture so that tensions on the Korean Peninsula do not escalate to military conflict, and he called for Secretary Mattis’ commitment to this end.

Secretary Mattis responded by saying the North Korean regime`s obsession with nuclear and missile development, as evidenced by the recent sixth nuclear test and a series of missile provocations, was a genuine threat to both Korea and the United States. He emphasized his country`s security commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea remained unwavering amid this situation.

The U.S. Defense Secretary went on to say he shared the common understanding that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula was the top priority. He pledged he would closely consult with his South Korean counterpart in strengthening nuclear deterrence against North Korea, making full use of the rock-solid Korea-U.S. combined defense posture.

Also attending the meeting today was Marc Knapper, Chargé d`Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul; Sally Donnelly, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense; David Helvey, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs; Song Young-moo, South Korean Minister of National Defense; Chung Eui-yong, Chief Secretary of the Office of National Security and Lee Sang-chul, First Deputy Chief Secretary of the Office of National Security.