S. Korea, U.S. recognize need for coordinated response to N. Korea’s ‘gray zone’ provocations

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday recognized the need for a coordinated response to North Korea’s “gray zone” provocations during their regular defense talks this week, Seoul’s defense ministry said.

Deputy Minister for Defense Policy Cho Chang-rae and Anka Lee, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, discussed the issue during the two-day Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue that ended earlier in the day in Seoul.

North Korea has staged various so-called gray zone provocations this year, such as launches of trash-carrying balloons into South Korea and jamming GPS signals around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) — the de facto inter-Korean maritime boundary.

“The two sides expressed deep concern over North Korea’s continued release of trash balloons,” the ministry said.

“(They) also shared the view on the need for a close and coordinated response to North Korea’s gray zone provocations, such as cyber and electromagnetic attacks and threatening activities around the northwester
n islands and the NLL.”

North Korea has launched thousands of balloons carrying trash toward the South since late May in retaliation against anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent across the border by activists in South Korea. During the talks, the two sides also strongly condemned North Korea’s provocations and threats that undermine regional peace and stability, such as its efforts to diversify nuclear delivery systems and continued attempts to launch a space projectile, the ministry said.

North Korea has pressed ahead with its weapons development programs, exemplified by its launches of dozens of ballistic missiles on 10 occasions this year. It also attempted to launch a military spy satellite into orbit in May but failed as the rocket exploded.

The U.S. side reaffirmed its commitment to defend South Korea, reiterating that any North Korean nuclear attack against the United States or its allies would result in the end of the Kim Jong-un regime. The allies also reaffirmed their joint goal of the “complete denuclea
rization of North Korea,” the ministry said.

They also discussed the military cooperation between North Korea and Russia after their signing of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty in June, and expressed “serious” concerns over signs of their bilateral arms trade and transfer of advanced technologies, it said.

The South Korean and U.S. officials also shared the view on strengthening trilateral security cooperation with Japan and agreed to deepen cooperation based on a three-way framework document signed in July.

The two countries are set to discuss the results of this week’s talks at the annual Security Consultative Meeting between their defense chiefs later this year.

Source: Yonhap News Agency