Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Yoon Suk Yeol to the Pentagon to reaffirm the ironclad U.S. commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance and to the defense of the ROK. As the United States and ROK mark the 70th anniversary of the Alliance, both leaders celebrated the two countries’ achievements in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula and the Alliance’s contributions to the security of the Indo-Pacific region.
During the meeting, Secretary Austin reaffirmed the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the ROK, which includes the full range of U.S. defense capabilities, including conventional, nuclear, and missile-defense capabilities. Both Secretary Austin and President Yoon welcomed the Washington Declaration and establishment of a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) following President Yoon’s meeting with President Biden. They emphasized that the two countries will continue to bolster Alliance capabilities to deter and respond to DPRK nuclear and missile threats.
Secretary Austin and President Yoon also discussed a broad range of Alliance issues and exchanged views on the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region. They also noted the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Japan, as well as cooperation with other like-minded partners throughout the Indo-Pacific in order to maintain regional security and prosperity, uphold common values, and bolster the rules-based international order.
Secretary Austin also accompanied President Yoon for a tour of the National Military Command Center (NMCC) to showcase the Alliance’s high degree of interoperability and responsiveness.