During a phone call on March 2, Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo and the Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan assessed the outcomes of the Summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim and discussed the further coordination of measures to establish complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as steps to maintain the readiness of combined forces.
Secretary Shanahan reviewed the results of the U.S.-DPRK Summit, and, Minister Jeong expressed his regrets that a complete agreement was not reached while also noting his hopes for the U.S. and the DPRK to continue further vigorous conversations based on the discussion results of the Summit. Both the Minister and Secretary agreed that close coordination between the military activities of the United States and Republic of Korea will continue to support diplomatic efforts.
The Secretary and Minister reviewed and approved the Alliance decisions recommended by the Commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff on the combined exercise and training program. Following close coordination, both sides decided to conclude the KEY RESOLVE and FOAL EAGLE series of exercises.
The Minister and Secretary reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the continued combined defense posture of U.S.-ROK combined forces to meet any security challenge, and agreed to maintain firm military readiness through newly designed Command Post exercises and revised field training programs. The Secretary and Minister both affirmed their continued support for the ROK and U.S. armed forces, the Combined Force Command, and the United Nations Command in support of peace and security in the region.
The Minister and Secretary made clear that the Alliance decision to adapt our training program reflected our desire to reduce tension and support our diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a final, fully verified manner.
The Secretary and Minister share the understanding that the two countries’ communication is more robust than ever in the midst of changes in the security environment of the Korean Peninsula. Both agreed to continue strengthening coordination and cooperation by meeting one another in person in the near future to further deepen the ROK-U.S. Alliance and ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.