US troops will protect allies from North Korea: The United States will utilize its military resources, including missile defense, conventional forces. And nuclear weapons. “US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday.
That the US would defend its allies Japan and South Korea and urged North Korea to refrain from intensifying its provocations.
Sherman said North Korea’s recent provocative military measures repeatedly fired artillery and ballistic missiles. According to North Korea, they use as drills for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.
During their discussions in Tokyo, Sherman told Cho Hyundong. The first vice foreign minister of South Korea, “This is highly reckless, hazardous, and disruptive.”
The two representatives got together before their Wednesday three-way meeting with their Japanese colleague.
Since conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May. The three officials will meet for the second time, signifying an easing in Japan-South Korea ties.
After three-way discussions in Washington a year ago, the vice ministers from Japan and South Korea declined to hold a joint news conference, leaving Sherman to speak alone.
Sherman says North Korea must recognize the US is “ironclad dedicated” to South Korea and Japan’s security.
“We will deploy the whole range of US defense capabilities to safeguard our friends”—nuclear, conventional, and missile defense.
Cho told Sherman that North Korea’s September nuclear weapons policy might lead to arbitrary use of atomic bombs.
According to Cho, this is causing significant stress on the Korean Peninsula.
Takeo Mori, the vice foreign minister of Japan, and Sherman discussed several common objectives. Including the total denuclearization of North Korea and how to respond to China’s increasingly aggressive moves. Sherman met with Mori earlier on Tuesday.
Japan’s defense minister, Yasukazu Hamada, believes North Korea has reduced nuclear warhead size and increased missile capabilities by changing launch methods, making interceptions harder.
According to Japanese sources, North Korea may soon conduct a nuclear test.
Later on Tuesday, representatives from Japan and South Korea met to explore ways to improve their tense relationship, sparked by differences over Japanese wartime acts. Such as abusing Korean forced laborers and compelling young girls and women to serve in brothels for Japanese troops.