U. S. defense chief James Mattis spoke with his South Korean counterpart over the telephone Monday to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to defending its Asian ally amid concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Mattis spoke with South Korea Defense Minister Han Min-koo amid reports that the North could conduct a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) soon.
Mattis said the U. S. commitment to defending South Korea included providing “extended deterrence using the full range of U. S. capabilities.”
The new U. S. defense chief is scheduled to visit South Korea — the first leg of a trip that will also take him to Japan — on Thursday and Friday, where he will meet with Han and acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn.
The trip will be Mattis’ first abroad since his confirmation as secretary of defense. It is widely seen as the U. S. attempting to reassure nervous allies amid concerns that the administration of President Donald Trump was considering a pullback from the region.
In their call, the defense chiefs said that the two countries’ alliance remains “more relevant today” amid “the evolving North Korean threat.”
“Mattis’ decision to visit Seoul for his first overseas trip after being appointed as defense secretary will deliver a very timely and stern message to North Korea,” the Yonhap news agency quoted Han as saying in a statement.
Mattis’ trip comes just weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced in a New Year’s address that the country was entering the “final stage of preparation for the test launch of (an) intercontinental ballistic missile.
