The top diplomats of Seoul and Washington reaffirmed cooperation in dealing with North
Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
The talks come as U.S. defense officials expressed concerns Pyongyang will be able to field a
nuclear-tipped ICBM within the next twelve to 18 months.
Connie Kim shares with us what was discussed.
South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
have exchanged views on a new UN Security Council resolution in response to North Korea's
recent ballistic missile launch.
Speaking on the phone for around half-an-hour on Thursday evening, they agreed on ways to
prevent further North Korean provocations... and pressure the regime to abandon its nuclear
weapons.
"The leaders agreed to continue our close coordination in response to North Korea's
destabilizing violations of UN Security Council resolutions and hold North Korea accountable
for its unlawful actions."
Kang and Tillerson also assessed the current security situation on the Korean Peninsula...
and followed-up on the results of last month's summit between Presidents Moon Jae-in and
Donald Trump.
Close cooperation between the allies is as important as ever,... especially considering
that the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency said this week that North Korea would be able
to field a nuclear-capable ICBM next year.
Responding to that report,… a senior U.S. official, who asked not to be named, said
the North is at a point of attaining a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile "pretty soon."
This is in line with U.S. Army chief Mark Milley's remarks that North Korea's ICBM threat
is advancing faster than most people thought possible.
"North Korea has advanced significantly quicker than many of the expected.
Their intercontinental ballistic missile capability could possibly strike the United States.
More to follow but the time has shortened significantly."
While there are also analysts who do not hold the same assessment as the Pentagon,... it's
hard to argue that North Korea isn't making big strides forward in its missile development.
CIA has already labeled Pyongyang as a massive liability risk and said its mission center
on North Korea is reviewing various options on the regime... when diplomacy does not work
any longer.
Connie Kim, Arirang News.
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