Seoul: South Korea and the United States reaffirmed on Monday their shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, hours after the North fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles in the latest provocation in about a month.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken renewed the commitment during bilateral talks in Seoul, after the South Korean military confirmed Pyongyang's launch of several missiles toward the East Sea, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The latest launch came shortly before South Korea kicked off a three-day session of the US-led Summit for Democracy formed to strengthen partnerships among like-minded democratic nations.
Blinken arrived in South Korea on Sunday to attend the forum and hold talks with Cho, their second such meeting in less than a month.
Cho and Blinken expressed concerns over any potential unilateral attempt to change the status quo in the Yellow Sea and agreed to work closely on the issue.
They agreed to continue cooperation to cut off the North's illicit funding channels for its nuclear and missile programs, such as cyberactivities, the dispatch of its workers overseas and ship-to-ship transfers.
In addition, Blinken reaffirmed the US firm defense commitment to South Korea's security, the ministry said.
