Military Leaders of S. Korea, US Meet in Seoul

Military leaders of South Korea and the US met in Seoul on Thursday to discuss their joint defense posture against North Korean threats, sources here said.South Korean Army Gen. Jung Seung-jo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), and his US counterpart, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, sat down for the 35th Military Committee Meeting (MCM). They were expected to review joint defense capabilities between South Korea and the US against North Korea in light of deadly armed provocations against the South a year ago, South Korea''s News Agency (Yonhap) reported. At the start of the talks, Dempsey reaffirmed the US''s "unwavering" commitment to South Korea. "I can tell you that (Jung and I) both agreed that this is a critical time in our friendship and alliance," Dempsey said, referring to outstanding defense issues such as the transfer of wartime operational control of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul in 2015. "We''re moving ahead toward transition. We''ve got many issues. But the relationships we''ve built and settings like this are a great opportunity to help us continue to strengthen what is already an extraordinarily healthy alliance." The US has insisted that it will not reduce its military presence in the Asia-Pacific region despite looming cuts to defense budgets and will remain committed to defending South Korea. About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, and left the two Koreas technically at war. Jung said this year''s MCM carries extra significance since it''s the first such meeting for both himself and Dempsey. Jung succeeded Army Gen. Han Min-koo Wednesday and Dempsey took his post earlier this month. Jung noted South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and US President Barack Obama agreed to maintain their countries'' partnership for peace and prosperity and develop a multi-dimensional strategic alliance during their summit talks in Washington earlier this month.