US, ROK defense chiefs meet on peninsula denuclearization

WASHINGTON - US Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan met here on Monday with Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Jeong Kyeong-doo over the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said the Pentagon.

During their meeting, Shanahan and Jeong focused on the on-going diplomatic efforts to achieve a complete denuclearization of and peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to a statement released by the Pentagon.

The two defense chiefs vowed to remain "an unwavering combined readiness posture," said the statement.

They also pledged to enhance coordination and cooperation in various areas including information sharing on issues regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), it added.

Jeong's visit came one month after the second summit between the top DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump in late February in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi that ended without an agreement.

ROK President Moon Jae-in, who is scheduled to visit Washington next week, said Monday that Pyongyang and Washington have shown their determination to continue the dialogue by managing situations stably so as not to increase tensions as seen in the past.

Moon vowed to make efforts to help resume denuclearization negotiations between the DPRK and the United States.

The Korean Peninsula's peace process would become a journey, taken jointly by the two Koreas and the United States that would not be easy, he said.

Earlier last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said at a press conference that no one should expect the Korean Peninsula issue to be resolved in just one day, and the key is to take into account the legitimate concerns of all parties in a balanced way and consolidate mutual trust and gradually gather consensus.