- Title: U.S. defense secretary meets South Korean counterpart in Seoul
- Date: 9th August 2019
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (AUGUST 9, 2019) (AGENCY POOL) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** JEONG AND ESPER WALKING TOWARD TABLE, ESPER TAKING SEAT VARIOUS OF ESPER WRITING IN GUEST BOOK JEONG LOOKING AT ESPER VARIOUS OF JEONG AND ESPER SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS ESPER, JEONG, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA, HARRY HARRIS (THIRD FROM RIGHT), AND MILITARY OFFICIALS POSING FOR GROUP PHOTOGRAPH / ESPER AND JEONG WALKING AWAY
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2019 05:45
- Keywords: U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper South Korea Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo Seoul
- Location: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- City: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003ARHVJ9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper met South Korea's Defence Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo in Seoul on Friday (August 9), amid a series of regional challenges ranging from tensions between Seoul and Tokyo to how much of the cost South Korea should pay for American troops stationed there.
Esper arrived in Seoul on Thursday (August 8) a day after President Donald Trump said South Korea agreed to "pay a lot more" to shoulder costs required for the upkeep of 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea and that talks are under way to discuss the issue.
Esper and Jeong were expected to discuss a number of issues, including the security situation on the Korean peninsula, co-ordinate policy to foster denuclearisation and lasting peace, as well as key alliance issues, according to the defence ministry.
The trip comes after North Korea recently carried out a series of missile tests. On Tuesday (August 6), Esper said the United States would not overreact to the short-range missile launches by North Korea and would keep the door open to talks with Pyongyang. He also added that, despite complaints by North Korea, there was no plan to alter future joint military drills with Seoul.
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