Defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday to boost military cooperation to better deter security threats in cyberspace, Seoul’s defense ministry said.
During a 20-minute telephone conversation, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “exchange their opinions on pending security issues,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a press briefing.
“Han voiced support for the U.S. government’s efforts with regards to the hacking attacks by North Korea against Sony Pictures, and the two agreed to work more closely on cyberspace issues,” he added.
The communist North was behind the hacking attack on Sony last month for its comedy film, “The Interview,” which depicts a plot to assassinate the North’s leader Kim Jong-un, according to the FBI.
The incident led the U.S. government to slap sanctions on the North.
Speaking highly of their trilateral arrangement involving Japan to share their military intelligence, Hagel expressed gratitude for Seoul’s cooperation for signing the pact, according to the ministry.
Late last year, South Korea, the U.S. and Japan signed the pact on sharing sensitive military information on North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs to better counter Pyongyang’s evolving security threats to the region and beyond.
Stressing the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance “for peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, Asia and the whole world, the two ministers agreed to maintain the robust combined defense posture,” Kim said.
The talks were arranged at the request of the U.S. secretary, according to the ministry. Hagel is to step down as soon as his replacement is confirmed by the Senate in the next month or two. (Yonhap)
