The U.S. government has agreed to sell additional weapons, ramp up missile development and deploy nuclear weapons in South Korea to protect against regional threats, Defense News reported Sunday.
Defense Secretary James Mattis and Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited South Korea last week to discuss the country’s requests to boost its artillery and missile defense.
The defense leaders also talked about ways to implement President Donald Trump’s agreement with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to send more U.S. bomber, submarine and aircraft carriers to the region in response to North Korea’s missile tests, the report said.
Song Young-Moo, South Korea’s defense minister, said the meetings focused on technical plans to expand the rotational deployment of U.S. military assets.
Song added that both parties agreed to expand the acquisition of advanced technology for the South Korean military and to remove payload limits on missile warheads, which South Korea has complied with since 1979 in exchange for U.S. military assistance.
