S. Korea, US defense chiefs speak about N. Korea

TOKYO, Aug 16 (KUNA) -- South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and his U.S. counterpart Jim Mattis spoke via telephone on Wednesday over North Korea's nuke and missile threats, Seoul's Defense Ministry said.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Song and Mattis discussed bolstering the Seoul-Washington alliance to deal with North Korea's nuke and missile threats, the ministry said. They also strongly condemned Pyongyang's remarks regarding firing missiles towards Guam, urging North Korea to refrain from making further provocations. The call came as Pyongyang has threatened to shoot ballistic missiles into the nearby waters of Guam, a US territory in the Pacific, sparking geopolitical tensions. During the call, Mattis also highlighted that all potential actions against Pyongyang's threats will be closely discussed with Seoul and that the US will protect South Korea from any North Korean attacks by utilizing all of its capabilities. (end) mk.nam