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S. Korea, US fully ready for N. Korea threats: officials

TOKYO, June 28 (KUNA) -- Top military officers of South Korea and the US on Tuesday agreed that the allies are "fully ready" to deal with any North Korean provocations, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The video talks between outgoing JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John C. Aquilino came as Seoul and Washington are stepping up security cooperation amid concerns about the possibility of Pyongyang carrying out a nuclear test, the report said.
Won and Aquilino shared the assessment that the allies' combined defense posture against the North's possible provocations, like a long-range missile or nuclear test, remains "more solid than any other time," according to the JCS.
"(They also agreed) the alliance is fully ready to respond to any North Korean provocations," the JCS said in a press release.
In addition, the two officers concurred that the North's continued missile launches and preparations for a nuclear test are "threats that undermine peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the Indo-Pacific region." (end) mk.mt