Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek Departs for U.S. Visit

Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek will visit the United States from the 10th to the 14th.

Minister Ahn is scheduled to meet with the U.S. Secretary of Defense on the 11th (local time) to discuss bilateral defense issues. A defense ministry official explained that the visit is to review the implementation of follow-up measures agreed upon during the ROK-U.S. summit and the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM).

Sensitive issues between South Korea and the United States to be discussed during the meeting include the transfer of wartime operational control, cooperation on the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, contributions to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and limitations on the U.S. sharing satellite information on North Korea.