South Korea's Navy chief calls for solidarity against North Korea's nuclear threats

Seoul, Aug 2 (IANS) South Korea's Navy chief has called for solidarity to deal with North Korea's nuclear threats during a US-hosted meeting of senior naval officers in the Indo-Pacific region, his office said on Friday.

Admiral Yang Yong-mo made the call Thursday at the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange in Honolulu, attended by naval commanders taking part in the ongoing multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise near Hawaii, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The Indo-Pacific region today faces diverse crises and challenges, such as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," he was quoted as saying. "To wisely overcome these challenges, close solidarity and cooperation between countries gathered here are most important."

As part of such efforts, Yang proposed expanding combined logistics exercises, the Navy said.

Yang, who is on a six-day trip to Hawaii through Sunday, also met senior US military commanders, including Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command and Admiral Stephen Kohler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet.

During the talks, Yang discussed deterrence efforts against North Korea's military threats and ways to strengthen cooperation with the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force based on a framework document formalising trilateral security cooperation signed late last month.

He will also visit the nuclear-powered USS Minnesota attack submarine currently docked in Hawaii on Friday and discuss ways to enhance combined drills between the allies' submarine troops.

--IANS

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