U.S., South Korea address regional 'instability' due to North Korea's WMD program

Defense officials from the U.S. and South Korea have met to discuss countermeasures to North Korea's looming nuclear threat.

"The two sides expressed concern that [North Korea]’s WMD capabilities are contributing to instability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region," the Defense Department said Tuesday.

The representatives also "discussed in-depth ways to strengthen the effectiveness of U.S.-[South Korea] deterrence and defense against North Korean WMD use.

Senior Defense representatives attended the meeting including South Korea Director General for Policy and Planning Yoon Bong-hee and the U.S.'s Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy Richard C. Johnson.

Yoon and Johnson agreed North Korea's nuclear program "undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region" and recognized "the need for cooperation in consequence management to protect the alliance, minimize damage, and maintain combat capabilities in the event of a [North Korean] WMD."