US and South Korea will jointly curb North Korea's nuclear arms production, says US Defense Secretary James Mattis

Honolulu: “The US welcomes the discussions between both Korean nations on the background of the Olympic games. But despite this, US and South Korea are firm about their position of joining hands to stop North Korea from manufacturing nuclear arms,” announced US Defense Secretary James Mattis. He also declared that the US was prepared to impose maximum economic sanctions against North Korea for this purpose.

Defense Secretary Mattis who is on a tour in South East Asia, visited the Hawaii islands in the Pacific Ocean, two days ago. Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo had a meeting in Hawaii islands which serve as an US military base. In the press conference that followed this meeting, the US Defense Secretary said that both the US and South Korea had agreed to resolve the issue of North Korea at the political level.

“The Kim Jong-un regime of North Korea is a threat to global security. The options of political negotiations as well as military action have both been kept open to counter this threat”, warned Defense Secretary Mattis. He also clarified that the meeting between representatives of North and South Korea held a week ago under the backdrop of the Olympic Games, cannot swerve North Korea from its decision regarding nuclear-arms’ preparedness.

“The Nuclear program of North Korea cannot be accepted in any form at the International level”, Mattis asserted. While South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-Moo stated his belief that the meeting between representatives of North and South Korea held under the backdrop of the Olympic Games can bring North Korea closer to the US. In the meanwhile, South Korea seems to be indicating that military action cannot be the answer to resolve the North Korea issue.

North Korea had also ceded its aggressive position and had showed an inclination towards increasing cooperation with South Korea. In view of this, speculations about whether the Korean region will be united once again, had gathered momentum. But even though such an atmosphere was being created in both North and South Korea, the Defense Secretary reminded that the US and South Korea were still firm about their position to join hands to rid North Korea of nuclear arms. This clearly indicates that the US is not willing to give up its stand with respect to North Korea.