U.S. and Korean ministers "strengthening curbs on North Korea's nuclear expansion... irresponsible for Chinese spy planes": Korean coverage

South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and US Secretary of State Brinken have decided to strengthen deterrence (the nuclear umbrella) to counter the North Korean nuclear threat. He also criticized China for launching a "reconnaissance balloon" over the US mainland, calling it "irresponsible."

According to Reuters and other sources on February 3rd (local time), Minister Park said at a joint press conference after meeting with Secretary Brinken in Washington, D.C., "We will work together to achieve true peace between South Korea and the Korean Peninsula. We have decided to increase the effectiveness of curbing the spread while maintaining a robust allied defence system."

"We have agreed to fully implement UN sanctions and step up our efforts to cut off North Korea's illicit flow of funds" Park said, adding, "We have responded to North Korea's increasing threats (such as nuclear tests). In order to do so, we will strengthen trilateral cooperation among Japan, the United States, and South Korea."

Regarding the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which has sparked controversy over discriminatory subsidies for Korean-made electric vehicles, he said, "We will resolve the concerns of South Korean companies and strengthen its enforcement in a way that benefits both industries."

"We have committed to defending South Korea using a full range of assets, including nuclear and conventional weapons and missile defence systems" Blinken said, adding that he "reaffirmed our commitment to defending the alliance against joint threats." He continued, "We have decided to strengthen both countries' deterrence plans, including close information sharing on the North Korean nuclear threat."

"We will strongly respond to security threats, including illegal threats from North Korea," said Blinken.

China's reconnaissance balloon issue was also raised as a hot topic at the meeting that day. Earlier, the day before, the United States announced that an advanced reconnaissance balloon over its homeland was believed to belong to China, and China immediately acknowledged this and apologized. Blinken has canceled plans to visit Beijing, China, for the night. The Chinese side simply said, "The flying boat is used for scientific research such as meteorology." It's not for political purposes.

"The decision to fly a reconnaissance balloon over the mainland of the United States is unacceptable," Brinken said, adding, "It violates the sovereignty of the United States and international law." He then said that he postponed his visit to China by surprise, saying, "If their airspace was violated, any country would have responded in the same way."

"U.S.-China relations are important in international relations," Park said. He said he "fully understands" Blinken's cancellation of his visit to China.