“The U.S. defense secretary warned North Korea on Friday that any use of nuclear weapons will be met with an “effective and overwhelming” response”.
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U.S. officials said Mattis’ choice of destination was meant to reaffirm ties with the two Asian allies after U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to question the cost of such relationships during his election campaign.
Before leaving South Korea, Mr Mattis said a nuclear attack by North Korea would trigger an “effective and overwhelming” response.
Neither path offers certain success and the military option is fraught with huge dangers, especially for Japan and South Korea, US allies in close proximity to North Korea.
“It’s a priority for the President Trump’s administration”, Mattis told reporters en route to Seoul “We pay attention to the Northwest Pacific, to our two strong allies”.
Mr Mattis will be South Korea until Friday, and will hold talks with his Korean counterpart, Han Min-koo, among other officials.
“North Korea continues to launch missiles, develop its nuclear weapons programme and engage in threatening rhetoric and behaviour”, Mattis said at the end of the two-day visit – his first overseas trip.
He is expected to give similar assurances when he travels to Japan, his next stop.
The Pentagon has been engaged in a major reorganisation of its presence in South Korea as part of the Obama administration’s military build-up throughout the region in preparation for war with China.
But how the United States would achieve that has been unclear, including whether it would have a military dimension.
He said any U.S. The Japanese government must explain this reality to the U.S.in no uncertain terms. They also apparently agreed that efforts should continue to reduce the USA base burden on Japan’s southernmost prefecture.
“January is usually a slow month for group tours, but still the drop was more than visible”, the agency quoted an official as saying.
During the election campaign, Trump suggested that he might withdraw US forces from Japan if Tokyo did not shoulder the entire cost burden.
Mattis also reaffirmed the longstanding U.S. view that East China Sea islands disputed by Japan and China are administered by Japan and are therefore covered by the U.S. -Japan security treaty. Japan should not allow itself to be pressured by the USA, nor should it respond by boosting defense outlays. “It will also deliver a strong warning to the North”, Han said. However, it’s certainly possible that Trump will make decisions linking economic and security issues.
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Inada also emphasized the importance of the alliance at a time when regional security appears threatened both by nuclear threats from North Korea and an increasingly assertive China.
