Yonhap:
Frank Rose, a senior U.S. diplomat handling missile defense issues, held talks with South Korean officials Friday to discuss how to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, Seoul officials said.
Rose, assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification and compliance, met with Yoo Jeh-seung, the South Korean deputy defense minister for policy, to discuss Seoul-Washington cooperation against North Korea’s threats, they said.
The U.S. diplomat arrived in Seoul earlier in the day for a two-day stay as one of the legs of his trip to Asia and the Middle East on Oct. 25-Nov. 7. He visited Japan before arriving in South Korea.
Rose is known to have discussed the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) issue, according to a government source.
In July, Seoul and Washington announced the plan to place the U.S. missile defense system on South Korean soil, where some 28,500 American troops are stationed, to better counter North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
China has vehemently opposed the decision, saying that the system would hurt its security interests, while Seoul and Washington said it is designed only to defend against North Korean threats.
Rose also met with Ham Sang-wook, director-general for nonproliferation and nuclear affairs at Seoul’s foreign ministry, to exchange views over outer space policy, the source added.
