US Defense Sec. vows to help defend South Korea from DPRK threats

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US Defense Sec.vows to help defend South Korea from DPRK threats

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis assured the Republic of Korea that the Trump administration will help defend South Korea from threats from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

CGTN’s Shane Hahm reports.

U.S. President Donald Trump rattled officials when he threatened during the election season to pull U.S. troops from the region if South Korea and Japan don’t pay their fair share of the cost.

But Secretary Mattis is downplaying the president’s past comments, instead promising the U.S. remains committed to honoring its traditional alliances.

The secretary’s visit comes amid high tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The DPRK says it can launch a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile able to reach the United States at any time.

And reports say Pyongyang has restarted its plutonium reactor at its main nuclear facility.

Meanwhile, controversy looms over a plan to deploy the U.S. THAAD anti-missile defense system in South Korea later this year.

Experts said that plan is unlikely to change under President Trump’s leadership.

Secretary Mattis next travels to Tokyo to meet with Japanese leaders.