Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke by phone on Tuesday... reaffirming their countries' commitment to a strong alliance... and vowing to support the diplomatic efforts aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Seoul's defense ministry said Jeong had delivered his expectations that Esper... based on his experience in the defense field... will contribute to the development of the alliance.
The two defense chiefs said the peninsula has seen vigorous security changes under the one-and-a-half-year leadership of Esper's predecessors, James Mattis and Patrick Shanahan.
Esper, a 1986 graduate of West Point... worked as a lobbyist for defense firm Raytheon for seven years until 2017... and was confirmed as Army Secretary afterwards.