The nominee to become the next U.S. Secretary of Defense says joint military exercises between Seoul and Washington are "essential" to deal with North Korea's potential threats.
Mark Esper's comments come as Pyeongyang warned nuclear talks with Washington could be OFF the table,... if the drills go ahead.
Kan Hyeong-woo reports.
President Trump's nominee for U.S. Defense Secretary has made it clear that joint military exercises with South Korean troops won't come to an end any time soon.

In a written answer before his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing on Tuesday,... Mark Esper said joint military drills are essential to maintain the readiness of U.S. Forces Korea to cope with North Korea's potential threats.
Responding to a question that asked about the value of the joint drills,... the nominee added the combined exercises ensure that both countries' troops can respond together.
Esper also said... in case of a contingency... he will avoid unintended casualties, while taking out North Korea's weapons of mass destruction by working with related agencies.
He added U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula are improving their ability to reduce threats from North Korea's WMDs and missiles.
Though Esper did not specifically mention a country,... he said he's going to pressure U.S. allies to contribute more fairly to combined security.
Mentioning Iran, North Korea and terrorist groups around the world,... Esper said America's military must be prepared to respond to regional threats.
He added the enemies of Washington must see diplomacy as their best option "because war with the U.S. will force them to bear enormous costs".

The Senate Armed Services Committee is expected to make a recommendation to the full Senate for a vote on whether to confirm Esper as Trump's next Defense Secretary.
Kan Hyeong-woo, Arirang News.