2009-2017.state.gov /r/pa/prs/ps/2016/10/263340.htm
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Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
October 19, 2016
Preamble
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter convened a “2+2” meeting
with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Minister of National Defense Han Minkoo in Washington, D.C. on October 19, 2016. The U.S.-ROK “2+2” session, the fourth of its kind since
2010, preceded the 48th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between Secretary Carter and Minister
Han on October 20, 2016, at the Pentagon.
The Secretaries and Ministers reiterated the commitment of the U.S.-ROK Alliance to counter the grave
security threats posed by North Korea and together meet regional and global challenges based on the
shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as set forth in the 2013 “Joint
Declaration in Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance” and the 2015 “U.S.ROK Joint Statement on North Korea.” The Secretaries and Ministers reaffirmed that today’s
comprehensive and strategic U.S.-ROK Alliance serves as a linchpin of peace and security not just on
Korean Peninsula, but across the Asia-Pacific region, promoting regional and global stability, security,
and prosperity. They welcomed the continuing evolution of the Alliance into a deepening global
partnership, embodying the spirit of the 2015 Joint Fact Sheet “Republic of Korea-United States Alliance:
Shared Values, New Frontiers” to meet challenges that affect the world, including climate change and the
refugee crisis.
U.S.-ROK Alliance
The Secretaries and Ministers reaffirmed the mutual commitment of the U.S.-ROK Alliance to defend the
ROK through a robust combined defense posture and the enhancement of mutual security, as based on
the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. Secretaries Kerry and Carter reiterated the ironclad and
unwavering U.S. commitment to draw on the full range of its military capabilities, including the U.S.
nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile defense capabilities, to provide extended deterrence
for the ROK. The U.S. Secretaries also reaffirmed the longstanding U.S. policy that any attack on the
United States or its allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons will be met with an effective
and overwhelming response. The officials collectively decided that robust deterrence against North Korea
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