US Defence Secretary to keep Seoul on track

Seoul: U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for annual security talks expected to bolster the countries’ decades-long military alliance in the face of North Korean nuclear threats and mounting challenges from China.

The U.S.-South Korea alliance “is the linchpin of peace and security in this region,” Austin tweeted after landing. But how substantially the alliance, sealed in the bloodshed of the 1950-53 Korean War, can be solidified is in doubt as South Korea remains locked in thorny historical disputes with Japan — another key American regional ally — and hesitates to actively join U.S.-led efforts to curb China’s rising strength. The meeting Thursday between Austin and his South Korean counterpart, Suh Wook, comes after the Pentagon released the results of a global posture review earlier this week. The review directs additional cooperation with allies and partners to deter “potential Chinese military aggression and threats from North Korea.” -(AP)