South Korea’s defense minister, Ahn Gyu-back, met with U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll in Seoul on Thursday to boost ties in key areas like the arms industry and drone technology. The South Korean defense ministry shared details of their discussions, which focused on deepening military cooperation.
Ahn highlighted how strong trust between the two nations has fueled their alliance. He pushed for even closer collaboration to keep that momentum going. Both leaders agreed on the need for a solid joint defense strategy to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. Ahn praised the role of U.S. Forces Korea in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
They also discussed expanding teamwork in science, technology, and arms industry maintenance, repair, and overhaul—known as MRO. Driscoll backed the idea, seeing it as a win for both sides. Turning to future warfare, the pair stressed the rising importance of drones and committed to ramping up joint efforts in research, production, and operations for these unmanned systems, the ministry noted via Yonhap News Agency.
This comes just weeks after top diplomats from South Korea, the United States, and Japan doubled down on their push for North Korea’s denuclearization. In a joint statement from early September, they reaffirmed their “resolute” stance on the issue, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s call for the U.S. to drop denuclearization as a precondition for talks.
The statement followed a meeting in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya gathered to tackle shared concerns, including North Korea’s nuclear threats.
It arrived a day after Kim signaled openness to dialogue with President Donald Trump’s administration—but only if Washington shelves its denuclearization demands. Kim made clear he won’t give up his nuclear arsenal.
The diplomats vowed to pursue North Korea’s denuclearization—referred to by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)—in line with UN Security Council resolutions. They pledged to keep working toward peace on the Korean Peninsula through talks and diplomacy. The group emphasized joint action against DPRK nuclear and missile programs, along with tougher enforcement of sanctions. They aim to crack down on violations and evasions of UNSC rules, in partnership with other nations.
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