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On Dec. 10, South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo expressed “deep concern” about North Korea’s continuing ballistic missile launches and its engine testing near Tongchang Village, on the Yellow Sea. This is the first time a high-ranking official in Seoul has confirmed that the “very important test” that North Korea carried out at Tongchang Village on Dec. 7 was an engine test and expressed concerns about it.

In the opening remarks of a joint press conference for the “two plus two” meeting between South Korea and Australia’s foreign and defense ministers, held in Sydney on Tuesday, Jeong said, “My Australian counterpart and I strongly call on North Korea to respond to the efforts by the South Korea-US alliance and the international community to resolve issues through dialogue by immediately halting actions that raise military tensions.”

“Through this dialogue, the foreign and defense ministers from our two countries have concluded that the military agreement reached by South and North Korea on Sept. 19, 2018, is playing a positive role in easing military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and effectively reducing the risk of war,” Jeong went on to say.

“During the Korean War, Australia sent 17,000 young heroes to join the battle. The people of South Korea have not forgotten the sacrifice and dedication of Australia’s veterans,” Jeong said.

“The MOU reached by our two countries about cooperating to recover the remains of soldiers missing in action in the Korean War represents another step in the South Korean government’s efforts to return the remains of fallen Australian soldiers to their homeland and to their families.”

By Yoo Kang-moon, senior staff writer

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