US defense chief shortlists North Korea as 'nation
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| North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends wreath laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam March 2, 2019. REUTERS-Yonhap |
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday included North Korea in only a handful of countries that pose threats to the United States and its allies.
It marked the first time the U.S. defense chief addressed the North Korean issue since taking office in late January.
"Even as we address accelerating competition by China, we will ensure that we remain fully ready to respond to and effectively deter nation-state threats emanating from Russia, Iran, and North Korea," Austin said in a message to U.S. forces, released by his department.
"We will continue to maintain credible deterrence against advanced threats, and we will right-size our missions around the world in a transparent and principled manner," he added.
