U.S. strengthens surveillance on N. Korea amid S. Korea turmoil

[Anchor]

Concerns about security on the Korean Peninsula are growing due to the martial law turmoil.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is visiting Japan, stated that there is currently no possibility of provocations from North Korea.

However, he added that the U.S. is strengthening its surveillance posture in consideration of the potential for the North's provocations taking advantage of the chaos.

This is Hwang Jin-woo reporting from Tokyo.

[Report]

Initially planning to visit Japan and then South Korea, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin canceled his trip to South Korea.

While in Japan, he boarded the USS George Washington and was asked about the martial law turmoil and the situation in South Korea.

Secretary Austin was cautious with his words, emphasizing that the ROK-U.S. alliance remains unchanged.

[Lloyd Austin/U.S. Secretary of Defense: "I won't comment on that one. I will just say that our relationship is iron clad and we remain focused on the defense of the Peninsula."]

Regarding the possibility of North Korea's provocations, Secretary Austin added that they were focused on any changes but haven't seen anything yet.

The USS George Washington, which Secretary Austin is aboard, has a primary mission of countering China and their expansion in the Northeast Asia region.

The U.S. is closely monitoring the possibility that political turmoil in South Korea could lead to security chaos.

Samuel Paparo, Commander of the Indo-Pacific Command, stated at a security conference held in the U.S. that there have been no signs of North Korean provocations, but they have strengthened their surveillance posture considering the possibilities.

Commander Paparo assessed that from a security perspective, South Korea is stable, with only some political instability.

Meanwhile, the trilateral meeting of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan in Tokyo agreed that cooperation among the three countries regarding North Korea is more important than ever.

This is Hwang Jin-woo reporting for KBS News from Tokyo.