Defense chief vows strong military power to ensure peace

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo pledged Thursday to build strong military capabilities to back the government's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. "Despite last year's achievements for peace on the Korean Peninsula, many challenges still lie ahead, such as military tensions heightened by North Korea's recent firings of short-range ballistic missiles," Jeong said during an opening address at the eighth Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD). Stressing that South Korea is seeking to build "peace through power," the minister vowed to "ensure strong defense power to protect our country and the people, to support the government's efforts (for diplomacy), to achieve peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia and the world." Though the two Koreas "were not able to overcome military confrontation and tensions overnight which have lasted for the past 70 years," the minister said South Korea will continue endeavor to "build mutual trust with patience and prudence" with Pyongyang. North Korea has conducted a series of weapons tests, involving new types of short-range ballistic missiles, in recent months amid stalled talks with Washington on its nuclear weapons program. The minister also voiced concerns over "intensifying competition among countries in the region which pursue their own national interests by creating conflicts with neighboring countries," seen as a thinly-veiled criticism of Japan. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have been at their lowest ebbs in years following Japan's export restrictions on South Korea, citing security concerns, in apparent retaliation against Seoul's top court ruling last year on wartime forced labor. "In order to resolve a wide range of issues, it is required to have dialogue to build trust and share their vision for security cooperation to seek sustainable and practical solutions," Jeong noted. During the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon made opening remarks, and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh delivered a keynote speech. U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Robert Abrams also attended the ceremony as a U.S. representative, but he did not make any official remarks. He also did not answer questions from reporters. The three-day SDD, which will continue through Friday, brought together hundreds of officials and experts from around 50 countries and international organizations to serve as a venue for discussions and defense diplomacy for security cooperation, according to its organizer, the defense ministry. graceoh@yna.co.kr (END)