Top French general meets with S. Korean counterpart

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- France's top general met with his South Korean
counterpart on Thursday and shared views on tensions raised by North Korea's
recent nuclear and missile testing, an official said.
French Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin also discussed bilateral
security issues with his South Korean counterpart, Gen. Kim Tae-young, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said.
"The two sides exchanged their opinions on the regional tensions and ways to deal
with North Korea," the official said, speaking on customary condition of
anonymity.
"But Georgelin's visit is mostly part of military diplomacy between the two
countries," he said, adding the French General paid a courtesy call on South
Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee.
South Korea is the only country Georgelin will be visiting during his overseas
trip, according to the JCS.
During the July 9-12 trip, Georgelin will visit the Demilitarized Zone between
the Koreas and a monument that commemorates French soldiers who fought in the
1950-53 Korean War, the JCS said.
The war ended in a truce, not a formal peace treaty, leaving the peninsula
technically in a state of war.
North Korea conducted its second nuclear test on May 25 and test-fired a series
of missiles despite warnings by the international community, which has toughened
sanctions on the communist country.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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