NNA - US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met his counterpart in Seoul on Tuesday, pledging to beef up joint drills and security cooperation as South Korea seeks nuclear reassurances in the face of growing North Korean threats.

Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed to "expand and bolster the level and scale" of joint military exercises, in light of "continued provocations" from Pyongyang, including a recent drone incursion, they said in a statement.

Austin and Lee agreed to "further expand and strengthen the scale and level of combined exercises and drills this year", Lee said at a media briefing in Seoul. -- AFP

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