South Korea says it will boost defence capacity to counter North Korean threat

Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister Dmytro Senik, U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, South Korea Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup, Netherlands Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren, Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, China's State Councilor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe and Laos' Major General Chanthong Sonetaath chat before the ministerial working lunch during the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore June 11, 2022. REUTERS/Caroline Chia

SINGAPORE (Reuters) -South Korean Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup said on Sunday that his country would enhance its defence capabilities and work closely with the United States and Japan to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.

Lee, speaking at an Asian security meeting in Singapore, said the situation on the Korean peninsula posed a global threat and he urged North Korea to immediately end its nuclear weapon and missile programmes.