U.S. says commitment to defense of South Korea is iron-clad

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pauses while speaking in the briefing room of the State Department in Washington, U.S. January 7, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea in a call with the country's foreign minister on Friday, the State Department said, following three ballistic missile launches by North Korea this year.

"Blinken ... highlighted the importance of continued U.S.-ROK(South Korea)-Japan trilateral cooperation, and stressed that U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK remains ironclad," said spokesperson Ned Price.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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