United States Defense Secretary Ash Carter visited South Korea's side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where it separates itself from the Northern side. Carter's visit aims to deal with North Korea so it would stop prodding on to ongoing conflicts and set aside their nuclear program.
Together with Carter in the DMZ was his South Korean counterpart, South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-Koo. They went as far as the Observation Post Ouellette, a hill where the nearest point of division between the two countries is placed, according to Agence France-Presse.
During the press conference, Carter was asked if the U.S. thinks North Korea will continue to a fourth nuclear testing or if it will halt its nuclear program.
"Well, I - not since I've been here. But we continue - not only the United States and not only the United States and South Korea, but also China and Japan and Russia and the so-called six-party talks to call for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. And so that remains our policy. We remain committed to achieving that negotiated outcome with North Korea and believe that they should be on the path to doing less and ultimately zero in the nuclear field, not to doing more," Carter said, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
He also added after another question that the U.S. government encourages North Korea to deal with issues peacefully.
"We continue to call on North Korea to maintain peace and stability on the peninsula, avoid provocations, avoid adding to tensions on the peninsula, and to take the steps that are called for in the six-party talks to denuclearize the peninsula and ultimately create a situation that is peaceful and prosperous for everyone on the peninsula," he added.
Carter will attend a security conference which is held yearly together with defense officials of South Korea on Monday. The focal point of the conference will be on how South Korea would act independently, without the help of the American military, if North Korea invades, according to ABC News.
