N.Korean media decries proposed S.Korea-US defence dialogue

Seoul, Oct 24 A North Korean media outlet on Sunday slammed the US for its recent proposal to create a new working-level defence dialogue with South Korea, accusing Washington of seeking to raise military pressure on Pyongyang.

The US floated the idea of instituting the unofficial dialogue platform during the allies' regular defence talks in Seoul last month, sources have said, as Washington is pushing to rally its democratic allies to counter China's growing assertiveness, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Meari, a North Korean propaganda website, claimed that the proposed dialogue is yet another attempt by the US to add pressure on the North and reinforce its regional policy initiative.

"The US can be seen as seeking to usefully capitalize on the (proposed) defence working group to tighten its grab on South Korea's defense sector, pressure North Korea militarily and by extension, strengthen the realization of its Indo-Pacific strategy," the website said in an article.

It also rebuked the South for considering the proposed launch of such a defence dialogue based on a "sense of subservience" to the US.

Washington has reportedly proposed the dialogue to help find common ground between its Indo-Pacific strategy and Seoul's New Southern Policy aimed at deepening relations with Southeast Asian countries.

The two sides were expected to discuss the issue during their annual defence ministerial talks, called the Security Consultative Meeting, slated to take place in Seoul in December.

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