Seoul, September 11 (QNA) - Defense officials of South Korea and the United States held talks to discuss ways to respond to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

According to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, the two sides voiced concern during the meeting that North Korea's WMD programs were causing instability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region, and discussed measures to bolster the allies' practical capabilities to respond to the potential use of such weapons by Pyongyang.

The two sides also agreed to continue cooperation in responding to biological threats, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and discussed consequence-management measures aimed at strengthening the alliance's combined operational capabilities.

The two sides assessed that the meeting had helped deepen cooperation between the allies in countering WMD threats and pledged to respond effectively to North Korean threats.

The session, held in Seoul, was co-chaired by Director General of the Policy Planning Bureau at South Korea's Ministry of National Defense Woo Kyung-suk, and Jason Hamm, who serves as US Deputy Assistant Secretary of War for Nuclear Deterrence and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy.

The talks come as North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, including weapons designed to target South Korea and the United States, while rejecting calls to give up its nuclear arsenal. (QNA)