Australia, S. Korea say they won't host U.S. missiles

World
Europe

00:28

U.S. intermediate-range missiles will not be deployed in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, after the United States revealed ambitions to site missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.

Officials from both governments held talks in Sydney over the weekend to discuss defense ties.

South Korea's defense ministry also said Monday that the country made no discussion, review or plan on the deployment of the U.S. mid-range missiles on its soil.

"(South Korea) made no official discussion with the U.S. side about the introduction of intermediate-range missiles, nor did it review internally or plan to do so," Defense Ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a press briefing.

During the talks, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper spoke of hopes to deploy missiles in the Asia-Pacific region in coming months following Washington's withdrawal from a landmark arms control treaty last week.

The United States formally pulled out of the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, allowing it to develop, test and deploy such missiles around the world.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper (L) meets New Zealand Minister of Defence Ron Mark in Auckland, New Zealand, August 5, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Will the New Start Treaty follow the INF's destiny?

Esper's comments prompted speculation that Australia had been asked to host the missiles, but Morrison denied that any request had been made and said Australia would decline if it was asked in the future.

"It's not been asked to us, not being considered, not been put to us. I think I the rule a line under that," Morrison told reporters in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland.

Choi said there has been no change in the South Korean government's basic stance on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Whether the deployment issue would be discussed during the meeting in Seoul on Friday between Esper and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, the Seoul ministry spokesperson said she was told that the issue was not among the dialogue agenda.

(Cover: The Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison speaks at a reception in the Members Hall, July 01, 2019 in Canberra, Australia. /VCG Photo)

(With input from Reuters, Xinhua)