The defense chiefs of the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) reaffirmed that the alliance between the two sides is "ironclad" during their talks in Washington on Monday, Yonhap reported.

Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo underscored their will to further reinforce the alliance through the "synchronized" efforts of their militaries amid ongoing peace efforts with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

"The secretary and minister affirmed that the U.S.-ROK alliance is 'ironclad' and ready to face an evolving security environment," the Pentagon and Seoul's defense ministry said in a press release.

"The two sides reaffirmed the commitment to maintain an unwavering combined readiness posture while continuing to support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula," it added.

General Robert Abrams, the commander of the U.S.-ROK Combined Forces Command, gave the defense chiefs an evaluation of the allies' new exercise staged last month, saying the Dong Maeng command post exercise that replaced the Key Resolve exercise has strengthened the combined readiness of the two militaries.

"I don't think we're scaling back exercises. I think we're building capability up," Shanahan stressed.

ROK President Moon Jae-in will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on April 11, more than a month after the second summit between Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un ended without a deal.

(Cover: Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan (R) and ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo meet in Washington, U.S., April 1, 2019. /VCG Photo)