US officer urges closer South Korea-Japan defence ties amid North threat

America’s highest-ranking military officer has called for closer trilateral defence ties with South Korea and Japan in response to what he described as an “unprecedented” military build-up by North Korea and China.
The remarks by General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, come amid growing pressure on Seoul to shoulder more of the cost of hosting 28,500 US troops and to support their expanded role beyond the Korean peninsula – a move that could test South Korea’s willingness to…