U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, left, and South Korean Defense Minister Han Min Koo salute during a welcome ceremony for Mattis at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea. He described Mattis’s visit so early in his tenure as a warning to North Korea. The U.S. has 28,500 troops permanently based in South Korea and about 50,000 in Japan. “Were it not for the provocative behaviour of North Korea, we would have no need for Thaad out here,” Mattis said in his breif remarks to reporters. Alluding to China’s objections to having Thaad deployed in South Korea, Mattis said, “Thaad should be a worry to no nation other than North Korea.” In Washington this week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its first policy hearing since Trump took office to discuss North Korea.

Source: thestar February 03, 2017 01:59 UTC