軍事協力強化で合意　対北朝鮮、日本とも連携―米韓国防相

　【ワシントン時事】オースティン米国防長官と韓国の李鐘燮国防相は３日、米ワシントン近郊で会談し、北朝鮮の核・ミサイルの脅威に対応するため、軍事協力をさらに強化し、警戒態勢を強めることで合意した。日本を含む３カ国による連携を一段と進めることも確認した。
　オースティン氏は会談後の共同記者会見で「朝鮮半島で、必要であれば今夜にでも戦えるよう能力を強化している」と強調した。また、北朝鮮による大陸間弾道ミサイル（ＩＣＢＭ）を含む多数のミサイル発射を「無責任で無謀な行為だ」と非難した。（2022/11/04-05:21）

The defense chiefs of the United States and South Korea agreed Thursday to beef up their countries' military cooperation and surveillance activities in response to nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, while affirming their intentions to collaborate further with Japan.
   On the Korean Peninsula, "we're returning to large-scale exercises to strengthen our combined readiness and our ability to fight tonight, if necessary," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a joint press conference with South Korean National Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, held after their meeting in a Washington suburb.
   Austin strongly condemned North Korea's recent launches of a number of missiles including an intercontinental ballistic missile as "irresponsible and reckless activities."
   In order to strengthen the deterrence against North Korea, the United States is ready to employ its strategic assets to the level equivalent to constant deployment through increasing the frequency and intensity of such deployment in and around the peninsula, the Pentagon chief also said. Strategic assets refer to very powerful weapons such as cutting-edge fighter jets, strategic bombers and aircraft carriers.
   Austin and Lee agreed to restart working-level defense talks among the United States, South Korea and Japan early next year. They also confirmed that the three countries will advance not only defense policy talks but also information-sharing, defense exercises and personnel exchanges.