Mattis assures South Korea on US troops, says commitment ‘ironclad’

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford (R) brief members of the media on Syria at the Pentagon April 13, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday assured South Korea of an “ironclad” commitment to its security, including keeping current U.S. troop levels, even as diplomats seek an agreement with North Korea on denuclearization.

Mattis, during a brief visit to Seoul, also defended President Donald Trump’s decision this month to halt “war games” with South Korea, which led to the suspension of the upcoming Freedom Guardian exercise.

“The recent decision to suspend the Freedom Guardian exercise creates increased opportunity for our diplomats to negotiate, increasing prospects for a peaceful solution on the Korean peninsula,” Mattis said, standing alongside his South Korean counterpart.