Minister Ahn Gyu-baek of the Ministry of National Defense held an urgent phone call on the 2nd with Elbridge Colby, the U.S. deputy undersecretary for war policy, as the situation in the Middle East turned urgent, and heard the U.S. position on the status of its military operations against Iran and future plans.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, the call was arranged at around 8:30 p.m. that day at the request of the U.S. side. Minister Ahn heard directly from Vice Minister Colby an explanation of the background and on-the-ground situation of the U.S. and Israel's ongoing military operations against Iran, and based on that, shared views on the rapidly changing security environment in the Middle East.
The two sides discussed in depth during the call the impact of rising tensions in the Middle East on the international security order. In particular, they made clear that the solidarity of the South Korea-U.S. alliance remains unchanged under any circumstances, and agreed to continue close communication and coordination on changes in international affairs that could directly affect security on the Korean Peninsula.
This call took place at a grave moment, as Iran's retaliatory attacks spread to nearby U.S. military bases and energy facilities following the U.S. and Israel's "Epic Fury" operation. As the government issued a special travel advisory for seven Middle Eastern countries and activated a pan-government emergency response system, it is seen as a move at the defense level to prepare for any contingency through real-time information sharing with the U.S. side.