U.S. says commitment to defense of South Korea is iron-clad

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea in a call with the country's foreign minister on Friday, the State Department said, following three ballistic missile launches by North Korea this year.

"Blinken ... highlighted the importance of continued U.S.-ROK(South Korea)-Japan trilateral cooperation, and stressed that U.S. commitment to the defense of the ROK remains ironclad," said spokesperson Ned Price.