South Korea and the United States plan to expand the scale of joint military exercises to maintain deterrence SEOUL Defense ministers of South Korea and the United States on Saturday condemned North Korea’s preparations for a nuclear test, saying this and a series of missile launches threaten the peace and safety of the Korean peninsula and the international community. South Korea and the United States plan to expand the scale of joint military exercises to maintain deterrence, South Korea’s defense ministry said in a statement. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met on Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia security gathering in Singapore.