Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke by phone on Tuesday... reaffirming their countries' commitment to a strong alliance... and vowing to support the diplomatic efforts aimed at the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.<br />Seoul's defense ministry said Jeong had delivered his expectations that Esper... based on his experience in the defense field... will contribute to the development of the alliance.<br />The two defense chiefs said the peninsula has seen vigorous security changes under the one-and-a-half-year leadership of Esper's predecessors, James Mattis and Patrick Shanahan.<br />Esper, a 1986 graduate of West Point... worked as a lobbyist for defense firm Raytheon for seven years until 2017... and was confirmed as Army Secretary afterwards.<br />
