23 January 2017, 19:13 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — On Sunday, Trump and Hwang held a phone conversation and discussed a number of issues, including the existing alliance between the two countries.
"The two leaders agreed to take steps to strengthen joint defense capabilities to defend against the North Korean threat," the statement said on Sunday.
The statement added that the leaders had also discussed a number of issues, including the forthcoming visit of Secretary of Defense James Mattis to the Asian country, reflecting the "close friendship" between Washington and Seoul.
Pyongyang's activities in the spheres of nuclear weapons and missile technologies has raised security concerns of a number of Asian countries, as well as of the United States, which has bilateral alliances with the regional powers, such as South Korea.
