Visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who arrived in South Korea Thursday, says the U.S. military is preparing to deploy new weapons in the region, including stealth bombers and different classes of naval vessels, but is not yet prepared to discuss deployment of an advanced missile defense system.

After meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Carter told a joint news conference Friday that the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile system was not on the agenda and Washington was not yet at the point where it could discuss deployment of the system with anyone in the world.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo told reporters that North Korea did not appear to be preparing for another long-range rocket launch or nuclear test anytime soon.

Speaking at Yokota Air Base in Japan before departing for South Korea, Carter told reporters that Pyongyang’s recent testing of missiles are a reminder of how dangerous the situation is on the Korean peninsula.

The short-range missiles were launched this week into the sea off North Korea’s west coast. North Korea also fired four missiles in a similar test last Friday.

It is not unusual for the North to conduct such tests ahead of visits to the region by U.S. officials or during moments of heightened tension with its foe, South Korea.

Seoul’s Defense Ministry on Thursday called this week’s test “routine,” and said the missiles did not represent a serious security threat to South Korea.

South Korean officials have also said the launches appear to be a response to the ongoing Foal Eagle joint military exercise between the U.S. and South Korea.

The annual war games are a source of regular tension between the two Koreas, who are technically still at war since their 1950s conflict ended in a truce instead of a peace treaty. Pyongyang says it considers the drills to be a preparation to invade, while Washington and Seoul say they are defensive.
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