美韩两国签署军事合作协议

军方官员说，美国和韩国签署了一项协议，扩大美国军队保护韩国免遭朝鲜挑衅的作用。

上星期五，韩国参谋长联席会议主席郑承兆将军和驻韩美军司令瑟曼将军签署了这项协议。

依照联合抗击挑衅计划，美国军队可以支援韩国军队，反击来自朝鲜的任何军事侵犯行为。

此前，韩国军队负责针对朝鲜的所有军事行动，而美国军队只有在爆发全面战争的情况下方可介入。

Military officials say the United States and South Korea have signed an agreement giving American troops an expanded role in protecting the South from North Korean provocation.

The pact was signed Friday by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Jung Seun-jo and the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, General James Thurman.

Under the Combined Counter-Provocation Plan, U.S. forces will be able to aid South Korean troops in retaliating to any military aggression from North Korea.

Previously, South Korean forces were in charge of any military action against the North and U.S. troops would engage only if a full-scale war broke out.