VOA慢速英语2015 美日将与韩国共享情报

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-31 US, Japan to Share Intelligence with South Korea 美日将与韩国共享情报

The United States, South Korea and Japan have agreed to share classified information about nuclear threats from North Korea. The U.S. Defense¹ Department says the agreement took effect on Monday. The intelligence will pass through the Defense Department.

The new agreement links information-sharing agreements that already exist between the allies.

Kim Min-Seok is with South Korea’s Defense Ministry². He said the agreement does not force the countries to provide all of their related classified information. He says each country will decide what it releases.

He says “Military secrets are divided into first-, second- and third-level classified information, but the nation providing the information will decide on the level of classified material.”

Also this week, South Korean officials called for new peace talks with North Korea in January. Ryoo Kihl-jae is South Korea’s Unification Minister.

He says “North and South Korea should meet face to face to draw up a plan for a peaceful unification. For this purpose, we make an official proposal for the North Korean government to have a conversation about mutual³ concerns between North and South. We especially hope this meeting can lessen⁴ the sadness of separated families before New Year’s Day.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said North Korea should accept the proposal to open peace talks with the South. A UN statement said “renewed engagement and dialogue is the only way forward for building trust and promoting inter-Korean relations.”

North Korea has yet to answer the call for peace talks.

Words from This Story

classified information – n. information that is kept secret from all but a few people in the government

face to face – idiom used to describe a situation in which two people are together and looking at each other

draw up a plan – phrasal verb to compose or write in a set form; to write out

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

4 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。