June 6 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. has agreed to guarantee South Korea’s defense, in writing, against a nuclear-armed North, Yonhap News reported, citing South Korea’s foreign minister.

The written guarantee will be provided on June 16 when South Korean President Lee Myung Bak meets with his U.S. counterpart in Washington, according to the report. The comment came as the minister, Yu Myung Hwan, explained the outcome of his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Washington, Yonhap said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Saeromi Shin in Seoul at sshin15@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: June 6, 2009 00:07 EDT