(From left) Bonnie Jenkins, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Deputy Defense Minister Shin Beom-cheol, First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyeon-dong, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense Colin Karl held a meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy Council (EDSCG) meeting in Washington DC on the 16th (local time). After discussing current issues such as the North Korean nuclear program, they took a commemorative photo. [사진=주미한국대사관]
South Korea and the United States have agreed to actively respond to the North Korean nuclear threat at a time when the possibility of North Korea’s seventh nuclear test is increasing.
The two sides held a meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy Council (EDSCG) at the State Department in Washington, DC on the 16th (local time) to discuss pending issues, including countermeasures once morest North Korea’s nuclear threat, and issued a joint statement. Representatives from both sides were Cho Hyun-dong, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shin Beom-cheol, Deputy Defense Minister, Bonnie Jenkins, Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, and Colin Karl, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy.
The EDSCG is a consultative body that comprehensively discusses policy and strategic issues to strengthen stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including defense on the Korean Peninsula. This meeting was resumed following four years and eight months since the second meeting in January 2018, right following North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.
In a statement on the same day, the two sides expressed “serious concerns over North Korea’s sending of escalating messages regarding its use of nuclear weapons, including the adoption of new nuclear policy laws and regulations by North Korea.” promised to continue our efforts to use
“The United States reemphasized our ironclad and unshakable commitment to provide extended deterrence in the Republic of Korea using all categories of military capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, missile defense and advanced non-nuclear capabilities,” he said.
In addition, the US will strengthen cooperation with South Korea to ensure that the timely and effective regional deployment and operation of strategic assets in the region for deterrence and response to North Korea and enhancement of regional security will continue. It clearly shows the promise,” he added.
The two countries agreed to conduct the Extended Deterrence Means Operation Exercise (TTX), a military response map suitable for each stage of the North Korean nuclear threat, within this year. They also agreed to seek ways to cooperate to strengthen the strategic readiness of the alliance through information sharing, training, and exercises, and to enhance cooperation in the missile response and space and cyber domains.
In the future, both sides decided to hold a high-level EDSCG every year and hold a working-level meeting in the first half of next year to prepare for the next meeting.
“We have decided to respond overwhelmingly and decisively to any attack from North Korea, including tactical nuclear weapons,” said Vice Minister Cho. I made sure to do it,” he said.
- reporter information
- Seungkwon Kim
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