U.S., S. Korea Revive Talks on ‘Comprehensive’ Ways to Deter N. Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) – American and South Korean officials will meet next week to discuss “comprehensive measures” to deter North Korea, Seoul said on Thursday, as the two sides revive high-level deterrence talks for the first time since 2018.

The Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), which includes vice-ministerial defense and diplomatic officials from both allies, will meet in Washington on Friday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It will be the first time the group has met since 2018, when Washington and Seoul began high-level efforts to engage with North Korea diplomatically.

Those efforts quickly stalled, and this year North Korea has tested a record number of missiles, including its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) since 2017. It also appears to be preparing to resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who took office in May, has vowed to boost his country’s military capabilities and strengthen so-called “extended deterrence,” which refers to the ability of the U.S. military, particularly its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on U.S. allies.

The EDSCG “plans to discuss in depth comprehensive measures to deter North Korea, including measures to strengthen the effectiveness of extended deterrence in the face of the severe security situation on the Korean peninsula,” the ministry said in a statement.

Yoon has asked U.S. President Joe Biden to permanently deploy U.S. “strategic assets” such as submarines, aircraft carriers, and bombers to the Korean peninsula.

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan will arrive at the South Korean port city of Busan this month to conduct drills with South Korean forces on the peninsula for the first time since 2017, Yonhap news agency reported.

Doubts over the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea arose under former U.S. President Donald Trump, who demanded Seoul pay billions more to support U.S. troops and reportedly discussed their withdrawal.

The American withdrawal from Afghanistan and debate over its support for Ukraine have also sparked discussions on the need for South Korea to boost its own capabilities, including whether it should pursue its own nuclear program.