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The Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG),
which includes vice-ministerial defence 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 programme.
(Reporting by Josh Smith. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
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