Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop Visiting US Says "Substantial Territorial Infringement"

Attended SCM in the US, Delivered Keynote at CFR, Visited NGA to Discuss Cooperation Plans
This Year's SCM Expected to Focus on Effectiveness of Extended Deterrence Commitment

On the morning of the 2nd, local time in the United States, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seop visited the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and delivered a keynote speech on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and the direction of our defense policy. (Photo by Ministry of National Defense)

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] On the 2nd (local time), Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop stated that North Korea's ballistic missile launch south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) the previous day constitutes a "substantial territorial infringement."

Minister Lee, who is in the United States to attend the 54th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the U.S., said in a keynote speech at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on the morning of the same day, "The multiple missile and artillery fire, including North Korea's ballistic missiles launched into the East and West Seas, represent the first missile provocation crossing the NLL since the division of the peninsula, and it is highly unusual as a substantial territorial infringement."

The CFR is a nonprofit, bipartisan research institution established in 1921 to promote the understanding of international relations and U.S. foreign policy among Americans.

Minister Lee visited the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), under the U.S. Department of Defense, located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, to discuss cooperation measures. The NGA analyzes high-resolution aerial photographs and video intelligence collected from military reconnaissance satellites, drones, and reconnaissance aircraft, and is considered one of the "Big Five" U.S. intelligence agencies.

Following this, on the 3rd (local time), Minister Lee will preside over the 54th SCM meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.

After North Korea launched at least 25 various missiles and conducted about 100 artillery rounds in the East Sea buffer zone the previous day, the defense chiefs of both countries are meeting to discuss concrete measures to enhance the effectiveness of extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

At this SCM, South Korea and the U.S. will discuss key alliance issues including North Korean military developments, assessments of the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, coordination on North Korea policy, ways to enhance the execution of extended deterrence, evaluation and strengthening of combined defense posture, and global security cooperation. In particular, it is expected that they will focus on ways to improve the implementation and effectiveness of extended deterrence commitments centered on U.S. strategic assets.

Extended deterrence is a concept whereby the U.S. supports allied countries with nuclear-capable strategic assets, conventional weapons, and missile defense at a level that responds to threats to the U.S. mainland when an ally faces nuclear attack or threats.

Considering the grave situation on the Korean Peninsula, the two countries may include in their joint statement at this meeting a top-level warning to North Korea that "if North Korea uses nuclear weapons, it will lead to the end of its regime." This phrase was included in the U.S. Department of Defense's National Defense Strategy (NDS) announced on May 27, and it is widely known that the two countries are likely to derive specific measures to implement this in case of emergency during this meeting.

According to government sources, specific agreements are expected on the rapid and timely deployment of U.S. strategic assets such as strategic bombers and nuclear-powered submarines, joint planning of extended deterrence strategies and operations, annual extended deterrence means operation exercises (TTX), nuclear crisis response drills, and sharing of high-resolution satellite intelligence.

Among these, if a system for joint planning of extended deterrence strategies and operations is established, South Korea's "voice" in decision-making regarding the provision of extended deterrence, including nuclear deterrence, will be strengthened. Additionally, the SCM will report on the results of discussions over the past year from the ROK-U.S. Military Committee (MCM), Deterrence Strategy Committee (DSC), Combined Operational Transition Working Group (COTWG), and Security Policy Initiative (SPI).

In accordance with the conditions-based plan for wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer, the results of the Full Operational Capability (FOC) evaluation, which corresponds to the second phase of the three-stage evaluation process to assess the operational capability of the future combined command led by a South Korean general (four-star), will also be discussed.

This face-to-face meeting between the defense ministers of the two countries is the third in five months, following the Asia Security Conference in June and the Washington meeting in July. Senior officials from both countries' defense and foreign affairs sectors will also attend the SCM.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.