US-ROK Nuclear Consultative Group Holds Inaugural Meeting in Seoul on the 18th

The Republic of Korea and the United States will hold the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in Seoul on the 18th.

On April 26th (local time), President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was on a state visit to the United States, shook hands with U.S. President Joe Biden at the official welcoming ceremony held at the White House in Washington DC. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 8th, the Presidential Office stated in a press release, "At the NCG inaugural meeting, we plan to discuss information sharing and consultation systems to strengthen nuclear deterrence against North Korea, joint planning, and implementation measures."

The first NCG meeting will be co-chaired by Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office of Korea, and Kurt Campbell, Indo-Pacific Coordinator of the White House National Security Council (NSC), along with Kara Abercrombie, NSC Defense and Arms Control Policy Coordinator from the U.S. side.

Originally, during the summit held in Washington D.C. last April, the two countries adopted the "Washington Declaration," which included the establishment of the NCG, agreeing to operate it as a deputy minister-level consultative body. However, for the first meeting, it was elevated to a deputy minister-level consultative body led by the NSCs of both countries.

In addition, defense and foreign affairs officials from both countries are expected to attend the meeting.

The Presidential Office said, "This meeting is being held as part of the implementation of the Washington Declaration agreed upon by President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during President Yoon's state visit to the United States last April," adding, "We expect that through regular NCG meetings, the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear, will be mobilized and combined with Korea's forces to establish a strong execution capability for the extended deterrence between Korea and the U.S."

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