US-ROK Nuclear Consultative Group Holds First Meeting Today… Yoon: "Must Prevent North Korea from Daring to Use Nuclear Weapons"

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, Hosts
Kurt Campbell, U.S. White House NSC Coordinator
President Yoon Visits to Encourage... Strengthening NCG Support

The Nuclear Consultation Group (NCG) meeting, a follow-up to the 'Washington Declaration' adopted at the Korea-US summit last April, was held for the first time on the 18th at the Yongsan Presidential Office. President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the meeting held just before the morning Cabinet meeting and encouraged the delegations by saying, "We must strengthen the extended deterrence execution capability of the Korea-US alliance based on nuclear power so that North Korea does not dare to use nuclear weapons." This meeting was arranged to establish joint planning and execution plans between South Korea and the US regarding US nuclear assets in preparation for a North Korean nuclear attack, raising expectations for substantive discussions on the operation and system of the NCG.

Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, presided over the first NCG meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the morning, together with Kurt Campbell, US White House NSC (National Security Council) Indo-Pacific Coordinator, and Kara Abercrombie, NSC Defense and Arms Control Coordinator. The Korea-US NCG is a consultative body intended for the two countries to share information related to nuclear weapons operations and jointly discuss planning and operations. It was agreed to launch during the Korea-US summit between President Yoon Suk-yeol and President Joe Biden during Yoon’s state visit to the US last April, adopting the 'Washington Declaration.' Originally a deputy minister-level meeting, it was elevated to vice minister-level to enhance the meeting's effectiveness.

At the first meeting, information sharing and consultation systems to strengthen nuclear deterrence against North Korea, as well as joint planning and execution plans, were discussed. While previous extended deterrence consultative bodies focused on policy-level discussions, this NCG concentrated on ways to dramatically enhance the execution capability of extended deterrence. Information sharing on the operation plans of US strategic assets was also reportedly a major agenda item.

Both South Korea and the US evaluate that this NCG has become a stepping stone for their alliance relationship to advance from a conventional military alliance to an extended deterrence alliance defending against North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

President Yoon visited the inaugural NCG meeting and said, "I consider it very meaningful that the NCG, established according to the 'Washington Declaration' adopted with President Biden last April, is taking its first step," adding, "The NCG must respond flawlessly to the increasingly sophisticated North Korean nuclear and missile threats by strengthening the execution capability of extended deterrence." He continued, "As President Biden warned last April that North Korea would face regime collapse if it launched a nuclear attack, we must strengthen the execution capability of extended deterrence through the nuclear-based Korea-US alliance so that North Korea does not dare to use nuclear weapons," and added, "There is high public interest in the NCG. I hope that with the determination that this is just the beginning, the will of the two leaders will be concretized swiftly."

In his remarks at the Cabinet meeting afterward, President Yoon emphasized, "The Korea-US NCG will be an important starting point for establishing a strong and effective Korea-US extended deterrence," and stated, "Through the upgraded Korea-US alliance with a new nuclear-based paradigm, we will carry out substantial efforts to fundamentally block North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats."

Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office, appeared on YTN the previous day and said, "At this NCG meeting, detailed discussions will be held on joint planning, joint execution, joint exercises of US nuclear forces, and establishing a Korea-US communication channel for extended deterrence including nuclear weapons during crises." Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, also emphasized, "Strong execution capability of Korea-US extended deterrence will be established through this meeting."

A US NSC spokesperson emphasized the previous day that the Korea-US alliance’s implementation of the Washington Declaration through the NCG is a prudent response to North Korea’s dangerous actions and serves the alliance’s goal of promoting peace and security in the region. Regarding North Korea’s and others’ backlash, the spokesperson firmly stated, "Efforts by South Korea and the US to improve defense posture and protect their citizens in response to North Korea’s overt threats to use nuclear weapons do not violate United Nations Security Council resolutions."

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United States, and U.S. President Joe Biden are shaking hands at a joint press conference held on April 26 (local time) in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. [Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, the US is strengthening extended deterrence by deploying major strategic assets such as strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs) to the Korean Peninsula soon. SSBNs are submarines carrying ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads and are representative strategic assets of the US military. General John Waidner, Chief of Staff of the US Forces Korea Command, said in a congratulatory speech at the '70th Anniversary Security Forum of the Korea-US Alliance' on the 10th, "If North Korea launches a nuclear attack, it will face a swift, overwhelming, and resolute response," adding, "The US will continue to enhance the periodic visibility of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula."

This is in response to North Korea raising tensions by resuming military provocations recently. North Korea resumed military provocations by launching the ‘Hwasong-18’ long-range ballistic missile (ICBM) with significantly improved performance on the 12th, and the international community is also concerned about a possible seventh nuclear test. Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, said on the 16th local time, "We have been concerned that North Korea would pursue a seventh nuclear test for some time," anticipating additional nuclear tests by North Korea.

Shin Beom-chul, Deputy Minister of National Defense, appeared on KBS1 Radio’s 'Choi Kyung-young’s Strong Current Affairs' on the same day and said, "Looking at North Korea’s recent actions, it seems they have judged that it is better to develop nuclear weapons, firmly possess nuclear capabilities, pressure South Korea, and secure leadership on the Korean Peninsula," emphasizing the necessity of the NCG. He explained, "Through extended deterrence cooperation with the US, we gain the power to deter North Korea’s nuclear threat," adding, "In the past, Korea and the US conducted nuclear deterrence declaratively and verbally, but now the relationship is expanding to include military aspects."

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