US-ROK Defense and Foreign Deputy Ministers to Inspect Cheonan Ship Today

Expansion Deterrence Strategy Consultation Held in Seoul

South Korea and the United States will hold the 4th Expanded Deterrence Strategy Committee (EDSCG) meeting on the 15th. This is the first time the EDSCG meeting is being held in South Korea.

On the same day, the deputy foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and the U.S. will meet at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Seoul to discuss policy and strategic cooperation measures between the two countries to strengthen the implementation of extended deterrence amid North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats.

From the South Korean side, Jang Ho-jin, 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Shin Beom-chul, Vice Minister of Defense, will participate as chief representatives. From the U.S. side, Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, and Sasha Baker, Acting Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy, will attend as chief representatives. This EDSCG meeting is being held immediately after the summit between North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 13th.

Since President Putin declared support for North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite development and hinted at the possibility of military cooperation, it is expected that South Korea and the U.S. will express strong concerns about the military closeness between North Korea and Russia. They are also expected to focus on discussing effective implementation measures of the "Washington Declaration," which includes the U.S.'s enhanced extended deterrence plan adopted by the South Korea-U.S. leaders in April.

Furthermore, after the meeting, the high-level delegations from both sides plan to visit the Navy 2nd Fleet Command in Pyeongtaek to inspect the hull of the Cheonan warship, which was split in two by a North Korean torpedo attack, and consider issuing a message to North Korea. The schedule may be adjusted if weather conditions worsen.

The EDSCG involves the deputy foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and the U.S. participating in a "2+2" format to discuss effective operational measures for extended deterrence. The two countries agreed to establish the EDSCG in October 2016 and held the first meeting in December of the same year. During the South Korea-U.S. summit in July 2017 under the Moon Jae-in administration, they agreed to regularize the EDSCG. The second meeting was held in January 2018.

However, the meetings were not held from the first half of 2018 due to the atmosphere of reconciliation among South Korea, North Korea, and the U.S. The 3rd meeting was held in September last year under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and this meeting is being held again after one year.

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