US and South Korea Defense Ministers Discuss 'Extended Deterrence' Measures at Today's SCM

Shin Won-sik and Austin's First Meeting at the 55th SCM
Including Suspension of the 9·19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement
Focused Discussion on Implementing ROK-US Extended Deterrence

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will hold the 55th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the United States on the 13th at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Minister Shin took office last month, and the SCM is expected to focus on ways to implement extended deterrence jointly by the two countries.

The key issue at this year’s SCM is the suspension of the effectiveness of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement. Minister Shin, who took office earlier this month, has argued for suspending the agreement’s effectiveness, claiming that the establishment of no-fly zones under the September 19 military agreement limits the South Korean military’s surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against North Korean artillery and other military targets. It is expected that Minister Shin will explain the necessity of suspending the military agreement’s effectiveness to Secretary Austin at this SCM. The government has been seeking U.S. understanding and consent on the September 19 military agreement issue, including raising the matter at the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting held in Seoul on the 9th.

Furthermore, both South Korea and the U.S. are likely to specify measures to strengthen the execution capability of extended deterrence. 'Extended deterrence' refers to a policy in which the U.S. provides deterrence by employing all categories of military capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, and missile defense, to its allies. Accordingly, the SCM is expected to reaffirm matters related to sharing nuclear and conventional force information and joint planning and execution, as agreed upon in the 'Washington Declaration' in April this year. Discussions are also expected on combining the South Korean military’s conventional capabilities with the U.S. nuclear capabilities in case of their use. Additionally, the SCM is anticipated to mark the final stages of discussions on revising the 'Tailored Deterrence Strategy' (TDS), jointly established by South Korea and the U.S. in 2013, within this year.

South Korea and the U.S. are also reported to announce the 'Alliance Defense Vision' (hereafter Defense Vision), which explicitly names North Korea as a joint threat, separately from the annual SCM joint statement.

Since its inception in 1968, the SCM has been an annual consultative body primarily addressing issues related to security on the Korean Peninsula and the South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture. The meetings alternate annually between Seoul and Washington, and this year marks the 55th session.

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