S. Korea, US to hold regular defense talks on deterrence against N. Korea

South Korea and the United States will hold regular defense talks this week to discuss ways to bolster security cooperation and deter North Korean nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.

The Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue will take place in Washington on Thursday for discussions on a range of alliance issues ahead of the allies' Nuclear Consultative Group session in June.

South Korean Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Ely Ratner, US assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, and Andrew Winternitz, US acting deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, will lead this week's meeting.

The talks are seen as part of preparations for the upcoming third NCG meeting, which is expected to draw up guidelines on information sharing, consultation procedures for a nuclear crisis, and operating a real-time leader-level communication channel.

The allies agreed to establish the NCG in April last year to discuss nuclear and strategic planning and sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean threats.

"The general direction of the South Korea-US extended deterrence will be discussed at KIDD but its specifics will be discussed at the NCG," Cho told reporters.

Extended deterrence refers to the US commitment to using the full-range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend an ally.

Cho said he will meet his US counterpart for the NCG, Vipin Narang, on Friday for talks on joint efforts under way, but did not elaborate.

During this week's talks, the ministry said the allies plan to discuss ways to follow through on the "Defense Vision of the US-ROK Alliance" endorsed by their defense chiefs last November. ROK stands for the South's official name, the Republic of Korea.

The vision includes enhancing extended deterrence efforts against North Korea, modernizing the alliance's capabilities by evolving into a science and technology alliance, and strengthening regional security cooperation with like-minded partners. (Yonhap)