Full-Scale Discussions on Deployment of U.S. Strategic Assets on the Korean Peninsula

Specifications and performance of U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

The U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula are a hot topic. Photo shows the specifications of the USS Ronald Reagan and USS Michigan. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

Specifications and performance of U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula. Graphic by Jin-kyung Lee, Designer

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] Discussions on the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula will begin in earnest starting next month.

According to military officials on the 20th, South Korea and the United States will hold a Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting in Washington D.C. next month, attended by directors-general, to specifically discuss measures to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence, which was agreed upon last month. The defense ministries of both countries agreed at the Defense Ministers' Meeting held in Singapore on the 12th that U.S. strategic assets would be rapidly deployed to the Korean Peninsula in the event of a North Korean nuclear test.

KIDD is a consultative body established under the agreement of the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) chaired by the defense ministers of South Korea and the U.S. in 2011, and it was held twice annually until last year. The KIDD meeting scheduled for May this year was postponed due to the vacancy of the South Korean chief representative, the Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense.

Both sides have tentatively agreed to hold the meeting in July, with the exact schedule to be disclosed after final agreement. Considering North Korea's movements and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, it is highly likely that the meeting will be held before mid-next month.

Amid signs of North Korea preparing for its 7th nuclear test, the upcoming KIDD meeting, where the schedule is being coordinated, will prioritize concrete measures to enhance the credibility of extended deterrence agreed upon by the two heads of state and to strengthen the combined defense posture.

Additionally, the normalization of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) base in Seongju, Gyeongbuk, the establishment of a new combined operational plan, the return of U.S. military bases, and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region are also listed as agenda items.

This KIDD meeting, the first since the new government took office and amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea's escalating nuclear and missile threats, is expected to have a markedly different atmosphere and outcome announcement compared to the previous meeting.

After the KIDD meeting held in Seoul last September, the defense ministries of both countries released a statement revealing that they discussed North Korea's missile launches, security in the Indo-Pacific region, and stable and free access to various resources and facilities (including access to the THAAD base), emphasizing the importance of resuming diplomacy and dialogue.