US-ROK Senior Defense Consultative Meeting to be Held in Seoul on the 16th... Discussion on Responding to North Korea's Nuclear Test

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] South Korea and the United States will hold a high-level defense consultation meeting in Seoul in mid-month to specifically discuss responses to North Korea's potential '7th nuclear test' and measures to enhance the execution capability of extended deterrence.

According to military sources on the 7th, South Korea and the U.S. plan to hold the Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting, attended by defense ministry directors, in Seoul on the 16th and 17th.

KIDD is a high-level consultation 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 a year until last year. The KIDD meeting for the first half of this year was planned for May but was postponed because the chief South Korean representative, the Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, was vacant at the time. The new Director of Defense Policy has completed personnel screening and is expected to be appointed this week, with Reserve Army Brigadier General Heo Tae-geun considered a strong candidate.

Given signs of North Korea preparing for the 7th nuclear test and the upcoming joint South Korea-U.S. exercise 'Ulchi Freedom Shield' (UFS) at the end of this month, this KIDD meeting will focus on follow-up measures based on the agreement made by the two countries' leaders in May to enhance extended deterrence execution capability and strengthen the combined defense posture.

If North Korea proceeds with a nuclear test at the third tunnel of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in Kilju County, North Hamgyong Province, which is assessed to be ready, the meeting is expected to intensively discuss ways to enhance extended deterrence execution capability, including the deployment of U.S. strategic assets.

Earlier, the defense ministries of both countries agreed at the defense ministerial meeting held in Singapore in May to rapidly deploy U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in the event of a North Korean nuclear test.

The results of this KIDD discussion will be reflected in the upcoming diplomatic and defense vice minister-level Extended Deterrence Strategy Committee (EDSCG) meeting scheduled to resume next month and the SCM discussions in October after subsequent working-level consultations.