Amid Martial Law Fallout... South Korea-US Abruptly Postpone Nuclear Umbrella Strengthening Meeting and Tabletop Exercise

Amid the aftermath of the declaration and lifting of martial law in Korea, the meeting and exercise related to strengthening nuclear deterrence against North Korea, originally agreed to be held from the 4th (local time) between South Korea and the United States, have been abruptly postponed.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the 4th South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting and the 1st NCG tabletop exercise (TTX), scheduled to be held in Washington DC on the 4th and 5th, have been postponed. In response to related inquiries, the Department of Defense stated, "It has been postponed until further notice," adding, "We currently have no information on rescheduling." A South Korean government official also confirmed the postponement. The event was originally to be co-hosted by Cho Chang-rae, Director of Defense Policy at the South Korean Ministry of National Defense, and Kara Abercrombie, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense.

The NCG, agreed upon during President Yoon Suk-yeol's state visit to the U.S. in April last year, is a consultative body between South Korea and the U.S. aimed at enhancing the execution of extended deterrence. It officially launched with its first meeting held in Seoul in July last year. During the 4th NCG meeting, the two countries planned to review progress on NCG tasks such as nuclear consultations and strategic communication during crises and contingencies, establishment of a dedicated secure communication system, and nuclear and strategic planning. Although the U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson did not specify the reason for the postponement, the news agency reported that the sudden indefinite postponement just one day before the event appears to be closely related to the martial law situation in South Korea.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed President Yoon Suk-yeol's lifting of the emergency martial law. In a statement, Secretary Blinken said, "The United States has been closely monitoring the situation in South Korea over the past 24 hours," and added, "We welcome President Yoon Suk-yeol's announcement to lift the emergency martial law in accordance with the Constitution following the unanimous passage of the National Assembly's resolution to lift it." He also added, "We reaffirm our support for the people of the Republic of Korea and the ROK-U.S. alliance based on shared principles of democracy and the rule of law."