Seoul: South Korea and the United States will continue operating their Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, despite earlier speculation regarding its potential discontinuation. An official indicated that the next meeting of the group is anticipated to occur as early as June.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the NCG was established by former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden after their summit in April 2023. The initiative aims to reinforce the U.S. "extended deterrence" commitment to South Korea by leveraging the full spectrum of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.
An official from Seoul's defense ministry confirmed, "We agreed to operate the NCG meetings normally under the U.S. Trump administration and are coordinating our schedules. We could hold an NCG meeting as early as June." The last meeting, which was the fourth, took place in Washington in January. During this meeting, both nations concurred on conducting the subsequent session in South Korea, though a specific date has not been determined.