Washington: South Korea and the United States are scheduled to hold significant defense talks next week at the Pentagon, as revealed by a Pentagon spokesperson. This meeting underscores the ongoing security collaboration between the allies under the Trump administration to address evolving threats from North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) will take place on Thursday and Friday, marking the first such meeting since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office in January. The spokesperson confirmed that a joint press statement will be released following the discussions.
KIDD, established in 2011, serves as a comprehensive senior-level defense meeting between South Korea and the U.S. The upcoming talks will be attended by Cho Chang-rae, South Korea's deputy defense minister for policy, along with key U.S. defense officials John Noh and Andrew Winternitz.
The discussions will cover a wide range of bilateral security policy cooperation issues, focusing particularly on enhancing deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and the combined defense posture of the allies. South Korea's defense ministry highlighted these points in a release.
The two countries also intend to engage in detailed discussions regarding the conditions-based transfer of wartime operational control from the U.S. to South Korea and cooperation in shipbuilding, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO). These talks are anticipated to alleviate concerns about potential disruptions in security policy coordination due to the political transition in Seoul following President Yoon Suk Yeol's ousting.
There have been concerns regarding defense collaboration, especially after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped South Korea during his recent Indo-Pacific tour, which included Japan and the Philippines. His predecessor, Lloyd Austin, also canceled his Korea visit in December.
Regarding the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a critical nuclear deterrence body, the spokesperson mentioned that "NCG deliberations are ongoing." Earlier this week, a Seoul official stated that both nations would continue to operate the NCG under the Trump administration, with the next meeting anticipated as early as June.
The NCG was initiated by former President Yoon and former U.S. President Joe Biden post their April 2023 summit, aiming to reinforce the U.S. commitment to defending South Korea with its full military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.