Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Newly established KIDD ad hoc Consultation Mechanism (KCM)…starting to enhance extended deterrence

Further discussed permanent deployment of strategic assets on rotational basis
U.S. reaffirmed its will to provide full military capability
Promoted cooperation between both Navies in responding to North Korea’s provocations

Korea and the US have reached an agreement to review a diversity of action plans to further enhance the extended deterrence capability, including ‘permanent deployment of the U.S. strategic assets on rotational basis’ towards the Korean Peninsula.

Defense Minister Han Min-koo and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter shared their opinions related to enhancing the consultation system for the extended deterrence at the 48th Security Consultative Meeting (SMC) held in Washington DC.

Extended deterrence means that the U.S. provides allied nations with nuclear deterrence at the level of that in its own states. Korea and the U.S. agreed to operate an Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) at the Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense Ministerial Talks in order to arrange a framework for the reinforcement of extended deterrence, and at the 48th SCM, signed a provisional revised plan related to the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in order to newly establish the ’KIDD ad hoc Consultation Mechanism (KCM)’.

When an emergency situation related to North Korea’s nuclear technology and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) occurs in the future, KCM will assist in the decision-making at the level of SCM and Military Committee Meeting (MCM) through political consultation between the two countries. An MND official evaluated that the biggest achievement of this SCM is the agreement to discuss further executive ability for extended deterrence within the framework of more intensified consultation, such as EDSCG and KCM, etc.

Reinforcement of the consultation system is expected to provide an opportunity for Korea and the US to look for various ways to enhance the extended deterrence by responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, which have been gradually increasing.

For this reason, the joint statement specified that both ministers agree to review additional action plans in order to step up the extended deterrence ability within the framework of EDSCG, so that North Korea does not have any doubts regarding the resolution of the alliance.

Significantly, Minister Han, when answering a question related to improving the execution ability of the extended deterrence during the SCM joint news conference, affirmed a commitment to enhancing the extended deterrence, saying that there were many issues discussed, including permanent deployment of the U.S. strategic assets on rotational basis, and that these would be discussed more in the future.

As well, U.S. Secretary Carter reconfirmed his will to provide the extended deterrence and intensify it by operating military capabilities in every category including nuclear umbrella, conventional striking capabilities and missile defense capability.

At the same time, both ministers talked about promoting cooperation between the two navies to enhance the reaction capability against North Korea’s maritime provocations, such as Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) test-firing. They also reconfirmed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) deployment in Korea and the enhancement of cooperation in aerospace and cyberspace.

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >, from Washington DC
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