Page 69 - 2018 Defense White Paper

deterrence and response strategy than the concept

of general extended deterrence 16) provided by the
United States. The strategy covers both military
and nonmilitary response measures that can be

implemented in all crisis scenarios, from the stage
in which North Korea threatens to use nuclear
Korea–U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue
weapons to the stage in which nuclear weapons are (July 2018)
actually used. The tailored deterrence strategy is
signif icant insofar as it provides a joint response framework that makes most of the deterrence
Chapter 3
methods and means available to the two allies in a manner to maximize deterrence and response

effects against North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
To advance the tailored deterrence strategy and facilitate the practical implementation of the
U.S. extended deterrence commitment, the ROK and the United States operate various policy
consultative bodies including the Deterrence Strategy Committee (DSC), and the Extended

Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG). The DSC—a deputy minister-level
regular consultative body that meets every six months during the Korea–U.S. Integrated Defense

Dialogue (KIDD)—holds intensive discussions on various measures to deter and counter North
Korean nuclear and missile threats.
The DSC annually conducts a tabletop exercise 17) regarding the use of extended deterrence
means. To improve the capability for implementing the tailored deterrence strategy, the two

countries are seeking enhancements in six areas including planning, threat evaluation, regional
security cooperation, capability enhancement, strategic communications, and combined exercises.
Meanwhile, the EDSCG is a regular consultative mechanism jointly run by the two countries’

defense and foreign affairs authorities. The high-level meeting of the EDSCG, attended by vice
ministerial–level of f icials, is held on a biennial basis, and its plenary session involving director
general–level of f icials is organized every year. The EDSCG ensures that the means of extended

deterrence is not limited to military (M) elements but that their ranges are expanded to include

16) The U.S. commitment to provide deterrence to protect its allies from the enemies’ nuclear and missile threats
using a full range of military capabilities including nuclear umbrella, conventional force, and missile defense
capabilities
17) A discussion-based exercise to discuss ways for deploying means of U.S. extended deterrence in a particular
imaginary scenario (tabletop exercise)

Section 2 Reinforcing Response Capabilities against Nuclear and WMD Threats 67