Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

South Korea and the United States will hold their third Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting in Seoul on June 10 (Monday) to discuss specific strategies to strengthen the deterrence and response capabilities of the alliance of the two nations against North Korean nuclear threats.

The meeting, co-chaired by South Korean Deputy Minister of National Defense Cho Chang Rae and U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang as chief representatives, will be attended by officials from the NSCs, defense, foreign affairs, intelligence, and military authorities of both nations.

The NCG, launched to implement the Washington Declaration, is an ongoing bilateral consultative body aimed at strengthening the alliance of the two nations and bolstering extended deterrence on the Korean Peninsula and in the region.

The NCG, previously led by the national security councils (NSCs) of the two nations, will now be held under the leadership of the defense agencies of both nations in accordance with the "NCG Framework" document signed by the chief representatives of both sides in February this year.

During this meeting, the two sides will review the first year’s progress on NCG tasks, such as:

△ information sharing procedures;

△ nuclear consultation procedures for crises and contingencies;

△ nuclear and strategic planning;

△ South Korea-U.S. conventional-nuclear integration (CNI);

△ strategic messaging;

△ exercises, simulations, training, and investment activities; and

△ risk reduction measures.

They will also discuss future implementation plans.