IRIA News

4 minute read

The United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) conducted the 56th U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with ROK Minister of National Defense Kim Yong Hyun and ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul.

The two sides discussed several regional security issues and led dialogues aimed at advancing extended deterrence cooperation, modernizing alliance capabilities, and bolstering regional security efforts.

The 2+2 format SCM dialogues are a diplomatic effort between the two countries to develop joint defense strategies and reinforce the alliance’s commitment to shared values and security interests.

Deterrence commitment

During the SCM, the United States reaffirmed its “ironclad” commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea, focusing on nuclear and conventional capabilities to counter threats from North Korea.

As part of this enhanced posture, the U.S. and South Korea announced plans to strengthen integrated planning and decision-making processes under the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), which oversees nuclear deterrence strategies on the Korean Peninsula.

Today, @SecDef Austin and I joined Foreign Minister Cho and Defense Minister Kim to build on that progress and lay the groundwork to ensure that we continue delivering shared security and shared opportunity for our people in the years to come. pic.twitter.com/fMvUnRmUPZ

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 1, 2024

Additionally, the allies committed to large-scale field training exercises, such as Freedom Shield and Ulchi Freedom Shield, to fortify crisis management capabilities and strengthen defense readiness.

Addressing North Korea-Russia military cooperation

The meetings were overshadowed by recent reports of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. Secretary Blinken highlighted North Korea’s continued missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch that reportedly placed nearly all of the U.S. within range.

South Korean officials condemned these actions as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Blinken also noted North Korea’s deployment of approximately 10,000 troops to Russia, with up to 8,000 stationed in the Kursk region. The U.S. has warned that if North Korean troops engage Ukrainian forces in combat, they will become legitimate military targets.

U.S. Secretary Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun also discussed North Korea and Russian cooperation. U.S. Secretary Austin noted that some of the North Korean soldiers have already moved closer to Ukraine and they’re being outfitted with Russian uniforms and equipment.

“I am increasingly concerned that [the] Kremlin plans to use these North Korean soldiers to support Russia’s combat operations in Russia’s Kursk Region, near the border with Ukraine,” Austin said.

According to the Pentagon statement, the U.S. and South Korean officials discussed ways to modernize and deepen the alliance that will help protect the security of the Korean peninsula and shape the future of the Indo-Pacific region. The U.S. defense secretary said, “Our extended deterrence commitment remains ironclad. That commitment is backed by the full range of America’s conventional, missile defense, nuclear, and advanced non-nuclear capabilities.”

Diplomatic call to China and UN

Secretary Blinken and ROK officials emphasized the need for China to curb North Korea’s provocative actions, referencing recent dialogues with Beijing urging it to act in its regional influence.

Blinken remarked, “They know well the concerns that we have and the expectations that…they’ll use the influence that they have.” The United States, alongside France, Japan, and other allied nations, called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to address North Korea’s ICBM launch.

China has consistently urged all parties toward de-escalation and reiterated calls for a political resolution to the Korean Peninsula’s security challenges. However, many Western analysts suggest that China might be apprehensive of North Korea’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as it could provoke closer ties between the U.S. and its European and Asian allies.

Modernizing capabilities

In efforts to modernize their alliance, the U.S. and South Korea agreed to expand technology collaboration and missile defense systems. This includes upgrading their Shared Early Warning Systems to counter advanced threats, as well as launching the new Defense Science and Technology Executive Committee (DSTEC) to enhance cooperation in cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.

By engaging in joint industrial and technological initiatives, the allies aim to build a resilient defense supply chain through the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR).

Regional security and cooperation

The allies also took steps to expand regional security cooperation. A new Regional Cooperation Framework was established to coordinate maritime security, capacity building, and multilateral exercises in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States and ROK further committed to deepening trilateral security efforts with Japan through a Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework, which institutionalizes high-level dialogue and shared missile warning data while increasing the frequency and scope of joint exercises.

Blinken and Cho’s bilateral meeting underscored the deep economic partnership between the U.S. and ROK, which remains strong with significant foreign direct investment and job creation across both nations.

Reflecting on the alliance’s longstanding unity, Blinken stated, “We have an alliance now in its seventh decade that is not only ironclad in its commitment…but also…a partnership that has moved from the bilateral to the regional to the genuinely global.” Minister Cho reiterated the sentiment, noting the importance of the meetings as a testament to “100 percent alignment” on shared policy goals.