S. Korea, US making 'practical' progress in strengthening US extended deterrence: Amb. Cho

• Published date: 28 February 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

South Korea and the United States are making "practical" progress in enhancing the implementation of U.S. extended deterrence, South Korean ambassador to the U.S. Cho Tae-yong said Monday.

Cho also said the allies will hold additional joint exercises to further strengthen the extended deterrence.

Extended deterrence refers to U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea, using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

"We have made practical progress in strengthening the implementation of extended deterrence," the South Korean diplomat said while meeting with reporters in Washington.

Seoul and Washington held the eighth Deterrence Security Committee Table-top Exercise last week in Washington, which the allies said focused on how to respond to any potential use of nuclear weapons by North Korea.

Cho said the countries will seek to hold follow-up exercises "in the very near future."

Efforts to strengthen the U.S. extended deterrence followed an unprecedented 69 North Korean ballistic missile tests last year, which marked a new record of ballistic missiles fired by the...