{"id":25655,"date":"2024-11-02T09:21:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-02T07:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=25655"},"modified":"2024-11-09T08:25:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-09T06:25:35","slug":"us-and-south-korea-strengthen-alliance-with-22-security-consultative-ministerial-dialogue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-and-south-korea-strengthen-alliance-with-22-security-consultative-ministerial-dialogue\/","title":{"rendered":"US and South Korea strengthen alliance with 2+2 security consultative ministerial dialogue"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>4 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>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.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 2+2 format SCM dialogues are a diplomatic effort between the two countries to develop joint defense strategies and reinforce the alliance\u2019s commitment to shared values and security interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Deterrence commitment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the SCM, the United States reaffirmed its &#8220;ironclad&#8221; commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea, focusing on nuclear and conventional capabilities to counter threats from North Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-conversation=\"none\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SecDef<\/a> 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. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fMvUnRmUPZ\">pic.twitter.com\/fMvUnRmUPZ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecBlinken\/status\/1852155370833387881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 1, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p><br>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Addressing North Korea-Russia military cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The meetings were overshadowed by recent reports of North Korea-Russia military cooperation. Secretary Blinken highlighted North Korea\u2019s continued missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch that reportedly placed nearly all of the U.S. within range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>South Korean officials condemned these actions as a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. Blinken also noted North Korea\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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&#8217;re being outfitted with Russian uniforms and equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I am increasingly concerned that [the] Kremlin plans to use these North Korean soldiers to support Russia&#8217;s combat operations in Russia&#8217;s Kursk Region, near the border with Ukraine,&#8221; Austin said.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/NK-troops.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/NK-troops.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"North Korea sending toops to Russia\" class=\"wp-image-25433\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/NK-troops.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/NK-troops.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises artillery firing drills in North Korea on March 7, 2024. (Image Credit: Korean Central News Agency)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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, &#8220;Our extended deterrence commitment remains ironclad. That commitment is backed by the full range of America&#8217;s conventional, missile defense, nuclear, and advanced non-nuclear capabilities.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Diplomatic call to China and UN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Secretary Blinken and ROK officials emphasized the need for China to curb North Korea\u2019s provocative actions, referencing recent dialogues with Beijing urging it to act in its regional influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blinken remarked, \u201cThey know well the concerns that we have and the expectations that\u2026they\u2019ll use the influence that they have.\u201d The United States, alongside France, Japan, and other allied nations, called for a United Nations Security Council meeting to address North Korea&#8217;s ICBM launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China has consistently urged all parties toward de-escalation and reiterated calls for a political resolution to the Korean Peninsula\u2019s security challenges. However, many Western analysts suggest that China might be apprehensive of North Korea\u2019s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as it could provoke closer ties between the U.S. and its European and Asian allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Modernizing capabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted South Korean counterparts for the U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting\" class=\"wp-image-25657\" style=\"width:839px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-ROK-22-meeting.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted South Korean counterparts for the U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting on October 31, 2024. (Image Credit: X\/@SecDef)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>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).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Regional security and cooperation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Blinken and Cho&#8217;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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflecting on the alliance\u2019s longstanding unity, Blinken stated, \u201cWe have an alliance now in its seventh decade that is not only ironclad in its commitment\u2026but also\u2026a partnership that has moved from the bilateral to the regional to the genuinely global.\u201d Minister Cho reiterated the sentiment, noting the importance of the meetings as a testament to \u201c100 percent alignment\u201d on shared policy goals.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/US-South-Korea-Japan-naval-drills.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/US-South-Korea-Japan-naval-drills.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"US, South Korea, and Japan naval drills\" class=\"wp-image-22199\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/US-South-Korea-Japan-naval-drills.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/US-South-Korea-Japan-naval-drills.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>South Korea&#8217;s Aegis destroyer Seoae Ryu Sung-ryong (bottom), the U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) (center), and JDS Ariake (DD-183), a destroyer of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, jointly conduct maritime drills in international waters south of Jeju Island on April 11, 2024. (Image Credit: South Korean Navy\/via Yonhap)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[124,1,125],"tags":[137,380,45,75,6,408,5,96,20,113,95,7,17],"class_list":["post-25655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-news","category-united-states","tag-asia","tag-asia-pacific","tag-china","tag-conflict","tag-defense","tag-korean-peninsula","tag-military","tag-north-korea","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-south-korea","tag-u-s","tag-un"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/US-South-Korea-22-meeting.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-6FN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25655"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25791,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25655\/revisions\/25791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}