▲ South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong (L) and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman pose for a photo during their bilateral talks in Washington on Feb. 14, 2023, in this photo provided by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-alliance

U.S. reaffirms ironclad commitment to security of S. Korea in bilateral talks

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to the security and defense of South Korea in talks with her South Korean counterpart Tuesday, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Sherman also underscored the "ironclad" U.S. commitment to providing extended deterrence in a bilateral meeting with South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong, according to the ministry.

"The two vice ministers reaffirmed that the complete denuclearization of North Korea is the top priority of South Korea and the U.S., and agreed to continue cooperation between the two countries for 'real peace' on the Korean Peninsula," it said in a press release.

The bilateral meeting came one day after Cho and Sherman held trilateral talks with their Japanese counterpart, Takeo Mori.

In a joint press availability following Monday's meeting, the South Korean diplomat had insisted that peace without complete denuclearization of North Korea is "fake peace."

"Deputy Secretary Sherman reaffirmed that the U.S.' commitment to the defense of South Korea and extended deterrence is ironclad, and the two sides agreed to further step up their efforts to increase the effectiveness of U.S. extended deterrence through the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) to be held this year," the ministry said in a press release.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to use all its defense capabilities, including nuclear, to help defend its allies.

Seoul and Washington reactivated their bilateral EDSCG late last year after a five-year suspension.

Cho and Sherman stressed the need to fully implement existing United Nations Security Council sanctions on North Korea to rein in Pyongyang's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, while agreeing to intensify their joint efforts to curb illicit cyber activities by North Korea.

The U.S. National Security Council has said the North funds up to 30 percent of its resources for its illegal weapons development programs through illicit cyber activities, such as cryptocurrency heists and money laundering, also noting the country had stolen up to US$1 billion in cryptocurrency as of end-2022.

Pyongyang fired an unprecedented 69 ballistic missiles last year, far surpassing its previous record of 25 ballistic missiles launched in a single year.

Cho and Sherman also agreed to continue expanding cooperation between their countries in the year that marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance, to a point where the people of both countries can enjoy the benefits of the alliance, the ministry said.

To this end, Deputy Secretary Sherman said the U.S. will continue to work to address South Korea's concerns over U.S. tax benefits afforded to electric vehicles assembled in North America under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, it added.

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