▲ Officials of South Korea and the United States hold their sixth Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul on June 11, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-nuclear deterrence

S. Korea, U.S. reaffirm goal of N.K. denuclearization at key nuclear deterrence meeting

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States reaffirmed Thursday their shared goal of denuclearizing North Korea at a key bilateral meeting on U.S. extended deterrence against North Korean threats.

The sixth meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) took place in Seoul earlier in the day, as Pyongyang has intensified efforts to secure its status as a nuclear-armed state and vowed never to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

"The two sides agreed to continue advancing the activities of the NCG in order to strengthen the alliance and extended deterrence amid North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile capabilities and a changing security environment," a joint statement issued at the end of Thursday's meeting said.

"South Korea and the U.S. reaffirmed their shared goal of denuclearization of North Korea," it added.

Leading the NCG meeting were Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Kim Hong-cheol and Robert Soofer, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of war for nuclear deterrence and countering weapons of mass destruction.

The mention of North Korea's denuclearization draws attention as China made no reference to the issue during the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang earlier this week.

The absence of such a reference has been seen as Beijing effectively backing Pyongyang's nuclear buildup.

On Wednesday, the leaders of South Korea and the European Union issued a joint statement warning that the North will "never be accepted as a nuclear-weapon state under the international nonproliferation treaty or have any other status in that regard."

At Thursday's NCG meeting, the U.S. reiterated its extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.

Extended deterrence refers to a U.S. pledge to use its full range of military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

The two sides also discussed efforts to strengthen nuclear deterrence and readiness posture, and assessed their ongoing work regarding nuclear contingencies on the Korean Peninsula, including planning and execution for Seoul to support U.S. nuclear missions with its conventional capabilities, the statement said.

The allies also signed a document on NCG security guidelines to ensure the protection of information related to NCG activities and consultations.

The NCG was launched in July 2023 under the Washington Declaration adopted by the leaders of the two countries as a platform to enhance the credibility of U.S. commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea against the North's nuclear threats.

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