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A meeting of the Korea-U.S. Extended Deterrence Strategies to counter the North Korean nuclear threat will be held in the United States this week.

It will be restarted after 4 years and 8 months, and a stronger deterrence strategy is expected to be discussed in preparation for North Korea's 7th nuclear test.



Correspondent Yunsu Kim from Washington.



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Deputy Defense Minister Shin Beom-cheol visited the United States to attend a meeting of the Korea-U.S. Extended Deterrence Strategy Council.



It will be held again in 4 years and 8 months since the 2nd Extended Deterrence Conference in January 2018.



Deputy Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers from both South Korea and the United States will attend to discuss the North Korean nuclear deterrence strategy.



[Shin Beom-cheol/Vice Minister of National Defense: We plan to confirm the U.S. commitment to strengthened extended deterrence and discuss specific measures to enhance its execution.]



The extended deterrence conference began in 2016 during the Park Geun-hye administration and held two meetings. However, it was stopped as an atmosphere of inter-Korean reconciliation was created.



The third meeting was held in May when the leaders of the Republic of Korea and the United States agreed to restart operations.



At this meeting, in particular, as the possibility of North Korea's seventh nuclear test continues, concrete measures to deter expansion, such as deployment of US strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula, are expected to be discussed in the event of a North Korean nuclear provocation.



It also included a schedule to show the US key strategic assets, such as missile defense network power and bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, directly to South Korea.





[Patrick Ryder / US Department of Defense Spokesperson

: We have proven policies and procedures regarding nuclear deterrence, which include very close cooperation with the international alliance.]

As it was foretold that it would be different from before, there is a forecast that a stronger deterrence strategy will be discussed.