S Korea-US-missile defense
S. Korea, U.S. create missile defense consultation body amid growing N.K. threats
SEOUL, Nov. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States launched a working-level missile defense consultation body Friday to step up the allies' policy coordination against evolving North Korean security threats, Seoul's defense ministry said.
The two sides held the inaugural session of the Counter Missile Working Group (CMWG) at the ministry in Seoul amid heightened tensions caused by a recent series of North Korean missile launches, including that of a short-range ballistic missile the previous day.
"Through this consultation body, South Korea and the U.S. will reinforce the cooperation mechanism between the two countries' defense authorities to prepare against advancing North Korean missile threats," the ministry said in a press release.
The CMWG is part of the allies' existing security coordination institution, called the Deterrence Strategy Committee.
The plan for its launch was approved during the countries' annual defense ministerial talks, the Security Consultative Meeting, in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 3.
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