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| ▲ U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan answers a question during a press briefing at the White House on May 18, 2022, in this image captured from the White House's website. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
White House-extended deterrence
U.S. working with S. Korea, Japan for 'effective mix' of steps to strengthen extended deterrence: Sullivan
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A senior White House official said Thursday the U.S. is seeking an "effective mix" of measures to bolster extended deterrence for its Northeast Asian allies against evolving military threats by North Korea.
"We're working within our alliances, with both the Republic of Korea and Japan to develop an effective mix of tangible measures to this end and specific practical steps to take to strengthen the extended deterrence commitment," National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said via video links during a forum in Seoul co-hosted by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
Sullivan said they include a "more visible regional presence of U.S. strategic capabilities" and the resumption of the Seoul-Washington Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), which was held for the first time in five years in Washington in September.
He said the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. spent "a considerable amount of time talking through the extended deterrence issue" at a bilateral summit held in Cambodia last month. He stopped short of sharing details of what was discussed.
Sullivan said Washington's relevant dialogues with Seoul and Tokyo are underlined by President Joe Biden's stated commitment to engage in "more cooperative decision-making" involving the allies on the matter.
"He will follow through on it, and that includes deeper deliberations with allies on sensitive nuclear weapons issues, both in bilateral format and in multilateral formats," the official added.
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