Following the Korea-US SCM, the 2+2 meeting continued.
Sharing information on North Korean military deployment, likely to condemn North Korea-Russia cooperation
Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol, who is scheduled to attend the 6th ROK-US Foreign and Defense Ministers’ Meeting, is leaving for Washington, USA through Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 on the morning of the 30th. Yonhap News
The South Korean and U.S. foreign and defense ministers will hold a series of meetings in the U.S. and discuss issues such as sending North Korean troops to Russia. It is expected that South Korea and the United States will share information related to North Korea’s troop deployment and issue a message condemning military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun will hold the 56th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington, USA, on the 30th (local time). SCM is an annual security consultative body. We reconfirm existing pledges, such as extended deterrence, and discuss major issues and development plans, including the Korean Peninsula and international situation.
The Korean and U.S. defense ministers plan to issue a joint statement after the SCM meeting. There is a possibility that new content will be added to the statement condemning military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as ‘illegal’ in violation of the UN Security Council’s resolution on sanctions against North Korea. Specifically, it may contain content criticizing the recent deployment of North Korean troops to Russia and raising concerns about the future transfer of cutting-edge military technology, such as intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) re-entry technology, to North Korea. This is the first SCM held since North Korea and Russia signed a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ treaty at a summit last June. It is also expected that North Korea will be put under pressure by mentioning the ‘Korean Peninsula Nuclear Deterrence Nuclear Operation Guidelines’ approved by the leaders of the two countries last July as a major achievement.
A meeting between the ROK and U.S. foreign affairs and defense (2+2) ministers continues. Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Royce Austin sit across from each other on the 31st (local time). It has been 3 years and 7 months since the Korea-US 2+2 meeting took place in March 2021.
Ministers from the two countries will conduct comprehensive discussions on topics such as Korean Peninsula issues, ROK-US alliance cooperation, and regional issues. A joint statement will be issued after the meeting. The ministers of the two countries are expected to share information and trends related to military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, including the dispatch of troops to North Korea, and discuss ways to cooperate, including diplomatic and military efforts to deter this. While urging North Korea and Russia to comply with UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea, it is expected that they will also express the need for cooperation from the international community, such as operating a ‘Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team’ (MSMT) to monitor whether sanctions against North Korea are being implemented. MSMT is a coalition of 11 countries, including Korea, the United States, and Japan, and was launched on the 16th to replace the function of the existing UN Security Council expert panel. It is expected that the ministers of the two countries will monitor North Korea and Russia’s movements after the U.S. presidential election and coordinate response plans.
Separately, a meeting between the foreign ministers of the Republic of Korea and the United States will also be held. Considering precedents, the schedule for the ROK-US SCM and 2+2 Ministerial Meeting appears to have been pushed forward even before the North Korean military’s deployment to Russia became visible. However, as North Korea’s troop dispatch has emerged as a major issue in the international community, the successive high-level meetings between South Korea and the United States are expected to exert pressure on North Korea and Russia. It may also have the effect of stimulating public opinion in the international community regarding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
