On July 30, 2024, the Republic of Korea Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense held the 2024 U.S.-ROK Counter Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Committee in Seoul.
The meeting was attended by senior representatives from both countries, including Director General for Policy and Planning at the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea Yoon Bong-hee and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy at the Department of Defense of the United States Richard C. Johnson.
The two sides expressed concern that the DPRK’s WMD capabilities are contributing to instability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region and discussed in-depth ways to strengthen the effectiveness of U.S.-ROK deterrence and defense against North Korean WMD use.
The two sides discussed information sharing on DPRK’s WMD program and how to continue to enhance the capabilities and expertise of relevant forces through the Cooperative Threat Reduction program.
In particular, the two sides agreed that the illicit proliferation of WMD in the region, including the arms trade between Russia and the DPRK, undermines peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Korean Peninsula, and will work together to prevent the proliferation of WMD.
The allies also agreed on cooperation in consequence management to protect their alliance, minimize damage, and maintain combat capabilities in case of a DPRK WMD attack. They agreed to promote exchanges and cooperation between relevant military units from both countries.
Both sides assessed that U.S.-ROK tabletop exercises in nuclear, biological, and chemical defense fields in 2024 strengthened their crisis management amid escalating DPRK WMD threats. Representatives from ROK and U.S. considered this meeting as having substantially contributed to further strengthening cooperation against DPRK's WMD threat. They agreed to continue collaboration through their combined defense posture.
