WASHINGTON: The defense ministers of South Korea and the United States are scheduled to convene in Washington, D.C. next week for their annual security meeting, where they will address concerns over North Korea’s military collaboration with Russia. The discussions will focus on the strategic implications of North Korea’s recent troop dispatch to Russia and the joint deterrence strategies against potential threats from Pyongyang.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will engage in the 56th Security Consultative Meeting on Wednesday. This will be their first face-to-face meeting since Kim assumed his position last month. The talks occur amidst reports that North Korea has sent troops to support Russian military efforts in Ukraine, a development that has raised alarms about the increasing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.
A White House official confirmed that North Korea had dispatched at least 3,000 troops to eastern Ru
ssia earlier this month. South Korea’s intelligence service anticipates that North Korea might send up to 10,000 soldiers to Russia by December. The meeting between Kim and Austin will include an assessment of the current security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula in light of these developments. The leaders will also explore policy coordination and strategies to bolster the allies’ extended deterrence and combined defense measures.
The agenda for the talks is expected to cover defense technology, the arms industry, and trilateral security collaboration involving Japan. Kim’s visit to the U.S. will also include a wreath-laying ceremony at a Korean War memorial and a stop at a research facility focused on manned-unmanned teaming technology.