Media: US, South Korea postpone nuclear discussions

South Korea and the United States have postponed critical nuclear deterrence talks and a related exercise that were scheduled to take place in Washington this week, according to a Pentagon spokesperson. 

The delay follows South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of emergency martial law, Caliber.Az reports, citing The New York Times.

The two countries had planned to hold the fourth session of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) on December 4 in Washington as part of their efforts to bolster deterrence against North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.

"The NCG meeting and NCG-Top Exercise are postponed until further notice. We do not have information on rescheduling," a spokesperson from the Department of Defense told Yonhap News Agency.

The exercise, which was to be led by Cho Chang-rae, South Korea’s deputy defence minister for policy, and Cara Abercrombie, the U.S. acting deputy under secretary of defence for policy, was expected to focus on nuclear deterrence, according to South Korea's defence ministry.

The NCG was established last year under the Washington Declaration, which was issued by Presidents Yoon and Joe Biden during their White House summit in April. The declaration aims to reinforce the credibility of the United States' extended deterrence commitment, assuring that it would use the full spectrum of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend its ally.

By Khagan Isayev