U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III hosted a Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial with the Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun in Washington on October 31, 2024.

The two sides reaffirmed the shared vision, common values, and unwavering commitment to their combined defense posture and the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) as the bedrock of our security partnership.  They noted the U.S.-ROK Alliance serves as the linchpin of peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific region.  Both sides affirmed that our unwavering resolve is our greatest deterrent and pledged to coordinate closely together in the event of any provocations.  The recent conclusion of consultations on the Special Measures Agreement serves as a tangible symbol of our shared commitment to the Alliance, enhances our combined defense posture, and supports the continued presence of U.S. forces stationed on the Korean Peninsula.

The Secretaries and Ministers also recognized the U.S.-ROK Alliance has evolved into a global comprehensive strategic alliance, built on respect, trust, close friendship, strong people-to-people connections, and the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.  They committed to further advancing mutually reinforcing and forward-looking cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas, including climate change, health security, nonproliferation, and supply chain diversification.

The United States reaffirmed its commitment to the defense of the ROK.  The Secretaries and Ministers further pledged to enhance the Alliance's deterrence posture and emphasized the importance of maintaining joint readiness against shared regional and global threats through combined training and exercises.  The Secretaries and Ministers noted that U.S. forces in the ROK continue to play a critical role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and committed to ensure that we have the force posture and capabilities necessary to meet our common challenges.

The Secretaries and Ministers also highlighted deepening U.S.-ROK security cooperation to enhance interoperability and strengthen extended deterrence by the continued implementation of commitments outlined in the U.S.-ROK Washington Declaration, announced by Presidents Biden and Yoon in April 2023.  Both sides reiterated that the ironclad U.S. extended deterrence commitment to the ROK is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear.  They reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response.  The United States also reiterated that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the United States or its allies is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime, in line with the 2022 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review.

Both sides welcomed the achievements of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), an enduring bilateral forum that has continued work to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning, and manage the threat the DPRK poses to the global nonproliferation regime.  They applauded the successful completion of the “U.S.-ROK Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula,” which represents the tremendous progress of the NCG, as commended and endorsed by President Biden and President Yoon.  The Guidelines provide the principles and procedures for the Alliance to maintain and strengthen credible and effective nuclear deterrence as equal partners, with further progress planned for the next principal-level NCG meeting later this year.  Both sides pledged to deepen consultations and strategic planning, further enhance the regular visibility of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula, and expand table-top exercises and simulations to ensure an effective response to any changes in the threat environment.

Both sides also affirmed the need for the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) to discuss and coordinate on security strategy and policy issues affecting the Korean Peninsula and the broader Indo-Pacific region – including by leveraging all elements of national power.  The Secretaries and Ministers committed to collaborate against harmful disinformation about extended deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.  The ROK expressed its support for U.S. efforts to engage the People’s Republic of China and Russia on reducing nuclear risks.

Both sides reaffirmed their longstanding commitment to their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the cornerstone of the global nonproliferation regime, as well as their continuing commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, consistent with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

The Secretaries and Ministers strongly condemned the DPRK's dangerous and provocative behavior, including its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on October 31 (local time) and continued pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in violation of multiple UNSC resolutions.  The ICBM test only demonstrates the DPRK continues to prioritize its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs over the well-being of its people, and we call on the DPRK to cease its destabilizing actions. The two sides committed to further enhance coordination, including through the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), to address violations and evasions of UN sanctions by the DPRK, including violations of the arms embargo and other related military cooperation, dispatch of overseas laborers, malicious cyber activities, oil smuggling, and the trade of prohibited items, including by ship-to-ship transfers.  Both sides reiterated that the DPRK’s human rights violations and abuses were inextricably linked with its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile advancements, and committed to further strengthening cooperation to promote human rights in the DPRK. The United States expressed its support for the goals of the Audacious Initiative and President Yoon's vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula, and reiterated its support for a peacefully unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace.   Both sides reaffirmed that they remain open to dialogue with the DPRK without preconditions.

The Secretaries and Ministers condemned in the strongest terms deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including continued unlawful arms transfers and the deployment of DPRK troops to Russia.  They made clear that this military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK constitutes not only a violation of multiple UNSC resolutions but also prolongs the suffering of the Ukrainian people and threatens stability in both the Indo-Pacific and Europe.  Both sides further identified measures to address the challenges posed by increased DPRK-Russia security cooperation, resolved to closely monitor and further expose Russian support to the DPRK, and urged Russia and the DPRK to abide by international law, including the relevant UNSC resolutions.  Both sides committed to enforce the current autonomous sanctions regime and actively pursue necessary measures together with the international community to deter further unlawful, reckless, and destabilizing behavior.

The Secretaries and Ministers also strongly condemned Russia's brutal, unprovoked, and unjustifiable war against Ukraine.  They recognized that Russia's violation of the UN Charter and its attempts to unilaterally change borders by force through its ongoing aggression present a clear challenge to the international order, with global impacts including on the Indo-Pacific.  Both sides condemned Russia's coercive nuclear threats and its attacks against critical infrastructure, and they reiterated the need for Russia to be held accountable for its actions.

The Secretaries and Ministers also recognized the deepening interconnectedness between the Indo-Pacific and the Euro-Atlantic and discussed the implications for diplomatic and defense cooperation in the face of a complex security environment.  The two sides recognized the importance of the ROK deepening its partnerships with NATO and other  Indo-Pacific partners, and resolved to advance security, peace, and prosperity in both regions.  

Both sides expressed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific.  They recognized the importance of opposing unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea.  The United States and the ROK underscored the importance of maritime safety and security, upholding international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea, and peaceful resolution of disputes as essential for regional stability and prosperity.

Both sides emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the international community.  They expressed concern over provocative actions, particularly the recent military drills around Taiwan that escalate tension and concurred that no further actions should be taken that could undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.  There remains no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, including the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

The two countries are united in their support of ASEAN centrality and other regional efforts.  Both sides acknowledged the contributions of ongoing bilateral and multilateral dialogues to expand regional coordination with Pacific Island countries and in the Mekong sub-region that aim to enhance connectivity, economic development, and environmental sustainability.  The United States and ROK reaffirmed their commitment to ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, emphasizing the importance of these platforms in promoting peace, stability, and security in the region.  Additionally, both sides highlighted their collaborative efforts in addressing transnational challenges, including maritime security, cyber threats such as the DPRK’s cryptocurrency heists, and climate change through ASEAN and other regional frameworks.

The Secretaries and Ministers emphasized the critical importance of deepening trilateral cooperation with Japan to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the region and to address common challenges such as the DPRK’s increasing nuclear and missile threats. Trilateral cooperation is furthered by the leadership commitments at the Trilateral Leaders’ Summit at Camp David in 2023 and respective trilateral foreign and defense ministerial-level meetings this year.  Both sides pledged to continue prioritizing mutually beneficial, forward-looking cooperation to promote peace, security, and prosperity in the region.

The United States recognized the ROK as a Global Pivotal State committed to addressing global challenges, noting its 2024-2025 non-permanent membership in the UNSC.  The United States and the ROK reaffirmed their commitment to working closely within the UN framework to address pressing global issues such as nuclear non-proliferation, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and climate change.  The two sides also discussed strategies to strengthen multilateralism and improve the effectiveness of the UN in responding to emerging threats and crises.  Both sides also recognized the important role of the United Nations Command (UNC) in managing, implementing, and enforcing the terms of the Korean Armistice Agreement, deterring DPRK aggression, and coordinating multinational united responses in case of contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.  They also affirmed that the UNC has successfully contributed to those aims for over 70 years and will continue to carry out its mission with the utmost respect for the sovereignty of the ROK, the primary host nation of the UNC.

Both sides affirmed that international law applies in cyberspace and that a cyberattack could - in certain circumstances - constitute an armed attack for the purposes of Article III of the MDT.  The Secretaries and Ministers also affirmed that attacks to, from, or within space present a clear challenge to the security of the Alliance, and such attacks - in certain circumstances - could lead to the invocation of Article III of the MDT.  Both sides affirmed that a decision as to when attacks in either domain would lead to an invocation of Article III would be made on a case-by-case basis, and through close consultations between the United States and the ROK, as would be the case for any other threat.  They emphasized the importance of enhancing interoperability and information sharing for space and cyber domain awareness and concurred on the need to strengthen joint response capabilities against increasing space and cyber threats.

The two sides also pledged to continue expanding cooperative measures to enhance compatibility between the U.S. and ROK defense industrial bases. The Secretaries and Ministers highlighted their shared view that the Regional Sustainment Framework, recently announced by the U.S. Department of Defense, would strengthen Alliance maintenance capabilities and increase readiness regeneration capacity.  They discussed recent measures to cooperate on Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) projects and welcomed the U.S. Navy certifying ROK shipyards to conduct MRO services on U.S. ships.  In addition, both sides recognized the need to improve reciprocal market access to deepen defense cooperation and enhance supply chain resiliency. Both sides are committed to accelerate cooperation with the goal of signing the Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement next year based on guidance from both Presidents.

The two sides recognized the contribution of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) partnership in sustaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.  Both sides noted ongoing consultations for potential collaboration on advanced capability projects under AUKUS Pillar II.

The Secretaries and Ministers noted that since both sides established the basic principles of the transition of wartime Operational Control (OPCON) in 2006, the ROK and United States have achieved great progress through their combined efforts and reiterated their firm commitment to wartime OPCON transition consistent with the Conditions-Based OPCON Transition Plan.  Building on this progress, the Secretaries and Ministers pledged to continue efforts toward the systematic and stable transition of wartime OPCON.

The Secretaries and Ministers emphasized the United States and the ROK are united by shared values and a common purpose.  Both sides reiterated their commitment to further advancing and deepening U.S.-ROK cooperation.

Both sides also recognized the importance of the Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial as an important bilateral forum to further enhance the Alliance, and committed to holding the Ministerial Meeting regularly.