The United States and South Korea on Friday denounced North Korea's first-use nuclear doctrine unveiled this month as "escalatory and destabilizing" and Washington vowed to continue to deploy and exercise strategic assets to deter and respond to Pyongyang.
A joint statement after a vice ministerial-level meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), the first convening of the body since 2018, reiterated the "ironclad" U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and said any North Korean nuclear attack would be met with an "overwhelming and decisive response."
The statement said the countries "committed to continue efforts to employ all elements of both countries' national power to strengthen the Alliance deterrence posture."