Cho Chang-rae, third from right, South Korea's deputy defense minister for policy, and Cara Abercrombie, fourth from right, the U.S. acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy, chaired the fourth session of the Nuclear Consultative Group which took place in Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, in this photo provided by Korea's defense ministry. Yonhap

South Korea and the United States underscored the importance of their key nuclear deterrence dialogue body , Friday, calling it an "enduring" tool and a "solid" foundation to strengthen the allies' integrated deterrence efforts.

The two sides made the case following the fourth session of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in Washington, as concerns linger that incoming President Donald Trump would bring about a major policy shift after assuming office, Jan. 20.

"Both sides agreed that the NCG is an enduring bilateral consultative body, tailored to the U.S.-ROK alliance, that has deepened U.S.-ROK extended deterrence cooperation," a joint press statement read. ROK stands for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

"Furthermore, the co-chairs underscored that the NCG will continue to function as a solid foundation for strengthening U.S.-ROK extended deterrence in an integrated manner."

The NCG was launched in July 2023 as part of the Washington Declaration that President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden issued during a summit in April 2023 to strengthen the credibility of America's extended deterrence commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities to defend its ally.

It remains to be seen whether the incoming Trump administration will inherit key deterrence programs created during the Biden administration.

At Friday's session, the U.S. reaffirmed its "enduring" and "ironclad" security commitment to South Korea and renewed a warning that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the U.S. and its allies will result in the end of the recalcitrant regime.

The reaffirmation came amid lingering speculation that Pyongyang could engage in provocative acts amid the political turmoil caused by President Yoon's botched martial law bid last month.

"The United States reaffirmed its commitment to the ROK is enduring and ironclad. And any nuclear attack by the DPRK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response," the statement said. DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Moreover, Washington reiterated its commitment to enhancing the "regular visibility" of America's strategic military assets to the Korean Peninsula, while the two sides decided to continue ways to conduct the allies' conventional and nuclear integration drills, according to the statement.

The two sides agreed to hold the fifth NCG session in South Korea in the first half of this year, but they did not specify a date.

Cho Chang-rae, South Korea's deputy defense minister for policy, and Cara Abercrombie, the U.S. acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy, chaired the NCG session.

The latest session came after it was put off last month in the wake of Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law imposition. The postponement had spawned concerns that the political turmoil could get in the way of the allies' security coordination on North Korea and other issues.

Brushing aside those concerns, Seoul and Washington have agreed to fully resume their diplomatic and security schedules postponed or canceled in the wake of the martial law incident. (Yonhap)