Washington: South Korea and the United States convened a meeting of their key nuclear deterrence body in Washington earlier this week, the defense ministry reported on Friday. This event marked the first such discussions under U.S. President Donald Trump's second term.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the fifth meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) occurred in Washington on Thursday. The meeting was led by Kim Hong-cheol, the deputy minister for national defense policy of South Korea, alongside Robert Soofer, acting deputy assistant secretary of defense in charge of nuclear deterrence, chemical, and biological policy for the U.S.

During the session, Kim emphasized South Korea's intention to take a "leading role" in conventional defense capabilities. This meeting represented the first NCG gathering since the Trump administration began its second term in January and the government of South Korean President Lee Jae-myung took office in June.