A senior U.S. defense official reportedly met with South Korean officials and discussed enhancing extended deterrence against North Korea’s threats and developing security trilateral cooperation with Japan.

The U.S. Department of Defense said in a press release on Thursday that Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl departed from South Korea after productive talks with South Korean officials and site visits.

The Pentagon said that Kahl affirmed the U.S.’ ironclad commitment to the U.S.-South Korea alliance while meeting with Seoul's defense minister Lee Jong-sup, vice defense minister Shin Beom-chul and First Deputy Director for the National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo.

The discussions focused on addressing North Korea's destabilizing behavior, further enhancing the extended deterrence efforts through the upcoming inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group(NCG) and incorporating Japan in three-way security cooperation.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to launch the NCG in their summit at the White House in April, with the inaugural meeting occurring soon.

The Pentagon said that Kahl's visit to South Korea emphasizes the strength of the U.S.-South Korea alliance and the importance of working together to preserve peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region.