South Korea and the United States signed a milestone document Thursday laying out nuclear deterrence principles.

According to Seoul’s defense ministry, deputy defense minister for policy Cho Chang-rae and acting U.S. assistant secretary of defense for space policy Vipin Narang signed the "Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula" at the Pentagon. 

The two officials are co-chairs of the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group(NCG), which was established last year according to the Washington Declaration that President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden adopted during their summit in April last year to bolster extended deterrence.

The ministry said that the guidelines provide principles and procedures designed to back efforts by the alliance's policy and military authorities to maintain effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture. 

Last month, the NCG held its third meeting in Seoul and announced the completion of a review of a joint guideline document, which provides the principles and procedures for maintaining and strengthening the alliance’s credible and effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture.