South Korea and the United States will hold vice-ministerial talks in Washington next week on the allies' deterrence efforts against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

According to Seoul's foreign and defense ministries on Friday, the fifth meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group(EDSCG) will focus on progress made in deterrence efforts concerning diplomacy, intelligence, military and the economy.

The allies are also expected to discuss policy coordination aimed at bolstering the "extended deterrence" against the North, referring to the U.S. commitment to mobilize all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

The talks will be led by first vice foreign minister Kim Hong-kyun, Cho Chang-rae, deputy defense minister for policy, Bonnie Jenkins, U.S. under secretary of state for arms control and international security and Cara Abercrombie, acting deputy under secretary of defense for policy.

In May 2022, President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to resume the EDSCG dialogue that had been suspended during the previous liberal Moon Jae-in government, in response to the North's evolving nuclear and missile threats.