South Korea and the U.S. have held a meeting to prepare for their next round of high-level talks on defense and security issues.
 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said the two sides held the working-level preparatory meeting on Tuesday in Seoul to discuss the dates and agenda for the next Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group(EDSCG) talks.
 
The ministry said that the chief of its North American Affairs Bureau held the working-level talks with Acting Assistant Secretary for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Anita Friedt.
 
The spokesman said the two sides discussed preparations for the high-level talks and reached a general consensus to hold the next talks as soon as possible.
 
The two allies agreed on the establishment of the EDSCG at talks between their defense and foreign ministers in a bid to step up deterrence against North Korea in October last year. Its first meeting was held in Washington in December of the same year. 

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