What did South Korea and the United States discuss in their Seoul talks on North Korea's WMD threat?

The officials discussed ways to respond to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction and how to bolster the allies' practical capabilities against a possible use of such weapons. They also voiced concern that the North's WMD programs are destabilizing the Korean Peninsula and the wider region.

What other threats did South Korea and the United States agree to cooperate on besides North Korea's WMDs?

The allies agreed to continue cooperation on biological threats, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19. They also discussed post management methods to strengthen the alliance's joint operational capabilities.

S. Korea, US hold talks on joint responses to N. Korea's WMD

Q: Who led the South Korea-US talks on countering North Korea's WMD program?

Woo Kyung-suk, director general of Seoul's defense ministry policy planning bureau, and Jason Hamm, the deputy U.S. assistant secretary of war for nuclear deterrence and countering WMD policy, led the session in Seoul. The ministry said the meeting deepened cooperation between the allies on countering WMD threats.

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Summary

South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul on Thursday to discuss joint responses to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction. Woo Kyung-suk and Jason Hamm led the meeting, and the allies said they would strengthen practical capabilities and maintain an overwhelming combined defense posture. They also agreed to keep cooperating on biological threats, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Key Facts

Woo Kyung-suk of Seoul's defense ministry and Jason Hamm of the U.S. side led the talks in Seoul.
The meeting focused on ways to respond to North Korea's WMD threats and the instability they are causing on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region.
The two sides agreed to continue cooperation on biological threats, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
The officials discussed post management methods to strengthen the alliance's joint operational capabilities.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 10, 2026 5:34 pm KST

South Korean troops escort wounded soldiers during drills for consequence management of weapons of mass destruction in Daejeon, Aug. 26. Courtesy of the 32nd Infantry Division

Defense officials of South Korea and the United States held talks to discuss ways to respond to North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday.

Woo Kyung-suk, director general of the ministry's policy planning bureau, and Jason Hamm, the deputy U.S. assistant secretary of war for nuclear deterrence and countering WMD policy, led the session in Seoul, according to the ministry.

The talks come as North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, including weapons designed to target South Korea and the U.S., while rejecting calls to give up its nuclear arsenal.

During the meeting, the allies voiced concern over the North's WMD programs are causing instability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region, and discussed measures to bolster the allies' practical capabilities to respond to the potential use of such weapons by Pyongyang.

The officials also agreed to continue cooperation in responding to biological threats, including infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and discussed post management methods to to strengthen the alliance's joint operational capabilities.

The two sides assessed that the meeting helped deepen cooperation between the allies on countering WMD threats and vowed to effectively respond to the North's threats through an "overwhelming" combined defense posture.

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