South Korea Puts Japan Aside As Part Of The US Joint Nuclear Consultative Group

South Korean Deputy Defense Minister Shin Beom Chul on Monday ruled out the possibility of Japan taking part in a nuclear consulatative group between Seoul and Washington to strengthen nuclear deterrence against Pyongyang's military threats.

Shin issued the statement in an interview amid speculation over the possibility of Tokyo joining the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) agreed to form the two countries during a high-level conference of their leaders last month.

"NCG is a consulting agency that increases cooperation between South Korea and the US to expand prevention of North Korea's nuclear threat to the highest level." Shin said in a CBS radio interview as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 22.

"NCG itself operates between South Korea and the US," he continued.

Japan is interested in forming a similar body to the NCG, but Shin says he is not aware of developments in such talks between Tokyo and Washington.

"I don't think there will be any sudden steps to get Japan into the NCG in the next summit talks," he said.

The comments came a day after President Yoon Suk Yeol, President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation to increase deterrence against threats from Pyongyang during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.

Shin also said efforts were underway to hold trilateral defense ministers' meetings with Beijing and Tokyo by the end of this year.