SEOUL - South Korea and the United States will hold tabletop exercises next month involving the American extended deterrence effort, South Korea's defense minister said on Wednesday.

Officials in both capitals said they were in talks to improve joint nuclear planning and implementation, boost information sharing and launch tabletop exercises, but the timing had not yet been finalized.

Lee said that unlike in the past, Washington is willing to "drastically expand" the scope of sensitive information to be shared, and to "reflect much more" of Seoul's views in planning and implementation

In May, the two countries' militaries will stage separate tabletop exercises for the first time, which will be "far more concrete and substantive" than the February programs for policymakers, South Korean defense minister Lee Jong-sup told a news conference.

Lee's remarks came shortly after the defense and foreign ministries held a New Year policy briefing for President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Since taking office in May, Yoon has been pushing to bolster confidence in American extended deterrence - its military capability, especially nuclear forces, to deter attacks on its allies.

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Lee said that unlike in the past, Washington is willing to "drastically expand" the scope of sensitive information to be shared, and to "reflect much more" of Seoul's views in planning and implementation.