President Yoon Suk Yeol said Monday that South Korea and the United States will complete a strengthened "extended deterrence" regime in the first half of 2024 to block North Korea's nuclear and missile threats at its source. Yoon made the remark in a New Year's Day address as he stressed his commitment to building a "genuine and lasting peace" through strength. "By the first half of this year, we will complete the enhanced South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence system to fundamentally deter any North Korean nuclear and missile threat," he said from the presidential office. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to defending an ally with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons. Under the Yoon administration, Seoul and Washington have stepped up cooperation on nuclear planning and operations to better counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats. Source: Yonhap News Agency