S. Korea, US stage tabletop drills on integrating conventional, nuclear capabilities against N. Korean threats

South Korea and the United States conducted a key tabletop military exercise to integrate conventional and nuclear capabilities in a bid to deter North Korean threats, officials said Thursday. The allies conducted the Iron Mace exercise at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters in Seoul from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, according to military officials. During the drills, the allies were believed to have discussed ways to strengthen Washington's extended deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and joint planning for Seoul's conventional capabilities to support U.S. strategic operations in a contingency. Launched in August 2024, the Iron Mace exercise has been conducted behind closed doors under the liberal administration of President Lee Jae Myung in an apparent effort not to provoke North Korea. The allies have staged the tabletop exercise under the Nuclear Consultative Group guidelines adopted following summit talks between former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023. The drills came despite Seoul and Washington scaling down their co