U.S. and South Korean officials say they made significant progress this week on a new pact to strengthen the U.S. nuclear umbrella to defend Seoul in the event of an attack from North Korea.
President Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who met Thursday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, issued a joint statement praising the signing of a new bilateral understanding outlining how to integrate the two allies’ military forces in the face of escalating threats from the nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang.
South Korean officials say the “Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula” mark the most detailed understanding ever between Seoul and Washington that U.S. forces may retaliate with nuclear weapons if North Korea launches a nuclear attack of its own against South Korea.
The “extended deterrence” concept is designed to reassure South Korea of the U.S. commitment to its defense at a time when many in Seoul have questioned whether South Korea should pursue its own independent nuclear weapons program.
“The Guidelines document provides crucial guidance to Alliance policy and military authorities in maintaining and bolstering a credible and effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture,” Mr. Biden and Mr. Yoon said in their joint statement.
“President Biden reiterated the U.S. commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea, backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear,” according to the joint statement. “President Yoon highlighted that South Korea’s full range of capabilities will significantly contribute to the Alliance’s combined defense posture.”
The two leaders said there had been considerable progress made in the Nuclear Consultative Group, a joint nuclear and strategic planning body set up after Mr. Yoon’s trip to Washington in April 2023.
South Korean officials say the recent moves give Seoul a larger say in joint defense policies with the U.S. military on how to deter North Korea.
“Previously, U.S. extended deterrence was based solely on decisions and support by the U.S. Now, with the joint guidelines, the two countries have established a unified extended deterrence system,” a top South Korea security official told reporters on background in Seoul Friday, the Korea Times reported.
“Now, both countries will jointly assess, operate, coordinate and conduct training related to U.S. nuclear operations,” the official said.
The Biden-Yoon meeting this week comes just a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang amid multiple signs that Moscow and Pyongyang are deepening their security and economic ties.
Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang and South Korean Deputy Minister of National Defense Policy Dr. Cho Chang Lae, the co-chairs of the Nuclear Consultative Group, signed the new joint guidelines at the Pentagon on Thursday, the Defense Department said.
• David R. Sands can be reached at dsands@washingtontimes.com.
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