US and South Korea unveil nuclear deterrence plan

• US and South Korea announce a new nuclear deterrence plan.
• They are countering North Korea’s threats.
• The plan involves docking U.S. nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea.

Tensions between the United States and North Korea are growing as the latter’s threats against South Korea increase so President Joe Biden and South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol signed an agreement Wednesday that includes plans for submarines armed with nuclear weapons to dock in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years, according to the AP and Milenio.

This action demonstrates support for Seoul amid growing concerns about nuclear threats from North Korea, according to leading members of the Biden administration. Those visits are a key piece of the Washington Declaration aimed at deterring North Korea from attacking its neighbor. The pact was presented during Yoon’s state visit amid a climate of concern for the two leaders about the increasing pace of North Korean ballistic tests in recent months.

THE US AND SOUTH KOREA ARE PREPARED

Three Biden administration officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the official unveiling, said the Biden and Yoon teams had worked out details of the plan for months and agreed that “occasional very clear shows of force» of US deterrence should be a centerpiece of the text.

The document is intended to assuage South Korea’s fears of North Korea’s aggressive nuclear weapons program and prevent the country from resuming its own nuclear program, which it gave up nearly 50 years ago when it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Washington and Seoul would also cooperate more closely on their response strategy should the North attack the South, although operational control of those weapons would remain in the hands of the United States and nuclear weapons would not be deployed off the coast of South Korea.

TRAINING WILL BE REINFORCED

The document also calls on the US and South Korean militaries to strengthen their joint training and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea would reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several nuclear and non-nuclear powers that have pledged their cooperation to curb the spread of nuclear technology, according to the officials.

During his presidential campaign last year, Yoon said he would call for increasing the US deployment of nuclear bombers, aircraft carriers and submarines in South Korea to provide a stronger response to North Korean threats than his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.

NORTH KOREA’S THREATS

A member of the Biden administration warned that «it is clear» that there are no plans for the government to «return tactical or other nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula.» Instead, the officials said visits by ballistic missile submarines were being considered, followed by a more frequent deployment of US assets such as bombers or aircraft carriers to South Korea.

Growing nuclear threats from North Korea, coupled with fears of Chinese economic and military aggressiveness in the region, have prompted the Biden administration to expand its Asian alliance. To do this, Biden has paid close attention to Yoon and the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida. Next week, Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for meetings in the Oval Office.

NORTH KOREA’S GROWING NUCLEAR ARSENAL

Over the past year, North Korea has been expanding its nuclear arsenal, while China and Russia have repeatedly blocked US-led efforts to toughen sanctions on Pyongyang over its spate of banned missile tests. As part of its arms campaign, Pyongyang conducted a flight test of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time this month. That was seen as a possible milestone in the country’s efforts to get a more powerful, hard-to-detect weapon that could reach the continental United States.

In addition to the nuclear deterrent, Biden, Yoon and their aides were expected to speak about Russia’s war in Ukraine. The White House has praised Seoul for sending some $230 million in humanitarian aid to Kyiv, but Biden would like Seoul to take an even bigger role in helping Ukraine against Russia.