U.S. will send nuclear-armed subs to South Korea for 1st time in 40 years – National
On Wednesday, Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Seok-yeol will sign an agreement that includes plans to dock a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years.
Support for Seoul has become more prominent amid growing concerns over a nuclear threat from North Korea, according to senior Biden administration officials.
The planned dock visit is a key component of what is called the “Washington Declaration,” which aims to deter North Korea from attacking its neighbor. That’s made clear by Mr. Biden’s hosting of Mr. Yoon as a state guest at a time when the two leaders have grown uneasy over North Korea’s accelerating pace of ballistic missile tests over the past few months. .
Three senior Biden administration officials who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement said that aides to Biden and Yoon had been working on the details of the plan for months, adding that they “occasionally” Deterrence strength” had to be an integral aspect of the agreement.
The deal aims to allay South Korea’s concerns about North Korea’s aggressive nuclear weapons program and prevent South Korea from resuming its own nuclear program, which it abandoned when it signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty nearly 50 years ago. and
The United States and South Korea would also coordinate more deeply on their nuclear response strategy in the event that North Korea attacks South Korea, but operational control of such weapons would remain under US control, and no nuclear weapons would be deployed on South Korean shores. It has not been.
The agreement also calls for increased joint training between US and South Korean militaries and better integration of South Korean military assets into joint strategic deterrence efforts.
As part of the declaration, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The treaty is an agreement signed by several major nuclear-weapon and non-nuclear-weapon states that have pledged to work together to stop the spread of nuclear technology, officials said.
As last year’s presidential candidate, Yoon has called for an increase in the deployment of US bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to South Korea to demonstrate a more determined response to the North Korean threat than his predecessor Moon Jae-in. said to ask.
During the Cold War in the late 1970s, US nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines made frequent port calls in South Korea, making two to three visits a month, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
It was a time when the United States had hundreds of nuclear warheads in South Korea.
However, in 1991, the United States removed all nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, and the following year, both Seoul and Pyongyang announced that they would “not test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, stockpile, deploy, or use nuclear weapons.” signed a joint declaration pledging to weapons. “
But North Korea’s repeated violations of the joint declaration over the years have increased support in South Korea for the United States to return its nuclear weapons to South Korea.
A senior Biden administration official warned that it was “very clear” that the administration has no plans to “return tactical or other types of nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula.”
Instead, administration officials said they envision the U.S. military deploying assets such as bombers and aircraft carriers to South Korea on a more regular basis following visits by ballistic missile submarines.
North Korea’s growing nuclear threat, along with concerns over China’s military and economic claims in the region, are forcing the Biden administration to expand its Asian alliance.
For that reason, Mr. Biden has drawn a lot of attention to Mr. Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Next week, Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a meeting in the Oval Office.
Over the past year, North Korea has steadily expanded its nuclear arsenal, and China and Russia have repeatedly thwarted US-led efforts to tighten sanctions against North Korea over a barrage of banned missile tests.
Enhanced tests by North Korea include flight testing of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time earlier this month.
Recent tests are seen as a potential breakthrough in North Korea’s efforts to acquire a more powerful and harder-to-detect weapon aimed at the US mainland.
In addition to nuclear deterrence, Biden and Yun and their aides are also expected to discuss Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. While the Biden administration has praised South Korea for sending about $230 million in humanitarian aid to Kiev, Biden would welcome South Korea to take an even bigger role in helping Ukraine fight off Russia.
Yoon’s visit comes just weeks after a number of classified documents were leaked that complicated relations with allies, including South Korea.
Documents seen by the Associated Press show South Korea’s National Security Council “wrestled” with the United States over a US demand to provide artillery shells to Ukraine in early March.
Documents citing a signal intelligence report show that then-NSC Director Kim Sung-han sold 330,000 rounds of 155 mm ammunition to Poland, as getting the ammunition to Ukraine quickly was the ultimate goal of the United States. He said he suggested the possibility of
An official in the Biden administration said Biden had spoken to Yoon about “what it means for all like-minded allies to continue to support Ukraine,” and told the South Korean leader, “What is the future of their support?” “How will it be?” he said.
Besides Wednesday’s meeting, Biden and Yoon are expected to host a joint press conference. In the evening, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden honor Yoon and his wife, Kim Ki-won-hee, at a banquet at the White House.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
