Seoul, Washington solidify cooperation on nuclear assets against Pyongyang

Jan 04, 2023, 08:13 am

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden hold their summit in Phenom Penh, Cambodia, in November 2022.

AsiaToday reporters Lee Jang-won & Lee Wook-jae

The South Korean and US government made it clear on Tuesday that the two countries are making joint efforts to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea, including its use of nuclear weapons. This reaffirmed that South Korea-US cooperation on North Korea’s nuclear provocation is firmly maintained despite the misunderstanding over the cooperation on nuclear strategic assets against North Korea, which was raised by a foreign media report.

In a statement to reporters, South Korean presidential spokesperson Kim Eun-hye said, “South Korea and the United States are discussing information sharing, joint planning, and joint implementation plans in relation to the operation of U.S. nuclear assets, in order to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats.”

The presidential office’s statement came after a foreign media report early Tuesday sparked speculation among South Korean media outlets that there might be discord between Seoul and Washington regarding their responses to North Korea’s nuclear threat. Reuters had reported that when a White House correspondent asked Biden whether Washington is discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea, Biden said, “No,” without elaborating.

The question, posed by the White House correspondent to Biden, was in relation to Yoon’s remarks during an interview with the Chosun Ilbo daily published on Monday where he was quoted as saying, “South Korea and the U.S. are discussing information sharing, joint planning and joint execution plans regarding U.S. nuclear assets’ operation, in order to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats,” he said.

This is in line with an agreement following the 54th Security Consultative Meeting held between the two countries in November of last year. In the Joint Communique, they pledged to further strengthen the Alliance's capabilities, information sharing, and consultation process, as well as joint planning and execution to deter and respond to the North's advancing nuclear and missile threats.

The U.S. government immediately responded to the Reuters report. A senior US administration official responded to a related inquiry from a South Korean media outlet, saying, “The United States and South Korea are working together to strengthen extended deterrence, including eventually through table-top exercises that will explore our joint response to a range of scenarios, including nuclear use by North Korea.”

#South Korea #US #Biden #Yoon Suk-yeol #nuclear asset