The U.S. is in discussions with South Korea on ways to deter Kim Jong Un’s regime from using nuclear weapons, according to a spokesperson for the National Security Council.
Following a meeting in Cambodia last year, U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol asked their teams to plan for an effective coordinated response to a range of scenarios, including nuclear use by North Korea, the spokesperson said, adding that the two nations aren’t discussing joint nuclear exercises because South Korea is a non-nuclear weapons state.
In response to a question earlier on Monday, Biden said he isn’t currently discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea after Yoon said his government wanted a more active role in managing atomic weapons on the Korean Peninsula. The National Security Council spokesperson said the US is fully committed to the alliance with South Korea and providing extended deterrence through the full range of U.S. defense capabilities.
A senior administration official said discussions are centered on enhanced information sharing, joint planning and table-top exercises on a range of scenarios, including the use of nuclear weapons. There is no timing yet for the table-top exercise but the goal is to have it in the near future, the official said.
Yoon told the Chosun Ilbo newspaper in an interview published Monday that “while the nuclear weapons belong to the US, intel sharing, planning, and training should be done jointly” and the U.S.’s stance on the matter was “quite positive.”
South Korea’s presidential office confirmed the remarks. In a subsequent statement on Tuesday, the South Korean presidential office said the country was in discussions with the U.S. on joint planning and information-sharing regarding U.S. nuclear assets.
“Joint nuclear exercise” is a term that can only be used between nuclear powers, Kim Eun-hye, a spokeswoman for Yoon, said in a text message.
Yoon had said that the strategy of “nuclear umbrella” or “extended deterrence” is no longer reassuring for the public now that North Korea has developed nuclear weapons and a range of missiles to deliver them. Since taking power last May, Yoon has sought to put South Korea on a path of overwhelming military strength against North Korea, which has launched scores of missiles in defiance of United Nations resolutions and is preparing for another nuclear test.
Over the weekend, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged to increase his nuclear arsenal in 2023 to stifle U.S. and South Korean hostile acts following a nearly weeklong party meeting. He left almost no opening for a return to long-stalled disarmament talks, calling instead for an “exponential increase” of Pyongyang’s weaponry.
North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles on the last day of the year and then launched one more a few hours after the new year began, in a defiant show of force that could set the tone for a further ratcheting up of tensions. Last week, Kim’s regime sent five drones across the border into South Korea, temporarily disrupting flights at major airports.
