In a significant development at the NATO summit on Thursday, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed America’s commitment to deterrence against North Korea, emphasizing that this includes the full range of US capabilities, including nuclear options. This statement came during a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, underscoring the united front between the two nations.
The meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the summit, saw both leaders authorizing a guideline aimed at establishing an integrated system of extended deterrence for the Korean Peninsula. This system is designed to counter the nuclear and military threats posed by North Korea, according to a statement from President Yoon’s office.
The new guideline formalizes the deployment of US nuclear assets in and around the Korean Peninsula. This strategic move is intended to deter and respond to potential nuclear attacks from North Korea. Kim Tae-hyo, Yoon’s deputy national security adviser, detailed the initiative during a briefing in Washington.
“It means US nuclear weapons are specifically being assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim said, highlighting the significant shift in US military strategy in the region.
In a joint statement, Biden and Yoon announced the signing of the Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula. The statement reinforced their mutual commitment as outlined in the US-ROK Washington Declaration. “The Presidents reaffirmed their commitments in the US-ROK Washington Declaration and highlighted that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response,” the statement read.
For clarity, DPRK refers to North Korea’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, while ROK stands for South Korea’s formal name, the Republic of Korea.
Cheong Seong-Chang, a security strategy expert at the Sejong Institute and a proponent of South Korea’s independent nuclear armament, commented on the new guideline, describing it as a significant step forward that fundamentally alters the allies’ response strategy to a nuclear threat from North Korea.
“The problem is, the only thing that will give South Korea full confidence is a promise from the US of an immediate nuclear retaliation in the event of nuclear use by the North, but that is simply impossible,” Cheong said. He pointed out the inherent limitations of nuclear deterrence and expressed concerns about the guideline’s longevity, particularly with the potential for changes in the US administration.