At the NATO summit on Thursday, US President Biden met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and stated that the US commitment to deter North Korea is backed by all US military forces, including nuclear weapons.
According to Reuters, Yoon’s office reported that the two leaders also approved guidelines for establishing an extended deterrence comprehensive system on the Korean Peninsula to address nuclear threats and military threats from North Korea.
Kim Tae-hyo, the First Deputy National Security Advisor of South Korea’s National Security Council, said in a press conference in Washington that the guidelines officially confirm the US strategy of deploying nuclear assets in the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding areas to deter and counter potential nuclear attacks by North Korea.
“This means that US nuclear weapons are specifically assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim Tae-hyo said.
Before Biden and Yoon approved these guidelines, the two leaders issued a joint statement during the annual NATO summit in Washington reaffirming their close cooperation in response to North Korea’s nuclear threats.
The statement said, “The two Presidents reaffirmed their commitment in the US-Korea Washington Declaration and emphasized that any nuclear attack on South Korea by North Korea will be met with a rapid, overwhelming, and decisive response.”
North Korea has openly advanced its nuclear weapons policy, legalizing the use of nuclear weapons when it perceives its territory is threatened, and last year wrote the development of nuclear weapons capability into its constitution.
Earlier this year, North Korea designated South Korea as its “main enemy” and vowed to eliminate neighboring countries that it deems colluding with the US to wage war against it, a significant departure from the peace gestures made by the two Koreas in 2018.
Both the US and South Korea deny any intention of aggression towards North Korea but assert they are prepared to counter any aggressive actions by North Korea, and have strengthened joint military exercises in recent months.
Yoon Suk-yeol’s office stated that the President reiterated South Korea’s support for Ukraine and pledged to double the $12 million donation provided by South Korea to the NATO Trust Fund in 2024. NATO stated that the Trust Fund enables short-term non-lethal military aid and long-term military capacity building support to be realized.