US, South Korea sign comprehensive nuclear deterrence agreement for Korean Peninsula

The United States government’s commitment to deterring North Korea is underpinned by the full range of its capabilities, including nuclear, President Joe Biden told his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk Yeol during a meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

The two leaders also authorized a directive to establish an integrated deterrence system aimed at the Korean Peninsula to counter nuclear and military threats from North Korea, Yoon’s office said.

The directive formalizes the deployment of U.S. nuclear capabilities on and around the Korean Peninsula to deter and respond to possible nuclear attacks from the North, Kim Tae-hyo, deputy homeland security secretary under Yoon, said at a news conference in Washington.

“This means that U.S. nuclear weapons are being deployed specifically for missions on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim said.

Earlier, Biden and Yoon issued a joint statement and reiterated close coordination against North Korea’s nuclear threat.

“The presidents reaffirmed their commitments in the United States-Korea Washington Statement and emphasized that any attack by North Korea against the South will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response,” he said.

North Korea has openly pursued its nuclear weapons policy, codifying their use in the event of a threat to its territory and enshrining its nuclear capabilities in its constitution last year.

Earlier this year, he designated South Korea as his “principal enemy” and vowed to annihilate his neighbor for conspiring with the United States to wage war on him, in a dramatic reversal of his 2018 peace overtures.

Both Seoul and Washington deny any aggressive intentions against Pyongyang, but say they are fully prepared to counter any aggression from the North and have stepped up joint military exercises in recent months.

Source: Terra

Rose

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