Advisers to South Korean president-elect Yoon Suk-yeol sought redeployment of US strategic assets, such as nuclear bombers and submarines, to the Korean Peninsula during talks held on a visit to Washington, one of the advisers said yesterday.
The team of foreign policy and security aides to Yoon met US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, as Yoon seeks a more constant security presence to deter threats from North Korea as it steps up weapons tests.
“Deploying the strategic assets is an important element of reinforcing the extended deterrence, and the issue naturally came up during the discussions,” Park Jin, a four-term lawmaker who led the delegation, told reporters.
Photo: EPA-EFE
He added that both sides explored ways to bolster US extended nuclear deterrence at the talks on coordinating efforts against the North Korean threat held on a trip that also aimed to secure an early summit with US President Joe Biden.
Asked about such talks and whether Washington supported the deployments to South Korea, a White House official said that both sides had “discussed generally” the US defense commitments.
Yoon, set to be sworn in on May 10, is mapping out his foreign policy agenda after winning the March 9 election, just as tension flares after Pyongyang launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) last month.
The deployment of US bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines is part of Yoon’s election plank promising to “respond firmly” to the North’s threats.
Yoon has also vowed to “normalize” joint military drills with the US that were scaled back under South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in a bid to placate Pyongyang and resume stalled talks to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons.
North Korea has long denounced the exercises as a rehearsal for war, and the allies have reduced field training and shunned use of major weapons, such as bombers and air carriers, focusing instead on computer simulations.
However, Park did not elaborate when asked about plans for regular spring exercises, which local media have said could include nuclear bombers for the first time in nearly five years.
“We agreed that what’s most important is to maintain deterrence so that we can strongly respond to any possible North Korean provocations,” he said, whether ICBM launches or psychological warfare in the form of verbal attacks.
The delegation invited Biden to visit Seoul when he travels to Asia to meet the Quad grouping of nations, which also includes Japan, Australia and India, Park added.
He also delivered a letter to Biden from Yoon highlighting his “solid willingness and vision” to advance ties not only on North Korea, but also economic security and other issues, he said.
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