It is anticipated that the United States will deploy nuclear submarines to the Korean Peninsula.

Flurry of North Korean missile tests sees U.S. revisiting sub trips not seen since 1991

Senior officials from the Biden administration have stated that Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol are expected to sign an agreement on Wednesday that involves a plan for US nuclear-armed submarines to dock in South Korea, marking the first time in over four decades. This move is intended to show significant support for Seoul, especially in light of increasing concerns over nuclear threats from North Korea.

The planned dock visits are a key element of what’s being dubbed the “Washington Declaration,” aimed at deterring North Korea from carrying out an attack on its neighbour. It is being unveiled as Biden is hosting Yoon for a state visit during a moment of heightened anxiety for both leaders over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea over the last several months.

The three senior Biden administration officials, who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement, said that Biden and Yoon aides have been working on details of the plan for months and agreed that “occasional” and “very clear demonstrations of the strength” of U.S. extended deterrence capabilities needed to be an essential aspect of the agreement.

Two men in suits bow their heads in front of a wreath.
President Joe Biden and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol pause as they lay a wreath during a visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. (Susan Walsh/The Associated Press)

The agreement seeks to allay South Korean fears over the North’s aggressive nuclear weapons program and to ward off the country from restarting its own nuclear program, which it gave up nearly 50 years ago when it signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The U.S. and South Korea also would co-ordinate more deeply on nuclear response strategy in the event of the North attacking the South — but operational control of such weapons would remain in U.S. control, and no nuclear weapons are being deployed onto South Korean shores.

The agreement also calls for the U.S. and South Korean militaries to strengthen joint training and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea will reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several major nuclear and non-nuclear powers that pledged their co-operation to stem the spread of nuclear technology, the officials said.

Cold War practice

As a candidate for the presidency last year, Yoon said he would call for the increased deployment of U.S. bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines to South Korea as he looked to offer a firmer response to the North’s threats than his predecessor Moon Jae-in.

In the midst of the Cold War in the late 1970s, U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines made frequent port visits to South Korea, sometimes two to three visits per month, according to the Federation of American Scientists. It was a period when the U.S. had hundreds of nuclear warheads located in South Korea.

Several pedestrians are shown walking in front of a public television screen.
People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, in Seoul on April 13. North Korea fired a ballistic missile on that day, Seoul’s military said, prompting Japan to briefly issue a seek shelter warning to residents of the northern Hokkaido region. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)

But in 1991, the United States withdrew all of its nuclear weapons from the Korean Peninsula, and the following year Seoul and Pyongyang signed a joint declaration pledging that neither would “test, manufacture, produce, receive, possess, store, deploy or use nuclear weapons.” But as the North has repeatedly violated the joint declaration over the years, there’s been increased support in South Korea for the United States to return nuclear weapons to the country.

U.S. administration officials said they envision that the visit of ballistic missile submarines will be followed by the U.S. military more regularly deploying assets such as bombers or aircraft carriers to South Korea.

In the past year, North Korea has been steadily expanding its nuclear arsenal, while China and Russia repeatedly block U.S.-led efforts to toughen sanctions on the North over its barrage of banned missile tests.

The stepped-up testing by North Korea includes the flight-testing of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time earlier this month. The recent test is seen as a possible breakthrough in the North’s efforts to acquire a more powerful, harder-to-detect weapon targeting the continental United States.

Ukraine war expected to be discussed

North Korea’s increasing nuclear threats, along with concerns about China’s military and economic assertiveness in the region, have pushed the Biden administration to expand its Asian alliance. Next week, Biden will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Oval Office talks.

Besides nuclear deterrence, Biden and Yoon, and their aides, also are expected to discuss Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. The Biden administration has praised South Korea for sending some $230 million US in humanitarian aid to Kyiv, but Biden would welcome Seoul taking an even bigger role in helping the Ukrainians repel Russia.

Several people, men and women, hold signs and demonstrate in a sidewalk protest.
Activists wearing masks representing Yoon and Biden hold an anti-government protest near the Presidential Office in Seoul on April 21, ahead of Yoon’s visit to Washington. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)

Yoon’s visit comes just weeks after the leaks of scores of highly classified documents that have complicated relations with allies, including South Korea. The papers viewed by The Associated Press indicate that South Korea’s National Security Council “grappled” with the U.S. in early March over an American request to provide artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

Besides their talks on Wednesday, Biden and Yoon are scheduled to host a joint news conference. In the evening, Biden and his wife Jill Biden will honour Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, for a state dinner at the White House.

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