Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States defense officials signed joint nuclear deterrence guidelines for the first time, an important step to improve their ability to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden authorized the “U.S.-ROK Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula,” which defense officials signed on the sidelines of the July 2024 NATO summit in Washington, D.C., The Associated Press (AP) reported.
The two leaders said the agreement is part of “tremendous progress” the countries’ alliance has made a year after creating a joint Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG). The NCG was formed to address information sharing, nuclear command and control, and joint planning and execution to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons development. The two countries issued the Washington Declaration in April 2023 establishing the NCG, noting that what began as a security partnership 70 years ago “has grown and expanded into a truly global Alliance that champions democratic principles, enriches economic cooperation and drives technological advancements.”
“The presidents reaffirmed their commitments in the U.S.-ROK Washington Declaration and highlighted that any nuclear attack by the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response,” the two leaders said in a joint statement. President Biden reiterated that the U.S. commitment to extended deterrence to the ROK is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear. Yoon confirmed that the ROK’s full range of capabilities will greatly contribute to the Alliance’s combined defense posture, according to the statement.
The countries expanded their joint military exercises in 2024. In January, Japan joined ROK and U.S. defense personnel for three days of large combined squad level to Tier 1 naval exercises in waters off South Korea’s Jeju Island, AP reported. In March, ROK and the U.S. troops conducted 48 exercises – more than twice as usual — as part of the Allies’ annual drills. The exercises, which were held over 11 days, included Freedom Shield, a computer-simulated command post training aimed at strengthening defense and response capabilities.
In June, Japan joined ROK and U.S. forces again for Freedom Edge, the first multidomain exercise conducted among the three nations. During Freedom Edge, ships and aircraft from the three countries focused on cooperative ballistic missile defense, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, maritime interdiction, and defensive cyber training.
South Korea and U.S. leaders said they will continue to expand the scale and scope of combined exercises and training, including joint live-fire exercises, to demonstrate defense capabilities and preparedness.
“Based on battle-ready combat capabilities and a solid readiness posture, our military will immediately retaliate against any North Korean provocation,” Yoon said at a September 2023 ceremony in Seoul marking the 75th anniversary of the nation’s Armed Forces and the 70th anniversary of its security alliance with the U.S. “If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
IMAGE CREDIT: STAFF SGT. KATIE RETSCHULTE/U.S. ARMY