After approving the principles of nuclear deterrence.. Yoon and Biden threaten the North Korean leader with an “overwhelming” response

In a joint statement issued following their meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Washington, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his US counterpart Joe Biden hailed the “tremendous” progress in joint deterrence efforts and the allies’ signing of nuclear deterrence principles designed to ensure the credibility of America’s commitment to “extended deterrence” toward South Korea within an integrated framework.

“The two presidents reaffirmed their commitments in the U.S.-South Korea Washington Declaration and stressed that any nuclear attack by North Korea once morest South Korea will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response,” the statement said.

Defense officials from the two countries earlier Thursday signed the “Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula,” a move that comes weeks following North Korea and Russia struck a defense pact that deepened concerns among Washington and its allies in the region regarding North Korea’s “growing nuclear threats.”

The guidelines document is a key byproduct of the Allies’ Nuclear Advisory Group (NCG) launched last July, building on the Washington Declaration issued by Yoon and Biden at their White House summit in April last year to bolster the credibility of the United States’ extended deterrence.

Extended deterrence refers to the United States’ commitment to defend its ally with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

The deterrence guidelines include South Korea’s role in providing conventional military support to US nuclear operations in the event of an emergency.

The statement said the allies’ nuclear advisory group is developing guidelines for joint efforts to enable “joint planning and execution” of South Korea’s conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations in emergency situations.

“The National Coordination Team also facilitates the continued improvement of joint U.S.-South Korea training and exercises, including through regular emergency management simulation discussion sessions and government-wide simulations,” he noted.

South Korea and the United States are set to hold the Ulchi Freedom Shield joint exercise, an interagency exercise in late August that will reflect some of the guidelines for the first time.

South Korea’s First Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo said the Joint Principles document provides principles and guidelines for the alliance’s nuclear deterrence policy and nuclear operations.

“This is the first time that a document explicitly states that U.S. nuclear assets are allocated to deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear threats,” Kim said at a news conference.

“The US-South Korea alliance, which was based on conventional forces, has now been strongly developed into an alliance based on nuclear weapons,” he added.

Source: Yonhap + Associated Press