US-South Korea Signs Guidelines To Prevent North Korea's Nuclear Threat

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol/PHOTO IST

JAKARTA - The United States (US) is committed to providing support to South Korea (South Korea) to counter the threat of North Korea.

This was conveyed by US President Joe Biden to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a meeting on the sidelines of a NATO summit meeting.

The two leaders also authorized guidelines regarding the formation of an expanded and integrated deterrence system on the Korean peninsula to counter nuclear and military threats from North Korea, Yoon's office said.

The guidelines inaugurate the deployment of US nuclear assets on and around the Korean peninsula to prevent and respond to the potential nuclear strike by North Korea, Yoon's deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, said at a briefing in Washington.

"This means that US nuclear weapons are specifically assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.

Previously Biden and Yoon issued a joint statement announcing the signing of the Guidelines for Nuclear Prevention and Operations on the Korean Peninsula.

"The two Presidents reiterated their commitment to the Washington US-South Korea Declaration and stressed that any nuclear attacks carried out by the DPRK against South Korea will be responded with a swift, extraordinary, and decisive response," he said.

The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. ROK refers to the official name of South Korea, the Republic of Korea.

Cheong Seong-Chang, a security strategist at the Sejong Institute and a strong supporter of South Korea's nuclear arsenal, said the new nuclear guidelines were significant progress that fundamentally changed the way allies responded to North Korea's nuclear threat.

"The problem is, the only thing that can make South Korea fully believe is the US's promise to immediately carry out nuclear retaliation if North Korea uses its nuclear, but that's not possible," Cheong said.

"It is a limitation attached to nuclear deterrence," he said, adding whether nuclear guidelines would persist in the event of a change in US governance remains questionable.

Yoon's office said the guidelines themselves were confidential.

North Korea has publicly stepped forward its nuclear weapons policy by Modifying its use in the event of a threat to its territory and incorporating the advancement of nuclear weapons capabilities in the constitution last year.

Earlier this year, the country called South Korea a "major enemy" and vowed to destroy its neighboring country for colluding with the United States to fight against South Korea, which is the dramatic opposite of the peace offer they made in 2018.

Both Seoul and Washington deny any aggressive intentions towards Pyongyang but state that they are fully prepared to counter all North Korean aggression and have stepped up joint military exercises in recent months.

Yoon reiterated South Korea's support for Ukraine and pledged to double its contribution to NATO's trust funds from the 12 million US dollars granted by 2024, his office said. The funds allow non-lethal short-term military aid and long-term capability development support, NATO said.

The statement did not mention any direct military support for Ukraine. Yoon's office said it was considering the supply of weapons for Kyiv, reversing previous policies that limited its aid only for humanitarian purposes.