SEOUL: Advisers to South Korea’s president-elect 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 on Wednesday (Apr 6).
The team of foreign policy and security aides to incoming president Yoon Suk-yeol 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.
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 President Joe Biden.
A White House official asked about such talks, and whether Washington supported the deployments to South Korea, responded that both sides had “discussed generally” the US defence commitments, but did not elaborate.
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 neighbouring North Korea launched a new 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.
For all the latest world News Click Here
