In an important meeting on Thursday during the NATO summit, U.S. President Joe Biden assured South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol of the United States' unwavering commitment to deter North Korea, leveraging the full spectrum of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear options. The leaders approved a new guideline to establish an integrated system of extended deterrence on the Korean Peninsula. This system is designed to counteract nuclear and military threats from North Korea, according to a statement from Yoon's office.

Yoon's deputy national security adviser, Kim Tae-hyo, elaborated in Washington that the guideline formalises the deployment of U.S. nuclear assets on and around the Korean Peninsula. "It means U.S. nuclear weapons are specifically being assigned to missions on the Korean Peninsula," Kim said.

"The Presidents reaffirmed their commitments in the U.S.-ROK Washington Declaration and highlighted that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response," it said. DPRK is North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. ROK refers to South Korea's formal name, the Republic of Korea.

Cheong Seong-Chang, a security strategy expert at the Sejong Institute and a staunch supporter of South Korea developing its own nuclear arsenal, described the new nuclear guideline as a significant advancement that fundamentally alters how the allies will respond to a nuclear threat from North Korea.

Earlier, Biden and Yoon issued a joint statement confirming the signing of the Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula. The statement underscored that any nuclear attack by North Korea against South Korea would prompt a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response.

Cheong Seong-Chang, a security strategy expert at the Sejong Institute, praised the new guideline as a significant advancement that fundamentally changes the allies' response to nuclear threats from North Korea. "The problem is, the only thing that will give South Korea full confidence is a promise from the U.S. of an immediate nuclear retaliation in the event of nuclear use by the North, but that is simply impossible," Cheong said. He also expressed concerns about the guideline's longevity, questioning its sustainability through potential changes in the US administration. Yoon's office noted that the details of the guideline remain classified.

Image source: Yonap