Yoon and Biden vow to respond “overwhelmingly” to North’s nuclear attack
WASHINGTON – Seoul and Washington agreed to respond “overwhelmingly and decisively” using the full force of the alliance in the event of Pyongyang’s nuclear attack, said President Yoon Suk Yeol after a bilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden Wednesday.
Yoon and Biden adopted the so-called “Washington Declaration” to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats during their bilateral summit at the White House in Washington.
“Our two countries have agreed to immediate bilateral presidential consultations in the event of North Korea’s nuclear attack,” said Yoon, “and promised to respond swiftly, overwhelmingly, and decisively using the full force of the alliance including the United States’ nuclear weapons.”
Yoon made the remark during a joint press conference with Biden in the Rose Garden following their 80-minute summit talks at the Oval Office.
Biden in turn warned that a “nuclear attack by North Korea” against the United States or its allies is “unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime, were it to take such an action.”
Through the new declaration, the two presidents announced the establishment of a new mechanism to strengthen extended deterrence, discuss nuclear and strategic planning and manage the threat to the nonproliferation regime posed by North Korea.
Yoon outlined that Seoul and Washington agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) “to map out a specific plan to operate the new extended deterrence system.”
Biden called the Washington Declaration “a prudent step to reinforce extended deterrence and respond to advancing DPRK nuclear threat,” referring to the acronym for the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Noting that he has the sole authority as commander-in-chief to use a nuclear weapon, Biden assured that the declaration means that “we’re going make every effort to consult with our allies when it’s appropriate if any actions are so called for.”
However, Biden said that the United States is “not going to be stationing nuclear weapons” on the Korean Peninsula, but plans to have port visits of nuclear submarines.
Under the declaration, the allies will work to enable joint execution and planning for South Korean conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations in a contingency and improve combined exercises and training activities on the application of nuclear deterrence on the peninsula.
Yoon said that the allies “will share information on nuclear and strategic weapon operations plans in response to North Korea’s provocations and have regular consultations on ways to plan and execute joint operations that combine Korea’s state-of-the-art conventional forces with the U.S.’s nuclear capabilities.”
He said such results be reported to the two countries’ leaders on a regular basis.
The two countries also agreed to further advance tabletop exercises against a potential nuclear crisis.
Deployment of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula “will be made constantly and routinely,” Yoons added.
Earlier Wednesday morning, the U.S. president and first lady Jill Biden received Yoon and first lady Kim Keon-hee at the White House in an official arrival ceremony.
The two presidential couples were reunited after spending time together the previous evening visiting the Korean War Veterans Memorial and exchanging gifts at the White House.
“This year marks the 70th anniversary of the alliance between our two nations,” said Biden at the ceremony. “It’s an unbreakable bond, forged in bravery and the sacrifice of our people, sanctified by the blood of American and Korean troops who fought and defended liberty.”
Biden noted that the two countries are “standing strong against Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, advancing an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, building secure and resilient supply chains and pioneering the clean energy economy, investing together to ensure our future will be grounded in the values that we share.”
This marks the first state visit by a Korean president to the United States in 12 years. Yoon became Biden’s second state guest after French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited the White House last December.
A state visit is the highest-level visit by a foreign leader, typically involving more pomp and ceremony.
The two leaders welcomed the expansion of bilateral mutual investment and advanced technology including semiconductors, electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries.
In a joint statement commemorating the alliance, the two leaders said they will increase comprehensive global cooperation, deepen robust regional engagement and broaden “ironclad bilateral ties during the next 70 years” to “face the 21st century’s most difficult challenges head-on.”
As a global comprehensive strategic alliance, the two leaders reflected on the vital role of the two countries as “global leaders in advancing democracy, economic prosperity, security, and technological innovation.”
The statement also highlighted expanding cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific region and strengthening ironclad bilateral cooperation.
The two sides said they are “deepening and broadening all aspects” of the relationship at a “breakneck speed,” ranging from resilient supply chains and investing in critical technologies and strategic sectors, such as semiconductors and critical minerals, to combating the climate crisis and accelerating the clean energy transition.
The leaders said they “appreciated” the recent efforts made on both sides to alleviate concerns of Korean businesses over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Yoon and Biden also recognized that the alliance applies to cyberspace and space. They committed to establishing a bilateral Strategic Cybersecurity Cooperation Framework to expand cooperation on deterring cyber adversaries and combat cybercrime, including North Korea’s illicit cyber activities.
They also committed to deepening their people-to-people ties and educational cooperation for future generations.
The statement said that the bilateral relationship is marked by their “longstanding investment, trade, technological, and people-to-people ties, which have led to significant economic opportunity and prosperity for both countries and will continue to do so for the next 70 years.”
BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]