Biden and Yoon strengthen their military cooperation against North Korea

2023-04-26 20:46:04

The American President, Joe Bidenand his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, signed a today agreement to strengthen their military cooperation against North Korea and allowing a nuclear-armed US submarine to dock on the Korean peninsula for the first time in 40 years.

At a press conference at the White House, Biden proclaimed the “iron” commitment of EU with the defense of South Korea and affirmed that this commitment includes the protection of its partner against any threat, including a hypothetical North Korean attack. “This is especially important in light of the growing threats from North Korea,” Biden said.

For his part, Yoon announced the strengthening of the “extended détente” strategy, a commitment made by Washington last year and which consists of sending US strategic assets to the Korean peninsula, such as bombers or aircraft carriers, to respond to the actions of the North Korean regime.

“We have decided to significantly strengthen the extended détente of our two countries against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats so that we can achieve peace through the overwhelming superiority of our armed forces and not settle for a false peace based on good faith. will of the other side,” said Yoon, who takes a tougher line on Pyongyang than his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.

Nuclear submarine

One of the most important points of the pact, known as the Washington Declaration, is the visit of a US nuclear submarine to South Korea.

During the Cold War, in the 1970s, US nuclear submarines frequently visited South Korean ports, up to two or three times a month, and there were nuclear warheads on the peninsula, but Washington withdrew them in 1991 and stopped sending nuclear submarines to the peninsula, according to the Federation of American Scientists.

The text includes the creation of a bilateral consultation mechanism that will allow Seoul to actively participate in US plans to respond to any incident nuclear in the region, including a hypothetical North Korean attack.

The agreement seeks to reassure Seoul in the face of the advance of North Korea’s nuclear program, which has carried out a record number of weapons tests in the last two years, and after the turbulent presidency of Donald Trump (2017-2021), which threatened to withdraw US troops from South Korea.

The number of South Koreans who believe Seoul should have its own nuclear weapons has grown, with as many as two-thirds in favor of the policy, according to polls.

However, in the agreement signed today, South Korea reaffirms its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which the country ratified in 1975, which led to the end of its own atomic program.

The war in Ukraine

Apart from North Korea, the two leaders also talked about the war in Ukraine. Biden stressed that Washington and Seoul “share a commitment” to help Ukraine defend its democracy against Russian aggression.

The United States has repeatedly thanked South Korea for sending $230 million in military aid to kyiv. and imposing sanctions on Moscow, but Biden would like to see Seoul play a more active role with arms shipments.

A few weeks ago, classified documents were leaked showing that the US had pressured South Korea to send weapons to Ukraine, in violation of South Korea’s policy of traditionally refusing to supply weapons to countries in conflict.

These revelations caused some opposition voices in South Korea to ask Yoon to cancel his meeting with Biden, but far from these tensions both leaders exhibited great harmony today.

Celebrations to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the alliance

In fact, Yoon was received in style on the White House lawns with some 6,000 people applauding and waving small US and South Korean flags. There was a red carpet, a military orchestra and even cannon salute to mark the occasion.

In that welcoming ceremony, both leaders made statements to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the military alliance signed at the end of the Korean War (1950-1953), through which Washington, which maintains 28,500 soldiers on South Korean soil, agrees to defend his partner from a hypothetical North Korean attack. “This is an unbreakable bond,” Biden proclaimed.

The president also announced that the remains of the US Army corporal have been found. Luther H. Story, who lost his life during the Korean War and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Biden and Yoon, accompanied by their wives, Jill Biden and Kim Keon-heevisited the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington on Tuesday, and right there they met the corporal’s niece, Judy Wade and her husband, Joseph Wade.

Yoon is the first South Korean president to pay a state visit to the US since Lee Myung-bak in 2011 and only the second president to do so since Biden came to power in 2021.