Revisions to U.S.-ROK Tailored Deterrence Strategy Emphasize Nuclear Threat
Yoon Seok-youl emphasizes the threat of North Korea-Russia cooperation before departing for the U.S. and APEC summit.
The new tailored deterrence strategy that United States and the Republic of Korea promulgated emphasizes the threat of a North Korean nuclear attack and the deterrence effects of America’s nuclear capabilities. This is just one of many actions the U.S. has taken in an attempt to reassure South Koreans as a large majority support establishing a Korean nuclear program.
According to Yonhap News Agency,
The 2023 Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS), revised for the first time in 10 years, underscores the U.S. "extended deterrence" commitment to defend South Korea by using all of its nuclear and other military capabilities in the face of a nuclear-armed North Korea.
"Secretary Austin reiterated the firm U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrence to the ROK, utilizing the full range of U.S. defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional, missile defense, and advanced non-nuclear capabilities," the communique said.
"He noted that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the United States or its Allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime in line with the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review declaratory policy," it said of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The U.S. began docking nuclear submarines in Busan earlier this year. The leaders of the U.S., Korea, and Japan have all been working on improving relations and are moving towards some kind of alliance.
President Yoon emphasized the importance of deterrence on Tuesday in the context of North Korea’s attempted satellite launch, which failed for the second time last week.
He said that “demonstrating a strong deterrence capability” based on the ROK-U.S. alliance could “prevent North Korea’s misjudgment.” He emphasized that North Korea’s efforts to launch a satellite would boost their ICBM capabilities if successful and condemned Russia and North Korea for “illegal cooperation.”
Yoon is on his way to San Francisco to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Chinese leader Xi Jinping will also be there and will reportedly be meeting with U.S. President Biden. The Japanese press reported that Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are going to deliver a lecture together at Stanford University.
Yoon will return to Korea on November 18 before departing for visits to the UK and France beginning on November 20.