What Biden and Yoon Discussed at the US-ROK Summit
US and South Korea promote new nuclear agreement, stationing of US nuclear subs in Korea, and downplay concerns over CHIPS policy harming Korean manufacturers.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee were greeted at the White House by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and a large gathering in celebration of 70 years of the US-ROK alliance.
During the course of their meetings, Biden assured Yoon that the United States would continue to shield South Korea with the full force of its nuclear deterrents. This comes after multiple recent polls showed majority support amongst South Koreans for the development of their own nuclear weapons and suggestions by Yoon himself that the ROK might have to go that route.
To assuage Korean fears that they might be abandoned by the US, Biden said the US would dock nuclear subs in Korea and consult with Korea on nuclear issues. The two sides agreed to adopt the Washington Declaration, which includes the establishment of a South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG).
On the afternoon of April 26, Yoon and Biden appeared at a press conference in the Rose Garden. Here is some of what they had to say.
Biden on the healthy relationship between the two countries:
Our nations’ relationship is a — has a been a great success story. The alliance formed in war and has flourished in peace.
Seemingly every day, we’ve launched new areas of cooperation on cyber, strategic technologies, space, democracy, and all the areas that matter most to our future.
Because of its core, our alliance is about building a better future for all of our people. And there’s no better example than our economic relationship and partnership, which has — is delivering incredible benefits to both our nations.
Biden on Korea-Japan relations:
The Republic of Korea and the United States are working together, including through our trilateral cooperation with Japan, to ensure the future of the Indo-Pacific is free, is open, prosperous, and secure.
I want to thank you again, Mr. President, for your political courage and personal commitment to — to diplomacy with Japan.
Biden on Korea’s support for Ukraine:
I also affirmed our shared commitment — we, together, shared our affirmed shared commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine against Russia’s brutal assault on their freedom, their territorial integrity, and democracy.
And the Republic of Korea’s strong support for Ukraine is important, because Russians’ flagrant — Russia’s flagrant violation of international law matters to nations everywhere in the world, not just in Europe.
Yoon on the Washington Declaration and US nuclear assurances:
The first key outcome is extended deterrence. Sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula does not happen automatically. Our two leaders have decided to significantly strengthen extended deterrence of our two countries against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats so that we can achieve peace through the superiority of overwhelming forces and not a false peace based on the goodwill of the other side.
Such a will and commitment is captured in the Washington Declaration. President Biden has reaffirmed his ironclad commitment to extended deterrence towards the Republic of Korea.
Our two countries have agreed to immediate bilateral presidential consultations in the event of North Korea’s nuclear attack and promised to respond swiftly, overwhelmingly, and decisively using the full force of the alliance including the United States’ nuclear weapons.
Our two countries have agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group to map out a specific plan to operate the new extended deterrence system.
Now our two countries 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, the results of which will be reported to the leaders of our two countries on a regular basis.
Yoon on Biden’s response to Korean concerns over CHIPS:
President Biden has said that no special support and considerations will be spared for Korean companies’ investment and business activities in particular.
We have agreed to consult and coordinate closely so that the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act can further strengthen supply chain cooperations between the two countries in advanced technology.
Biden on US manufacturing policy:
My desire to increase U.S. manufacturing and jobs in America is not about China. I’m not concerned about China.
Remember, America invented the semiconductor. We invented it. We used to have 40 percent of the market. And we decided that what we’re going to do over the past — I don’t know how many decades — we decided that it was going to be cheaper to export jobs and import product. And along came the pandemic. And the pandemic taught us that — we used to have, as I said, 40 percent of the market just some years ago. Now it’s down to 10 percent.
Yoon on the effect of extended deterrence:
But, however, under the nuclear umbrella, our extended deterrence was a lot lower. So, right now it’s an unprecedented expansion and strengthening of the extended deterrence strategy under the Washington Declaration, which will create the NCG.
The implementation and the response at this level has never thus far been this strong. So, this is a new level of extended deterrence much stronger; that, I can say with confidence.
Yoon on the possibility of US spying on Korean political communications:
With regard to that, we are communicating between our two countries, and we are sharing necessary information.
I believe that investigation is underway in the United States, so various and complex variables are always in play. We need time to wait for the investigation results by the United States. And we plan to continue to communicate on the matter.