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President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea greets Korean Americans outside the Blair House, where he is staying during his trip to Washington. (Yoon Woon-sik/The Hankyoreh)

In an effort to quell doubts about the US’ extended nuclear deterrence over South Korea, the two countries announced that they will issue a statement on extended deterrence separately from the joint statement that will follow the South Korea-US summit on Wednesday.

At the same time, while Seoul has said that arms aid to Ukraine wouldn’t make the agenda for the summit, Washington has hinted that Ukraine will be an important topic of conversation.

Holding a briefing in Washington on President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit, presidential office spokesperson Kim Eun-hye announced that Yoon and President Joe Biden of the US would “release an additional statement on extended deterrence as part of the summit’s outcome,” adding that the Korean side expected this document “to contain advanced measures.”

South Korea and the US reaffirm their commitment to extended deterrence each year at the annual Security Consultative Meeting, a consultation between the two countries’ defense chiefs, and have mentioned extended deterrence at past summits, but this will be the first time they pen a dedicated document on the topic.

A senior official in the president’s office suggested that the document might “include discussions of effective and enhanced extended deterrence measures to put an end to anxieties and concerns that South Korean citizens have about North Korea’s nuclear and missile advancements.” The official added that the final version of the document is still being worked out, as the summit has yet to take place.

White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan also briefed the press on the agenda for the summit, saying that the two presidents will “release a statement that deals with the question of extended deterrence, particularly in the context of the threat and the evolving threat posed by the DPRK.”

DPRK is an acronym for the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Sullivan added that the statement “will send a very clear and demonstrable signal of the United States’ credibility when it comes to its extended deterrence commitments to the Republic of Korea and to the people of Korea.”

Sullivan also stated that South Korea “has been a good steward of its non-proliferation obligations under the NPT [Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons] and will continue to do so,” which seem to act as statements to refute some South Korean claims that the US will deploy tactical nukes to the peninsula and even arguments for South Korea’s independent nuclear armament.

Extended deterrence is the concept that if a US ally is attacked with nuclear weapons, the US will also retaliate with nuclear weapons as well as with their missile defense capabilities and conventional weapons. As North Korea has been advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities, including the recent test launch of its first solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), questions have arisen about whether the US would honor its extended deterrence commitments in action.

Kim Eun-hye, the presidential office spokesperson, gives a briefing in Washington about President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the US. (presidential office pool photo)

The message the US is sending is that it will provide clear assurances in this separate document produced by the summit.

Measures to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of the US’ extended deterrence that have been proposed by government officials and experts include enhancing and institutionalizing the consultation framework between South Korea and the United States and strengthening the deployment of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. Just as the US and NATO have a Nuclear Planning Group, the two countries are reportedly discussing upgrading the bilateral consultation on extended deterrence to a permanent one.

The bilateral deputy secretary-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group, for example, allows the two countries to meet and talk as needed without a full-time staff or office. The US could also consider increasing the frequency of deployments of nuclear-capable strategic bombers and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers around the Korean Peninsula, which would have a similar effect to the full-time deployment of US strategic assets.

In response to a question about whether Seoul providing lethal weapons aid to Ukraine would be discussed, Sullivan said, “Obviously, Ukraine is going to be an important topic of conversation.” Going on to say that Biden would thank Yoon for the non-lethal assistance Korea has supplied to Ukraine, Sullivan said that the two leaders would “have a chance to talk about the military situation on the ground there.

When questioned about whether the topic of arms aid to Ukraine would be discussed during the summit, following the national security advisor’s remarks, an official from the South Korean presidential office said, “Not for now.”

Sullivan also mentioned strengthening US-South Korea and US-Japan cooperation, saying Biden will emphasize Yoon’s “determination and courage” to improve relations with Japan. He also emphasized that South Korean companies, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor and SK, have invested US$100 billion dollars in the US under the Biden administration, which translates to jobs across the US.

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter; Lee Bon-young, Washington correspondent; Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter

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