Biden & Yoon: The Unveiling of a New Deterrence Plan to End North Korea’s Nuclear Threat

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President Joe Biden and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol have announced a new plan together to stop North Korea from using nuclear weapons. Biden then warned that if any country uses nuclear weapons, it would mean the end of their government.

The U.S. and South Korea are teaming up to stop North Korea’s aggression by docking nuclear-armed submarines in South Korea for the first time in many years, improving training between the two countries, and more. President Biden had a state visit with South Korean leader Yoon at a time when North Korea is doing more missile tests than usual leading to worry.

President Joe Biden stated in a press conference with South Korea’s Prime Minister Yoon that North Korea would not be able to do any nuclear attacks on U.S or its partners, and the consequences of such an action would cause the end of whatever regime was responsible for it.

Yoon said that the “righteous alliance” made a plan to protect against North Korea’s potential nuclear attack. This plan includes having both presidents discuss what to do if it happens, setting up a team of people for advice about nuclear weapons, and trading information about how their weapons could be used.

Yoon said that it’s not enough for peace to happen between Korea and North Korea. The two countries agreed that if North Korea ever attacked them with nuclear weapons, there will be an immediate meeting between both presidents in order to respond quickly and strongly. This, of course, includes using the United States’ nuclear weapons if necessary.

Biden and Yoon’s aides have been coming up with the details of the plan for some months. They understand that it is essential to show “occasionally” and in a “very clear” way how strong the US extended protection capabilities are. This has been agreed by three senior Biden administration officials who have spoken about the announcement today.

The government said the Washington Declaration would help South Korea be less worried about North Korea having nuclear weapons and also stop them from starting making their own nukes. Earlier this year, a person from South Korea mentioned that they are thinking of either building nuclear weapons or asking the USA to bring some over to the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. and South Korea agreed that they will work together closely if North Korea tries to attack South Korea with nuclear weapons. However, the U.S. will still be in control of these weapons, and no nuclear bombs will be placed on South Korean land. President Biden said “We won’t put any nuclear weapons on the region”.

President Biden said that the U.S. and South Korea need to keep working together because North Korea has been making a lot of dangerous threats and breaking international laws. The President also said that he is open to talking with North Korea, even if there are no conditions set beforehand.

Rob Soofer from the Atlantic Council believes that, even though the agreement between them covers many important points, it may not solve the problem between South Korea and the U.S.’s nuclear protection for them.

“Having the ability to use nuclear weapons against North Korea is important, but also it’s important for the U.S. to let the other side know that we are willing to use them, even if they respond with their own nuclear weapons,” said Soofer.

The leaders of the United States and South Korea are having a meeting to celebrate the strong relationship between them. This association started 70 years ago when the Korean War ended and the U.S. committed itself to help protect South Korea, especially from North Korea. Today, there are 28,500 American soldiers stationed in South Korea.

Yoon asked why American soldiers were willing to give up their lives to protect a country they weren’t from and people they never met. He answered that the soldiers were sacrificing for one very important purpose – defending freedom.

The U.S. and South Korea have agreed to work together more closely. As part of this agreement, South Korea will promise not to spread nuclear technology by signing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which a number of major countries already signed. Training with each other’s military forces and using South Korean military power as part of the strategy against spreading nuclear weapons will both be reinforced.

Yoon, who ran for president last year, said he would bring more US bombers, naval ships, and submarines to South Korea. He wanted to protect the South from North Korea’s aggressive threats with stronger action than what was taken by Moon Jae-in who ruled before him.

In the late 1970s, during the Cold War, submarines from the United States with nuclear weapons would visit South Korea two or three times each month. The U.S had many nuclear bombs located in South Korea at that time.

Back in 1991, the United States removed all its nuclear weapons from Korea. The next year, South Korea and North Korea promised not to create or use nuclear weapons. But North Korea broke this agreement multiple times over the years, so some people in South Korea want the United States to bring back their nuclear weapons again.

A person from the Biden administration said that there are no plans to bring nuclear weapons back to Korea. Instead, they have a different plan which involves American military ships like submarines or planes visiting South Korea more often.

Because of North Korea’s threatening nuclear activities and China being active in the region, the Biden administration is trying to form stronger relationships with other countries. To do this, leaders like Yoon from Korea and Kishida from Japan will receive more attention from the US government. Plus, next week President Biden will meet with Philippine leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Oval Office.

In the past year, North Korea has grown its number of nuclear weapons and China and Russia have stopped the United States from making laws that would make it hard for North Korea to keep doing a lot of tests with banned missiles.

North Korea has been doing a lot of testing recently, including test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. This type of weapon is special because it is harder to be detected and it can reach places very far away, like the United States for example.

Joe Biden and Foreign Minister Yoon had a discussion about Russia’s conflict in Ukraine. The Biden administration praised South Korea for donating US$230 million in aid to Kyiv – however, they’d like South Korea to do even more to help the Ukrainians fight back against Russia.

Recently, Yoon paid a visit and the news report shows that South Korea’s National Security Council had a hard time dealing with the American request of providing artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

The documents said that Kim Sung-han, the National Security Council Director at the time, suggested selling 330,000 bullets to Poland because the United States wanted to get the ammunition to Ukraine as soon as possible. When asked about this leak during a joint press conference, Yoon replied that they were communicating between their two countries.

On Wednesday evening, President Joe Biden and Mrs. Jill Biden held a dinner at the White House for Mr. Yoon and his wife, Mrs. Kim Keon Hee.