S. Korea, US to consider deploying US strategic assets: Yonhap

By Park Sae-jin Posted : October 21, 2016, 14:04 Updated : October 21, 2016, 14:04

[Aju News DB]


South Korea and the United States will consider deploying US strategic military assets to the South permanently on a rotational basis to strengthen the US "extended deterrence" protection of the Asian ally from nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, Seoul's defense chief said Thursday.

South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo made the remark after talks with US Defense Secretary Ash Carter. Deployment of strategic assets, such as B-2 stealth bombers, would significantly back up repeated pledges by the US to mobilize all military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend the South.

"We discussed a lot of options, including permanently deploying U.S. strategic assets on a rotational basis," Han said during a joint news conference with Carter at the Pentagon. "We'll conduct a review (of options) going forward, including those ones."

Permanently deploying US strategic assets on a rotational basis means keeping at least one such asset either in, over or off in South Korea at any given time. Such deployment would not only reassure South Koreans of the US defense commitment, but serve as a strong warning and deterrent to North Korea leader Kim Jong-un.

The US has temporarily sent strategic assets, such as nuclear-capable B-52 and B-1B bombers, F-22 stealth fighter jets and nuclear-powered, cruise-missile submarines, to South Korea in a show of force in the wake of the North's two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches, but perceptions have grown among South Koreans that such one-off missions are not enough.

Carter said the two sides "discussed a number of ways that extended deterrents can be further strengthened."

"No one should have any doubt about this. We have today the capabilities for extended deterrence ... The full weight of our alliance capabilities including all US capabilities and they're very strong, very robust, very ready," he said. "We are, however, talking about a number of measures, and you named one, to further enhance deterrence."

"Extended deterrence" refers to the commitment to use nuclear weapons, if the need arises, to deter attacks on allies. The US has provided extended deterrence and the "nuclear umbrella" to South Korea after withdrawing nuclear warheads from the country in the early 1990s.

(Yonhap)
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