The United States and South Korea reaffirmed their agreement to cooperate on deterring the nuclear threat from North Korea.
In a statement, the White House said President Biden met with Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday to extend deterrence cooperation 15 months after the two countries established a bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group.
“The NCG has facilitated joint U.S.-ROK nuclear and strategic planning with a focus on ensuring the continued safety and security of the people of the ROK, as well as the U.S. servicemembers deployed to the Korean Peninsula, in the face of the advancing nuclear threat posed by [North Korea],” the White House said in a statement.
Both presidents said they commit to respond to any nuclear attack by North Korea “with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response.”
President Biden said the United States’ commitment to deterrence “is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear.”
The reaffirmation comes as leaders from the 32 NATO member countries wrap up three days of meetings as part of their annual summit.
“North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will continue to pursue nuclear and conventional military capabilities that threaten the United States and its allies, which will enable periodic aggressive actions as he tries to reshape the regional security environment in his favor,” according to the 2024 Annual Threat Assessment from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Center said Jong Un is unlikely to give up his country’s nuclear program and is more likely to bolster ties with Russia to achieve his goal of being internationally accepted as a nuclear power. The assessment said the North Korean leader plans to continue to expand his nuclear and missile programs.
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