United States: The US and South Korea have restated their commitment to their alliance and have agreed to allow nuclear-armed submarines to make port visits again. Both countries have also issued a warning to North Korea that any nuclear attack would result in a swift and decisive response, including the use of US nuclear weapons.

The South Korean President Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol made it explicit that the response would include US nuclear weapons, which is an element of the alliance that is usually left unsaid. The announcement came during a visit by Mr. Yoon to Washington, where he and Mr. Joe Biden issued a joint declaration marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance.

“A North Korean nuclear attack against the US or its partners is unacceptable and would result in the end of whatever regime took the action. I have absolute and sole authority to launch a nuclear weapon, but what the declaration means is that we will consult with our allies if any action is so called for,” Mr. Biden stated.

Although the agreement will see the US and South Korea working more closely to coordinate a nuclear response strategy, the nuclear weapons will remain under US operational control, and Biden has made it clear that he is not considering deploying nuclear weapons in South Korea.

In the declaration, Mr. Biden noted that Washington’s security commitment to Seoul was “ironclad” and that any North Korean nuclear attack on South Korea would be “met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response.”

The declaration also stated that the allies would consult more extensively “to defend against potential attacks and nuclear use and conduct simulations to inform joint planning efforts.”

“Sustainable peace on the Korean peninsula does not happen automatically. Our two countries have agreed to immediate bilateral presidential consultations in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack and promised to respond swiftly, overwhelmingly, and decisively using the full force of the alliance, including the United States’ nuclear weapons,” Mr. Yoon remarked.

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