WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he is increasing demonstrations of military might in the Indo-Pacific and expanding collaboration with South Korea in hopes of deterring an attack by North Korea.
In exchange, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reaffirmed his nation’s commitment not to develop its own nuclear weapons.
Biden and Yoon delivered the joint statement after a bilateral meeting at the White House. It’s the centerpiece of the new initiatives on cybersecurity, economic investments and more that the leaders are rolling out during Yoon’s state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the two nations.
“Our nuclear defense treaty is ironclad,” Biden said, standing next to the South Korean leader on the White House South Lawn. “And that includes our commitment to extended deterrence.”
The two leaders took a few steps from their podiums to shake hands as Biden thanked Yoon for his “friendship and partnership.”
Earlier in the day, Biden greeted Yoon and Kim Keon Hee, first lady of the Republic of Korea, during an arrival ceremony Wednesday morning that honored Korean War veterans as military bands played the anthems of both nations.
Yoon, speaking through an English translator, said the U.S.-South Korean alliance is “not a transactional relationship” based on self-interests but “an alliance of values, standing together to safeguard the universal value of freedom.”
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South Korea benefits from the protection of the U.S. “nuclear umbrella,” the main deterrent against attacks from North Korea.
Biden said a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its partners would “result in the end of whatever regime, were it to take such an action.”
But North Korea’s aggressive missile testing and lack of interest in denuclearization talks has raised concerns in South Korea that more needs to be done.
The creation of a joint consultation group is intended to increase the confidence in the U.S. of not just Seoul but also the South Korean people. The South Korean government will be given more insight into U.S. military planning and a voice in those deliberations, according to a senior administration official.
Biden made clear that as commander-in-chief he has “absolute” and “sole authority” to use a nuclear weapon. “What the declaration means is that we’re going to make every effort to consult with our allies, when it’s appropriate, if any actions so call for it,” he said.
The U.S. will also increase public demonstrations of strength, such as sending a ballistic missile submarine on visits to South Korea for the first time since the 1980s.
“This is a new level of extended deterrence, much stronger,” Yoon said through an interpreter.
Yoon took office last year after a closely contested election in which he vowed to bolster South Korea’s defenses against North Korea.
The latest
- Second state visit: This is only the second state visit Biden has hosted. The first was last fall’s summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. The last state visit with South Korea was hosted by President Barack Obama in 2011.
- Gifts exchanged: Biden and first lady Jill Biden gave Yoon a small, handcrafted mahogany table made of historical White House wood by a U.S. furniture maker and inspired by traditional Korean soban tables. The president also presented Yoon with a shadow box set with custom and vintage baseball memorabilia, while Jill Biden presented Kim with a pendant necklace with blue sapphires designed by a Korean American designer.
- Why now: The two nations are marking the 70th anniversary of their alliance. In addition, the U.S. has been trying to strengthen its relationships in Asia as a counterbalance to China’s increasing economic and military might. During his visit to South Korea last May, Biden said “revitalizing” the alliance between the nations was one of his “key foreign policy priorities.”
- The schedule: In addition to their private meetings Wednesday, Biden and Yoon will attend a state dinner, a diplomatic honor reserved for the U.S.’s closest allies. Yoon will address a joint House and Senate meeting Thursday. While he’s in the U.S., Yoon also has trips to NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and is meeting with the CEOs of entertainment companies like Disney, Netflix and Sony Pictures.
- Economic collaboration and conflict: The Biden administration has touted South Korea’s billions of dollars in economic investments in the U.S., including in electric vehicle manufacturing, one of the ways the administration wants to strengthen supply chains while creating jobs. But South Korea is concerned how U.S. restrictions on technology exports to China will affect South Korean companies that make semiconductors there.
Pentagon leak complicates state visit
The state visit was complicated by the leak of classified documents that included evidence the U.S. has been spying on allies. It was an embarrassment for the Biden administration and caused Yoon political headaches back home, making it more important that Yoon be able to show he’s getting something from the summit. That could include announcements on expanded economic cooperation or more efforts to deter North Korea’s belligerence.
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Ukraine likely to be discussed
Leaked intelligence indicates top advisers to Yoon were concerned ammunition South Korea agreed to sell the U.S. to refill its stockpiles would wind up in Ukraine. South Korea does not send lethal weapons to countries at war, but the trove of documents – which U.S. officials have neither verified nor disavowed – suggested that Yoon’s government was considering a policy shift.
Yoon told Reuters last week it would be difficult for South Korea to stay on the sidelines of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “if there is a situation the international community cannot condone, such as any large-scale attack on civilians, massacre or serious violation of the laws of war.”
It’s too early to tell if South Korea is ready to amp up support beyond humanitarian assistance, said Ellen Kim, an expert on U.S.-Korea relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But given the increased cooperation between Russia and North Korea, South Korea finds it “increasingly difficult to avoid entrapment in Ukraine,” Kim said.
