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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. 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.
