US nuclear missile submarine in South Korea for first time since 1980s

SEOUL – For the first time since the 1980s, a United States nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine is in South Korea, as Seoul and Washington launch talks to coordinate responses in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.

White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell confirmed the visit, which had been expected after it was announced in a joint declaration during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and US President Joe Biden in Washington in April.

“As we speak, an American nuclear submarine is making port in Busan today. That’s the first visit of (an) American nuclear submarine in decades,” Mr Campbell told reporters in Seoul, where he is attending the first Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) discussion with South Korean officials.

The group, aimed at better coordinating an allied nuclear response in case of a war with the North, was also announced at the April summit amid growing calls in South Korea for its own nuclear weapons, a step Washington opposes. Mr Campbell said the submarine’s visit is a manifestation of US commitments to Seoul’s defence.

South Korea’s principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo, who co-chaired the meeting with Mr Campbell, said the discussions are enough to ensure there is no need for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons.

The two sides agreed to facilitate information sharing, coordination and planning, in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack, which would face an “overwhelming” allied response, he added.

Mr Yoon said the new NCG would be a “starting point” to build a strong and effective deterrence against North Korea.

“Through a South Korea-US alliance upgraded to a new nuclear-based paradigm, we will make substantial efforts to fundamentally block North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” he told a briefing.

China and North Korea have criticised the group’s formation as further raising tensions on the Korean peninsula.

On Monday, North Korea, which

test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile last week,

condemned the NCG for “openly discussing the use of nukes” and warned against allied plans to increase displays of military force, including so-called “strategic assets” such as US aircraft carriers, bomber aircraft and submarines.

Asked whether South Korea will have a role in US nuclear war planning, a senior US administration official said the group was more about sharing information.

“A lot of the objective here is to make sure that our South Korean allies have more transparency, more access, more direct connection with planning, so that they can understand how government officials have long been thinking about what goes into defence and deterrence for South Korea,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks. REUTERS