Obama Pledges Nuclear Umbrella for S. Korea
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
U.S. President Barack Obama reaffirmed Tuesday that Washington would provide an extended nuclear umbrella to South Korea in response to increasing nuclear threats from North Korea.
In a summit at the White House, President Lee Myung-bak and Obama adopted ``the joint vision for the ROK-US alliance,'' which calls for building a broader, ``21st century strategic'' partnership in the realms of politics, the economy, culture and other areas beyond the security arena.
President Obama agreed to Lee's offer to hold five-way denuclearization talks, excluding the North which has boycotted a return to negotiations.
The agreement came as skepticism has grown over the effectiveness of the six-party disarmament forum involving the United States, the two Koreas, China, Japan and Russia.
The two leaders warned Pyongyang against further provocative moves and shared the need for tougher financial sanctions on the poverty-stricken North.
On economic issues, they pledged efforts to ratify the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA) at an early date. The landmark trade deal has yet to be approved by legislators in both Seoul and Washington after being signed two years ago.
Saying that their alliance was adapting to changes in the 21st century security environment, the presidents agreed that the two allies will maintain a robust defense posture, backed by allied capabilities that support both nations' security interests.''
The continuing commitment of extended deterrence, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella, reinforces this assurance, they said.
The U.S. government has promised since 1978 that it will provide necessary nuclear deterrence capabilities to South Korea against the Stalinist North in the annual South Korea-U.S. defense ministers' meetings, but this is the first time that the issue has been discussed at a summit.
Under the extended nuclear deterrence pledge, the U.S. military would use some of its tactical nuclear weapons, such as B-61 nuclear bombs carried by B-2/52 bombers and F-15E, F-16 and F/A-18 fighters, as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from nuclear-powered submarines, to strike North Korea's nuclear facilities in retaliation for any such attack on the South, military sources here said
Both leaders mainly discussed ways of deterring and countering North Korea's lingering missile and nuclear threats, as Pyongyang has ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula through a second nuclear test and a series of short-range missile launches last month.
Despite years of efforts within the six-party framework, the North admitted recently that it had continued with a secret uranium enrichment program.
After the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for tougher sanctions on North Korea last week, Pyongyang vowed to build more nuclear bombs and proceed with uranium enrichment. The North had previously vehemently denied the existence of such a program.
Other major topics discussed during the summit included a review of the planned transition of wartime operational control of South Korean troops from Washington to Seoul and the South's possible redeployment of troops to Afghanistan.
Toward developing a ``21st century strategic partnership,'' Lee and Obama also conferred on joint measures to deal with global issues, such as climate change, cooperation on energy resources, poverty and the international financial crisis.
``Our governments and our citizens will work closely to address the global challenges of terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, piracy, organized crime and narcotics, climate change, poverty, infringement on human rights, energy security, and epidemic disease,'' the joint vision said. ``The alliance will enhance coordination on peacekeeping, post-conflict stabilization and development assistance, as is being undertaken in Iraq and Afghanistan.''
Seoul and Washington will also strengthen coordination in multilateral mechanisms aimed at global economic recovery such as the G20, it added.