Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Yoon visits US nuclear sub in joint show of force
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during his visit to the Busan Naval Base for a tour of the USS Kentucky nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps
By Nam Hyun-woo
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles as U.S. flexes nuclear capabilities in Busan
By Nam Hyun-woo
President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Busan Naval Base, Wednesday, and toured the Ohio-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) USS Kentucky which docked at the southeastern port city a day earlier.
The visit marked the first visit of a U.S. submarine of its class in 42 years and follows Seoul and Washington's first Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting, which was aimed at giving greater visibility to South Korea in U.S. nuclear planning in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. It was also seen as a show of force to Pyongyang, which appears to be growing ever more belligerent, as evidenced in the launch of two more short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) on Wednesday morning.
Yoon's tour of the USS Kentucky was the first time for the leader of a U.S. ally to set foot in an SSBN.
“The deployment of the USS Kentucky showcases the two countries' commitment to execute the extended deterrence and deploy U.S. strategic assets on a regular basis,” Yoon said.
“The two countries will make overwhelming and resolute responses to North Korea's escalating nuclear missile threats through the NCG and regular deployment of strategic assets including SSBNs.”
The last U.S. ballistic-missile submarine to visit South Korea was the USS Robert E. Lee in 1981.
The USS Kentucky is capable of launching 20 Trident II D-5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which are one of the primary nuclear delivery systems of the U.S. Navy, and serves as a formidable deterrent aimed at discouraging a nuclear attack. Nuclear-armed submarines are one component of the U.S. nuclear triad along with land-launched nuclear missiles and nuclear-capable strategic aircraft.
The visit commences the implementation of the Washington Declaration, in which Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in April to send a nuclear submarine to the Korean Peninsula and establish the NCG to give Seoul greater insight into U.S. nuclear planning against North Korea's growing nuclear threats.
“South Korea and the United States decided to discuss the joint planning and execution of South Korea's conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations, and enhance the regular visibility of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula,” Yoon said.
“Through this, we make it clear that North Korea would never be able to dream of a nuclear provocation, and it will result in the end of the regime.”
During the first NCG meeting held at Seoul's presidential office, Tuesday, the participants reaffirmed that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies “is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime.” They also “discussed joint planning and execution of South Korea's conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations as well as how to enhance visibility of U.S. strategic asset deployments around the Korean Peninsula,” according to the NCG.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee board the USS Kentucky nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine docked at the Busan Naval Base, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps
In protest against the NCG and the USS Kentucky's visit, North Korea fired two SRBMs into the East Sea in the early hours of Wednesday.
Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launches from the Sunan area in Pyongyang between 3:30 a.m. and 3:46 a.m., and they flew some 550 kilometers before splashing down into the sea. Given that Sunan is approximately 550 kilometers from Busan, where the submarine is in port, the launch is interpreted as a protest against the port call.
The JCS condemned the launches as “acts of significant provocation” that harm peace not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community, and as a “blatant” violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
“The missiles are assumed to be KN-23 SRBMs. Given the distance, chances are high that the North may announce that it has simulated detonating a nuclear warhead on the port where the U.S. strategic asset is deployed,” said Kim Dong-yup, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.