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| A B-52 strategic bomber, escorted by South Korea's F-15K and the U.S. Air Force's F-16 fighter jets, flies over Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province, Jan. 10, 2016. The B-52 bomber, armed with nuclear missiles and bunker buster bombs, is one of the U.S.' strategic assets for nuclear deterrence. Yonhap file |
By Jung Da-min
The United States will maintain its nuclear umbrella over South Korea as North Korea still possesses nuclear capabilities, according to a U.S. government official, Wednesday.
"In South Korea, uncertainty surrounding progress on denuclearization may foster concerns over the implications of the U.S.-North Korea dialogue for extended deterrence," the Washington-based Voice of America reported citing remarks by U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense David Trachtenberg at a forum titled "The future of U.S. extended deterrence." Brookings Institute hosted the event.
The official said the U.S. Department of Defense "reiterated the U.S. commitment to maintain force levels necessary to defend South Korea," referring to the 50th U.S.-Republic of Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held last October.
The remarks are in sync with Washington's repeated commitment to push for a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear arsenal. Pyongyang has suggested the "definition of denuclearization" may involve ending the U.S.' nuclear umbrella that protects Seoul, as well as Tokyo, or even the removal of U.S. troops from the region.
Trachtenberg also said that although North Korea has refrained from nuclear tests and ballistic missile tests for quite some time, the U.S. understanding is that North Korea "still possesses" nuclear capabilities.
An official at Seoul's defense ministry said South Korea stands together with the United States to maintain nuclear deterrence on the Korean Peninsula as nuclear threats still persist.
Political analysts in Seoul said Trachtenberg's remarks reaffirmed Washington's stance on the reverse of the North's understanding of denuclearization. The breakdown of February's summit between the United States and North Korea was mostly due to their failure on how to define "denuclearization of the peninsula."
Regarding the remarks, Go Myong-hyun, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said the recent summit between the North and Russia showed the two allies have the same stance on the denuclearization issue. Go said Moscow has been opposing Washington's deployment of its strategic assets including missiles such as intercontinental ballistic missiles.
"But the message from the U.S. was that it would keep its position regardless of what Russia and North Korea said on the matter during the summit, that it would be providing a nuclear umbrella to South Korea," Go said, adding Washington would want to use it as a means to keep vigilant against Russia and China.
Amid the continued economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), North Korea has been strengthening its regional ties in East Asia, especially with its traditional allies such as Russia and China, both permanent members of the UNSC.
Washington did not immediately announce its comments about the outcome of the North-Russia summit.
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