Yoon should convince Biden to offer clearer reassurance on NK deterrence: experts

A U.S. honor guard holds up Korean and U.S. national flags in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., Sunday (local time), a day before President Yoon Suk Yeol's six-day state visit to the United States. While in the U.S., Yoon will hold a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and participate in various events to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Yonhap

By Lee Hyo-jin

Gaining clear reassurance from the U.S. on extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear threats should be one of the top priorities for President Yoon Suk Yeol in his upcoming summit with U.S. President Joe Biden, according to overseas analysts, Monday.

Earlier in the day, Yoon departed for Washington for a six-day state visit marking the 70th anniversary of the alliance between the two nations. Yoon and Biden are scheduled to hold a summit at the White House on Wednesday (local time).

"President Yoon's mission is clear: to convince the Biden administration that trying to tackle the North Korean nuclear threat is worth the political risk and usage of little political capital beyond Ukraine in foreign affairs," Harry Kazianis, the president of Rogue States Project, a think tank, told The Korea Times.

"At the moment, beyond important military exercises and tough talk, Team Biden clearly does not want to try anything new on the DPRK front that would be considered politically risky or draw any headlines that could be used against him in the 2024 presidential race." The DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

In this regard, Kazianis viewed that Yoon should convince Biden to offer a much more comprehensive and bold strategy regarding Pyongyang, which will prove that the U.S.' commitment to South Korea's security remains ironclad.

Yoon says he cannot accept notion Japan 'must kneel because of our history 100 years ago'

2023-04-24 17:58 | Politics

INTERVIEWYoon-Biden summit offers chance for Korea to become 'global pivotal state'

2023-04-24 08:16 | Foreign Affairs

Robert Manning, a distinguished senior fellow of the Stimson Center, echoed the sentiment. "President Yoon would want to go home with clearer reassurance on U.S. extended deterrence," he said.

As the summit comes amid high tensions on the Korean Peninsula spurred by Pyongyang's repeated missile provocations, talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on deepening extended deterrence, with South Korea possibly calling for an Asian version of a NATO nuclear planning group.

A billboard installed at COEX in southern Seoul's Gangnam District shows a message hoping for President Yoon Suk Yeol's successful state visit to Washington, D.C., Monday. Yonhap

"It is realistic to think that South Korea could get a deal on extended nuclear deterrence in the coming months," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, a professor of international relations at King's College London. "As for a NATO-style nuclear sharing agreement, it would be up to the U.S. to decide whether it wants to reach such a deal with South Korea."

On top of military cooperation, Yoon is also tasked with addressing South Korean firms' concerns regarding the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and CHIPS and Science Act. Though the two U.S. laws are aimed at reducing dependency on China, the "Buy American" provisions have risen as a major headache for South Korean businesses.

On his trip to the U.S., Yoon is accompanied by the chiefs of 122 local companies, including major conglomerates, highlighting the government's intention to discuss the U.S. protectionist provisions with its counterparts.

Manning advised that Yoon could use the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) as leverage in related talks. According to him, the EU and Japan are also affected by the provisions, but unlike the other two, South Korea has an FTA with the U.S. and is making major investments there, building both EVs and batteries.

"The U.S.-ROK economic partnership should arguably be cause to grant tax credit benefits similar to those enjoyed by U.S. firms," he said. ROK is an acronym for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.

Pacheco Pardo, for his part, said that Yoon should make it clear to the U.S. it should not create economic friction with close allies like South Korea. Otherwise, these partners could think that it is not in their interests to side with Washington in its economic and tech competition with Beijing, he said.

The experts also anticipated additional support for Ukraine in its war against Russia to be included in the talks between the two leaders. Provision of military aid to Kyiv has risen as a hot button issue here after Yoon recently hinted at the possibility of offering lethal weapons depending on the situation in Ukraine.

According to Pacheco Pardo, however, if the Yoon administration decides to provide arms directly to Ukraine, it would be more of a political rather than a practical move.

"Moscow is already annoyed with the Yoon government due to South Korea being one of the few Asian countries clearly supporting Ukraine," he said, adding that continuing to provide weapons to third-party countries that can pass them on to Ukraine will help strengthen Seoul's relations with the United States and Europe.