Daily Times

The US remains committed to defending South Korea in case of any “aggression” from North Korea as Seoul falls under the extended deterrence umbrella, said Pentagon on Thursday.

During a press briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder while responding to recent remarks of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol that his country may deploy tactical nuclear weapons or possess its own nuclear capabilities, he said the US policy continues to remain focused on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “A lot of this has to do with the fact from a regional security and stability standpoint and non-proliferation in terms of preventing the potential chance for the use of nuclear weapons. And so, from a United States perspective, again, our policy remains very clear on denuclearization,” said Ryder.

“But it’s important also to remember that the Republic of Korea falls under that extended deterrence umbrella,” he added. Pentagon’s spokesman said that nearly 30,000 of its troops are stationed in South Korea alone and they are focused on supporting and defending their allies. “So, our commitment towards this end remains ironclad,” he added.

On Thursday, the South Korean president said he is looking into various possibilities following growing calls to reintroduce US tactical nuclear weapons to the country or acquire its own nuclear weapons.

“There are diverse opinions across our nation and in the United States regarding extended deterrence, so I am listening to them carefully and looking carefully at various possibilities,” Yonhap News Agency quoted Yoon as saying while responding to a question about any possibility of redeploying tactical nuclear weapons. In 1990, the US withdrew tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea following a disarmament deal with the Soviet Union.

Tensions in the region began in 2020 when North Korea attacked and blew up the inter-Korean liaison office along the border. Seoul has threatened a strong response if Pyongyang “further worsens the situation.”