South Korea, US talk tabletop exercises, joint nuclear planning

Officials in South Korea and the United States this week said both countries are discussing carrying out joint tabletop exercises and nuclear planning in order to counter the increasing threat from North Korea. The discussions follow calls by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to strengthen extended deterrence.

Officials in Seoul and Washington said on Tuesday that the two countries are in talks on tabletop exercises and joint nuclear planning in order to counter North Korea’s threats. This follows the call by Yoon to strengthen the US extended deterrence, referring to the US military capabilities, especially its nuclear forces to deter attacks on US allies.

Yoon said in an interview on Monday that the US and South Korea are discussing joint nuclear planning and exercises that would reaffirm the extended deterrence as the current concept has not convinced enough South Koreans.

“In order to respond to North Korean nuclear weapons, the two countries are discussing ways to share information on the operation of the US-owned nuclear assets and joint planning and execution of them accordingly,” said press secretary Kim Eun-hye in a statement.

Both leaders “tasked their teams to plan for an effective, a coordinated response to a range of scenarios, including nuclear use by North Korea, and so that is what the teams are working on,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

A senior Biden administration official said both sides are looking into information-sharing, joint contingency planning, and an eventual tabletop exercise after a request from both Yoon and President Joe Biden following their meeting in Cambodia back in November.

On Wednesday, Yoon warned that he was considering suspending the 2018 inter-Korean military pact should North Korea make another incursion into its airspace following the five drones that entered South Korean airspace. Yoon’s warning followed a briefing on countermeasures to North Korean drones that breached South Korea’s airspace last week.

Yoon called for building an “overwhelming response capability that goes beyond proportional levels” according to the press secretary.

“During the meeting, he instructed the national security office to consider suspending the validity of the military agreement if North Korea stages another provocation invading our territory,” Kim told a briefing.