SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean and United States militaries will maintain a tabletop train on the Pentagon subsequent week to hone their joint response to a possible use of nuclear weapons by North Korea, Seoul officers mentioned Friday.
The one-day laptop simulation set for Wednesday comes as the 2 international locations push to strengthen their 70-year alliance within the face of North Korea’s increasingly aggressive nuclear doctrine.
The train is supposed to give attention to measures towards North Korean nuclear threats and focus on tips on how to increase a U.S. prolonged deterrence — America’s capacity to make use of its full capabilities, together with nuclear, to discourage assaults on its allies, South Korea’s Protection Ministry mentioned in an announcement.
It mentioned the train would arrange doable situations the place North Korea makes use of nuclear weapons, discover how to deal with them militarily and formulate disaster administration plans.
Worries about North Korea’s nuclear program deepened in South Korea after the North performed a report variety of missile exams in 2022 and adopted a legislation that authorizes the preemptive use of nuclear weapons. Most of the missiles examined had been nuclear-capable weapons that place South Korea within striking distance.
In response to the intensifying North Korean threats, South Korea and U.S. militaries have expanded their joint drills and stepped up strain on the North to desert its nuclear program. In January, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin mentioned that the U.S. would additionally increase its deployment of advanced weapons reminiscent of fighter jets and bombers to the Korean Peninsula.
Throughout their annual assembly in November, Austin and South Korean Protection Minister Lee Jong-Sup additionally agreed to conduct tabletop workouts yearly and additional strengthen the alliance’s data sharing, joint planning and execution. Austin reiterated a warning that any nuclear attack towards the U.S. or its allies would consequence ultimately of North Korean chief Kim Jong Un’s regime.
North Korea has beforehand slammed navy drills between its rivals as an invasion rehearsal and responded with its personal weapons exams, and will make an offended response to subsequent week’s South Korea-U.S. tabletop train.
Some consultants say North Korea has used a number of the South Korea-U.S. drills as an opportunity to check and excellent its weapons programs. They are saying North Korea would ultimately intention to make use of its enlarged nuclear arsenal to win worldwide recognition as a legit nuclear state and win sanctions reduction and different concessions.