South Korean Dock Welcomes Another US Nuclear Submarine

The United States has deployed another nuclear submarine, USS Annapolis which docked on the Jeju Island of South Korea. This is in response to the nuclear arms firing tests conducted by North Korea. Kentucky was the first nuclear sub to come to the Korean Peninsula, the first one since 1989. 

Strained US-North Korea Relations

Aggravated by USS Kentucky’s arrival on July 18 at the mainland port of Busan, North Korea started test-firing ballistic and cruise missiles as a show of force, indicating that it could strike South Korea and US vessels with nuclear weapons.  

In between missile launches, the North Korean Defence Minister issued a threat stating Kentucky’s arrival in South Korea could be grounds for North Korea to use nukes against the South. North Korea has issued similar rhetorics in the past, but the statement highlights how much the relationships have strained now.

The United Nations Security Council resolution has banned North Korea from using ballistic missile technologies, which it keeps defying. 

USS Annapolis, though armed with a nuclear reactor, has a conventional weapons system. Its main objective is to destroy enemy ships and submarines. The nuclear vessel is docked at the Island of Jeju which is at the distance of 302 Km from the Korean mainland where it is being loaded with supplies. Jang Do Young, a spokesperson for North Korea, said that the US and South Korean militaries are discussing possibilities of conducting training exercises involving the vessel. 

Detained US Soldier in North Korea

A 23-year-old US Army Private Second Class soldier (PV2), identified as Travis King serving in South Korea, sprinted into North Korea on 18th July while on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone on the inter-Korean border where he was detained by the Korean People’s Army. 

The US has expressed concerns regarding the well-being of the soldier but has not heard from North Korea despite their multiple requests to provide basic information about King, concerning his location and his whereabouts. According to officials, North Korea has been repeatedly ignoring their queries.

President Joe Biden has been briefed about the issue and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the situation on July 21, “We’d like to know his whereabouts. We have communicated to North Korea seeking that information. I don’t have anything more at this point.” When asked if King might be tortured by the North Korean Government, Blinken reverted, “There are certainly concerns based on what we have seen in the past and the way North Korea has treated those it detained.”

Conclusion

In view of analysts, North Korea will wait weeks or even months prior to providing meaningful information about the detained soldier to maximise leverage and make the US government impatient to secure his release. Some say that Pyongyang might settle trade with Washington, release King in exchange for cutting back deployment of US Naval vessels and halting military activities with South Korea. 

The tensions in the Korean peninsula have been escalating quickly. On one hand, we see growing military exercises between The United States and South Korea along with US deployments of submarines, bombers and aircraft carriers to Seoul. While on the other hand, North Korea has been aggressively testing ballistics and cruise missiles, amounting to 100 test fires since 2022. This tit-for-tat behaviour doesn’t seem to get over anytime soon in the near future.