As Yeol is all set to visit the USA following a summit with his American counterpart Joe Biden, Washington asserts its allegiance to protect South Korea from plausible nuclear attacks.
The Korean Peninsula is marred by a deluge of nuclear missile tests carried out by Pyongyang. As per the officials from Washington, they have executed measures to maintain peace, stability, and security on the Korean Peninsula.
Nuclear Deterrence
As per the reports, Washington has averred providing “umbrella security” in the Indo-Pacific region, despite a barrage of unprecedented provocations from the North Korean side.
This visit comes when North Korea has launched multiple missiles, including the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM). As per a recent survey conducted in South Korea, approximately 60% of the population is supportive of South Korea developing its own nuclear arsenal in a bid to shield itself from the burgeoning threats from North Korean bombs and missiles. Also, as per another survey that was conducted, around 53% of the respondents were assured that the USA would provide them with nuclear support to protect South Korea in the course of a future attack by North Korea.
North Korean Missile Spree
As the G7 countries prepare to meet in Hiroshima, Japan, for the summit next month, they officially chastised North Korea for its nuclear provocations.
The G7 countries have issued their strong condemnation of the slew of provocations carried out by Pyongyang and reiterated their commitment to aid North Korea in abandoning its nuclear arsenal. However, North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui has chided the statement asserting that the “G7” is simply a cog in the wheel to spread the US hegemony in the world.
In April 2024, Pyongyang released evidence of launching its new solid-propellant-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile, Hwansong-18, which has the range to target the North American continent.
In the year 2022, North Korea started its run of launching ballistic missiles taking the number to more than 100 with a plausible range extending to the USA, creating “deep apprehensions” in the region.
North Korea has defended itself, stating it as a reciprocator stop to the growing influence and pressure of the USA. In 2017, North Korea restarted its nuclear program of nuclear missiles after a brief pause.
South Korea – US Alliance
The USA and South Korea established its ties formal ties in the year 1953. The treaty was signed after a Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) was created post the Korean War (1950-1953). Since then, the USA has supported South Korea in expanding Capitalism and democracy in the region against the backdrop of the Soviet Union and China supporting North Korea.
Washington has time and again reiterated its “ironclad” support to Seoul, therefore, aiming at minimising the Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.
South Korea, the USA, and Japan recently participated in a sea military drill in the international waters of the south of the Korean peninsula. The three nations have also reviewed the threat of perpetual nuclear threat. They have, time and again, carried out several trilateral maritime exercises, anti-piracy activities, and anti-submarine exercises as an act of deterrence against future threats.
The USA has maintained its stand to percolate peace, stability and security in the region.
Geopolitical Ramifications
The South Korean side has stated that North Korea has significantly advanced its trajectory towards nuclear power and disseminated hostilities in the region. There have often been heated exchanges of words between the two nations across the 38th Parallel, the international boundary that separated the two Koreas.
How this state meeting between Biden and Yeol goes about will have certain repercussions on the stability of the region. The region is in a deep quagmire and requires prudent and diplomatic manoeuvres from both sides to avoid future escalation.
