US and South Korea boost cooperation, but nuclear threat remains

SpaceWar.com reports: “A US-South Korean agreement on strengthening deterrence against Pyongyang will discourage Seoul from seeking nuclear weapons, but also highlights the near absence of viable ways to remove the threat of North Korea’s arsenal.

For years, the United States and the international community have unsuccessfully pushed for North Korea to give up its weapons, which pose a long-running danger that has encouraged many in the South to believe Seoul needs its own nuclear arms.

Seeking to head off such a move, Washington agreed on Wednesday to deeper cooperation with Seoul on nuclear issues and the regular deployment of strategic assets to South Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, on a state visit to the United States, in turn reaffirmed his country’s commitment to non-proliferation.

As a result of the joint agreement, ‘South Korea is going to be more involved in conversations about the nuclear part of deterrence, not just conventional deterrence,’ said Naoko Aoki, associate political scientist at the RAND Corporation…”

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