The United States will send “strategic” military assets to South Korea on a more regular basis to better deter North Korea, the South’s national security adviser said on Thursday.
The decision comes at a time of escalating tensions between the United States and North Korea, with many analysts concerned that incendiary rhetoric, combined with more frequent flyovers by American bombers, could lead to a catastrophic miscalculation.
Chung Eui-young, national security adviser to President Moon Jae-in, told lawmakers in Seoul that American “strategic assets” could be deployed to South Korea on a “rotational” basis before the end of the year.
“This will help us expand our defense capabilities,” he told the lawmakers, according to Park Wan-joo, spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party.
He did not define “strategic assets,” but South Korean officials usually use the term to refer to B-52 bombers, stealth warplanes, nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers.
The Pentagon confirmed that Moon and President Trump agreed to “enhanced deployment of U.S. strategic assets in and around South Korea on a rotational basis” when they met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last week.
“We continue to work with our ROK allies on the best way forward to meet this intent but it would be inappropriate to discuss any additional details at this time,” said Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman.
South Korean lawmakers were told that Washington had put its pledge on the deployment in writing, Park confirmed.
North Korea’s foreign minister recently warned that his country’s military was ready to shoot down American military planes even if they were not in North Korean airspace.
To celebrate its Armed Forces Day, which falls on Sunday, South Korea’s military showed off some of its new weapons during a parade on Thursday. For the first time, the military displayed its Hyunmoo ballistic missiles, which can reach all of North Korea and are a key element of its “Kill Chain” preemptive-strike system.
“Our government’s determination to protect peace requires strong defense capabilities, and we will stand up against reckless provocations with strong punishment,” Moon said after inspecting the weapons.
“Securing counter capabilities against North Korean nuclear and missile threats is the most urgent task. We must further strengthen our Kill Chain and Korean missile defense system,” the president said.
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo last month asked his American counterpart, Jim Mattis, to send such military hardware to the southern half of the peninsula on a regular basis.