[Editorial] Securing nuclear deterrence is top priority

President Yoon Seok Yeol will be making a state visit to the United States on April 26, the two governments announced on Tuesday. Yoon will hold his third meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden since taking office in May last year. It will be the first state visit by a Korean president in 12 years as this year marks the 70th anniversary of Armistice Treaty and the alliance of South Korea and the United States.

The summit talks also take place against the backdrop of the tumultuous geopolitical environment with rapid advancement in the North Korean nuclear and missile program, the ever-intensifying U.S.-China power contest, and the Russia-Ukraine war. South Korea must strengthen the alliance against the mounting nuclear threats from North Korea. In particular, Seoul must ensure trust in Washington’s extended deterrence through the nuclear umbrella.

Due to skepticism over the U.S. provision of a nuclear umbrella in times of crisis, a public poll conducted at the beginning of the year showed 77 percent of South Koreans supporting the country developing nuclear weapons on its own. President Yoon must answer to the growing public demand. Kim Sung-han, the National Security Advisor currently stateside, said he met with a number of U.S. security and foreign affairs officials to discuss various ways to strengthen and escalate the Korea-U.S. alliance through the momentum of the 70th anniversary of the alliance. He said that an array of U.S. defense capabilities through the deployment of strategic assets and combined military drills could help raise the Korean people’s confidence in the U.S. defense commitment.

A Japanese media outlet reported that the United States has been tapping the idea of launching a new consultative body with South Korea and Japan on the nuclear deterrence. The United States currently has vice ministerial-level dialogue channels with Korea and Japan separately. But if a tripartite consultative body is established, it can help share information on U.S. nuclear assets to deter North Korea.

The U.S.-led NATO has been running a Nuclear Planning Group since 1966 among defense ministers of member countries to make policy decisions on nuclear weapons and strategies. A similar concept can be arranged for South Korea, the United States and Japan, which could be helpful to Korean interests.

President Yoon has pressed with the controversial compensation program for the victims of Japan’s wartime forced labor in order to set the grounds for stronger ties with Japan and the U.S. against North Korean nuclear threats. The chain summits with Japan in March and the U.S. in April can help build stronger readiness against growing North Korean risks. We hope the U.S. fully addresses the security anxieties from Korea and upholds common values and alliance based on trust and cooperation.