Photo: Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS / Deutsche Welle
During the summit held in Seoul, US President Joe Biden said on Saturday that he and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, committed to continue strengthening the “deterrent posture” on the peninsula in the face of the “threats” posed by North Korea, and that they work together for the “complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula”.
For his part, Yoon said that North Korea’s “nuclear and missile capabilities are advancing every day”, that both leaders share “deep concern about it” and that for this reason they have agreed to deploy “US strategic assets” in the peninsula without adding specific details.
Thus, regarding the North Korean nuclear threat, Seoul and Washington had previously agreed to draw up an “action plan ” through which South Korea and the United States will “strengthen reliable and effective extended deterrence.” Now they also committed to “deepen and broaden cooperation in critical technologies and emergencies and cyber security”.
“President Biden affirmed the United States’ commitment to deterrence with South Korea using the full range of US defense capabilities, including of nuclear, conventional and missile defense”, reported the White House in a joint statement with Seoul.
North Korea has not shown in the last two years no interest in resuming the disarmament dialogue despite repeated offers from the US and, after approving a weapons modernization plan last year, it has carried out a record number of missile launches this year and is ready to carry out his first nuclear test since 2022.
“USA. will grow more than China”61886516
For his part, Biden highlighted the analyzes that suggest that the US will grow more this year that China warned that “it is never a good bet to bet against the US.” and again underlined the importance of strengthening supply chains, one of the main points of the White House tenant’s visit to Asia.
Likewise, the presidents promised to cooperate through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), an initiative to strengthen United States-Asia trade ties that many consider to be trying to leave Beijing aside.
Biden does not close the door to meeting with North Korean leader
Meanwhile, Biden also affirmed that a possible meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, would depend on whether he is “sincere” and “serious” in view of the reopening of the dialogue on denuclearization, he said when asked. in this regard.
The US president also stated that Washington “has offered vaccines” to North Korea in the face of the wave of COVID-19 that the regime began reporting last week , although for the moment “there has been no response” from Pyongyang.