US President Joe Biden (left) speaks during a meeting with military leaders in the Cabinet Room the White House in Washington April 20, 2022, while President-elect of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly Library in Seoul, on March 10, 2022. (PHOTO / AP, XINHUA)
SEOUL/WASHINGTON – South Korea and the United States are discussing planning and implementation of US nuclear operations, Seoul's presidential office said on Tuesday, although US President Joe Biden said there would be no joint nuclear exercises.
The statement came shortly after Biden said the United States was not discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea, seeming to contradict earlier remarks by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in an interview with a local newspaper.
Yoon's press secretary, Kim Eun-hye, said Biden "had no choice but to say 'No'" because he was simply asked if the two countries were discussing joint nuclear exercises, which can only be held between nuclear weapons states.
A senior US administration official reiterated President Joe Biden's comment, saying that joint nuclear exercises with Seoul would be "extremely difficult" because South Korea is not a nuclear power, but that the allies are looking at enhanced information sharing, joint contingency planning and an eventual tabletop exercise
"The two countries are discussing ways to share information on the operation of US-owned nuclear assets, and joint planning and execution of them accordingly," Kim said in a statement.
A senior US administration official reiterated Biden's comment, saying that joint nuclear exercises with Seoul would be "extremely difficult" because South Korea is not a nuclear power, but that the allies are looking at enhanced information sharing, joint contingency planning and an eventual tabletop exercise.
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"This is going to be done through a variety of ways, including as President Yoon said, through enhanced information sharing, joint planning and expanding the range of contingencies that we plan for, as well as training, and with the idea eventually leading up to a tabletop exercise," the official told Reuters.
The timing of the planned tabletop exercises has not been finalized, but they would take place "in the not-too-distant future" and cover scenarios beyond nuclear situations, the official said.
In this photo provided by South Korean Defense Ministry, a US Air Force B-1B bomber (sixth from top left) South Korean Air Force F-35 fighter jets and US Air Force F-16 fighter jets (left) fly over South Korea Peninsula during a joint air drill in South Korea on Nov 19, 2022. (SOUTH KOREAN DEFENSE MINISTRY VIA AP)
A National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement that the United States is committed to providing extended deterrence, and that the allies are working on "an effective coordinated response to a range of scenarios."
Yoon has pledged to strengthen American extended deterrence – the US military capability, especially its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on its allies – since taking office in May.
Yoon said in the interview that joint nuclear planning and exercises would help clear doubts about the extended deterrence, with its existing concept "falling short of convincing" South Koreans.
Kim Dong-yup, a professor at Kyungnam University, said the comment from Biden, who has sole authority to authorize the use of US nuclear weapons, suggests an American reluctance to share nuclear operations, given their sensitivity and security concerns.
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"Given growing voices for tactical nuclear weapons, Washington could try to give reassurances and send more nuclear assets when we want, but they're unlikely to fully materialize President Yoon's push for greater extended deterrence," Kim said.