[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Deployment of US Strategic Weapons on the Korean Peninsula... Returning to 2017?

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The Korean Peninsula appears to be reverting to 2017, when then-U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned 'fire and fury' and deployed a large number of U.S. strategic weapons to the Korean Peninsula. This is because a senior U.S. defense official has, for the first time, mentioned the possibility of deploying strategic assets and resuming joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises following North Korea's announcement of military provocations.

David Helvey, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, revealed specific response plans for the first time since the demolition of the Kaesong Inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office during a phone briefing on the 18th (local time). He defined North Korea's recent hardline actions as an extraordinary threat in the region and emphasized a strong state of readiness. Notably, he mentioned that the deployment of strategic assets and the resumption of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises are among the issues being continuously discussed with South Korea to ensure effective combined defense capabilities.

This statement by a senior U.S. official is interpreted as indicating that if North Korea takes additional military actions, the U.S. will coordinate with South Korea to respond strongly. It signals a strong warning not to cross the 'red line,' implying that North Korea might actually use military pressure tactics that cause aversion and fear. After the North Korea-U.S. working-level talks in Stockholm, Sweden, ended in a 'no deal' on October 5 last year, North Korea demanded the suspension of additional U.S. sanctions along with the halt of joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises and the deployment of U.S. strategic assets as preconditions for denuclearization negotiations.

The U.S. military assets that can be deployed immediately include aircraft carriers. The USS Ronald Reagan and USS Theodore Roosevelt are operating in the Western Pacific, while the USS Nimitz is operating in the Eastern Pacific. The concentration of U.S. aircraft carriers in the Pacific region is the first in three years since 2017. The USS Ronald Reagan entered waters near the Korean Peninsula in 2017 when North Korea launched its medium-range ballistic missile (IRBM) Hwasong-12 over Japan into the Pacific. Although the three U.S. aircraft carriers appear to have been dispatched to check China, they can turn their course toward the Korean Peninsula at any time.

Deployment of nuclear-powered submarines is also possible. The U.S. submarine USS Michigan (SSGN-727) conducted joint U.S.-South Korea exercises at Busan Port in 2017. This Ohio-class submarine, measuring 170.6 meters in length, 12.8 meters in width, and displacing 19,000 tons, is the largest in the world and carries about 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range exceeding 2,000 km.

The number of flights by the U.S. Air Force's strategic bomber B-1B Lancer over the Korean Peninsula, which North Korea is sensitive about, may also increase. According to analyses by aircraft tracking Twitter accounts, the U.S. Air Force's B-1B Lancer flew more than eight times last month alone. Excluding weekends, it was almost a sortie every other day.

The U.S. deployed four B-1B Lancer bombers to Guam last month. This is the first time since 2017 that the U.S. military has deployed B-1Bs to the Indo-Pacific region. The B-1B sorties over the Korean Peninsula appear to be a response to signs of provocations, such as North Korea's recent submarine construction activities capable of carrying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

The deployment of U.S. special reconnaissance aircraft is also expected to increase. The U.S. Air Force's main signals intelligence reconnaissance aircraft, including the Rivet Joint (RC-135W), Guardrail (RC-12X), and EP-3E Aries II, operate almost daily over the Seoul and Incheon metropolitan areas in rotation. These reconnaissance aircraft expose identification signals during flight, demonstrating that they are closely monitoring North Korea and thereby maximizing deterrence against the North.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.