Bolton: "Half-hearted Washington Declaration... Strong Measures Needed Amid Rising North Korean Nuclear Threat"

Support for South Korea's Independent Nuclear Program

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton pointed out that the Washington Declaration adopted to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance was insufficient to respond to the escalating North Korean nuclear threat. He also argued that U.S. President Joe Biden's 'half-hearted' nuclear deterrence plan fell short of assuaging South Korea's concerns, which has supported an independent nuclear program, and that the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea would be more effective.

In an op-ed titled "Biden's Half-Hearted Nuclear Deterrence Plan" published on June 2 (local time) by the U.S. political media outlet The Hill, Bolton said, "Unfortunately, the Washington Declaration fell far short of the necessary level."

He premised that there was no doubt that President Yoon Suk-yeol's top priority at the recent South Korea-U.S. summit was the increasing North Korean nuclear threat, then pointed out, "The cautious measures in the Washington Declaration will not slow down Pyongyang's attempts to unify the Korean Peninsula, and it is almost certain that tensions in Northeast Asia will continue to escalate."

Bolton stated, "Public opinion in South Korea, reflecting fears that U.S. extended deterrence is no longer reliable against North Korea or China, has increasingly supported an independent nuclear program," and argued, "Biden's response to the nuclear and ballistic missile threats from China and North Korea, as specified in the declaration, will do little to soothe these South Korean concerns."

He noted, "The most notable new U.S. commitment to counter North Korea's belligerence is the resumption, for the first time in 40 years, of occasional deployments of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines to South Korea," adding, "U.S. officials also mentioned regular visits by aircraft carriers and bombers."

He questioned, "Did the White House really believe that the North Korean leadership thought the U.S. would respond with nuclear weapons?" and answered, "Probably so."

He added that since North Korea is led by a mysterious and unfamiliar leadership, sometimes taking a strong stance can be effective against North Korean State Chairman Kim Jong-un, if not against Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He continued that both Chairman Kim and President Xi should not doubt that the U.S. possesses tremendous nuclear assets, but "ironically, like the South Korean people, they greatly underestimate today's U.S. leadership."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

He pointed out, "China and the two Koreas perceive a lack of U.S. resolve and will to act decisively when the national interests of South Korea and the U.S. are threatened," adding, "If that is the case, the rhetoric of the Washington Declaration on extended deterrence commitments and strengthening military ties between South Korea and the U.S. will be seen as mere words by China and the two Koreas."

Bolton then mentioned the indefinite redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. He said, "These weapons would remain under sole U.S. control and would be useful for immediate support of deployed U.S. forces and South Korean allies' defense," adding, "The slogan 'Let's go together' would be more than a long-standing motto of the South Korea-U.S. combined forces when backed by battlefield nuclear capability, and it would be a more tangible measure than submarine calls."

He also said, "The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons would give weight to the NCG, which is responsible for strengthening extended deterrence, discussing nuclear plans, and managing North Korean proliferation threats," and questioned, "How is the NCG, which lacks specific responsibilities, different from the existing Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) between South Korea and the U.S.?"

Furthermore, he stated, "The issue of South Korea's independent nuclear capability is politically and militarily separate from the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, but nonetheless, nuclear weapons redeployment would buy time for both South Korea and the U.S. to fully assess the implications of South Korea becoming a nuclear-armed state."

He added, "The deployment of U.S. nuclear assets on the Korean Peninsula does not make South Korea's separate program impossible or inevitable," and explained, "This has the advantage of keeping North Korea and China guessing about South Korea's nuclear armament."

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