North Korea Calls US Nuclear Submarine Deployment to Korean Peninsula "Blatant Nuclear Intimidation"

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South Korea-US Launch NCG on 18th... Discussing Nuclear Submarine Deployment?

North Korea condemned the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine, which is scheduled to make a port call on the Korean Peninsula, as "brazen nuclear intimidation" and resumed threats, stating that if a military clash occurs, the responsibility lies with the United States. The deployment of a U.S. strategic nuclear submarine equipped with nuclear capabilities to the Korean Peninsula is an agreement reached during the April South Korea-U.S. summit under the "Washington Declaration," and if realized, it would be the first time since 1981.

A spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense stated in a statement released through the Korean Central News Agency on the 10th, "Recently, the U.S. Department of Defense officially announced its attempt to send a strategic nuclear submarine into the waters of the Korean Peninsula," adding, "This is a very dangerous situation that further escalates military tensions to a precarious state and realistically forces us to accept the worst scenario of a 'nuclear conflict crisis.'"

Earlier, Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, said during a briefing on the 29th of last month (local time) in response to a question about "when the Ohio-class nuclear submarine will visit South Korea," "I will not comment on future deployments and schedules," but added, "What I do know is that at some point, a U.S. Ohio-class submarine equipped with nuclear capabilities will visit South Korea for a port call."

North Korea argued, "The U.S. attempting to bring strategic nuclear weapons into the Korean Peninsula region is the most brazen nuclear intimidation against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and neighboring countries," and "It clearly explains without any doubt who is threatening and who is being threatened." This is interpreted as a reiteration of the existing stance that places responsibility for regional military tensions on the United States.

Furthermore, North Korea threatened, "We must clearly show what our response will be so that the U.S. cannot easily carry out such reckless acts," vowing to turn the deployment of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula into a "painful security crisis." This implies that North Korea intends to respond with military actions depending on the deployment of strategic assets. On the 15th of last month, North Korea also fired ballistic missiles into the East Sea after issuing a "warning statement" through a Ministry of Defense spokesperson in protest against the South Korea-U.S. joint combined firepower annihilation exercises.

In particular, North Korea defined the prior deployment of U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft on the Korean Peninsula as "frantic and provocative aerial reconnaissance activities," repeatedly threatening that "there will definitely be consequences." North Korea warned, "From the 2nd to the 9th, U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft RC-135, U-2S, and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft RQ-4B alternately flew over the East and West Seas of Korea, conducting provocative aerial reconnaissance activities over our strategic depth areas," and cautioned, "There is no guarantee anywhere that a shocking incident of a U.S. Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft being shot down over the East Sea of Korea will not occur."

Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said, "North Korea's opposition to the possible deployment of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines before and after the first meeting of the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) on the 18th is being closely watched," adding, "Since they have announced a strong countermeasure, there is a possibility they will fire medium- or short-range missiles or submarine-launched ballistic missiles as a show of force." He also advised, "It is urgent to normalize South Korea-China relations to suppress North Korea's tension escalation and provocations."

South Korea-U.S. NCG Launch Meeting on the 18th... Discussion on 'Nuclear Submarine Deployment'?

The US nuclear-powered attack submarine Springfield (SSN 761, 6000-ton class) docked at the Busan base of the Naval Operations Command

According to the Presidential Office, South Korea and the United States will hold the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in Seoul on the 18th to discuss information sharing and consultation systems, joint planning, and implementation measures to strengthen nuclear deterrence against North Korea. Sharing information on the operational plans of U.S. strategic assets is also a key agenda, and there is a possibility that the regular expansion of strategic nuclear submarine deployments to the Korean Peninsula will be discussed.

The NCG is one of the core issues included in the "Washington Declaration" announced by President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit in April. It is a concrete high-level permanent consultative body on extended deterrence. Initially planned to operate as a deputy minister-level consultative body, the first meeting was elevated to a deputy minister-level consultative body involving the National Security Councils (NSC) of both countries, including South Korea's First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, Kim Tae-hyo.

There is also interest in whether the "U.S. strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN) port call on the Korean Peninsula," which North Korea opposed on this day, will be discussed. Previously, on the 16th of last month, the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine (SSGN) USS Michigan made a port call at the Busan operational base. The difference between an SSBN and an SSGN is that the SSBN carries submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) equipped with nuclear warheads, while the SSGN carries out strike missions using Tomahawk cruise missiles and others.

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