"US Nuclear Submarine Visits South Korea Also Aim to Deter China's Attack on Taiwan"

The regular port calls of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines in South Korea serve not only to deter North Korea's nuclear threats but also to block China's potential attack on Taiwan, said the chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated in an interview with ABC News on the 23rd (local time) regarding the recent port call of the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine USS Kentucky in Busan, "It is a projection of power necessary to deter an immediate attack," adding, "We are witnessing not only a very aggressive North Korea launching rockets into the East Sea but also China's aggression toward Taiwan."

He said, "North Korea needs to know that we are there and that we have superiority with our nuclear submarines," and added, "We must impress upon North Korea and Chinese President Xi Jinping that if they take militarily aggressive actions, there will be consequences."

Michael McCaul, Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Photo by AP Yonhap News

He stated, "The reason the (Indo-)Pacific Command fleet is there (in Korea) is to deter and block North Korea in the event of a conflict with Taiwan and China," and argued, "Since North Korea could launch missiles at Taiwan, we must work with South Korea to stop North Korea so that we do not have to worry about them."

Regarding the case of a U.S. Army private stationed in South Korea who defected to the North, McCaul agreed with the host's observation that the fact he crossed over voluntarily could complicate negotiations for repatriation with North Korea, saying, "It seems he was trying to run away from his own problems and chose the wrong place."

He added, "I am concerned (about North Korea) because Russia, China, and Iran demand a price when they capture Americans, especially U.S. military personnel, as prisoners."

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