Defense Ministry to seek permanent deployment of US strategic assets in South Korea

The Ministry of National Defense / Yonhap

Defense minister rebuffs President-elect over NK's violation of military accord

By Kang Seung-woo

The defense ministry is set to discuss with Washington the rotational deployment of strategic U.S. assets on the Korean Peninsula under the new South Korean administration to deter North Korea's provocations.

Strategic assets refer to long-range bombers, nuclear-powered submarines or aircraft carriers.

The Ministry of National Defense gave a policy briefing to the transition committee of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday and said it will seek to resume regular meetings of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) to ensure the presence of U.S. strategic assets. Yoon has pledged to enhance South Korea's deterrence against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats.

The EDSCG, established by the two-plus-two foreign and defense ministerial meeting between the allies in October 2016, is a high-level consultative mechanism to achieve North Korean denuclearization through steadfast deterrence.

Extended deterrence refers to the commitment to use nuclear weapons to deter attacks on allies. The U.S. has provided extended deterrence or a nuclear umbrella to South Korea after removing all of its nuclear assets from the South in 1991.

In 2016, the former Park Geun-hye administration wanted the permanent rotational deployment of U.S. strategic assets, but Washington rejected it.

Since then, the two sides had discussed the issue via the EDSCG, with the first meeting taking place in December 2016. But the issue has not been discussed after the second meeting in January 2018.

The defense ministry also said in its briefing that it will conduct an environmental effects evaluation on the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

During his election campaign, Yoon pledged to complete the environmental study.

In 2017, the U.S. installed the anti-missile shield in the county to counter North Korea's missile threats. But local residents have been opposed to the stationing of the battery in their village, citing environmental and other concerns. As a result, hundreds of U.S. and South Korean service members work in shipping containers set up on an old golf club there, while basic supplies for troops and fuel have often been airlifted in.

Also on Tuesday, the president-elect and Defense Minister Suh Wook disagreed on whether North Korea's recent artillery fire violated an inter-Korean military agreement.

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol presides over a meeting of the presidential transition committee at the team's office in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

On Sunday, the defense ministry announced that Pyongyang fired four shots from a multiple rocket launcher into the West Sea.

"North Korea has staged military provocations 11 times this year alone, but this is the first time that it fired artillery, isn't it?" Yoon asked during a meeting with members of his transition team.

From the start of the year, North Korea has conducted 10 missile tests and fired artillery, threatening to lift its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons and long-range missile tests.

"(The artillery firing) is a clear violation of the pact," Yoon added.

The president-elect also asked the transition team members to manage the current security situation seamlessly under watchful eyes.

South Korea and North Korea signed an agreement to reduce military tensions following an inter-Korean summit in September 2018. The agreement bans all hostile acts within a buffer zone of 135 kilometers over the West Sea border and 80 kilometers into the East Sea.

However, hours later, the defense minister rebuffed Yoon's claim, saying the firing occurred beyond the buffer zone.

Defense Minister Suh Wook attends a plenary session of the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

When asked if Yoon's comments about the violation of the inter-Korean military accord are correct, the defense minister said they weren't.

"No, it is far north," Suh said during a parliamentary session. "It was not an area covered by the agreement."

According to military sources, North Korea conducted the firing from close to Sukchon, north of Pyongyang.

During the campaign, Yoon showed his hardline stance against North Korea, vowing to deploy an additional THAAD battery to South Korea and launch a preemptive strike on North Korea if necessary as part of enhancing deterrence against North Korea's growing threats.

As for the inter-Korean military agreement, Yoon said he might consider the possibility of ditching the pact if there is no change in North Korea's attitude.

"If elected, I will urge North Korea to make good on the inter-Korean military agreement," he said in a media interview back in November.

"Should the North show no signs of change in its attitude and renew its call for the withdrawal of a 'hostile policy,' it would be difficult for us to keep the agreement, or a cancellation of the agreement."

Meanwhile, North Korea is expected to launch an inter-continental ballistic missile or test a nuclear weapon on the occasion of the 110th birthday anniversary of its founder Kim Il-sung, April 15. In addition, it is also anticipated to hold a military parade at an airport in Pyongyang as it has mobilized more than 6,000 troops for the event, according to the South Korean military.