(EDITORIAL from Korea Times on May 24)

Take detailed steps
US commits to strengthening deterrence against North

President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden have agreed to step up joint efforts to deter increasing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. For this, the two leaders have pledged to expand combined military exercises and reactivate the suspended Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) at the earliest date.

According to a joint statement adopted during their summit on Saturday, the United States reaffirmed its commitment to deploy its strategic military assets in the event of a contingency on the Korean Peninsula. This commitment is a step in the right direction as North Korea has refused to stop its provocative acts. Pyongyang has even threatened to use its nuclear arsenal beyond its purpose of deterrence.

"Both leaders agree to initiate discussions to expand the scope and scale of combined military exercises and training on and around the Korean Peninsula," the statement said. Biden reaffirmed the U.S.' "extended deterrence" commitment to South Korea, vowing to use the "full range of U.S. defense capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defense capabilities."

What is most noteworthy is that the two leaders used the word "nuclear" to refer to U.S. capabilities to respond to the North's military threats. It is the first time the two nations have included this expression in a joint summit statement. Also meaningful is the reactivation of the EDSCG, a consultative body comprising high-level foreign affairs and security officials from the two countries to discuss deterrence steps. The allies plan to convene a meeting of the EDSCG soon to discuss details over the envisaged expansion of South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises against possible threats from the North.

In a show of solidarity, the two leaders visited the Korean Air and Space Operations Center (KAOC) at Osan Air Base to meet with U.S. and South Korean troops stationed there. Yoon said, "This is the place symbolizing the Korea-U.S. alliance." The two leaders virtually sent a strong warning to the North, which has so far this year conducted 16 missile tests, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Yet, the two leaders failed to mention the 2018 Panmunjeom Declaration or the Singapore Joint Statement which were included in the May 2021 joint statement of the summit between Biden and then South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But this does not necessarily mean that the two allies are neglecting the peace initiatives the previous Moon administration had pushed for. Yoon and Biden said that the path to dialogue remains open toward peaceful and diplomatic resolution with the North. Yoon reaffirmed an audacious plan to revive the moribund North Korean economy and improve its people's living standards should it take substantive steps toward denuclearization.

However, there are concerns that the allies' move for further deterrence could increase tension on the peninsula and prompt a military buildup. Yoon and Biden urged North Korea to return to the dialogue table. They should also double down on inducing the North to resume the talks.

The two allies have also offered humanitarian aid to the North to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic, while expressing concerns about the human rights situation in the reclusive country. It is necessary for the Kim Jong-un regime to stop its nuclear and missile programs and take the path toward peace and prosperity, instead of hostility and confrontation.
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