South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has received the nuclear-capable submarine ‘USS Kentucky’ that arrived at Busan port last Tuesday from US shores. A shipment that would have the objective of serving as a “dissuasive message” against Pyongyang, in the midst of tensions over the launch of ballistic missiles and the detention of a US soldier on North Korean territory.
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“The arrival of the USS Kentucky clearly shows the commitment of the Republic of Korea (official name of South Korea) and the United States to regularly deploy US strategic assets and uphold the credibility of extended deterrence,” Yoon said before boarding the submersible in a formal ceremony.
Similarly, the South Korean president stressed the concept of “extended deterrence”, mentioning that if North Korea exceeds certain security limits, both Seoul and Washington would have agreed that the combined response against Pyongyang “would lead to the end of the regime.”
The ‘USS Kentucky’ is an atomic-powered submersible capable of carrying up to 20 ballistic missiles and capable of launching them over 12,000 kilometers. It is the first time since the 1980s that the United States has sent such a ship to South Korea.
Today, the White House is making a shipment of this magnitude to increase pressure against the Kim Jong-un government and discourage the possible use of nuclear weapons in the region, however, Pyongyang does not welcome the arrival of the American submarine on the shores of its neighbor.
North Korea’s response: The launch of ballistic missiles
Last Tuesday, in unison with the arrival of the ‘USS Kentucky’ on South Korean shores, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong-un’s sister, stated that the shipment of this US ship “takes North Korea off the negotiating table more than ever.” However, the threatening words quickly turned to action.
In the early hours of this Wednesday, Japanese and South Korean authorities reported that two short-range ballistic missiles were launched from the North Korean capital, and although both devices fell into the international sea and did not cause any damage, Japan condemned the use of this weapon.
“We strongly condemn the successive launches of ballistic missiles by North Korea as serious provocative acts that undermine the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula as well as the international community, and constitute a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions,” the Japanese General Staff said in a statement.
The launch of both missiles comes a week after Pyongyang to test its new intercontinental ballistic missile, the Hwasong-18. An exercise that could be interpreted as a direct challenge to the notices issued by the United States and South Korea.
The arrest of a US soldier fuels regional tensions
In the midst of a very critical point in relations between the two nations on the Korean peninsula and the United States, an unusual detention on North Korean territory could spark a diplomatic scandal between Washington and Pyongyang.
Travis King, a 23-year-old US soldier, crossed the 38th Parallel – the border that divides the two Koreas – “without authorization” but “voluntarily” while he was on a tourist trip through the Common Security Zone in the demilitarized border area. Since he crossed last Tuesday, his whereabouts are unknown.
The United Nations mission on the Korean peninsula and the US government presume that King is in the custody of the North Korean authorities, although there has been no reaction of any kind since Pyongyang.
Before crossing, the US soldier had just been released from a South Korean jail, where he spent two months on charges of assault and damage to a police car. King was scheduled to return to the United States, where he could have faced consequences within the military and even discharge from the service.
“The administration has worked and will continue to work actively to ensure his safety and return him home to his family,” said Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the State Department, who also added that the Joe Biden government is in talks with the Swedish government to act as a diplomatic mediator in this situation.
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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