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U.S. and South Korea Strengthen Nuclear Deterrence Pact Amid North Korean Threats and NATO’s Asia-Pacific Engagement

Jul 13, 2024, 10:47 AM

U.S. and South Korean officials have announced significant progress on a new pact aimed at strengthening the U.S. nuclear umbrella to defend Seoul in the event of an attack from North Korea. The 'Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula' are described as the most detailed understanding ever between Seoul and Washington, allowing for U.S. forces to potentially retaliate with nuclear weapons. In response, North Korea has threatened to boost its nuclear capabilities and impose 'an unimaginably harsh price' on the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea also denounced NATO and the U.S. as the 'most serious threat' to global peace and vowed to adopt stronger strategic responses to perceived threats, including NATO’s Asia-Pacific engagement with 'new force.'