South Korean President talks about joint nuclear exercises between Seoul and Washington

Seoul and Washington are discussing joint exercises involving US nuclear assets to counter growing threats from a nuclear-armed North Korea, South Korean President Yoon Sok-yul said.

In a press interview Chosun Ilbowhich was published on Monday, January 2, the South Korean president admits it “nuclear umbrella” American and him “extended deterrence” It is no longer enough to reassure the South Koreans.

“Nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but the preparation and sharing of information, exercises and training should be done jointly by South Korea and the United States.”Yoon Seok Yul said, adding that Washington welcomes the idea “rather positively”.

These remarks were published the day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s call “exponential increase” of his country’s nuclear arsenal, according to the official Central News Agency.

An unprecedented number of missile launches

The head of state also announced that North Korea would develop new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to deal with what he described as hostility from the United States and South Korea.

The year 2022 was marked by an unprecedented number of missile launches by Pyongyang. North Korea has conducted weapons tests almost monthly, including the firing of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile.

Three short-range ballistic missiles Another shot was fired by North Korea on Saturday, and another on Sunday at dawn.

Fear of a possible North Korean nuclear test

Under Mr. Yoon’s presidency, South Korea has stepped up its joint military exercises with the United States, which were scaled back during the pandemic or halted under his predecessor amid ultimately unsuccessful diplomatic talks with North Korea.

Since the collapse of inter-Korean negotiations in 2019, Kim Jong Un has redoubled his efforts to advance banned weapons programmes.

Seoul and Washington gave Pyongyang the intention to conduct a new nuclear test soon, which will be the seventh in its history and the first since 2017.