The US and South Korean military have agreed on measures prescribing permanent deployment of US strategic weapons in South Korea amid a growing threat from North Korea, the South Korean Defense Ministry said Friday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in the week, the US Department of Defense and the South Korean Defense Ministry held a so-called Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting, a format of comprehensive defense consultations between the allies, which is being held on the biannual basis.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in the week, the US Department of Defense and the South Korean Defense Ministry held a so-called Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) meeting, a format of comprehensive defense consultations between the allies, which is being held on the biannual basis.
The sides came to an agreement to push for "measures available in all aspects including the regular deployment of U.S. strategic assets," the ministry said as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.
The US strategic assets include nuclear-powered submarines, strategic bombers, aircraft carriers and some other weapons, which are usually based at US strategic bases in Guam, Japan or the mainland.
Earlier this week, the United States deployed its nuclear-powered submarine Michigan at the Port of Busan in South Korea, and the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is heading to the region in order to take part in a major joint naval military drills.
The tensions on the Korean peninsula have risen over the recent month in the wake of Pyongyang's nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches conducted in violation of the UN Security Council's resolutions. North Korea reportedly carried out the most recent missile launch early on Sunday however it was unsuccessful according to South Korea's defense officials.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.