WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol will sign an agreement Wednesday that includes plans for nuclear-armed U.S. submarines to dock in South Korea for the first time in more than 40 years, a striking show of support for Seoul among growing concerns over nuclear threats from North Korea, according to senior members of the Biden administration.
Those visits are a key piece of the so-called “Washington Declaration” aimed at deterring North Korea from attacking its neighbor. The pact would be presented during Yoon’s state visit and in a climate of concern for the two leaders about the increasing pace of North Korean ballistic tests in recent months.
Three Biden administration officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the official unveiling, said the Biden and Yoon teams had worked out details of the plan for months and agreed that “very clear shows of force” would “occasional” US deterrence should be a centerpiece of the text.
The document also calls on the US and South Korean militaries to strengthen their joint training and better integrate South Korean military assets into the joint strategic deterrence effort. As part of the declaration, South Korea would reaffirm its commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an agreement signed by several nuclear and non-nuclear powers that have pledged their cooperation to curb the spread of nuclear technology, according to the officials.
