미 핵잠수함 방문, 대북 무력시위 차원

Published : Feb 1, 2013 - 16:47 Updated : Feb 1, 2013 - 16:47

북한의 3차 핵실험 준비로 한반도 긴장이 고조되고 있는 가운데, 미국의 핵잠수함과 이지스 순양함이 한국을 방문했다. 북한에게 강력한 경고의 메시지를 보내는 일종의 무력시위로 분석된다.

내주 초 동해에서 열릴 것으로 보이는 대잠수함 훈련을 위해, 6천900t급 핵잠수함인 ‘샌프란시스코함’ 과 ’9천800t급 순양함 ‘샤일로함’이 진해와 부산에 각각 입항해 대기 중이다. 7함대 소속 항공모함도 곧 한국을 방문할 것으로 알려졌다.

북한의 핵실험 준비가 거의 끝난 가운데 배수량 9천800t급 미국의 이지스 순양함 ‘샤일로함’이 31일 부산 해군 작전사령부에 정박해 있다. (사진: 공동취재단)

한미 당국자들은 이번 훈련이 연간 훈련 계획에 의해 진행되는 것으로, 북한 핵 문제와는 별개라며 선을 그었다. 이와 같은 발언은 불필요하게 중국을 자극시킬 수 있다는 우려 때문인 것으로 보인다.

한 군 고위 관계자는 “이전에 계획된 훈련이라고 하더라도 이번 연합훈련을 통해 북한에 대해 잘못된 행동을 했을 경우 그냥 넘어갈 수 없다는 메시지를 충분히 전달할 수 있을 것”이라고 말했다.

정승조 합참의장은 31일 로스앤젤레스급 핵잠수함을 방문한 자리에서 “(핵실험 장소인) 함북 길주군 풍계리에서 분주한 모습이 포착되고 있다”고 밝혔다. “구체적인 내용을 밝힐 수는 없지만 그러한 행동이 기전술인지 실제 핵실험을 위한 것인지 유심히 살펴보고 있다”면서 이같이 말했다. 그는 “북한은 지도부의 결심만 있으면 언제라도 핵실험을 할 수 있는 상황을 유지하고 있다”고 설명했다.

한국은 북한이 3차 핵실험을 할 것을 대비해 최근 채택된 유엔 안전보장이사회 결의안 2087보다 강도 높은 제재를 협력국과 협의 중이다. 전문가들은 한미가 연합전력의 대규모 무력시위, 주한미군 전력증강 등의 군사적 조치를 취할 수 있을 것이라 예상했다. (코리아 헤럴드 송상호 기자)

<관련 영문 기사>

U.S. submarine, cruiser arrive in S. Korea

By Song Sang-ho

The U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine and Aegis-equipped cruiser have arrived in South Korea in what appears to be a show of force against North Korea pushing for a third nuclear test despite international criticism.

The USS San Francisco, a 6,927-ton Los Angeles-class submarine, and USS Shiloh, a 9,800-ton guided-missile cruiser, are now in Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province, and Busan, respectively. The top-of-the-line vessels will participate in the allies’ antisubmarine drills next week, officials said.

“As the allied navies have set the plan to stage the antisubmarine maneuvers early next week in the East Sea, we are now in consultation to finalize the detailed schedule. The vessels are now on standby at the ports,” an official at Seoul’s Joint Chief of Staff said, declining to be named.

Both Seoul and U.S. officials appear cautious about linking the ships’ participation in the upcoming drills to the North’s preparation for the atomic test, for fear that it could needlessly provoke China, the sole major ally and patron of the reclusive state.

“The ships have nothing to do with the North’s nuclear issue. The drills in which they will participate are part of regular, annual joint exercises,” a Seoul official told media on condition of anonymity.

During his visit to the USS San Francisco in Jinhae on Thursday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jung Seung-jo said that the South Korean military is keeping close tabs on the North Korean movements, cautioning against the North’s “deceptive” military strategy.

“There has been a flurry of activity near the test site. I can’t elaborate on them, but we are watching them closely to find out if these are part of its deceptive strategy or if it is really doing that to prepare for the test,” he told reporters.

“As the preparations are proceeding underground, there is some limit for us to grasp what is happening there. But we are ready around the clock, believing that the test could be carried out at anytime.”

Some reports raised the possibility that the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, whose home port is the Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan, could also join the forthcoming antisubmarine maneuvers to send a clear warning message to Pyongyang.

Seoul officials believe the North has already completed all necessary preparations for the nuclear test at the Punggye-ri site in the country’s northeast, where it carried out previous atomic tests in 2006 and 2009.

This week, the North installed pieces of equipment to gauge radioactivity that could result from the nuclear detonation. It has also put a cover at the entrance of the underground test site to avoid the satellite monitoring by the U.S.

“The cover appears to be a measure to prevent their preparation activities, which are now in their final stage, from being exposed to the outside audience,” a government source said.

Other observers said that the cover could be intended to deceive Seoul and Washington, stressing that the allies should remain cautious in their joint intelligence analysis.

Amid the North’s push for the provocative test, Seoul is considering pushing for tougher sanctions in tandem with the international community. Officials indicated that the sanctions under consideration would be tougher than those entailed in U.N. Resolution 2087, which condemned the North’s December rocket launch.

Some observers said that possible sanctions for South Korea include launching massive military drills with the U.S. near the peninsula in a show of force against the North; deploying strategic ballistic, cruise missiles capable of surgically striking the North’s nuclear and missile bases; and seeking to bolster global efforts to intercept suspicious North Korean vessels.

The USS San Francisco belongs to the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Squadron 11 in Arizona. It measures 110.3 meters in length and 10.1 meters in width. It is equipped with high-tech weapons systems such as Tomahawk missiles.

Measuring 173 meters in length and 16.8 meters in width, the USS Shiloh is also equipped with top-of-the-line arms such as Harpoon, Tomahawk and SM-3 missiles and torpedoes. It belongs to the 7th Fleet in Yokosuka, Japan.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)