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Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaking during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, June 13 (Yonhap) |
South Korea intends to "actively" contribute to building deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, a presidential security official said Thursday, amid steady efforts by Seoul and Washington to broaden their security alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula.
Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo made the remark, expressing confidence that following the allies' adoption of the Washington Declaration, South Korea will have a credible US nuclear deterrence against growing North Korean military threats.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, adopted the declaration at the White House summit in April, in order to strengthen the credibility of the US' extended deterrence commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
"The Republic of Korea, which will secure the most direct, strong, and responsible nuclear umbrella of the United States, intends to actively contribute to the establishment of extended deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region," Kim said in his pre-released speech for a security forum, referring to South Korea by its official name.
He did not elaborate on how Seoul will contribute to the deterrence efforts for regional security.
Hosted by the Korea Institute for Military Affairs and the Korea Defense and Security Forum, the forum was held to discuss the meaning of the Washington Declaration and the US' extended deterrence.
Kim cast the declaration as a "significant milestone."
"It is the first instance where the United States has adopted a separate document to establish a one-on-one extended deterrence framework with a specific ally," Kim said. "An integrated extended deterrence system has been established that allows South Korea and the United States to consult and decide at any time and take action together."
The official also stressed national defense as a "cornerstone of peace," saying security relies on "maintaining a strong military power and demonstrating unwavering determination to employ it when necessary."
"National security encompasses the imperative to protect the survival of the state," he said. "Prioritizing and upholding our national security is of utmost importance, as without it all other aspects of life, such as stability of the economy, investments and the well-being of households, are meaningless."
Also present at the forum was Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul.
Shin underscored the Yoon administration's commitment to achieving "peace by overwhelming power" rather than a "false peace" dependent on the goodwill of the enemy.
"South Korea and the US are working together to strengthen their joint efforts in maintaining overwhelming military power through the implementation of measures aimed at bolstering the extended deterrence promised in the (Washington) Declaration," he said. (Yonhap)
