First NCG meeting backed by nuclear-capable sub in Busan

A U.S. nuclear-capable submarine made a port call in Korea for the first time in some 40 years as a "manifestation" of Washington's commitment to extended deterrence, a White House National Security Council (NSC) official said Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, speaks at the inaugural meeting of the Nuclear Consultative Group, alongside U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, left of Yoon, at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul on Tuesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

A U.S. nuclear-capable submarine made a port call in Korea for the first time in some 40 years as a "manifestation" of Washington's commitment to extended deterrence, a White House National Security Council (NSC) official said Tuesday.

On the same day, the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a bilateral consultative body created to strengthen extended deterrence, held its inaugural meeting in Seoul.

"As we speak an American nuclear submarine is making port in Busan today," said Kurt Campbell, NSC coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs in a joint press conference at the Yongsan presidential office. He noted it was the first visit of a U.S. nuclear submarine "in decades" as he stressed that it is important to "manifest commitments."

South Korea's Defense Ministry confirmed that the USS Kentucky, a U.S. nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) arrived at a naval base in Busan earlier Tuesday, the first port call of its kind in 42 years.

The arrival of the 18,750-ton Ohio-class SSBN, a key U.S. strategic asset, is seen as a demonstration of the two countries ironclad combined defense posture.

The last known U.S. ballistic missile submarine to make a port call in Korea was the USS Robert E. Lee in March 1981.

The first bilateral NCG meeting convened earlier that day at the presidential office, co-chaired by Kim Tae-hyo, Korea's principal deputy national security adviser, and Campbell and discussed information sharing, consultation mechanisms, joint planning and execution plans to strengthen extended deterrence against North Korea.

"There is no issue that we take more seriously than the strength, than the confidence in our nuclear deterrence," Campbell said in the press conference alongside Kim, adding that the launch of the NCG "will go a long way towards making clear that our partnership is rock solid and that we are taking every possible step to ensure confidence in the nuclear, strategic, and military partnership between our two great countries."

He said the meeting laid out the "appropriate steps" to send the strongest possible signal that the United States and South Korea are working together as the "closet possible partners" even in the face of provocations from North Korea.

"Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime," the two sides said through a joint press statement after the meeting. The two sides highlighted that any nuclear attack by the North against the South will be met with "a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response."

He called the efforts taken by Seoul and Washington as being "unprecedented," unlike anything since the "early days of the Cold War."

President Yoon Suk Yeol made a brief appearance at the beginning of the meeting to launch the NCG. The meeting was also attended by Cara Abercrombie, deputy assistant to the president and coordinator for defense policy and arms control at the White House NSC, and other defense and foreign affairs officials from the two countries.

The NCG meeting comes as a follow-up to the Washington Declaration signed by Yoon and U.S. President Joe Biden at their bilateral summit at the White House on April 26, during the Korean leader's state visit to the United States.

The declaration agreed to establish a new bilateral NCG, a planned consultative body of officials from both countries designed to strengthen extended deterrence against threats from North Korea through enhanced dialogue and information sharing on nuclear strategy.

Extended deterrence refers to the United States' commitment to mobilizing the full range of its military capabilities, both nuclear and conventional, to defend its ally under a possible attack.

Analysts, however, have pointed out that the NCG falls short of providing the same kind of nuclear sharing that the United States and NATO members have.

The two sides said that the NCG will play an integral role in discussing "nuclear and strategic planning" and responses to North Korea's aggression, according to the joint statement. They established a range of ways to bolster nuclear deterrence and response capabilities on the Korean Peninsula, including the development of security and information sharing protocols; nuclear consultation and communication processes in crises and contingencies; and coordination and development of planning, operations, exercises, simulations, trainings and investment activities.

They also discussed joint planning and execution of Korean conventional support to U.S. nuclear operations, including "how to enhance visibility of U.S. strategic asset deployments around the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

Korean Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo, left, and Kurt Campbell, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator, shake hands at a joint press conference after the inaugural session of the Nuclear Consultative Group at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

"It is very meaningful that the Nuclear Consultative Group, established in accordance with the Washington Declaration adopted with President Biden in April, is taking its first step," President Yoon said during a brief appearance at the beginning of the NCG meeting. "The NCG must thoroughly respond to the advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats by strengthening its extended deterrence capabilities."

"Just as President Biden warned in April that North Korea that a nuclear attack by North Korea would lead to the end of the regime, we must strengthen extended deterrence implementation through a nuclear-based South Korea-U.S. alliance to ensure that North Korea does not dare to use nuclear weapons," Yoon added, according to presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.

"The first NCG meeting will be an important starting point for building strong and effective South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence," Yoon said in a Cabinet meeting. "Through the Korea-U.S. alliance, which has been upgraded to a new nuclear-based paradigm, substantial efforts will be made to fundamentally block North Korea's nuclear and missile threats."

The NCG will meet quarterly, and the next principal-level meeting will take place later this year in the United States.

Kim said in the press conference that Biden has also invited the Korean and Japanese leaders for a trilateral summit in the United States sometime in August, and that preparations for this meeting are underway.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]