The United States vowed on Wednesday (October 18) that it would have “an overwhelming response” if North Korea used nuclear weapons against the U.S. or any of its allies. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S, would aggressively defend South Korea and other allies against the threat posed by North Korea, which has conducted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches this year.
Kerry’s comments came as officials from the U.S, and North Korea began a series of talks on a variety of issues, but Kerry said the foremost one was “the provocative actions of North Korea.” He said the U.S. would defend South Korea “through extended deterrence, including the U.S. nuclear umbrella-conventional strike and missile defense capabilities.”
The term “extended deterrence” refers to the U.S. nuclear umbrella that protects non-nuclear allies South Korea and Japan in East Asia.
Kerry said that as part of this effort, the United States would deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system to South Korea “as soon as possible.”
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se called the North Korea threat “grave” and said “the next few years will be the tipping point.”
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency quoted Yun as saying on Tuesday that said the two sides would discuss ways “to specify and institutionalize extended deterrence.”
It said this could include permanently deploying U.S. “strategic assets” in the South, such as nuclear-capable B-52 and B-1B bombers, F-22 stealth fighter jets and nuclear-powered submarines.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond when asked about the possibility of such deployments.
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016
