SEOUL—A U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) visited South Korea on Tuesday for the first time since the 1980s, as the allies began discussions to coordinate their reactions in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.
Kurt Campbell, White House Indo-Pacific coordinator, confirmed the uncommon visit, which was announced in a joint declaration during a conference between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Donald Trump. In April, President Joe Biden visited Washington.
“As we speak, an American nuclear submarine is making port in Busan today. That’s the first visit of [an] American nuclear submarine in decades,” Mr. Campbell told reporters at a briefing in Seoul, where he was attending the first Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) discussion with South Korean officials.
The group was also revealed during the April meeting, with the goal of better coordinating an alliance nuclear reaction in the event of a war with North Korea, despite rising clamor in South Korea for its own nuclear weapons, which Washington opposes.
North Korea, which conducted an ICBM test last week, criticized the NCG on Monday for "openly discussing the use of nukes" and cautioned against partner intentions to enhance military demonstrations, including the submarine visit.
Mr. Campbell did not identify the submarine but stated that its visit demonstrates America's commitment to South Korean defense.
The arrival of the submarine was later verified by South Korea's military ministry, which identified it as the USS Kentucky, an Ohio class SSBN.
During a conflict, US SSBNs rely on stealth to secure their survivability and the capacity to deploy nuclear missiles, and they seldom make public stops in foreign ports.
The US has committed to sending more strategic assets to South Korea, including aircraft carriers, submarines, and long-range bombers, to prevent North Korea, which has developed increasingly powerful missiles capable of reaching targets as far away as the US.
The United States Navy has 14 SSBNs, sometimes known as "boomers," which carry 20 Trident II D5 missiles capable of delivering up to eight nuclear bombs to targets as far away as 12,000 kilometers (7,500 miles).
According to a Federation of American Scientists research, there were regular SSBN trips to South Korea in the 1970s, another period when South Korea was debating the depth of the US commitment and the necessity for its own nuclear weapons.
South Korea's Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo, who co-chaired the conference, stated that the negotiations are sufficient to prevent South Korea from developing its own nuclear weapons.
The two sides agreed to improve information exchange, including the establishment of a secure communication network, as well as coordination and preparation in the case of a North Korean nuclear assault, which would be met by an "overwhelming" ally reaction, according to Mr. Kim.
According to a statement issued following the summit, the partners would also create "operations, exercises, simulations, training, and investment activities" to strengthen nuclear deterrent and reaction capabilities on the Korean Peninsula.
The NCG, according to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, will be a "starting point" for building a powerful and effective deterrence against North Korea.
“Through a South Korea–U.S. alliance upgraded to a new nuclear-based paradigm, we will make substantial efforts to fundamentally block North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats,” Mr. Yoon told a briefing.
