WASHINGTON DECLARATION - INTERNATIONAL
News: Explained
| What is the Washington Declaration?
What's in the news?
● South
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in the U.S. to commemorate the 70th
anniversary of U.S.-South Korea bilateral relations.
● A
highlight of the visit was the signing of the “Washington Declaration” as a nuclear deterrence strategy.
Key takeaways:
● The
successful launch of North Korea’s
Hwasong-8 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a vital
component for nuclear weapons delivery, seems to have triggered the U.S. visit
of the South Korean President. Mr.Yoon aimed to advance the strategic
partnership, drawing an alliance over an extended nuclear deterrence plan
against the regional aggression of North Korea.
Washington Declaration:
Aim:
● The
Washington Declaration advocates for a nuclear deterrence policy in the Korean
region, aiming to balance power dynamics against North Korea.
Features:
The
declaration specifies several measures that the two countries will take in
cooperation towards deterrence, including:
● Deployment of an American
nuclear ballistic submarine in the Korean peninsula.
● Formation
of a nuclear consultative group to
formulate principles of joint response tactics.
● Strengthening
of South Korea’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.
● South
Korea would receive Intel from the U.S. regarding nuclear advancements.
● The
declaration reaffirms that South Korea
would not make its own nuclear capabilities and would instead focus on
deterrence measures through an alliance-based approach.
● It
also mandates the U.S. President as the
only ‘sole authority’ to use the nuclear arsenal of the U.S. in the event
of a nuclear confrontation.