South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said his government is in talks with the U.S. on taking a more active role in managing nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, which would mark a significant shift in a decades-old policy among American allies to deter North Korea.
“While the nuclear weapons belong to the U.S., intel sharing, planning, and training should be done jointly,” Yoon told South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper in an interview published on Monday. “The U.S.’s stance is quite positive,” he added, telling the newspaper that the policy should be conducted under the concept of “joint planning and joint exercise.” South Korea’s presidential office confirmed the remarks.
Yoon said the strategy of “nuclear umbrella” or “extended deterrence” is no longer reassuring for the public now that North Korea has developed nuclear weapons and a range of missiles to deliver them. Since taking power last May, Yoon has sought to put South Korea on a path of overwhelming military strength against North Korea, which has launched scores of missiles in defiance of United Nations resolutions and is preparing for another nuclear test.
