US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol arrive for a state dinner at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul
(Picture: REUTERS)Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced they will consider expanding joint military exercises to deter the nuclear threat from North Korea.
Mr Biden said cooperation between the US and South Korea shows “our readiness to take on all threats together”.
“Today, President Yoon and I committed to strengthening our close engagement and work together to take on challenges of regional security,” Mr Biden said.
“Including addressing the threat posed by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, by further strengthening our deterrence posture and working toward a complete denuclearisation of the Prince of the Korean Peninsula.
“As the president has already spoken to, promoting stability across the Taiwan Straits, as well as ensuring freedom of navigation, including in the South China Sea and beyond.”
North Korea has defended its nuclear weapons and missile development as a necessary deterrence against what it describes as US threats.
It has long described joint military exercises as rehearsals for an invasion, although the allies have portrayed the drills as defensive.
The hermit state has held multiple nuclear missile tests and Kim vowed to speed up development of the weapon during a miliary parade earleir this month.
Mr Biden and Yoon affirmed in remarks at a joint news conference their shared goal is the complete denuclearisation of North Korea.
The US and South Korea said in a joint statement they were committed to a “rules-based international order” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The statement likely sets the stage for how the US and its allies will address any challenges with North Korea.
However, Biden also reiterated his offer of vaccines to North Korea as the country continues to be ravaged by a Covid-19 outbreak.
Asked if he would be willing to meet with Kim Jong Un, Mr Biden said that would depend on whether the North Korean leader was “sincere” and “serious.”
“Yes, we’ve offered vaccines, not only to North Korea but China as well,” Mr Biden said. “We’re prepared to do that immediately. We’ve gotten no response.”
North Korea reported more than 220,000 new cases of “fever” on Friday amid a Covid-19 outbreak.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), there are an estimated 219,030 cases as of 6pm on Friday, May 20.
This marks the fifth day of rises in the mystery fever in the state. The regime said more than 2.4 million people had fallen ill and 66 people have died since an unidentified fever began spreading in late April.
