Washington and Seoul to hold simulation exercises on nuclear threats

The United States and South Korea will conduct simulation exercises focusing on nuclear threats, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said on Tuesday.

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Washington and Seoul will conduct “exercises based on increasingly complex scenarios of nuclear threats to the peninsula,” Mr. Austin wrote in a column published by the Yonhap news agency.

Mr. Austin is visiting Seoul for the third time as Secretary of Defense. He will meet his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, as well as President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Her visit is aimed at deepening cooperation between the two countries, discussing security challenges and reaffirming that “the broader American deterrence commitment to the Republic of Korea is unwavering,” said Mr. Austin.

Military tensions on the South Korean peninsula have risen sharply in 2022, with frequent weapons tests, including of its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, running counter to international sanctions.

In addition, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently called for an “exponential” increase in Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal, and last year called the North’s nuclear power status “irreversible”.

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