US’ STRATEGIC ASSETS TO BE STATIONED

[Anchor Lead]

As North Korea keeps provoking with its missiles, South Korean defense minister and his American counterpart agreed to place America's strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula on a routine basis. In order to counter increasing threats from North Korea, the two allies decided to conduct the so-called nuclear umbrella exercises, an annual training program on simulated North Korean nuclear attacks.

[Pkg]

At the 54th Security Consultative Meeting held in Washington D.C., the participating defense ministers focused on deterring North Korea's use of nuclear weapons, namely strengthening the allies' deterrence capabilities. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said that America's strategic assets, such as the nuclear-powered submarine, aircraft carriers, and strategic bombers, will be stationed around the Korean Peninsula on a routine basis.

[Soundbite] Lee Jong-sup(Defense Minister) : "Increasing the number and level of strategic assets around the Korean Peninsula would bring just about the same effect as the routine stationing of American strategic assets. We'll respond effectively to whatever provocation North Korea launches."

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that strategic weapons will not be newly deployed, although he did say that they will be stationed around the Korean Peninsula at an appropriate time in a coordinated way when deemed necessary.

[Soundbite] Lloyd J. Austin(U.S. Defense Secretary) : "No new deployment of strategic assets on a permanent basis. But you'll see assets move in and out on a routine basis."

Since the U.S. had deployed the F-35 stealth fighters and the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan to the peninsula earlier this year, Secretary Austin's remark seems to indicate that such use of America's strategic assets would produce nearly the same effect as permanent stationing. The South Korean and American military authorities announced that so-called nuclear umbrella exercises, the extended deterrence means based on the scenario of North Korea's use of nuclear weapons, will be conducted annually and large-scale field exercises will resume next year. The two military leaders agreed to establish a new joint committee to counter North Korea's missile threats and speed up the revision of the Tailored Deterrence Strategy. These actions seek to provide a wider means of deterrence and to further strengthen their execution. Secretary Austin warned that any nuclear attack against the United States' allies, including the use of non-strategic nuclear weapons, is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime.