US, Seoul to expand military drills

Seoul, May 21

US President Joe Biden and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol said after a meeting on Saturday that they would consider expanded military exercises to deter the nuclear threat from North Korea at a time when there’s little hope of real diplomacy on the matter.

Yoon affirmed in remarks at a news conference that their shared goal “is complete de-nuclearisation of North Korea”. The US and South Korea issued a joint statement that said 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.

The statement may draw an angry response from North Korea, which had defended its nuclear weapons and missile development on what it perceives as US threats. Biden told his counterpart at a meeting that their 70-year alliance between their countries was based on “shared sacrifice” and would be taken to new levels as the emphasis on national security was being augmented by an added focus on trade and technology.

“Our nations are working to take on both opportunities and challenges of the moment,” he said.

The division of the Korean peninsula after the World War II has led to two radically different countries. In South Korea, Biden is touring factories for computer chips and next-generation autos in a democracy and engaging in talks for greater cooperation.

But in the North, there is a deadly coronavirus outbreak in a largely unvaccinated autocracy that can best command the world’s attention by flexing its nuclear capabilities. — AP