Despite US President Joe Biden’s statement that they have not held talks with South Korea on holding joint drills to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats, South Korea announced that they have discussed joint planning and implementation of nuclear operations with the US to counter North Korea.
Biden’s remarks came after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said they were in talks with the United States to jointly plan and conduct joint drills to counter North Korea’s nuclear threats.
In a statement to reporters, Biden answered “No” to the question of whether the two countries discussed joint nuclear exercises.
Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson for South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, said Biden had to say “No” when asked a direct question on such a sensitive issue.
Kim Eun-hye made the following statements in her statement on the subject;
“South Korea and the United States are in talks on information sharing, joint planning, and subsequent joint implementation plans regarding the operations of US nuclear assets to respond to North Korea’s nuclear weapons.”
The contradictory statements from Seoul and Washington have caused some confusion.
A senior Biden administration official told Reuters that joint nuclear exercises with South Korea are not planned because Seoul is not a nuclear power.
Following a meeting in Cambodia in November, both leaders instructed their teams to explore ways to deal with North Korea’s recent actions and statements that have raised concerns, the official said.
