US, South Korea to establish integrated system to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons

The United States and South Korea are set to formulate joint guidelines on nuclear defence strategy by the middle of the next year and establish an integrated system to deter North Korea’s nuclear weapons, as reported by Yonhap news agency on Saturday. Washington and Seoul have agreed to finalise a comprehensive guideline by the following year, outlining how to jointly contain and respond to Pyongyang’s nuclear threat, as stated by Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security adviser, addressing reporters in the U.S. The expected guideline is likely to encompass methods for sharing sensitive information related to North Korea’s nuclear weapons, the consultation process in the event of a nuclear crisis, and real-time communication channels between the leaders of the two countries. Also, both countries are expected to incorporate nuclear operation exercises into next year’s joint military drills, as per Yonhap’s report. North Korea may test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this month, which is a nuclear threat regardless of its range because it can carry a nuclear warhead, Kim had said on Friday. North Korea has developed and tested a range of ballistic missiles that can reach targets in South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. mainland.