S. Korean, U.S. defense chiefs condemn N. Korea’s troop deployment for Russia in ‘strongest’ terms

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) — The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States condemned North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia with “one voice” in the “strongest” terms as they held the allies’ annual defense talks at the Pentagon on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made the condemnation at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) as Seoul and Washington have confirmed the troop deployment, which is feared to escalate Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“(The minister and secretary) condemned the fact in the strongest terms that military cooperation between Russia and North Korea has led to the actual troop deployment beyond military material transfers, and agreed to closely cooperate over this matter in tandem with the international community,” their joint statement read.

During the SCM, Kim and Austin also agreed to incorporate “realistic” scenarios, including a North Korean nuclear attack, in the allies’ combined military exercises, hinting that Seoul and Washington could include such scenarios in their joint wartime contingency plans.

“The minister and secretary agreed to continue strengthening combined exercises and training in line with the rapidly shifting security environment on the Korean Peninsula, and decided to include realistic scenarios, including responses to North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons, in future combined exercises,” the SCM joint statement read.

It did not specify when the allies will start applying North Korean nuclear attack scenarios to future exercises.

Albeit not explicitly expounded in the statement, the agreement signaled the prospects of Seoul and Washington adding nuclear-based scenarios to the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command’s wartime operational plans that are based largely on North Korean conventional attack scenarios.

Last month, North Korea ratcheted up tensions by making a rare disclosure of a clandestine uranium enrichment facility. Leader Kim Jong-un has also threatened to use nuclear arms if its enemies attempt to use armed force against it, though he said the North has no intention of attacking the South.

Moreover, the recalcitrant regime has hardened its rhetoric against South Korea as it recently revised its constitution apparently in line with Kim’s order to codify the South as a foe rather than a partner for reconciliation and unification.