NATO chief stresses need for US' ‘extended nuclear deterrence’ amid North Korean threats

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Monday highlighted the importance of America’s extended deterrence for South Korea amid growing nuclear threats by Pyongyang. The Korean peninsula has experienced a rise in tensions in recent times with South Korea’s President Yoon Suk yeol declaring earlier this month that if the situation gets worse, “our country will introduce tactical nuclear weapons or build them on our own.”  

Meanwhile, the extended deterrence for South Korea by the United States has been cited as an "extremely important task" by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, Yonhap reported. Stoltenberg’s remarks came at an event hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Responding to a question on whether South Korea requires a nuclear-sharing policy with the United States, Jens Stoltenberg stated, "I think it's important to understand that what we call extended deterrence, meaning that NATO allies and also some NATO partners, like South Korea, they don't have their own nuclear weapons but are covered by the nuclear deterrence that the United States provides,” Yonhap quoted. The NATO chief further specified, “That is where to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons."

NATO views China, North Korea and Russia as threats

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that NATO will "remain a nuclear alliance" amid threats from China, Russia and North Korea. He opined that the world will be more dangerous if NATO allies, including the US, France and the UK dispose of their nuclear weapons and said that the alliance will stand as long as nuclear weapons exist.

He cited Russia, China and North Korea as authoritative regimes and said that Russia’s heavy investment in mobilizing nuclear warheads, China’s bid to increase the number of nukes under its possession and North Korea’s continued nuclear threats make nuclear deterrence “an extremely important task to fulfill.”

Meanwhile, denouncing the visit by NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg, North Korea on Monday slammed Stoltenberg’s presence in Seoul as a "prelude" to war, adding that the move could bring a "new Cold War" to the Asia-Pacific region. 

Amid his visit to Seoul, Secretary General Stoltenberg further urged South Korea to export weapons to Ukraine. “I urge the Republic of Korea to continue and to step up the specific issue of military support,” Stoltenberg said in regard to military aid to Ukrainian forces to assist them in repelling the Russian invasion, CNN reported.