US deploys 2nd submarine to South Korea, further provoking DPRK

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
24 Jul 2023 16:15

The second US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) docks in South Korea and loads military supplies for an unspecified mission.

In this photo provided by South Korea's Defense Ministry, South Korean navy sailors wave as the USS nuclear-powered submarine USS Annapolis arrives at a South Korean naval base on Jeju Island, South Korea, Monday, July 24, 2023. (AP)

A naval base in the southern island of Jeju, South Korea, received, on Monday, the second US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) that was deployed to the country, according to a statement issued by the South Korean Navy.

The new submarine, called USS Annapolis, loaded military supplies in Jeju as it conducted an unspecified operational mission.

However, the deployment came in the context of the new agreement between the US and South Korea with the objective of coordinating an allied nuclear response in case of a war with the DPRK.

The South Korean Navy said in a statement that "The two countries' navies plan to strengthen the combined defense posture with the arrival of the USS Annapolis, and conduct exchange activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the alliance."

This comes after a senior US official confirmed on Tuesday, July 18, that a US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) is in South Korea, marking the first time since the 1980s.

The news, confirmed by White House Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell, has been expected ever since the visit was announced during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden back in April.

An 'overwhelming' allied response

The South Korean President described the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) as a "starting point" to build a strong and effective alliance against the DPRK.

"Through a South Korea-U.S. alliance upgraded to a new nuclear-based paradigm, we will make substantial efforts to fundamentally block North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Yoon said during a briefing.

This comes after Member of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK Kim Yo Jong said on Friday that unless the US ceases to carry out its "hostile policy" against the DPRK, Pyongyang will unleash "overwhelming nuclear deterrence."

The DPRK fired its latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch as an act of self-defense on Wednesday after the US violated the country's airspace several times over the week.

On July 10, the DPRK accused the United States of repeatedly violating its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with a military spy plane. The deputy head of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Yo Jong, stated that the US plane entered the DPRK's EEZ eight times in a single day.