US, South Korea Sign Nuclear Guidelines Amid Increased Threat From North Korea

A nuclear attack against South Korea by North Korea would be met with ‘a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response,’ U.S. and South Korean presidents said.

People watch a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on July 19, 2023. Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden reiterated to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol that the U.S. commitment to deterring North Korea is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear, as the two countries signed guidelines on July 11 for “maintaining an effective nuclear deterrence policy and posture” on the Korean peninsula.

The two leaders welcomed the signing of the protocols in a joint statement issued by the White House as they met on the sidelines of the annual NATO Summit in Washington.