Priyanka Tiwari
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Suspense crime, Digital Desk : In a stark warning to Pyongyang, South Korea’s nominee for national intelligence chief has declared that the United States is committed to launching a retaliatory strike—potentially including its own nuclear weapons—if North Korea ever attacks the South with its atomic arsenal.
Speaking at his confirmation hearing, Cho Tae-yong delivered a powerful message of deterrence, confirming the existence of a clear "red line" established between Washington and Seoul. He stated unequivocally that if North Korea were to use nuclear weapons, the US-South Korea alliance would respond with an "overwhelming" counter-attack, effectively ending the North Korean regime.
This powerful commitment is not just a verbal assurance but is formalized in the "Washington Declaration," a landmark security pact signed earlier this year by U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The agreement was designed to strengthen America's "extended deterrence"—its promise to use its full military might, including its nuclear umbrella, to defend its allies.
The declaration also established the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a joint body giving South Korea greater insight and a voice in strategic planning against nuclear threats from the North. This move aims to reassure Seoul and counter any domestic calls for South Korea to develop its own nuclear weapons.
Cho's statement comes at a time of escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has been increasingly provocative, recently launching a spy satellite into orbit and unilaterally scrapping a 2018 military de-escalation pact with the South. These actions, combined with its ongoing development of sophisticated weaponry, have put the region on high alert.
As the former national security adviser, Cho's nomination to head the National Intelligence Service (NIS) signals Seoul's intent to maintain a firm and resolute stance. His public affirmation of the US commitment is a high-stakes message aimed squarely at North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, making it clear that the use of nuclear weapons would be a final, catastrophic miscalculation.
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