US think tank “The US should establish an Asian nuclear planning group including Korea”

A US think tank report was published with a suggestion that the US should create an Asian nuclear planning group including South Korea.

On the 11th, the Chicago International Council on International Affairs (Chicago Council), a think tank in the U.S. foreign affairs sector, proposed the newly launched Joe Biden administration to establish an Asian nuclear program.

The Chicago Council said in a report, “If the US wants to reassure key Asian allies, it is necessary to create an organization that includes Korea, Australia and Japan. If the three countries participate in the US nuclear planning process, these allies will We will provide a platform to discuss specific policies related to this.”

The report added, “The nuclear planning group could include the highest-level political leaders,” he added. “These devices will not replace the existing mutual defense treaties, but will strengthen them.”

The Korea National Strategic Research Institute (KRINS), who participated in this study practically, currently has bilateral consultation channels with the United States in Korea, Australia, and Japan, but if a four-party consultative body is established, the weakness of the bilateral consultative body is supplemented and the’NATO method’ is used. He pointed out that it can improve Korea’s status.

The Korea National Strategic Research Institute added, “This multilateral consultative body will be able to serve as the first institutional nuclear device to cope with the North Korean threat beyond the ROK-US level and at the level of regional common threats.”

The Chicago Council said, “The Biden administration has made US alliance reconstruction a top priority at the time of its inauguration, which is a welcome step,” he said. “However, rebuilding the alliance system requires more than the president’s oral promises.”

The Nuclear Planning Group initiative came out because of the perception that the United States and its allies were under a security threat.

The Korea National Strategic Research Institute (KRINS) said, “The US allies faced a challenge of three sets of Russia, China, and North Korea.” There is a need.”

The report noted, “Despite years of diplomatic efforts, including three rounds of meetings between former President Donald Trump and North Korean Labor Party Secretary and Chairman Kim Jong-un, North Korea is persistently pursuing modernization and expansion of nuclear and long-range missile power.” All.

It is estimated that North Korea has 50 to 70 nuclear warheads, and has already deployed more than 1,000 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting not only all of South Korea, but also US military bases in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Chicago Council said, “The United States should give priority to re-establishing stronger trilateral security cooperation with South Korea and Japan. This is a prerequisite for dealing with the North Korean threat and establishing a multilateral security system in Asia.” Added.

The report also cited the emerging threat from China as a concern.

The report explained, “The background of the unity of the United States, India, Japan and Australia as a’quad’ is to strengthen multilateral security cooperation as a direct response to China’s military strength and China’s military behavior.”

Immediately after China showed a belligerent military action at the border with India, India’s interest in participating in the quad rose, and in October last year, the second ministerial meeting decided to participate in expanded naval exercises with other quad members. to be.

In addition, the report raised the need for three major measures to rebuild US leadership (reconfirmation of security pledges such as maintaining US troops, participation in the nuclear planning process, and review of the posture of non-strategic nuclear weapons).

The report recommended to the Joe Biden administration that “the US President should reaffirm its security commitments and agree on a long-term and balanced cost-sharing for US forces in Korea.”

It also suggested ▶Participation in the nuclear planning process of allies, including Korea, ▶conducting alliance crisis management exercises, and promoting the participation of the top leaders of the allies in regular war games.

The report added that discussions should be made on the improvement of conventional defense capabilities of allies such as Korea, additional deployment of missile defense capabilities, and a review of the posture of non-strategic nuclear weapons, including forward deployment.

This report is the result of research and discussion over the past year by the’Special Research Group on the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons with Allies of the United States’ hosted by the Chicago Institute for International Studies.

The co-chair of the study group were former US Defense Minister Chuck Heigl, former British Foreign Minister and Defense Minister Malcolm Rifkin, and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Twelve high-ranking security officials, including former defense and foreign ministers of Asian and European allies, were listed in the report. In Korea, former Minister of Defense Lee Sang-hee and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and former Foreign Minister Yoon Byung-se participated.

Reporter Seo Yujin [email protected]