Environmentalists Against War

US and South Korea Raise Risk of Nuclear War

April 29th, 2023 - by Alicia Sanders-Zakre / International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

“Washington Declaration” from US & South Korea
Alicia Sanders-Zakre / International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

GENEVA (April 27, 2023) — You may have seen the news coming out of the Biden-Yoon meeting yesterday about a new Washington Declaration on nuclear planning. We wanted to share some background on our analysis of this new development, our website article about it and some talking points, to be adapted, as always for your local context if you get any questions about it.

Background:
President Biden and President Yoon met April 26, 2023 and issued the “Washington Declaration”.

This declaration establishes two bodies
The Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) will discuss nuclear and strategic planning including in regards to North Korea (DPRK)
The Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group will operationalise that through simulations, including planning nuclear weapons use.
The US committed to increasing the visibility of nuclear arms in the region, including by port visits of SSBNs.
South Korea has reiterated its legally binding commitments under the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty not to develop nuclear weapons
The US agreed to try to consult with South Korea in case of the use of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, and said “any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming and decisive response.”

During a news conference in the Rose Garden, Biden said: “Look, a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States, its allies or partisans — partners — is unacceptable and will result in the end of whatever regime were to take such an action.”

Talking Points:

The Biden administration is increasing the role of nuclear weapons in international affairs- with complete disregard for the fact that they would decimate civilian populations if they were to be used.
Biden and Yoon will arrive in Hiroshima for the G7 Summit in a few weeks, where Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida intends to present a vision for a world free of nuclear weapons. Instead of making nuclear threats and increasing reliance on nuclear weapons, the G7 leaders must condemn all nuclear threats and take action for disarmament.
This agreement is a clear escalation following North Korea’s nuclear threats which have accompanied its missile tests over the past year. Instead of intensifying plans to use nuclear weapons, Biden and Yoon should adhere to their commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to pursue nuclear disarmament.
We support diplomatic efforts to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, and call on both the North and the South to commit to joining the TPNW. Nuclear weapons serve no legitimate purpose. It’s unacceptable for North Korea to possess a nuclear arsenal, just as it’s unacceptable for South Korea to claim “protection” from US nuclear weapons.
Biden issuing a nuclear threat against North Korea and Yoon deciding to deepen South Korean involvement in plans to use nuclear weapons are two activities banned under the TPNW, which also undermine peace and security.

As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or we can be of help!

The US hopes to arm South Korea with US nuclear subs.

South Korea and USA Agree to Cooperate
In Planning Nuclear Weapons Use
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

(April 27, 2023) — In the Washington Declaration issued by South Korea and the US, the two countries have agreed to increase their cooperation on the planning for the use of nuclear weapons in the region. In announcing the agreement, President Biden threatened to end the North Korean regime should it use nuclear weapons.

The declaration deepens cooperation between the countries by establishing two new bodies. The Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) will discuss nuclear and strategic planning including in regards to North Korea (DPRK), and the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group will operationalise those discussions through simulations, including planning nuclear weapons use.

In the agreement, South Korean President Yoon reaffirms that his country will not develop its own nuclear weapons, in line with the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. And the US agrees to meet any nuclear attack from North Korea on the South with a “a swift, overwhelming and decisive response” and goes on to imply a nuclear threat “the U.S. commitment to extend deterrence to the ROK is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear.”

President Biden has also agreed to increased visibility of American nuclear weapons in the region, including by the upcoming visit of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine to South Korea. The agreement moves away from previous language calling for diplomatic solutions to achieve nuclear disarmament by North Korea, instead, as described by the NY Times, it reverts to similar language used by former US President Trump who threatened ‘fire and fury’ on the peninsula.

Nuclear war plans could wipe out the entire human race.

The agreement also neglects to recognise the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons In ICAN’s report “No place to hide: nuclear weapons and the collapse of health care systems”, if one average-sized nuclear weapon (100 kiloton) were to be detonated over Pyongyang today, the immediate health impact would be catastrophic.

An estimated 502,040 people could die immediately and another 966,390 could be injured. Based on Pyongyang’s population of around 3 million in 2020, about 50% would be injured or killed. President Biden threatened to end whatever North Korean regime were to use nuclear weapons, but he did not elaborate that such an action would also end the lives of half of the capital’s citizens.

• President Biden will arrive in Hiroshima for the G7 Summit in a few weeks, where Japanese Prime Minister Kishida intends to present a vision for a world free of nuclear weapons. Instead of making nuclear threats and increasing reliance on nuclear weapons, the G7 leaders must condemn all nuclear threats and take action for disarmament.