South Korea: US demonstration of power - Part 2

In April 2023, the presidents of South Korea and the United States agreed that a US Navy submarine equipped with nuclear weapons would visit South Korea again. This was part of a bilateral agreement to improve the "regular visibility" of US strategic assets on the Korean peninsula and a response to repeated threats and North Korea's ongoing nuclear programme.

North Korea has fired 17 ballistic missiles on 12 separate test days this year. In July, a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile (Hwasong-18) and cruise missiles. However, the South Korean Ministry of Defence did not disclose how many of these were fired.

Show of force II

Now the USS "Annapolis" (SSN-760/Los Angeles class), a 110-metre-long hunting submarine, has called at the South Korean naval base in Jeju for resupply. The "Annapolis" is the third US submarine to visit the country this year after the USS "Kentucky" and USS "Michigan", both of which moored in Busan, South Korea's largest harbour.

Ohio-class SSBN USS Kentucky. Photo: U.S. Navy/A.Gray

The two larger boats of the Ohio class, each 170.7 metres long, are armed differently: USS "Kentucky" (SSBN-737) is equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles and arrived on 18 July, USS "Michigan" (SSGN 727) has Tomahawk cruise missiles on board and arrived on 16 June 2023.

See also MFO article from 17.07.2023 - South Korea: USS "Michigan" on a visit

Power politics

The rare visit of a US ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) to South Korea was a stark reminder to Pyongyang that Washington has always deployed nuclear missiles in close proximity. Nuclear weapons out of sight off the Korean peninsula are a potentially stronger deterrent to the North, according to analysts at the Center for a New American Security, than stationing them in South Korea, as Washington did from 1958 to 1991.

The visit of the "Kentucky" to Busan shows that the submarine is already operating in the waters around the Korean peninsula and will probably remain stationed in the vicinity after its stay in port.

US SSBNs are dependent on secrecy. In order to maintain their second strike potential, they rarely make public stops in foreign harbours.

Reactions

Although the USS "Kentucky" ended its visit after just four days, it nevertheless attracted attention. On Thursday, the North Korean defence minister declared that the mere presence of such weapons in South Korea could meet the criteria for a pre-emptive nuclear strike by North Korea and warned the USA against sending further nuclear-capable units.

China, North Korea's most important ally, has not yet commented on the submarines' visit, but has accused the USA of increasing tensions in the region with its military operations.

Source: gCaptain, Stars And Stripes