The new nuclear submarine of the US military entered South Korea, and at the same time, the forces of 19 countries deterred North Korea, and the tension on the peninsula intensified, Kim Yo-jong issued the strongest warning, pointing at the United States, what is the warning of the North Korean side? What is the purpose of the US nuclear submarine entering South Korea? How does China respond to the current situation on the Korean Peninsula?
On the 23rd, the USS Vermont, a newest nuclear submarine in United States, officially arrived at the Busan Naval Base in Korea, which is also the first time that the nuclear submarine of the United States Navy entered service in 2020 has entered port. According to the US side, the USS Vermont nuclear submarine entered South Korea to replenish military reserves and allow the crew to rest for a while, during which the Korea Naval Operations Command plans to carry out submarine crew exchanges and strengthen joint defense preparations. Of course, this is just a unilateral rhetoric by the United States, and its real purpose is inevitably to carry out nuclear deterrence against the DPRK. What is certain is that this latest move by the US military is bound to further aggravate the already tense situation on the peninsula. You must know that under the pull of United States, the military forces of 19 countries, including Korea, have been assembled on the peninsula to deter North Korea. At the beginning of August this year, Germany officially became the 18th member of the United Nations Command (UNC) in Korea, led by United States.
In addition, during the NATO summit in July this year, the leaders of the United States and South Korea also issued a "Joint Statement on the Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula." The guide, which includes the joint development of nuclear strategies by the United States and South Korea, the integration of United States nuclear forces with the conventional forces of Korea, and the conduct of simulated exercises and training, also makes it possible for Korea to participate in United States nuclear combat operations as a non-nuclear state. In addition, the U.S. and South Korea's annual joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield, held last month, was the first to conduct a public evacuation exercise in the scenario of North Korea's use of nuclear weapons. Not only that, the US and South Korean militaries also held the first "nuclear and permanent integration" war games to practice the procedures of Korea's conventional forces to support United States nuclear forces, and these moves by the United States and South Korea show that the extended deterrence cooperation between the two sides has developed towards a "nuclear sharing" model.
Shortly after the US nuclear submarine entered South Korea, Kim Yo-jong, vice minister of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), immediately issued the strongest warning, pointing a sword at United States and stressing that the DPRK would "upgrade its nuclear capability indefinitely." Kim Yo-jong pointed out that the entry of nuclear submarines into port is a threatening act of ostentatious use of nuclear strategic assets to pass through the market, which exposes the ambition of United States to use its power to enjoy hegemony as much as possible. At the same time, she stressed that even if the United States demonstrated with nuclear submarines, it would not change any status quo. In order to deal with external threats, North Korea's nuclear deterrence capability should be continuously and unlimitedly strengthened in both qualitative and quantitative terms, and United States' strategic assets will eventually find no place for themselves on the Korean Peninsula.
As a matter of fact, with regard to the collusion between the United States and South Korea on the nuclear issue, North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un has clearly ordered earlier that the DPRK will firmly implement the policy of building up its nuclear forces by increasing the number of nuclear weapons in a geometric progression, further improve its nuclear forces, and ensure that they can be used correctly at any time to ensure national security, and the purpose of this is to deal with the major threat posed by the military alliance led by the United States to the military security environment around the DPRK.
Speaking of which, it has to be mentioned that whether it is the entry of the US military's nuclear deterrent force into South Korea or the build-up of military forces of 19 countries led by United States in the peninsula, the target is by no means only North Korea. Driven by the Biden administration's so-called "Indo-Pacific strategy", China and Russia are inevitably targeted. Earlier, foreign media sources pointed out that United States plans to equip the "Vermont" nuclear submarine with "Tomahawk" cruise missiles from October 1 this year, so as to strengthen the ability to counter the Chinese Navy. With regard to the ulterior motives of the US side and the current tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, China's position is very clear: the top priority is to stop deterrence and pressure, get rid of the spiral of confrontation that has escalated in turns, and at the same time resume dialogue and negotiations, address the legitimate security concerns of all parties, especially the DPRK side, and promote the political settlement process of the Korean Peninsula issue. Of course, China also has a clear warning that if some people want to burn the flames of war to Northeast Asia and the Korean Peninsula, China has no choice but to take resolute measures to fulfill its due responsibilities for maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region.