▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden during a joint news conference after their summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 26, 2023. (Yonhap)

US submarine-S Korea visit

U.S. Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine to make visit to S. Korea: Pentagon

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Yonhap) -- An Ohio-class nuclear-powered, ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) will be making a visit to South Korea under an agreement reached with South Korea last week to bolster U.S. deterrence against North Korean threats, a Pentagon spokesperson reaffirmed Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, however, declined to comment when asked if the Ohio-class submarine will be equipped with nuclear weapons.

"It will be an Ohio-class SSBN model," the spokesperson said when asked what class submarine will be visiting South Korea under the bilateral agreement on strengthening U.S. extended deterrence commitment to South Korea.

The agreement, dubbed the "Washington Declaration," was issued by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during Yoon's six-day state visit to the U.S. last week.

In addition to the planned visit by an SSBN, the agreement calls for "more regular" deployment of U.S. strategic assets to South Korea, along with the establishment of a new Nuclear Consultative Group that will allow more South Korean input into how the U.S. prepares for nuclear contingencies on the Korean Peninsula.

"In terms of the timing, I am not going to get ahead or announce any timing of deployment," Ryder said when asked when the SSBN will visit South Korea.

He also declined to comment when asked if the submarine will be equipped with nuclear weapons, saying, "I am not going to get into the specific payloads other than the type of submarine. It will be an SSBN."

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