Nuclear-capable USS Kentucky ballistic missile submarine arrives in Busan: defense ministry

▲ This file photo, taken June 22, 2023, shows the U.S.' USS Michigan nuclear guided missile submarine at a naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)

nuclear group-submarine

Nuclear-capable USS Kentucky ballistic missile submarine arrives in Busan: defense ministry

By Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) arrived in South Korea on Tuesday for the first time in more than four decades, in a clear display of Washington's commitment to the defense of its ally, Seoul's defense ministry said

The nuclear-powered USS Kentucky entered a key naval base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, after Washington pledged to send an SSBN to the country in a joint declaration adopted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden during their summit in April to further enhance the "regular visibility" of strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula.

The arrival of the 18,750-ton Ohio-class SSBN, a key strategic asset of the U.S. military, also came as the allies held the inaugural session of the Nuclear Consultative Group earlier in the day, which Yoon and Biden had agreed to establish during their April summit.

The 170-meter long USS Kentucky is one of the largest SSBNs in the world and is capable of carrying over 20 Trident-II ballistic missiles. It marked the first visit by a U.S. SSBN to the country since the 1980s, according to the ministry.

"This deployment of a U.S. SSBN to the Korean Peninsula demonstrates by action that the U.S. extended deterrence (commitment) to the Republic of Korea will be firmly implemented," Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup was quoted as saying, using South Korea's official name.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.

"To North Korea, (it) shows the overwhelming capabilities and posture of the alliance, while it demonstrates the solid combined defense posture of South Korea and the United States to our people and the international community," he added.

The defense ministry said that it plans to discuss measures to strengthen the implementation of the U.S. extended deterrence commitment during the SSBN's visit to the country.

The submarine's arrival came as tensions run high on the peninsula after North Korea test-fired a Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile last Wednesday.

A North Korean defense ministry spokesperson denounced the submarine's planned visit last week, warning it "may incite the worst crisis of nuclear conflict in practice."

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved