The nuclear deal, recently reached between the United States and South Korea, has added a new dimension to the Korean Peninsula, a region where the possibility of a military war always exists. According to multiple sources including the BBC, the United States and South Korea reached a nuclear deal under which the United States will deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea to counter any nuclear threat from North Korea, which frequently threatens to attack South Korea, and involve Seoul in its nuclear planning operations. The Washington Declaration will help reduce the chance of military war and nuclear attacks from the DPRK on South Korea. But the landmark deal may also lead to troublesome developments in the Korean Peninsula.
It is pertinently notable that the US nukes were deployed to the Korean peninsula for decades before being removed in 1991. But the renewed nuke deployment will be made when North Korea has developed its nuclear bombs. The re-deployment of US nukes to South Korea may lead to renewed tension in the Korean peninsula in the least possible scenario. Several countries including China — a crucial geo-economic and geopolitical competitor of the United States — and North Korea have by this time strongly reacted to the deal. North Korea reacted by saying that it will stage more displays of military might in response to the nuclear agreement made between South Korea and the United States to counter threats from the DPRK. In the worst possible scenario, the deal may lead to nuclear warfare in the Korean Peninsula, though it will reduce the chance of nuclear attacks from North Korea, given that risk factors are not addressed.
The US-ROK deal may also encourage other parties to make similar nuclear deals with allied parties to protect them from any potential nuclear attacks. Notably, Russia is going to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus probably in response to NATO’s deployment to its member countries. If such deals are made by other countries, the risk of nuclear warfare will definitely increase in other regions. The risk of nuclear warfare will also be higher, given that there is a lack of strong commitment to refrain from indiscriminately using them. While it is crucial to protect from nuclear threats, it is imperative that such a deal does not provoke other parties to make similar deals and deploy nuclear bombs indiscriminately in other regions of the world.
It is desired that North Korea’s threats, the US and South Korea nuclear deal and military drills do not lead to any war in the Korean Peninsula. For this, options need to be kept for talks among the parties including North Korea and South Korea and the mitigation of tension in the region. The improvement of relations between North Korea and South Korea and between the United States and North Korea at least to a certain level may also be imperative to reduce nuclear threats from North Korea and the chance of any military war in the Peninsula. But a strong commitment from the parties is crucial to create more scope for improving relations and resolving disputes.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
