The White House threatened to end Kim Jon Un’s regime in North Korea in the event the country attacked the Republic of Korea (ROK).
The announcement was made at the end of the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) meeting.
“The United States reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to provide extended deterrence to the ROK, backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities including nuclear,” the statement said. “Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies is unacceptable and will result in the end of the Kim regime, and the U.S. side reiterated that any nuclear attack by the DPRK against the ROK will be met with a swift, overwhelming, and decisive response.”
According to the statement, U.S. and South Korean relations have “deepened.”
“During this NCG meeting, the first hosted in the United States, both sides acknowledged that U.S. and ROK nuclear deterrence cooperation has deepened,” the statement added, explaining the various measures taken as a result of the NCG meetings.
“NCG Principals reviewed the enhanced visibility of strategic assets to bolster extended deterrence, including the ballistic missile submarine the USS KENTUCKY port visit to Busan in July, B-52 strategic bomber flyover and landing on the Korean Peninsula in October, and joint observation of an ICBM test launch in November, as well as discussing future plans to demonstrate a strengthening of deterrence.”
In November, the U.S. called for “serious negotiations” with North Korea after the country launched a spy satellite.
The demand for negotiations follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un obtaining aerospace images of U.S. military bases in Guam, according to a report from the state-run agency Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement that the United States “strongly condemns the DPRK for its launch of a space launch vehicle (SLV).”
“The President and his national security team are assessing the situation in close coordination with our allies and partners. We urge all countries to condemn this launch and call on the DPRK to come to the table for serious negotiations,” the statement added.
