Seoul: A US Ohio-class strategic nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, took part in joint drills with the South Korean navy during the stay in the country in line with the Washington Declaration, South Korean Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing its military.
USS Michigan arrived at the Korean Peninsula on June 16, the day after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The submarine is set to leave South Korea this Thursday. This is the first time since October 2017, when the United States sent a submarine of this class to South Korea.
South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu told reporters that the submarine took part in the joint special operations training with the South Korean navy during its stay in the country without providing details.
In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States adopted the Washington Declaration that provides for the establishment of a regular bilateral consultation mechanism on extended deterrence and strategic planning. South Korea also secured a US promise to promptly deploy “the entire force of the alliance,” including nuclear weapons, in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea.
Washington also assured Seoul it would use all measures, including nuclear weapons, in the case of aggression from Pyongyang, and promised to send nuclear missile submarines to the Korean Peninsula.