US will dispatch nuclear-capable submarines to Korea

The US is deploying submarines to South Korea armed with nuclear ballistic missiles to deter North Korea from further missile launches and reassuring the South Korean public. The plan will be officially announced by US President Joe Biden and his South Korean counterpart, Yoon Suk-yeol, at the White House on Wednesday. The US will send nuclear-armed submarines and bombers to South Korea on a rotating basis, similar to what the US did with European allies during the height of the Cold War. Pyongyang has test-fired more than 100 missiles since the beginning of 2022, and this month alone tested its first solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile and a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone. North Korea considers US deployments near its territory to be “provocations,” and usually responds with verbal threats, drills of its own, or new weapons tests. The US hopes to remind Seoul that America’s “commitment” to the country is “unquestioned.”