Senior officials from the Biden administration have stated that Presidents Joe Biden and Yoon Suk Yeol are expected to sign an agreement on Wednesday that will include plans to have U.S. nuclear-armed submarines dock in South Korea for the first time in over 40 years.

The move is aimed at demonstrating strong support to Seoul amidst growing concerns about North Korea’s nuclear threats, the Associated Press reported.

The planned dock visits are a significant component of the “Washington Declaration,” which aims to discourage North Korea from attacking its neighbor.

This declaration is being introduced as Biden hosts Yoon during a state visit at a time when both leaders are highly anxious about the increasing pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea over the past few months.

According to three senior officials from the Biden administration who spoke anonymously to reporters ahead of the official announcement, aides from both Biden and Yoon’s teams have been collaborating for several months to finalize the plan’s details.

They agreed that periodic and unequivocal demonstrations of the United States’ extended deterrence capabilities must be a critical element of the agreement.

Written by staff