About Washington Declaration:
- It was signed between the US and South Korea on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of U.S.-South Korea bilateral relations.
- The declaration outlines the cooperation towards nuclear deterrence.
- Purpose: Protect the Korean Peninsula from a nuclear attack.
- According to the declaration,
- A US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN)would be deployed in the Korean peninsula;
- A joint Nuclear Consultative Group would be formed to formulate principles of joint response tactics;
- South Korea would receive intel from the US regarding nuclear advancements;
- The US will strengthen South Korea’s nuclear deterrence capabilities through joint military training programs and an annual intergovernmental simulation.
- The declaration reaffirmed the non-proliferation Treaty implying that South Korea would not venture into the creation of its own independent nuclear capabilities and would instead focus on deterrence measures through an alliance-based approach.
- It also mandates the US President as the only ‘sole authority’ to use the nuclear arsenal of the US in the event of a nuclear confrontation.
