Seoul planning joint nuclear exercises with US, says President Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has said that Seoul and the United States are discussing possible joint exercises using US nuclear assets after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un labelled the South its "undoubted enemy". North conducted a record number of missile tests last year, and the several North Korean drones entered South last week. All this has led to Yoon called for "war preparation" with an "overwhelming" capability.

"The nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but planning, information sharing, exercises and training should be jointly conducted by South Korea and the United States," Yoon said in the interview with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

According to the report, Yoon wants the joint exercises to be aimed at a more effective implementation of the US's "extended deterrence". It further said that Washington was also "quite positive" about the idea.

"Extended deterrence" is a term used in reference to the ability of the US military, particularly its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on US allies.

Notably, Kim Jong Un has called for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) along with an "exponential increase" of the country's nuclear arsenal.

At a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party meeting last week, Kim called South Korea its "undoubted enemy". New military goals were also rolled out and indications are that North does not plan on going light in the weapons department this year as well.

On Sunday, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, following three ballistic missiles launched on Saturday. KCNA, North's official news agency, said the projectiles were fired from its super-large multiple rocket launcher system. Kim says the system "has South Korea as a whole within the range of strike and is capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads".

While North is racing to advance its nuclear and missile programmes, Yoon said in the interview that maintaining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons remained important.

To counter the threat from North, South Korea's military said on Monday that it had established a new directorate under the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

North Korea, meanwhile, conducted a reshuffle of its military leadership at the year-end party gathering, sacking Pak Jong Chon, the second-ranked military official after Kim, and replacing its defence minister and the chief of the army's General Staff, according to state media.

The reason for Pak's replacement was not immediately known.

(With inputs from agencies)

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