The ruling People Power Party (PPP) on Thursday touted the summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden as a big achievement reducing anxiety arising from North Korean nuclear threats, while the main opposition Democratic Party discounted the results as nothing new.
During the summit held in Washington on Wednesday, Yoon and Biden produced the Washington Declaration, a joint statement committing the U.S. to take a series of measures to strengthen its "extended deterrence" protection of South Korea from the North's nuclear threats.
Under the declaration, the two sides agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group, similar to NATO's nuclear policy planning body, the Nuclear Planning Group, to discuss how to plan and execute joint operations combining South Korea's cutting-edge conventional capabilities with the U.S. nuclear capabilities.
The U.S. also agreed to enhance the "regular visibility" of strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula.
On Thursday, the PPP promoted the results as having eased people's concern about the North Korean nuclear threat.
"A significant diplomatic success was achieved by forming a comprehensive global strategic alliance," PPP leader Kim Gi-hyeon said in a party meeting, pointing out that the upcoming visit of a U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarine to South Korea is something unseen since the early 1980s.
Kim also said it marks the first time for the two sides to draw up and announce a separate document to strengthen "extended deterrence" against the North's nuclear and missile threats.
Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to mobilizing all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
In contrast, DP lawmakers gave a negative assessment of the summit, citing an excessive focus on strengthening ties with the U.S. and the lack of outcome in the economic sector. They also said the Washington Declaration is little different from the past "nuclear umbrella" policy.
"While the national interest of the U.S. was clear, our own national interest was vague," Rep. Park Hong-geun, the DP's floor leader, said during a party meeting.
Park also discounted the outcome, citing comments from local security experts that not much has progressed since the two leaders' summit in 2021.
He also criticized the lack of outcome in the economic sector and consultations on pending issues, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act.
Source: Yonhap News Agency