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U.S. and South Korea Sign Plan to Counter North South Korea and U.S. Make Plans for Defense
(about 14 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — Throwing its weight behind an ally, the United States military said Monday that it had signed an agreement two and a half years in the making to support South Korea in countering North Korean provocations. SEOUL, South Korea — The United States military said Monday that it had signed an agreement with South Korea on how to counter provocations from North Korea.
Washington’s mutual defense treaty with South Korea obligates the American military to fight to defend its ally if a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula. The deal, signed Friday, defines what role the United States would play in dealing with what South Korean military officials called “local” provocations from the North, such as its shelling of a border island in 2010, which killed four South Koreans. The two allies said they had been working to improve their contingency plans ever since. The deal, struck on Friday, defines the role that United States forces would play in dealing with what South Korean military officials called local clashes and skirmishes, like the shelling of an island near the border in 2010 by the North, which killed four South Koreans.
They called the contingency plan “South Korean-led, U.S.-supported.” It laid out various types of localized North Korean provocations and a joint South Korean-American response to each of them, South Korean officials said. By putting the allies’ combined commitment on paper, the agreement will help serve as a deterrent against North Korean provocations, they said. The two allies described the new contingency plans developed after that episode as “South Korean-led, U.S.-supported.” They lay out various types of provocations and a joint South Korean-American response for each type, South Korean officials said. Putting those commitments down on paper will help deter provocations, they said.
But the two allies refused to disclose more details on such sensitive and potentially volatile questions as how far the United States would go in its supporting role, especially at what point American troops would directly join a South Korean counterattack against a North Korean provocation. The two allies refused to disclose specifics about how far the United States would go in its supporting role, especially at what point American troops would directly join a South Korean counterattack against a North Korean provocation.
In recent weeks, South Korea has said that if provoked, it would attack not only the origin of the North Korean provocation but also “its supporting forces and its commanding post.”In recent weeks, South Korea has said that if provoked, it would attack not only the origin of the North Korean provocation but also “its supporting forces and its commanding post.”
“By completing this plan, we improved our combined readiness posture to allow us to immediately and decisively respond to any North Korean provocation,” a joint statement from the two allies said.“By completing this plan, we improved our combined readiness posture to allow us to immediately and decisively respond to any North Korean provocation,” a joint statement from the two allies said.
The plan was signed by Gen. James D. Thurman, the top American commander in South Korea, and Gen. Jung Seung-jo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean military. The signing followed a recent series of North Korean threats after the United States and South Korea supported sanctions the United Nations imposed on the North for its launching of a three-stage rocket in December and its third nuclear test last month. Although analysts in South Korea said there was little chance for North Korea to follow through on its threat to strike Washington and Seoul with nuclear weapons, they warned that it might attempt a limited military provocation against the South. The plan was signed by Gen. James D. Thurman, the top American commander in South Korea, and Gen. Jung Seung-jo, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean military. The signing followed a recent series of North Korean threats after the United States and South Korea supported sanctions the United Nations imposed on the North for its launching of a three-stage rocket in December and its third nuclear test last month.
South Korea was unsettled last week when hacking attacks paralyzed the computer networks of three broadcasters and three banks. Many here suspected North Korean involvement in the synchronized attacks, although the government has not assigned any blame, pending its investigation. Although analysts in South Korea said there was little chance for North Korea to follow through on its threat to strike Washington and Seoul with nuclear weapons, they warned that it might attempt a limited military provocation against the South.
The new contingency plan comes at a sensitive time in the 60-year-old military alliance. The wartime operational control of the South Korean military, which has belonged to an American general since the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War, is scheduled to return to South Korea in 2015. Ahead of the planned transfer, an annual military drill that ended last week was led for the first time by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, not by their Combined Forces Command, which is headed by an American general. South Korea was unsettled last week when hacking attacks paralyzed the computer networks of three broadcasters and three banks. Many here suspected North Korean involvement in the synchronized attacks.
The new contingency plan comes at a delicate time in the 60-year-old military alliance. The wartime operational control of the South Korean military, which has belonged to an American general since the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War, is scheduled to return to South Korea in 2015.
An annual military drill that ended last week was led for the first time by the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.