Both the US and South Korea are trying to strengthen their alliance

U.S. and South Korea Announce Joint Military Efforts to Strengthen the Arms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty

As the declaration emphasizes U.S. commitments to defend South Korea, Seoul will in return reaffirm its commitment to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The official said the U.S. is going to deploy a missile submarine to the western Pacific for the first time in 30 years.

And it has stepped up joint military drills with South Korea, and the deployment of U.S. aircraft carriers, strategic bombers and submarines. In bilateral talks last November, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pledged to make such deployments a routine occurrence.

Washington has made it clear it will not redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea, as hawks in both countries have called for. President Yoon suggested in January that South Korea might have to acquire its own nuclear weapons, but the U.S. opposes the idea, and Yoon quickly backpedaled from his assertion.

North Korea this month tested a new solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, the latest addition to its growing nuclear arsenal. The possibility of pre-emptive strikes is included in its nuclear doctrine.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/26/1172116000/u-s-and-south-korea-announce-moves-to-strengthen-alliance

Yoon’s visit to South Korea kicks off a 70-year friendship with economic interests in the U.S.-South Korea relationship

Economic cooperation will also be front and center during Yoon’s visit. Yoon is being followed by a delegation of roughly 120 business executives, and the two countries’ nations have already announced billions of dollars in deals.

But U.S. requests for South Korea to side with it in competition with China have proved contentious. The U.S. reportedly recently asked Seoul to encourage Samsung and SK Hynix not to step up sales to China, and take over Micron’s market share, if the U.S. firm is sanctioned by Beijing.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol treated President Joe Biden and fellow dinner guests to a rendition of Don McLean’s “American Pie” at the White House Wednesday night.

It was the nightcap to a packed day for the two heads of state, who earlier announced their Washington Declaration on nuclear deterrence and signaled strengthening economic ties.

What are people saying? Yoon addressed a joint session of Congress on Thursday, touting the deep relationship between the U.S. and South Korea that began 70 years ago. He also dropped several cultural references in speech, which he delivered in English.