Seoul seeks return of US ‘strategic assets’ for defence

South Korea’s president-elect is pressing the United States to deploy its most powerful weapons, such as nuclear warheads, in the country for the first time since the Cold War, which would increase tensions in east Asia.

Yoon Suk-yeol, 61, who takes office next month, has sent emissaries to Washington to argue the case for the return of US ‘‘strategic assets’’, a term that could include long-range bombers, nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers, and which implies they would have nuclear weapons.

‘‘The deployment of strategic assets is an important part of building up extended deterrence against North Korea’s provocations,’’ Park Jin, leader of a delegation of Yoon’s aides, said after meetings with senior members of the Biden administration in Washington.

‘‘In that sense, the issue was included in the consultation.’’

Yoon is determined to break with the policy of engagement with Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, that was pursued by Moon Jae-in, his liberal predecessor.

This year the North has carried out an intensive series of missile tests. American and South Korean officials fear it could test a new nuclear warhead this week.

South Korea remains under the protection of the US ‘‘nuclear umbrella’’ – the promise to use nuclear weapons if necessary in the country’s defence. However, the US removed the missiles in 1991.

The proposal that they should be returned reflects growing insecurity caused by the North’s rapid development in the past 16 years of nuclear warheads and the missiles to carry them.

Last month the North abandoned a self-imposed, 31⁄2-year moratorium to test an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the US.

The region’s other big American ally, Japan, is also beginning to debate its non-nuclear policy. In February Shinzo Abe, 67, the influential former prime minister, said the country should consider ‘‘nuclear sharing’’ similar to Nato countries by which Germany, Italy and Turkey keep American nuclear weapons on their territory.

Yoon referred to North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test during the week when he visited Camp Humphreys, the command centre of the 28,500 US troops who are stationed in South Korea.

‘‘Strong deterrence through the Korea-US military alliance and combined defence posture cannot be emphasised enough in a grave international security situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula,’’ he said.

He spoke of his ‘‘determination to increase the solidarity’’ of the alliance with America to strengthen deterrence against North Korea’s threats.

Yoon has also promised to ‘‘normalise’’ joint military exercises with the US, which were reduced or suspended by former president Donald Trump. Such exercises infuriated Pyongyang, which regarded them as rehearsals for invasion.

Tensions could rise further in the coming week when North Korea has two notable anniversaries – the 10th anniversary of Kim’s inauguration tomorrow and the Day of the Sun on Friday, marking what would have been the 110th birthday of his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, the country’s founding leader. Such celebrations are often marked with weapons tests. –