[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korea Provokes Again Today... Will 'Nuclear Weapons Redeployment on the Korean Peninsula' Gain Momentum?

North Korea Fires Two Short-Range Ballistic Missiles on 27th
Russia-China Nuclear Reactor Cooperation Deal, Tactical Nuclear Deployment Begins

As North Korea's military provocations continue, calls for the redeployment of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula are resurfacing. China has signed a cooperation agreement with Russia on a fast neutron reactor to increase its nuclear warheads, and Russia has announced plans to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to its ally Belarus, fueling discussions about nuclear weapons redeployment on the Korean Peninsula.

On the 27th, North Korea continued its missile provocations. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "From 7:47 a.m. to around 8 a.m., two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) were detected launched from the Junghwa area in Hwanghaebuk-do toward the East Sea," adding, "The ballistic missiles landed approximately 370 km away." This marks the eighth ballistic missile launch this year and appears to be aimed at the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and the ROK-U.S. Marine Corps' 'Ssangryong Exercise' deployed on the Korean Peninsula for this week's combined carrier strike group training.

North Korea conducted a "test firing of a new large-caliber guided multiple rocket launcher" under the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un on the 31st of last month, according to a report by Korean Central TV on the 1st. The photo was released by Central TV on the same day, with the launch platform (red circle) mosaicked.

The launch site, Junghwa County in Hwanghaebuk-do, is about 60 km south of Pyongyang. Although there are military facilities and bases there, ballistic missile launches from this location are considered unusual.

North Korea has showcased various new nuclear weapons through a 'quantitative offensive.' Four days before the start of the ROK-U.S. combined exercise 'Freedom Shield' (FS), North Korea launched a 'new tactical guided weapon' SRBM on the 9th, a submarine-launched cruise missile on the 12th, another SRBM on the 14th, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on the 16th, and an SRBM capable of reaching all of South Korea on the 19th, escalating the threat level. Additionally, from the 21st to the 23rd, North Korea launched 'nuclear torpedoes' and 'long-range strategic cruise missiles,' continuing its nuclear threat against South Korea.

North Korea strongly opposes the ROK-U.S. combined field exercises, labeling them as 'preemptive invasion drills,' and is expected to escalate provocations in response to large-scale combined amphibious exercises and U.S. aircraft carrier deployments. This could include launches of solid-fueled ICBMs, ICBMs at normal angles (30?45 degrees), or military reconnaissance satellites. There is also a possibility of a '7th nuclear test' depending on political needs.

Amid North Korea's intensified nuclear offensive, and with official nuclear powers China and Russia signing a fast neutron reactor cooperation agreement, the nuclear threat surrounding the Korean Peninsula is increasing, leading to calls for the United States to deploy nuclear weapons in South Korea. There is a lack of adequate means to deter the aggressive nuclear threats from North Korea, China, and Russia.

James Risch, the Republican ranking member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, argued that South Korea should consider redeploying nuclear weapons, according to a report by Voice of America (VOA) on the 25th (local time). This is the first time a senior U.S. Republican lawmaker responsible for foreign affairs has voiced support for redeploying nuclear weapons in South Korea.

In an email to VOA, Senator Risch emphasized, "(North Korea's missile launches) signify a wartime exercise intended to signal to U.S. allies that North Korea can endure an escalation of war," adding, "We should also consider redeploying U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea."