US President Joe Biden has denied that the Pentagon is in talks with Seoul about joint nuclear exercises, raising a number of questions after his South Korean counterpart announced that such discussions were already underway.
Asked on Monday whether he is “discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea right now,” Biden simply said “No,” declining to elaborate further for reporters upon returning home from vacation. The White House National Security Council later refused to comment when approached by Bloomberg.
Despite Biden’s curt denial, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol recently told a local newspaper that the two countries are “discussing ways to operate the US nuclear forces under the concept of ‘Joint Planning-Joint Exercise’ in order to respond to North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles,” immediately stoking speculation about two-way nuclear drills.