Tuesday, Oct 25, 2005
U.S. assures South Korea of "nuclear umbrella"
P. S. Suryanarayana
SINGAPORE: United States Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has reassured South Korea on protection under the American "nuclear umbrella" against any hostile military moves by North Korea.
The U.S. first made the commitment under the 1953 Mutual Defence Treaty with South Korea following the Korean War.
Mr. Rumsfeld's reaffirmation, conveyed to the South Korean leaders in Seoul on Friday, is relevant to the efforts to prevent the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) from producing or acquiring nuclear weapons.
The next round of six-party talks is slated for November.
During the round in September, Washington and Seoul assured the DPRK, China, Japan and Russia that no American nuclear weapons were stockpiled on the South Korean territory.
The assurance was rendered in response to the DPRK's contention that South Korea was "nuclearised" as its territory was a base for U.S. atomic weapons.
Copyright © 2005, The Hindu.