Biden, South Korean leader to consult on how to check North Korea’s nuclear threat

President Joe Biden is devoting his day to cementing ties with South Korea

President Joe Biden devoted on May 21 to cementing ties with South Korea and its new President Yoon Suk Yeol as the two sides consult on how best to check the nuclear threat from North Korea at a time when there’s little hope of real diplomacy on the matter.

Mr. Biden told his counterpart at a meeting that their alliance is based on “shared sacrifice” and would be taken to new levels as the emphasis on national security is being augmented by an added focus on trade and technology.

“Our two nations are working to take on both the opportunities and challenges of the moment,” the U.S. President said.

The division of the Korean peninsula after World War II has led to two radically different countries. In South Korea, Biden is touring factories for computer chips and next-generation autos in a democracy and engaging in talks for greater cooperation. But in the North, there is a deadly coronavirus outbreak in a largely unvaccinated autocracy that can best command the world’s attention by flexing its nuclear capabilities.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One as Mr. Biden flew to South Korea, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. has coordinated with Seoul and Tokyo on how they’ll respond should the North conduct a nuclear test or missile strike while Biden is in the region or soon after. Mr. Sullivan also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi earlier in the week and urged Beijing to use its influence to persuade the North to cease the tests.

As part of a five-day visit in Asia, Mr. Biden spent the day developing his relationship with Yoon, who assumed office a little more than a week ago. One of Mr. Biden’s tasks involved reassuring South Korea about the U.S. commitment to countering North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

There’s worry in Seoul that Washington is slipping back to the Obama administration’s “strategic patience” policy of ignoring North Korea until it demonstrates seriousness about denuclearisation, an approach that was criticized for neglecting the North as it made huge strides in building its nuclear arsenal.