South Korea & US To Hold Nuclear Tabletop Drills In Feb-RTRS

Reuters reporting that according to the South Korean defence minister, in February the militaries of South Korea and the United States will hold joint nuclear tabletop drills. These see officials from both sides engage in hypothetical war games that involve the use of the US' nuclear deterrent in various scenarios involving aggression from Pyongyang.

• In 2023, North Korea launched a record number of missile tests, including ICBMs that can reach the US mainland.
• Officials from South Korea and the US are becoming increasingly concerned that the North could launch its first nuclear test since 2017 in the near future.
• The administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has sought to bolster confidence in the US' extended deterrence (the idea that Washington, D.C., will not only deter attacks on itself but also its allies) following President Joe Biden's confirmation in 2 Jan that the US was not considering joint nuclear exercises with Seoul.