South Korea, U.S. hold exercise to prep for North Korean nuclear attack

SEOUL, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- South Korea and the United States conducted a tabletop exercise in Washington to simulate a response to a North Korean nuclear attack, the militaries of both countries announced Friday.

"Given the DPRK's recent aggressive nuclear policy and advancements in nuclear capabilities, the [tabletop exercise] scenario focused on the possibility of the DPRK's use of nuclear weapons," the allies said in a joint release.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is the official name of North Korea.

The exercise was held at the Pentagon on Wednesday. Defense officials, military officers and diplomats from the two countries "discussed various options to demonstrate the alliance's strong response capabilities and resolve to respond appropriately to any DPRK nuclear use," the release said.

North Korea has ramped up its weapons tests over the past week, launching an intercontinental ballistic missile on Saturday and a pair of short-range ballistic missiles two days later. On Friday, Pyongyang announced that it fired four strategic cruise missiles in a "lethal nuclear counterattack" drill.

The United States and South Korea have assessed that North Korea has completed preparations to conduct a nuclear test, which would be its first since 2017.

At the tabletop exercise, or TTX, Washington highlighted its official stance that "any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime."

The two sides also noted that "improvements in the ROK's advanced conventional capabilities have strengthened deterrence," the release said.

"As such, the delegations discussed how best to leverage ROK non-nuclear capabilities to support nuclear deterrence against DPRK nuclear threats," it added.

The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.

This week's TTX was the eighth overall and first conducted under the administration of South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has taken a stronger military stance against North Korea than his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.

The exercise was launched in 2011 but was only held twice during the Moon administration, which pursued a diplomatic push to improve inter-Korean relations. Seoul and Washington agreed last year to hold the drills annually.

Following the TTX, the American and South Korean delegations visited U.S. nuclear submarine training facilities at Kings Bay naval base in Georgia. The visit, which was the first of its kind by the allies, was meant to demonstrate the key role that nuclear-powered submarines play in U.S. extended deterrence, the joint release said.

Washington has looked to reassure Seoul of its commitment to extended deterrence -- which includes U.S. conventional, nuclear and missile-defense capabilities -- against threats from the North.

Amid growing concerns over Pyongyang's arsenal, however, some members of Yoon's People Power Party have called for Seoul to acquire its own nuclear weapons.

Public support for homegrown nukes has also been on the rise, with 76% of respondents in a recent survey favoring the idea of South Korea arming itself.

During a visit to Seoul last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there would be more frequent deployments of U.S. strategic assets, such as advanced stealth jets and aircraft carriers, to Korea.

The allies are scheduled to conduct their springtime Freedom Shield in South Korea next month.