President Trump is preparing to deploy nuclear equipped submarines towards North Korea, for the first time in 20 years.
As tensions between the US and North Korea continue to mount following repeated nuclear bomb tests by Kim Jong-un’s regime, Pyongyang has threatened to “sink Japan” by firing a nuclear missile at the country.
Daily Star reports: Nuclear weapons so close to North Korea’s border could be a game-changer in the increasingly tense stand-off brewing on the Korean Peninsula.
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US nuclear weapons were pulled out of South Korea back in 1991 on orders from US President George HW Bush.
The move came at a time when North Korea was denying any plans to develop nukes under Kim’s grandad Kim Il-sung.
But more than two decades later, Pyongyang is feared to have access to miniaturised warheads and ICBMs.
Donald Trump is expected to visit South Korea in November amid the growing crisis with North Korea.
The US Senate will review the National Defence Authorisation Act for next year – which calls for changes to deployments of nuclear weapons.
Submarine deployment of nuclear weapons near North Korea was proposed by Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii.
It also includes deployment of nuclear-capable warplanes, increased missile defences, and increased military drills with Japan and South Korea.
Military bosses from South Korea and the US met earlier this month as they raised the possibility of nuke redeployment – but denied the talk was “serious”.
President Moon Jae-in has warned against the deployment of nukes in the region – warning it could lead to an “arms race”.
Supporters of nukes on Kim’s doorstep believe it will level the playing field and curb the rogue state’s nuclear ambitions.
Lawmakers hope to vote on the bill this month was the amendments have been finalised by the Senate.
Trump has talked up further action on North Korea, unhappy with the latest wave of UN Sanctions for being too soft on Pyongyang
North Korea raged against sanctions imposed on Monday by firing another missile as Kim called for military “equilibrium” with the US.
