2月1日，美韩战机参加联合军事演习。
American, ROK warplanes in the joint military exercise on February 1
据韩国媒体报道，为持续强化对朝鲜等国的战略威慑，2月上旬，美韩两国出动了多架隐形战斗机和B-1B战略轰炸机，在朝鲜半岛西部海域上空密集举行联合军事演习。此前，美韩两国国防部长1月31日曾在首尔举行会谈，双方商定将共同评估加强美国“延伸威慑”能力系列措施的落实情况，确保美国切实履行对韩协防承诺。两国防长还重申，争取在今年韩美安保会议前修改“定制型威慑战略”，并继续就美国适时向韩国调遣战略武器保持紧密磋商。
ROK media reported that the US and ROK dispatched a number of stealth fighters and B-1B strategic bombers for intensive joint military exercises over the western waters of the Korean Peninsula in early February to keep strengthening the strategic deterrence against DPRK and other countries.
Their defense ministers held talks in Seoul on January 31, in which they agreed to jointly evaluate the implementation of a series of measures aimed at enhancing America’s extended deterrence capability to ensure that Washington will earnestly fulfill its defense commitment to Seoul. The two ministers also reaffirmed their plan to revise the “tailored deterrence strategy (TDS)” before the bilateral security meeting this year and to maintain close communication on the US dispatching strategic weapons to ROK in due time.
美韩两国密集开展联合军事演习，以及持续强化“延伸威慑”能力的做法，引发外界质疑和批评。
The intensive military exercises between the two countries and their continued intensification of extended deterrence capability have courted doubts and criticism.
美国欲盖弥彰。韩国总统尹锡悦日前针对朝鲜“核武器和导弹威胁”表示，美韩正在讨论通过联合演习运用美国核力量等方案。美国总统拜登被记者问及是否正在同韩国谈论共同进行核演习时，给出否定答复。对此，韩国总统办公室赶紧“找补”，声称拜登否认只是因为记者提问不当（联合核演习只能用于拥核国家之间），并重申两国确实正在讨论共享美国核力量等方案。
The US’ attempted denial only exposes itself more. ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol said lately that they are in talks with the US about using America’s nuclear forces during joint exercises and other arrangements in response to the nuclear weapon and missile threats from DPRK, but US President Biden, when asked about the discussion with ROK over joint nuclear exercises, gave a negative answer. Then the Office of the President of ROK scrambled to save face by claiming that Biden denied the talks because the reporter asked an inappropriate question since joint nuclear exercises are exclusive to nuclear states, and stressed again talks are indeed underway about sharing America’s nuclear forces.
韩国国内反对。韩国最大在野党共同民主党发言人金义谦2月3日表示，通过联合军事演习策划运用美国核力量，这是连美国的北约盟友都无法参与的核共享，韩国政府这种“随意和鲁莽的核武言论，从2023年伊始就让朝鲜半岛局势漆黑一片”。此外，韩国多个民间团体组织成员在首尔战争纪念馆前举行集会称，开启朝鲜半岛无核化之路，必须首先取消美国“核保护伞”，废除“延伸威慑”政策。他们还表示，美国在此次美韩防长会谈后将进一步构建美韩日军事同盟，使朝鲜半岛局势更趋紧张。
There is strong opposition in ROK. The spokesperson of ROK’s largest opposition party, the Minjoo Party of Korea Kim Eui-kyeom said on February 3 that employing American nuclear forces through joint military exercises is something that even the NATO allies couldn’t do and that the reckless remarks by the ROK government have cast a shadow over the Korean Peninsula from the beginning of 2023. Moreover, several ROK social groups organized their members to rally in front of the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, demanding the scrapping of America’s “nuclear protection” and the “extended deterrence” policy in order to realize non-nuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. They said the US will further cement the military alliance with ROK and Japan after the recent US-ROK defense ministers’ meeting, which will only plunge the peninsula into greater tension.
朝鲜反应强烈。朝鲜外务省发言人近日发表谈话，就美韩计划接连举行“延伸威慑”相关军演进行严厉抨击。朝方称，美国等势力的军事对抗和敌对行为，使朝鲜半岛局势处于极其危险的边缘。朝方将按照“以核制核，以正面对抗回答正面对抗”原则，回应美国一切军事企图。朝鲜将依靠强大遏制力，负责任地维护朝鲜半岛地区和平与安全，直到美国及其追随势力从根源上消除对朝敌视政策和军事威胁为止。
The DPRK has reacted vehemently. The spokesperson of the DPRK Foreign Ministry recently slammed the US and ROK for planning to hold successive exercises for “extended deterrence”, accusing them of conducting military confrontation and hostilities that push the Korean Peninsula to an extremely dangerous position. According to the spokesperson, the DPRK side will respond to all military attempts by the US on the principle of “nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation”, and the DPRK will use its strong containing power to responsibly maintain peace and security on the peninsula till the US and its followers eliminate their hostile policies and military threats against DPRK for good.
总的来看，此次美韩两国在朝鲜半岛上空密集举行联合军事演习，是双方高频次、实质化推进军事合作的重要体现。自2022年5月尹锡悦政府上台后，美韩军事安全合作明显加强。在尹锡悦政府将朝鲜定义为主要敌人、主张以实力求和平的背景下，实质性改善朝韩关系、推动半岛无核化进程绝非易事。美韩执意扩大联合军演规模和范围，特别是进行所谓核演习，将引发朝鲜强烈回应，进一步加剧地区紧张局势。
In sum, the intensive US-ROK military exercises over the Korean Peninsula reflect the two sides’ high-frequency, substantial advancement of military cooperation. In fact, the two countries’ military security cooperation has considerably intensified after Yoon Suk-yeol took office in May 2022. As Seoul has defined Pyongyang as a key enemy and wanted to secure peace by taking the hard line, it is by no means easy to truly ease the ROK-DPRK relations and promote the peninsula’s denuclearization process. Washington and Seoul’s bigoted expansion of the scope and scale of joint military exercises, especially the so-called nuclear exercises, will draw vehement reactions from Pyongyang and exacerbate regional tension.
