US to send nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for first time in 40 years

President Biden is expected to strike an agreement with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeul, during the latter's state visit, to dock nuclear submarines in South Korea.

Biden and Yoon are expected to sign the agreement Wednesday as a show of solidarity with Seoul amid increasing nuclear tensions with North Korea, senior administration officials said.

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President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee pause after laying a wreath during a visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The agreement would allow U.S. nuclear submarines into the region for the first time in over 40 years.

An increased presence of U.S. nuclear submarines would serve to assuage South Korean concerns regarding North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's progress developing his nation's nuclear arsenal.

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Ballistic missile submarine USS Alabama moors at the Marginal Pier at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor after a strategic deterrent patrol, June 8, 2012, in Bangor, Washington. (U.S. Navy photo by Ray Narimatsu/Released)

The decision is part of a policy rollout occasionally referred to as the "Washington Declaration" — an international positioning of the U.S. to quell growing aggression from communist North Korea.

Yoon, who first entered politics only two years ago to run for president of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and his first lady Kim Keon Hee will join President Biden and first lady Jill Biden for a state dinner Wednesday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-South Korea alliance.

The pair of world leaders visited the Korean War Veterans Memorial on Tuesday, where they laid a wreath and paid respects.

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President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

On Thursday, Yoon is expected to deliver a speech at a joint session of Congress, making him the first South Korean president to do so in a decade, according to The Washington Post. 

The White House said the alliance, born out of World War II when the former Soviet Union threw most of its support behind Communist China and North Korea, "is critical to advancing peace, stability, and prosperity for our two countries, the Indo-Pacific, and around the world." 

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President Biden and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol lay a wreath during a visit to the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

A range of issues impacting the alliance are under discussion between Biden and Yoon, including how the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips Act have negatively impacted South Korean manufacturers and Seoul's desire to acquire its own nuclear weapons instead of relying solely on the U.S. protection guarantee. 

Fox News Digital's Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.