|
Listen as audio
 |
Season one. Episode nine. . .
Korean Forces Seize US Nuclear Weapons Depot on Busan Naval Base. . .
Dateline: 07.14.2076. . .
This is 1st Amendment Broadcast News. Matt Amazon reporting. . .
The following news article was originally released by: APNS 10.24.2023 Washington, D.C . . .
Early Sunday morning, an elite Korean special forces unit overpowered a skeleton security detail guarding the American weapons depot on Busan Naval Base , a joint Korean/American naval facility located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula, and seized control of the arsenal. The armory is believed to hold a cache of nuclear warheads, most likely mounted on upgraded Tomahawk IV medium range missiles. All nuclear devices had been remove from South Korea in the late 1990’s. However; the weapons were redeployed in the spring of 2021 at the request of the South Korean government when North Korea balked on the 2020 disarmament agreement and reopened its nuclear weapons development facility.
According to a Pentagon press release, the event is being closely monitored; however, a senior Naval official was quoted as saying that they do not believe the situation is as serious as perceived by many in the press. They believe there has just been a miscommunication in responsibility. The unnamed source stated that Admiral Thomas of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had opened a direct line of communication with Korean Supreme Commander General Choe. The two commanders were establishing a dialogue to de-escalate the crisis.
Regarding the stand-off, an official Korean spokesperson stated that the Americans had agreed to an October 15th deadline for turning over responsibilities for all former joint military facilities. In the agreement, any abandoned equipment and munition housed on the facility would be ceded over to Korean military authority. Therefore; the Unified Korean Republic is acting within its authority, under international agreement, by claiming and seizing abandoned assets left by foreign allies sharing joint military facilities.
When asked, a Pentagon spokesperson countered that while the official deadline had passed; the weapons had definitely not been abandoned by US forces. In fact; an ammunition frigate, the USNS Mount Rainier from the USNS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, has been on standby off the southern Korean coast; awaiting permission, since late September, to dock and take possession of the remaining US assets. Korean officials stated they had no knowledge of the request.
Meanwhile, White House officials have declined comment on the statement, however; they wanted to assure the public that President Ahmad was in constant contact with Pentagon officials and all channels of communication were being utilized to resolve the situation in a non-threatening manner. The White House spokesperson did stress that no military action against Korea was being considered – nor would it be.
This concludes our replay of Korean Forces Seize US Nuclear Weapons Depot on Busan Naval Base. Our next report in the series: Weapons Standoff Ends at Korean Naval Facility. . .
This has been 1st Amendment Broadcast News. . .
Preserving our unalienable Rights defined in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution of the former United States of America: Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. . . . .
1st Amendment Broadcast News originates from the communication center
of the former United States Coast Guard Cutter, Richard Snyder.
Currently anchored off the coast of Bermuda.
This has been Matt Amazon reporting for 1st Amendment News. Good night.