South Korea calls for nuclear weapons to deter North Korea, Defense Ministry opposes it
DPRK leader Kim Jong Un (getty images)
South Korea may sever its alliance with the United States and shock financial markets if it begins developing nuclear weapons, Defense Minister Shin Won Sik said, dismissing domestic calls for creating an independent arsenal to deter North Korea, according to Reuters.
As North Korea rapidly expands its nuclear and missile capabilities, an increasing number of South Korean officials and members of President Yoon Suk Yeol's conservative ruling party have in recent months called for the development of nuclear weapons.
The prospect of another term for former US President Donald Trump, who criticized the cost of the US military presence in South Korea and initiated unprecedented talks with Pyongyang, has further fueled the debate.
Shin Won Sik warned that possessing an independent nuclear arsenal carries the risk of devastating consequences for South Korea's diplomatic standing and economy.
"You'll face a huge crack in the US alliance, and if we withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, it would bring various penalties, starting with an immediate shock in our financial market," he said in an interview.
Shin acknowledged that the debates among politicians and foreign policy experts indicate that many South Koreans remain concerned about the reliability of American extended deterrence, especially the US nuclear forces.
However, he argued that the allies' efforts to strengthen this deterrence were "the easiest, most effective and peaceful" way to counter the North's threats.
At the end of July, US intelligence reported that North Korean hackers were attempting to steal military secrets from other countries to support their nuclear weapons program.
On July 25, The Insider reported that the South Korean company YG-1 had supplied equipment to two Russian factories producing nuclear weapons following the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
