The US military has withdrawn all atomic weapons since 1991, but threats from North Korea are worrying. The politicians who put forward the proposal are marginalized by the Conservative Party itself. 55% of citizens want a national nuclear program to be developed.
Seoul () – Tension rises on the Korean peninsula: between the end of September and the first half of October, North Korea carried out a long series of ballistic missile launches, accompanied by other military provocations. Faced with the threat from Pyongyang, whose tests would simulate an attack on the South according to propaganda, Seoul once again calls for the development of its own nuclear arsenal.
The proposal was presented by some conservative figures and is part of the broader debate on the role of nuclear weapons in the defense of the country. Since 1991, thanks to a collective agreement for the denuclearization of the peninsula, the US Armed Forces have removed all nuclear warheads from South Korea. However, in the last 20 years, North Korea has developed its own weapons program, making it a nuclear power.
Voices in favor of developing an arsenal come mainly from the conservative camp. Fifteen days ago, during a radio interview, Deputy Kim Gi-hyeon said that, in his opinion, “South Korea should move to have its own nuclear weapons.” Echoing him, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo questioned in a Facebook post the determination of the United States to intervene if necessary, in the face of the North Korean threat: “If North Korea used nuclear weapons against us, would would [Estados Unidos] able to fight back with its nuclear arsenals?” Hong wrote. Some former South Korean generals also expressed the view that Seoul should explore this possibility and bolster its latent nuclear capabilities.
However, for the moment it is the Conservative Party itself that marginalizes these voices. The president of the party in power, Chung Jin-suk, has ruled out the acquisition of weapons by the country because this would mean abandoning the Non-Proliferation Treaty. In addition to the negative economic consequences for South Korea, this would also have the implicit effect of legitimizing the North’s nuclear program. Chung, like many others, believes instead that the alliance with the United States, which provides a nuclear umbrella against North Korean threats, should be strengthened.
For its part, the conservative government of Yoon Suk-yeol is considering all available options. According to indiscretions spread by the local media, the government would have considered the possibility of asking its US ally to redeploy nuclear warheads in defense of the country. However, Washington does not seem enthusiastic: official statements from the US embassy and authorities have multiplied in recent weeks, stressing that all US military capabilities – including nuclear weapons – can be used to defend Korea. from the south. The confirmation of the commitment to the country’s security is linked to the objective of denuclearizing the entire peninsula, as the White House recalled long ago.
After the statements of recent days, which provide calm and guarantees, the debate in South Korea has died down and the government’s public statements now tend to rule out the option of redeploying US nuclear weapons in the country. According to Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, the government “maintains the policy of seeking the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.” However, few still believe these claims. According to polls, 92.5% of South Koreans believe that the North will not abandon its program, while 55.5% support the development of a national nuclear arsenal.
