Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: South Korea could arm itself with tactical nuclear weapons if tensions with Pyongyang continue to grow, Yoon Suk-yeol, South Korean president has said.
The statement comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in January his country would develop a new intercontinental ballistic missile as South Korea and the US were seeking to “isolate and stifle” Pyongyang.
If the North Korean nuclear problem becomes more serious, they may deploy tactical nuclear weapons or come to possess its own nuclear weapons, Yoon, who became president last year, said on Wednesday, as quoted by the local media. “If that happens, it won’t take long, and with our science and technology, we could have [nuclear weapons] sooner as time passes,” Yoon added.
The US withdrew its nuclear forces from South Korea in 1991 following disarmament talks with Pyongyang and Moscow. Relations have since deteriorated, with North Korea stepping up missile tests in 2022 and enshrining the right to use nuclear weapons into national law in September. The escalation has rattled Seoul, now seeking to strengthen its military alliance with the US and deepen cooperation with Japan.
South Korean president
South Korean president said on Tuesday that the allies were discussing holding new joint military drills, including tabletop and computer simulations, as well as exercises involving the “delivery means for nuclear weapons.” US President Joe Biden, however, denied on Monday that Washington was considering joint nuclear drills with South Korea.
Pyongyang has been insisting that its launches are a response to US-South Korean exercises, which North Korea views as a national security threat.
