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Conservative presidential hopeful Chung Mong-joon said Thursday the nation should consider reintroducing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to bolster deterrence against an increasingly provocative North Korea.
The remarks from Chung, who is bidding to run on the ruling Saenuri Party’s ticket, was the latest in his tit-for-tat with the North, which has taken exception to his tough stance on cross-border relations.
"The threat of a nuclear counterforce may be the only way to change the North’s perception of the South,” said Park, a seven-term lawmaker, during a press conference, referring to Pyongyang as a “de facto” nuclear weapons state.
He added that the North has its own reasons to pursue a nuclear weapons program, so redeployment would not provoke it further.
"There is no reason not to respond in a proportional manner,” he said.
The United States, Seoul’s key ally, withdrew its tactical nuclear weapons from the peninsula in 1991, as part of arms reduction measures. Washington maintains some 28,500 troops on the peninsula to deter the North.
But following the 2010 sinking of the warship Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, calls emerged from some quarters for their reintroduction, sparking heated debate over the prospect.
Pyongyang has taken exception to remarks made by Park. The scion of the Hyundai family and one of the richest people in the South has been critical of the North’s leadership transition to Kim Jong-un, who is the son of late leader Kim Jong-il.
Last week, he said the twenty-something Kim would not follow the path of reform set by China or Vietnam as doing so would amount to a “major repudiation” of the regime. He has also slammed Pyongyang for reported preparations to conduct a third nuclear test.
The Hyundai Group has been instrumental in cross-border reconciliation projects such as the stalled joint tourism project at Mt. Geumgang in the North.
The North’s propaganda website Uriminzokkiri responded by saying Chung was playing a leading role in a “heinous campaign against the North by ….the conservative South Korean clique” and “throwing a monkey wrench into inter-Korean economic cooperation efforts” once led by Hyundai.
Cross border tensions have been high since 2008, when the Lee Myung-bak administration ended a decade of heavy engagement and tied the provision of aid to denuclearization steps. Pyongyang once again drew international ire last month by launching a long-range rocket to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of its founder, Kim Il-sung.
The ruling party’s front runner for the presidency Park Geun-hye has advocated taking a tough stand on security while making efforts to build trust with Pyongyang.
