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| Defense Minister Han Min-koo, right, speaks during a forum at the National Assembly, Monday, arranged by Rep. Won Yoo-chul, second from right, and other lawmakers from the ruling Saenuri Party to discuss measures to resolve issues involving North Korea's nuclear program. / Yonhap |
By Kim Hyo-jin
Key senior members of the ruling Saenuri Party are calling for the country to develop nuclear weapons as a means to counter threats from North Korea.
They argue that South Korea should be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons to better defend against the reclusive state's threats and play a leading role in resolving regional security issues.
Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test conducted on Friday added fuel to the pro-nuclear argument that had been limited to a few hawkish lawmakers.
Saenuri Party Chairman Lee Jung-hyun joined the call, Sunday, stressing the need for tougher measures against the North's nuclear moves.
"The time might have come to put the issue on the discussion table," Lee told reporters.
"The political sector should come up with much stricter measures than now in joint efforts with the government to tackle North Korea's imprudent nuclear and missile provocations."
Kim Moo-sung, the party's former chairman and a potential presidential contender, said the government should start seeking the capability of developing nuclear weapons by renegotiating the Korea-U.S. atomic energy agreement.
"We should think of all possible measures including obtaining nuclear powered attack submarines, developing a submarine-launched ballistic missile, and deploying the U.S.'s tactical nuclear weapons through renegotiations of the Korea-U.S. atomic energy agreement," he said on a Facebook post, Friday. "Not to mention a deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery."
Seoul will have to obtain cooperation from Washington in using its nuclear technology for the construction of nuclear powered attack submarines, according to the Korea-U.S. atomic energy agreement.
It bans technology and equipment that originates from the U.S. being used for military purposes and prohibits South Korea from enriching and reprocessing nuclear fuel.
The party's ex-floor leader Won Yoo-chul, who initiated the talk for nuclear armament in the political arena, held a forum Monday with fellow lawmaker to discuss the development of a South Korean nuclear arsenal.
He reiterated that South Korea needs to develop nuclear weapons for self-defense as it is the only substantial measure that can deter North Korea's additional nuclear provocations.
Won also proposed that the National Assembly set up a special committee to further discuss the matter.
However, it remains questionable if the lawmakers can gain momentum to push the talks further, pundits say.
A government official said on condition of anonymity that the vision of a nuclear-armed nation is unrealistic as the South Korean government remains firm in its stance for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
The government has to stick to a 1992 inter-Korean denuclearization declaration that states that the two Koreas will not develop or hold any nuclear weapons, he said.
