S. Korea stays firm on denuclearization: foreign ministry

South Korea remains firm on its support for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said Friday, affirming it is not pushing to bring in tactical nuclear weapons from the United States to counter growing threats from North Korea.

"Our stance on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula remains unchanged," Cho June-hyuck, foreign ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing in Seoul.

Cho made the remark in response to a question on whether South Korea and the United States will discuss deploying tactical nuclear arms on the southern part of the peninsula during the meeting of the bilateral foreign and defense ministers set to take place in Washington next week.

"Both are expected to talk a lot about (Washington's) extended deterrence during the meeting," he said, referring to the U.S.' commitment to mobilize all military assets, including nuclear weapons, to defend its allies in crisis.

In the face of the North's continued military provocations and worries that it is close to weaponizing its nuclear devices, some are raising the need for South Korea to arm itself with nuclear weapons by either introducing U.S. nukes or developing its own.

Pyongyang detonated five nuclear devices since 2006 with the last being tested Sept. 9.

On Thursday, a presidential advisory panel on reunification said it is necessary for the government to consider deploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to ensure deterrence against a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The U.S. withdrew nuclear weapons from the South in the early 1990s after Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to keep the peninsula nuclear-free. Since then, the South has relied on the U.S. nuclear umbrella or extended its deterrence strategy to defend against North Korea. (Yonhap)