Moon rules out nuclear weapons in South Korea

By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in has said he is opposed to South Korea having its own nuclear weapons to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat.

This was the first time for the President to express his opposition to redeploying U.S. tactical nuclear weapons or developing the South’s own weapons, although other government officials have previously indicated this should be considered.

“I don’t agree that Seoul needs to develop our own nuclear weapons or redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons here to deter North Korea’s nuclear threat,” Moon said in an interview with CNN Thursday, ahead of his visit to New York next week for the United Nations General Assembly.

Moon’s remarks come amid divided opinions here over whether South Korea should redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons that were pulled out in 1991. Conservative opposition parties are calling for the redeployment, and Defense Minister Song Young-moo also said it could be an option to consider as deterrence against North Korean threats.

“Having our own nuclear weapons against Pyongyang’s nuclear threat will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and would lead to a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia,” Moon said.

But he said South Korea should continue to develop its own military capabilities.

Despite the current hard-line stance toward the North, the President said he still wants dialogue with Pyongyang, adding the current pressure and sanctions are aimed at making the reclusive regime come forward for negotiations.

Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tweet that called the South’s North Korea policy “appeasement,” Moon said he would not interpret the tweet in a narrow way. “I believe what Trump wanted to say was that not only South Korea and the U.S. but also China and Russia all need to respond firmly to North Korea’s nuclear provocations.”