Supporters of nuclear armament raise voices

By Choi Ha-young

Rep. Won Yoo-chul

Some conservative lawmakers are calling for South Korea to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to develop its own nuclear weapons as a balancing act against a nuclear North Korea.

Their demand is mostly being ignored, but supporters of nuclear armament are raising voices following North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.

The most vocal is Rep. Won Yoo-chul of the Liberty Korea Party (LKP). Won, who has long advocated for the nation’s own nuclear armament, is stepping up his call. The five-term lawmaker has led the “Nuclear Forum” composed of 26 LKP lawmakers.

During the conference in which eight LKP lawmakers participated, Won reiterated the necessity of nuclear armament as self-defense. “In order to prevent the Kim Jong-un regime’s provocation based on misjudgment, South Korea needs its own nuclear deterrence,” he said Monday.

“The Republic of Korea, with its economic power and science technology, is capable of arming itself with nuclear weapons and becoming more powerful than the North,” Won posted on Facebook after the event.

Cheon Seong-whun, visiting research fellow from the conservative-leaning Asan Institute for Policy Studies, specified the strategy. “If the U.S. rejects Seoul’s call to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons, South Korea needs to break away from the NPT and start its own nuclear program,” Cheon said at the conference.

“It would be able to obtain consent from international society, if South Korea stipulates it will return to the NPT once the two Koreas reach a disarmament deal to simultaneously scrap their nuclear programs.”

On the other hand, the Bareun Party has dismissed the idea, citing predictable conflicts within and outside the country.

“Clearly speaking, South Korea’s own nuclear program is barely possible. If we push for it, which means distrust of the ROK-U.S. alliance, the alliance will break up,” said Rep. Kim Young-woo of the Bareun Party, who chairs the National Assembly National Defense Committee.

“Unlike isolated Pyongyang, South Korea cannot even bear week-long economic sanctions,” Kim warned.

The North’s latest nuclear test turned the atmosphere palpably hawkish. “Tactical nuclear weapons” has become a frequently used term in politics here. The LKP reaffirmed its stance in favor of their redeployment, Wednesday.

“Tactical nuclear weapons are a proper countermeasure,” LKP spokesman Rep. Choung Tae-ok said in a statement. “We urge the administration to consider the proven measure ― balance of terror.”

The statement came after Monday’s National Defense Committee, where lawmakers from three opposition parties ― LKP, People’s Party and Bareun Party ― jointly grilled Defense Minister Song Young-moo about whether the government is planning to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons or not.

In response, Song hinted that discussion is ongoing between Seoul and Washington regarding the agenda, leaving room for possible deployment. He said tactical nuclear weapons “could be an option, but require in-depth consideration.” The ruling camp, however, is against the redeployment.

In recent days, some liberal-leaning experts, for example, Sejong Institute researcher Hong Hyun-ik, changed their views to back up tactical nuclear weapons.