WSJ: "Yoon's Remarks on Independent Nuclear Armament First Since Park Jeong-hee"

"Escalating Tensions Between North and South"
US White House "Commitment to Korean Peninsula Denuclearization Unchanged"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 12th (local time) that South Korea's independent nuclear armament theory, publicly mentioned by President Yoon Suk-yeol, could destabilize nuclear disarmament efforts and further escalate tensions between the South and North.

In a Seoul dispatch on the same day, the newspaper stated that President Yoon is the first leader since Park Chung-hee decades ago to publicly mention independent nuclear weapons development and the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in South Korea.

According to documents declassified in 2008, Park Chung-hee, the dictator who ruled South Korea for nearly 20 years (including his time as chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction) until his assassination in 1979, attempted to develop nuclear weapons but abandoned the plan due to U.S. opposition.

On the 11th, during the Ministry of National Defense's annual work report, President Yoon said, "If the (North Korean nuclear) problem worsens, we might deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Korea or possess our own nuclear weapons."

This public mention of "independent nuclear armament" by the president contradicts the U.S. policy of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and has sparked controversy over shaking the foundation of South Korea's security under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, causing significant repercussions.

In response, the presidential office stated, "There is no change in the fundamental principle of adhering to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) system," adding, "It was an expression of determination to protect the people even in the worst-case scenario." A key presidential office official elaborated, saying, "There was a premise of 'if the North Korean nuclear threat intensifies or if North Korea's provocations become more serious.'"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

WSJ noted that the U.S. has not officially responded to President Yoon's remarks and emphasized that President Joe Biden has stated that the U.S. is not discussing joint nuclear exercises with South Korea.

This directly contradicts President Yoon's claim in an interview with domestic media that "South Korea and the U.S. are discussing operating U.S. nuclear forces under the concept of joint planning and joint exercises."

WSJ reported that North Korea's recent indiscriminate series of provocations have sparked debates in South Korea about independent nuclear weapons development and that South Korea is urging involvement in the operation of U.S. nuclear assets, including joint nuclear exercises.

Furthermore, as tensions on the Korean Peninsula rise due to North Korea's successive provocations, public support for nuclear weapons development is growing within South Korea. According to a poll conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA), the percentage of respondents supporting nuclear armament jumped from 55% in 2018 to 70% last year.

The White House reaffirmed the principle of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in response to President Yoon's mention of the possibility of independent nuclear armament and clarified that the direction the U.S. and South Korea are heading toward is strengthening extended deterrence. John Kirby, White House National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said at a briefing that "President Biden has committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and that remains unchanged."

He added, "It is clear that the South Korean government is not pursuing nuclear weapons. However, the U.S. and South Korea are jointly discussing expanding extended deterrence, and we will proceed in this direction."

Patrick Ryder, Department of Defense spokesperson, also stated, "U.S. policy remains focused on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," adding, "We cooperate with regional allies South Korea and Japan to protect security and deter attacks from countries like North Korea."