Defense Minister Nominee Kim Yong-hyun "Including the Possibility of Independent Nuclear Armament"

At the Confirmation Hearing: "Including Nuclear Armament Potential"
To Opposition Lawmakers: "Do Not Spread False Propaganda"

Kim Yong-hyun, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, stated at the National Assembly confirmation hearing on the 2nd, "Possessing nuclear weapons independently is also included among all possibilities." This is interpreted to mean that if it is judged difficult to respond to the North Korean nuclear threat through extended deterrence by the U.S.-South Korea alliance, it may be necessary to consider securing nuclear armament potential.

Kim Yong-hyun, the nominee for Minister of National Defense, is speaking at the confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

At the National Assembly confirmation hearing on the 2nd, in response to a question from Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party asking, "What do you think about securing nuclear armament potential?" Kim said, "That is also included among all possibilities." Earlier, on the 16th of last month, when asked by reporters about the possibility of independent nuclear armament, Kim replied, "The basic response to the North Korean nuclear threat is based on extended deterrence and the nuclear umbrella," adding, "However, from the standpoint of prioritizing the safety of the people, if it is judged that it is difficult to handle the North Korean nuclear threat with that, all means and methods are open."

Regarding a question from Yoo about the female volunteer soldier system, which has been discussed due to the sharp decline in military manpower resources, Kim responded, "It needs to be considered as one of the various measures to solve the (military manpower shortage) problem," and added, "I think now is a time when national consensus is needed." The female volunteer soldier system allows women to apply as soldiers. Currently, women can only apply as officers or non-commissioned officers.

Kim also showed signs of irritation. In response to opposition party allegations about preparations for martial law, he said, "The confirmation hearing is not a place for political agitation." Park Sun-won of the Democratic Party, who was the first to question at the hearing, pressed Kim, asking if he had intervened in military personnel affairs to "fill the ranks with the most loyal people for martial law preparations."

Park also raised suspicions about martial law preparations recently mentioned by some in the opposition, asking, "Did you call the Defense Security Command commander, Special Forces commander, and Counterintelligence commander to your official residence in Hannam-dong recently?" and "What did you talk about? Did you mention martial law?" Kim denied the allegations raised by Park, stating, "I believe the confirmation hearing is not a place for false agitation or political agitation based on untrue facts." Regarding the opposition's criticism that relocating the presidential office to Yongsan was inappropriate in terms of the president's survivability in emergencies, he countered that compared to the underground bunker of the former Blue House, the current presidential office and the underground bunker of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are "much stronger."