South Korean nuclear weapons would break U.S. ties, defense chief says

South Korean Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik on during an interview in Seoul on Wednesday | REUTERS

by HYONHEE SHIN AND JOSH SMITH
August 8, 2024

SEOUL – South Korea could rupture its U.S. alliance and shock financial markets if it started building nuclear weapons, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik has said, dismissing renewed domestic calls for the country's own arsenal to deter North Korea.

As the neighboring North rapidly expands nuclear and missile capabilities, more South Korean officials and members of President Yoon Suk-yeol's conservative ruling party have called in recent months for nuclear weapons development.

The prospect of another term for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who complained about the cost of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and launched unprecedented talks with the North, has further fueled the debate.