President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday dismissed calls for South Korea’s own nuclear armament, saying it would be “impossible” to gain the international community’s approval.
Lee made the remark during a Cabinet meeting amid renewed calls from some opposition lawmakers to push for the country’s nuclear armament.
The calls have come in light of the United States’ recent support for processes leading to South Korea’s civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful use.
“The uranium enrichment and nuclear reprocessing issues are in some ways not proceeding smoothly and swiftly. The reason for that is there are concerns about nuclear armament,” Lee said during the meeting at the presidential office, citing “various kinds of talk” in some departments of the U.S. government.
“If we were to go nuclear, it would be impossible to gain the approval of the U.S. or the international community, and economic and international sanctions would immediately follow. Would we be able to bear that?”
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun responded that South Korea would have to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and become a “second North Korea.”
Lee further stressed that the “impossible” arguments for nuclear armament were threatening to block South Korea’s pursuit of spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment capabilities.
“It would be great to go nuclear. And hard. The problem is, is that realistically possible?” he said, asking the foreign ministry to ensure the political circles stop such “irresponsible” talk.