Posted on 07/30/2017 11:57:08 AM PDT by ForYourChildren
No longer sure they can rely on the United States, an increasing number of South Korean lawmakers say their country should develop its own nuclear arsenal to deter an attack by Kim Jong Un, their belligerent neighbor to the north.
North Korea’s rapid missile advances, including successful tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in July and again on Friday, are reviving calls for South Korea to assert its “nuclear sovereignty.” South Koreans are wary of President Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and his calls for Asian allies to shoulder more of the defense burdens borne by the U.S. military.
“Trump’s ‘America-first’ policy has triggered this kind of public sentiment,” said Moon Chung In, a top national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae In. Trump also has wavered on his commitment to defending South Korea, he said, including suggesting during the campaign that South Korea and Japan should develop their own nuclear arsenals.
While President Moon, a liberal who took office in May, does not support calls for South Korea to join the nuclear club, polls show that a majority of South Koreans surveyed favor the idea. Support bumps higher whenever North Korea conducts a nuclear or missile test and members of South Korea’s two major conservative parties are pressing Moon to at least explore the nuclear option of developing nuclear weapons.
“They want to strike a better balance of power between South and North Korea, and I also support that position,” said Yoon Young Seok, an elected member of South Korea’s National Assembly who belongs to the conservative Liberty Korea Party. Yoon said that half of his party’s 107 lawmakers support South Korea arming itself with nuclear weapons.
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(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
I think I stayed there once.
I wouldn’t think that China would want this.
But China has let N. Korea act in the manner it is acting.
So S. Korea puts nukes that close to China mainland.
Go for it!
Art of the deal.
China wants to complain, too bad. We and S. Korea will then have more moral authority to take out N. Korea.
Where will they get their uranium or plutonium? You can’t just go down to the corner store and buy it.
“It is also unlikely that Beijing would sit idly by while South Korea deployed nuclear weapons nearby. China would likely ramp up its own arsenal, especially if Japan followed Seoul’s lead and launched its own nuclear weapons program.”
S. Korea and Japan to threaten to deploy nukes in response to N. Korea belligerence.
Or, take out N. Korea.
Which is it? China is not helping.
Maybe they can buy one from the north.
Just.
No.
This is getting silly now. If the south is nuked we would respond. If Japan is nuked, we would respond.
After we respond China and Russia responds.
The best way to contain the north is to shoot down everything leaving their air space. If we cannot do that yet, we should be working on that in Alaska.
S Korea has a much bigger economy than north. They can afford a big arsenal. So can Japan. Trump should make that clear to China.
You know.....if the price was right....
FYI
Yep, my first thought is that would be the best way to get China do do something about NK. Ditto nukes for Taiwan and Japan.
Don't stop there. N Korea threatens Japan and Taiwan too. Assist them to get nukes as well. Three anti-chineese countries nuclear capable would seriously put the crimp in Bejings won-ton
For far too long the U.S has been weak on China and it cuddling up to the mad men of NK.
Thank The Lord our current President is prepared to act tough
What could go wrong?
Can't blame them, especially after eight years of 0bama. Too many "coexist" libs (including on this forum). Japan and Taiwan will be next.
Not just a good response, but the only rational response. NK will never back down, it would be irrational. War with NK would be too high a price to pay. MAD is the only sensible option left.
Time for President Trump to announce, South Korea can have nukes to match the North and we are pulling our troops from South Korea after they are installed.
Add Japan to this mix as well.
Hey China! If you did something about Pyongyang Polly, then Seoul and Tokyo wouldn’t be pursing nuclear weapons. Maybe you should reconsider your position?
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