A test launch of South Korea’s indigenously developed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in 2021. South Korea became the seventh country in the world to possess an SLBM. (Image courtesy of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses)
SEOUL, Jun. 25 (Korea Bizwire) –On the 74th anniversary of the Korean War, Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu and a former conservative presidential candidate, renewed his call for South Korea to develop its own nuclear arsenal to counter North Korea’s nuclear threat.
In a Facebook post on June 25, Hong invoked the example of Charles de Gaulle, the former French president. “De Gaulle once challenged the United States, asking if they were prepared to see New York turned into a sea of fire to defend Paris,” Hong wrote.
He noted that de Gaulle subsequently withdrew France from NATO, developed nuclear weapons, and then rejoined the alliance.
Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, is one of the major opinion leaders in the conservative frontier, wielding significant political influence on key issues. (Image courtesy of Daegu City)
Drawing a parallel to South Korea’s situation, Hong posed a provocative question: “Can the United States defend Seoul while risking New York becoming a sea of fire?”
The mayor argued that Article 10 of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allows countries to withdraw for self-defense purposes.
“We need the same decisiveness as de Gaulle now,” he asserted, emphasizing the need for South Korea to pursue its own nuclear capabilities.
Hong criticized leaders who shy away from advocating nuclear armament for fear of being labeled as extreme right-wing. “We don’t need timid leaders who only watch the left-wingers,” he said.
He called for a swift revision of the U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement to secure nuclear fuel reprocessing rights, similar to those held by Japan.
The mayor expressed confidence that the United States would eventually accept South Korea’s defensive nuclear armament to maintain military balance in Northeast Asia.
In a separate post, Hong drew comparisons between the current situation and the outbreak of the Korean War. “Just as Kim Il-sung received support from Stalin before invading the South in 1950, what is Kim Jong-un planning after getting support from Putin?” he questioned, arguing that achieving nuclear parity between North and South Korea is the only solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
