President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Dec. 2, 2025. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday forcefully dismissed renewed proposals for South Korea to pursue its own nuclear weapons program, calling the idea “impossible” and warning that it would trigger immediate international backlash.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, Lee addressed growing calls from some opposition lawmakers to consider nuclear armament, a debate that has resurfaced following recent signals from Washington that it may support steps allowing South Korea to enrich uranium and reprocess spent fuel for civilian purposes.
Lee said progress on those discussions has been slow in part because of U.S. concerns that even peaceful nuclear activities could be misinterpreted as a move toward weapons development.
“There are worries about nuclear armament,” he said, referring to “various conversations” underway within parts of the U.S. government. “If we were to go nuclear, it would be impossible to gain the approval of the United States or the international community, and economic and diplomatic sanctions would immediately follow. Could we withstand that?”
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun echoed the warning, saying that pursuing a weapons program would effectively require Seoul to leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and “become a second North Korea.”
Lee said the persistent political rhetoric about nuclear armament is undermining South Korea’s efforts to expand its civilian nuclear capabilities, particularly in the areas of spent fuel reprocessing and uranium enrichment.
“It would be wonderful to go nuclear — and extremely difficult,” Lee said. “The problem is whether it is realistically possible.” He urged the foreign ministry to press political leaders to put an end to what he described as “irresponsible talk.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
