Seoul reaffirms commitment to ‘nuclear-free’ Korean Peninsula

Seoul reaffirms commitment to ‘nuclear-free’ Korean Peninsula. October. 21, 2016 07:10. by 워싱턴=윤상호군사전문기자ysh1005@donga.com . South Korea has reaffirmed its position on a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. At a 2+2 meeting in Washington on Thursday (Korean time) involving foreign and defense ministers of South Korea and the United States, South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Seoul will adhere to the principle of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula as one of the most exemplary non-nuclear state. The remark is a clear message to the international community that South Korea will not accept calls in its political circles for Seoul’s nuclear armament.

Yun reaffirmed the non-nuclear principle in an answer to an NBC reporter’s question after a joint news conference with his U.S. counterpart John Kerry.

He elaborated on Seoul’s non-nuclear position as if he had prepared for the question. “(South) Korea is at the forefront when it comes to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” he said. “And as was mentioned by President Park Geun-hye on a number of occasions, a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula is one of the goals of our policies on the part of the Korean Government. As such, Korea is one of the most exemplary nuclear-free countries and when it comes to the ever-mounting missile and nuclear threats of North Korea… it is time for us to exert greater efforts between our two nations, the R.O.K. and the U.S., and we will engage in stronger partnership and efforts so that we can press North Korea in all dimensions.”

Korea’s nuclear armament, as the two allies agreed at the 2+2 meeting to establish an Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG), which is similar to the NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, and to effectively strengthen Washington’s “extended deterrence” protection of Seoul from Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile threats.

Separately, a senior South Korean government official told reporters after the 2+2 meeting that Seoul is closely watching messages from former U.S. officials and Korean Peninsula analysts about “not ruling out any options possible,” which include military actions against North Korea. The official stressed that pressures on Pyongyang can be effective only when diplomatic pressures and military deterrence work simultaneously.