Gov. Nam Kyung Pil Calls for Nuclear Armament
South Korean Governor Nam Kyung Pil of Gyeonggi Province said that the country must prepare for nuclear armament amidst the evolving missile and nuclear threats from North Korea.
According to a report from the Korea Herald, Nam, who is also believed as a strong candidate for the presidential election for the Saenuri Party, made the comment in an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Sunday. He also mentioned about the concerns that the United States may withdraw its nuclear umbrella from over South Korea.
He said, "It is time for us to consider various options, and one of them is to prepare for nuclear armament. Preparations for nuclear armament should begin with the next government, or, in fact, now."
He further reasoned that South Korea can begin the discussion with the United States after its internal preparation, even though the nuclear weapons cannot be obtained quickly.
Regarding the alliance between the United States and South Korea, Nam said that there has been a shift in the US public perception toward it. He continued, "If Trump wins the election, this change in the nuclear umbrella policy could very quickly become a reality, and even if Trump isn't elected, the issue will resurface in the US political circles because the US public perception has already shifted a lot."
Nam raised the issue about the wartime operational control (OPCON) of the country's military. According to the South Korea-United States alliance, a commander of the United States will have control over South Korean troops in the event of a war with the North. Two allies initially planned to transfer OPCON to Seoul last year, but later postponed the move to an undetermined date in the mid-2020s.
Nam stated, "For now, this means the US will not transfer OPCON, and only do it when the North Korean nuclear issue is somewhat resolved. There is a talk in the US of a unilateral preemptive strike against North Korea. If this happens, we will have no choice without OPCON. North Korea does not want to recognize us as a dialogue partner, saying we do not even have OPCON."
He ended, "We must change the current structure under which our people's lives and safety are beyond our control. In this new security environment, the government and the political circles must join hands. The president should also demonstrate a leadership of joint governance at this critical time."
