SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon reacted negatively Wednesday to calls for South Korea to possess nuclear weapons, saying the move would undermine Seoul's calls for North Korea to denuclearize, trigger a nuclear arms race and put the country under international sanctions.
Calls for nuclear armament have gained traction as Pyongyang stepped up its nuclear and missile programs, with two nuclear tests last year, as well as a series of missile launches, including those capable of reaching the continental U.S.
Reflecting such calls, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party adopted a demand Wednesday for the redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear arms as its official party line during a general meeting of its lawmakers.
"If we say we're going to have nuclear weapons while putting forward the goal of North Korea's denuclearization, it will end up undermining the justification of our demand for denuclearization and further accelerating nuclear armament in Northeast Asia," Lee said in an interview with YTN television.
"It will also mean that we have to be prepared for international economic sanctions. This is not an issue that we can make a hasty decision on," he said.
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