South Korea plead with Kim Jong-un to NOT ‘possess nuclear weapon' - will not be tolerated
SOUTH Korea will not “develop or possess nukes” and has called on Kim Jong-un to do the same, the country has said.
Moon Jae-in has been under increasing pressure from opposition parties to redeploy US weapons
During a speech at the National Assembly, President Moon Jae-in emphasised the country’s commitment to peace through denuclearisation.
He said: "In accordance with the declaration of denuclearisation jointly announced by the South and the North, a nuclear-armed North Korea can neither be tolerated nor accepted.
“We too will not develop or possess nukes.
"What we want to realise is peace on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, there can never be any armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula under any circumstances.
“There cannot be any military action on the Korean Peninsula without a prior consent of the Republic of Korea.”
However, the President added that the country is fully prepared to retaliate in the event of provocation by its rogue neighbour.
He went on: "To this end, we must secure overwhelming power. We will also closely work with the international community, based on the strong Korea-US alliance.
"We must decide the fate of our own nation.
"We will not repeat the unfortunate history of having our fate decided regardless of our wishes, such as the Japanese colonial rule of Korea and the division of the two Koreas."
Moon Jae-in has been under increasing pressure from opposition parties to redeploy US tactical nuclear weapons in the country as world tensions soar due to threats of nuclear annihilation from despot leader Kim Jong-un.
Former ambassador: China ready to turn up heat on North Korea
The calls for an increased reliance on the US comes as the two nations recently teamed up to carry out military drills on the Korean peninsula last month.
The first week of exercises involved fighter jets, helicopters and naval ships with the gargantuan USS Ronald Reagan also reportedly making an appearance.
The second set revolved around an evacuation drill that simulated events after a hypothetical North Korean provocation.
Issues surrounding North Korea will surely be discussed when Donald Trump visits South Korea
President Moon Jae-in emphasised the country’s commitment to peace through denuclearisation
The Joint Declaration between the two Koreas agrees that both will neither test, manufacture, possess or produce nuclear weapons, an agreement that is severely contradicted by North Korea’s touted nuclear ambitions.
Issues surrounding North Korea will surely be discussed when Donald Trump visits South Korea later this month.
The US president will begin his tour of Asia on 4 November and will also include stops in South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.