South Korean president reiterates that Seoul will not seek its own nuclear deterrent

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated that the country would not seek its own nuclear deterrent in the face of threats from nuclear-armed North Korea as he vowed efforts to sharpen nuclear deterrence strategies with ally United States to calm security jitters in the South. In a pre-recorded interview with KBS television that aired Monday night, Yoon insisted that South Korea clearly has the technology to quickly acquire in nuclear weapons capabilities if it ever decides to do so. But taking that step isn’t a realistic option, he said, as it would devastate the country’s trade-dependent economy by inviting international sanctions.