S.Korean ruling party chief opposes acquiring nuclear arsenal

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - The ruling party chief in South Korea on Wednesday voiced opposition to acquiring a nuclear arsenal at this stage, according to local media.

The potential losses “outweigh the benefits,” said Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, while he backed President Yoon Suk-yeol’s hardened policy against North Korea, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

"We are not at a stage where we can officially state that we should possess nukes," Han said.

Han’s comments came as a recent survey revealed that around 73% of South Koreans think their country should develop a nuclear arsenal.

According to the poll conducted by Gallup Korea and commissioned by the Seoul-based Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, 72.8% or around three-quarters of those surveyed said they support South Korea having nuclear weapons when asked about their opinions on the country's development of an atomic arsenal.

Han reiterated that North Korea “is not a nuclear power,” adding that the country’s leader Kim Jong-un needed “to reaffirm his presence” by launching a barrage of missiles in recent weeks.