▲ Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, attends a meeting of the party's leadership at the National Assembly on June 26, 2024. (Yonhap)

DP-nuclear armament

DP says PPP's calls for nuclear armament 'extremely dangerous'

SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday voiced concerns over the ruling party's recent calls for South Korea to consider nuclear armament, labeling it as an unrealistic option.

Rep. Jung Chung-rae made the remarks during a Supreme Council meeting, opposing what he called an "irresponsible and extremely dangerous" idea raised by lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) running for the next party leader.

"They can argue as such but it's a bluff impossible to be realized," Jung said.

Chung also said the U.S. could choose economic retaliation if South Korea withdraws from the nonproliferation treaty and seeks nuclear weapons development, which would deal a heavy blow to the country's heavily export-dependent economy.

DP floor leader Park Chan-dae also criticized PPP lawmakers for attempting to "get out of a political quandary by inciting a security crisis."

The idea of South Korea's need for its own nuclear armament has gained traction last week after Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a treaty in Pyongyang offering immediate military assistance if either comes under attack.

Some experts have expressed concerns that the agreement could be seen as Russia's recognition of the North as a nuclear state.

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