Jin Jeong-seok: "No Withdrawal from NPT... 'Strengthening Nuclear Umbrella' Should Be Discussed as a Korea-US Agenda"

Repeated North Korean Missile Provocations
South Korea's Response System Must Also Change
Ruling Party to Consider Forming a Task Force for North Korea Nuclear Crisis Response

Jung Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is visiting and inspecting Seomun Market in Jung-gu, Daegu on the 13th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Jeong Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, emphasized on the 13th that "we cannot withdraw from the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) system" and stated, "It is necessary to strengthen the South Korea-US military alliance like an iron wall and discuss extended deterrence, that is, the nuclear umbrella."

After visiting Seomun Market in Daegu on the same day, Jeong Jin-seok told reporters, "North Korea's attack is approaching as a more serious reality than ever before, so we need to have a response and countermeasure system accordingly."

He said, "The United States provides us with extended deterrence, simply put, a nuclear umbrella," but added, "The anxiety felt by our people is deep."

As the reason, he explained, "Extended deterrence ultimately means that if North Korea launches a nuclear attack, the United States will retaliate. However, given that North Korea's ICBMs can reach the US mainland, there are tactical doubts, reliability, and effectiveness concerns about whether the US would indeed respond with a nuclear counterattack after being attacked."

He continued, "Such discussions should no longer be postponed and should be brought up as they are for dialogue. My basic stance is that this should be discussed as a concrete agenda between South Korea and the US."

Earlier, Chairman Jeong pointed out at an Emergency Committee meeting, "Since North Korea's withdrawal from the NPT in 1993, all the nightmares we feared have become reality," adding, "North Korea has now become a department store of nuclear weapons and missiles, possessing plutonium, uranium nuclear bombs, short-range, medium-range, and intercontinental ballistic missiles."

He said, "Since our country depends on international trade for its livelihood, I believe we cannot withdraw from or escape the NPT system," and added, "The extended deterrence and nuclear umbrella being discussed between South Korea and the US must be drastically strengthened."

Also, when meeting with media personnel from the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, Chairman Jeong said, "Over the past five years, former President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un met several times for what was called denuclearization peace talks, but it has become clear that this was all a nationwide scam and a disguised peace show," adding, "Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo already predicted it as a 'disguised peace show,' and he was right. He's like Hongstradamus."

Furthermore, he stated, "Considering the serious security situation, the People Power Party plans to review the formation of a task force (TF) within the party to respond to the North Korean nuclear crisis."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.