SEOUL - South Korea issued a dire warning to North Korea on Sunday, stating that the use of nuclear weapons would lead to the collapse of its regime. This strong statement came from Seoul's defense ministry as tensions continue to escalate on the Korean Peninsula.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the warning was a response to aggressive statements from North Korea following the adoption of new "Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula" by South Korea and the United States. The guidelines, which were signed in Washington last Thursday, have been criticized by North Korea as a "reckless provocative act," leading to threats of severe repercussions for Seoul and Washington. "We sternly warn that there is no scenario in which North Korea's regime will survive after using nuclear weapons," the ministry stated.
The guidelines call for an increased presence of U.S. strategic assets in the region, enhancing the deterrence capabilities of the allies during both peacetime and wartime scenarios. In response to these developments, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden have warned of a "swift, overwhelming, and decisive" response to any North Korean nuclear aggression.
The South Korean defense ministry criticized North Korea's condemnation of the deterrence efforts, labeling it as self-contradictory given Pyongyang's own nuclear threats. The ministry emphasized that the joint guidelines were necessitated by North Korea's advancing nuclear capabilities and its explicit threats, stating, "Without North Korean nuclear threats in the first place, those joint guidelines would not have been necessary."
The ongoing nuclear missile development by North Korea, despite international opposition and the suffering it causes its own people, was also highlighted as a major factor in rising tensions. The ministry's statement reiterated a similar warning issued in April following North Korea's claims of conducting rocket drills simulating a nuclear counterattack, underlining the serious implications of North Korea's actions on regional stability.