In the strongest push yet, Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon bats for nuclear arms as North Korea has amassed 'dozens' of warheads

New Delhi: The mayor of South Korean capital Seoul, one of the most influential leaders of the manufacturing giant, has called for the country to be armed with nuclear weapons keeping in view the increasingly aggressive stance assumed by the North. Oh Se-hoon is an influential member of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative People Power Party, and has on several occasions vehemently argued that the country needs a nuclear weapons programme. In February, he said South Korea should keep the nuclear option available. But this time, the comments are his strongest yet. Oh Se-hoon has sparked the debate about how his country should arm itself as North Korea has been in recent years trying to perfect its capability to strike the South with tactical nuclear weapons. In an interview to Reuters, he said, “North Korea has nearly succeeded in miniaturising and lightening tactical nuclear weapons and secured at least dozens of warheads.” He added, “We’ve come to a point where it is difficult to convince people with the logic that we should refrain from developing nuclear weapons and stick to the cause of denuclearisation.” The Seoul mayor stated that the Ukraine war had solidified his belief that denuclearisation had lost its allure and that nuclear weapons would be the most effective deterrent against the North. According to The National News, he said, “Russia freely violates Ukraine’s air space, flying bombers and firing missiles … but Ukraine barely attacks Russian territory because of the psychological inferiority to a nuclear state.” He also claimed, “There may be some initial resistance from the international community, but I believe that it will gain more support eventually.” Loud calls for developing nuclear weapons A number of senior South Korean politicians in recent times have raised the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, which were withdrawn from the Korean Peninsula in the 1990s. Surveys have also portrayed a similar picture. A recent poll shows unprecedented levels of public support in the country for the once unthinkable idea of a home-grown nuclear arsenal. The poll by Data Research was released on 1 march, and it stated that more than 70 per cent of people supported developing nuclear weapons, while 27 per cent did not support the idea. It also showed that 59 per cent believe their neighbour, North Korea, will probably use nuclear weapons if war breaks out in the peninsula. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.