Originally published by Gatestone Institute
Commentary
South Korea’s president has just told the world that he no longer has confidence in the United States.
“It’s possible that the problem gets worse and our country will introduce tactical nuclear weapons or build them on our own,” said President Yoon Suk-yeol on Jan. 11, at a joint briefing by his country’s defense and foreign ministries. “If that’s the case, we can have our own nuclear weapons pretty quickly, given our scientific and technological capabilities.”
America has a treaty obligation to defend the Republic of Korea, as South Korea is formally known, and Washington has extended its “nuclear umbrella” to protect it. In other words, the United States has pledged it will, if necessary, launch its most destructive weapons at those attacking South Korea. For Yoon to announce that his government might have to arm itself with nukes, therefore, is to in effect announce that he does not trust Washington to honor its word….