North Korea could create a 'nuclear domino' effect in Asia: Seoul

North Korea could create a 'nuclear domino' effect in Asia: Seoul
by Thomas Maresca
Washington DC (UPI) Aug 22, 2024

Recognizing North Korea as a nuclear state threatens to create a domino effect that will cause an arms race around Northeast Asia, Seoul's top official on inter-Korean affairs warned Thursday, as he called on the United States to reaffirm support for denuclearization on the Peninsula.

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho made the remarks at a press briefing for foreign journalists while discussing the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Neither the Democratic nor Republican platforms mention denuclearization as a goal for American policy on North Korea -- a departure from the Democrats' 2020 platform and an omission that has sparked some concern in the South.

Kim, whose ministry oversees inter-Korean relations, said he believes that either incoming administration will take a closer look at the North Korean nuclear issue when taking office.

"Whichever party comes in, there will be a North Korean policy review at the beginning and during this process, we sincerely hope there will be a mention of the complete denuclearization of North Korea as one of the priorities," Kim said. "The South Korean government will also work closely to ensure that this idea is implemented in U.S. policy."

North Korea and the United States held nuclear negotiations during a period of detente in 2018 and 2019, but discussions ended after a Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump ended without an agreement.

Pyongyang restarted its weapons programs and in 2022 passed a law officially declaring itself a nuclear state with the right to conduct pre-emptive strikes -- a decision Kim Jong Un called "irreversible."

On Thursday, the minister emphasized the importance of strengthening deterrence against North Korea's provocations and protecting the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty regime.

"The South Korean government's stance is clear that we want the complete denuclearization of North Korea," Kim said. "When we start to recognize North Korea as a nuclear state, there will be instability in Northeast Asia. There will be a nuclear domino for the countries surrounding the region, and this will be the fall of the NPT regime."

Kim's remarks come a week after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outlined a vision for unification with North Korea and offered to open a working group for dialogue.

Yoon's blueprint for unification includes sparking change within the North through access to information from the outside world.

Kim echoed the importance of information reaching North Koreans, citing a ministry survey that found 80% of defectors had seen foreign media, including South Korean dramas and movies, within a year before escaping the country.

"There is a high level of voluntary desire for media content from North Korean people, " he said. "We will try our best to make sure that North Koreans' access to outside information is protected."

Two North Korean defectors made risky crossings at the inter-Korean border this month, with some speculation that South Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts may have contributed to their decisions.

Seoul has been conducting the broadcasts in the DMZ since mid-July, blasting K-pop songs and South Korean news and information across the border.

The move came in response to North Korea sending thousands of balloons carrying scrap paper, shredded clothing and manure into the South since early June, including one that spilled trash on President Yoon's compound.