South Korean defence chief: building nuclear arms would roil US ties, markets

South Korea could rupture its alliance with the US and shock financial markets if it were to start building nuclear weapons, Seoul’s Defence Minister said on August 7, 2024. Shin Won-sik dismissed renewed domestic calls for the South to develop its own arsenal to deter the North. As Pyongyang rapidly expands its nuclear and missile capabilities, there have been growing calls for developing nuclear weapons in South Korea including from officials and members of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s ruling conservative party.