Yoon says S. Korea-U.S. alliance will immediately strike N. Korea if it attempts nuclear attack: Newsweek

President Yoon Suk Yeol said a nuclear-based alliance between South Korea and the United States will immediately strike if North Korea attempts a nuclear attack against the South, according to an interview published Friday.

Yoon made the remark during an interview with U.S. magazine Newsweek to address growing concerns over North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.

“I believe that it would be irrational for them to decide to wage a nuclear attack against the Republic of Korea and should they do so the nuclear-based ROK-U.S. alliance will immediately strike North Korea with the U.S. nuclear weapon,” Yoon said, referring to South Korea’s official name.

Yoon highlighted South Korea’s advanced defense and attack capabilities against the North’s potential nuclear attacks.

“We have our capabilities and we are improving our capability to strike the launching point and to intercept their missiles and to strike their command and control centers,” he said.

Yoon reiterated South Korea’s stance against developing its own nuclear weapons, cautioning such a move could prompt neighboring countries like Japan and Taiwan to pursue nuclear arms and escalate regional tensions.

He said Seoul remains committed to countering Pyongyang’s nuclear threats through the Nuclear Consultative Group, established as part of the Washington Declaration agreed upon during his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023.