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Calls in South Korea for nuclear weapons as parliamentary poll looms

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Posted: February 15th, 2016

Officials in South Korea are calling for the country to develop its own nuclear weapons in order to deter North Korean aggression. Reuters reports that Won Yoo-chul, a senior leader in the ruling Saenuri party, has stated that South Korea should not have to depend on the United States’ nuclear umbrella for protection – or, as he put it, “we can’t borrow umbrellas from next-door every time it rains.” Two recent polls in South Korea found that over 50% of respondents are in favor of South Korea pursuing nuclear weapons. Calls for nuclear weapons in South Korea tend to increase whenever North Korea tests a nuclear device, so the current surge in support will likely wane as the threat from the north decreases.

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