Calls in South Korea for nuclear weapons as parliamentary poll looms

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.