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Yoon warns North use of nuclear weapons will bring ‘end of regime’ to mark Armed Forces Day

Published: 26 Sep. 2023, 11:26 Updated: 26 Sep. 2023, 11:27

SARAH KIM
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President Yook Suk Yeol, right, conducts a military review in a car during a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Tuesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol warned that North Korea's use of nuclear weapons could bring about an end to the regime in an address marking the 75th Armed Forces Day Tuesday.

"The North Korean regime must clearly realize that nuclear weapons will never be able to guarantee its security," Yoon said during a commemorative ceremony at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. "If North Korea uses nuclear weapons, its regime will be brought to an end by an overwhelming response from the ROK-U.S. alliance."

He referred to the acronym for the South's official name, the Republic of Korea.

Yoon noted that despite repeated warnings from the international community over the past several decades, North Korea has been upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities.

"Moreover, it has been blatantly threatening to use nuclear weapons," which Yoon said "constitutes an existential threat to our people and a grave challenge to world peace."

He underscored the significance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Referring to his bilateral summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in April and the signing of the Washington Declaration, Yoon said the alliance "has become a more sophisticated nuclear-based alliance."

He said the two allies will establish a unified response system that "combines U.S. nuclear assets and our non-nuclear assets" through their bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group established through the declaration.

Yoon stressed that the frequent deployment of U.S. strategic assets in the Korean Peninsula will strengthen their joint deterrence against North Korea's nuclear weapons.

He added that the scope of cooperation will be expanded to include "outer space and cyber domains" and that their combined military exercises and training will be further bolstered.

He also warned the "North Korean regime's obsession with the development of nuclear weapons aggravates the North Korean people's suffering" and violates their human rights.

"We have learned from history that only a strong military can guarantee true peace," Yoon said. "I will do all I can to build a strong military that instills fear in the enemy and trust in the people."

South Korea will stage a large-scale military parade in downtown Seoul later Tuesday for the first time in a decade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the country's armed forces, which falls on Oct. 1.

It will feature tanks, fighter jets and other advanced military assets. Hundreds of troops from the Eight U.S. Army, under the U.S. Forces Korea, will march alongside the Korean military for the first time.

Police will be blocking off major roads and controlling traffic in downtown Seoul.

BY SARAH KIM [[email protected]]