Prime Minister Han Duck Soo stressed that South Korea needs to continue building deterrence capabilities through cooperation with allies or the international community. (Source: The Korea Times)

Speaking to reporters at the Government House, Prime Minister Han Duck Soo said Seoul and Washington are in the process of implementing the Washington Declaration adopted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden last year, including the White House's commitment to defend South Korea with all its military capabilities, including nuclear.

Prime Minister Han stressed that Seoul should now focus on fully implementing the agreement reached between the two countries.

The "better option" would be to defend the country without using nuclear weapons, the South Korean prime minister argued, as doing so would weaken Seoul's case for persuading Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Mr. Han emphasized that South Korea needs to continue building deterrence capabilities through cooperation with allies or the international community.

Prime Minister Han's remarks come amid growing calls for South Korea to develop nuclear weapons after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive cooperation pact last week that included a commitment to mutual defense.