{"id":2200408,"date":"2023-03-15T19:16:42","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T10:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200408"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:07:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:07:56","slug":"why-the-mayor-of-seoul-a-municipal-leader-is-calling-for-nuclear-weapons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/03\/why-the-mayor-of-seoul-a-municipal-leader-is-calling-for-nuclear-weapons\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the mayor of Seoul, a municipal leader, is calling for nuclear weapons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon endorsed the idea that South Korea should acquire its own nuclear weapons to bolster defenses against North Korea this week, even at the risk of <\/span>international repercussions<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh\u2019s comments in an <\/span>interview<\/span><\/a> with <\/span>Reuters<\/span><\/i> were not the first time he has argued for the ROK\u2019s nuclear armament, but they were his most explicit to date and added <\/span>fuel to the fire of a debate<\/span><\/a> that President Yoon Suk-yeol began<\/a> earlier this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it may seem odd that the leader of a municipal government is so vocal about nuclear arms, Oh is a likely candidate for South Korea\u2019s presidential race in 2027 and holds an office with outsized influence in ROK politics. And in the coming months and years, he is likely to push public discourse further in the direction of acquiring the bomb.<\/span><\/p>\n

MAYOR OF SEOUL<\/b><\/p>\n

About <\/span>9.6 million<\/span><\/a> people reside in Seoul, roughly a fifth of the country\u2019s population. An <\/span>OECD study<\/span><\/a> from 2018 showed that Seoul\u2019s contribution to South Korea\u2019s gross domestic product (GDP) \u2014 49.4% \u2014 was the highest of any capital city in a developed nation. The OECD median was 26.7%.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sheer size of the city and the political weight of the mayor\u2019s office allow the Seoul mayor to be treated as a ministerial-level official and <\/span>attend presidential cabinet meetings<\/span><\/a>. It is, therefore, not an exaggeration when the Seoul mayor is unofficially referred to as the second president.<\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>Gallup Korea poll<\/span><\/a> from earlier this month also found that among the likely conservative candidates who will run for president in 2027, Oh came in third with 11%. The top two candidates were Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon (30%) and Daegu mayor and former People Power Party (PPP) leader Hong Jun-pyo (16%).<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh does not lead in the polls, but he has plenty of time to improve his poll numbers before the next election. His office has already announced significant public work projects such as the <\/span>Great Han River Project Plan<\/span><\/a>, which would lead to sweeping changes to Seoul\u2019s riverscape, and building the <\/span>world\u2019s second-largest Ferris wheel<\/span><\/a> along the river.<\/span><\/p>\n

He has also pledged to <\/span>cut taxes<\/span><\/a> for foreign firms to turn Seoul\u2019s Yeouido district into an international financial hub and has taken on the unpleasant but vital task of <\/span>reforming<\/span><\/a> how the city\u2019s public transportation is run.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since assuming office in <\/span>2021<\/span><\/a>, he has burnished his conservative credentials by pursuing <\/span>deregulatory<\/span><\/a> economic policies. Among his more high-profile deregulatory measures, Oh scrapped the city\u2019s building height limit, allowing construction companies to erect residential structures exceeding 35 floors. This move is expected to increase housing, thus spurring this vital sector, and prompt the redevelopment of older neighborhoods in Seoul.<\/span><\/p>\n

And since the ruling PPP has <\/span>majority control<\/span><\/a> of the city council, Oh will have few obstacles to implementing his agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

U.S. and South Korean air forces participate in a joint exercise, Dec. 20, 2022 | Image: Facebook<\/a><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

DEFENSE HAWK<\/b><\/p>\n

Matters of national security are strictly outside of the Seoul mayor\u2019s portfolio. However, Oh hasn\u2019t let this or his lack of military command experience stop him from jumping on the nuclear armament bandwagon.<\/span><\/p>\n

President Yoon Suk-yeol <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> earlier this year that South Korea could rapidly develop its own nuclear weapons if threats stemming from North Korea\u2019s weapons of mass destruction become \u201cmore serious.\u201d But he quickly pivoted by adding that Seoul has to choose \u201crealistically possible means\u201d for its defense, emphasizing the need to bolster extended deterrence with the U.S.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh makes no such caveats, and it\u2019s easy to see why.<\/span><\/p>\n

More than 76% of South Koreans agree that the country needs to develop an indigenous, independent nuclear weapons program to counter North Korea\u2019s nuclear threat, according to another <\/span>Gallup Korea poll<\/span><\/a> published last month. The respondents self-identified as moderate (52%), conservative (24%) and progressive (24%).<\/span><\/p>\n

That so many people support nuclear armament strongly implies that there is support for it across the political spectrum in response to North Korea\u2019s ongoing nuclear weapons program, China\u2019s rising military strength and uncertainty about American commitment to the ROK\u2019s defense. As such, calling for nuclear armament does not cost ROK politicians, especially those that identify as conservatives, much in the way of political support.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh likely feels comfortable with his poll numbers at the moment. The main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who currently leads in polls when people are asked whom they favor to be the next president, is in <\/span>legal trouble<\/span><\/a>. And his two main conservative rivals lack the kind of executive experience Oh has. Oh is perfectly positioned to portray himself as a tough leader who gets things done.<\/span><\/p>\n

Further, there is a non-zero chance that <\/span>Donald Trump<\/span><\/a> or another candidate who <\/span>questions U.S. commitments abroad<\/span><\/a> could become the next U.S. president, so South Korean voters remain concerned about their country\u2019s national security. According to one account, Trump indicated to his close aides that he would \u201c<\/span>blow up<\/span><\/a>\u201d the U.S.-South Korea alliance if reelected in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these factors work in Oh\u2019s favor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although the news media has widely covered Oh\u2019s battles with marginalized citizens, such as the <\/span>disabled<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>LGBTQ<\/span><\/a> communities, he likely considers such minority groups too few to threaten his political ambitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is nothing to indicate which way Oh will lean on nuclear armament when presidential campaigns begin in earnest, much less if he is elected president. But for now, his insistence on the need for a South Korean nuclear weapons program, coupled with his outsized political influence, will continue to harden public support for acquiring such weapons of mass destruction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Edited by Bryan Betts<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Defense & Security<\/span><\/a>Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a>Inter-Korean & Foreign Relations<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon endorsed the idea that South Korea should acquire its own nuclear weapons to bolster defenses against North Korea this week, even at the risk of international repercussions. Oh\u2019s comments in an interview with Reuters were not the first time he has argued for the ROK\u2019s nuclear armament, but they were his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2200409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[26,27,28],"yoast_head":"\nWhy the mayor of Seoul, a municipal leader, is calling for nuclear weapons - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/03\/why-the-mayor-of-seoul-a-municipal-leader-is-calling-for-nuclear-weapons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why the mayor of Seoul, a municipal leader, is calling for nuclear weapons - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon endorsed the idea that South Korea should acquire its own nuclear weapons to bolster defenses against North Korea this week, even at the risk of international repercussions. 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