President Park Geun-hye has warned that a new nuclear test by North Korea could lead to, “a nuclear domino effect,” that might provide its neighbors with a pretext to arm themselves with nuclear weapons, as she sat down with Wall Street Journal Managing Editor Gerard Baker in Seoul on May 28.

President Park said that her government would keep the door open for dialogue with the North and at the same time acknowledged that the North’s additional nuclear tests would take, “a huge toll,” on security across the Korean Peninsula.


“North Korea would effectively be crossing the Rubicon if they were to conduct another nuclear test,” the president said. That, she added, would make the six-party talks lose their purpose.

President Park argued that another nuclear test by North Korea could result in its neighbors considering the creation of their own nuclear weapons. “If so, we could reach a point where we could not prevent the so-called ‘nuclear domino effect’ from happening,” the president continued.

On top of that, she said that her government would keep seeking to build trust between the two Koreas and that at the same time she would maintain her basic stance that the North, an economically deprived nation, could have opportunities to develop its economy if it was to turn down the path of bilateral cooperation.


President Park also observed that China has played a very important role in terms of shaping peace and security across the peninsula. As for issues concerning Japan, she urged the neighbor to adopt a proper view of history and hoped that the two countries would start creating a favorable environment to build bilateral trust, especially as 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

Calling Japan “an important partner,” the president said it still has to resolve its issues concerning history. “Japan must move forward in the right direction, one that no longer triggers worries with its neighbors, and the U.S., too, should raise its voice and urge it to face up to history.”

In addition, President Park stressed that the safety regulations and regulatory reforms her administration has put forth after the ferry tragedy would contribute to the promotion of economic growth, rather than conflict with it.

“Regulations that are basically aimed at protecting and saving lives and ensuring the safety of the people, and also at creating fair markets, should be implemented and strengthened,” President Park said.

She concluded the interview by saying that, “if economic innovation is to be effectively implemented, it would surely lead to a strong, sound economy, which would, in turn, provide the foundation for economic vitalization.”


By Wi Tack-whan, Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writers
whan23@korea.kr