President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a joint press conference in the Czech Republic, Sept. 20. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol said Friday that South Korea is not considering developing its own nuclear weapons and instead is focusing on strengthening deterrence with the United States to counter North Korea's nuclear threat.

Yoon made the remark in an interview with the Czech newspaper Hospodarske Noviny during his trip to the Czech Republic, which came a week after North Korea unveiled its uranium enrichment facility for the first time.

Yoon reiterated South Korea's commitment to the Nuclear Consultative Group, which was established during a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in April 2023. In July, the two leaders adopted a nuclear strategy guideline that outlines South Korea's conventional military support for U.S. nuclear operations in case of a contingency.

"South Korea has established a mechanism that can effectively deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear threats without the need for its own nuclear armament," Yoon said in the written interview translated in English.

"South Korea is prioritizing bolstering its own military capabilities and bolstering the effectiveness of the extended deterrence with the U.S. against North Korean nuclear threats," he added.

Extended deterrence refers to Washington's commitment to defend its ally with the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear forces.

During his trip focused on the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) securing a major nuclear power deal in the Czech Republic, Yoon highlighted Seoul's efforts to revitalize the domestic nuclear industry by reversing the previous government's nuclear phase-out policy.

Last week, South Korea's nuclear watchdog approved the construction of the Shin-Hanul 3 and 4 reactors about eight years after the KHNP's request for the permits. The process was suspended in 2017 under the previous Moon Jae-in administration's push to reduce the country's dependence on nuclear energy.

"The construction of (the Shin-Hanul 3 and 4 reactors) means the full recovery of the nuclear energy ecosystem and is the strongest testament of South Korea's unwavering nuclear policy," Yoon said.

South Korea currently operates 26 atomic power plants, which supply about 30 percent of the nation's electricity. The number is expected to rise to 30 when the construction of four more reactors, including the Shin-Hanul 3 and 4 reactors, is completed. (Yonhap)