US Should Tell Kim Jong Un That Washington Will Use Nuclear Weapons Without 'Hesitation:' Trump-Era National Security Chief

Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton on Tuesday said Washington should redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula to make its deterrence against Kim Jong Un “credible.”

What Happened: Bolton, at a security conference in Seoul, said Washington should make it clear to Kim or his successor that the U.S. and South Korea would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if needed, reported Yonhap News Agency. 

"I think the United States should redeploy tactical nuclear weapons on the Peninsula, and they ought to be made very clear to Kim Jong Un and whatever relative is looking to succeed him in North Korea, that we in the government of South Korea will use tactical nuclear weapons without hesitation," Bolton said. 

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“That’s how you make deterrence credible,” Bolton said while stressing that such a measure would buy time for Seoul to “think long and hard” about whether it wants its own separate nuclear capability.

Bolton's comments came in response to an increasing sentiment among South Koreans for Seoul to develop its own nuclear arsenal.

Why It Matters: Bolton is known to have been instrumental in organizing two meetings between the U.S. and North Korea under Donald Trump's presidency. The security advisor is known to have voiced significant concerns about Pyongyang's previous statements regarding nuclear disarmament.

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