--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To respond to North Korea by having our…" description: "\"To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in No..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg" --- # To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear… ![“To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.” quote by Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg) > “To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.” [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Building a nuclear arsenal to counter North Korea threatens regional stability and may trigger an arms race. **In simple terms:** Nuclear buildup invites more conflict. Key Takeaway Seek diplomatic solutions over armament. Themes security peace geopolitics Mood cautious concerned Type political strategic When to use this quote - policy negotiations - international summits - defense planning - public forums Key Concepts deterrence arms race regional stability Questions to Reflect On - What alternatives to nuclear weapons can ensure peace? - How can regional trust be built without escalation? A Different Perspective May underestimate immediate security concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arms race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms-race/) [Korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/korea/) [North korea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/north-korea/) [Nuclear arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-arms/) [Nuclear arms race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-arms-race/) [Nuclear weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuclear-weapons/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) ## Related quotes > [But scientists on both sides of the iron curtain played a very significant role in maintaining the momentum of the nuclear arms race throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rotblat/but-scientists-on-both-sides-of-the-iron-curtain-played-a-very/) [Joseph Rotblat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rotblat/) > [We cannot afford to have a nuclear arms race in the most volatile region of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-cannot-afford-to-have-a-nuclear-arms-race-in-the-most-volatile/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As a military man who has given half a century of active service I say in all sincerity that the nuclear arms race has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-mountbatten/as-a-military-man-who-has-given-half-a-century-of-active-service-i/) [Lord Mountbatten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-mountbatten/) > [A nuclear Iran is a threat to America's national security, and it is a threat to Israel's national security. We cannot afford to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/a-nuclear-iran-is-a-threat-to-america-s-national-security-and-it-is-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The nuclear arms race has no military purpose. Wars cannot be fought with nuclear weapons. Their existence only adds to our perils.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-mountbatten/the-nuclear-arms-race-has-no-military-purpose-wars-cannot-be-fought/) [Lord Mountbatten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-mountbatten/) > [The nuclear arms race is like two people sitting in a pool of gasoline spending all their time making matches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-denver/the-nuclear-arms-race-is-like-two-people-sitting-in-a-pool-of/) [John Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-denver/) > [If Iran becomes a nuclear weapon state it is the end of non-proliferation as we know it. If Iran gets a nuclear weapon you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liam-fox/if-iran-becomes-a-nuclear-weapon-state-it-is-the-end-of-non/) [Liam Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liam-fox/) > [We don't need another nuclear arms race to proceed a pace and then to encourage other countries to become very, to develop these kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazie-hirono/we-don-t-need-another-nuclear-arms-race-to-proceed-a-pace-and-then-to/) [Mazie Hirono](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazie-hirono/) > [The nuclear arms race is like two sworn enemies standing waist deep in gasoline, one with three matches, the other with five.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-nuclear-arms-race-is-like-two-sworn-enemies-standing-waist-deep/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Without a deal \[with Iran\], the international sanctions regime will unravel with little ability to reimpose them. With this deal, we have the possibility… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/without-a-deal-with-iran-the-international-sanctions-regime-will/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [...convince all nuclear powers, including those which have been more reluctant up to now, of the necessity to respect the "vital interests" of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-garcia-robles/convince-all-nuclear-powers-including-those-which-have-been-more/) Alfonso Garcia Robles > [I agree that we need a working relationship with Russia to deescalate a nuclear arms race, to resolve the crisis in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-vanden-heuvel/i-agree-that-we-need-a-working-relationship-with-russia-to-deescalate/) [Katrina vanden Heuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-vanden-heuvel/) > [We will stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power. We will stop that nuclear arms race that could happen in the Middle East. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/we-will-stop-iran-from-becoming-a-nuclear-power-we-will-stop-that/) [Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/) > [Our tolerance of the intolerable found a low threshold as early as the late 1950s with the grotesque excesses of McCarthyism, which destroyed so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/our-tolerance-of-the-intolerable-found-a-low-threshold-as-early-as/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [My activities, for which I gratefully accept this Award, are today what they have been for over thirty-five years and will be for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-ellsberg/my-activities-for-which-i-gratefully-accept-this-award-are-today-what/) [Daniel Ellsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-ellsberg/) ## More by Moon Jae-in > [During the periods when South Korea played a more active role, the inter-Korean relationship was more peaceful, and there was less tension between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/during-the-periods-when-south-korea-played-a-more-active-role-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [I believe President Trump is more reasonable than he is generally perceived. President Trump uses strong rhetoric toward North Korea, but during the election…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-believe-president-trump-is-more-reasonable-than-he-is-generally/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [No one shall take a military action on the Korean Peninsula without South Korean consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/no-one-shall-take-a-military-action-on-the-korean-peninsula-without/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [We must embrace the North Korean people as part of the Korean nation, and to do that, whether we like it or not, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/we-must-embrace-the-north-korean-people-as-part-of-the-korean-nation/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [When peaceful reunification comes, the first thing I want to do is to take my 90-year-old mother and go to her home town.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/when-peaceful-reunification-comes-the-first-thing-i-want-to-do-is-to/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [I will be a president that can share a glass of soju with the public after work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-will-be-a-president-that-can-share-a-glass-of-soju-with-the-public/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [In 1988, the Summer Olympics were held in Korea, which was a divided country... It was an opportunity for the East and the West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/in-1988-the-summer-olympics-were-held-in-korea-which-was-a-divided/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [I believe that dialogue is necessary. We were unable to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue through only the sanctions and pressure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/i-believe-that-dialogue-is-necessary-we-were-unable-to-resolve-the/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [The message that we must send to North Korea is twofold: If the North Korean regime believes that it can defend and protect itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/the-message-that-we-must-send-to-north-korea-is-twofold-if-the-north/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [There will be no war repeated on the Korean Peninsula.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/there-will-be-no-war-repeated-on-the-korean-peninsula/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [My parents fled from North Korea during the Korean War because they despised the North Korean Communist regime. They fled to seek freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/my-parents-fled-from-north-korea-during-the-korean-war-because-they/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [For Korea, ASEAN has undoubtedly been a special and valued friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/for-korea-asean-has-undoubtedly-been-a-special-and-valued-friend/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [President Trump should win the Nobel Peace Prize. What we need is only peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/president-trump-should-win-the-nobel-peace-prize-what-we-need-is-only/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [Denuclearization and the lasting peace on the Korean peninsula cannot be abandoned or delayed, as they are the historical assignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/denuclearization-and-the-lasting-peace-on-the-korean-peninsula-cannot/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) > [Poverty dictated my childhood. But there were benefits as well: I became independent, more mature than my peers, and I realized that money is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/poverty-dictated-my-childhood-but-there-were-benefits-as-well-i/) [Moon Jae-in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) [Explore all 67 Moon Jae-in quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/) ## More Arms race quotes > [Gee, I wish we had one of them doomsday machines things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/gee-i-wish-we-had-one-of-them-doomsday-machines-things/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [We do not have the right to forget that reactionary imperialism exists and its forces actively operate in the world, that they encourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-grechko/we-do-not-have-the-right-to-forget-that-reactionary-imperialism/) Andrei Grechko > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [But scientists on both sides of the iron curtain played a very significant role in maintaining the momentum of the nuclear arms race throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-rotblat/but-scientists-on-both-sides-of-the-iron-curtain-played-a-very/) [Joseph Rotblat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-rotblat/) > [The Iranian regime supports violent extremists and challenges us across the region. It pursues a nuclear capability that could spark a dangerous arms race…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-iranian-regime-supports-violent-extremists-and-challenges-us/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Our tolerance of the intolerable found a low threshold as early as the late 1950s with the grotesque excesses of McCarthyism, which destroyed so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/our-tolerance-of-the-intolerable-found-a-low-threshold-as-early-as/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [A program of "disarmament," while imperialist antagonisms survive, is the most pernicious of fictions. Even if it were realized by way of general agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-trotsky/a-program-of-disarmament-while-imperialist-antagonisms-survive-is-the/) [Leon Trotsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-trotsky/) > [We will stop Iran from becoming a nuclear power. We will stop that nuclear arms race that could happen in the Middle East. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-jindal/we-will-stop-iran-from-becoming-a-nuclear-power-we-will-stop-that/) [Bobby Jindal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-jindal/) > [India, Pakistan, China, Singapore and South Korea are heavily investing in nuclear arms. Since 21st century is the century of Asia, Asian countries should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/india-pakistan-china-singapore-and-south-korea-are-heavily-investing/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [Because there is global insecurity, nations are engaged in a mad arms race, spending billions of dollars wastefully on instruments of destruction, when millions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/desmond-tutu/because-there-is-global-insecurity-nations-are-engaged-in-a-mad-arms/) [Desmond Tutu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/desmond-tutu/) > [I agree that we need a working relationship with Russia to deescalate a nuclear arms race, to resolve the crisis in Syria.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katrina-vanden-heuvel/i-agree-that-we-need-a-working-relationship-with-russia-to-deescalate/) [Katrina vanden Heuvel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katrina-vanden-heuvel/) > [“the Russian assault rifle would see its first combat use—both by conventional forces and by insurgents. The United States military, all the while, would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-chivers/the-russian-assault-rifle-would-see-its-first-combat-use-both-by/) [C.J. Chivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-chivers/) > [...convince all nuclear powers, including those which have been more reluctant up to now, of the necessity to respect the "vital interests" of all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-garcia-robles/convince-all-nuclear-powers-including-those-which-have-been-more/) Alfonso Garcia Robles > [Of course, one of the most disturbing features is the fact that while we have had roughly a ten year pause in the arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-virilio/of-course-one-of-the-most-disturbing-features-is-the-fact-that-while/) [Paul Virilio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-virilio/) > [World War I broke out largely because of an arms race, and World War II because of the lack of an arms race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-kahn/world-war-i-broke-out-largely-because-of-an-arms-race-and-world-war/) [Herman Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-kahn/) [Browse all 136 Arms race quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms-race/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula and could lead to a nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Moon Jae-in" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our-own-nuclear-weapons-will-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arms race" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our-own-nuclear-weapons-will-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ec/moon-jae-in-10239_arms-race_to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our_1366174.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To respond to North Korea by having our own nuclear weapons will not maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula…” — Moon Jae-in", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Moon Jae-in", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moon-jae-in/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To respond to North Korea by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our-own-nuclear-weapons-will-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moon-jae-in/to-respond-to-north-korea-by-having-our-own-nuclear-weapons-will-not/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```