South Korea denies U.S. nukes in country

SEOUL, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun dismissed as untrue Friday repeated claims by North Korea that the United States has nuclear weapons in the south.

Roh denied statements made by North Korea that cited the "threat of U.S. nuclear weapons" in South Korea as a reason that it could not abandon its nuclear weapons program, The Korea Times reported Friday.

"There is no nuclear weapon in South Korea," Roh said during a news conference with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. "Deployment of nuclear arms is not the presupposition for the provision of the U.S. nuclear umbrella."

Sean McCormack, a spokesman for the U.S. State Department, also denied that the country has sent nuclear weapons to South Korea and said the U.S. government has no plans to attack the northern country, the Times said.

When asked about the possibility of an inter-Korean summit, Roh said he could not visit North Korea but a visit to the south by North Korean leader Kim Jong Il would be welcomed.