High-profile lawmakers argued Monday that South Korea should seriously consider acquiring nuclear weapons to defend against North Korean military threats, following Pyongyang’s latest launch of a long-range missile.

Chung Jin-suk, head of the conservative People Power Party’s emergency committee, and fellow PPP lawmaker Tae Young-ho both implied that Washington’s extended deterrence might not be reliable given Pyongyang’s efforts to threaten the U.S. homeland with nuclear weapons.

“I want to make it clear that as North Korea’s reckless armed provocation continues, South Korea’s discussion about nuclear armament will gain momentum further,” Chung said in a meeting with PPP lawmakers, referring to