President Yoon Suk-yeol asserted that South Korea is capable of quickly developing nuclear weapons but would refrain from doing so to avoid sanctions such as those levied on North Korea. 

“Some say that, unlike North Korea, South Korea’s lack of granite layers would complicate underground nuclear testing. However, I tell you, if we set our minds to it, the process wouldn’t take as long as some might think,” Yoon said during a pre-recorded interview with state-sponsored broadcaster KBS.  

However, he went on to call such a scenario “unrealistic,” given the various economic sanctions that would be levied against the country,