US weighs redeploying nuclear weapons in ROK

Washington is considering redeploying nuclear weapons in the Republic of Korea, a move that analysts say will further complicate the situation on the Korean Peninsula, where tensions are already high from fears that Pyongyang may conduct a third nuclear test.

The US House Armed Services Committee adopted an amendment to the fiscal 2013 national defense authorization bill that supports "steps to deploy additional conventional forces of the United States and redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to the Western Pacific region," Foreign Policy magazine in Washington reported.

The committee also instructed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to submit a report on the feasibility and logistics of redeploying forward-based nuclear weapons there, "in response to the ballistic missile and nuclear weapons developments of (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and the other belligerent actions (it) has made against allies of the United States," the report said.