South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said Monday he was concerned about recent comments by Japanese politicians that Tokyo should discuss developing nuclear weapons. "I don't think remarks like these are desirable for the future of Japan, which is one of the most important members of the United Nations and also a major power in Northeast Asia," Ban told reporters. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared that Japan would not consider developing its own nuclear weapons, but some high-ranking members of his ruling party have called for such discussions following North Korea's Oct. 9 nuclear test. Abe's protests have failed to squelch the debate. On Sunday, Shoichi Nakagawa, policy chief of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, reiterated his call for a debate on "contingencies" in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack.