Analysis & Opinions - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The Dueling Nuclear Nightmares Behind the South Korean President’s Alarming Comments

| Jan. 25, 2023

Yoon Suk-yeol’s call to develop nuclear weapons is fundamentally a call for South Korea to know it can protect itself in a changing security environment.

Earlier this month, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol set off alarms. In an off-the-cuff remark, he warned that Seoul might need to develop nuclear weapons—or demand redeployment of U.S. nuclear arms to the Korean Peninsula—to counter North Korean nuclear threats. In doing so, Yoon spotlighted a popular view once reserved for hawkish commentators, defense intellectuals, and former military officials. Keeping nuclear weapons out of South Korea will ultimately be a U.S. responsibility that requires addressing both the deteriorating security environment and the domestic drivers underlying Yoon’s statement.

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For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Herzog, Stephen and Lauren Sukin.“The Dueling Nuclear Nightmares Behind the South Korean President’s Alarming Comments.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, January 25, 2023.

The Authors

Herzog Headshot

Stephen Herzog

  • Associate, Project on Managing the Atom
  • Former Predoctoral Research Fellow, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom, 2020–2021
  • Former Stanton Nuclear Security Predoctoral Fellow, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom, 2019–2020
Expertise:

Lauren Sukin

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