US Congressional Research Service: "If South Korea and Japan Cannot Trust US Nuclear, They May Feel the Need to Possess Nuclear Weapons"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) has assessed that South Korea and Japan might seek to possess their own nuclear weapons if they lose trust in the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

CRS recently released a report titled "Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons."

The report introduces analysts who make such claims and emphasizes, "These predictions could clearly emerge in South Korea and Japan, which face threats from nuclear-armed countries like China and North Korea."

The report particularly notes, "In recent years, some South Korean politicians have called for the redeployment of U.S.-made non-strategic nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula or even the development of South Korea's own nuclear capabilities in response to North Korea's nuclear weapons development and testing." It analyzes, "Although the current South Korean government has not supported these views, they indicate that some perceive U.S. security guarantees as vulnerable."

Additionally, CRS stated that many analysts point out that extended deterrence depends on more than just the U.S.'s non-strategic nuclear weapons. "South Korea and Japan have held the ROK-U.S. Extended Deterrence Policy Committee and the U.S.-Japan Extended Deterrence Dialogue in recent years to discuss regional security issues and strengthen their trust in U.S. security commitments," it explained.

It added, "Moreover, the U.S. occasionally deploys B-2 or B-52 strategic bombers during joint exercises with South Korea to demonstrate power projection capabilities in contested areas when necessary."

CRS also pointed out that countries like North Korea and Iran, which are already attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, likely understand that if they dismantle their nuclear programs, they could be removed from the U.S. nuclear strike target list.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.