Cho Tae-yong, Ambassador to the U.S., "North Korean Nuclear Issue Requires Review of Creative Solutions"... Exploring Practical Nuclear Sharing?

"Strengthening Extended Deterrence Is Crucial"
Possibility of US Nuclear Deployment on the Korean Peninsula... Government States It Does Not Violate the Declaration on Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Inho Yoo, military specialist Nakgyu Yang, and Heejun Jang] President Yoon Suk-yeol's statement that "various opinions related to extended deterrence are being carefully listened to and possibilities are being thoroughly examined" is interpreted as suggesting that several options for practical nuclear sharing methods between South Korea and the United States could be on the table. While it may not be NATO-style nuclear sharing, which involves deploying tactical nuclear weapons on domestic soil and coordinating their operation with the U.S., there is growing weight to the possibility of measures such as the timely rotational deployment of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines.

President Yoon's changed stance on redeploying tactical nuclear weapons has also been conveyed to the forefront of diplomacy. On the 12th (local time), Cho Tae-yong, South Korea's ambassador to the U.S., stated regarding responses to North Korea's nuclear threats, "Since it has become a realistic threat, creative solutions should be reviewed depending on how the situation develops."

At the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit held at the South Korean Embassy in Washington D.C. that day, Ambassador Cho responded to People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo's question about the need for Korean-style nuclear sharing by saying, "North Korea's nuclear threat has become a realistic threat, not just theoretical," and added, "There is agreement on the basic direction that our response capabilities must be strengthened accordingly."

He said, "However, the government's position is to strengthen the existing extended deterrence execution capability, and I understand that we are not currently at the stage of considering nuclear sharing," adding, "The most important thing is to strengthen our extended deterrence." He also stated, "We must respond in a fundamentally strengthened and developed way, different from the past, to the increasing North Korean nuclear threat."

Experts generally identify three major ways for South Korea to arm itself with nuclear weapons: independent nuclear armament, redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, and a NATO-style nuclear sharing agreement involving joint operation of tactical nuclear weapons with neighboring countries around the peninsula.

Independent nuclear armament is also linked to the termination of the joint declaration on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, as mentioned by Jeong Jin-seok, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party. However, this is a burden for the government. Since it deviates from the denuclearization norms pledged to the international community, such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is realistically difficult. The U.S. leads the NPT, and international sanctions would follow. It also implies recognition of North Korea's nuclear possession, and nuclear armament debates would arise in neighboring countries like Taiwan and Japan, leading to a "nuclear domino effect."

The NATO-style nuclear sharing agreement is also proposed. Since the 1960s, countries such as Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and T?rkiye have deployed U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on their soil and operate them through nuclear planning groups in a nuclear sharing system. While the final authority rests with the U.S., other non-nuclear alliance members jointly participate in decisions regarding nuclear weapon operations, such as target selection. However, there is criticism that having actual nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula is not much different from independent nuclear armament.

For this reason, the deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula is currently considered the most realistic option. This does not violate joint declarations on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. A government official stated, "Since the parties to the denuclearization joint declaration are South and North Korea, the U.S. deploying strategic assets equipped with nuclear weapons and 'entering and exiting' territorial waters is not a violation of the declaration." However, the official explained, "Deploying tactical nuclear weapons at U.S. military bases within our territory would be interpreted as a violation."

However, U.S. experts generally express a negative view on the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons, which has surfaced amid concerns over a seventh nuclear test. Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Robert Rapson said, "It would be seen as a measure that could significantly escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula," and argued, "It would only increase the risk of miscalculation and response by North Korea and would not be beneficial."

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