In South Korea, public support for the idea of developing its own nuclear weapons is growing against the backdrop of deepening military cooperation between North Korea and the Russian Federation and the likely return of Donald Trump to power in the United States.
Points of attention
- 66% of South Koreans support getting their own nuclear weapons.
- The prime minister of South Korea rejects the possibility of creating nuclear weapons now, but there are politicians who support this option.
- Russia and North Korea have been increasing cooperation, raising tensions in the region and prompting South Korea to consider nuclear weapons of its own.
More South Koreans want to have its own nuclear weapons, survey says
A recent poll found that 66% of South Koreans "agree" or "strongly agree" the introduction of nuclear weapons in the arsenal of their military. This is six percentage points more than last year.
Support for South Korea's acquisition of its own nuclear weapons is expanding and intensifying. Neither the government nor the two main parties have taken it up as a matter of policy, but calls to discuss the option are certainly growing louder, said Korea analyst Sangsin Lee.
As the Financial Times notes, South Koreans are concerned about North Korea's progress in developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, as well as Pyongyang's cooperation with Moscow and Donald Trump's open hostility to the US-South Korea alliance.
In June, South Korean Prime Minister Han Dak-soo said that the country was not considering developing nuclear weapons "at this time." But the conservative mayor of Seoul, Oh Se-hoon, a possible contender for the post of president in 2027, on the contrary, supports the idea of nuclear weapons.
Cooperation between Russia and North Korea
On June 19, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin flew to North Korea for the first time in 24 years and met with Kim Jong Un. Politicians signed documents that strengthen cooperation.
After that, the head of the national security department of the administration of the president of South Korea, Chang Ho-jin, said that Seoul will not be bound by anything in terms of helping Ukraine if Russia transfers high-precision weapons to North Korea.
Forbes wrote that Ukraine will be able to destroy Russian planes if it receives South Korean missiles.
