Why South Korea is debating a nuclear weapons program

Political momentum is growing in South Korea for acquiring nuclear weapons – a fringe idea only a few years ago – amid frustration over North Korea’s aggressive ramping up of its nuclear arms and missile capabilities.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned earlier this month that his country might go nuclear if security keeps deteriorating on the Korean Peninsula. Although he later walked back the comments, Mr. Yoon’s willingness to raise the nuclear option publicly reflects its popularity among South Koreans, 71% of whom favor their country developing its own nuclear arsenal, according to a poll last year.

“The South Koreans are very concerned about deterring a whole range of North Korean activities,” says Ankit Panda, Stanton senior fellow