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Japan and South Korea Reportedly Consider Nuclear Weapons Amid Regional Threats
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Japan and South Korea are increasingly weighing the possibility of pursuing nuclear weapons as concerns grow over the reliability of US security guarantees—especially in light of Washington’s cautious stance on Ukraine, according to Reuters on August 20.
According to the outlet, journalists spoke with more than a dozen lawmakers, government officials, and former military leaders in both countries. Rui Matsukawa, a former Japanese deputy defense minister said: “ You can’t really take the US presence for granted.”
Japan currently depends on the American “nuclear umbrella” for protection against three nuclear-armed neighbors—Russia, China, and North Korea. Beijing is also rapidly expanding its arsenal, with the Pentagon projecting it could deploy more than 1,000 warheads by 2030.
Retired Admiral Tomohisa Takei, who led Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force from 2014 to 2016, warned that US hesitation in supplying certain advanced weapons to Ukraine has shaken confidence in American deterrence. “I believe that the credibility of extended deterrence has been significantly shaken for countries under the US. nuclear umbrella,” he said.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba previously floated the idea of an “Asian NATO,” including nuclear-sharing arrangements. While the ruling party insists Japan will not revise its non-nuclear principles, Ishiba has asked party leaders to “to examine Japan’s future security arrangements in Asia.” The Japanese foreign ministry reiterated that Tokyo does not consider nuclear sharing acceptable.
Still, Matsukawa and other senior lawmakers have suggested rethinking whether US nuclear weapons should be allowed on Japanese soil.
US nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Annapolis, docked at South Korea’s Jeju Island on July 24,2023, just days after the first US. nuclear-armed submarine visit in four decades.The move comes amid heightened tensions following North Korea’s ballistic missile tests, with Washington and Seoul vowing to strengthen their combined defense posture on the Korean Peninsula.
Several Japanese politicians argue Japan should at least prepare for nuclear-sharing arrangements, similar to NATO members Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, which host US nuclear weapons. In wartime, these non-nuclear countries could deliver American nuclear bombs with their own aircraft.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly raised the prospect of nuclear weapons in 2023 amid heightened North Korean threats, but later backed off after receiving stronger assurances from President Joe Biden’s administration.
Following his impeachment, newly elected President Lee Jae Myung dismissed the idea of nuclear armament—though his intelligence chief, Lee Jong Seok, urged Seoul to secure uranium enrichment rights to signal “potential nuclear capabilities.”
South Korea’s foreign ministry stressed that its decades-long alliance with the US remains “the foundation of our diplomacy and has played a key role in maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha emphasized Kyiv’s readiness to deepen defense cooperation with Tokyo, particularly in the field of drone technology. Speaking to Kyodo News on August 4, he said Ukraine is prepared to share its wartime experience against Russian forces and explore opportunities for joint production with Japan.
