Niklas Swanström and In-bum Chun were quoted by Yle on Japan and South Korea’s growing interest in developing nuclear weapons amid doubts about U.S. support
September 21, 2026: Niklas Swanström, ISDP’s Executive Director, and In-bum Chun, Distinguished Military Fellow, were interviewed by Yle on Japan and South Korea’s growing interest in developing nuclear weapons amid doubts about U.S. support.
“To put it bluntly, one could say that the military impact of this isn’t particularly significant at the moment, but it’s clear that when you don’t train, it affects readiness in the long run, with all that entails,” says Niklas Swanström.
“Even though some of the questions were quite leading, there is still an awareness that if the U.S. nuclear deterrent were to disappear, we would have to consider alternatives.”
“Last summer, a retired South Korean general, Chun In-bum, wrote an op-ed in the Korea Times in which he proposed a scenario in which South Korea would acquire nuclear weapons capabilities but place them under a broader umbrella jointly controlled with the United States.
The decision to use nuclear weapons would then require the consent of both South Korea and the United States, which, according to the author of the article, would guarantee a degree of additional security.”