South Korea’s Nuclear Option
Sangsoo Lee and Gustaf Åhman
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have been on the rise since North Korea’s nuclear tests in 2006
and 2009. Efforts to improve the security environment on the Korean Peninsula have become more
difficult after the sinking of the corvette Cheonan in March, and North Korea’s artillery strike on
Yeonpyeong Island in November 2010. There are indications that Pyongyang plans a third nuclear
test. In a recent opinion poll a majority of South Koreans supported the idea of South Korea acquiring
nuclear weapons. Fears of an increased nuclear threat from Pyongyang have also caused several
southern politicians to demand the return of U.S. nuclear weapons to South Korea.
Related Publications
-
South Korea’s Foreign Policy in Changing Times: Reversing Course?
Abstract: The tragedy currently unfolding in Ukraine may be a symptom of new dynamics in global geopolitics. The changing balance of power epitomized by the rise of China and the […]
-
Taiwan in Tokyo’s 2022 Defense White Paper: Reconfiguring Security Imperatives?
This article was originally posted on the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies (JFSS) website, you can find the article here. A few days prior to the highly controversial visit […]
-
Korean Peninsula Newsletter
The Stockholm Korea Center publishes a weekly newsletter where you can find the most recent informed analysis from prominent think tanks and catch announcements straight from DPRK media. You don’t […]
-
North Korean Nationalism: Reading the Paleolithic Text
North Korea, after over seven decades since establishment, continues to be poorly understood. The paucity of knowledge regarding the country is not only a matter of the lack of access […]