magazinelogo

Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 472711 Total View: 3628839
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
Email: jhass@hillpublisher.com
Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.12.011

Will South Korea Build Its Own Nuclear Weapons?

Yong Soo Park

Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Korea.

*Corresponding author: Yong Soo Park

Published: December 19,2022

Abstract

This study predicts that, if North Korea’s nuclear threat increases, South Korea will ultimately adopt an offensive balancing strategy to maximize its internal military power. In doing so, it will be more than capable of building its own nuclear weapons, if necessary, through strategic thought and action and by following realist logic. In the context of an anarchic international system, South Korea, because of its lack of knowledge about the ultimate intentions of North Korea, which is armed with nuclear missiles, will eventually try to internally maximize all the military power it can acquire, including nuclear weapons, in order to ensure its survival, thereby achieving a balance of power in the Korean Peninsula. This is because maximizing power is the most certain way to ensure one’s survival and security in the anarchic international system.

References

Bae, Myung-bok.  (2013).  “U.S.  Professor Says, ‘If South Korea Doesn’t Trust the United States, It Should Develop Its Own Nuclear Weapons’.”  The Joong Ang (Feb. 23). 

Baker, Gerard and Alastair Gale.  (2014).  “South Korea President Warns on Nuclear Domino Effect: Potential Bomb Test by North Korea Would Have ‘Huge Impact’ on Regional Security.”  Wall Street Journal (May 29). 

Bennett, Bruce W, et al. (2021).  Countering the Risks of North Korean Nuclear Weapons.  (April).  RAND Corporation. 

Bowers, Ian and Henrik StålhaneHiim.  (2021).  “Conventional Counterforce Dilemmas: South Korea’s Deterrence Strat-egy and Stability on the Korean Peninsula.”  International Security 45(3): 7-39. 

Cho, Seong Ryoul.  (2020).  “A Study on North Korea Nuclear•Missile Threat and the ROK’s Response Strategy.”  Mili-tary Forum 100(1): 7-74. 

Choi, Byeongkoo.  (2022).  “The Time Has Come to Pursue Potential Nuclear Capabilities.”  Diplomatic Plaza, Korean Council on Foreign Relations XXII-2 (Feb 11). 

ChosunIlbo.  (2021).  “Former US Envoy to North Korea, Detrani, Says South Korea and Japan Could Build Nuclear Weapons if North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Are Allowed” (Oct. 18). 

Dong-A Ilbo.  (2017).  “Tillerson: The United States May Allow South Korea and Japan to Build Nuclear Weapons” (March 20). 

Dong-A Ilbo.  (2020).  “Kim Jong-in: ‘When North Korea Adheres to Nuclear Weapons, We Should Also Consider Nuclear Armament’” (November 25). 

Ferguson, Charles D. (2015).  “How South Korea Could Acquire and Deploy Nuclear Weapons. ” https://npolicy.org/books/East_Asia/Ch4_Ferguson.pdf (accessed on Jan. 3, 2022). 

HankookIlbo.  (2019).  “Stephen Biegun Put Simultaneous Pressure on North Korea and China by Mentioning ‘Korea and Japan’s Nuclear Armament’ for the First Time” (Sept. 8). 

Hwang, Jihwan.  (2021).  “U.S.  Extended Deterrence to Korea in Decline? : The Evolution of Extended Deterrence and Reassessment of Its Credibility.”  National Strategy 27(3): 27-52. 

JoongAng Ilbo.  (2016).  “Won Yoo-cheol Says ‘We Need Nuclear Armament, Too’” (Feb. 16). 

JoongAng Ilbo.  (2019).  “U.S.  National Defense University: Korea-Japan Tactical Nuclear Sharing Agreement Needed to Counter North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons” (July 31). 

Kim, Jungsup.  (2015).  “The Reconstitution of Extended Deterrence Policy for the Korean Peninsula: Limitations of Nuclear Umbrella and Search for Conventional Deterrence.”  National Strategy 21(2): 5-40. 

Kim, Kyounghee.  (2021).  “Porcupine Theory and North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un’s Strategy for Reunification of the Korean Peninsula.”  New Asia 28(3): 9-41. 

Kim, Sung-han.  (2020).  “Assessment of U.S. Extended Deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.”  Journal of International Politics 25(2): 33-59. 

Kim, Tae Hyun.  (2017).  “North Korea’s Aggressive Military Strategy: Continuity and Change.”  The Quarterly Journal of Defense Policy Studies 33(1): 131-170. 

Kim, Taewoo.  (2021).  “Nuclear Non-First Use Promise and the Perforated Nuclear Umbrella.”  Pennmike (Nov. 22).

Lee, Jin Myoung. (2017). “Is A U.S. Nuclear Umbrella Reliable?: A Quantitative Analysis on Nuclear Extended-General Deterrent of the U.S., 1945-2001.” Korean Journal of International Relations 57(3): 133-181.

Lee, Michelle Ye Hee. (2022). “South Koreans Overwhelmingly Want Nuclear Weapons to Confront China and North Korea, Poll Finds.” The Washington Post (Feb. 21). 

Lee, Sang-min. (2021). “Dartmouth University Professor Says ‘a Lot of Support on the Need for South Korea’s Nuclear Armament Are in the United States’.” RFA (Oct. 19).

Lind, Jennifer and Daryl G. Press. (2021). “Should South Korea Build Its Own Nuclear Bomb?” Washington Post (Oct. 7).

Mearsheimer, John, J. (1984/85). “Nuclear Weapons and Deterrence in Europe.” International Security 9(3): 19-46.

Mearsheimer, John, J. (1990). “Back to the Future.” International Security 15(1): 5-56.

Mearsheimer, John J. (1993). “The Case for a Ukrainian Nuclear Deterrent.” Foreign Affairs 72(3): 50-66.

Mearsheimer, John, J. (2000). “India Needs the Bomb.” New York Times (March 24).

Mearsheimer, John, J. (2014). The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.

Newsis. (2022). “North Korea Introduces Rail-Mobile Missile Tactics, in an Attempt to Neutralize Pre-emptive Strike” (Jan. 15).

Park, Hwee Rhak. (2017). “An Examination of the Probability of the U.S. Nuclear Extended Deterrence under the Ad-vanced North Korean Nuclear Threat.” Journal of International Politics 22(2): 85-114.

Park, Hwee Rhak. (2020). “An Analysis on the Possibility of Proxy War of the US and China on the Korean Peninsula.” The 21st Century Political Science Association 30(3): 51-72.

Perper, Rosie. (2018). “There Is ‘No Way’ North Korea Could Trust the US and Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons.” Busi-ness Insider (March 22). 

Pollack, Joshua H. (2022). “It’s Pretty Remarkable to Hear Talk about Conventional Counterforce - That Is, Attacking Nuclear Weapons with Conventional Weapons.” Twit: Joshua H. Pollack@Joshua_Pollack (Jan. 11).

Sagan, Scott D. and Kenneth N. Waltz. (2013). The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: An Enduring Debate. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Sevastopulo, Demetri. (2016). “Donald Trump Open to Japan and South Korea Having Nuclear Weapons.” Financial Times (March 27). 

SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). (2021). SIPRI Yearbook 2021: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security (Oct.).

Tanter, Richard. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Japanese and South Korean Nuclear Threat to China: A Tipping Point in East Asia?” The Asia-Pacific Journal/Japan Focus 15(7). 

Waltz, Kenneth N. (1981). “The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More May Be Better.” The Adelphi Papers 21(171). 

Waltz, Kenneth N. (1990). “Nuclear Myths and Political Realities.” American Political Science Review 84(3): 731-745. 

Waltz, Kenneth N. (2012). “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb: Nuclear Balancing Would Mean Stability.” Foreign Affairs 91(4): 2-5.

Yonhap News. (2016). “North Korea’s ‘Successful Launch of Kwangmyongsong Satellite’...Kim Jong-un’s Direct Visit” (Feb. 7). 

Yonhap News. (2017). “[North Korea’s 6th Nuclear Test] What If a 50kt Nuclear Bomb Explodes in Seoul?” (Sept. 3).

Yonhap News. (2020a). “Comprehensive ‘South Korea-U.S. Joint Exercises Need to Be Resumed’… Oh Se-hoon Raises Nuclear Armament” (June 19). 

Yonhap News. (2020b). “CRS: South Korea and Japan May Feel the Need to Acquire Nuclear Weapons if They Do Not Trust the United States.” (May 8). 

Yu, Jinseog. (2018). “Kenneth N. Waltz’s Proliferation Optimism and North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons.” Korea and World Politics 34(2): 37-65.

How to cite this paper

Will South Korea Build Its Own Nuclear Weapons?

How to cite this paper: Yong Soo Park. (2022) Will South Korea Build Its Own Nuclear Weapons? Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science6(4), 581-590.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2022.12.011