In January, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol commented that his country may have to consider developing its own nuclear weapons in response to the escalating nuclear and missile threat it faces from North Korea. Although the government soon clarified that South Korea is not actively pursuing this policy, the remarks were echoed by Chung Jin-suk, the leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, and even more recently by Oh Se-hoon, Seoul’s mayor and a possible 2027 presidential candidate.

South Korea’s nuclear debate is no longer held only on the fringes of its politics and cannot be simply wished away. In fact, with Pyongyang’s continued military provocations, it might even be coming to a head.

Foreign Policy