Will South Korea Build Its Own Nuclear Arsenal?

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un © Reuters

McClathcy News: South Korea considers a nuclear arsenal to counter the North

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: No longer sure they can rely on the United States, an increasing number of South Korean lawmakers say their country should develop its own nuclear arsenal to deter an attack by Kim Jong Un, their belligerent neighbor to the north.

North Korea’s rapid missile advances, including a successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in July and another missile test on Friday, are reviving calls for South Korea to assert its “nuclear sovereignty.” South Koreans are wary of President Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric and his calls for Asian allies to shoulder more of the defense burdens borne by the U.S. military.

“Trump’s ‘America-first’ policy has triggered this kind of public sentiment,” said Moon Chung In, a top national security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae In. Trump also has wavered on his commitment to defending South Korea, he said, including suggesting during the campaign that South Korea and Japan should develop their own nuclear arsenals.

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WNU Editor: Sentiment within South Korea to develop their own nuclear arsenal has been around for a long time, but it started to intensify last year .... Growing Sentiment In A South Korea To Develop Their Own Nuclear Arsenal (August 10, 2016). Will North Korea's latest missile tests push the South Koreans to do the same .... for now I will say no and the reasons why are the same as the ones that I outlined last year ....

.... WNU Editor: South Korea .... like Japan ... has the expertise and materials to develop nuclear weapons. But to do so would entail sanctions, international isolation, and blow-back from other countries in Asia. Fortunately .... the only scenario that would permit such a development will be a U.S. withdrawal from the region .... which is not going to happen for the foreseeable future.