The debate over South Korea’s potential nuclear armament has resurfaced following U.S. President Donald Trump’s reference to North Korea as a “nuclear power” on his first day in office.
The remark has reignited calls among South Korean political figures, particularly within the ruling party, to reconsider the country’s nuclear strategy amid shifting regional security dynamics.
Lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) have been vocal in advocating for South Korea’s own nuclear capabilities.
Representative Na Kyung-won, a longtime proponent of nuclear armament, recently wrote on Facebook: “Since President Trump referred to North Korea as a ‘nuclear power’ in his inaugural address, we must begin discussions and procedures for nuclear balance on the Korean Peninsula.”
Na, who attended Trump’s inauguration and met with U.S. lawmakers, claimed that an increasing number of American officials are beginning to view South Korea’s nuclear development as a realistic option.
Similarly, Representative Yoon Sang-hyun warned in a press conference on January 24 that if U.S.-North Korea negotiations result in freezing, rather than dismantling, North Korea’s nuclear program, “it would be a catastrophe for South Korea.” He stated that under such circumstances, Seoul would have no choice but to consider a conditional nuclear armament.
Prominent political figures, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, and former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, have also endorsed the idea of “nuclear balance” between the two Koreas.
Oh emphasized that South Korea must be prepared to place nuclear armament as a strategic option on the table. Hong asserted that pursuing nuclear parity with the North is the only viable path to mitigating Pyongyang’s nuclear threat. Yoo suggested that if the U.S. officially recognizes North Korea’s nuclear status, South Korea should demand independent nuclear capabilities. He added, “We must start by amending the U.S.-South Korea nuclear agreement and ultimately become a nuclear power, even if it requires concessions to the U.S.”
Public sentiment in South Korea has increasingly leaned toward nuclear self-reliance. According to a Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) survey conducted in June 2024, 66% of respondents supported the idea of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons, up from 60.2% in 2023.
Despite growing domestic support, experts caution that the geopolitical and legal hurdles to nuclear armament remain formidable.
Experts remain skeptical about the feasibility of South Korea acquiring nuclear weapons in the near term. Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University noted that such a move would require either U.S. approval or the collapse of the global non-proliferation regime established under the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He argued that unless Washington’s extended deterrence strategy is fundamentally weakened or abandoned under Trump, South Korea’s nuclear ambitions are premature.
International sentiment also appears unfavorable. A KINU survey conducted in December 2024 across eight countries—including the U.S., Japan, Australia, the U.K., France, Germany, Poland, and Vietnam—found that 50.2% of respondents opposed South Korea’s nuclear armament, even in the face of North Korea’s growing nuclear threat.
Despite the low feasibility of nuclear development, some experts believe that raising the issue in political discourse could serve as leverage in negotiations with the U.S. and North Korea. Yoo Sung-ok, chairman of the Korea Institute for National Security Strategy, suggested that while nuclear armament remains unlikely under the U.S.-South Korea alliance and the NPT framework, discussing the possibility could strengthen Seoul’s negotiating position.
“It is a dangerous argument when made by diplomatic authorities, but in political circles, it can be a useful tool to counter a potential U.S.-North Korea ‘small deal’ or to pressure Washington in future nuclear negotiations,” Yoo explained.
Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University also supported the idea of using nuclear rhetoric as a diplomatic strategy. “If Washington is willing to suspend joint military exercises to engage in dialogue with Kim Jong Un, Seoul must also send a message that it is considering nuclear self-reliance,” he said.
Trump’s stance on North Korea has raised concerns in Seoul that Washington may accept Pyongyang’s nuclear status, altering the security balance on the Korean Peninsula. The renewed debate over South Korea’s nuclear armament reflects broader anxieties over the future of U.S. security commitments and the credibility of extended deterrence.