South Korean public support for a domestic nuclear weapons program has remained high over the past decade, but a new survey has found that a robust majority strongly backs such an arsenal over stationing U.S. nukes in the country — despite the potential for negative blowback — in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness.
The poll, released Tuesday by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, found that 71% of the South Koreans surveyed favor Seoul developing its own nuclear weapons, while 56% support a deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in the country. However, when asked to choose between the two options, 67% backed a domestic arsenal, compared with just 9% who supported a U.S. deployment, highlighting a clear preference and desire for greater control over any deployment.
Delving deeper, the researchers said that South Korean attitudes toward the weapons do not strongly align with the reasons for going nuclear usually offered by politicians and pundits. Although the desire has often been said to stem from Pyongyang’s ever-improving nuclear and missile arsenal, the survey found “threats other than North Korea” in the near future to be one of the main drivers of support for a domestic nuclear program.