U.S. Congress calls nuclear sharing with S. Korea and Japan ‘worth reviewing’

Following the journal article from the National Defense University (NDU) suggesting that Washington share its nuclear missiles with South Korea and Japan, the U.S. Congress has weighed in, calling such an agreement “worth reviewing.”

When asked about the nuclear sharing agreement in a Wednesday press conference (local time), Senator James Inhofe (Oklahoma · Republican), the chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee, said it is a matter worth “studying and reviewing,” according to a report from the Radio Free Asia (RFA).

In a recent journal titled “21st Century Nuclear Deterrence: 2018 Nuclear Posture Review Report,” the NDU proposed a method for Washington to share its non-strategic nuclear capabilities (tactical) with its Asian partners including South Korea and Japan as a response to nuclear threats from North Korea. It is noteworthy that such a high-ranking senator leading the armed service committee has publicly left the option viable to implement the idea proposed by the NDU.

“We’ve not discussed this with Japan separately yet, but there have been some talks with Korean authorities before,” said Senator Cory Gardner, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, when asked of the same question. He also added that the decision must be reached under a discussion between Washington and Seoul or Washington and Tokyo, stressing the need to “pressure North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to honor his promise on denuclearization” by making a maximized effort to strengthen the tripartite cooperation among Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo.


lightee@donga.com