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Over 40% of Americans approve of NATO-style nuclear sharing with S. Korea

Over 40% of Americans approve of NATO-style nuclear sharing with S. Korea

Posted March. 31, 2023 08:11,   

Updated March. 31, 2023 08:11

한국어

A recent survey showed that 42.6% of Americans support the idea of “NATO-style nuclear sharing” between South Korea and the United States, which is more than 10 percentage points higher than the 2% who oppose it. The concept of NATA-style nuclear sharing involves the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons by the United States in NATO member states, which could be used in joint nuclear attacks using bombers and other means in the event of a contingency.

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance, the Dong-A Ilbo and the National Veterans Affairs Research Institute commissioned a survey of 1,037 Korean and 1,000 American adults between March 17 and 22 to study the mutual perception of the two countries. According to the survey results, 64% of Americans supported South Korea's nuclear weapons possession, 22.6 percentage points higher than the opposition (41.4%). In contrast, opinions on deploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea were nearly split, with 36.5% in favor and 37% opposed.

Koreans showed much higher levels of support for the same questions than American respondents. The approval rates for South Korea's nuclear weapons possession (64%), NATO-style nuclear sharing (57.5%), and tactical nuclear weapons deployment (56.7%) were all more than twice as high as the opposition.

As the South Korea-U.S. summit approaches at the end of April, it is noteworthy that there is greater support for South Korea's nuclear weapons possession among Americans than opposition. However, the Biden administration has repeatedly emphasized that South Korea's nuclear weapons possession is impossible following President Yoon Suk Yeol's statement in January about the need for the self-possession of nuclear weapons in the event of a worsening North Korean nuclear crisis.

During the summit, the two heads of state are expected to jointly announce measures to strengthen extended deterrence (nuclear umbrella) to South Korea. A government source predicted that "the fact that there is support for South Korea's nuclear weapons possession within the U.S. will work in our favor when we demand strengthened extended deterrence measures during the summit."


Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com