In a world of ‘might is right’: Could Japan, South Korea go nuclear?

In a world increasingly driven by power politics, Japan and South Korea are reassessing long-held non-nuclear positions amid rising regional threats and weakening global norms. North Korea’s expanding missile and nuclear capabilities, China’s military assertiveness, and growing doubts over the reliability of the US nuclear umbrella have intensified security concerns. Historical cases—such as Ukraine’s denuclearisation and South Africa’s disarmament—highlight the risks of giving up nuclear deterrence in an unstable world. As arms control treaties erode and major powers expand their arsenals, Tokyo and Seoul, both technologically capable, face mounting pressure to reconsider nuclear weapons as a means of ensuring national survival.