US nuclear strategy shift could bring tactical nukes back to Korea, Japan

A potential shift in US nuclear strategy, focusing on short-range tactical nuclear weapons for regional conflicts, could lead to their redeployment to East Asian allies like South Korea and Japan. This development, reported by NBC based on a draft strategy overseen by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, signals a move away from long-range tactical missiles.

The US Department of Defense's proposed strategy aims to contain regional conflicts at the tactical nuclear level, thereby reducing the risk of a full-scale strategic nuclear exchange. If implemented, this could mean East Asia, rather than Europe, becomes the primary destination for these weapons. This is significant as the US withdrew all its tactical nuclear weapons from South Korea in 1991, creating a nuclear-weapons-free zone in the region.

Such a redeployment would necessitate consequential political decisions in both South Korea and Japan. South Korea would likely have to abandon its long-held 1991 Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Japan, similarly, would need to reconsider its Three Non-Nuclear Principles, which prohibit the introduction of nuclear weapons into the country.

While there have been recent calls in both countries for the US to redeploy tactical nuclear weapons, particularly in light of North Korea's advancing nuclear capabilities, the potential ramifications are significant. The forward deployment of US nuclear weapons could be perceived as a threat by neighboring countries, potentially triggering a nuclear arms race and lowering the threshold for nuclear weapon use. The Korean government is urged to closely monitor these developments within the US and prepare for all possible contingencies.