South boosts weaponry amid threats from North
SEOUL — South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office four months ago with plans to reach out to North Korea in a way his conservative predecessors did not in the previous decade. Two ICBM launches and one nuclear test later, his government is ramping up its defenses, with some officials even considering asking the United States to bring back tactical nuclear weapons a generation after their removal from the Korean Peninsula.
Seoul’s new interest in stronger weapons received a boost Tuesday when the Trump administration agreed to remove previous restrictions on South Korean missiles.
But South Korean hunger for military strength goes beyond just missiles. Government officials also endorse the nation getting nuclearpowered submarines. And Seoul’s defense minister says the idea of bringing back U.S. tactical nukes to South Korea should be “deeply considered” by the allies.
This shift right by the liberal Moon underscores deep unease that the North’s expanding nuclear weapons arsenal will undermine the country’s decades-long alliance with the United States. Pyongyang may soon perfect an intercontinental ballistic missile that can target the U.S. mainland.
Here are some of the military capabilities South Korea is pursuing or may soon: Ballistic missiles: South Korea says stronger missiles are crucial to the so-called “kill chain” preemptive strike capability it wants to use to target North Korea. A preemptive strike against Pyongyang’s leadership would be difficult to undertake, but it’s widely seen as the most realistic of the limited military options Seoul has to deny a nuclear attack from its rival.
Nuclear-powered subs: Supporters say such vessels are critical for coping with North Korea’s submarinelaunched ballistic missile system because they can operate much longer than conventional diesel-powered submarines without refueling. That gives them a better chance to find and track North Korean subs, they argue.
Tactical nukes: If North Korea obtains a fully functional ICBM, the U.S. might hesitate using its nuclear weapons to defend South Korea because of worries that North Korea might then strike a U.S. city, experts say. Placing U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea would make clear the intent to use nukes in a crisis.