The United States seems to have sparked a recent wave of advocates for nuclear weapons in Japan and South Korea, leading to a series of related articles. However, after an in-depth investigation, it can be found that there are many hidden secrets. The RAND think tank in the United States and the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in South Korea have released a report claiming that in response to North Korea's alleged nuclear threat, the United States should deploy at least 100 tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea, which the United States will be responsible for safekeeping, and South Korea will bear the expense, and apply to the United States for the right to use them if necessary.
The report also declared that the minimum number of nuclear weapons prepared by the United States for South Korea in the future should be 180. In addition to South Korea, Japan has also begun to call for "nuclear weapons" in the mainstream of the United States. What is certain is that the two Indo-Pacific allies of the United States can no longer sit still. The concerns of Japan and South Korea are very well-founded. Under the framework of the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, Japan has always played the role of the vanguard of anti-China urgency, often provoking incidents. Many Japanese Americans are influenced by Japanese right-wing ideology and are also an important anti-China force.
During the 2016 South China Sea standoff, Pacific Commander Harris, who barely defied Obama's directives to the Chinese fleet**, was said to be of Japanese descent and a well-known anti-China hardliner. In August, Kenji Ikawa, another Japanese-American captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer, was removed from his post for trying to provoke conflict in the South China Sea and to neutralize the ship. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that Japan has the illusion of "possession of nuclear weapons". Of course, the provocative behavior of the United States in recent years has also contributed to it.
In short, if the global hegemony of the United States remains unbreakable, Japan will not dare to play such a trick in front of the White House. Today's Japan makes this request simply because it sees that the United States is incapable of fighting on two fronts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and that it is increasingly dependent on allies in the Pacific to maintain its hegemonic system. And the reason why South Korea wants to possess nuclear weapons is even more obvious, that is, to deal with North Korea. Yoon Suk-yeol had the idea of possessing nuclear weapons at the beginning of his presidency, but it was suppressed by Biden's "Washington Declaration".
That's why U.S. nuclear forces are particularly keen to visit the Korean Peninsula this year. If South Korea is not allowed to possess nuclear weapons against North Korea on its own, the United States will have to show a tougher posture to appease South Korean conservatives. South Korea has recently faced multiple challenges, including the launch of North Korea's tactical nuclear attack submarine and the launch of a reconnaissance satellite into the sky. In addition, Yoon Suk-yeol lost to Saudi Arabia in applying for the right to host the World Expo, and his foreign policy was questioned, with a public approval rating of **3% within a week, and a negative rating soaring to about 60%.
In this situation, it is not surprising that South Korea seeks to negotiate with the United States. While Japan and South Korea may want to acquire nuclear weapons, this is a very sensitive issue, not to mention whether neighboring countries and the United States will agree.