Nuclear security

Why doesn’t South Korea have nuclear weapons? For a time, it pursued them.

North Korea has nuclear weapons and — if its ever-advancing ballistic missile program is any indication — it wants to keep open the possibility of using them against adversaries. So why shouldn't South Korea have nuclear weapons, too?

The question was reignited this week in Seoul, where North Korea's missile test on Friday raised alarm about the risk of conflict on the peninsula. Over the weekend, South Korean officials suggested that they would seek to further develop their ballistic missile system, perhaps renegotiating an agreement with the United States that places limits on its missile capabilities.