North Korea’s Nuclear Threat and the Strategic Response by the ROK-US Alliance

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

North Korea is a de facto nuclear power. While it is unlikely that the international community will ever recognize North Korea’s nuclear status de jure, Pyongyang has made it clear that it sees itself as such. More than fifteen years after North Korea conducted its nuclear test, it should be recognized that Pyongyang has no intention to denuclearize under the current circumstances. Thus, South Korea, the United States, and the international community at large have to acknowledge that they have to deal with a nuclear North Korea. In this context, the ROK-US alliance is crucial for both partners to effectively address North Korea’s nuclear activities. The assets that the two sides bring to the table provide a formidable deterrent against a possible nuclear strike by North Korea. At the same time, the two allies should consider the different ways in which they can engage with Japan on a trilateral basis and, more broadly, with other like-minded partners to strengthen their own strategic response to Pyongyang. Concurrently, South Korea needs to continue to strengthen its own domestic capabilities, including considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of developing its own nuclear weapons. Given the recent political instability in the United States, Seoul needs to consider the best way to balance the ROK-US alliance with its own capabilities to address North Korea’s nuclear threat.