Hyeongpil Ham, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Defense Studies, argues that Trump's “America First 2.0” is accelerating the dismantling of the liberal international order and traditional alliances, prompting allies to explore their own security strategies. Ham notes that this shift has led to discussions in Europe about building their own nuclear deterrent, while in Asia it has led to a decline in confidence in the United States' extended deterrence. The author suggests that the Korean Peninsula is also facing complex security challenges, including tactical nuc...

Special Report

• Hyeongpil HAM
• June 23, 2025

Professor Emeritus Bong-geun Jun of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy argues that while South Korea's high public support for its own nuclear arsenal is based on the dual motivations of prestige and security, the actual strategic benefits of nuclear development are unclear, as it could lead to international isolation and weaken the U.S.-ROK alliance. Professor Jeon analyzes that even the so-called “Japanese model” is difficult to adopt realistically, as the United States is strongly wary of South Korea's possession of enrichment and reprocessing technology and, unlike Japan, does not g...

Special Report

• Bong-Geun JUN
• June 23, 2025

Professor Hanbyeol Sohn emphasizes that North Korea's declared “new course” is a strategic shift toward the actual deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and the acquisition of the capability to conduct limited nuclear warfare, suggesting that Pyongyang is seeking a qualitative leap in military power and the institutionalization of an offensive nuclear doctrine. In response, Son suggests that South Korea should upgrade its integrated command, control, and surveillance (C4ISR) system, substantially enhance its extended deterrence capabilities, and establish an integrated deterrence strategy...

Special Report

• Hanbyeol SOHN
• June 23, 2025