Japan, South Korea not for nuclear weapons: until one of them changes policy

Japan, South Korea not for nuclear weapons: until one of them changes policy US survey shows support for nuclear armament may rise rapidly in both countries if their political elites decide to use it as a deterrent The impact of such a move could potentially exceed that of a reduction in United States troop deployments in the region, thereby affecting nuclear stability in northeast Asia, CSIS experts said in an event to publish the survey on Thursday. The survey was led by Victor Cha, president of the geopolitics and foreign policy department and Korea chair at CSIS, and Kristi Govella, CSIS senior adviser and Japan chair. Respondents of the survey, which ended at the end of October, included current and former government officials, parliamentarians, academics, think tank experts and corporate executives. According to the survey, 75 per cent of South Korean strategic elites and nearly 80 per cent of Japanese strategic elites expressed opposition to or uncertainty regarding their respective countries acquiring nuclear weapons.