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

A recent survey in Japan and South Korea has revealed that strategic elites in both countries remain sceptical about developing nuclear weapons.

However, should one of the two countries take the lead in acquiring nuclear weapons, support for such a move in the other country could rise rapidly, according to the survey published on Thursday by Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) .

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.

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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.