Will Tactical Nuclear Weapons Be Redeployed with U.S. Forces Korea Again? [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

U.S. Reconsiders Nuclear Strategy Amid Potential Threats from China and Russia
Redeployment to the Korean Peninsula Could Involve U.S. Forces Korea

The issue of deploying tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula is once again coming to the fore. The U.S. Department of Defense has begun discussions on a new nuclear strategy, aiming to expand the role of "tactical nuclear weapons" in preparation for the potential of attacks by China or Russia against its allies. If this strategy is adopted, there is a possibility that tactical nuclear weapons could be redeployed with U.S. Forces Korea.

On August 5 (local time), NBC News reported that Eldridge Colby, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, is leading the drafting of this new strategy. According to the report, he plans to visit the Strategic Command (STRATCOM) in Omaha, Nebraska, to discuss the strategy. The Strategic Command oversees the operation of global nuclear forces and strategic deterrence as a key combat command. It is also tasked with providing extended deterrence capabilities to allies, including South Korea.

If this strategy is adopted, it would have a significant impact on defense readiness against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as the broader security landscape for both South Korea and Japan. U.S. Forces Korea withdrew more than 100 tactical nuclear weapons in 1991 under the "Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Tactical nuclear weapons differ from traditional strategic nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to attack military targets such as enemy units or bases in limited areas, typically with a yield of tens of kilotons or less. In contrast, strategic nuclear weapons, with yields ranging from hundreds of kilotons to megatons, are intended to destroy broad areas such as enemy territory or critical national infrastructure.

If the United States were to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, it is highly likely to involve the B61-12 tactical nuclear weapon, which was deployed at North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) bases in Europe in 2022. Under the nuclear sharing program, the U.S. deployed 100 B61 tactical nuclear warheads to bases in Germany, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe. The B61-12, produced since 2019, is a nuclear weapon with adjustable yields of 0.3, 1.5, 10, or 50 kilotons. For comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan in 1945 had a yield of about 15 kilotons. With a tail kit attached, the B61-12 can be dropped directly from aircraft or guided precisely onto a target, with a guidance accuracy within 30 meters. In addition to being deliverable by B-2 strategic bombers, the B61-12 can also be delivered by smaller aircraft such as the F-35 and F-15, both of which are in service with the South Korean Air Force.

There are also strong voices opposing the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula. Heightened military tensions could prompt North Korea to overreact or lead to miscalculations. Moreover, such deployment would contradict South Korea's ongoing denuclearization policies and the 1991 Joint Declaration on the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. It would also undermine the justification for demanding North Korea's denuclearization.

Shin Jongwoo, Secretary General of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, stated, "Successive governments have proposed various responses to North Korea's nuclear armament, but none have proven truly adequate," adding, "With deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and China's military expansion, U.S. patience has reached its limits. There is a high likelihood that redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons will become a reality."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.