South Korea, a longstanding treaty ally of Washington, has long relied on the U.S. military’s extended nuclear deterrence to thwart any potential North Korean attack or use of nuclear weapons against it. 

But there’s burgeoning uncertainty among ROK political elites about the U.S. defense commitment to Seoul, with many continuing to harbor fears of potential abandonment. As a result, analysts across the ideological spectrum are increasingly endorsing the idea of developing or acquiring an independent nuclear deterrent.