APLN Exclusive: ROK Foreign Minister on why non-proliferation is a strategic imperative

2 Apr 2026 | APLN

8 April 2026

This week, we are proud to feature an exclusive commentary by Cho Hyun, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, written for APLN ahead of the NPT Review Conference. Minister Cho addresses the South Korean nuclear latency debate directly, arguing that any move towards nuclear armament would erode the US-ROK alliance, trigger regional proliferation, and devastate its globally integrated economy.

The Minister’s commentary sits alongside a rich set of contributions from across the APLN network this week, including analyses on India’s strategic autonomy, small modular reactors, the Sino-Russian partnership, and security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.

Non-Proliferation as a Strategic Imperative

In an exclusive commentary for APLN, Cho Hyun, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, delivers one of the most direct public responses by a senior government minister to concerns that South Korea’s pursuit of uranium enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, and nuclear-powered submarines signals an intention to develop nuclear weapons.

His answer is unequivocal: non-proliferation is ‘not simply a matter of principle, but a logical strategic imperative.’ Minister Cho argues that nuclear armament would erode the US-ROK alliance, trigger a chain of regional proliferation, and devastate one of the world’s most globally integrated economies. Abandoning the NPT, he warns, would mean ‘becoming another North Korea’.

Read the commentary

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In Conversation: Professor Chung-in Moon on South Korea Navigating Evolving Nuclear Threats

Chung-in Moon, APLN Vice Chair, was featured in the In Conversation podcast, where he analysed South Korea’s nuclear dilemma, the credibility of the US nuclear umbrella, and the strategic choices Seoul faces amid North Korea’s evolving nuclear doctrine.

India Navigates Shifting Geopolitical Currents

Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary of India, wrote for Global Asia on how India’s ‘strategic autonomy’ is being tested as its relationship with the United States develops serious fault lines, and the asymmetry of power with China grows wider.

The excitement around Small Modular Reactors

Manpreet Sethi, APLN Senior Research Adviser, wrote for Gateway House and noted that India will make the necessary regulatory and legislative amendments to enhance its nuclear power production, including through Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). SMRs can bring together public and private sector innovation and capital, providing India with the energy it needs and potential opportunities for export.

South Korea Can Survive Trump with Its Own Transactional Approach

Kim Joon Hyung, a member of the Korean National Assembly, wrote for Global Asia and proposed three strategic principles for how Seoul can demonstrate “strategic autonomy” that prioritises its own interests, even when this diverges from the South Korea–US alliance.

The Sino-Russian partnership: why it matters for Australian security and defence

Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, Resident Senior Fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), wrote a special report examining the contemporary trajectory and drivers of the China-Russia partnership, drawing out the implications for Australia, the liberal international order, and strategic stability, while identifying pragmatic choices for Canberra to boost its security and defence.

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