On Sep 9, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said it had moved to make its nuclear status "irreversible", effectively barring denuclearisation talks. As China and North Korea shore up their nuclear capabilities, public support for nuclear armament is rising in Japan and South Korea. Is East Asia headed for a nuclear arms race?

China has been growing its nuclear arsenal, targeting 1,000 warheads by 2030. Meanwhile, North Korea is preparing for its seventh nuclear test, the first in five years.

Taking notes from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, public support for nuclear weaponry has grown in South Korea (71%). Meanwhile Japan’s former prime minister, the late Shinzo Abe had called for Japan to host US nuclear weapons.

Could we be headed for a nuclear arms race in East Asia? And, if so, what would it look like?

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