A new survey reveals that nearly six in ten Americans support South Korea’s development of nuclear-powered submarines, while seven in ten oppose independent nuclear armament for Seoul. According to a U.S. foreign policy and Korean Peninsula opinion poll released on the 8th (local time) by the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), 58% of respondents favored South Korea developing nuclear submarines, compared to 42% who opposed. Support remained consistent across Democrats (56%), Republicans (64%), and independents (62%).
KEI has been surveying American perceptions of allies annually since 2020. The latest survey was conducted from August 21 to September 1 in partnership with polling firm YouGov, surveying 1,207 U.S. adults with a margin of error of ±3.6 percentage points. KEI analyzed that support for nuclear submarines did not extend to the acquisition of nuclear weapons. When asked about nuclear development in nine countries, average opposition stood at 77%, peaking at 91% against Iran’s nuclear ambitions and lowest for Australia at 66%.
Opposition to South Korea possessing nuclear weapons reached 71%, echoing across Democrats (69%), Republicans (72%), and independents (71%). Opposition to Japan’s nuclear development was slightly lower at 67%. Meanwhile, support for the South Korea-U.S. alliance remained robust, with 64% agreeing that the alliance serves U.S. national security interests. KEI noted that despite Donald Trump’s public criticisms of the military alliance, joint drill reductions, and troop withdrawal proposals, public support has not wavered.
In fact, 56% supported maintaining or increasing current U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) levels, highest among Republicans at 67%. Furthermore, 71% agreed that U.S. troops should be deployed to defend South Korea in the event of a North Korean invasion. When facing a dual-conflict scenario where the U.S. must choose between defending South Korea and Taiwan, 40% favored defending both, while only 15% chose South Korea alone and 10% chose Taiwan.
Negative perceptions of North Korea persist, with 68% holding unfavorable views, including 50% who are very unfavorable. Nonetheless, 55% supported a renewed summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, though opinions were divided on preconditions such as prior nuclear freeze or missile test halts. Support for North Korean denuclearization remained high at 87%, though 53% expressed support for arms control talks allowing Pyongyang to retain some or all current nuclear capabilities.
KEI concluded that despite shifting international environments and political rhetoric, the American public continues to find value in the U.S. alliance system and remains committed to foreign engagement.
