South Korea has the raw materials and equipment to produce a nuclear weapon. However, it has not opted to make one.[1] South Korea has continued on a stated policy of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons since 2004 and has adopted a policy to maintain a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. South Korea also allows the United States to maintain nuclear weapons on its territories, which the US first brought to the peninsula in January 1958. North Korea has and is developing additional nuclear weapons.
In August 2004, South Korea revealed the extent of its highly secretive and sensitive nuclear research programs to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including some experiments which were conducted without the obligatory reporting to the IAEA called for by South Korea's safeguards agreement.[2] The IAEA Secretariat reported the failure to report to IAEA Board of Governors.[3] However, the IAEA Board of Governors decided to not make a formal finding of noncompliance.[4]
- ^ "Nuclear Capabilities And Potential Around The World". NPR website. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ "Nonproliferation, By the Numbers Archived 2009-08-14 at the Wayback Machine". Sokolski, Henry. Journal of International Security Affairs. Spring 2007 - Number 12.
- ^ IAEA GOV/2004/84: Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Republic of Korea Archived November 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
IAEABoGwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).