A Pentagon-affiliated think tank has advised the U.S. to consider sharing nonstrategic nuclear deterrence with South Korea and Japan. 

In a recent report, the U.S. National Defense University said it would help deter North Korea’s nuclear threats without violating the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons(NPT) and put pressure on China to constrain aggression from Pyongyang.  

It said by deploying a “sufficient number of ballistic missile defenses” in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular Japan and South Korea, the U.S. can demonstrate to the Kim Jong-un regime that it has enough interceptors to neutralize the North’s nuclear threat. The measure, it added, could also become another avenue for collaboration with U.S. allies in the region. 

The report, however, cautioned it would not “mirror the NATO model”, likely meaning the U.S. would have the final say on whether or when such nonstrategic nuclear weapons could be used. 

Assessing the proposal in an interview with Voice of America, Gary Samore, a former U.S. negotiator with North Korea, said it's up to the political will of South Korea and Japan, warning a lack of it would only trigger internal division in those countries. 

He said related discussions on the proposal could be facilitated if further the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear ability leads to changes in public opinion in South Korea and Japan.