As North Korean threats continue to grow, the South Korean debate on nuclear options is louder than ever — a reality driven home on Wednesday when President Yoon Suk-yeol raised the possibility of Seoul acquiring its own nuclear weapons. 

The allies should take this as an opportunity; the worst scenario for the ROK-U.S. alliance would be neglect from South Koreans regarding North Korean threats. Neglect has always been a trigger for hostility rather than for dialogue.

The DPRK relies on its nuclear weapons to overcome its vast conventional weaknesses compared to the U.S. and