WASHINGTON, Feb 12 — Over 40 per cent of global strategists and foresight practitioners believe South Korea will possess nuclear weapons within the next 10 years, according to a survey by the Atlantic Council.
In a Yonhap news report, the Global Foresight 2025 Survey found that South Korea ranked third among countries expected to develop nuclear arms, following Iran (72.8per cent) and Saudi Arabia (41.6per cent).
On the likelihood of deployment, 24.2 per cent of respondents also predicted that North Korea would use a nuclear weapon within the next decade, while 51.6 per cent said nuclear weapons would not be used.
The survey also revealed a pessimistic global outlook, with 62.2 per cent of respondents believing the world will be worse off by 2035, while only 37.8 per cent expect improvements.
Despite rising geopolitical tensions, 59.5 per cent of those surveyed do not anticipate a world war involving great powers in the next decade.
Conducted between November 15 and December 2, 2024, the survey included responses from over 350 experts across 60 countries from diverse sectors, including government, academia, and private institutions.
