Don't ignore the 'usable' tactical nukes

Unlike the strategic nukes, tactical nukes can give the impression that they are "usable weapons." This is why we should stay alert about tactical nukes.

HAN YOUNG-IKThe author is a political news editor of the JoongAng Ilbo. In 1380 at the end of the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392), a maritime battle that determined the fate of the country took place in Jinpo, North Jeolla. In the Battle of Jinpo, Admiral Choi Mu-seon mobilized 100 battleships to defeat about 500 Japanese warships. The cannon used for the first time in the battle played a critical role in the victory. If swords and bows were the widely used tactical weapons at the time, gunpowder was the game changer. It was a strategic weapon that could change the flow of the war.

China had designated the manufacturing method of potassium nitrate — a key ingredient of gunpowder — as a national secret and restricted its exports. While Adm. Choi managed to bring in the method of getting potassium nitrate from the Yuan Dynasty of the Mongols (1271-1368), productivity was still poor. Since then, the following Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) discovered an improved method but did not transfer the knowledge to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) . Ming wanted to take a technological advantage as the country treated gunpowder as a strategic material. The Joseon Dynasty struggled with a shortage of it.

In modern days, the most notable strategic weapon is nuclear weapons. Here, tactical nukes are distinguished from strategic nukes. The difference is power. A strategic nuclear weapon is powerful enough to blow up a whole city. As the weapon could trigger a third world war, military experts call it an unusable weapon. In contrast, tactical nuclear weapons are called tactical as they are relatively weaker.

But the name tactical nukes is as paradoxical as “hot iced Americano.” No matter how weak it may be, a nuclear weapon inevitably has strategic significance.

In January 2021, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed the need to develop “tactical nuclear weapons that can be used for different missions and purposes in modern warfare.” Recently, Kim elevated tensions by commanding a military drill for a unit to operate the nukes. Some argue that tactical weapons are ironically more dangerous than highly destructive strategic weapons. Unlike the strategic nukes, tactical nukes can give the impression that they are “usable weapons.” This is why we should stay alert about tactical nukes.