Sociopolitical foundations of North Koreans' nuclear attitudes: evidence from defector data

Abstract This study examines the sociopolitical determinants of North Korean defectors' attitudes toward nuclear weapons, reflecting their views while living in North Korea. Using original survey data from 1,241 defectors, the analysis tests how perceptions of external threat, domestic ideology, and social experience shape nuclear attitudes. Ordered logistic regression results show that perceiving South Korea as a threat, pride in Juche ideology, and trust in state media increase support for nuclear weapons, while exposure to South Korean media shows no consistent effect. These findings suggest that nuclear attitudes in authoritarian regimes are formed through the interplay of external threat perception, ideological indoctrination, and lived experience, offering insight into the microfoundations of proliferation politics.