Divergent Pathways of Norm Internalization: Strategic Culture and the Nuclear Taboo in North Korea and Japan

This paper analyzes the divergent processes of nuclear norm internalization in Japan and North Korea. Although both countries have faced the same global expectations regarding nuclear weapons, their responses have taken opposite directions. Japan has demonstrated a strong internalization of the nuclear taboo, reflected in its pacifist policies and active support for non-proliferation, while North Korea has resisted and reinterpreted the norm by pursuing nuclear development as a means of regime security and strategic leverage. The study compares the domestic political identities, historical experiences, and security perceptions of the two countries to explain this contrast. Japan’s victimhood from nuclear attacks, its alliance with the United States, and its liberal democratic identity have fostered acceptance of the norm. In contrast, North Korea’s revolutionary narrative, external threat perception, and emphasis on sovereignty have shaped a confrontational stance. This comparison shows that global norms are not uniformly adopted, but are filtered through national contexts, often leading to fundamentally different outcomes.