North Korea is the top threat for 2021, says CFR survey

According to a recent survey, North Korea’s nuclear development is the top threat to the U.S. foreign policy and national security this year. According to the Preventive Priorities Survey released by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) on Thursday (local time), North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons is considered the most worrying threat to the U.S. this year. The survey found that there is a high likelihood of further development of nuclear weapons or test-firing of ballistic missiles by North Korea, which in turn will act as a threat to the U.S. and raise military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The survey classified countries that pose a threat to the U.S. into three tiers depending on the likelihood of threat occurrence and their potential impact on U.S. national interests. North Korea, the only country rated high in both categories, was classified as a Tier 1 risk. North Korea’s nuclear programs and missile development were considered the top threat last year but the likelihood of threat occurrence was moderate. Intensifying pressure from China against Taiwan was also classified as a Tier 1 threat, but the likelihood of threat occurrence was moderate and its impact was high. This survey is based on the responses of 550 U.S. government officials and foreign policy experts and was conducted before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared at the Eighth Party Congress that the country will move forward with developing a nuclear-powered submarine.

The U.S. Department of Commerce on the same day included North Korea on the list of its foreign adversaries along with China, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela to secure its information and communications technology and services (ICTS) supply chain. According to the rule, the Department of Commerce can prohibit ICTS transactions that have been developed, manufactured, or supplied by companies or individuals of those countries.


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