On Tuesday (local time), U.S. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth (pictured) referred to North Korea as a “nuclear power.” While this term differs from the internationally recognized status of a “nuclear weapon state,” it acknowledges North Korea’s practical nuclear weapons capabilities. The U.S. has historically emphasized North Korea’s complete denuclearization and avoided labeling it as a nuclear power. This shift in terminology has raised concerns about potential changes to the longstanding denuclearization principle during Donald Trump’s second term.
In his written responses to the Senate Armed Services Committee ahead of his confirmation hearing, Hegseth highlighted the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile programs, stating they “endanger the stability of the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific, and global security.” He also suggested the possibility of advocating for increased defense contributions from allies, emphasizing that “it is crucial to ensure that defense spending and burden-sharing relationships among allies remain balanced.”
Jin-Woo Shin niceshin@donga.com