The Trump administration's new National Security Strategy, released on December 5, omitted any mention of North Korea's denuclearization, shocking South Korea. China's recent defense white paper also removed support for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. Seoul must now urgently strengthen self-reliant defense and alliance coordination.
The Trump administration's new National Security Strategy (NSS), released on December 5, contained no references to North Korea or its denuclearization. This marks a stark departure from the 2017 NSS, which mentioned North Korea 17 times and recognized its nuclear program as a threat. The Biden administration's document supported 'visible progress toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,' but the latest strategy prioritizes 'America First' policies, focusing on countering Chinese influence and deterring conflict in the Taiwan Strait. President Trump referred to North Korea as a 'nuclear power' in October while en route to the APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, jolting South Korean and regional observers.
China's November defense white paper similarly omitted its longstanding support for a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, present since 2005, replacing it with vague calls for resolution through 'political means.' This reflects Beijing's view of a nuclear-armed North Korea as a strategic buffer amid intensifying U.S.-China rivalry. For South Korea, these shifts risk a 'Korea passing' scenario, where Washington and Beijing tacitly normalize Pyongyang's arsenal, bypassing Seoul's interests.
In a related development, U.S. Embassy chargé d'affaires Kevin Kim recently met Unification Minister Chung Dong-young to stress the need to maintain sanctions on North Korea. During an October National Assembly audit, Chung called for overcoming the expansion of joint military exercises under the Yoon-Biden administrations and the scrapping of the 2018 Sept. 19 military accord, questioning sanctions' effectiveness amid North Korea's nuclear advances. Washington issued its first North Korea sanctions of Trump's second term last month, proceeding alone after Seoul's reluctance for a joint announcement via the Multinational Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT). With North Korea's alignment strengthening with Russia and China—exacerbated by Kim Jong-un's support for Russia's Ukraine war—UN sanctions are weakening. South Korea must accelerate self-reliant defenses, including nuclear-powered submarines recently approved by the U.S. National security adviser Wi Sung-lac noted on December 6 that the NSS outlines broad directions rather than specific disputes, but the omissions heighten ambiguity around North Korea.
