Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State nominee, stated on January 15 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un uses nuclear weapons as an “insurance policy” to maintain his grip on power.
During his Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing, Rubio responded to a question from Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) about the U.S.’s inability to curb North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities.
Describing Kim as “a 40-something-year-old dictator who has to figure out how to hold down to power for the rest of his life,” Rubio emphasized the critical role of nuclear weapons in Kim’s strategy.
“He used nuclear weapons as his insurance policy to stay in power, despite it means so much to him that no amount of sanctions has deterred him from developing that capability, and, in fact, has not even kept him from having the resources to develop it,” he said.
He dismissed the notion of “complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID)” as unrealistic, suggesting that the U.S. needs to reevaluate its approach toward North Korea. When asked by Senator Schatz whether he is open to reconsidering failed policies, Rubio responded, “I think there has to be an appetite for very serious look at broader North Korean policies.”
Rubio clarified, however, that he could not provide a definitive policy direction during the hearing, stating, “I think it would be difficult for me today to come here and tell you this is going to be the official United States position on it moving forward.”
Reflecting on the Trump administration’s approach to North Korea, Rubio admitted, “I was one of the people very skeptical about it.” He noted that although former President Donald Trump reached out to Kim, and walked away from negotiations twice.
Nevertheless, Rubio acknowledged that Trump’s engagement efforts temporarily halted North Korea’s missile tests. “That didn’t stop the development of the program, but it did help calm the situation quite a bit,” he said.
Rubio expressed concern over North Korea’s involvement in global conflicts, particularly its reported provision of weapons and troops to Russia. “Unfortunately, recent events now also have them engaged in conflicts beyond the Korean peninsula,” he said. “In fact, providing troops and weaponry to the Russians in their effort in Ukraine and and so all of this.”
Rubio stressed the importance of reducing the risk of accidental war involving South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and potentially the United States. “What can we do to prevent a crisis without encouraging other nation-states to pursue their own nuclear weapons programs,” he stated, adding, “That’s the solution we’d like to get to.”
The nominee concluded by acknowledging that he is not fully prepared to present a comprehensive North Korea policy yet. “And I just didn’t bring it in my folder today, because we’re not ready to deal but it’s important,” he added.
BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
