North trying to win recognition as nuclear power, U.S. intelligence says

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North trying to win recognition as nuclear power, U.S. intelligence says

Published: 26 Mar. 2025, 17:23 Updated: 26 Mar. 2025, 18:08

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing examining worldwide threats at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 25. Intelligence leaders are testifying publicly before the committee on worldwide threats, before moving to a closed session. [UPI/YONHAP]

U.S. intelligence assessed Tuesday that North Korea is "enabling" its longstanding goals of being internationally recognized as a "nuclear power," raising concerns that the Donald Trump administration may shift its approach to Pyongyang from denuclearization to arms control.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) stated in its 2025 Annual Threat Assessment report that North Korea’s continued development of strategic weapons and increased access to revenue streams are taking concrete actions to help make the leader Kim Jong-un’s ambitions, including securing nuclear state status, reducing the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula, expanding economic control and blocking foreign influence.

This marks a shift from the previous year's report under the Biden administration, which said Kim "hopes" to achieve such recognition through closer military ties with Russia.

DNI Director Tulsi Gabbard echoed the outlook.

"North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is pursuing stronger strategic and conventional capabilities … to bolster North Korea's leverage and stature, defend the regime and achieve at least tacit recognition as a nuclear weapons power," Gabbard said speaking before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump hold a one-on-one summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 28, 2019. [AFP/YONHAP]

U.S. President Donald Trump once again referred to North Korea as a "nuclear power" during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on March 13. When asked by reporters whether he planned to rebuild ties with Pyongyang, Trump responded affirmatively, noting his "great relationship" with the North Korean leader.

Experts caution that a revival of U.S.-North Korea diplomacy under these terms may prioritize arms control and sanctions relief rather than complete denuclearization.

According to the latest DNI report, Kim "has no intention of negotiating away his strategic weapons programs," which he perceives as a "guarantor of regime security and national pride."

Gabbard further warned that North Korea remains poised for provocations.

"North Korea is probably prepared to conduct another nuclear test on short notice and continues to flight test ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles] to demonstrate their increasing capabilities as leverage in future negotiations," she said.

She added that Kim perceives "strategic weapons advances, deepening ties with Russia and economic durability" as factors that "strengthen his negotiating position against Washington's demands for denuclearization and lessening his need for sanctions relief."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Kim Il Sung University of Politics, recognized as the supreme military and political academy of the country’s armed forces, on Feb. 24, in this photo released by North Korea’s state-run Rodong Sinmun the day after. [YONHAP]

The report also flagged the risk of asymmetric provocations.

"Kim will act aggressively to counter activities he views as undermining the regime and threaten to use force when he perceives U.S. and allied actions as challenging North Korea’s sovereignty, undermining his power, or aiming to curb his nuclear and missile ambitions," the report said. "Pyongyang is expanding its capacity for coercive operations and using new tactics as it becomes more confident in its nuclear deterrent."

One such tactic could involve "renewed clashes along the Northern Limit Line [NLL]," the disputed maritime boundary between North and South Korea. The report noted that Kim has previously challenged South Korea’s de facto maritime boundary claims and may do so again.

The report cited Russia’s growing support for North Korea's nuclear status as a driver behind Pyongyang's expanding nuclear capacity, likely in exchange for military assistance in the Ukraine conflict.

Cyberattacks were also cited as a key factor in funding Pyongyang's continued military development, which has been funded in part by "stealing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in cryptocurrency from the United States and other victims." These illicit proceeds are then funneled into North Korea’s weapons programs, potentially targeting defense industrial base companies involved in aerospace, submarine or hypersonic glide technologies, according to U.S. intelligence.

Along with North Korea, the DNI named China, Russia, and Iran as the four "major state actors" that present "proximate and enduring threats" to U.S. global influence across military and economic domains.

Among them, China was labeled the "most capable" of threatening U.S. interests globally.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]