In a written response submitted to the Senate Committee on Armed Services for his confirmation hearing, Hegseth said, "[North Korea's] status as a nuclear power, its intense focus on increasing the range of missiles capable of delivering nuclear warheads and its growing cyber capabilities all pose a threat to stability on the Korean peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific region, and globally."
This comes amid speculations about a softer stance on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula under the incoming U.S. administration, led by President-elect Donald Trump who takes office next week.
North Korea has conducted six nuclear tests and is believed to possess dozens of warheads, along with long-range missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
"Those threats are of particular concern given [the North’s] proximity to close U.S. allies that base U.S. troops," Hegseth added.
He then said, "Increased ally and partner defense spending and burden sharing are critical to ensuring that our relationships are not one-sided," endorsing Trump's push for burden-sharing.
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