U.S. Secretary of State Rubio Says Kim Jong Un Wants Only Regime Survival, Not Expansionism ... Makes No Mention of Threats to South Korea and Others

[Financial News] U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio compared North Korean leader Kim Jong Un with Iran’s leadership, expressing the view that “North Korea does not seek expansion abroad and pursues only the survival and preservation of its regime.”
According to a transcript released by the U.S. State Department on the 15th (local time), Rubio made the remarks at an event held on the 13th at the National Lawyers Convention of the conservative Federalist Society in Washington, D.C., distinguishing between the nuclear threats posed by Iran and North Korea.
Asked about the U.S. objective, Rubio said, “Victory means ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon,” warning that if Iran acquired one, it would hold the entire Middle East hostage.
He described Iran’s leadership as “expansionists and revolutionaries,” clearly distinguishing them from North Korea’s Kim. Rubio prefaced his remarks by saying, “Of course, I’m not trying to justify the terrible things that have happened in North Korea,” but asserted, “Kim Jong Un only wants to maintain his regime and survive. He is not an expansionist and has no interest in conquering or invading Japan or China.”
Rubio then voiced deep concern about Iran, pointing out, “Iran always claims it is not interested in nuclear weapons, but it is interested in everything needed to build them,” and adding, “If it only needed nuclear energy, it would already have acquired it, like South Korea or Japan.”
These remarks by Rubio, the most senior official overseeing U.S. foreign and security policy, clearly illustrate the Trump administration’s view of North Korea. They suggest that it regards Iran’s nuclear weapons as a serious existential threat that could upend the balance of power in the Middle East, while viewing North Korea’s nuclear weapons strictly as a means of defending its own regime. Notably, Rubio made no mention of North Korea’s military threats against regional allies such as South Korea.
Rubio, of Cuban immigrant background, was a prominent North Korea hawk as a senator, fiercely criticizing the country’s nuclear development and human rights abuses. Since becoming secretary of state, however, he has clearly differentiated the threats posed by Iran and North Korea and appears to be focusing more diplomatic and security resources on Iran.
The Trump administration previously adopted a hard-line approach, swiftly deploying military force to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But it evaded a clear answer when asked whether North Korea’s denuclearization was the ultimate goal of its diplomacy toward Pyongyang, prompting some to question whether it was applying a double standard.


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