Marco Rubio, the nominee for U.S. Secretary of State, on the 15th (local time) described North Korea's Kim Jong Un as a "dictator in his 40s who must find a way to maintain power for the rest of his life," adding, "He uses nuclear weapons as a policy of insurance to maintain his power."
According to major foreign media outlets, including CNN, Rubio appeared at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's confirmation hearing on this day, where he responded to a question from Senator Brian Schatz (Democrat-Hawaii) regarding the failure of U.S. North Korea policy to limit the enhancement of North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile capabilities.
Rubio stated, "That (nuclear weapons) means a great deal to him (Kim Jong Un), so any sanctions have not prevented the development of (nuclear) capabilities," adding, "Sanctions have not even prevented him from securing the resources necessary to develop it."
Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, he remarked that "complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) is a fantasy." In response to Senator Schatz's question about whether he has any intention to reconsider the failed North Korea policy, he said, "I believe there is a general interest (appetite) in looking more broadly at North Korea policy," and added, "We need to see what we can do to reduce the risk of inadvertent war that does not provoke other countries to pursue their own nuclear programs and includes South Korea, North Korea, perhaps Japan, and ultimately the United States."
Regarding the North Korea-U.S. summit held during Trump’s first term, Rubio expressed, "To be honest, I was also very skeptical," stating, "President Trump reached out to Kim Jong Un, but Kim Jong Un refused to negotiate twice and ultimately did not reach a sustainable agreement." However, he noted, "Trump succeeded in halting North Korea's missile tests through that engagement, and while it did not stop the advancement of North Korea's (nuclear) program, at least the situation was calmed."
Concerning North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia, which is engaged in war with Ukraine, he stated, "Unfortunately, North Korea is involved in conflicts beyond the Korean Peninsula by providing personnel and weapons to Russia," adding, "Considering all of this, we need to see what we can do to reduce the risk of inadvertent war that includes North and South Korea, perhaps Japan, and ultimately the United States."