Seoul: The Trump administration's second-term National Defense Strategy (NDS), titled the "2026 Defense Strategy," was released on Friday, highlighting a sharper focus on defending the U.S. homeland while urging allies to assume greater security responsibilities. This document reflects an expanded "America First" approach in defense policy, indicating that the United States will not compensate for security gaps created by what it terms as irresponsible decisions by allied leaders. For countries like Korea, this shift may lead to increased strategic and financial challenges, necessitating careful preparation.

According to Yonhap News Agency, a notable omission in the new strategy is the lack of emphasis on North Korea's denuclearization, despite acknowledging the advancement of its nuclear capabilities. This absence echoes a similar omission in the National Security Strategy (NSS) released late last year, suggesting a possible evolution in Washington's policy stance. Concerns are further fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks, acknowledging North Korea as a nuclear power and hinting at potential sanction relief during his visit to Korea in October. This has led to growing doubts, as noted by a Washington Post editorial, that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula may no longer be a U.S. priority, potentially indicating a shift towards tacit acceptance of North Korea's nuclear arsenal.

The uncertainty is further heightened by the interaction between the new U.S. defense strategy and the Lee Jae Myung government's stance on the North Korean nuclear issue. President Lee has proposed a pragmatic three-stage framework of freeze, arms reduction, and eventual denuclearization. While denuclearization remains the ultimate goal, the suggestion of arms reduction talks as an interim step could provide North Korea with leverage to assert its status as a nuclear weapons state, as it argues that arms control discussions should occur only among nuclear nations, potentially sidelining nonnuclear Korea.

The urgency of the issue is underscored by the visit of Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of war for policy and a key architect of both the NSS and NDS, to Korea. He is expected to emphasize U.S. priorities such as homeland defense and countering China, which are connected to debates over the role of U.S. Forces Korea and the transfer of wartime operational control.

The Korean government is advised to seek clarity on the implications of a defense strategy without denuclearization and to urge Washington to maintain coordination on the principle of North Korea's denuclearization. Additionally, Korea should seize the opportunity to secure stronger U.S. support for enhancing its own defense capabilities.