Tulsi Gabbard, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI), testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 25th, discussing North Korea’s potential preparation for another nuclear test. She linked this preparation to the strategic goals of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s regime. During her testimony, Gabbard emphasized that North Korea aims to strengthen its negotiating power and be implicitly recognized as a nuclear-armed state through continued intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.
Gabbard stated, “North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is pursuing more powerful strategic and conventional capabilities that could target the U.S. military, its allies, and the U.S. mainland.” She assessed that this is to bolster North Korea’s influence and status, defend the regime, and at least gain implicit recognition as a nuclear-armed state.
She indicated that North Korea has no intention of denuclearizing through negotiations, mirroring the understanding of the Biden administration. In a separate “2025 Annual Threat Assessment Report,” it was noted that Kim Jong-un views strategic weapon programs as essential for regime security and national pride, with no intention of abandoning them through negotiations.
Regarding the strengthening relationship between North Korea and Russia, Gabbard noted that the “strategically solidified partnership with Russia provides Kim Jong-un with increased financial, military, and diplomatic support.” This partnership reduces North Korea’s dependence on China and its compliance with China’s conditions while providing the North Korean military with authentic combat experience.
Gabbard stressed the need for U.S. policy towards North Korea to focus on reducing threats posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Additionally, she identified North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran as key countries engaging in activities that could challenge U.S. capabilities and interests.
She reaffirmed that China is seen as the “most capable strategic competitor,” while Russia remains a formidable challenger due to its nuclear and conventional military power, domestic economic, and military resilience. Regarding Iran, intelligence continues to scrutinize whether it will renew its nuclear weapons program, noting that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is at an unprecedented level for a non-nuclear weapon state.
Gabbard evaluated that the close ties among North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran are unlikely to revert to pre-war levels even after the Ukraine conflict. She noted that emerging strategic priorities and global events could create new incentives or challenges for maintaining a high level of cooperation among these countries.