A leading American political scholar stated that North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons is irreversible and a “force for stability” on the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, citing the lack of direct conflict between nuclear powers the U.S. and Soviet Union during the Cold War.

John Mearsheimer, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, delivered his assessment in a keynote speech at the Korea Global Forum 2023 in Seoul on Wednesday, organized by South Korea’s unification ministry.

He stated that Pyongyang will not give up its nuclear weapons as it considers them a necessary deterrent against the U.S.