North Korea is ramping up efforts to prove that its rhetoric about preemptive use of nuclear weapons is not just an empty threat, embracing tactics learned from the Ukraine war to foster distrust in the U.S. commitment to defend South Korea and Japan.

Introduced in 2022, the DPRK’s nuclear law codified conditions for using its nuclear arsenal, including in response to non-nuclear attacks and when core leadership is in danger. This doctrine aims not merely to deter Washington but also to weaken its resolve to provide extended deterrence for its East Asian allies.

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