I. Introduction The international arena is filled with threats, and North Korea's nuclear tests and missile launches dominate foreign policy, media coverage, and academic discourse. In South Korea and the US, the perception of North Korea as the most pressing security threat is largely due to the presence of nuclear weapons.[1] In fact, 83% of Americans regard North Korea's nuclear weapons as a “critical threat” to the country's “vital interest”.[2] However, the USA-R