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.