Pentagon nominee voices uncertainty over trilateral cooperation between S. Korea, U.S., Japan

Also on the subject of security.

Trump's nominee for a top defense post has voiced uncertainty over the trilateral partnership among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

At a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Elbridge Colby, the nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, claimed it was "unclear" whether the trilateral cooperation can continue amid the political dynamics of Seoul in recent months.

The claim was made in response to a question about an Indo-Pacific version of NATO.

While adding that he was not against the idea, he remained skeptical about whether it could be as ambitious as NATO.

Regarding the transfer of wartime operational control from the U.S. to South Korea, he shared support for Trump's vision of "empowering capable and willing allies like South Korea".