SEOUL, April 8 (UPI) — U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Wednesday criticized a Pentagon strategy that would shift more responsibility for deterring North Korea onto Seoul, calling the approach an “abdication.”

The Mississippi Republican made the remarks in a pre-recorded congratulatory address to the Asan Plenum, a policy forum in Seoul hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

Wicker said U.S. alliances with South Korea and Japan remain essential in confronting threats from China and what he described as “a nuclear-armed and now battle-hardened North Korea.” However, he warned that some officials in Washington increasingly view such alliances “with derision.”

“These officials have begun eschewing mutual burden sharing and propose a new term they call ‘burden shifting,'” Wicker said. “In such an arrangement, America would abruptly transfer conventional deterrence responsibility away from the United States and give it to our allies. I do not agree with these officials.”

His remarks come as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump presses allies in Europe and Asia to increase defense spending and take on a greater share of regional security responsibilities.

A Pentagon National Defense Strategy released in January calls for South Korea to assume a leading role in deterring North Korean threats.

“South Korea is capable of taking primary responsibility for deterring North Korea with critical but more limited U.S. support,” the document said. “This shift in the balance of responsibility is consistent with America’s interest in updating U.S. force posture on the Korean Peninsula.”

Wicker has been a vocal critic of the strategy, arguing during a Senate hearing in January that it places too much responsibility on allies, including European nations supporting Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

While calling for modernization of the U.S.-South Korea alliance to reflect evolving threats and capabilities, Wicker said Wednesday that any changes should reinforce deterrence against Pyongyang.

“These reforms should leave us stronger and safer,” he said. “They should not detract from our focus on North Korea.”

He warned that the concept of “burden shifting” risks signaling reduced U.S. commitment in critical areas.

“It suggests that the United States has a limited stake in conflicts that erupt or could erupt in key regions,” Wicker said. “It suggests abdication, not collective responsibility.”

“And if there are any words to describe the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, those words are ‘collective responsibility,'” he added.

Wicker has long advocated strengthening deterrence against North Korea, including expanding joint military exercises and exploring NATO-style nuclear-sharing arrangements in the region.

Chung Mong-joon, founder and honorary chairman of the Asan Institute, echoed calls for a stronger nuclear posture, suggesting the United States consider redeploying tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea.

“We must be prepared to discuss options once considered difficult,” Chung said in opening remarks at the plenum. “This includes the redeployment of several dozen U.S. tactical nuclear weapons that the United States withdrew from South Korea in 1991, with the end of the Cold War.”

The United States still deploys about 100 tactical nuclear weapons in five European countries, Chung noted.

“Why not in South Korea?” he said. “Nuclear weapons can be deterred only by nuclear weapons.”