Michael Flynn, who served as national security adviser during Donald Trump's first presidential term, has cautioned against South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons capability, arguing it would heighten tensions rather than improve security. Speaking at a Seoul forum hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation, Flynn said Washington's existing security umbrella — referring to U.S. extended deterrence commitments — remains the more viable path for protecting South Korea against North Korean threats. Flynn also addressed two other sensitive issues: warning that any transition of wartime operational control from U.S. to South Korean command must be handled carefully to avoid signalling weakness to China and Russia, and predicting that President Trump would likely seek a personal summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un given his preference for direct diplomacy.