Anchor: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is moving fast to complete appointments for his national security and foreign policy teams, with his latest pick being veteran-turned-conservative news host Pete Hegseth to head the Pentagon. The incoming administration faces a number of foreign policy challenges, such as the ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, as well as tensions with China and Iran.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The second Donald Trump administration’s national security and foreign policy teams are taking shape.

In a statement issued Tuesday, U.S. President-elect Trump announced the nomination of Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and an army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as the next secretary of defense.

The New York Times said the 44-year-old reserve major, a dedicated Trump supporter since the 2016 presidential race, defended the president-elect’s interactions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his previous term in office.

He is also said to have embraced Trump’s agenda of trying to withdraw U.S. troops from overseas.

Hegseth’s nomination follows the selection of Republican Congressman Mike Waltz as Trump’s new national security adviser.

Waltz, a retired Green Beret, has been critical of Chinese activity in the Asia-Pacific region and called for the U.S. to prepare for a potential conflict in the region.

Trump has reportedly picked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio as his secretary of state.

In a recent interview with CNN, Rubio advocated a “pragmatic” foreign policy, saying U.S. adversaries such as North Korea, Iran, China and Russia are increasingly coordinated.

Despite his interventionist views on foreign policy, Rubio was among a group of senators who voted against military aid for Ukraine, calling instead for a conclusion to the conflict.

Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.