WASHINGTON — A security expert said Tuesday that it would be "much more" difficult for U.S. President Donald Trump to consider the possibility of a military option against North Korea, citing Pyongyang's nuclear arms, its ties with China and Russia and geographic proximity to South Korea and Japan. Ellen Kim, director of academic affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI), made the remarks during a forum, amid questions over how Trump will address the North's growing nuclear threats following U.S. military operations that have led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "I think that Iran and North Korea are quite different. First, North Korea does have nuclear weapons. So, it's much more risky for the U.S. to actually take that military option," Kim said. "And there are China and Russia behind North Korea. So I think it's also strategically ... very risky operation to do that. Also South Korea and Japan (are) right there directly under the nose of North Korea's nuclear and military threats," s