PODCAST: Incoming commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, center left, receives the United States Forces Korea flag from U.S. Navy Adm. Samuel John Paparo, commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, during a change-of-command ceremony for the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and the United States Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
The provided sources consist of excerpts from a congressional hearing where U.S. military leaders testify on Indo-Pacific security. Specifically, Admiral Samuel Paparo and General Xavier Brunson address growing concerns about China’s military expansion and aggression, particularly concerning Taiwan, and North Korea’s increasing nuclear arsenal and deepening cooperation with Russia. The discussion also highlights the importance of U.S. alliances and partnerships in the region, logistical challenges, and the need for sustained investment in military capabilities and infrastructure to maintain deterrence and stability against these threats. Concerns are raised regarding unfunded military requirements, potential reductions in troop presence, and the impact of economic policies on alliances.
The alignment and cooperation among China, Russia, and North Korea pose an evolving and significant threat to global peace and stability, drawing substantial concern from U.S. military leaders. This partnership is described as a “transactional symbiosis” where each state fulfills the other’s weaknesses to their mutual benefit.
Key Aspects of the Cooperation and Its Evolution:
- North Korea’s Support to Russia:
- North Korea has been exporting munitions and troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating its ability to provide external support while simultaneously advancing its own domestic capabilities. This includes sending thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of artillery shells and thousands of KN24 short-range missiles to Russia.
- North Korea is also gaining experience from this conflict, learning tactical lessons and, more critically, acquiring technology from Russia.
- Russia’s Assistance to North Korea:
- In return for its support to Moscow, North Korea expects concessions and remuneration from Russia.
- This assistance is anticipated to include the modernization of North Korea’s air defenses (specifically MiG-29 and SU-27), advanced help for its surface-to-air missiles, quieting technology for its submarines, and additional help to establish a ballistic missile submarine.
- There is also a likelihood of propulsion help and potentially assistance with re-entry vehicle technology for North Korea’s burgeoning nuclear program. General Brunson notes that this Russian technical assistance will help Kim Jong-un further strengthen his strategic military and missile forces.
- China’s Role and Support for Russia:
- China has provided crucial support to Russia’s war machine, supplying 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the legacy chips that have enabled Russia to rebuild its military capabilities.
- In return, China could potentially receive submarine quieting technology and other forms of assistance from Russia in areas where Russia has strengths.
- Russia’s growing military cooperation with China adds another layer of complexity, creating a compounded challenge. Admiral Paparo notes that Russian success or failure in Ukraine has a direct effect on emboldening or deterring China.
Demonstrated Actions and Specific Threats:
- Deepening Military Integration:
- The alignment is evident in increased military exercises and joint patrols. For instance, last summer saw the longest-range joint patrol of the PLA Navy and Russian Pacific Fleet formation in the Bering Sea, demonstrating their deepening ability to operate together and going further afield in bigger formations.
- During the Freedom Shield exercises, Chinese ships violated the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea, and Russian forces violated the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone. These actions occurred concurrently with North Korea’s rhetoric against the U.S.-ROK exercises, suggesting coordinated pressure.
- North Korean Nuclear and Missile Threat:
- The North Korean nuclear and missile arsenal continues to grow and diversify, adopting a strategic doctrine that embraces nuclear first-use. Kim Jong-un views nuclear weapons as “the ultimate deterrence against foreign intervention”.
- In 2024, the DPRK focused on advancing its cruise missile and hypersonic glide vehicle research and development programs, launching 47 ballistic missiles. They are expected to further develop hypersonic and multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) capabilities.
- North Korea’s cyber threat is also increasingly sophisticated, as demonstrated by the theft of approximately $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency, which is believed to fund their military.
- Chinese Aggression:
- China’s unprecedented aggression and military modernization, including its expansion of nuclear arsenal at a pace far outstripping the U.S., poses a serious threat to the homeland, allies, and partners.
- The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) demonstrated growing capabilities through persistent pressure operations in 2024, with military pressure against Taiwan increasing by 300%. These are seen not merely as exercises but as rehearsals for coercive capabilities.
- China’s ability to produce fighters at a rate of 1.2 to 1 over the U.S. and its advanced long-range air-to-air missiles present a tremendous threat, potentially enabling them to deny U.S. air superiority in the first island chain.
- Admiral Paparo also highlights China’s aggressive actions near Taiwan and its encroachment on treaty allies like the Philippines and partners in the South China Sea, along with excessive claims.
Broader Implications: The continued demonstrations of Russia, China, and North Korea aligning and cooperating should be of great concern to “all the West” and necessitate action to rebuild military strength and reestablish deterrence to maintain global peace and stability. Adversaries, led by Beijing, are “playing a global game,” requiring the U.S. to be smarter and more agile. The increased military cooperation among these nations significantly worries military leaders regarding the ability to contain escalation, particularly on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea provides Russia with munitions and troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Specifically, North Korea has been observed to:
- Export munitions and troops to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, demonstrating its ability to provide external support while simultaneously advancing its own domestic capabilities.
- Send thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of artillery shells to Russia.
- Send thousands of KN24 short-range missiles to Russia.
In return for its support to Moscow, North Korea expects concessions and remuneration. These concessions are anticipated to include:
- Modernization of North Korea’s air defenses, specifically the MiG-29 and SU-27.
- Advanced help for its surface-to-air missiles.
- Quieting technology for its submarines, including help with their Kilo submarine fleet.
- Additional help to establish a ballistic missile submarine.
- Likely propulsion help and potentially even assistance with re-entry vehicle technology for its burgeoning nuclear program.
This Russian technical assistance will help Kim Jong-un further strengthen his strategic military and missile forces. North Korea is also learning tactical lessons and acquiring technology from this conflict. The military leaders express concern that North Korea is receiving the ability to circumvent sanctions from Russia.
China’s military has demonstrated significant gains, capabilities, and strategic advancements, particularly in the context of its evolving alignment with Russia and North Korea. These gains pose a serious and growing threat to the homeland, U.S. allies, and partners.
Key aspects of China’s military gains include:
- Rapid Nuclear Arsenal Expansion: China has been expanding its nuclear arsenal at a pace that far outstrips that of the United States. In just a few short years, Beijing has constructed more intercontinental ballistic missile launchers than the United States. This growth has been described as “breathtaking” by multiple STRATCOM commanders.
- Aggressive Military Modernization: China’s military modernization is “unprecedented”. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has shown growing capabilities through persistent pressure operations. In 2024, military pressure against Taiwan increased by 300%. These actions are not merely exercises but are rehearsals for coercive capabilities, aimed at intimidating the people of Taiwan and demonstrating their ability to achieve objectives through force.
- Superior Production Capabilities: China is outproducing the United States in air, missile, maritime, and space capabilities, and is accelerating these efforts.
- They are producing fighters at a rate of 1.2 to 1 compared to the United States.
- They are building combatants (warships) at a rate of 6 to 1.8 compared to the United States.
- They also have an “order of battle of 2,100 fighters” and “over 200 H6 bombers”.
- Advanced Weaponry and Potential for Air Superiority: China possesses “advanced air-to-air missile long-range air-to-air missiles” that present a “tremendous threat”. Admiral Paparo notes that China is capable of denying U.S. air superiority in the first island chain, emphasizing that “seeding air superiority” is “not an option” for the U.S. if it intends to maintain capability against adversaries and support allies.
- Strategic Support for Russia and Reciprocal Benefits: China has provided crucial support to Russia, supplying 70% of the machine tools and 90% of the legacy chips that have enabled Russia to rebuild its “war machine”. In return, China could potentially receive submarine quieting technology and other forms of assistance from Russia in areas where Russia has strengths.
- Deepening Military Integration and Joint Operations: The alignment is evident in increased military exercises and joint patrols. Last summer, there was the “longest-range joint patrol of the PLA Navy and Russian Pacific Fleet formation in the Bering Sea,” demonstrating their “deepening ability to operate together” and going “further afield in bigger formations”.
- Significant Military Growth over Two Decades: Over the last 20 years, China has increased its military 10 to 15-fold.
North Korea funds its military primarily through sophisticated cyber threats, specifically the theft of cryptocurrency.
General Brunson stated that the “theft of approximately $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency” is believed to fund North Korea’s military. He also noted that one of the things North Korea is gaining from its relationship with Russia is the ability to circumvent sanctions, and this cryptocurrency theft is a “piece of that”. This suggests that the cyber theft, combined with methods to bypass international sanctions, contributes to their military financing.
The sources discuss sophisticated cyber threats primarily in the context of actions taken by North Korea and China, but they do not contain any information regarding “Korean SoC Manufacturers” or any indication of them “screwing us over remotely.”
Here’s what the sources say about sophisticated cyber threats:
- North Korea’s Cyber Threat:
- North Korea’s cyber threat is increasingly sophisticated.
- This sophistication is demonstrated by the theft of approximately $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency, which is believed to fund their military.
- General Brunson notes that North Korea is also gaining the “ability to circumvent sanctions” from Russia, and this cryptocurrency theft is “a piece of that”.
- China’s Cyber and Information Systems:
- The U.S. needs an “improved ability to counter China’s increasingly capable cyber and space systems”.
- China is “incredibly active, effective, and untruthful in the information space” through its political works division and United Front, spending “over a billion dollars a year” on information systems and efforts to provide misinformation and disinformation.
- Admiral Paparo emphasizes the need to “work hard to counter PRC misinformation and disinformation information” as it matters significantly for garnering support from allies and partners in potential conflicts.
- China also engages in “frequent attempted sabotage of undersea internet cables,” which are described as a “particularly alarming tactic”. These actions are part of “grayzone operations” that exert pressure or destabilize regions. The damage to these cables poses a threat as they are “essential for our global communications transmitting around 95% of global internet traffic”. Some experts view these incidents as tests or enhancements, while others see them as preparation for future coercion or invasion of Taiwan. The intent behind such actions is to “weaken the information enterprise” of states they are executing aggression against.
To directly address your query: while the sources highlight sophisticated cyber and information warfare threats from adversaries like North Korea and China, there is no mention in the provided text of “Korean SoC Manufacturers” or any indication that they are involved in malicious remote actions.
Possibly Related? > https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/30/science/satellite-strange-radio-signal-relay-2