According to the annual report of threat assessment released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Wednesday, North Korea's weapons of mass destruction along with its "conventional military capabilities, illicit cyber activities, and demonstrated willingness to use asymmetric capabilities to attack South Korea and the U.S. pose significant threats to the U.S. and its allies, particularly South Korea and Japan."
Pointing to North Korea's deepening military ties with Russia, the report wrote, "Increased trade after the [coronavirus] pandemic, income from selling munitions to Russia, and illicit cyber activities including cryptocurrency thefts have boosted North Korea's foreign currency revenue generation to its highest levels since before extensive sanctions were imposed in 2018."
"The benefits that North Korea receives for its support for Russia in the war against Ukraine have increased North Korean capabilities. North Korean military forces have gained valuable combat experience in 21st Century warfare along with equipment," it said, but added, "North Korea is likely to remain deterred by U.S. and allied forces."
The report, however, warned that China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been "developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads," capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, and that these threats are projected to more than quadruple from the current roughly 3,000 missiles to over 16,000 by 2035.
The report also said North Korea's traditional ally, China, remains its most important trading partner, though the bilateral relationship "has cooled due to Beijing's earlier opposition to Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests."
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