Part 9/16:
Additionally, South Korean intelligence indicates that Russia has been supplying North Korea with missile components, financial aid, and space technology—an arrangement that has strengthened Pyongyang's military capabilities despite official denials of formal arms agreements. Since North Korea's alliance with Russia deepened in September 2023, the two nations signed a strategic partnership treaty, further cementing their military and economic ties.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned that this alliance complicates global nonproliferation efforts and escalates regional security threats. The potential for North Korea to leverage battlefield experience to expand its missile arsenal, and possibly proliferate to rogue states and militant groups, underscores the growing danger.