While North Korea fires off 47 ballistic missiles and steals $1.5 billion in crypto, military commanders warn reducing U.S. troops would be “problematic” – just as Trump questions why America foots the bill.
At a Glance
- North Korea has launched 47 ballistic missiles in 2024 alone while advancing programs for cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, and nuclear capabilities
- Army Gen. Xavier Brunson warned a Senate committee that reducing U.S. troops in South Korea would be “problematic” amid growing North Korean threats
- North Korea has formed a dangerous alliance with Russia, supplying weapons for Ukraine while receiving technology and materials in return
- Despite food shortages, North Korea remains stable through new revenue streams including cybercrime, with hackers stealing $1.5 billion in cryptocurrency
- Trump has previously questioned U.S. military spending abroad, potentially setting up a confrontation over the 28,500 American troops stationed in South Korea
North Korea’s Alarming Military Buildup
While most Americans are focused on the border crisis and inflation at home, North Korea is busy turning itself into a nuclear-armed powder keg that threatens the entire Pacific region. Army Gen. Xavier T. Brunson didn’t mince words during his Senate Armed Services Committee briefing, documenting an astounding 47 ballistic missile launches by the hermit kingdom in 2024 alone. Let that sink in – nearly one missile per week while their people starve. But Kim Jong Un isn’t just playing with rockets; he’s developing cruise missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, and continuing to advance his nuclear weapons program – all while abandoning any pretense of seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea.
What’s particularly disturbing is how North Korea has managed to strengthen its position despite international sanctions. Remember when the left criticized Trump for his meetings with Kim Jong Un? Well, guess what? Under the Biden administration’s “strategic patience” (read: do nothing) approach, North Korea hasn’t just maintained its weapons programs – it’s accelerated them with help from Russia. According to U.S. intelligence, North Korea has been supplying Russia with artillery rounds and ballistic missiles for use in Ukraine, while Moscow returns the favor by providing technology and materials to advance Pyongyang’s weapons capabilities. This unholy alliance has created a dangerous feedback loop that makes the entire region more volatile.
America’s Critical Military Presence
Against this backdrop of growing threats, Gen. Brunson made it abundantly clear that reducing U.S. troops in South Korea would be a catastrophic mistake. The 28,500 American service members stationed there aren’t just symbolic – they represent the difference between peace and potential catastrophe. These forces serve as a tripwire that would trigger immediate U.S. involvement if North Korea were to attack, effectively deterring Kim Jong Un from gambling on a swift victory before America could respond. Remove those troops, and suddenly the calculus changes dramatically – and not in our favor or South Korea’s.
“They are a critical component to ballistic missile defense in the region. They are critical to helping Indo-Pacific Command see, sense and understand threats to the north and to deter a great many adversaries.” – Brunson.
The timing of these warnings isn’t coincidental. With President Trump potentially returning to office, questions about burden-sharing with allies have resurfaced. During his first term, Trump demanded South Korea increase its financial contribution for hosting U.S. forces from $870 million to $5 billion annually – a reasonable request given America’s enormous defense budget and South Korea’s prosperous economy. While a new five-year cost-sharing agreement was eventually signed between Seoul and Washington, the fundamental question remains: Why should American taxpayers shoulder the primary burden for defending wealthy allies who could do more?
The Cyber Front and Financial Warfare
North Korea isn’t just building missiles – they’re also running one of the most sophisticated cyber warfare operations on the planet. In a stunning revelation, Gen. Brunson reported that North Korean hackers executed a cryptocurrency heist worth $1.5 billion. Yes, you read that correctly – $1.5 BILLION stolen through digital means while the Biden administration focuses on pronouns and climate hysteria. These cyber operations aren’t just enriching the regime; they’re providing critical funding for weapons development at a time when traditional sanctions should be crippling their economy.
“We pay for U.S. military in Europe, and we don’t get reimbursed by much. South Korea, too.” – Trump.
Despite severe food shortages that would topple most regimes, Kim Jong Un has managed to maintain remarkable stability through these new revenue streams. The combination of weapons sales to Russia, cryptocurrency theft, and other illicit trade has created alternative funding sources that weren’t available to previous North Korean leaders. This financial resilience, coupled with their growing military capabilities, presents a complex challenge for American policymakers. How do you pressure a regime that’s found ways to evade traditional economic sanctions while building ever more dangerous weapons?
The Stark Reality of Our Choices
U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr. put it bluntly when he stated that reducing American troops would increase the risk of a North Korean invasion. This isn’t military-industrial complex fear-mongering – it’s a cold assessment based on decades of observing North Korean behavior and strategy. The simple truth is that our military presence has prevented a second Korean War for over 70 years. Remove that deterrent, and we’re essentially inviting aggression from a regime that has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to use force and has now armed itself with nuclear weapons.
“With the loss of the force on the Korean Peninsula, there’s a higher probability that [North Korea] would invade.” – Paparo.
We face a classic conservative dilemma: maintaining a strong defense posture abroad while being fiscally responsible at home. The solution isn’t pulling troops out entirely, which could trigger the very conflict we’re trying to prevent. Instead, we should continue President Trump’s approach of demanding our allies pay their fair share while maintaining the military presence necessary for deterrence. South Korea, with its advanced economy and technological prowess, can and should contribute more to its own defense. American taxpayers deserve better than funding the security of wealthy nations that refuse to adequately invest in their own protection, but a hasty withdrawal risks creating a power vacuum that would only benefit our adversaries.
