Page 71 - Trilateral Korea Japan U.S. Cooperation

is a conflict on the Korean Peninsula, the United States and
Japan might decide to move their forces southward to prevent
China from attacking Taiwan while the U.S.-South Korea
alliance responds to North Korea’s aggression.

As the Biden administration’s 2022 Nuclear Posture Review
suggested, if a conflict occurs on the Korean Peninsula or
across the Taiwan Strait, China or North Korea might engage
in “opportunistic aggression” in the other theater. The Biden
administration recognizes the potential for near-simultaneous
conflict with two nuclear-armed states and declared that the
United States would “rely in part on nuclear weapons” to help
mitigate such risk.

Russia Helps North Korea and China

Russia’s recent decision to procure ammunition and missiles
from North Korea is greatly benefitting Pyongyang. In return
for the military supplies, North Korea is acquiring foreign
currency, energy, and military equipment and technologies.
According to South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense,
North Korea is estimated to have transferred more than 6,700
containers to Russia since August 2023. The number of artillery
shells that North Korea provided is estimated to have been
more than 3 million rounds of 152mm artillery shells, more
than 500,000 rounds of 122mm rockets to be launched by
multiple rocket launchers, or a combination of some of both.
Although munitions factories in North Korea usually have a
low operating rate of about 30% due to the lack of materials and
electricity, artillery shell production plants are in full operation.

70 Section I : North Korea-China Relations: How and Why Does Beijing Protect and Empower Pyongyang?