The U.S. and every country with “skin in the game” must step up efforts to counter North Korea’s prolific cybercrime operations, a former U.S. Navy rear admiral said Wednesday, while calling it “unacceptable” for South Korea to not spend more on military defense.

Mark Montgomery, a retired flag officer now serving as director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, emphasized the importance of cyber as one of the three main priorities for U.S. homeland defense, alongside border control and missile defense.

While he positioned China as the “pacing threat” to the U.S. and