The nominee for the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief has stressed that the U.S. provision of extended deterrence to South Korea is "absolutely essential" to deter North Korea.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, currently serving as the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, highlighted the importance of extended deterrence during a confirmation hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. 

The nominee also said that South Korea is the linchpin of peace, stability and security in the Pacific, adding that the U.S. seeks a denuclearized Korean Peninsula.

Paparo also expressed deep concerns over the growing military ties between North Korea and Russia, saying that it goes against the principles of global peace.

Describing the bilateral ties as “symbiotic,” the nominee elaborated on the partnership's dynamics, explaining how it fills gaps for each other, with North Korea providing conventional weapons to Russia, and Russia supplying sanctions-evading materials and potentially high-end technology to North Korea.