Page 5 - Kim Jong Un

Russia-North Korea pact may dent China's influence, but its sway undeterred

Experts say China's leaders are likely fretting over potential loss of influence over North Korea after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the deal this week

Russian ambassador summoned in South Korea as tensions rise with North

South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest the country's new defense pact with North Korea on Friday, as border tensions continued to rise with vague threats and brief, seemingly accidental incursions by North Korean troops. Earlier Friday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a vague threat of retaliation after South Korean activists flew balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border, and South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the rivals' land border for the third time this month. That came two days after Moscow and Pyongyang reached a pact vowing mutual defense assistance if either is attacked, and a day after Seoul responded by saying it would consider providing arms to Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong Kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev to convey Seoul's stance on the deal ...

From Pyongyang to Putin: Nuclear diplomacy shifts amid Ukraine standoff

Russian President Vladimir Putin has escalated tensions by threatening to arm North Korea in response to US and allied support for Ukraine

S Korea fires warning shots as North Korean soldiers make third incursion

South Korea's military said Friday that it had fired warnings shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border for the third time this month. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said several North Korean soldiers while engaging in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border briefly intruded the military demarcation line that bisects the countries at around 11 am Thursday. The South Korean military in response broadcasted a warning and fired warning shots, to which the North Korean soldiers retreated. The joint chiefs didn't immediately release more details. South Korea's military has said it believes the previous two border intrusions this month weren't intentional as the North Korean soldiers have retreated after the warning shots and the North has not returned fire. The South's military says it has been observing increased North Korean construction activity in frontline border areas since April, such as ...

Deal between Putin, Kim requires immediate military assistance: North Korea

The deal could mark the strongest connection between Moscow and Pyongyang since the end of the Cold War

Putin, Kim ink mutual defence pact; North Korea vows unconditional support

On his first visit to Pyongyang since July 2000, Putin explicitly linked Russia's deepening of ties with North Korea to the West's growing support for Ukraine

Russia, N Korea sign partnership, vows closer ties amid rivalry with West

North Korea is under heavy UN Security Council sanctions over its weapons program, while Russia also faces sanctions by the United States and its Western partners over its aggression in Ukraine

Russia discusses deployment of long-range weapons with closest partners

Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrived in North Korea on Wednesday, with the United States and its allies saying they fear Moscow could provide aid for Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programmes

Vladimir Putin visits North Korea for first time in 24 years; key details

Putin's visit to North Korea has angered US as South Korea called the Western nation to discuss potential implications

Putin vows to build trade, security with North Korea that West can't touch

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine and said their countries will cooperate closely to overcome US-led sanctions as he headed to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Putin's comments appeared in an op-ed piece in North Korean state media hours before he was expected to arrive in the North for a two-day visit as the countries deepen their alignment in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. Putin, who will be making his first visit to North Korea in 24 years, said he highly appreciates its firm support of his invasion of Ukraine. He said the countries would continue to "resolutely oppose" what he described as Western ambitions to "to hinder the establishment of a multipolarized world order based on mutual respect for justice". Putin also said Russia and North Korea will develop unspecified trade and payment systems "that are not controlled by the West" and jointly oppo

S Korean soldiers fire warning shots after N Korean troops' intrusion

South Korean soldiers on Tuesday fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border for the second time this month, South Korea's military said. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said around 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers, while engaging in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border, briefly crossed the military demarcation line that bisects the countries as of 8:30 a.m. It said the North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcasts warnings and fired warning shots and the South's military didn't spot any suspicious activities after that. The South also fired warning shots on June 11 after another group of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the MDL. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that Tuesday's incident occurred in a different area along the central frontline region. It said it doesn't believe the North Korean soldiers intruded the border intentionally and that the North did not return fire. The South

Putin vows trade, security deals with North Korea beyond reach of West

Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said Russia and North Korea may sign a partnership agreement during the visit that would include security issues

Why Russia's bonhomie with North Korea is potential danger to the world

Russia's forces have been able to blast thousands of artillery shells a day at Ukraine thanks to supplies sent by Kim Jong Un

South Korea, US sound alarm over North Korea-Russia ties before Putin visit

Security Council resolutions, officials of South Korea and the United States warned on Friday

Seoul to resume loudspeaker broadcasts as Pyongyang sends trash balloons

South Korea says it will restart anti-North Korean propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas in response to continuing North Korean campaigns to drop trash on the South with balloons. Following an emergency security meeting led by South Korean national security director Chang Ho-jin, the officials decided to install and begin the loudspeaker broadcasts in border areas on Sunday, Seoul's presidential office said in a statement. The move is certain to anger North Korea and potentially prompt it to take its own retaliatory military steps. Chang and other South Korean security officials berated Pyongyang for attempting to cause anxiety and disruption in South Korea and stressed that North Korea will be solely responsible for any future escalation of tensions between the Koreas. North Korea over the weekend flew hundreds of trash-carrying balloons to South Korea in its third such campaign since late May, the South's military said, just days after South Korean activists floated ..

Trash balloons are deepening rift between North and South Korea; here's why

Animosities between North and South Korea are rising sharply again over an unusual cause: The North's rubbish-carrying balloons. In the past week, North Korea floated hundreds of huge balloons dumping manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, waste batteries and even reportedly dirty diapers across South Korea. In response, South Korea vowed unbearable retaliatory steps and moved to suspend a fragile military deal meant to ease tensions with its northern neighbor. Experts say if South Korea resumes live-fire drills or anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts via loudspeakers in border areas, that's certain to infuriate North Korea and may prompt it to take its own provocative countermeasures along the border. Here's a look at North Korea's balloon launches: WHAT DID NORTH KOREA DO? Since May 28, North Korea has sent about 1,000 balloons carrying all kinds of trash across the border. No hazardous materials were found, but South Korean social media was still abuzz with worries that Nort

North Korea fired a barrage of ballistic missiles, alleges South Korea

North Korea on Thursday fired a barrage of suspected ballistic missiles toward its eastern sea, according to South Korea's military, days after its attempt to launch a military reconnaissance satellite ended in failure but still drew strong condemnation from its rivals. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North firing around 10 projectiles that appeared to be short-range ballistic missiles from an area near its capital, Pyongyang. It said the suspected missiles flew around 350 kilometers (217 miles) before landing in waters off the North's eastern coast. It said the South Korean military has increased surveillance and vigilance and is closely sharing information with the United States and Japan. Japan's coast guard issued a maritime safety advisory over the North Korean launches and urged ships to exercise caution if they find any fallen objects. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the suspected missiles were believed to have landed in waters

Kim Jong Un doubles down on satellite ambitions after failed launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military scientists to overcome a failed satellite launch and continue developing space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which he described as crucial for countering US and South Korean military activities, state media said on Wednesday. In a speech on Tuesday, Kim also warned of unspecified stern action against South Korea over an exercise involving 20 fighter jets near the inter-Korean border hours before North Korea's failed launch on Monday. Kim called the South Korean response hysterical insanity and a very dangerous provocation that cannot be ignored, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim visited the North's Academy of Defence Sciences a day after a rocket carrying what would have been his country's second military reconnaissance satellite exploded shortly after liftoff. North Korea's aerospace technology administration said the explosion was possibly related to the reliability of a newly developed rocket engine .

Kim Jong Un doubles down on satellite ambitions after failed launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged his military scientists to overcome a failed satellite launch and continue developing space-based reconnaissance capabilities, which he described as crucial for countering US and South Korean military activities, state media said on Wednesday. In a speech on Tuesday, Kim also warned of unspecified stern action against South Korea over an exercise involving 20 fighter jets near the inter-Korean border hours before North Korea's failed launch on Monday. Kim called the South Korean response hysterical insanity and a very dangerous provocation that cannot be ignored, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim visited the North's Academy of Defence Sciences a day after a rocket carrying what would have been his country's second military reconnaissance satellite exploded shortly after liftoff. North Korea's aerospace technology administration said the explosion was possibly related to the reliability of a newly developed rocket engine .

North Korea fires multiple short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul condemns

North Korea has launched ballistic and cruise missiles as well as tactical rockets in recent months, describing them as part of a program to upgrade its defensive capabilities