Page 14 - North Korea

China holds talks with N Korea in nations' highest-level meeting in years

A top Chinese official arrived in North Korea and held talks on how to boost their cooperation, North Korea's state media reported on Friday, in the counties' highest-level meeting in about five years. Zhao Leji, who is chairman of China's National People's Congress and considered the No. 3 official in the ruling Communist Party, arrived in North Korea on Thursday. China's government earlier said he will stay in North Korea until Saturday. Zhao met his North Korean counterpart Choe Ryong Hae later on Thursday and discussed how to promote exchanges and cooperation on all areas such as politics, economy and culture, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported. The two also exchanged views on unspecified regional and international issues of mutual concerns, KCNA said. Zhao is one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party's top leadership body headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Zhao's visit to North Korea marked the first bilateral ..

South Korea's PM, top officials offer to resign after election defeat

South Korea's prime minister and senior presidential officials offered to resign en masse on Thursday, after their conservative ruling party suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections. The results of Wednesday's elections were a huge political blow to President Yoon Suk Yeol, likely setting back his domestic agenda and leave him facing an intensifying political offensive by his liberal opponents during his remaining three years in office. Prime Minster Han Duck-soo and all senior presidential advisers to Yoon, except those in charge of security issues, submitted their resignations, according to Yoon's office. It didn't immediately say whether Yoon accepted their resignations. Executive power in South Korea is heavily concentrated in the president, but the prime minister is the No. 2 official and leads the country if the president becomes incapacitated. Yoon said he will humbly uphold the public sentiments reflected in the election outcome and focus on improving people's

Big Oppn win in S Korean parl election poses setback to President Yoon

South Korea's liberal opposition parties appeared set to win a landslide victory in Wednesday's parliamentary election, vote counts showed, a result that could make conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol a lame duck for his remaining three years in office. With most of the votes cast counted, the main opposition Democratic Party and its satellite party appear to have won a combined 175 seats in the 300-member National Assembly. Another small liberal opposition party was expected to win 12 seats under a proportional representation system, according to South Korean media tallies. Yoon's ruling People Power Party and its satellite party were projected to have obtained 109 seats. The final official results were expected later Thursday. But the outcome means the liberal opposition forces would extend their control of the parliament, though they will likely fail to garner the super majority of 200 seats that gives them legislative powers to pass bills vetoed by a president and even impeach

S Korea launches 2nd military spy satellite as tensions with N Korea rise

South Korea has launched its second military spy satellite into space, days after North Korea reaffirmed its plan to launch multiple reconnaissance satellites this year. The Koreas each launched their first spy satellites last year North Korea in November and South Korea in December amid heightened animosities. They said their satellites would boost their abilities to monitor each other and enhance their own missile attack capabilities. South Korea's second spy satellite was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday evening local time, which was Monday morning in Seoul. South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the satellite was successfully separated from a rocket. It said it will check whether the satellite functions properly via its communications with an overseas ground station. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea was to launch five spy satellites by 2025. South Korea's first spy satellite launch on Dec. 1 was made from California's ...

Here's why North Korea is testing hypersonic missiles and how do they work?

The United States, China, Russia and other countries have also been developing hypersonic weapons in recent years

As tensions rise, N Korea tests new hypersonic intermediate-range missile

North Korea said Wednesday it tested another new hypersonic intermediate-range missile powered with solid propellants as it continues to expand its nuclear and missile program in the face of deepening tensions with neighbours and the United States. The report by North Korean state media came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the North launching the missile from an inland area around its capital toward its eastern sea. North Korean state media said the test was supervised by authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un, who described the missile named Hwasong-16B as a key piece of his nuclear war deterrent he vowed to further build up to counter his enemies, a reference to the United States, South Korea and Japan. Kim claimed that the North has now developed nuclear-capable, solid-fuel systems for all the tactical, operational and strategic missiles with various ranges, the Korean Central News Agency said. In recent years, North Korea has been focusing on developin

North Korea fires intermediate range missile into S Korea's eastern waters

North Korea on Tuesday test-fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile toward waters off its eastern coast, South Korea's military said, adding to a series of weapons demonstrations that have raised tensions in the region. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched from an area near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, but it did not immediately confirm how far the weapon flew. The North had said last month that it tested a solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile as it tries to expand its arsenal of weapons aimed at remote US targets in the Pacific, including the military hub of Guam. It was the North's first known launch event since March 18, when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of artillery systems designed to target South Korea's capital. Japan's coast guard shared an assessment of the country's Defense Ministry that the missile has already landed but still urged caution for vessels .

Russia vetoes UN resolution on N Korea sanctions amid Ukraine war

The dynamics have shifted amid the Ukraine crisis, leading to increased reliance on North Korea for munitions by Russian President Vladimir Putin

US sanctions 6 individuals, 2 entities; targets N Korea's military funds

A US Treasury Department statement and South Korea's foreign ministry said the action was taken in coordination between the two countries

North Korea says Japan PM Kishida offered to meet Kim Jong Un soon

North Korea said Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida offered to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as soon as possible, but stressed that prospects for their countries' first summit in about 20 years would depend on Tokyo tolerating its weapons programme and ignoring its past abductions of Japanese nationals. Kishida said later Monday that a meeting with Kim is crucial to resolve the abduction issue, a major sticking point in bilateral ties, and that his government has been using various channels to discuss the possible summit. Observers say Kim wants improved ties with Japan as a way to drive a wedge between the US and its allies, while Kishida wants to use possible progress in the abduction issue to boost his declining approval rating at home. But they say it would be highly unlikely for a Kim-Kishida summit to happen anytime soon because North Korea has set preconditions that Japan can't accept. Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said in a stateme

N Korea claims progress in development of hypersonic missile to strike Guam

North Korea successfully tested a solid-fuel engine for its new-type intermediate-range hypersonic missile, state media reported Wednesday, claiming a progress in efforts to develop a more powerful, agile missile designed to strike faraway US targets in the region. A hypersonic missile is among an array of high-tech weapons systems that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly vowed to introduce in 2021 to cope with what he called deepening US hostility. Outside experts say Kim wants a modernized weapons arsenal to wrest US concessions like sanctions relief when diplomacy resumes. On Tuesday, Kim guided the ground jet test of multi-stage solid-fuel engine for the hypersonic missile at the North's northwestern rocket launch facility, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. It cited Kim as saying the strategic value of the new missile with an intermediate-range is as important as intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the US mainland and that "enemies know better abou

Kim Jong Un supervised tests of artillery systems targeting Seoul: N Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a live-fire drill of nuclear-capable "super-large" multiple rocket launchers designed to target South Korea's capital as he vowed to boost his war deterrent in the face of deepening confrontations with rivals, state media said Tuesday. The report came a day after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said they detected North Korea firing multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward waters off its eastern coast, adding to a streak of weapons displays that have raised regional tensions. Experts say North Korea's large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundaries between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they can create their own thrust and are guided during delivery. The North has described some of these systems, including the 600 mm multiple rocket launchers that were tested Monday, as capable of delivering tactical nuclear warheads. Photos published by the North's official Korean Central News Agency showed at least six ..

North Korea supplied 7,000 containers of munitions to Russia, says Seoul

North Korea has shipped around 7,000 containers filled with munitions and other military equipment to Russia since last year to help support its war in Ukraine, South Korea's defense minister said Monday. Shin Won-sik shared the assessment at a news conference hours after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said the North fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern waters, adding to a streak of weapons displays amid growing tensions with rivals. Since the start of 2022, North Korea has used Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a distraction to ramp up its weapons tests and has also aligned with Moscow over the conflict, as leader Kim Jong Un tries to break out of diplomatic isolation and join a united front against the United States. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, missiles and other equipment in recent months to help fuel its war on Ukraine, saying that such arms transfers accelerated after a rar

Why is South Korea hosting a 'Summit for Democracy', all you need to know

This year's summit agenda focused on digital threats to democracy, including misinformation, artificial intelligence, and deep fakes

N Korea conducts short-range ballistic missile tests, raises tensions

North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Monday morning, its neighbours said, days after the end of the South Korean-US military drills that the North views as an invasion rehearsal. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a parliamentary session that North Korea fired "a number of" ballistic missiles into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. He said the missiles fell outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone and no damage or injuries has been reported. Kishida denounced North Korea's repeated ballistic missile tests as acts "that threaten the peace and safety of Japan, the region and the international society". He said Japan strongly protested against North Korea over its testing activities, saying they violated UN Security Council resolutions that ban the North from engaging in any ballistic activities. South Korea's military said it also detected "several" suspected short-range ballistic launches by North Korea on ..

Kim Jong Un enjoys limousine gifted by Putin as two countries move closer

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un used a Russian luxury limousine gifted by President Vladimir Putin recently, Kim's sister said on Saturday, praising the car's special function and the two countries' deepening bilateral ties. In February, Putin sent Kim a high-end Aurus Senat limousine, which he had shown to the North Korean leader when they met for a summit in Russia in September. Observers said the shipment violated a United Nations resolution aimed at pressuring the North to give up its nuclear weapons program by banning the supply of luxury items to North Korea. In a statement carried on Saturday by state media, Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, said that her brother used that limousine for the first time during an open event the previous day. The special function of the private car is perfect and can be thoroughly trusted, Kim Yo Jong said. Kim Jong Un's using of the private car sent by the president of the Russian Federation as a gift is a clear proof of (North ..

Kim Jong Un drives new-type tank during drills, calls for efforts for war

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un joined his troops in training to operate newly developed battle tanks as he called for bigger efforts to prepare for war, state media reported on Thursday. The North's tank training was seen as a response to the annual 11-day South Korean-US military drills that are to end later Thursday. The North views its rivals' exercises a rehearsal for invasion. The North's training on Wednesday was designed to inspect tankmen's combat capabilities and involved the new-type main battle tank that Kim called the world's most powerful, the official Korean Central News Agency. During the training, heavy tanks moved around various simulated harsh combat circumstances and fired rounds at targets. Kim mounted one of the new-type tanks and drove it himself, adding to the high militant spirit of the tankmen of our army, KCNA said. North Korea's Defense Ministry earlier vowed to carry out responsible military activities in reaction to the ongoing South Korea-US military

N Korea responds to S Korea-US military training with artillery firing

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised artillery firing drills aimed at boosting combat readiness, state media reported Friday, days after his country vowed to take corresponding military steps against the ongoing South Korean-U.S military trainin g that it regards as an invasion rehearsal. Thursday's drills involved frontline artillery units, whose weapons place Seoul, the South Korean capital, in their striking range, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim said artillery units must take the initiative with merciless and rapid strikes at the moment of their entry into an actual war, KCNA said. North Korea's forward-deployed long-range artillery guns pose a serious security threat to Seoul, a city with 10 million people which is about 40 to 50 kilometers (25 to 30 miles) from the border with North Korea. North Korea's Defense Ministry said Tuesday it would conduct unspecified responsible military activities in response to the annual South Korea-U.S. military

Kim Jong Un calls for greater fighting power against the US, South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for greater war fighting capabilities against the United States and South Korea, state media reported Thursday, after his defense ministry vowed to respond to ongoing military drills it views as an invasion rehearsal by its rivals. During a visit to a western operational training base on Wednesday, Kim said the military must steadily intensify the actual war drills aimed at rapidly improving its combat capabilities for perfect war preparedness, the official Korean Central News Agency said. Kim said the heightened readiness is required to contain the constant threat of the enemies with overwhelming force, KCNA said. It said Kim guided maneuvers of military units at the site but didn't elaborate. Kim has previously made similar calls for a stronger military numerous times. But his latest demand came two days after North Korea's Defense Ministry threatened to conduct unspecified responsible military activities because South Korean-U.S. militar

N Korea threatens to take action in response to US-S Korea military drills

North Korea called the ongoing South Korean-US military drills a plot to invade the country, as it threatened Tuesday to take unspecified "responsible" military steps in response. The North's warning came a day after the South Korean and U.S. forces kicked off their annual computer-simulated command post training and a variety of field exercises for an 11-day run. This year's drills were to involve 48 field exercises, twice the number conducted last year. In a statement carried by state media, the North's Defense Ministry said it "strongly denounces the reckless military drills of the US and (South Korea) for getting more undisguised in their military threat to a sovereign state and attempt for invading it." An unidentified ministry spokesperson said North Korea's military will "continue to watch the adventurist acts of the enemies and conduct responsible military activities to strongly control the unstable security environment on the Korean Peninsula." The spokesperson didn't say