Page 17 - North Korea

South Korea launches military spy satellite amid threats from North Korea

It reported that the satellite was launched with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base

Kim's sister rejects US offer of dialogue, vows more satellite launches

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday dismissed US calls for a return to diplomacy and lambasted condemnations of the North's recent spy satellite launch, vowing more launches in violation of UN bans. During a UN Security Council meeting earlier this week, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called the North's satellite launch a "reckless, unlawful" action that threatens its neighbours. But she reiterated the US offer for dialogue without any preconditions, saying North Korea "can choose the timing and topic". Kim's sister and senior official, Kim Yo Jong, rejected the US overture and threatened more satellite and other weapons launches. "The sovereignty of an independent state can never be an agenda item for negotiations, and therefore, (North Korea) will never sit face to face with the US for that purpose," Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by state media. "(North Korea) will continue to make efforts to develop ...

South Korea delays spy satellite liftoff, after North's satellite launch

South Korea has postponed the planned launch of its first military spy satellite set for this Thursday, officials said, days after rival North Korea claimed to put its own spy satellite into orbit for the first time. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea is to launch five spy satellites by 2025, and its first launch using SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take place at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base in the United States. The South Korean Defence Ministry said in a brief statement on Tuesday the launch was delayed due to weather conditions. Ministry officials said the launch was tentatively rescheduled for this Saturday but it wasn't a fixed date. South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and partially resorts to US spy satellites to monitor moves by North Korea. After two launch failures earlier this year, North Korea said it successfully placed its Malligyong-1 spy satellite into orbit on November 21. South Korea said it ha

North Korea restores border posts amid tensions over spy satellite: Seoul

South Korea said on Monday North Korea is restoring frontline guard posts that it had dismantled during a previous period of inter-Korean rapprochement, deepening tensions that spiked over the North's recent spy satellite launch. The two Koreas each earlier dismantled or disarmed 11 of their guard posts inside their heavily fortified border under a 2018 deal meant to ease frontline military confrontations. But the deal is now in danger of being scraped, as both Koreas openly threaten to breach it amid rising animosities over the North's satellite launch. After North Korea claimed to place its first military spy satellite into orbit last Tuesday, South Korea said it would partially suspend the deal and resume front aerial surveillance in response. South Korea called its step a minimum defensive measure to respond to the launch that it says involved the North's intentions of improving its missile technology as well as establishing a space-based surveillance system. North Korea ...

Kim Jong-un labels military spy satellite as 'deploying of a space guard'

Kim's remark came during his visit to the National Aerospace Technology Administration (NATA), according to the official space agency of North Korea

North Korea launches missile after South Korea partially suspends pact

South Korea said North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea but the launch likely failed Wednesday night, hours after Seoul said it would resume front-line aerial surveillance in response to the North's spy satellite launch. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a brief statement early Thursday a missile was launched from the North's capital region toward the North's eastern waters but that the launch was believed to have ended in failure. It gave no further details such as what type of missile was fired and what happened to it. The launch was North Korea's first known weapons firing in more than two months. It followed South Korea's announcement earlier Wednesday that it decided to partially suspend an inter-Korean agreement and resume flying surveillance aircraft along the border in reaction to the North's satellite launch. North Korea Thursday lambasted the South Korean move, saying it'll deploy more powerful and new weapons at the border in a tit-for-tat ...

S Korea partially suspends pact with North after it launches spy satellite

South Korea will partially suspend an inter-Korean agreement Wednesday to restart frontline aerial surveillance of North Korea, after the North said it launched a military spy satellite in violation of United Nations bans, Seoul officials said. The South Korean announcement which will likely infuriate North Korea came hours after the North claimed to have placed a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in its third such launch attempt this year. The North's claim hasn't been independently verified; the Pentagon said it was still assessing the success of the launch, while Japan stated there has been no confirmation that the North Korean satellite entered orbit. But the United States and its allies still quickly condemned the North Korean launch, which they believe was meant to improve the country's missile technology as well as establish a space-based surveillance system. North Korea says it has sovereign, legitimate rights to launch spy satellites to cope with what it calls

North Korea says it put a military spy satellite into orbit on third try

North Korea said it placed a spy satellite into orbit with its third launch attempt this year, demonstrating the nation's determination to build a space-based surveillance system during protracted tensions with the United States. The North's claim Wednesday could not immediately independently be confirmed. Observers doubt whether the satellite is advanced enough to perform military reconnaissance. But the launch still invited strong condemnation from the United States and its partners because the U.N. bans North Korea from conducting satellite launches, calling them covers for tests of missile technology. The North's space agency said that its new Chollima-1 carrier rocket accurately placed the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on Tuesday night, about 12 minutes after liftoff from the country's main launch center. The National Aerospace Technology Administration called the launch a legitimate right of North Korea to bolster its self-defense capabilities. It said the spy satellite ..

North Korea tells Japan it will make 3rd attempt to launch spy satellite

North Korea told Japan that it will make a third attempt to launch a military spy satellite later this month, Japanese media reported Tuesday. Kyodo News, citing Japan's coast guard, said that North Korea notified Tokyo of its plan to launch the spy satellite sometime between Nov. 20 and Nov. 30. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told officials to try to talk Pyongyang into scrapping the plan in cooperation with the United States and South Korea, the Kyodo report said. In North Korea's two previous attempts earlier this year, the rockets carrying the satellites failed during the launch due to technical reasons. North Korea had vowed a third launch would take place sometime in October, but failed to follow through with the plan without giving any reason. North Korea says it needs a spy satellite to deal with what it calls increasing US-led military threats. South Korea retrieved debris from the first launch and called the satellite too crude to perform military reconnaissance.

South Korea military warns North Korea not to launch a spy satellite

South Korea's military warned North Korea not to go ahead with its planned spy satellite launch, suggesting on Monday that Seoul could suspend an inter-Korean peace deal and resume frontline aerial surveillance in retaliation for a launch. North Korea failed in its first two attempts to put a military spy satellite into orbit earlier this year and didn't follow through with a vow to make a third attempt in October. South Korean officials said the delay was likely because North Korea is receiving Russian technological assistance and that the North could conduct a launch in coming days. Senior South Korean military officer Kang Hopil urged North Korea to cancel its third launch attempt immediately. Our military will come up with necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of the people, if North Korea pushes ahead with a military spy satellite launch despite our warning, Kang said in a televised statement. South Korean Defence Minister Shin Wonsik said in an interview with pub

Tested new engines for intermediate-range ballistic missiles: North Korea

North Korea on Wednesday said it successfully tested new solid-fuel engines designed for intermediate-range ballistic missiles as it continues to work on developing nuclear-capable weapons targeting its rivals in the region. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency said the country's military scientists tested the first-stage and second-stage missile engines on Saturday and Tuesday. The report did not say when the new missile system was expected to be completed. The North's existing intermediate-range missiles, including the Hwasong-12 that may be able to reach the US Pacific territory of Guam, are powered by liquid-fuel engines, which need to be fuelled before launch and cannot stay fuelled for long periods of time. Missiles with built-in solid propellants can be made ready to launch faster and are easier to move and conceal, which theoretically makes it harder for adversaries to detect and pre-empt the launch in advance. The recent tests were an essential process for ...

S Korea's prez will warn APEC leaders on risks of Russia-N Korea arms deal

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol slammed the purported illicit arms deal between North Korea and Russia, saying he'll emphasize its far-reaching security implications and discuss international response during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco this week. In written responses to questions from The Associated Press ahead of the APEC meeting, Yoon also said that North Korean provocations will invite immediate retaliation by South Korean and U.S. forces. There are concerns that North Korea might miscalculate and make a move against the South while the world is focused on the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. An effective way to prevent North Korea from miscalculating is to demonstrate our robust deterrence capabilities and determination towards North Korea based on the solid (South Korea) -US joint defense posture, Yoon said. North Korea's provocations will not only fail to achieve its intended goal but also result in immediate and strong retaliati

US, South Korea, Japan to share data on North Korean missile launches

The three sides had previously announced that they were negotiating an agreement on data sharing, but had not finalized a date to begin the project

US Secy of State Blinken visits South Korea; Russia-N Korean ties in focus

Heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, suspected North Korean cooperation with Russia in its war on Ukraine and concerns about China's growing aggressiveness are topping U .S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's agenda as he visits South Korea. Blinken was in Seoul on Thursday for talks with South Korea's leadership following a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan on Wednesday in which the group previewed much of what he will discuss. The G7 strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile tests as well as its alleged arms transfers to Russia, which are both in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against the North. Even before Blinken's arrival, North Korea's official news agency, the Korean Central News Agency, condemned the visit as well as one by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who travels to Seoul next week, describing them as warmongers bringing a new war cloud to Asia. Tensions between the Koreas are at their highest point years as the pace of both

South Korea plans to launch its first military spy satellite on Nov 30

South Korea said Monday it plans to launch its first domestically built spy satellite at the end of this month to better monitor rival North Korea, as the North pushes to expand its arsenal of nuclear weapons targeting its adversaries. The plan was unveiled days after North Korea failed to follow through on its vow to make a third attempt to launch its own reconnaissance satellite in October, likely because of technical issues. Jeon Ha Gyu, a spokesperson for the South Korean Defense Ministry, told reporters Monday that the country's first military spy satellite will be launched from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base on Nov. 30. The satellite will be carried by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea plans to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, according to South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration. South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and relies on U.S. spy satellites to monitor moves by Nor

North Korea confirms it is closing some diplomatic missions abroad

North Korea confirmed Friday that it's closing some of its diplomatic missions abroad, a move that rival South Korea suspects is likely the latest sign of the North's economic troubles amid persistent international sanctions. Earlier in the week, the South Korean government said North Korea was moving to close its embassies in Uganda, Angola and Spain, as well as a consulate in Hong Kong, because the sanctions have made it extremely difficult for them to continue illegal activities abroad to earn money for their operating expenses. According to South Korean government data, North Korea has diplomatic relations with more than 150 countries but operates just around 50 diplomatic posts abroad. The North Korean Foreign Ministry said Friday that it is either closing or newly opening diplomatic missions in other countries in line with unspecified changes in the international environment and the North's external policy. South Korean officials couldn't immediately confirm if North Korea is

N Korea likely sent missiles, ammunition and shells to Russia: Seoul

North Korea has likely supplied several types of missiles to Russia to support its war in Ukraine, along with its widely reported shipments of ammunition and shells, South Korea's military said Thursday. The assessment was released a day after South Korea's spy service told lawmakers that North Korea recently provided more than a million artillery shells to Russia amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries, both key US adversaries. In a background briefing for local journalists, South Korea's military said that North Korea is suspected of sending an unspecified number of short-range ballistic missiles, anti-tank missiles and portable anti-air missiles to Russia, in addition to rifles, rocket launchers, mortars and shells. The contents of the briefing were shared with The Associated Press. Last week, South Korea, the US and Japan strongly condemned what they call North Korea's supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia, saying that such weapons shipments

S Korea, US and Japan condemn N Korea''s alleged supply of arms to Russia

South Korea, the US.and Japan strongly condemned what they call North Korea's supply of munitions and military equipment to Russia, saying Thursday that such weapons shipments sharply increase the human toll of Russia's war in Ukraine. A joint statement by the top diplomats of South Korea, the US and Japan came days after Russia's foreign minister scoffed at a recent US claim that his country received munitions from North Korea, saying that Washington has failed to prove the allegation. We will continue to work together with the international community to expose Russia's attempts to acquire military equipment from (North Korea), said the joint statement by South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. Such weapons deliveries, several of which we now confirm have been completed, will significantly increase the human toll of Russia's war of aggression, it said. North Korea and Russia both locked in separat

Evidence shows Hamas likely used some N Korean weapons to attack Israel

Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show, despite Pyongyang's denials that it sells arms to the militant group. The video was analyzed by two experts on North Korean arms. Along with an Associated Press analysis of weapons captured on the battlefield and South Korean military intelligence, the video indicates that Hamas used the F-7 rocket-propelled grenade, a shoulder-fired weapon that fighters typically use against armored vehicles. The evidence shines a light on the murky world of the illicit arms shipments that sanction-battered North Korea uses as a way to fund its arms programs. Rocket-propelled grenade launchers fire a single warhead and can be quickly reloaded, making them valuable weapons for guerrilla forces in running skirmishes with heavy vehicles. The F-7 has been documented in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, said N.R. Jenzen-Jones, a weapons expert who works as th

Russian, N Korean ministers meet amid suspicions about weapons' transfers

The foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea met Thursday in Pyongyang for talks expected to focus on how to boost their military ties, days after the United States accused the North of sending fresh shipments of munitions to Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov flew to Pyongyang on Wednesday for a two-day trip. During a reception speech later in the day, Lavrov said he thanked North Korea for its strong support for Russia's war on Ukraine. The focus of outside attention to Lavrov's visit is whether the two countries would provide any hints of how they would solidify their security cooperation or announce the timing for Russian President Vladimir Putin's promised trip to Pyongyang to reciprocate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia's Far East last month. During his travel to Russia, Kim met Putin at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's most important domestic space launch center, and inspected other key Russian ...