Page 18 - North Korea

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 ...

S Korea says it expressed concern to China for sending North escapees back

South Korea on Friday said it had expressed its concerns to China after assessing that it recently returned a large number of North Koreans, including escapees, back to their homeland. Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson of South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said Seoul did not have information on the exact number of North Koreans repatriated from northeast China or how many of them were escapees, medical patients or criminals. His comments followed several media reports based on activist sources that alleged China recently returned hundreds of escapees back to North Korea where they would face the risk of persecution and harsh treatment. It appears to be true that a large number of North Koreans were repatriated to North Korea from China's three northeastern provinces, Koo said. (Our) government's position is that there should be no circumstances in which North Koreans living abroad would be forcibly repatriated back home against their will. Koo said Se

N Korea threatens nuke strike over US aircraft carrier's arrival in S Korea

North Korea lashed out Friday at the arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier battle group in South Korea, calling it a provocation and again raising the spectre of using nuclear weapons to defend itself. Emboldened by its advancing nuclear arsenal, North Korea has increasingly issued threats to use such weapons preemptively. But the North is still outgunned by U.S. and South Korean forces, and experts say it is unlikely to use its nukes first, though it will continue to upgrade those arms without returning to diplomacy for the time being. The North's latest nuclear threat came a day after the USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group arrived at South Korea's southeastern port of Busan, following U.S.-South Korean-Japanese naval exercise in international waters earlier this week. South Korean defence officials said the carrier is to be docked at Busan for five days as part of an agreement to increase the temporary deployments of powerful U.S. military assets in response to the North's growin

US aircraft carrier arrives in S Korea as Kim exchanges messages with Putin

A US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier arrived in South Korea on Thursday in a demonstration of strength against North Korea, as the North's leader reaffirmed his push to bolster ties with Russia. The USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group came to the southeastern South Korean port of Busan after participating in a trilateral South Korean-US-Japanese maritime exercise earlier this week, the South Korean Defence Ministry said. The aircraft carrier is to stay in Busan until next Monday as part of a bilateral agreement to enhance regular visibility of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's advancing nuclear programme, according to an earlier Defence Ministry statement. It's the first arrival of a US aircraft carrier in South Korea in six months since the USS Nimitz docked at Busan in late March, the statement said. The arrival of the USS Ronald Reagan is expected to enrage North Korea, which views the deployment of such a powerful US military asset as

Hamas' attack prompts S Korea to consider pausing military agreement

South Korea's defence minister said Tuesday he would push to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in order to resume frontline surveillance on rival North Korea, as the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants raised concerns in South Korea about similar assaults by the North. The agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between South Korea's former liberal President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, created buffer zones along land and sea boundaries and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes. Talking with reporters in Seoul, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-shik cited the violence in Israel and Gaza to stress the need to strengthen monitoring on the North. Shin was appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday. Shin was particularly critical of the inter-Korean agreement's no-fly zones, which he said prevents South Korea from fully utilising its air surveillance assets at a time when North Korean nuclear threats are ...

N Korea vows strong response to US report calling it 'persistent' threat

North Korea slammed the United States over a recent Pentagon report that labelled it a persistent threat because of weapons of mass destruction, saying it will counter any US aggression or provocations with the most overwhelming and sustained response strategy. Last week, the Pentagon released the unclassified version of its 2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction describing WMD challenges and methods to address them. The report stated that while China and Russia present the principal WMD challenges, North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organisations remain persistent regional threats that must also be addressed. Such US descriptions of North Korea and the North's angry response aren't unusual. But the latest exchange comes as concerns grow that North Korea is pushing for a weapons transfer deal with Russia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The US has just revealed its dangerous intention for aggression to seriously violate the sovereignty and ...

India bow out in quarterfinals of women's basketball against North Korea

The Indian women's basketball team lost 57-96 against Noth Korea to bow out in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games here on Monday. The Indian women cagers were no match for North Korea as they lost all the four quarters 20-26, 6-26, 17-22, 14-22 at the Shaoxing Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium. The Indians started impressively and gave North Korea a fight in the first quarter but were completely outplayed in the remaining three quarters. Earlier, India finished second in Group A, beating Indonesia 66-46, Mongolia 68-62 before losing 53-111 against defending champions China. North Korea will play China in the semifinals on Tuesday.

Kim urges greater nuclear weapons production in response to new Cold War

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an exponential increase in production of nuclear weapons and for his country to play a larger role in a coalition of nations confronting the United States in a new Cold War, state media said Thursday. The Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the comments during a two-day session of the country's rubber-stamp parliament which amended the constitution to include his policy of expanding the country's nuclear weapons programme. The Supreme People's Assembly's session on Tuesday and Wednesday came after Kim traveled to Russia's Far East this month to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and visit military and technology sites. The trip sparked Western concerns about a possible arms alliance in which North Korea would supply Putin with badly needed munitions to fuel his war on Ukraine in exchange for economic aid and advanced Russian technologies to enhance North Korea's nuclear and missile systems. As North Korea slowly ends its pande

At UN, North Korea says accuses US of fomenting an Asian NATO: Report

North Korea accused the United States on Tuesday of making 2023 an extremely dangerous year, saying its actions are trying to provoke a nuclear war and denouncing both U.S. and South Korean leaders for hysterical remarks of confrontation that it says are raising the temperature in the region. Kim Song, North Korea's U.N. ambassador, also said Washington was trying to create the Asian version of NATO, the military alliance that includes European nations and the United States and Canada. Kim came out swinging in his speech to world leaders with harsher words than he brought to the same U.N. General Assembly meeting last year. Such strong language is always noteworthy from a nation developing its nuclear program but is also hardly uncommon from Pyongyang, a government that sometimes weaponizes hyperbole in its public statements. Owing to the reckless and continued hysteria of nuclear showdown on the part of the U.S. and its following forces, the year 2023 has been recorded as an ...

S Korea's Yoon seeks a strong military amid deepening N Korean-Russian tie

South Korea's president on Tuesday urged his troops to build an unwavering military spirt and train harder, as he used an Armed Forces Day speech to vow immediate retaliation against any potential provocation by North Korea. President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech came amid growing concern that North Korea is pushing to acquire Russian support to boost its nuclear arsenal in return for refilling Russia's conventional arms stores exhausted by its war with Ukraine. Above all, the cornerstone of our robust national defense lies in your unwavering military spirit, strong commitment, and a clear definition of who your enemies are, Yoon said to troops during the Armed Forces Day ceremony, after reviewing soldiers and weapons systems at a military airport near Seoul. I strongly urge you to train hard every day with the discipline demanded in real combat situations, Yoon said. Yoon called North Korea's advancing nuclear programme an existential threat to our people," but said South Korea's milita

North Korea calls South's President a 'guy with trash-like brain'

North Korea on Monday called South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a guy with a trash-like brain and a diplomatic idiot as it blasted him for using a UN speech to issue a warning over the North's deepening military ties with Russia. In a speech at the UN General Assembly last week, Yoon said South Korea will not sit idly by if North Korea and Russia agree to weapons deals that would pose a threat to the South. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia earlier this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites raised international concern about a possible push by North Korea to receive sophisticated nuclear and weapons technologies in return for replenishing Russia's conventional arms inventory depleted by its war with Ukraine. Puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol, even at the 78th U.N. General Assembly, malignantly slandered the relations between (North Korea) and Russia, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary. Without addressing th

Russia's Lavrov to visit North Korea in Oct as part of follow-up measure

He made the remarks during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Lavrov said that his upcoming visit to North Korea follows the agreement between Putin and Kim Jong Un

Kim presents steps to boost Russia ties as US, Seoul warn on weapons deals

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered unspecified steps to further develop relations with Russia after his recent visit to the country as his foreign rivals warn that any cooperation on military weapons would be dangerous and bring consequences. Experts speculated North Korea and Russia likely discussed banned arms transfer deals and other cooperation measures during Kim's six-day trip last week. They say the two countries are serious about sharply boosting their ties while they are engaged in separate confrontations with the West. During a Politburo meeting on Wednesday, Kim arranged for work to be done on further developing bilateral ties at "a new high level at the practical stage" to consolidate "the success" of his Russia trip, the official Korean Central News Agency said Friday. Kim underscored the need to expand bilateral cooperation in every field, making a substantial contribution to the promotion of the well-being of the people of the two countries, KCNA said. While ...

S Korean leader warns Russia against weapons collaboration with the North

South Korea's president has sounded a warning to fellow world leaders about the recent communication and possible cooperation between North Korea and Russia, saying any action by a permanent UN Security Council member to circumvent international norms would be dangerous and "paradoxical". Speaking before the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Yoon Suk Yeol invoked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's visit last week to Russia, which is one of the five permanent members of the council, the UN's most powerful body. Kim met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's far east. The two said they may cooperate on defence issues but gave no specifics, which left South Korea and its allies including the United States uneasy. "It is paradoxical that a permanent member of the UN Security Council, entrusted as the ultimate guardian of world peace, would wage war by invading another sovereign nation and receive arms and ammunition from a regime that blatantly violates Security Council ...