Page 20 - North Korea

North Korea's Kim Jong Un to meet Russian President Putin, Kremlin confirms

Recent overtures have signalled closer military ties between the nuclear-armed North Korea and Russia amid the Ukraine war

Russia turning to old ally N Korea to resupply its arsenal for Ukraine war

After a year and a half of fighting in Ukraine, Russia needs to replenish its supplies of ammunition for what could be a long war of attrition. Along with ramping up its domestic arms production, Moscow is turning to an old ally with a vast arsenal North Korea. Estimates say the reclusive and isolated Asian country has tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets that could give a huge boost to the Russian army. United States officials expect North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia in the coming days to seal a possible deal on munitions transfer with President Vladimir Putin. That would be a remarkable reversal from the 1950-53 Korean War, when the Soviet Union provided the communist North with weapons and ammunition. We know that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has visited recently for artillery shells predominantly, and most likely that will be discussed between Putin and Kim Jong Un, said Alexander Gabuev, head of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre. Shoigu .

North Korea's Kim Jong Un hosts Chinese and Russian guests at a parade

North Korea invited visiting Chinese delegates and Russian artists to a paramilitary parade featuring rocket launchers pulled by trucks and tractors, state media said Saturday, in leader Kim Jong Un's latest effort to display his ties with Moscow and Beijing in the face of deepening confrontations with Washington. The midnight parade in the capital, Pyongyang, which was to celebrate North Korea's 75th founding anniversary, came amid expectations that Kim will travel to Russia soon for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that could focus on North Korean arm sales to refill reserves drained by the Kremlin's war on Ukraine. While China has sent a delegation led by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong to the North Korea's anniversary celebrations, Russia sent a military song and dance group. South Korean media speculated that the lack of Russian government officials at the festivities in Pyongyang could be related to preparations for a summit between Kim and Putin, which Washington expects ...

Launched a new nuclear attack submarine to counter US naval power: N Korea

North Korea said Friday it has launched a purported nuclear attack submarine it has been developing for years, a step leader Kim Jong Un described as crucial in his efforts to build a nuclear-armed navy to counter the United States and its Asian allies. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the vessel named "Hero Kim Kun Ok" is designed to launch tactical nuclear weapons from underwater but did not specify the number of missiles it could carry and fire. In his speeches at the vessel's launching ceremony on Wednesday and an onboard inspection on Thursday, Kim expressed satisfaction that the country has acquired its own nuclear attack submarine to counter the advanced naval assets of the US, KCNA said. In July, the US docked a nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine in South Korea for the first time since the 1980s. Kim said the country is also pursuing a nuclear-propelled submarine and plans to remodel its existing submarines and surface vessels so that they coul

Vladimir Putin and Kim's meeting shows the limits of US sanctions

But Washington has few points of leverage to deter two of the western world's most implacable geopolitical foes from cementing ties

China will send delegation to North Korea to celebrate founding anniversary

A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong will visit North Korea to participate in celebrations for its 75th founding anniversary, which is on Saturday, the North's state media said Thursday. The report came amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to visit Russia soon for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could focus on North Korean arms sales to refill Russian reserves drained by its war on Ukraine. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the visit by Liu's delegation comes at the invitation of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. It didn't specify the events the Chinese officials would participate in or whether they would meet Kim. North Korea didn't immediately say whether a Russian delegation was also invited for the celebrations, which are expected to be highlighted by a parade of North Korean militia units. A US official said Monday that Washington expects Kim to make a trip to Russia within this month to

China sends delegation to North Korea as nations foster their ties

A Chinese delegation led by Vice-Premier Liu Guozhong will visit North Korea to participate in celebrations for its 75th founding anniversary, which is on Saturday, the North's state media said Thursday. The report came amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is preparing to visit Russia soon for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that could be focused on advancing talks for North Korean arms sales to refill Russian reserves drained by its war on Ukraine. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said the visit by Liu's delegation comes at the invitation of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party. It didn't specify the events the Chinese officials would be participating or whether they would be meeting Kim. A U.S. official said Monday that Washington expects Kim to make a trip to Russia within this month to meet Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. According to some U.S. reports, the meeting could happe

North Korea would pay 'price' if it supplies weapons to Russia: US official

In a briefing on Tuesday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States believes the negotiations between North Korea and Russia are "actively advancing"

Kim Jong Un may meet with Putin in Russia this month, says US official

A US official said Monday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may travel to Russia soon to meet with President Vladimir Putin as the Kremlin tries to acquire military equipment for use in its war in Ukraine. The official, who was not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. expects Kim will make the trip within the month. The official said the U.S. isn't sure exactly where or when the meeting would take place, but the Pacific port city of Vladivostok would be a likely possibility given its relative proximity to North Korea. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson noted Monday that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to Pyongyang last month and tried to persuade North Korea to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Watson said, We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia. She added that the U.S.

Yoon to call for strong int'l response to N Korea's nukes at ASEAN, G20

South Korea's president says he'll tell world leaders about the need to faithfully enforce U.N. sanctions on North Korea and block the country's illicit activities to fund its weapons programmes when they converge in Indonesia and India for annual summits this week. President Yoon Suk Yeol is to visit Jakarta for four days starting Tuesday to attend a series of summits scheduled on the margins of a meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders. On Friday, he'll travel on to New Delhi for a summit of the leading rich and developing nations. At the upcoming ASEAN-related Summits and the G20 Summit, I intend to urge the international community to resolutely respond to North Korea's ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats and to work closely together on its denuclearization, Yoon said in written responses to questions from The Associated Press. As long as the U.N. Security Council sanctions currently in place are faithfully implemented, North Korea's

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North Korea conducts simulated "tactical nuclear attack" drill on Saturday

North Korea on Sunday announced that it carried out a simulated "tactical nuclear attack" drill on Saturday, Al Jazeera reported citing the state news agency KCNA

N Korea fires missiles into sea after US-South Korean military drills end

North Korea launched several cruise missiles into the sea Saturday, South Korea's military said, extending its weapons testing activities in response to the United States-South Korea summer military drills. South Korea's military detected the launches early Saturday morning off the North's west coast, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The statement said South Korean and US intelligence authorities were analyzing details of the launches. It said South Korea has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a firm military readiness in close coordination with the United States. The launches came two days after the US and South Korean militaries wrapped up their 11-day training exercises that North Korea regards as a rehearsal for invasion. Washington and Seoul officials maintain their drills are defensive. A day before the US-South Korean training ended, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea in a launch it said was meant to simulate .

N Korea says it simulated nuclear attacks on major command centers S Korea

North Korea said Thursday its latest missile launches simulated scorched earth nuclear strikes on South Korea and that it's also been rehearsing an occupation of its rivals' territory in the event of conflict. Pyongyang has previously tested nuclear-capable missiles and described how it would use them in potential wars with South Korea and the US. But the North's disclosure of detailed war plans reaffirmed its aggressive nuclear doctrine to intimidate its opponents, as it escalates its protest of the ongoing South Korean-US military exercises that it views as a major security threat, observers say. North Korea's military said it fired two tactical ballistic missiles from the capital on Wednesday night to simulate scorched earth strikes at major command centers and operational airfields in South Korea, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. The North's military said the missiles carried out their simulated strikes through air bursts, suggesting it confirmed the ...

North Korea launches ballistic missiles toward sea after US flies bombers

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea on Wednesday night, its neighbours said, hours after the US flew long-range bombers for drills with its allies in a show of force against the North. The launches, the latest in the North's barrage of weapons tests since last year, came amid ongoing annual US-South Korean military exercises that North Korea regards as a rehearsal for invasion. There were no reports of damages caused by Wednesday's launches. But observers say North Korea likely aimed to demonstrate again it has missiles capable of striking key targets in South Korea in protest at its rivals' military exercises. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean missiles both travelled about 360 kilometres before landing in the waters of the Korean Peninsula's east coast. It said the missiles were launched from the North's capital region. The Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launches a grave provocation that threatens ...

Putin, Kim traded letters as Russia looks for munitions from N Korea: US

The White House on Wednesday said that it has new intelligence that shows Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have swapped letters as Russia looks to North Korea for munitions for the Ukraine war. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby detailed the latest finding just weeks after the White House said that it had determined that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu during a recent visit to Pyongyang called on North Korean officials to increase the sale of munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Kirby said that Russia is looking for additional artillery shells and other basic materiel to shore up Russia's defence industrial base. The Biden administration has repeatedly made the case that the Kremlin has become reliant on North Korea, as well as Iran, for the arms it needs to fight its war against Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programmes and human rights records.

Kim Jong Un asks his military to be ready to smash US-led invasion plot

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his military to be constantly ready for combat to thwart plots to invade his country, as he accused the US of conducting "more frantic" naval drills with its allies near North Korea, state media reported Tuesday. The US and South Korean militaries are holding joint summer exercises that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. The allies have insisted the drills are defensive in nature. Kim said in a speech marking the country's Navy Day that falls on Monday that the waters off the Korean Peninsula have been made unstable "with the danger of a nuclear war" because of US-led hostilities, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. He cited a recent US-South Korean-Japanese summit, the deployment of US nuclear strategic assets and the US drills with its allies. "The prevailing situation requires our navy to put all its efforts into rounding off the war readiness to maintain the constant combat alertness and get prepared to break

North Korea to allow citizens abroad to return home as Covid curbs ease

North Korea said Sunday it will allow its citizens staying abroad to return home in line with easing pandemic situations worldwide, as the country slowly eases its draconian coronavirus restrictions. In a brief statement carried by state media, the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters said those returning to North Korea will be put in quarantine for a week for proper medical observation. The statement didn't elaborate. But analysts predicted the announcement would lead to the return of North Korean students, workers and others who have had to stay abroad, mostly in China and Russia, because of the pandemic. The workers are a key source of foreign income for the country. North Korea banned tourists, jetted out diplomats and severely curtailed border traffic and trade after the pandemic began. The lockdown has further worsened the North's chronic economic difficulties and food insecurity. Earlier this month, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea was preparing to furth

N Korea's 2nd attempt to launch spy satellite fails, vows third attempt

North Korea said its second attempt to launch a spy satellite failed Thursday and it will make a third attempt in October, the country's state media reported. The North's state news agency said Thursday's launch ended in a failure because of an error that happened during a three-stage flight of the rocket. It cited the country's aerospace agency as saying that North Korea will conduct a third attempt in October after finding what caused a failure. The announcement followed a statement by South Korea's military that North Korea had launched a long-range rocket. In late May, a North Korean rocket carrying a spy satellite plunged into the sea soon after liftoff, posing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un's push to establish a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the U.S. and South Korea. North Korea had since vowed to make a second attempt.

North Korea signals reopening with first passenger flight in three years

Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel