Page 30 - North Korea

US vows full military defence of allies against North Korea: Wendy Sherman

The United States will make full use of its military capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defence," to defend its allies Japan and South Korea, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said Tuesday as she warned North Korea against escalating its provocations. Sherman said North Korea's repeated firings of ballistic missiles and artillery in recent weeks were provocative military actions. North Korea has described them as practice runs for the use of tactical nuclear weapons. This is deeply irresponsible, dangerous, and destabilizing, Sherman said in talks in Tokyo with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyungdong. The two officials met ahead of a three-way meeting with their Japanese counterpart on Wednesday. It will be second in-person meeting of the three officials since conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol took office in May, signalling an improvement in difficult ties between Japan and South Korea. A year ago, Japanese and South ...

N Korea believed to be continuing preparations to conduct nuclear test: US

North Korea is believed to be "continuing preparations" for a nuclear test while the US is set to face any threat posed by the "recalcitrant" country, a state department spokesperson said

N Korea fires artillery shells near border a day after S Korea began drills

North Korea fired artillery shells near its sea border with South Korea late Tuesday, a day after the South began annual military drills to better deal with North Korean provocations. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement early Wednesday that North Korea fired about 100 shells off its west coast and 150 rounds off its east coast. It said the South Korean military broadcast messages several times asking North Korea to stop the firing, but there were no reports of violence between the rivals. South Korea's military said the shells didn't land in South Korean territorial waters but fell inside maritime buffer zones the two Koreas established under a 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing front-line animosities. It's the second time North Korea has fired shells into the buffer zones since last Friday, when it shot hundreds of shells there in its most significant direct violation of the 2018 agreement. South Korea's military said North Korea must halt provocatio

North Korea fires more artillery into maritime buffer zones: South Korea

South Korea's military says it detected North Korea additionally firing possibly hundreds of artillery rounds into maritime buffer zones between the rivals, further raising animosities triggered by a recent barrage of weapons tests. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it detected the North firing around 80 rounds of artillery into waters near their eastern sea border from around 5.p.m. Friday. It said it also detected firing sounds and sighted splashes that were possibly caused by the firing of around 200 artillery rounds in waters near the western sea boundary from around 5:20 p.m. It said the shells fell inside maritime buffer zones the two Koreas established under a 2018 inter-Korean agreement on reducing tensions. The artillery firings came hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile and 170 rounds of artillery shells early Friday, extending a highly provocative run in weapons demonstrations that have been accompanied by threats of nuclear conflict against Seoul and

N Korea fires another missile, 170 rounds of shells over S Korean border

North Korea early on Friday fired an additional ballistic missile and 170 rounds of artillery shells toward the sea and flew warplanes near the tense border with South Korea, further raising animosities triggered by the North's recent barrage of weapons tests. The North Korean moves suggest it is reviving an old playbook of stoking fears of war with provocative weapons tests before it seeks to win greater concessions from its rivals. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the short-range missile lifted off from the North's capital region at 1:49 am Friday (1649 GMT Thursday; 12:49 p.m. EDT Thursday) and flew toward its eastern waters. It was North Korea's 15th missile launch since it resumed its testing activities on September 25. North Korea said Monday its recent missile tests were simulations of nuclear strikes on South Korean and US targets in response to their dangerous" military exercises involving a US aircraft carrier. After the latest missile test, North

North Korea flies warplanes near border after missile launches: S.Korea

South Korea says North Korea has flown warplanes near the rivals' border, prompting South Korea to scramble fighter jets. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean planes flew as close as 12 kilometers (7 miles) north of the inter-Korean border between late Thursday and early Friday. It's a highly unusual incident, and it comes amid heightened tensions between the rivals over North Korea's barrage of missile tests in recent days. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said it responded by scrambling F-35 jets and other warplanes. There were no reports of clashes between the rivals.

North Korea says Kim Jong-Un supervised long-range cruise missile tests

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised tests of long-range cruise missiles, which he described as a successful demonstration of his military's expanding nuclear strike capabilities and readiness for actual war", state media said on Thursday. Wednesday's tests extended a record number of weapons demonstrations this year by North Korea, which has punctuated its testing activity with threats to preemptively use nuclear weapons against South Korea and the United States if it perceives its leadership as under threat. Analysts say Kim is exploiting the distraction created by Russia's war on Ukraine, using it as a window to accelerate arms development as he pursues a full-fledged nuclear arsenal that could viably threaten regional US allies and the American homeland. South Korean officials say Kim may also conduct a nuclear test in the coming weeks or months, escalating a pressure campaign aimed at forcing the United States to accept the idea of North Korea as a nuclear power that can

Missile launches were 'simulation' of nuclear-strike on South: North Korea

North Korea preparing to hold its first nuclear weapon test in five years: Reports

Kim Jong-un oversaw recent 'tactical nuclear' drills, says North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw the country's tactical nuclear operation training that was held over the past few days, the state news agency reported

North Korea launches missile toward sea after US-South Korea drills

The South Korean military said North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Sunday, the latest in the country's barrage of weapons tests in recent days. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the launch occurred early Sunday but gave no further details, including how far the weapon may have flown. The Japanese government also said North Korea fired what was a possible ballistic missile. The Japanese coast guard said it has warned ships around the country's coasts about falling objects and urged them to stay away. The launch, the North's sixth round of weapons tests in two weeks, came hours after the United States and South Korea wrapped a new round of naval drills off the Korean Peninsula's east coast. The drills involved a US aircraft carrier. North Korea's military warned Saturday that the US redeployment of the aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula is causing a considerably huge negative splash in regional security, as it defended its

India, US condemns North Korea's missile launch, calls it regional threat

India has joined the US in condemning North Korea's missile launches as a threat to the international community

US sanctions Asian firms over N.Korean fuel shipments amid missile launch

In the midst of increasingly aggressive North Korean missile launches this week, the US on Friday imposed sanctions on people and firms in Asia accused of helping North Korea procure fuel in violation of UN sanctions. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted two people and three firms from Singapore, Taiwan and the Marshall Islands. The US accused them of moving fuel through an "illicit ship-to-ship transfer" that circumvents United Nations sanctions restricting the import of petroleum products and supports the development of North Korea's weapons programmes and military. The sanctions are the first directed toward the isolated Asian country since the start of its most recent round of missile launches six rounds of tests in less than two weeks. North Korea also flew 12 warplanes near its border with South Korea on Thursday, prompting the South to scramble 30 military aircraft in response, Seoul officials said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said North Korea continu

N Korea draws up guidelines for emergency health crisis, natural disasters

North Korea has come up with new guidelines on how to cope with the country's emergency health crisis and natural disasters at a key parliamentary meeting, its state media said on Friday

US aircraft carrier, S Korea warships start new naval drills amid tensions

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan launched a new round of naval drills with South Korean warships on Friday, a day after North Korea fired more ballistic missiles and flew warplanes in an escalation of tensions with its rivals. The Reagan and its battle group returned to the waters near the Korean Peninsula after North Korea earlier this week launched a nuclear-capable missile over Japan in response to the carrier group's earlier training with South Korean navy ships. North Korea views US-South Korean military exercises as a practice to invade the country. The latest two-day drills, which also involve US and South Korean destroyers and other ships, were taking place in international waters off the peninsula's east coast. The drills are aimed at bolstering the allies' defence capabilities and will involve training to escort the Reagan southeast of South Korea's southern island of Jeju, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. We will continue to .

India, US, UK, France condemn North Korea's ballistic missile launch

India, joining the US, UK and France, has strongly condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan, with New Delhi underlining that these launches affect the peace and security of the region and beyond. The missile fired on Tuesday was the first from North Korea to fly over Japan in five years. The launch mark the 24th time this year that North Korea has conducted missile tests. We have noted with concern the reports of ballistic missile launches by the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea), India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said at a UN Security Council meeting on DPRK on Wednesday. "These follow the launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile by the DPRK in March this year, which was discussed in this Council, as well as other successive launches, she said. Later, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield delivered a joint statement on behalf of Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, South

N Korea fires 2 ballistic missiles towards sea as US redeploys carrier

North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters Thursday after the United States redeployed an aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula in response to Pyongyang's previous launch of a nuclear-capable missile over Japan. The latest missile launches suggest North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is determined to continue with weapons tests aimed at boosting his nuclear arsenal in defiance of international sanctions. Many experts say Kim's goal is to eventually win US recognition as a legitimate nuclear state and the lifting of those sanctions, though the international community has shown no sign of allowing that to happen. The latest missiles were launched 22 minutes apart from the North's capital region and landed between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The first missile flew 350 kilometers (217 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and the second flew 800 kilometers (497

S Korea, US fire 4 missiles into East Sea against N Korea's provocation

South Korea and the United States fired four ground-to-ground missiles into the East Sea in joint drills, a day after North Korea's intermediate-range ballistic missile launch

Joe Biden consults Japan PM Kishida after North Korea missile test

President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss their next steps after North Korea conducted its longest ever test launch by firing a nuclear-capable ballistic missile over Japan. The White House in a statement said the leaders condemned North Korea's missile test in the strongest terms, recognising the launch as a danger to the Japanese people, destabilising to the region, and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The White House said the leaders agreed to coordinate an immediate and longer-term response together, as well as with South Korea, and with the international community. They also vowed to work to limit North Korea's ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs." North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as its leader, Kim Jong Un, refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the United States, but Tuesday's

North Korea missile flies over Japan; stopping trains, sparking panic

In response, US and South Korean warplanes practiced bombing a target in the Yellow Sea and Japan warned its citizens to take cover and suspended some train services

N Korea fires ballistic missile towards Pacific Ocean for weapon tests

North Korea on Tuesday fired a ballistic missile over Japan, its neighbors said, escalating tests of weapons designed to strike key targets in regional US allies amid stalled nuclear diplomacy. The Japanese prime minister's office said at least one missile fired from North Korea flew over Japan and was believed to have landed into the Pacific Ocean. It said authorities have issued an alert to residents in northeastern regions to evacuate buildings nearby in what was reportedly the first such alert in five years. Trains were temporarily suspended in Japan's Hokkaido and Aomori regions before their operations were resumed later after a government notice that the North Korean missile appeared to have landed into the Pacific. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said it also detected the launch of a ballistic missile that was fired toward the North's eastern waters. It gave no further details such as how far the weapon flew. The launch is the fifth round of weapons test by North Korean