Page 5 - North Korea

North Korean leader Kim unveils new naval destroyer, cites US as threat

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled a new naval destroyer, claiming it as a significant advancement toward his goal of expanding the operational range and preemptive strike capabilities of his nuclear-armed military, state media said Saturday. North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said Kim attended the launching ceremony for the 5,000-ton warship on Friday at the western port of Nampo. Kim framed the arms buildup as a response to perceived threats from the United States and its allies in Asia, who have been expanding joint military exercises amid rising tensions over the North's nuclear programme. He added that the acquisition of a nuclear-powered submarine would be his next big step in strengthening his navy. The new multipurpose destroyer, touted by state media as the first in a new class of heavily armed warships, is designed to handle various weapons systems, including anti-air and anti-naval weapons, as well as nuclear-capable ballistic and cruise missile

N Korea threatens response to US flying long-range bombers over S Korea

North Korea on Thursday threatened unspecified retaliation after the US flew long-range bombers over South Korea during training with its forces, which North Korea views as practice for an attack against it. The U.S. flew the B-1B bombers Tuesday during an aerial drill with other US and South Korean fighter jets. South Korea's Defense Ministry had said the training was meant to show the two countries' combined deterrence capability against North Korea's advancing nuclear program. The U.S. and South Korea routinely hold joint military exercises they describe as defensive in nature. But North Korea views them as an invasion rehearsal and is particularly sensitive to the U.S. mobilization of strategic assets such as long-range bombers, aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines. The recent military move of the U.S. and the ROK is an open threat to the security of our state and a grave provocation that raises the military tension in the region to an extreme dangerous level, an ...

Status 'permanent': North Korean leader's sister rejects denuclearisation

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Wednesday mocked Washington and its Asian allies for what she called their daydream of denuclearising the North, insisting that the country will never give up its nuclear weapons programme. The statement by Kim Yo Jong, one of the country's top foreign policy officials, was in response to a meeting last week between the top diplomats of the United States, South Korea and Japan where they reaffirmed their commitment to push for the North's denuclearisation. Noting that North Korea's goals for nuclear weapons expansion are enshrined in its constitution, she insisted that any external discussions of denuclearisation constitute the most hostile act and amount to a denial of her country's sovereignty. If the US and its vassal forces continue to insist on anachronistic denuclearisation' it will only give unlimited justness and justification to the advance of the DPRK aspiring after the building of the strongest nuclear force for .

North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia, says Seoul

North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February in continued support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, South Korea's military said Thursday in its latest assessment. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has also been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia and that North Korea could increase its weapons supplies further depending on the war situation. Russia and Ukraine recently agreed on a limited ceasefire, though both sides have accused each other of violations. The military equipment North Korea has sent to Russia includes a considerable amount of short-range ballistic missiles, 170 millimetre self-propelled howitzers and around 220 units of 240 millimetre multiple rocket launchers. North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War, and the Joint Chiefs

N Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia, according to South's assessment

North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February in continued support for Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, South Korea's military said Thursday in its latest assessment. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has also been sending more missiles, artillery equipment and ammunition to help Russia and that North Korea could increase its weapons supplies further depending on the war situation. Russia and Ukraine recently agreed on a limited ceasefire, though both sides have accused each other of violations. The military equipment North Korea has sent to Russia includes a considerable amount of short-range ballistic missiles, 170 millimeter self-propelled howitzers and around 220 units of 240 millimeter multiple rocket launchers. North Korea has sent approximately 11,000 military personnel to fight in the war against Ukraine in its first involvement in a large-scale conflict since the 1950-53 Korean War, and the Joint Chiefs

North Korea's Kim Jong Un reaffirms support for Russia's war in Ukraine

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his unwavering support for Russia's war in Ukraine during a meeting with a top Russian security official in Pyongyang, North Korean state media said Saturday. Friday's meeting between Kim and Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Security Council secretary, followed a South Korean intelligence assessment in late February that North Korea had likely sent additional troops to Russia after its forces suffered heavy casualties fighting in the Russian-Ukraine war. Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the two countries' leaders, though it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what targets would be off-limits. North Korean and Russian state media said Kim and Shoigu discussed various issues, including Russia's war in Ukraine, Moscow's dialogues with the Trump administration and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. They reaffirmed the willingness of the two ...

North Korea tests new missiles, threatens action over US-South Korea drills

North Korea said on Friday it test-launched new anti-aircraft missiles, as its military threatened unspecified grave steps against the US and South Korea over their joint military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. The official Korean Central News Agency said that leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the tests Thursday and called the missiles involved another major defense weapons system for North Korea. The missile launches, North Korea's sixth weapons testing activity this year, occurred on the same day that the US and South Korean militaries concluded their annual Freedom Shield command post exercise. The 11-day training was the allies' first major joint military exercises since the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January, and the two countries held diverse field training exercises alongside the Freedom Shield drills. The US and South Korean officials describe their combined military drills as defensive in nature, but North Korea slams them as a major security threat.

US envoy in Moscow for ceasefire talks as Russia claims truce aids Kyiv

The diplomatic effort coincided with a Russian claim that its troops have driven the Ukrainian army out of a key town in Russia's Kursk border region

North Korea fired missiles off west coast, says South Korea amid US drills

The missiles fired by North Korea coincided with the start of annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, which North Korea perceives as a rehearsal for invasion

North Korea shows nuclear-powered submarine under construction for 1st time

North Korea unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. State media on Saturday released photos showing what it called a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine, as it reported leader Kim Jong Un's visits to major shipyards where warships are built. The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, didn't provide details on the submarine, but said Kim was briefed on its construction. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, said Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul's Hanyang University. He said the use of the term the strategic guided missiles meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. It would be absolutely threatening to us and the US, Moon said. A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Kim vowed to introduce during a major

N Korea performs cruise missile tests as it vows to respond to US threats

North Korea said Friday it had test-fired strategic cruise missiles to demonstrate its nuclear counter-attack capability, days after it vowed to respond to what it called escalating U.S.-led hostilities since the start of the Trump administration. The official Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the missile tests off the country's west coast Wednesday. They were the North's fourth missile launch event this year and the second of President Donald Trump's second term. The launches were designed to inform the enemies, who are seriously violating our security environment and fostering and escalating the confrontation environment, of the North Korean military's counterattack capability and the readiness of its nuclear operations, KCNA said. Kim expressed satisfaction over the results of the drills and said the military must be battle-ready and prepared to use its nuclear weapons, the report said. Trump has said he would reach out to Kim again after they met at thr

North Korea has sent more troops to Russia: South Korea spy agency

North Korea appears to have deployed additional troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency said on Thursday, local media reported.Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) in a press noted said that that number of recently deployed troops is being assessed as per a report in South Korean news agency Yonhap.The assessment follows a news report that between 1,000 and 3,000 North Korean troops were newly transported to Kursk via Russian cargo ships and military airplanes between January and February this year in the second round of such troop deployment, the Yonhap reported.Seoul's spy agency had earlier assessed that North Korean troops deployed to Russia had been absent from combat in the Kursk region since mid-January, likely due to heavy casualties among them. The NIS estimated that about 300 were killed and some 2,700 others were injured.In the beginning of this month Colonel Oleksandr, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Special Operations ..

N Korea slams US, rivals for pursuing 'absurd' plans to denuclearise North

North Korea on Tuesday criticised the United States and Asian neighbours for pursuing the absurd goal of denuclearising the North and said it will push to expand its nuclear forces under the direction of its authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un. The statement by Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry came after the top diplomats of the US, South Korea and Japan met at a security conference in Germany and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening military cooperation and reinforcing an international sanctions regime to counter Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions. The North Korean ministry accused the US of trying to realise an outdated and absurd plan of denuclearising the North and warned of overwhelming and decisive counteraction against its rivals if it perceives its security is under threat. It said the North will consistently adhere to the new line of bolstering the nuclear force established by Kim and thoroughly deter the US and its vassal forces from threats and blackmail against the North's .

N Korea razing facility that hosted war-separated families' reunion: Seoul

North Korea is demolishing a South Korea-built property that had been used to host reunions of families separated during the 1950-53 Korean War, the South's government said Thursday, as it continues to eliminate symbols of engagement between the war-divided rivals. Relations between the Koreas are at their worst in years, with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un continuing to flaunt his expanding nuclear weapons program and declaring to abandon long-standing goals of inter-Korean reconciliation, while describing the South as a permanent enemy. The 12-story building at the North's scenic Diamond Mountain resort, which has 206 rooms and banquet facilities for hosting meetings, had been used for family reunions since 2009. The Koreas last held a family reunion in 2018, after Kim initiated diplomacy with Seoul and Washington in an effort to leverage his nuclear program for economic benefits. Negotiations derailed in 2019 after a failed summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump, who w

North Korea's Kim Jong slams US-South Korea-Japan security partnership

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said an elevated US security partnership with South Korea and Japan poses a grave threat to his country and vowed to further bolster his nuclear weapons program, state media reported Sunday. Kim has previously made similar warnings, but his latest statement implies again that the North Korean leader won't likely embrace President Donald Trump's overture to meet him and revive diplomacy anytime soon. In a speech marking the 77th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army on Saturday, Kim said the US-Japan-South Korea trilateral security partnership established under a US plot to form a NATO-like regional military bloc is inviting military imbalance on the Korean Peninsula and raising a grave challenge to the security environment of our state, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. Referring to a series of new plans for rapidly bolstering all deterrence including nuclear forces, he clarified once again the unshakable policy of more

N Korea slams Rubio for calling it 'rogue' state in criticism of Trump govt

In its first direct criticism of the Trump administration, North Korea lashed out at US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for calling it a rogue state and warned Monday that such coarse and nonsensical remarks will never contribute to US interests. The statement is the latest in a series of North Korean signals that it will maintain its tough stance on the U.S. for now, though Trump has said he's intent on reaching out to its leader Kim Jong Un to revive diplomacy. The hostile words and deeds of the person who is in charge of the US foreign policy served as an occasion of confirming once again the US hostile policy toward the DPRK which remains unchanged, the Foreign Ministry said, using the acronym of the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Rubio's coarse and nonsensical remarks only show directly the incorrect view of the new U.S. administration on the DPRK and will never help promote the US interests as he wishes, it said. The statement took issue wi

Kim Jong Un inspects nuclear facility as Pyongyang pressures Trump admin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a facility that produces nuclear material and called for bolstering the country's nuclear fighting capability, state media reported Wednesday, as the North looks to increase pressure on the United States following the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Kim's visit suggests a continued emphasis on an expansion of North Korea's nuclear arsenal, though Trump has said he's willing to talk to Kim again to revive diplomacy. Many analysts view North Korean weapons moves as part of a strategy to win sanctions relief and political concessions from the United States. The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim visited the nuclear-material production base and the Nuclear Weapons Institute. It didn't say where those facilities are located, but North Korean photos of Kim's visit indicated that he likely visited a uranium-enrichment facility that he went to last September. That visit was North Korea's first disclosure of a ...

N Korea says it tested cruise missile system, vows toughest response to US

North Korea said Sunday it tested a cruise missile system, its third known weapons display this year, and vowed "the toughest" response to what it called the escalation of US-South Korean military drills that target the North. The moves suggested North Korea will likely maintain its run of weapons tests and its confrontational stance against the U.S. for now, even though President Donald Trump said he intends to reach out to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim observed the test of sea-to-surface strategic cruise guided weapons on Saturday. The term strategic implies the missiles are nuclear-capable. KCNA said the missiles hit their targets after travelling 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) -long elliptical and figure-eight-shaped flight patterns, but that couldn't be independently verified. KCNA cited Kim as saying that North Korea's war deterrence capabilities are being perfected more thoroughly and affirming that his country will make strenu

WazirX's $235 mn hack linked to North Korea; US, Japan, S Korea to counter

The US, Japan, and South Korean governments have pledged to counter North Korea by imposing sanctions and strengthening cybersecurity in the Indo-Pacific region

N Korea launches projectile toward eastern waters in year's second launch

North Korea on Tuesday test-fired at least one unidentified projectile toward its eastern waters, South Korea's military said, as it continued its weapons demonstrations ahead of Donald Trump's return to the White House. South Korea's joint chiefs of staff didn't immediately confirm whether the test involved a ballistic missile or another type of weapon. It wasn't immediately clear how far the weapon flew. It was North Korea's second launch event of 2025, following a ballistic launch last week. North Korea said the January 6 test was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike remote targets in the Pacific as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further expand his collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations. North Korea is coming off a torrid year in weapons testing. The systems it demonstrated in 2024 included solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to strike the US mainland and various shorter-range missiles designed to overwhelm missi