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☆ Kim Jong Un tested a new rocket that could hit Seoul — and may aid Russia against Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Kim Jong Un oversaw tests for a rocket capable of hitting Seoul in South Korea, Bloomberg reported. Russia and North Korea have previously denied reports of an arms deal between the two nations. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok on April 25, 2019. Russia and North Korea have previously denied an arms deal exists between the two countries. Business Insider reported in October that North Korea was on track to become "one of Russia's most significant foreign arms suppliers."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, —, Yang, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Simon Miles, Miles, Kelly Grieco, it's Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Ukraine, Korean People's Army, Korean Central News Agency, Asan Institute, Policy Studies, NK News, North Korean, Duke University's Sanford School of Public, Kremlin, Soviet Union, AP News, Business, pushback, US, Stimson Center Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, Korea, Russian, Vladivostok, Soviet

☆ North Korea claims it tested new command-and-control system in simulated nuclear counterstrike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea claims it tested a new nuclear weapons command-and-control system Monday, with the firing of projectiles carrying simulated nuclear warheads from multiple rocket launcher units. North Korea has tested both the rocket launcher system and a simulated nuclear counterstrike before, according to analysts, but KCNA said Monday’s exercise was the first time the “Haekbangashoe” – or nuclear trigger – command-and-control system was used, demonstrating what it claimed was an ability to switch rocket launchers from conventional to nuclear weapons. Though the regime’s true capabilities have not been independently verified, a 2017 report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded North Korea had likely achieved its key goal of miniaturization. Images supplied by North Korea Monday showed four rockets being launched, with KCNA saying they hit targets on an island 352 kilometers (218 miles) away. The US-South Korea exercise has “incited extreme war fever” and cannot be classified as defense or deterrence, the KCNA report said.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, ”, Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, Joseph Dempsey, ” Dempsey, Kim ramped Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Defense Intelligence Agency, miniaturization, North Korea, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Korea, US Air Force Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, United States, North Korea, denuclearization, Washington, U.S

☆ Taiwan’s Taroko National Park closed indefinitely following earthquake
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Taipei CNN —The Taroko National Park in eastern Taiwan, a popular destination for domestic and international tourists alike, will close until further notice, after the island was struck by the strongest earthquake in 25 years last week. “All levels of trails and facilities within the Taroko National Park jurisdiction have been damaged. The 920-square-kilometer (9,990 square foot) area was declared a National Park of Taiwan in 1986. In an interview with Taiwan’s official Central News Agency, deputy director of the Taroko National Park Headquarters Lin Chung-shan said the Hehuan Mountain area, which lies partially within the park, was relatively less impacted and will gradually reopen. The Taroko National Park attracted 3.45 million visitors in 2023, according to statistics provided by the Hualien Tourism Department.

Persons: Lin Chung Organizations: Taipei CNN, Pa National Parks, of, Central News Agency, Hualien Tourism Department Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, Yushan, Pa, of Taiwan, Taroko, Hualien

☆ Taiwan earthquake: ‘Roger,’ overly playful dog who failed police academy, becomes star of quake response
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Chris Lau | Wayne Chang | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

While other dogs also played similar roles and were paraded for the media, Roger captured the island’s imagination — partly because of his backstory of an initial career failure. But his ebullient personality and intelligence made him a much better candidate to be a rescue dog, which was the career that was then chosen for him. Kaohsiung Fire DepartmentChen Chih-san, captain of the rescue dog unit of the Kaohsiung Fire Department, told reporters that Roger was transferred to the rescue training school when he was 1 year old. According to the Kaohsiung City Government, Roger was certified by the International Rescue Dog Organization in 2022, an accolade last achieved by a Taiwanese rescue dog in 2019. But retirement is looming for Roger, with the Kaohsiung Fire Department sending rescue dogs to a suitable home once they reach age 9, CNA said, citing Chen.

Persons: Roger, Kaohsiung Fire Department Roger, Chen Chih, “ I’m, ” Chen, ” Roger, Chen Organizations: Taiwan CNN, Central News Agency, CNA, Kaohsiung Fire Department, Kaohsiung Fire, Kaohsiung City Government, Dog Organization Locations: Taipei, Taiwan, lunged, Kaohsiung

☆ Hualien earthquake: Dozens rescued after major Taiwan quake but more than 100 still cut off
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Helen Regan | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“But people are safe, so that’s fortunate.”Workers demolish a damaged building following the earthquake, in Hualien, Taiwan April 4, 2024. A rescue worker stands near the cordoned off site in the aftermath of an earthquake in Hualien, eastern Taiwan on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Wednesday’s quake is the strongest to hit Taiwan since 1999, according to the Central Weather Administration. That year, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit south of Taipei, killing 2,400 people and injuring 10,000 others. A magnitude 6.2 quake hit near the area in 2018, killing at least 17 people and injuring more than 300 others.

Persons: Hong Changyi, ”, Tyrone Siu, rockfall, Johnson Lai, “ They’ve, Taiwan —, Sam Yeh, Yu, Lin Chih, cheng Organizations: CNN — Rescue, Hong, CNN, Workers, National Fire Agency, SET, Central News Agency, Video, CNA, Reuters, Getty, Hualien Fire Bureau, Central Weather Administration, Taiwan’s Professional Civil Engineers Association Locations: Taiwan, Hualien County, Hualien, Taroko, AFP, ”, Zhonghe, Taipei, Hualien City, Lin, China

☆ Hualien County Is a Quiet, Scenic Tourist Destination
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Victoria Kim | More About Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Hualien County on Taiwan’s east coast is a scenic, sleepy tourist area tucked away from the island’s urban centers, with a famous gorge and aquamarine waters. The county has a population of about 300,000, according to the 2020 census, about a third of whom live in the coastal city of Hualien, the county seat. Hualien County is home to Taroko National Park, one of Taiwan’s most popular scenic areas. Visitors come to explore the Taroko Gorge, a striated marble canyon carved by the Liwu River, which cuts through mountains that rise steeply from the coast. The city of Hualien is a popular destination as a gateway to the national park.

Organizations: Central News Agency, Earthquakes Locations: Hualien County, Taiwan’s, Hualien, Taiwan, Taipei, Hualien .

☆ North Korea tests missile, Seoul says, ahead of vote seen as gauge of support for hardline South Korean leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea test-fired a presumed intermediate-range ballistic missile on Tuesday, South Korean officials said, its latest military maneuver since leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year declaration that he was ending a policy seeking reconciliation with the South. Pyongyang’s shows of power included long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers, which pose a threat to the South Korean capital Seoul and other key areas near the border. But Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said Tuesday’s suspected missile test by North Korea won’t have much effect on the vote. North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui last week quashed recent speculation that Kishida could meet with North Korea’s Kim. North Korea “will not allow any attempt of Japan to contact” Pyongyang, he said, according to KCNA.

Persons: Kim Jong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim, Yoon’s, Democratic Party –, Yoon, Leif, Eric Easley, ” Easley, Easley, Tuesday’s, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Choe Son Hui, North Korea’s Kim, CNN’s Yoonjung Seo Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, South, Korean Central News Agency, CNN, Yoon’s People Power Party, Democratic Party, Ewha Womans University, Assembly, Korean, Philippine, North Korean Foreign, North Korea “ Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, North, Japan, Washington, China

☆ North Korean TV censors British gardening show host’s jeans
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —North Korea’s state broadcaster, KCTV, has blurred out a pair of jeans worn by veteran British TV host Alan Titchmarsh as part of the country’s censorship of foreign fashion and culture. Nam Sung-wook, a professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul, told CNN that the censorship shows North Korea is strictly implementing the newly adopted Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act. “The act aims to prohibit North Korean residents from imitating foreign countries in various aspects, including how they’re dressed and speak,” he said. “They have had campaigns against anti-socialist culture since at least the early 1990s,” said Ward. Foreign materials like books and movies are banned, often with severe punishments for those caught with black market contraband.

Persons: Alan Titchmarsh, KCTV, ”, Titchmarsh, “ I’ve, Nam Sung, Peter Ward, Kim Jong Il, “ Organizations: CNN, BBC, North Korean Studies, Korea University, Sejong Institute, “, Korean Central News Agency, United Nations Locations: Korea’s, British, Seoul, Korea, South Korea, Soviet Union, North Korea

☆ North Korea showcases artillery that poses a deadly threat to the South
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea on Thursday showed off its long-range artillery systems, thousands of weapons that it could use to strike the South with little warning while causing tens of thousands of casualties, according to experts. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed both drills and was seen in photos provided by state media. North Korean artillery fires during large-scales exercises on March 7. Even retaliatory strikes by South Korea and the US would be difficult to execute, the report said. In January, Kim called the South the North’s “primary foe and invariable principal enemy” and ordered a reunification monument in the North Korean capital to be demolished.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, “, KCNA Kim, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korean, Korea’s Defense, Monday, North, Korean Central News Agency, Korean People's Army, South Korean Defense Ministry, Peninsula . Artillery, RAND Corp, RAND, ROK, DPRK, U.S, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Russia, Korean, Republic of Korea

☆ Putin gifts car to Kim Jong Un in sign of ‘special personal relations,’ North Korean state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian-made car for Kim’s personal use was delivered Sunday by a Russian delegation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS the car was an Aurus, the luxury automaker founded in 2018 to produce Russia’s official state cars. In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Putin — his first in more than 20 years. The North Korean leader is often seen being chauffeured in what’s believed to be a Mercedes-Maybach Pullman Guard armored limousine, worth upwards of $1 million. During Kim’s visit to Russia last September, Putin showed his Aurus limousine to the North Korean leader.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Dmitry Peskov, –, Kim Yo Jong, Putin, Putin —, Kim, “, ”, what’s, Royce, Donald Trump Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean, Korean Central News Agency, TASS, Pyongyang, CNN, Putin, North, Maybach Pullman Guard, Maybach S600 Guard, Washington -, Advanced Defense Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Russian, North Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Netherlands, Washington, Singapore

☆ Kim Jong Un has broken with decades of North Korean policy – does it mean he’s planning for war?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The two sides have been cut off from each other since 1953, when an armistice ended the Korean War, and remain technically at war. Yoon and Biden have sharpened their countries’ deterrence plans and coordination in the face of North Korea’s threats and weapons development. If anything, some analysts believe, North Korea’s public statements signal that North Korea is abandoning its reunification policy in pursuit of peace on the peninsula. Vladimir Smirnov/AFP/Getty ImagesAn ‘emboldened’ KimThe North Korean leader may also feel more confident about his arsenal and his options as he watches a shifting global landscape. “Kim Jong Un is wary of a full-scale provocation by the South Korean military disguised as a military exercise and has vowed to occupy South Korean territory without hesitation,” said Lim in Changwon.

Persons: Kim Jong, South Korea –, ” Kim, ”, Kim, ’, Robert Carlin, Siegfred Heckler, Chul Lim, “, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Edward Howell, Yoon Suk Yeol, Ayse, ” He’s, Yoon, Biden, Seoul . Kim, Trump, Lim, “ That’s, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Smirnov, ’ Kim, “ Kim Jong, …, Rachel Minyoung Lee, Howell, “ Kim Jong Un, Lee, Japan – Organizations: CNN, South, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern, University of Oxford, Japan, Ewha Womans University, US, North, Russia's Vostochny, Getty, Stimson, –, White, United Nations Security Council, West, South Korean Defense Ministry, ”, Trump, North Korean Locations: Ukraine, Gaza, North Korea, South Korea, Korea, Republic of Korea, Kim, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, United States, Korea’s, Changwon, Pyongyang, Russia, United Kingdom, Japan, Guam, Gon, Seoul ., Russian, Russia's, China, Iran, denuclearization, Western, North, Moscow, Beijing, Oxford, Jeju, South, “

Some experts say Kim may seek to further dial up pressure in an election year in South Korea and the United States. He also accused South Korea of frequently violating what he decried as North Korean territorial waters with its maritime patrols and interdiction of third-party ships. He ordered his navy to strengthen its defense posture in waters near the South Korean border islands of Baekryeong and Yeonpyeong, where a North Korean artillery bombardment killed four people in 2010. North Korea insists upon a boundary that encroaches deeply into waters currently controlled by South Korea. Following a separate, year-end political conference at which Kim accused South Korea of hostility, North Korea in early January fired hundreds of artillery rounds on three consecutive days near the western sea boundary with South Korea.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, Command, Supreme People’s Assembly, Washington Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Wonsan, United States, Korea, Baekryeong, Korean, U.S, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said it tested cruise missiles outfitted with new “super-large” warheads as well as a new type of anti-aircraft missile, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that has rival South Korea worried. The report Saturday by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North launching multiple cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. North Korean photos of the test showed a low-flying cruise missile striking a target built on a coastal shore, and another projectile soaring into the air after being launched from ground. In announcing the development of larger warheads for cruise missiles, North Korea could be trying to emphasize that these missiles are intended to be armed with nuclear weapons. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesCruise missiles are among a growing collection of North Korean weapons designed to overwhelm regional missile defenses.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, Analysts, Friday's Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, North Korean, Korean, United States, Russia, Japan, Guam, Nampho, U.S

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday it conducted a test-firing of long-range cruise missiles with an aim to sharpen its counterattack and strategic strike capabilities, in its latest display of weapons threatening South Korea and Japan. The event extended a provocative streak in weapons testing as North Korea continues to raise pressure on the United States and its Asian allies amid a prolonged freeze in diplomacy. North Korea in recent years has been expanding its lineup of cruise missiles, which are designed to be fired from both land and naval assets. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSince 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 11 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. The North’s two previous tests of cruise missiles on Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 were of a new weapon called Pulhwasal-3-31, which is designed to be fired from submarines.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, Japan, North Korean, United States, Guam, Russia

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Thursday it conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and neighbors. North Korea’s cruise missiles are among its growing arsenal of weapons aimed at overwhelming missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. Since 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 10 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. There are concerns that Kim could dial up pressure in an election year in the United States and South Korea. He accused South Korea of acting as “top-class stooges” of the Americans and repeated a threat that he would use his nukes to annihilate the South if provoked.

Persons: Kim, KCNA Organizations: Chiefs, Staff, Korean Central News Agency, The Associated Press, South, Analysts Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Japan, Guam, North, South, Pyongyang, Korea, Washington, Asia, asia

☆ Russia’s Putin to visit North Korea soon, state media says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit Kim Jong Un soon, North Korean state media reported Sunday, the latest sign of increasing cooperation between the two authoritarian leaders as war rages in Ukraine and military tensions increase in East Asia. Putin thanked Kim for an invitation to visit Pyongyang and pledged to go there “at an early date,” the report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the dates for Putin’s visit to North Korea were still being discussed through diplomatic channels and would be announced later, Russian state-run news agency TASS reported. During that visit, Kim praised Russia for standing up to “hegemonic forces” with its war in Ukraine, while Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite programs. According to the US Defense Department, Russia has twice in the past month fired North Korean-made missiles at targets in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Choe Son Hui, Sergey Lavrov, ” KCNA, Kim Jong, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean Central News Agency, North Korean Foreign, Russian, TASS, CNN, North Korean, US Defense Department, South, US, People’s Assembly Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korean, Ukraine, East Asia, Pyongyang, North Korea, Russian, Moscow, Northeast Asia, Russia, Korea, United States

☆ North Korea claims to test underwater nuclear-capable drone after US, South Korea and Japan show off naval might
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Brad Lendon | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea on Friday claimed it had successfully tested an underwater nuclear weapons system earlier this week in response to naval drills by the United States, South Korea and Japan. North Korean state media on Friday did not show evidence for the success of the latest test, but warned the US, South Korea and Japan of the “catastrophic consequences” of their actions. Warships from South Korea, the US and Japan perform a trilateral exercise in the waters south of Jeju between January 15 and 17, 2024. South Korea's Defence MinistryAnalysts say it all points to an even more intractable North Korea. “If North Korea’s artillery fire near the inter-Korean maritime border was just part of routine training, it would be less concerning.

Persons: ”, Carl Vinson, KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim Jong, Kim ramped, Staff Kim Myung, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Central News Agency, JS Hyūga, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Warships, Korea's Defence, US Navy, Fleet, People’s Assembly, CNN Relations, South Korean Joint Chiefs, Korea's Defence Ministry Analysts, Ehwa University Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Japan, Korean, Pyongyang, Jeju, U.S, Republic of Korea, Korea, KCNA, North, “ Pyongyang

☆ North Korea's Kim calls for South to be seen as 'primary foe,' warns of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un speaks at the 5th National Meeting of Mothers in Pyongyang in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on December 5, 2023. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Monday called for the constitution to be changed to ensure that South Korea is seen as the "primary foe" and warned his country did not intend to avoid war should it happen, state media KCNA reported on Tuesday. In a speech to the Supreme People's Assembly, North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, Kim said he had concluded that unification with the South was no longer possible, and accused Seoul of seeking regime collapse and unification by absorption. Kim said the constitution should be amended to educate North Koreans that South Korea is a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" and define the North's territory as separate from the South. "We don't want war but we have no intention of avoiding it," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Supreme, Assembly, North Locations: Pyongyang, Korea, North, Seoul, North Koreans, South Korea

☆ North Korea appears to have tested a missile tipped with a hypersonic weapon that could evade the air defenses of US bases
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea claimed Monday to have tested a hypersonic glide missile. North Korea is continuing to menace US allies in the region. AdvertisementNorth Korea claims to have successfully tested a solid-fuel missile tipped with a hypersonic weapon that could be used to target US bases and allies in the region. AdvertisementA previous round of North Korean hypersonic missile tests back in 2021 and 2022 prompted concerns that the weapons could be so sophisticated, they would be a potential game changer. The US and South Korea have increased joint military exercises in the region.

Persons: —, Lionel Fatton, Kim Jong Un Organizations: Service, Korean Central News Agency, Agence, France Presse, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Reuters, Japanese, Webster University, Meiji University, CNN Locations: Korea, North Korea, France, Guam, Japan, Russia, China, Switzerland, Korean, South Korea, Ukraine

☆ North Korea scraps agencies managing relations with South as Kim Jong Un cites hostility with rival
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits Korean People's Army Air Force headquarters on the occasion of Aviation Day in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 1, 2023. North Korea has abolished key government organizations tasked with managing relations with South Korea, state media said Tuesday, as authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un said he would no longer pursue reconciliation with his rival. During a speech at the assembly, Kim blamed South Korea and the United States for raising tensions in the region. He called for the assembly to rewrite the North's Constitution in its next meeting to define South Korea as the North's "No. The United States and its allies Seoul and Tokyo responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Organizations: Korean People's Army Air Force, Aviation, North, Korean Central News Agency Locations: North Korea, South Korea, United States, Seoul, Tokyo

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea on Monday claimed it flight-tested a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile tipped with a hypersonic warhead as it pursues more powerful, harder-to-detect weapons designed to strike remote U.S. targets in the region. There are also concerns about an alleged arms cooperation between North Korea and Russia as they align in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. The Biden administration said it has evidence that missiles provided by North Korea to Russia had been used in the war in Ukraine. In a joint statement last week, the U.S., South Korea and their partners said the missile transfer supports Russia’s war of aggression and provides North Korea with valuable technical and military insights. North Korea earlier this month fired a barrage of artillery shells near the disputed western sea boundary with South Korea, prompting the South to conduct similar firing exercises in the area.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, ” KCNA, Kim, Choe Sun Hui, Sergey Lavrov, Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Donald Trump, Trump Organizations: South, Korean Central News Agency, North, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, U.S, Russian Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, North, Korean, Pyongyang, Guam, Japan, Pacific, United States, Seoul, Tokyo, Russia, Washington, North Korean, U.S, Korea, Ukraine

☆ US officials to visit Taiwan to explain chip curbs, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua speaks during an interview with Reuters in Taipei, Taiwan, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTAIPEI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. officials plan to visit Taiwan to explain to companies details of new curbs, primarily aimed at China, on advanced chip exports, the island's economy minister said on Monday. Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said some details of the extremely long new U.S. rules needed explanation. Given the concentration of chip making in Taiwan it was "advantageous" for Taiwanese companies to hear the details of the new controls from the U.S. officials, Wang said. Taiwan's official Central News Agency said the U.S. officials, who it did not name, would visit Taiwan next month and hold events in the chip hubs of Hsinchu and Tainan.

Persons: Wang Mei, Ann Wang, Biden, chipmaker TSMC, Wang, Ben Blanchard, Jeanny, Bernadette Baum, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Nvidia, Beijing, U.S, Central News Agency, The U.S . Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Taiwan, Taipei, Rights TAIPEI, China, U.S, Hsinchu, Tainan, The

☆ US, partners target North Korea with sanctions following satellite launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The list includes senior officials from the National Aerospace Technology Administration, which oversaw the satellite launch, and the munitions industry department. Since the launch of the satellite, North Korea said that its leader, Kim Jong Un, has reviewed spy satellite photos of the White House, Pentagon and U.S. aircraft carriers at the naval base of Norfolk. Kimsuky's hacking operation has been historically focused on South Korea, Japan and the United States. The RGB is a North Korean intelligence agency that is involved in cyber warfare activities, according to analysts, and is under U.S. sanctions. Two Russia-based representatives of North Korean banks and one China-based representative were also hit with sanctions, among others.

Persons: Kim Jong, Brian Nelson, Nelson, Kimsuky, Daphne Psaledakis, David Brunnstrom, Christopher Bing, Hyonhee Shin, Sandra Maler, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury Department, North, Terrorism, Financial Intelligence, Democratic People's, National Aerospace Technology Administration, United Nations, White House, Pentagon, U.S, North Korea sparred, Security Council, Treasury, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Agency, Security, U.S . National Security Agency, Korea's, Bureau, UN, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, SEOUL, United States, Korea, U.S, Australia, Japan, North Korea, Korean, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South, New York, Norfolk, South Korea, Guam, Italy, Washington, Europe, Russia, North Korean, Iran, China, North, Seoul

☆ North Korea's Kim calls for military readiness against any 'provocation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits Korean People's Army Air Force headquarters on the occasion of Aviation Day in North Korea, in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on December 1, 2023. On Thursday, the United States targeted North Korea with fresh sanctions over the satellite launch, designating foreign-based agents it accused of facilitating sanctions evasion. Local media reported that North Korean soldiers at the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the DMZ had started carrying firearms again after the North withdrew from the inter-Korean military deal. The DMZ tours had restarted last week; they had been halted after a U.S. soldier's unauthorised crossing into North Korea while on a tour in July. Private Travis King was later handed back by the North and returned to the United States, where he faces charges.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Travis King, Soo, hyang Choi, Richard Chang, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korean People's Army Air Force, Aviation, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, United Nations, United, Local, Joint Security Area, Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Seoul, United States, Korea, South Korea, U.S

☆ North Korea's Kim received photos taken by spy satellite of White House, Pentagon -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un meets with members of the Non-Standing Satellite Launch Preparation Committee, in this picture released by the Korean Central News Agency on November 24, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 28 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received photos of the White House, Pentagon and U.S. aircraft carriers in the naval base of Norfolk, taken by its recently launched spy satellite, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. North Korea last week successfully launched its first reconnaissance satellite, which it has said was designed to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements. The photos were the latest in a series of images of what KCNA described as "major target regions" sent by the satellite, including the South Korean capital of Seoul and U.S. military bases. Seoul officials have said the North's satellite capabilities could not be verified as it has not released the photos.

Persons: Kim Jong, KCNA, Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, White House, Pentagon, U.S, ., Andersen Air Force Base, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Norfolk, Korea, Korean, Seoul, U.S, U.S . Western, Guam, Newport, British, United States, South Korea

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