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☆ Rival Koreas race to launch first spy satellites this month
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A still photograph shows what appears to be North Korea's new Chollima-1 rocket being launched in Cholsan County, North Korea, May 31, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency and taken from video. KCNA via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Both South and North Korea aim to launch their first spy satellites into orbit by the end of the month, entering a race for military capabilities in space. North Korea has notified Japan it plans to launch a satellite between Wednesday and Dec. 1, after two failed attempts to launch spy satellites earlier this year. Seoul plans to use SpaceX to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, and has test launched its own liquid and solid fuel rockets to launch more civilian and military satellites in the future. South Korea's capabilities are more advanced, but it still has to make more progress to see results, Chun said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kim Hyun, chong, Chun, Panda, Josh Smith, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, SpaceX, California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, Carnegie Endowment, International, North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration, South Korean, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Cholsan County, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, South Korea, Seoul, Korea, South, U.S, Pyongyang, United States, Washington

The South Korean and American flags fly next to each other at Yongin, South Korea, August 23, 2016. Army/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsINJE, South Korea, Oct 28 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops held joint future combat drills involving drones, an unmanned vehicle and wearable laser sensors this week as part of efforts to modernise their militaries, Seoul's army said on Saturday. The training came as South Korea's military conducts a series of annual Hoguk autumn exercises aimed at improving responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The drills also mobilised various high-tech weapons systems aimed at beefing up future combat capabilities, with the troops wearing multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES), which uses lasers to simulate actual battle. Several drones were flown for reconnaissance purposes, some also firing an assault rifle, while South Korea dispatched a multipurpose unmanned vehicle to carry wounded personnel.

Persons: Ken Scar, Choi Jeong, Derek Chen, Hyonhee Shin, Daewoung Kim, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: . Army, REUTERS, Korean, Korea Combat Training, South, Korean army's 25th Infantry Division, TIGER, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, U.S . 4th Infantry Division, Thomson Locations: Yongin, South Korea, U.S, Korean, Pyongyang, Inje, South, Britain, Uzbekistan, Cambodia

☆ South Korea, US Troops Hold Drills With Drones, Laser Sensors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee Shin and Daewoung KimINJE, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops held joint future combat drills involving drones, an unmanned vehicle and wearable laser sensors this week as part of efforts to modernise their militaries, Seoul's army said on Saturday. The training came as South Korea's military conducts a series of annual Hoguk autumn exercises aimed at improving responses to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The drills also mobilised various high-tech weapons systems aimed at beefing up future combat capabilities, with the troops wearing multiple integrated laser engagement systems (MILES), which uses lasers to simulate actual battle. Several drones were flown for reconnaissance purposes, some also firing an assault rifle, while South Korea dispatched a multipurpose unmanned vehicle to carry wounded personnel. South Korea's army launched the TIGER brigade last year as a pilot unit for future warfare operations using artificial intelligence-powered drones and highly mobile fighting vehicles.

Persons: Hyonhee Shin, Daewoung Kim INJE, Choi Jeong, Derek Chen, Daewoung Kim, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Reuters, Korean, Korea Combat Training, South, Korean army's 25th Infantry Division, TIGER, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, U.S . 4th Infantry Division Locations: South Korea, U.S, Korean, Pyongyang, Inje, South, Britain, Uzbekistan, Cambodia

☆ North Korea says it will expel US soldier Travis King, who ran across the border into its territory in July
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

North Korea said it will expel US soldier Travis King, according to state media. AdvertisementAdvertisementNorth Korea said it will expel US soldier Travis King, who ran across the border from South Korea into its territory in July, according to state media. AdvertisementAdvertisementHe was subsequently detained by North Korean troops and investigated, KCNA said at the time. He reportedly told investigators that he wanted to seek refuge in North Korea or another country due to his disillusionment with an "unequal American society," per KCNA. Before King crossed the border, he faced accusations of punching a man, insulting the South Korean army, and damaging a police car in 2022, Reuters reported.

Persons: Travis King, King, —, KCNA Organizations: US Army, Service, Korean Central News Agency, Reuters, Joint Security Area, North, South, Associated Press Locations: Korea, South Korea, North Korea

☆ Russia's desperate need for weapons in Ukraine could be a big win for the North Korean military
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The partnership could be big for North Korea, and experts told Insider both sides would benefit while standing against the West. Both sides stand to gain, but a partnership could be a big win for North Korea. North Korea could also receive petroleum products and food, which, according to a United Nations Security Council meeting this past August, North Korea desperately needs as its people starve. A 2010 North Korean artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island, for instance, saw an estimated 20 of 80 rounds fail to detonate. Although North Korean production efforts would likely need additional resources of raw materials and/or energy to be increase output in substantial quantities," Town told Insider.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, that's, Chun, Putin, he'd, Elizabeth Salmón, Kim prioritizes, Jenny Town, Henry L, Kim, Sergei Shoigu, John Kirby, it's, Joseph S, Bermudez Jr, Bermudez, Kim Il, KIM, It's Organizations: Service, North, Putin, BBC, South Korean Army, United Nations Security Council, UN, Stimson Center, Russian, White, DPRK, Ukraine, National Security, Democratic People's, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Korean, Getty, New York Times, North Korea Locations: Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Korea, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korean, Pyongyang, AFP, South Korea, Japan, North

☆ North Korean ammunition could offer Russian troops flawed but useful support
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for meetings with President Vladimir Putin, where U.S. officials say they expect both sides to pursue an arms deal. The White House has said Russia wants to buy "literally millions" of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. Hinton told Reuters the question of quality in North Korean artillery shells could have an impact if flaws fall outside accepted tolerances. The performance of North Korea's artillery and crews has been suspect since the North Korean army fired around 170 shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010, killing four people. "However, it would matter if Korean ammunition is of such poor quality that it is just unsafe to use for Russian soldiers - there have been indications that such quality issues play with Korean ammunition," he added.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Dempsey, Siemon Wezeman, Wezeman, Patrick Hinton, Hinton, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Danish, Rights, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Western, North, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Korean, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Stockholm, Korean, Yeonpyeong, Washington

☆ North Korea celebrated its founding with a military parade featuring dump trucks modified to work as rocket launchers
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea celebrated its founding with a military parade featuring tractors and dump trucks. This photo provided Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, by the North Korean government shows the paramilitary parade, marking North Korea’s 75th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. At the very least, experts said, it demonstrates Kim's commitment to expanding the reach of North Korea's nuclear program. Photos released by North Korean state media show rows of tractors towing what appear to be rocket launchers. This photo provided Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, by the North Korean government shows the paramilitary parade, marking North Korea’s 75th founding anniversary at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Persons: Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Un, Kim Il Organizations: Service, Associated Press, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, Korea News Service, North, Reuters, AP North, Guards, Korea Herald, South Locations: Korea, China, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Pyongyang, North Korea, North Korean, AP North Korea, South Korean

☆ North Korea claims Travis King, the US soldier who ran into its territory, was unhappy with 'racial discrimination' and an 'unequal society' in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pyongyang claims the US soldier who ran into North Korea in July was angry with racism and society. King was detained by North Korean troops and investigated, North Korean propaganda and state media arm KCNA wrote. He also told investigators that he wished to seek refuge in North Korea or another country, and was "disillusioned at the unequal American society," KCNA claimed. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had described King's crossing into North Korea as done "willfully and without authorization." Meanwhile, King's mother, Claudine Gates, said she was shocked to hear that King had run into North Korea.

Persons: Travis King, King, he'd, KCNA, America, Lloyd Austin, King's, Claudine Gates, Travis Organizations: US Army, Service, Tuesday, Joint Security Area, North, US Defense Department, South, Reuters, Associated Press, CBS News, US, ABC News Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Wall, Silicon, Korea, South Korea

☆ Travis King: who is the US soldier who crossed into North Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sarah Leslie/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - North Korea confirmed for the first time on Wednesday that it is holding American soldier Travis King, saying he crossed the border last month to escape racism and mistreatment in the U.S. military and society. WHY DID HE CROSS TO NORTH KOREA AND WHERE IS HE NOW? KCNA said he was held by the North Korean army after he crossed, but did not elaborate. Roughly 24 hours after leaving the airport, he sprinted into North Korea while touring the Joint Security Area, which sits astride the border. King spent time in a South Korean prison, however, in lieu of paying the fine.

Persons: Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Travis King, King, KCNA, King's, Myron Gates, Carl Gates, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Security Area, REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., WHO, U.S . Army, Korean, Force, U.S . 1st Armored Division, 4th Infantry Division, National Defense Service, Korean Defense, Overseas Service, North Korean, Pentagon, ABC News, Daily, Airport, American Airlines staff, Reuters, Security, Court, Thomson Locations: Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Racine , Wisconsin, Korean, New Zealand, Seoul

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s “firm support” for Russia’s war in Ukraine emboldens the two countries’ determination to cope with Western nations, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech to North Korean officials on Thursday, according to a report in North Korean state media. The 1950-1953 Korean War was one of the first international conflicts of the Cold War era. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets with Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 28, 2023. A missile displayed during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice in Pyongyang, on July 27, 2023. KCNA/ReutersAs the parade went on below, North Korea flew versions of a new “strategic reconnaissance drone and the multi-purpose attack drone” overhead, according to KCNA.

Persons: ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ” Putin, “, ” KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Sergei Shoigu, Kim Il, Kang Sun Nam, KCNA, Li Hongzhong, Kim Jong, Kim, Shoigu, Kim Song Nam, North Korea “, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley Organizations: South Korea CNN, Ukraine emboldens, “, Korean Central News Agency, North Korean, Russia's, KCNA, Reuters, Analysts, North Korean Defense, North Korean Army Forces, Russian, Communist Party Politburo, North, Chinese Communist Party, Reuters Analysts, Ewha Womans University Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Ukraine, Western, Russian, North Korean, Korea, Russia, “ Solidarity, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, KCNA, China, Beijing

☆ The Korean War ended 70 years ago. Here's how the 'forgotten war' started.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Stephen Carlson | Task | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

This began the deployment of Task Force Smith, the first American combat troops to arrive and fight in the Korean War. It was Soviet leader Josef Stalin himself who reluctantly gave the go ahead to North Korean dictator Kim Il-Sung to invade. Task Force Smith suffered its heaviest casualties during the retreat, with enemy machine gun positions hitting them from close range. Crew members give first aid to wounded soldier, during action in the Korean War. After American and UN reinforcements arrived, a counteroffensive drove the North Korean military to the brink of collapse.

Persons: Charles B, Smith, Force Smith, Josef Stalin, Kim Il, Task Force Smith, Gordon Sullivan, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Sung, Adolf Hitler, Dean Acheson, Christmas, Dwight D, Eisenhower Organizations: North Koreans, South, Service, North, Soviet Union, 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces, Wikimedia Commons Bombers, US Far East Air Force Command, Royal Australian Air Force, Suwon, KA, Korean Army, US Army, North Korean Communist, Wikimedia, Task Force, Artillery, Army, Wikimedia Commons, Crew, National Archives, Records Administration, Staff, Force, Communist, National Press Club, Armored Forces, Arlington National Cemetery, American, UN, North Korean, Public Locations: Wall, Silicon, Camp Woods, Kumamoto, Japan, Soviet, Korean, 국군 Republic, Pusan, South Korea, Republic of Korea, Osan, Korea, Saipan, United States, Arlington, Tim1965, Pacific, China, Kaesong, U.S, Soviet Union, North Korea, North

☆ The US soldier who darted into North Korea was accused of punching a man and hurling insults at Koreans and the Korean army while damaging a police car while in custody months earlier
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US soldier who crossed into North Korea has been accused of assault and damaging a police car. Travis King is believed to be in North Korean custody after he crossed a border into the country. He had been held in a South Korean prison over assault charges before the incident. He was accused of repeatedly punching a man in the face at a club on September 25 of last year, Reuters reported, citing court records in Seoul, South Korea. Meanwhile, King's mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC News that she was shocked to learn that her son had crossed into North Korea.

Persons: Travis King, Soldier Travis King, Defense Lloyd Austin, King, King's, Claudine Gates, Travis, Gates Organizations: Service, US Army, Defense, Associated Press, Reuters, Authorities, Korean, Court, ABC News, Daily Locations: North Korea, North, Korean, Wall, Silicon, South Korea, Seoul, profanities, Fort Bliss , Texas

☆ US soldier got in fights, damaged police car before dash to North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, July 19 (Reuters) - Months before he fled into North Korea, U.S. soldier Travis King faced two assault allegations and was fined by a South Korean court for damaging a police car, according to a court ruling and a lawyer who represented him. The U.S. military was scrambling to establish the fate of King, who made an unauthorised crossing of the inter-Korean border into North Korea on Tuesday, throwing Washington into a new crisis in its dealing with the nuclear-armed state. Two U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the soldier had been due to face disciplinary action by the U.S. military. Forces Korea (USFK) declined to confirm whether King had been in South Korean or U.S. military detention. King's mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC News she was shocked at the news her son had crossed into North Korea.

Persons: Travis King, King, expletives, Reuters King, King's, Claudine Gates, Travis, 1,266.9100, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Court, Reuters, U.S ., Police, Korean, U.S . Forces Korea, ABC News, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Washington, South Korea, United States, Korean, Seoul, South Korean, Pyeongtaek

An army official told CNN the private was set to be administratively separated from the US Army. Details about how exactly King ended up on the North Korean side of the border remain unclear. King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC she was “shocked” after being told by the US Army that her son had crossed into North Korea. Travis King, the US soldier who ran across the military demarcation line into North Korea on Tuesday, July 18 Travis King/FacebookThe US has been actively reaching out to North Korea to resolve the situation, but it has not yet heard back, a defense official said Wednesday. South Korean police told CNN that King was transferred to US military police after an investigation into an assault last September.

Persons: hasn’t, Travis King, King, Claudine Gates, ”, Travis, ” Gates, he’d, John Aquilino, Aquilino, King “, we’ve, ” Aquilino, CNN King, Jeon Heon Organizations: Seoul CNN, CNN, US Army, ABC, Pacific Command, Aspen Security, Joint Security, North, Defense Department, Korean, Reuters, King . Locations: Seoul, North Korea, Fort Bliss, South Korea, Mapo, Korea

☆ A US tourist crossed the border into North Korea, UN says. South Korean media reports he's a US soldier.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A US national crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on Tuesday, the UN said. South Korean media is reporting that he was a US soldier. South Korean media has described it as a defection, though it is currently unclear if this is the case. Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are extremely rare, while North Koreans crossing into South Korea are more common. More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled south since the 1950-1953 Korean War, according to the Associated Press.

Persons: Travis King Organizations: UN, Service, United Nations, The United Nations Command, Security Area, — United Nations Command, The Korea Herald, Ilbo, US Army, South, US Department of State, Associated Press Locations: South Korea, North Korea, US, North, Wall, Silicon, Seoul, South Korea's

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea has fired what appears to be a long-range ballistic missile from the Pyongyang area to waters off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday, marking a potential new round of confrontation with Seoul and Washington. The flight time, if confirmed, would be similar to those of North Korean missiles tested in March and April of this year. Kim Yo Jong, a senior North Korean official and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused a US spy plane of entering the North’s exclusive economic zone at least eight times on Monday, according to a statement Tuesday from North Korea’s state news agency KCNA. But North Korea has shown no signs that it is willing to engage in negotiations with Washington or Seoul. Meanwhile, South Korea, the US and Japan have been holding joint and trilateral military exercises aimed at deterring any North Korean military threat.

Persons: Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, ” Kim, “ Kim Yo, ”, Leif, Eric Easley, Rodong Sinmun Chun, ” Chun Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Japan’s Coast Guard, Ministry of Defense, Korean, North Korean, CNN, NATO, United Nations, Ewha Womans University, South Korean Army Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, South, Washington, Japan, United States, East, North Korea’s, Lithuania, North Korea, Republic of Korea, “ Pyongyang, North

REUTERS/Kim... Read moreLONDON/WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - When it comes to taking stock of global emissions, there's an elephant in the room: the world's armed forces. NATO, the 31-country Western security alliance, for example, told Reuters it has created a methodology for its members to report their military emissions. And Washington sent U.S. Army and Navy representatives to the COP27 climate summit in Egypt last year, the first time a Pentagon delegation has attended the global climate summit. Ukraine's environment ministry spokesperson said it supports the efforts and would seek backing from governments at COP28 for more transparent military emissions reporting. In the meantime, global military emissions will remain poorly understood, said Stuart Parkinson, executive director of the group Scientists for Global Responsibility.

Persons: Kim, Queen Mary, Axel Michaelowa, Meredith Berger, Neta Crawford, Deborah Burton, Lennard, Klerk, James Appathurai, Markus Ruelke, Stuart Parkinson, Sarah McFarlane, Valerie Volcovici, Sabine Siebold, Richard Valdmanis, David Clarke Organizations: REUTERS, Observatory, United Arab Emirates, UNFCCC, COP28, NATO, Reuters, Washington, U.S . Army, Pentagon, U.S . Navy, The, U.S . Defence Logistics Agency, U.S . Department of Defense, Oxford University, Oxford, Queen Mary University of London, Scientists, Global, Thomson Locations: South Korea, U.S, Pocheon, WASHINGTON, Kyoto, Paris, Lancaster, Oxford, Dubai, UAE, Zealand, Britain, Germany, Egypt, The U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Singapore, Switzerland, Syria, COP28, Berlin

☆ Top US general predicts troops will have to always be on the move and be 'nearly invisible' to survive on future battlefields
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Gen. Mark Milley painted a terrifying picture of what future battlefields will look like in a new podcast interview. Soldiers will have to be almost invisible to survive on battlefields that are far more lethal, he warned. Breakthroughs in this space include the development of long-range precision munitions, the emergence of hypersonic weapons, an increased ability to sense and track environments, and integration of unmanned robotic systems. "What are some of the attributes of a future force? But speed, size, and being nearly invisible will be fundamental to survival on a future battlefield."

☆ Kim Jong Un's daughter was a mystery for years, but now she's showing up at North Korea's biggest missile tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

For years, Kim Jong Un's daughter — Kim Ju Ae — was a mystery to the world. But in late 2022 state media began showing photos of her at North Korean military events. Photographs released by state media after the launch appear to show the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, watching with a girl who has been identified by analysts and experts as his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. This photo provided on Nov. 19, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and his daughter inspecting a missile at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, inspects what it says is an artillery drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Thursday, March 9, 2023.

☆ North Korea shows off design for new, more dangerous missile while rolling out enough ICBMs to possibly overwhelm US defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

North Korea boasted its progress on a new and dangerous solid-fueled missile at a military parade. In recent years, North Korea has indicated that its missile program is pivoting toward the use of solid fuel, Ian Williams, deputy director of the Missile Defense Project at the CSIS, told Insider. North Korea has displayed large canisters before, but the ones displayed on Wednesday appear to be more legitimate than those in the past, Williams said. This is because the defense system's interceptors would not have the capacity to engage all credible threats. Furthermore, missile defense should be thought of as one part of a larger "missile defeat complex," he added.

☆ Kim Jong Un showed off his rarely-seen daughter — a possible sign he's grooming her to be North Korea's next dictator
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's daughter is being prepared as his successor, analysts say. Kim Jong Un is believed to have three children, including a son who is older than Kim Ju Ae. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and daughter Kim Ju Ae at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea February 8, 2023. North Korea is a hereditary dictatorship, and Kim Jong Un was appointed successor to his father, Kim Jong Il, when he was 8, an expert told CBS News. In recent months, tensions between North Korea and US-ally South Korea have intensified amid a series of missile tests by North Korea.

☆ 55 years after sending a hit squad on a deadly raid in Seoul, North Korea has found new ways to threaten South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In January 1968, North Korean commandos slipped across the border into South Korea. Infiltrations into South Korea, both across the DMZ and by sea, by North Korean agents and commandos were also increasing. After cooperating with South Korean authorities, Kim Shin-jo was released in 1970 and received South Korean citizenship, which led North Korean officials to execute his parents and siblings. In December, a North Korean drone flew into a no-fly zone around South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's office in Seoul. It was one of five North Korean drones that flew into South Korea, the first to do so in five years.

☆ BTS fandom tech firm Weverse reaches beyond K-Pop
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Joyce Lee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"We are a fandom business," Weverse President Joon Choi told Reuters. The app also currently has more than 80 teams of artists represented including BTS, and about 8-9 million monthly active users. However, Weverse users' 'superfan' qualities make engagement in those services turbo-charged, Choi said. Users are based in more than 200 countries and only about 10% of the app users speak Korean, Choi said. Top 5 countries Weverse users are from include Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, the United States and South Korea.

SEOUL, Dec 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's military got a new recruit on Tuesday: Jin, the oldest member of K-pop phenomenon BTS, began 18 months of mandatory national service, complete with newly shaven head. "I wish it was a warm day," Lee Jin, 24, told Reuters outside the camp, where about 300 military, police and fire officials maintained tight security. BTS announced plans in October to sign up for mandatory military service, starting with Jin, who turned 30 on Dec. 4, after having postponed his service for the maximum time allowed. On Tuesday, Yonhap news agency said another BTS member, Suga, has been judged unfit for active duty and would do community service instead. South Korea's defence minister has said BTS would be able to perform overseas while in the military.

☆ North Korea fires more artillery shells into sea in response to South Korea drills
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said on Tuesday it had ordered military units to fire more artillery shells into the sea, the North’s official KCNA news agency reported, in response to South Korea’s ongoing drills across the border. The firing comes a day after North Korea said it fired more than 130 shells into the sea off its east and west coasts, some of which landed in a buffer zone near the sea border between the two Koreas. South Korean and U.S. troops have been conducting live-fire drills near the border since Monday. “The enemy must immediately cease provocative military actions in the zone near the front lines,” a spokesperson for the North Korean army said, according to KCNA. In addition to the artillery fire, the North Korean army issued a combat emergency alert to units at all levels and troops were ordered to step up surveillance, the spokesperson said.

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