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☆ North Korean factories making arms for Russia are ‘operating at full capacity,’ South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s munitions factories are “operating at full capacity” to produce weapons and shells for Russia, according to South Korea’s defense minister, as Moscow’s devastating war in Ukraine grinds into a third year. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a munitions factory at an undisclosed location on January 10, 2024. CNN has reached out to South Korea’s defense ministry for comment on the US’ estimate but has not yet received a response. The White House confirmed last month that Russia has been firing North Korean missiles at Ukrainian cities. The US and its allies are also concerned about the technology North Korea is seeking from Russia in return for weaponry.

Persons: Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Kim Jong Un, ” Shin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Avdiivka, Zelensky, Joe Biden’s, Vladimir Putin Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, Korean Defense Minister, KCNA, Reuters, US State Department, CNN, Ukraine, Kyiv, West, North, Intelligence, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, White House, Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, South, Ukraine, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang, North, Russian, North Korea, Avdiivka, Moscow, Russia’s

☆ Signs of Rare Unrest Among North Korean Workers in China, Researchers Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's intelligence agency says poor conditions for North Koreans working overseas have led to "incidents and accidents", while researchers report rare protests and unrest in China among workers from a North Korean military-linked trading company. Fed up with unpaid wages and lingering pandemic lockdowns, as many as 3,000 North Korean workers in China staged protests last month, according to two South Korean government-affiliated researchers, including a former North Korean diplomat. The North Korean embassy in Beijing and its consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. South Korea's unification ministry said in a report last year that China and Russia were hosting North Korean workers despite the sanctions. That's not easy now, given the North Korean regime wants to keep them in China to raise money for the government."

Persons: Cho Han, Cho, Ko Young, Ko, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Eduardo Baptista, Antoni Slodkowski, Laurie Chen, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, . State, Korea Institute for National, South, Korea's National Intelligence Service, Security, Koreans, U.S . State Department, NIS Locations: SEOUL, China, North Korean, Beijing, Dandong, North Koreans, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korean, Helong, Jilin province, Jilin, Russia, Seoul

☆ North Korean teens punished for watching South Korean dramas in rare footage, research group claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A South Korean research group has released rare footage that it claims shows North Korean teenagers sentenced to hard labor for watching and distributing K-dramas – which are banned in the hermit nation. SAND INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER/ReutersThe Seoul-based South and North Development Institute (SAND Institute), which works with North Korean defectors, obtained the recording and distributed it to media outlets. Meanwhile, living standards are far higher in South Korea, which has become one of world’s top economies. “You can see how wary the North Korean regime is about spreading and watching Korean dramas. For instance, South Korean women often use the term “oppa” for their romantic partners – it’s now forbidden in the North.

Persons: “, Kim, Choi Kyong, ” Choi, – it’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, North Development, North, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, CNN, South, NIS Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean, North Korea, China, South, South Korean, Pyongyang, North Korean

☆ South Korea's top intelligence officials resign
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Nov 26 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol accepted the resignation of head of the intelligence agency and his two deputies on Sunday, his office said. Yoon's office did not specify any reasons for the resignations. But local media have reported there were troubles during previous personnel reshuffles at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). Yoon appointed two senior NIS officials to take over the deputy positions immediately, his office said. "Director Kim worked to reestablish the status of the NIS as the nation's top security intelligence agency during a government change, and build a collaboration system with intelligence agencies of friendly countries," Yoon's office said in a statement.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, reshuffles, Kim Kyou, Yoon, Kim, Hyonhee Shin, William Mallard Organizations: National Intelligence Service, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korea

Ukrainian forces say they have have “gained a foothold” on the left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro River in southern Ukraine. In March, EU member states agreed to provide Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine to be delivered within 12 months. Both Ukraine and Russia need to replenish extraordinary amounts of ammunition as a grinding war of attrition continues in Ukraine’s east and south. Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, pictured in court in 2014, has received a presidential pardon after doing a stint fighting in Ukraine. The visit was previously unannounced and comes amid concerns that the Israel-Gaza conflict will divert international attention from the war in Ukraine.

Persons: “, Vladimir Saldo, Pilipey, Saldo, ” Boris Pistorius, Pistorius, Josep Borrell, Dimitar Dilkoff, Anna Politkovskaya, Vladimir Putin, Sergey Khadzhikurbanov, Politkovskaya, Khadzhikurbanov’s, Alexey Mikhalchik, Putin, ” Mikhalchik, Khadzhikurbanov, ”, Sergei Khadzhikurbanov, Pavel Golovkin, David Cameron, Zelensky, ” Cameron, Cameron, ” Cameron –, Alexandra Skochilenko, Skochilenko “ Organizations: CNN —, Defense Forces, CNN, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Getty, Novaya Gazeta, Russian Ministry of Defense, Khadzhikurbanov, AP, Armed Forces, Russian Federation Locations: CNN — Ukraine, Dnipro, Kyiv, Germany, Ukraine, Kherson, Russia, Russian, AFP, Krynky, Crimea, Brussels, EU, Ukraine’s, South, North Korea, Moscow, British, Israel, Gaza, St, Petersburg, St . Petersburg, Skochilenko

☆ We've been calling Kim Jong Un's daughter by the wrong name, and it's all because of Dennis Rodman, Korean ex-spy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Jong Un's daughter has been known to the world as Kim Ju Ae since North Korea debuted her in 2022. But a former South Korean spy veteran says her name is actually Kim Eun Ju, per The Korea Times. AdvertisementA retired South Korean spy said the world has been giving the wrong name to daughter of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, The Korea Times reported. Advertisement"I heard that Kim introduced his daughter to Rodman during his visit to North Korea, saying in Korean that 'jeo-ae' is his daughter. South Korean officials and intelligence services have since referred to Kim's daughter as "Kim Ju Ae," and a year later, she continues to feature heavily in North Korean propaganda.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Ju, Kim Eun Ju, Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong Un, —, Choe Su Yong, Choe, Rodman, Kim . Choe, Kim Organizations: Korea Times, Service, The Korea Times, South Korea's National Intelligence Service, NBA, Times, Guardian, Business Insider, South, The Times, Radio Free Asia, Korea's Unification Ministry Locations: North Korea, South Korean, Korean

“It can be assumed that the 1 million rounds will not be reached,” Boris Pistorius said ahead of an EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels. In March, EU member states agreed to provide Ukraine with 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition for Ukraine to be delivered within 12 months. The US has also been ramping up ammunition production to supply Ukraine. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Kyiv urgently needed the EU to ramp up its ability to supply ammunition for the Ukrainian military. Ukraine is “ringing the bells a lot and loudly” over EU ammunition supply, he said on national television on Monday night.

Persons: ” Boris Pistorius, Pistorius, Josep Borrell, Borrell, Boris Pistorius, Omar Havana, Dmytro Kuleba, “, ”, ” Nick Witney, Tom Waldwyn, Waldwyn Organizations: CNN, EU, German, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Ukraine’s, European Council, Foreign Relations, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Russia, Brussels, EU, Ukraine’s, South, North Korea, Europe

Jeon Ha Gyu, a spokesperson for the South Korean Defense Ministry, told reporters Monday that the country’s first military spy satellite will be launched from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base on Nov. 30. Under a contract with SpaceX, South Korea plans to launch four more spy satellites by 2025, according to South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and relies on U.S. spy satellites to monitor moves by North Korea. South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers last week that North Korea is likely receiving Russian technological assistance on a spy satellite launch program. The possession of spy satellites is part of ambitious arms build-up plans announced by leader Kim Jong Un in 2021.

Persons: Jeon Ha, Lee Choon Geun, Lee, it’s, Vandenberg, Kim Jong Un, Kim Organizations: South Korean Defense Ministry, California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, SpaceX’s, SpaceX, South, Korea’s, Administration, North, South Korea’s Science, Technology Policy Institute, National Intelligence Service Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, Korean, Korea, Russia, Ukraine

☆ North Korea's Chances of Succeeding in Spy Satellite Launch High -S.Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea is in the final stages of preparations for the launch of a spy satellite and the chances of the third attempt succeeding are high, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korea's intelligence service. North Korea has made two attempts to launch its first reconnaissance satellite this year that ended in failure as stages of the boosters experienced malfunctions. The North had previously pledged to make a third attempt in October, but has so far shown no indication that it was going ahead with the launch. "North Korea is also seen to be trying to use the Israel-Hamas war in a multifaceted way," Yoo was quoted as saying after the spy agency briefing. The spy agency also said that North Korea dispatched a delegation that mainly consists of experts on artillery to Russia in mid-October, news reports said.

Persons: Yoo Sang, Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yoo, Jack Kim, Ed Davies Organizations: National Intelligence Service, NIS, Israel Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Russian, Moscow, South Korea, Japan, United States, Israel

☆ North Korea's chances of succeeding in spy satellite launch high -S.Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Nov 1 (Reuters) - North Korea is in the final stages of preparations for the launch of a spy satellite and the chances of the third attempt succeeding are high, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, citing South Korea's intelligence service. North Korea has made two attempts to launch its first reconnaissance satellite this year that ended in failure as stages of the boosters experienced malfunctions. The North had previously pledged to make a third attempt in October, but has so far shown no indication that it was going ahead with the launch. "North Korea is also seen to be trying to use the Israel-Hamas war in a multifaceted way," Yoo was quoted as saying after the spy agency briefing. The spy agency also said that North Korea dispatched a delegation that mainly consists of experts on artillery to Russia in mid-October, news reports said.

Persons: Yoo Sang, Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Yoo, Jack Kim, Ed Davies Organizations: National Intelligence Service, NIS, Israel, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, Russian, Moscow, South Korea, Japan, United States, Israel

☆ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia before an expected meeting with Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A file photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin meets North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un on April 25, 2019 in Vladivostok, Russia. Citing unidentified Russian regional officials, Japanese broadcaster TBS reported that Kim's train crossed the border and arrived in the border town of Khasan. North Korea has possibly tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets based on Soviet designs that could potentially give a huge boost to the Russian army, analysts say. Based on North Korean state media photos, Kim's delegation possibly includes Pak Thae Song, chairman of North Korea's space science and technology committee, and Navy Admiral Kim Myong Sik, who are linked with North Korean efforts to acquire spy satellites and nuclear-capable submarines. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Svetlov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, KCNA, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Peskov, Xi Jinping, Donald Trump, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service didn't, Adrienne Watson, Matthew Miller, Song, Kim Myong Sik, Jo Chun Ryong, China — Organizations: North Korean, Getty, Korea's Defense Ministry, Korean People's, Korean Central News Agency, TBS, TASS, Associated Press, Chosun Ilbo, South, South Korea's Presidential, Defense Ministry and National Intelligence Service, White, National Security, North, Democratic People's, Department, Washington, Ukraine — Donetsk, Luhansk —, . Security Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Ukraine, North, Pyongyang, Korean, Japanese, Khasan, Russian, North Korea, South Korea's, Korea, United States, Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, South Korea, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, Syria, China

☆ North Korea's Kim appears to have departed for Russia for summit with Putin -YTN
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un pose for a photo during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25, 2019. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 11 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have departed for Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, South Korean broadcaster YTN reported on Monday, citing an unnamed senior government source. Kim appears to be headed to North Korea's northeastern border on a special train, with the summit likely to be held as early as on Tuesday, according to the report. His last trip abroad in 2019 was also to Vladivostok for his first summit with Putin after the collapse of North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump. Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi, Jack Kim; Editing by Toby Chopra and Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Alexander Zemlianichenko, YTN, Kim, Putin, Donald Trump, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Toby Chopra, Himani Organizations: Rights, National Intelligence Service, U.S, Thomson Locations: Vladivostok, Russia, Rights SEOUL, South Korean, North

Watson did not say when and where a potential meeting between Kim and Putin in Russia might take place. North Korea does not currently have any nuclear-powered submarines, according to an assessment from Nuclear Threat Initiative, a think-tank focused on reducing nuclear threats. Earlier this month, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on three entities it accused of being tied to arms deals between North Korea and Russia. Apart from North Korea, Russia has also received drones and artillery from Iran. These are our neighbors,” Shoigu told reporters, referring to North Korea by its official name.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, “, Kim Jong Un, Adrienne Watson, Watson, Kim, Putin, ”, Dmitry Peskov, John Kirby, Wagner, Kirby, ” Kirby, Biden, ” Shoigu, Xi Jinping, Li Zhanshu, China’s, Xi Organizations: CNN, North, National Security, ”, Russian, National Intelligence Service, ” CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Nuclear Threat Initiative, New York Times, Eastern Economic, US, Russian Defense, Democratic People’s, Economic, Communist Party, Group Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russian, Washington, Korea, North, Vladivostok, “, Iran, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, East, Beijing, India

KCNA via Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSEOUL, Aug 17 (Reuters) - North Korea may launch an intercontinental ballistic missile or take other military action to protest a summit between the United States, South Korea and Japan, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday, citing the country's intelligence agency. North Korea has criticised deepening military cooperation among the three nations as part of a dangerous prelude to the creation of an "Asian version of NATO". Yoo said there was a chance the North would launch the satellite to celebrate its founding anniversary on Sept. 9. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made it a priority to conduct a launch during the second half of this year, Yoo noted. The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, which it calls a "special operation", including artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets and missiles.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Ju, Joe Biden, Camp David, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Yoo Sang, Yoo, Kim Jong, Kim, hyang Choi, Edmund Klamann, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, South, Camp, South Korean, NATO, National Intelligence Service, United, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, SEOUL, United States, South Korea, Japan, South Korean, Seoul, Tokyo, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ Ethiopia accuses Amhara militia of trying to overthrow government
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Dawit Endeshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File PhotoADDIS ABABA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A senior Ethiopian official accused militiamen in the Amhara region of seeking to overthrow the regional and federal governments following days of fighting that led the authorities to declare a state of emergency. Clashes between Fano militiamen and the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) continued over the weekend. The conflict has quickly become Ethiopia's most serious security crisis since a two-year civil war in Tigray region, which neighbours Amhara, ended in November. Fano is a part-time militia that draws volunteers from the local population and was an ally of the ENDF during the Tigray war. Violent protests erupted across Amhara in April after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered that security forces from Ethiopia's 11 regions be disbanded and integrated into the police or national army.

Persons: Abi Adi, Amhara's, Temesgen Tiruneh, Temesgen, Legesse Tulu, Abiy Ahmed, Dawit Endeshaw, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Nick Macfie Organizations: Ethiopian National Defence Force, Amhara Special Forces, REUTERS, Tiksa, Ethiopian, Fana Broadcasting, Protesters, Thomson Locations: Tigray, Tigray Region, Ethiopia, ADDIS ABABA, Amhara, Fano, Gondar, Ethiopia's

“I’m getting to know how to live in South Korea at Hanawon.”A Hanawon instructor in an IT education center for North Korean defectors on July 10, 2023. This approach is “outdated,” ineffective and overly restrictive, said Sokeel Park, South Korea country director for international nonprofit Liberty in North Korea (LINK), which helps North Koreans resettle in the South. North Korean defectors attend a computer class at the Hanawon facility on July 10, 2023. In 2022, the remains of a North Korean woman wrapped in winter coats found in her Seoul home. After their arduous journey, he said, North Korean defectors should have the chance to begin this new chapter on their own terms – with the freedom they risked their lives to seek.

Persons: ”, “, “ I’ve, “ I’m, Jeon Heon, Seokyong Lee, Hanawon, SeongJoon Cho, Kim, Kwon Young, ” B, Park, they’d, Kwon, he’d, she’d Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korea –, Unification, National Intelligence Service, Liberty, CNN, Bloomberg, Getty, North, NIS, Hanawon, Authorities, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, China, Hanawon, North, Anseong, South, Pyongyang, North Korean, Korean

☆ YouTube removes North Korean 'vloggers' after South Korea blocks accounts
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The channels featured English-speaking young women, including a girl as young as 11, who claimed to offer an unfiltered look at every day life in North Korea as informal video bloggers, or "vloggers." The YouTube spokesperson said in a statement that the decision to remove the channels was taken to comply with "U.S. sanctions and trade compliance laws, including those related to North Korea." According to NK News, a Seoul-based website that tracks North Korea, the YouTubers have been linked to the Pyongyang-based Sogwang Media Corporation which seeks to expand the country’s external outreach through social media. North Korea-linked Twitter accounts, including those of so-called "friendship associations" in the United Kingdom and elsewhere, have also been blocked in South Korea due to legal demands. Some researchers have complained that removing the accounts cuts off sources of information about North Korea and its media.

Persons: Harry Potter, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: YouTube, U.S, South, Korea Communications Standards, National Intelligence Service, North Korean, Google, NK News, Sogwang Media Corporation, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North, North Korea, South Korea, Seoul, Pyongyang, United Kingdom

☆ North Korean hackers create fake web portal, South's spy agency says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, June 15 (Reuters) - North Korean hackers have set up a fake website that looks almost identical to the popular South Korean web portal Naver, marking a more sophisticated attempt to target users in the South, Seoul's spy agency said. "North Korea's hacking attacks targeting South Koreans are getting more elaborate," the spy agency said in a statement on Wednesday. Naver (035420.KS), which is operated by the tech giant of the same name, is South Korea's most-used web portal and search engine and offers various services ranging from email, news aggregation and online shopping. North Korean hackers have been blamed for cyberattacks netting millions of dollars, though Pyongyang previously has denied being involved in cybercrime. International monitors say stolen money has been pumped into North Korea's sanctioned nuclear and missile programs.

Persons: Seoul's, Daum, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: National Intelligence Service, United Nations, International, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Naver, South, Pyongyang, cybercrime, North Korea, Korean

☆ Kim Jong Un orders North Koreans to stop killing themselves after number of suicides skyrocketed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Jong Un banned suicide, calling it an "act of treason against socialism," per Radio Free Asia. The number of suicides in North Korea is believed to be skyrocketing, it said. Kim ordered local authorities to take action to prevent people from killing themselves, per the report. Data was provided on the number of suicides, which included examples of entire families ending their lives, the official said, per Radio Free Asia. In the neighboring province of Ryanggang, another official told Radio Free Asia that suicide was impacting the community more than starvation, while mentioning a similar meeting.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, —, Kim Jong Organizations: Free Asia, Service, Radio Free Asia, South Korean National Intelligence Service, Radio Free, North Hamgyong, Free, World Health Organization Locations: North Korea, Radio Free Asia, North Korean, North, Ryanggang

LISBON, May 2 (Reuters) - Portugal's infrastructure minister submitted his resignation on Tuesday as a scandal around state-owned airline TAP widened, just four months after his predecessor resigned over the same issue, but the prime minister said he would keep him in the job. Galamba's predecessor, Pedro Nuno Santos, resigned in December in the wake of a scandal involving an irregular severance payment to a former executive board member of TAP. Ourmières-Widener has since been fired after an official inspection found that the severance was illegal. On Sunday, Costa said that neither he nor any member of the government had given orders to SIS to recover the laptop. ($1 = 0.9089 euros)Reporting by Sergio Goncalves and Catarina Demony; Editing by Andrei KhalipOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea warns Biden and South Korea's deterrence agreement will lead to more danger
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hit back at a key agreement made between the US and South Korea, claiming it will only serve to worsen security. Washington and Seoul made a pact at the White House on Wednesday that aims to deter North Korean aggression, including a new US commitment to deploy a nuclear-armed submarine in South Korea for the first time since the early 1980s. Biden and Yoon met this week, with the United States pledging to give South Korea more insight into its nuclear planning over any conflict with North Korea. Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong Un, is a powerful figure in North Korea after she was promoted to the nation’s top decision-making body in September 2021. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service previously assessed her to be the country’s “de facto second in command.”

☆ North Korea may try to pressure U.S. with ICBM, nuclear tests - S.Korean lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 18, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its weapons capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials. The briefing came as the U.S., South Korean and Japanese navies staged joint tactical drills on Wednesday in waters between the Asian neighbours. A Japanese escort vessel and U.S. and South Korean destroyers joined the training aimed at stepping up trilateral ballistic missile responses, Tokyo's defence ministry said. Youn Kun-young, another member of the committee, said North Korea might also develop solid fuel-based ICBMs this year, and confirmed the defence ministry's report that Chinese spy balloons did not enter South Korean airspace.

☆ North Korea may fire ICBM at normal angle, conduct nuclear test - S. Korean lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles at a normal angle and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its nuclear and missile capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials. The isolated country has so far conducted ICBM tests on lofted trajectories, but has already secured capabilities to launch them at a normal angle, which it might do to pressure the United States, the lawmakers said after a briefing by Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS). North Korea is also likely to launch a spy satellite this year in line with its previous warnings, said Yoo Sang-bum, a member of the parliamentary intelligence committee. Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea Wants Dollars. It’s a Sign of Trouble.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | Pablo Robles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

Media Korean Studies 2016 2008 New Finished New buildings Repainted TAEDONG RIVER TAEDONG RIVER Pyongyang in 2008. Media Korean Studies 2008 2016 New Finished New buildings Repainted TAEDONG RIVER TAEDONG RIVER Pyongyang in 2008. Under Mr. Kim, North Korea has opened a new terminal at the city’s international airport, renovated subway stations and opened new amusement parks. Missile tests this year alone cost North Korea hundreds of millions of dollars, according to estimates by South Korean and American researchers. An array of cell phones, assembled in North Korea with components imported from China, is on sale and advertised on state TV.

☆ Kim Jong Un's daughter makes her second public appearance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s daughter made a public appearance again, this time with missile scientists and more honorific titles as her father’s “most beloved” or “precious” child. Others showed Kim’s daughter clapping her hands, exchanging handshakes with a soldier or talking to her father as people cheered in the background. “Kim Ju Ae is expected to appear occasionally at Kim Jong Un’s public events and take a succession training.”Revealing the young Ju Ae came as a huge surprise to foreign experts, as Kim Jong Un and his father Kim Jong Il were both first mentioned in state media dispatches after they became adults. Cheong, however, said Kim Jong Il had Kim Jong Un in mind as his heir when his son was 8 years old. Cheong cited his conversations with Kim Jong Un’s aunt and her husband, who defected to the United States.

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