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☆ Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Getty Images Putin speaks with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson during an interview in February 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Mikhail Mishustin, Ukraine –, Kiselyov, “, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Pavel Bednyakov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Tucker Carlson, Zuma Press Putin, Maxim Shemetov, – what’s, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, coy, Kremlin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, Putin, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, AP North Korean, Vostochny, Tucker Carlson Network, Zuma Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Putin Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, Moscow, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, Belarus, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Tsiolkovsky, Russia's, North Korea, United States

☆ The US mocked Russia for its motley cast of allies in Ukraine. It's not laughing any more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They didn't have the defensive positions prepared," RAND defense researcher Bruce W. Bennett told Business Insider. To work with North Korea, Putin has contravened UN Security Council resolutions he himself signed onto. "If Russia failed to achieve success in Ukraine, meaning it got pushed out of Ukraine, is Putin going to survive physically?" Operating like this "really emboldens North Korea, Iran, and any other autocratic state," said Sanner. AdvertisementIn supplying weapons, Kim Jong Un's regime is unlikely to be driven by a dislike of Ukraine, Bennett said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Bruce W, Bennett, Putin, State Anthony Blinken, Mark Milley, Grant Shapps, Beth Sanner, that's, Joseph Byrne, Kim Jong Un, John Herbst, Byrne, ALEXANDER KAZAKOV, Kim, Sergei Lavrov, Kim Jong, would've, Russia's, it's, we're Organizations: Service, RAND, Business, State, Joint Chiefs of Staff, UK Defence, Trump, Biden, Atlantic, Royal United Services Institute, REUTERS, Atlantic Council, Putin, Ukraine —, US, UN, New York Times, North Locations: Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Komsomolsk, Khabarovsk Region, South Korea, Korea, Moscow, KCNA

☆ 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, “

☆ Putin Showed Intention to Visit Pyongyang Soon, North Korea Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin showed his intention to visit Pyongyang soon, North Korea's state media KCNA reported on Sunday. Putin also thanked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for his invitation to visit as he met North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui who visited Russia last week, KCNA said citing a foreign ministry official. Russia thanked North Korea for its support and solidarity in the Ukraine war, and the two also expressed serious concerns over provocative acts by the United States and its allies against Pyongyang's sovereign rights while agreeing to cooperate in regional affairs, the report said. The cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow will be in line with the U.N. Charter and other international laws, it added. (Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Kim Jong Un, Choe Son Hui, KCNA, Hyunsu Yim, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: North, North Korean Foreign Locations: SEOUL, Pyongyang, North, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, United States, Moscow

☆ North Korea conducts test of underwater nuclear weapons system - KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

North Korea has conducted a test of its underwater nuclear weapons system in a protest against this week's joint military drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan, state media KCNA said on Friday. The test of the "Haeil-5-23" system, a name North Korea has given to its nuclear-capable underwater attack drones, was carried out by the defence ministry's think tank in the waters off its east coast, the report said, without specifying a date. The ministry's unnamed spokesman accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of "getting frantic" with military exercises, warning of "catastrophic consequences." The three countries' navies held their three-day regular drills until Wednesday, alongside the U.S. aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, as part of efforts to improve their responses to Pyongyang's evolving nuclear and missile threats. "Our army's underwater nuke-based countering posture is being further rounded off and its various maritime and underwater responsive actions will continue to deter the hostile military maneuvers of the navies of the U.S. and its allies," the North Korean ministry spokesman said in a statement, according to KCNA.

Persons: KCNA, Carl Vinson Organizations: U.S, Korean Locations: Korea, South Korea, United States, Japan, North Korea

☆ North Korea Says Tests Underwater Nuclear Drone, Criticises US-Led Joint Drills
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea has conducted a test of its underwater nuclear weapons system in a protest against this week's joint military drills by South Korea, the United States and Japan, state media KCNA said on Friday. The test of the "Haeil-5-23" system, a name North Korea has given to its nuclear-capable underwater attack drones, was carried out by the defence ministry's think tank in the waters off its east coast, the report said, without specifying a date. The ministry's unnamed spokesman accused the United States, South Korea and Japan of "getting frantic" with military exercises, warning of "catastrophic consequences." North Korean state television has aired previous atmospheric explosion tests, which have been monitored by U.S. and South Korean authorities, but the reported underwater weapon has not been independently verified. The latest reported underwater test came days after North Korea fired a new intermediate-range, solid-fuel hypersonic missile, which Washington, Seoul and Tokyo condemned as a serious violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Persons: Shin, KCNA, Carl Vinson, Vladimir Putin, Hyonhee ShinEditing, Ed Davies, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, Korean, North Locations: Shin SEOUL, North Korea, South Korea, United States, Japan, KCNA, North Korean, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Russia, Moscow

☆ S.Korea, US and Japan Nuclear Envoys Condemn North Korea Over Arms Trade With Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - The nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States, and Japan condemned North Korea for its recent missile tests, arms trade with Russia and increasingly hostile rhetoric at a meeting in Seoul on Thursday. "The United States is also deeply concerned by the recent uptick in hostile rhetoric particularly toward the Republic of Korea from the DPRK (North Korean) regime," Pak said. The three countries have increased joint efforts to deter North Korea in recent years including trilateral meetings and launching a missile warning data sharing system in December. South Korea on Wednesday announced sanctions on two individuals, three entities and 11 ships linked to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, days after North Korea fired a new intermediate-range, solid-fuel hypersonic missile. Japan's envoy, Hiroyuki Namazu, condemning Pyongyang's ballistic missile launch and said there must be close monitoring of what Russia might be providing to North Korea in return for armaments.

Persons: Jung Pak, Pak, Kim Jong, Kim Gunn, Hiroyuki Namazu, Hyunsu Yim, Kevin Liffey Organizations: Ukraine, North, DPRK, Wednesday, Korean, Peace, Security Affairs, South Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Seoul, North Koreans, U.S, Republic of Korea, Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Explainer-Why Is North Korea Testing Hypersonic Missiles and How Do They Work?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

The United States, China, Russia and other countries have also been developing hypersonic weapons in recent years. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), by contrast, carry nuclear warheads on ballistic trajectories that travel into space but never reach orbit. During a rare trip to Russia last September, Kim inspected Moscow's hypersonic missiles, among other weapons. "North Korea appears to be trying to develop hypersonic missiles and intermediate range ballistic missiles based on solid propellant rocket boosters," said Chang Young-keun, a professor at Korea Aerospace University. "In particular, mid- to long-range hypersonic missiles would be useful for striking Guam while evading the U.S. missile defence system."

Persons: Shin, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Sunday's, Kim, Chang Young, Hyonhee Shin, Ed Davies, Jamie Freed Organizations: Korean, Intercontinental, WHO, THE, United, Workers, Party, Korea Aerospace University, U.S Locations: Shin SEOUL, North Korea, United States, China, Russia, Korean, Moscow, Seoul, Korea

☆ A Spanish man accused of teaching North Korea how to evade US sanctions using crypto says his passport was confiscated more than 7 years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Spanish man accused of teaching North Korea to use crypto rejected the accusations. Alejandro Cao de Benós said his passport was confiscated 7 years ago, preventing foreign trips. AdvertisementA Spanish man pushed back against accusations that he was teaching North Koreans how to evade US sanctions using cryptocurrencies. In a strongly worded statement , Alejandro Cao de Benós said his passport was confiscated seven and a half years ago by Spanish authorities, making any foreign trips, and therefore his presence in North Korea, impossible. During the conference, Griffiths and co-conspirator Christopher Emms provided advice and instructions on how North Korea "could use blockchain and cryptocurrencies to evade US sanctions," the indictment read.

Persons: Alejandro Cao de Benós, —, Cao, Benós, Virgil Griffiths, Cao de Benós, Griffiths, Pyongyang's, Christopher Emms, Griffith, Virgil Giffin, Virgil Griffith Organizations: Service, North, Spanish, Business, Interpol, Spain's National Police, Cryptocurrency, Trump -, Economic, Public Affairs, FBI, BI, Korean Friendship Association Locations: North Korea, Spain, Spanish, Totana, Murcia, Madrid, Korea, Día

☆ North Korea begins spy satellite operations -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 3 (Reuters) - North Korea has begun reconnaissance satellite operations, state news agency KCNA said on Sunday, after the country launched its first military spy satellite last month in a move that drew new sanctions from the U.S. and its allies. North Korea says it successfully launched its first military spy satellite on Nov. 21, transmitting photos of the White House, the Pentagon, U.S. military bases and "target regions" in South Korea. The move raised regional tensions and sparked fresh sanctions from the U.S., Australia, Japan and South Korea. The article also argued that South Korea's own, first military reconnaissance launch this month proved to be self-contradictory. On Friday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried South Korea's first spy satellite into orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Persons: KCNA, Kim Myung, Jihoon Lee, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Pyongyang General Control Centre, National Aerospace Technology Administration, White, Pentagon, Korea's, Chiefs of Staff, ., SpaceX, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Pyongyang, South Korea, Australia, Japan, Korean, Seoul, Lincoln

☆ 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, US envoys engage in rare, public sparring match at UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, July 19, 2022. Formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its ballistic missile and nuclear programs since 2006. Denuclearization talks between North Korea, South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan stalled in 2009. Kim said that until "the persistent military threat" was eliminated, North Korea would continue to strengthen its capabilities. China and Russia say joint military drills by the United States and South Korea provoke Pyongyang, while Washington accuses Beijing and Moscow of emboldening North Korea by shielding it from more sanctions.

Persons: Kim Hong, Pyongyang's, Linda Thomas, Kim Song, Kim, Thomas, Greenfield, Denuclearization, Kim Jong Un, Donald Trump, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, North Korea sparred, Security, North Korean, DPRK, Democratic People's, United, North, . Security, U.S, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, United States, Greenfield, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang, U.S, China, Russia, Japan, Korea, Britain, France, Washington, Beijing, Moscow, emboldening North Korea

☆ Military agreement fractures as tensions rise with North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A rocket carrying a spy satellite Malligyong-1 is launched, as North Korean government claims, in a location given as North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on November 21, 2023. South Korea had accused Pyongyang of violating the agreement after North Korean artillery shells fell into a maritime buffer zone that was supposed to be free of live-fire drills under the agreement. The North then said South Korea had resumed the use of propaganda loudspeakers at the border in violation of the agreement. South Korea's military will restart aerial surveillance in border areas, which had been conducted before the agreement was signed, the defence ministry said. South Korea said, however, its decisions on whether to take further actions to pull out of the military agreement would depend on the North's follow-up moves.

Persons: Han Duck, Kim Jong Un, Moon Jae, denuclearisation, Kim Myung, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, South, Korean, CMA, North, BE, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, Korea, South, Pyongyang, Seoul

☆ North Korea scraps military deal with South, vows to deploy new weapons at border
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A North Korean flag flutters at the propaganda village of Gijungdong in North Korea, in this picture taken near the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, South Korea, February 7, 2023. Russia and North Korea have denied arms deals but have promised deeper cooperation, including on satellites. South Korea resumed the use of crewed and uncrewed reconnaissance aircraft in the border area on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported. Critics have said that the pact weakened Seoul's ability to monitor North Korea, and that Pyongyang had violated the agreement. South Korea has said the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.

Persons: Kim Hong, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Moon Jae, Moon Chung, Moon, Kim, Critics, Bruce Klingner, Klingner, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Sonali Paul, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, North, ., U.S . Department of State, CMA, ROK, South Korean, Yonsei University, CIA, U.S, Heritage Foundation, North Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Seoul, Russia, Pyongyang, . North Korea, Korea, Washington

[1/3] A redacted online resume of a North Korean IT worker is shown in this screenshot of a report obtained by Reuters on November 20, 2023. The documents contain dozens of fraudulent resumes, online profiles, interview notes, and forged identities that North Korean workers used to apply for jobs in software development. Some of the scripts, designed to prepare the workers for interview questions, contain excuses for the need to work remotely. North Korean developers working at U.S. companies had hidden behind pseudonymous email and social media accounts and generated millions of dollars a year on behalf of sanctioned North Korean entities through the scheme, the DOJ said. The researchers, part of Palo Alto's Unit 42 cyber research division, made the discovery when examining a campaign by North Korean hackers that targeted software developers.

Persons: Richard, Covid, Richard Lee, “, James Pearson, Ted Hesson, Daphne Psaledakis, Chris Sanders, Anna Driver Organizations: North, Reuters, Palo Alto Networks, REUTERS Acquire, Palo Alto, United Nations, United, United Arab Emirates, U.S . Justice Department, DOJ, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, North Korean, U.S, of Liberty, Palo Alto's, Constella Intelligence, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Thomson Locations: North Korean, Korean, North Korea, United States, South Korea, U.S, Chile, New Zealand, Uzbekistan, United Arab, Singapore, Los Angeles, LA, China, Russia, Africa, Southeast Asia, Pyongyang, Palo, Britain, Japan, Spain, Australia, Washington

☆ North Korea criticises G7 as 'remnant of the Cold War'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An official adjusts the flags before G7 foreign ministers gather for a family photo during their meetings in Tokyo, Japan, November 8, 2023. "G7, which has caused and fomented the recent international crisis, says this or that to find fault with independent sovereign states," Jo said, according to KCNA. "G7, the remnant of the Cold War, should be dismantled immediately, and this will be the first step toward defusing the present international crisis and restoring global peace." The North Korean statement coincides with South Korea hosting representatives of 17 member states of the U.N. Command (UNC) enforcing the Korean War armistice. The talks on Tuesday where expected to renew a pledge to respond to any aggression by North Korea.

Persons: Jonathan Ernst, KCNA, Jo Chol Su, Jo, Hyonhee Shin, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Department of International, Ukraine, South, . Command, UNC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Israel, Russia, North, United States, Ukraine, Europe, Washington, Gaza, South Korea

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese middlemen launder the proceeds of North Korean hackers’ cyber heists while Chinese ships deliver sanctioned North Korean goods to Chinese ports. China views North Korea as a buffer against the U.S., which maintains a significant troop presence in South Korea. The U.S. has accused North Korea of supplying artillery shells and rockets to Russia, while new evidence shows Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their Oct. 7 assault on Israel. “China violates North Korea sanctions it voted for and says won’t work because it’s afraid they’ll work. Such “over-the-counter” brokers allow North Korean hackers to bypass know-your-customer rules governing banks and other financial exchanges.

Persons: “, ” Aaron Arnold, Kim Jong Un, ”, Joshua Stanton, cryptocurrency, Anthony Ruggiero, couldn’t, hadn’t, Eric Penton, Dake Kang Organizations: WASHINGTON, North, Associated, United Nations, Royal United Services Institute, U.S, . Security, North Korean, Kremlin, AP, Treasury, government’s Ministry of Commerce, U.N, Associated Press, Carnegie Corporation of New, Outrider Foundation, Investigative@ap.org Locations: Beijing, Korea, North Korea, China, Pyongyang, South Korea, Ukraine, The U.S, Russia, Israel, North, U.S, Carnegie Corporation of New York

☆ North Korea Protests to US Over Minuteman III Missile Test
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Hyunsu YimSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea vowed to continue military action while criticizing the United States over a recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test, state media KCNA said on Friday. A South Korean delegation visited the base and observed the ICBM launch in the first such a visit since 2016, according to the country's defence ministry. The article also criticized military moves by the U.S. and South Korea including the deployment of what it described as U.S. nuclear strategic bombers in South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea also held major air exercises involving 130 warplanes from both countries to simulate 24-hour wartime operations last month. North Korea has routinely denounced joint military exercises by Seoul and Washington as rehearsals for war.

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, KCNA Organizations: Democratic People's, Vandenberg Space Force, U.S . Air Force, U.S Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, California, Korean, South Korea, Japan, U.S, Seoul, Washington, Korea

☆ North Korea's closure of Africa embassies a sign of economic hardships - South's ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the pullout reflected the impact of international sanctions aimed at curbing funding for the North's nuclear and missile programs. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported last week, citing unnamed sources, that North Korea was planning to shut down at least 10 diplomatic missions, including a consulate in Hong Kong, largely because of economic difficulties.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, Yomiuri Shimbun, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Hong Kong

☆ North Korea closes multiple embassies around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." North Korea has formal relations with 159 countries, but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until it pulled out of Angola and Uganda, according to the ministry. Correspondence with the Spanish Communist Party released on the party's website showed the North Korean embassy announcing the closing in a letter dated Oct. 26.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, KCNA, Chad O'Carroll, Kim Jong, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle, Ed Davies Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, NK Pro, Spanish Communist Party, North Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Spain, Hong Kong, Africa, Korean, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Italy, Madrid, Pyongyang, United States

☆ US, South Korean warplanes kick off joint air drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A U.S. Air Force B-52 strategic bomber, C-17 aircraft along with South Korea's Air Force F-35As take part in a joint drill, South Korea, December 20, 2022. The annual drills, called Vigilant Defense, will run until Friday, featuring variants of the F-35 stealth fighter from both the United States and South Korea, among other aircraft, South Korea's Air Force said. The drills are aimed at improving interoperability between the two militaries by performing major air missions such as air-to-surface live fire drills, defensive counter air operation and other emergency training. "We will maintain the best combat readiness to immediately respond to and strongly punish any provocation by the enemy through an intense training simulating an actual situation," South Korea's military said in a statement. North Korea has long condemned joint drills between the United States and South Korea as a rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul.

Persons: Choe Son Hui, Soo, hyang Choi, Lincoln Organizations: U.S . Air Force, South Korea's Air Force, The Defence Ministry, Rights, South Korea, Vigilant Defense, Korea's Air Force, North Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, South, North Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Korea, Washington, Seoul

☆ North Korea is sending massive amounts of munitions to Russia and is on track to be one of its biggest weapons suppliers, UK intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea has shipped Russia more than 1,000 containers of munitions in recent weeks, intel suggests. North Korea is now on track to become one of Russia's biggest foreign arms suppliers alongside Iran and Belarus, the UK's defense ministry said. The White House is also closely monitoring the situation and said a military alliance between Russia and North Korea could destabilize the region. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe UK's defense ministry said Thursday that North Korea has sent a huge amount of munitions to Russia recently and is on track to become one of Russia's biggest foreign arms suppliers. North Korea has sent Russia more than 1,000 containers of munitions over the last several weeks, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in an intelligence dispatch on X.

Persons: —, John Kirby, Kirby Organizations: intel, Service, UK's Ministry of Defence, White, Security, Russian, Moscow, Ukraine Locations: Korea, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, DPRK, North

☆ North Korea's Kim vows to 'faithfully' fulfil agreements made with Russia's Putin
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets Russia's President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny ?osmodrome in the Amur Oblast of the Far East Region, Russia, September 13, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. Kim took a rare trip to Russia last month during which he invited Putin to Pyongyang and discussed military cooperation, including over North Korea's satellite programme, and the war in Ukraine. He was referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. 'FIRST TARGET OF DESTRUCTION'Russia and North Korea have been seeking to forge closer ties in the face of what they see as a hostile and aggressive U.S.-led Western camp. Those assets would be "the first targets of destruction" if signs of any attack on North Korea were detected, it said, adding the country has already enacted "the policy of nuclear force which allowed the necessary procedures of action."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Kim, Putin, Lavrov, KCNA, Choe Son Hui, Pyongyang's, Hyonhee Shin, Diane Craft, Sandra Maler Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's, North Korean Foreign, U.S, Thomson Locations: Amur Oblast, East Region, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Ukraine, North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Northeast Asian, Seoul, Washington, Moscow, Japan, U.S, ' Republic of Korea, DPRK, South Korea

☆ Russian foreign minister thanks North Korea for supporting its war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov takes part in a welcoming ceremony upon his arrival in Pyongyang, North Korea, October 18, 2023. Russian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for supporting the country's war in Ukraine and pledged Moscow's "complete support and solidarity" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia's foreign ministry said. North Korean state media said Lavrov's visit will mark a "significant occasion" in further consolidating relations between the countries. Photos released by the Russian foreign ministry showed Lavrov greeted by people holding flowers and flags of the two countries upon arrival in North Korea. The White House last week said North Korea recently provided Russia with a shipment of weapons in what it called a troubling development.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's, Kim Jong Un, Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Sandra Maler, Ed Davies Organizations: Russian, Russian Foreign Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North, Russian Federation, Democratic People's, Russia's TASS, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korean, Russia, Koreans, China

☆ Russian Foreign Minister Thanks North Korea for Supporting Its War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov thanked North Korea for supporting the country's war in Ukraine and pledged Moscow's "complete support and solidarity" for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Russia's foreign ministry said. North Korean state media said Lavrov's visit will mark a "significant occasion" in further consolidating relations between the countries. Photos released by the Russian foreign ministry showed Lavrov greeted by people holding flowers and flags of the two countries upon arrival in North Korea. Lavrov's two-day visit comes a month after North Korean leader Kim made a rare trip to Russia, during which he invited Putin to Pyongyang and discussed military cooperation. Russia's TASS news agency earlier said Lavrov may also brief North Koreans on the results of Putin's visit to China.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Moscow's, Kim Jong Un, Lavrov, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Soo, hyang Choi, Jack Kim, Sandra Maler, Ed Davies Organizations: Russian, North, Russian Federation, Democratic People's, Russia's TASS Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Moscow, Russian, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korean, Russia, Koreans, China

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