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☆ China is sending its highest-level delegation to North Korea since 2019 to kick off a ‘friendship year’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The three-day visit, at North Korea’s invitation, shows the “great importance” China attaches to those relations, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. The delegation will also arrive amid heightened global concern about North Korea, which has in recent months ramped up its bellicose rhetoric and continued its weapons testing. The trip could also be an important opportunity for the upper echelons of China’s political establishment to better understand the circumstances in North Korea today. Balance of powerChina has long walked a thin line in its relations with North Korea. It is a critical economic lifeline for a North Korea crippled by international sanctions over its illegal weapons testing.

Persons: Zhao Leji, ”, KCNA, Zhao, Xi Jinping, China’s, Joe Biden, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Li Qiang, Liu Dongshu, …, ” Liu, Kim, Li Mingjiang, Vladimir Putin, Yun Sun Organizations: Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Beijing, Foreign Ministry, Japanese, CNN, Communist, North Korea –, Hong Kong’s City University, North, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, “, United Nations Security, Stimson Locations: China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Pyongyang, Beijing, Moscow, United States, North, Japan, South Korea, Ukraine, Asia, Washington, Philippines, Russia, North Korean, Covid, Pacific, American

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

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

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

☆ Why Russia Is Protecting North Korea From Nuclear Monitors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Through the most tense encounters with President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia over the past decade, there has been one project in which Washington and Moscow have claimed common cause: keeping North Korea from expanding its arsenal of nuclear weapons. On Thursday, Russia used its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to kill off a U.N. panel of experts that has been monitoring North Korea’s efforts to evade sanctions over its nuclear program for the past 15 years. Moscow once welcomed the panel’s detailed reports about sanctions violations and considered Pyongyang’s nuclear program to be a threat to global security. But more recently, the panel has provided vivid evidence of how Russia is keeping the North brimming with fuel and other goods, presumably in return for the artillery shells and missiles that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is shipping to Russia for use against Ukraine. The group has produced satellite images of ship-to-ship transfers of oil, showing how the war in Ukraine has proved to be a bonanza for the North.

Persons: Vladimir V, Kim Jong Organizations: Putin’s, United Nations Security Council, North Korean, Ukraine Locations: Putin’s Russia, Washington, Moscow, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine

International sanctions and UN investigations into North Korea’s illegal weapons program have previously been backed by Russia. North Korea has also gained a powerful backer at the UN which wields veto power. While UN sanctions prohibit arms transfers to or from North Korea, the Kim regime has become a big supplier of weapons to Putin’s war effort in Ukraine. The vote in the 15-member Security Council on Thursday was 13 in favor, Russia opposed and China abstaining. But as Russia holds veto power, the resolution to continue the panel of experts’ work failed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Nebenzia, Kim, Barbara Woodward, “, ” Woodward, ”, Robert Wood, ” Wood Organizations: United Nations CNN, United Nations, Korean, UN, Security Council, CNN, North, Security, South Korea’s Foreign Locations: Russia, Pyongyang, Ukraine, United States, Moscow, Korea, Russian, North Korea, South, Korean, China, ”

☆ 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ US raises concerns about cozying relations between Russia and North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself — his first in more than 20 years. Trade with Russia could also further weaken the sanctions regime the US has placed on North Korea, also accelerating its economy and potentially bolstering its arms development program. As always with North Korea, deciphering how the hermit kingdom may respond is like reading chicken bones. For weeks, a blog post on an influential North Korea watchers website written by two former analysts circulated within the US government. 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.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, —, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Kim, ”, “, ” Jeffrey Lewis, Lewis, ” Lewis, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, ” Kim doesn’t, “ That’s, “ Kim, it’s, We’re, ” Seiler, we’ll Organizations: CNN, North, Russia, Intelligence, White House, DPRK, Democratic People’s, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, North Korean, National Intelligence Council, US Locations: North Korea, Washington, South Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russian, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic, Soviet Union, United States, North, China, Beijing, Japan, Korean

☆ Opinion: Kim Jong Un wants the world to take his threat seriously
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The world once again is trying to parse the stance of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. After North Korea was defeated, the fighting stopped with a 1953 armistice but a peace agreement was never reached. Kim has certainly been signaling that something fundamental has shifted and he clearly wants the world to take his threats seriously. For decades the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea or DPRK, has had two explicit goals. The warning about North Korea cannot be ignored, and the US, South Korea and Japan should update their planning.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Kim Jong, Kim, Donald Trump, Kim “, ”, Robert Carlin, Siegfried Hecker, Carlin, Hecker, North, Kim Il Sung, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Carlin, Kim bluster, Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin, what’s Kim, It’s, he’s, Putin Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, West, Democratic People’s, South, Ukraine, Korean, Politico Locations: Korean, Frida Ghitis CNN North Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, South Korea, North, Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, DPRK, Seoul, United States, Korea, Russia, East Asia, Japan, China, Moscow, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea says any US interference with its ‘space assets’ will be deemed ‘declaration of war’
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Akanksha Sharma | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —North Korea has warned any potential interference or attack on its “space assets” by the United States will be “deemed a declaration of war,” the state media outlet KCNA reported on Saturday. DPRK stands for Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea. Neither South Korea, the United States nor Japan, all of which are experiencing increasing military tensions with North Korea, could confirm “Malligyong-1,” had made it into orbit. The November launch was condemned by North Korea’s neighbors Japan and South Korea, with Seoul calling it a “clear violation” of a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. North Korea subsequently vowed to deploy new military hardware along the military demarcation line.

Persons: “, ”, KCNA Organizations: CNN, DPRK, KCNA, Democratic People’s, South, SpaceX, Space Command, American, US Department of Treasury’s, Foreign Assets, Treasury, UN Locations: Korea, United States, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, Japan, South Korea, Seoul

☆ US, European officials crack down on crypto service accused of laundering money for North Korean leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The US Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned a cryptocurrency service accused of helping launder millions of dollars for the North Korean regime. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies have also seized the website of the crypto service, known as Sinbad, according to a notice that appeared on the website Wednesday. Analysts say North Korea has leaned heavily on mixers to move money amid greater scrutiny from law enforcement agencies from the US, South Korea and elsewhere. The North Korean regime has also used thousands of IT workers working overseas, sometimes posing as other foreign nationals, to quietly raise revenue, according to US officials and North Korea experts. “The laundering tactics of North Korean cyber criminals continued to evolve,” Nick Carlsen, who was an FBI intelligence analyst focused on North Korea until 2021, told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sinbad, Nick Carlsen, Carlsen, “, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, US Treasury Department, Wednesday, North, FBI, cyberattacks, White House, US, CNN, US Treasury, Treasury, TRM Locations: launder, Korea, South Korea, cryptocurrency, North Korea, North Korean, North Koreans, Korean, Koreans

When the North Korean men’s soccer team took the field for two 2026 World Cup qualifying matches this month, close observers noticed an important roster change. Han Kwang-song, a high-profile striker, was back, more than three years after vanishing from public view for reasons beyond his control: United Nations-imposed sanctions on North Korean nationals over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Mr. Han’s story is a rare case of North Korea sanctions reverberating through professional soccer. It also shows how enforcement of U.N. sanctions against individuals varies by country. The government in Italy did not deport Mr. Han, now 25, while he was playing professional soccer there.

Persons: Han Kwang, Han Organizations: United Nations, North Locations: Korean, North Korea, Italy, Qatar, Qatari

Neither South Korea, the United States nor Japan, all of which are experiencing increasing military tensions with North Korea, could confirm the satellite had made it into orbit. But South Korea called the launch a “clear violation” of a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits North Korea from using ballistic missile technology. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un celebrates Tuesday night's satellite launch with workers in an image provided by state-run media. Japanese Defense Minister Hiroyuki Miyazawa said his country was still trying to determine whether North Korea’s satellite had reached orbit. In that meeting, Putin signaled a willingness to assist North Korea in developing its space and satellite program.

Persons: “, ”, Kim Jong Un, Fumio Kishida, Hiroyuki Miyazawa, KCNA, Kim Song, ” KCNA, Carl Schuster, Ankit, “ They’re, Leif, Eric Easley, Shin Won, sik, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Panda, “ Let’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, UN, Korean, Japan’s, US, Pyongyang’s, Japanese, Council, North Korean, North, Korea’s National Aerospace Development, Analysts, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence, Carnegie Endowment, International, Ewha University, Korea’s Defense Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, United States, Japan, Japan’s Okinawa, Japanese, Pyongyang, East China, KCNA . North Korea, Russian, Russia, Koreans

☆ What to know about North Korea's spy satellite launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

WHAT ARE THE CAPABILITIES OF NORTH KOREA'S ON-ORBIT SPY SATELLITE? To launch a more-capable satellite, North Korea will most likely need to develop a larger rocket, which it appears to be doing, he said. South Korea's spy agency has said North Korea may have overcome technical hurdles with the help of Russia, which in September publicly pledged to help Pyongyang build satellites. The United States and its allies called North Korea's latest satellite tests clear violations of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which prohibit development of technology applicable to North Korea's ballistic missile programs. "North Korea is no longer shy about testing ICBMs, so no - this really is an SLV," he said.

Persons: Jonathan McDowell, Hong Min, Kim Jong Un, Vann Van Diepen, Van Diepen, Jeffrey Lewis, Chang Young, Lee Choon, Pyongyang’s, Lewis, Hyun Young Yi, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, Korea Institute for National Unification, Stimson, North, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Korea Aerospace University, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy, United Nations, Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North, Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, Washington, South Korea, RUSSIA, Russia, Moscow, United States

☆ S.Korea, Japan, US condemn North Korea's supply of arms to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Oct 26 (Reuters) - South Korea, Japan and the United States strongly condemned the supply of arms and military equipment by North Korea to Russia and said they had confirmed "several" deliveries of such weapons, a joint statement issued on Thursday said. Russia and North Korea have denied the transfer of arms from the North for use in Russia's war against Ukraine amid reports that Washington and researchers said showed movement of vessels carrying containers likely with weapons between the two countries' ports. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is North Korea's official name. North Korea is seeking military assistance from Russia to advance its own military capabilities in return for its arms support for Moscow, it said. North Korea and Russia pledged closer military cooperation when their leaders met in September in Russia's far east.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, Kim Jong, Jack Kim, Ed Davies Organizations: Democratic People’s, Russian Federation, North, Russian, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, United States, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Republic of Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic, Korea, North, Moscow, Russia's

☆ South Korea Says Hamas Attack May Have Relied on North Korean Help
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

South Korea’s military said the Hamas attacks on Israel may have used rocket-propelled grenades and 122mm artillery shells supplied by North Korea, claims the Kim Jong Un regime had earlier dismissed as a “groundless and false rumor.”The South Korean analysis, detailed at a Tuesday briefing, relied on media images and video of the Hamas attacks. South Korea’s military said it had identified what it believed were various North Korean weapons. The Kim Jong Un regime has been previously linked to arms deals in the Middle East, especially with Iran and Syria. Pyongyang’s state media has supported Hamas and called Israel’s response “ceaseless criminal actions.”

Persons: Kim Jong, ” Locations: Israel, North Korea, Iran, Syria

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it plans to expel a U.S. soldier who crossed into the country in July. Other Americans have entered North Korea over the years, including a few U.S. soldiers. Five months later, North Korea announced it was expelling Lowrance who had entered the country illegally through China. While North Korea officially guarantees freedom of religion, analysts and defectors describe the country as strictly anti-religious. In 2009, American missionary Robert Park walked into North Korea with a Bible in his hand to draw attention to North Korea’s human rights abuses.

Persons: CHARLES JENKINS, Charles Jenkins, Jenkins, Hitomi Soga, Soga, BRUCE BYRON LOWRANCE, Bruce Byron Lowrance, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Lowrance, – Kim Dong Chul, Tony Kim, Kim Hak, —, Mike Pompeo, MATTHEW MILLER, Matthew Miller, Miller, Barack Obama, Kenneth Bae, Weeks, KENNETH BAE Bae, Bae, James, JEFFREY FOWLE, Jeffrey Fowle, Tony Hall, Robert Park, OTTO WARMBIER Otto Warmbier, Warmbier, Warmbier’s, ”, — Fred, Cindy Warmbier — Organizations: Army, North, Washington, Trump, Associated Press, of Virginia Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, U.S, Rich Square , North Carolina, North Korean, Japan, China, North, United States, Kim, Bakersfield , California, Pyongyang’s, Pyongyang, Korean, Lynnwood , Washington, Ohio, Chongjin, New York, Washington

Prior to the trip, US officials warned that North Korea could provide Russia with weaponry to aid its stuttering invasion of Ukraine, and in return receive help with its own nuclear weapons and missile program. During the meeting, Putin accepted Kim’s invitation to visit North Korea, according to the Kremlin. It said Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also set also visit North Korea in October. Push for denuclearizationThe latest constitutional amendment follows a similar move last year at an SPA meeting, where North Korea passed a bill declaring the country a nuclear weapons state. North Korea’s last nuclear test, its sixth so far, took place in 2017 amid escalating threats from Pyongyang and Washington.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, ” KCNA, Andrei Lankov, “ doesn’t, ” “, ” Lankov, “, Kim Song, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Sergey Lavrov, denuclearization –, Donald Trump, Kim –, Trump, North Korea –, David, ”, Joe Biden Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s, People’s Assembly, Kookmin University, North, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Trump Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, United States, Japan, North, North Korea, Pyongyang, West, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Maryland, North Korean

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine: live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | Andrew Raine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un visit a construction site of the Angara rocket launch complex on September 13. After a year and a half of high-intensity combat in Ukraine, Russia’s ammunition stocks have been heavily depleted, and US officials warned that North Korea and Russia were mulling potential deals to replenish supplies for Moscow’s war on Ukraine. North Korea has a substantial arsenal on the Korean peninsula. It’s a life-or-death race, with Putin apparently counting on support waning for Ukraine as the US enters a presidential election season. Putin appears to be extending a potential lifeline to Kim, apparently dangling the carrot of access to Russian technology.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Stringer, Sergei Shoigu, Russia –, It’s, Putin, Kim, “ Organizations: North, Russian, NATO, Ukraine, North Korea “ Locations: Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korea, Russia, North Korea, Europe

☆ Putin and Kim meet in Russia, but what are the main takeaways?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Video Ad Feedback See moment Putin greets Kim at Russian space port 00:46 - Source: CNNAnd there’s potential of something in return for Pyongyang. Kim’s regime is heavily isolated: Multiple rounds of sanctions have targeted North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Even Russia has signed on to North Korean sanctions in the past. So we are still dealing with a major unknown when it comes to a potential technology exchange between North Korea and Russia. The US believes Pyongyang has already been a player in the Ukraine war, providing the Russian mercenary group Wagner with arms.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, Kim, ” –, Sergei Shoigu, Russia –, It’s, “, ” Putin, Mort Sahl, Wernher von Braun, Reuters Von, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, North, Vostochny, North Korean, Ukraine, Russian, NATO, North Korea “, Nazi, Reuters Locations: Amur, Russia, Russia’s Far, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Korea, North Korea, England, ”, Russian, Europe

☆ How could Russia help North Korea build a satellite?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The unprecedented visit comes as North Korea seeks to put its first spy satellite into orbit, an effort that has seen two failed attempts this year. Here's what we know about North Korea's race for space, why it's so controversial, and how Russia might help:WHY DOES NORTH KOREA WANT A SATELLITE? Seoul said the satellite had little military value, though analysts said any working satellite in space would provide North Korea with better intelligence on its enemies. At the time of the 2016 space launch, North Korea had yet to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). "Any form of satellite technology transfers or coordination between Russia and North Korea could be against international sanctions," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Metzel, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Pyongyang’s, Brian Weeden, Putin's, Lee Choon Geun, Lee, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North Korean, TASS, Secure, Foundation, United Nations, North, Vostochny, Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Kremlin, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Korea, North, North Korea, South Korea, Seoul, U.S, United States

☆ Putin signals potential willingness to assist Kim as two leaders meet for expected weapons talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Helen Regan Gawon Bae Larry Register Simone Mccarthy Anna Chernova | Helen Regan | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin shake hands as they begin their talks at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Amur region, Russia, on September 13. Providing this technology to North Korea would be in violation of international sanctions, aimed at hampering Pyongyang’s ability to build a fully functioning nuclear weapons and ballistic missile force. After the talks, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov said “North Korea is our close neighbor,” according to state media. The two ballistic missiles fired by North Korea Wednesday morning each traveled about 650 kilometers (400 miles) before falling into the sea, according to the JCS. North Korea may be intending “to show that the military maintains readiness with uninterrupted command and control,” Easley said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Putin, “, ” Putin, ”, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Kim Jong Un's, Dmitry Peskov, ” Peskov, ” Leif, Eric Easley, John Bolton, ” Bolton, Peskov, Kim Yo Jong, Sergei Shoigu, Shoigu “, ” Kim Jong Un's, ” Easley, Ankit, ” Panda, we’ve Organizations: CNN, Vostochny, Kremlin, Ewha Womans University, North, Russian, US National Security, of, Munitions Industry, Russian Defense, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, North Korea Wednesday, Kremlin Analysts, Security, Nuclear, Carnegie Endowment, International Locations: Korea, Russia, North Korea, Russia’s, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Vostochny Cosmodrome, Amur, Kremlin North Korea, North Korean, Moscow, Seoul, Cosmodrome, Soviet Union, “ North Korea, South

☆ Opinion: Putin’s team of tyrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sheena Mckenzie | Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Already last year North Korea was providing artillery shells and rockets to Russia, according to US officials. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un waves from his armoured train in Pyongyang as he leaves for Russia on September 10. For North Korea, the growing links with the Kremlin afford the opportunity to tacitly pressure Beijing — its one other friend — for more support. Just a few weeks ago, North Korea said it had launched a “scorched earth” simulation of a nuclear attack and was rehearsing an occupation of South Korea. Sullivan said North Korea will “pay a price” if it makes an arms deal with Moscow.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Putin, It’s, vaingloriously, Peter the Great, Kim, Kim Jong, —, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Shoigu, Stalin, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Facebook Kim Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, North, Ukraine, Frida Ghitis CNN, Putin, Kremlin, UN, Russia, Washington, Twitter, Facebook Locations: North Korean, Russia’s Far, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, Iran, China, Moscow, Beijing, Russian, South Korea, United States, East Asia

Putin reportedly arrived in Vladivostok on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to state TV Russia 24. Kim, meanwhile, appears to be on a train heading to Russia, a South Korean government official told CNN. With its borders sealed because of that for much of the past three years, North Korea has only recently begun to relax travel restrictions. Vladivostok lies 130 km (80 miles) from the border with North Korea. North Korea is already under United Nations and US sanctions imposed over Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction program.

Persons: CNN — Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Donald Trump –, Xi Jinping, Moon Jae, Sergei Shoigu, Jake Sullivan Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, Russia “, Russia, South, North, The North, Russian, White House, United Nations Locations: Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, United States, North Korean, Vladivostok, Monday, South Korean, North Korea, Singapore, Hanoi, North, South Korea, China, The, The North Korea, Korea, Ukraine

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