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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ BTS singer Jin set to begin South Korea military service, source says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —K-pop superstar Jin will begin his mandatory military service next month, a source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed Friday, after the BTS singer appealed to the supergroup’s devoted fans to stay away from his South Korean army training center. The source said the 29-year-old star, BTS’ oldest member, will enter service December 13 at Yeoncheon army base in the northern Gyeonggi province. Military service is compulsory in South Korea, where almost all able-bodied men are required to serve in the army for 18 months by the time they are 28 years old. “Reports have come out against my will, but our ARMYs (BTS fans), should not come to the training center,” he wrote. With their military service looming, BTS said in June it would press pause to pursue solo projects.

☆ U.S., S.Korean troops stage river-crossing drills as North Korea protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A South Korean soldier guides the tanks taking part in a joint river crossing operation drill between South Korean and U.S. troops, in Yeoju, South Korea, October 19, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Hong-JiYEOJU, South Korea, Oct 19 (Reuters) - South Korean and American troops practiced building floating bridges to ferry tanks and other armoured vehicles across rivers on Wednesday, part of a larger joint military exercise that has angered North Korea. South Korea and the United States say the drills are defensive, and necessary for deterring the North. South Korea uses an older version of U.S.-made bridging equipment, and one span was assembled using elements from each side, allowing troops to practice combining the different systems. Despite the tensions with North Korea, U.S. soldiers said they rarely had time to ponder geopolitics during the drills.

Earlier, South Korea's military said it scrambled fighter jets when a group of about 10 North Korean military aircraft flew close to the border dividing the two countries, amid heightened tensions over repeated North Korean missiles tests. North Korea's official KCNA news agency quoted the North Korean military as saying it took "strong military countermeasures" after South Korean artillery-fire drills on Thursday. It was at least the 41st ballistic missile launch by North Korea this year. Japan's coast guard also reported that North Korea had fired what could have been a ballistic missile and that it had already fallen. South Korea scrambled fighter jets a week ago after North Korean warplanes staged an apparent bombing drill as allied warships held missile defense drills in response to North Korean missile tests.

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