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☆ North Korea claims it tested new command-and-control system in simulated nuclear counterstrike
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea claims it tested a new nuclear weapons command-and-control system Monday, with the firing of projectiles carrying simulated nuclear warheads from multiple rocket launcher units. North Korea has tested both the rocket launcher system and a simulated nuclear counterstrike before, according to analysts, but KCNA said Monday’s exercise was the first time the “Haekbangashoe” – or nuclear trigger – command-and-control system was used, demonstrating what it claimed was an ability to switch rocket launchers from conventional to nuclear weapons. Though the regime’s true capabilities have not been independently verified, a 2017 report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded North Korea had likely achieved its key goal of miniaturization. Images supplied by North Korea Monday showed four rockets being launched, with KCNA saying they hit targets on an island 352 kilometers (218 miles) away. The US-South Korea exercise has “incited extreme war fever” and cannot be classified as defense or deterrence, the KCNA report said.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, ”, Jeffrey Lewis, James Martin, Joseph Dempsey, ” Dempsey, Kim ramped Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation Studies, International Institute for Strategic Studies, US Defense Intelligence Agency, miniaturization, North Korea, Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, Korea, US Air Force Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, United States, North Korea, denuclearization, Washington, U.S

☆ 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, “

☆ 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, 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

☆ Along the Koreas’ Dangerous Border, the Guardrails Are Now Down
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Dasl Yoon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

South Korean forces conducted drills this week on an island near the demilitarized zone. Photo: Defense Ministry/Zuma PressSEOUL—A key symbol of a brief period of detente on the Korean Peninsula half a decade ago is now gone. This week, North and South Korea suspended an inter-Korean military agreement struck in 2018 to reduce the risk of conflict along the shared border. A liaison office, also dating to that period, was blown up by North Korea in 2020, and any hopes of resurrecting that era’s denuclearization talks have disappeared in a hail of missile launches by Pyongyang.

Persons: era’s denuclearization Organizations: Defense Ministry, Zuma Press Locations: South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ Opinion | Cultural Diplomacy May Seem Pointless. That Won’t Stop Me.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Matías Tarnopolsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In early 2008, I was working on the New York Philharmonic’s concert in Pyongyang, a project conceived to enhance the atmosphere of the six-party talks on the denuclearization of North Korea. At the time, observers and even many of the musicians themselves questioned whether any potential good would come of the effort. I think the end of the North Korea story is not yet written. Mr. Barenboim formed the orchestra with his longtime friend and intellectual partner, the Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said, who died in 2003. I arranged the first U.S. visit of the orchestra, which brings young Israeli, Palestinian and other Arab musicians together to make music.

Persons: Madeleine Albright’s, Dvorak, Gershwin, reminisced, Leonard Bernstein, Daniel Barenboim, Barenboim, Edward Said Organizations: York, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Divan, Mr Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, North Koreans, Soviet Union, Korea, Buenos Aires, London, United States, West, Palestinian, U.S

☆ Russia does not violate UN sanctions against North Korea - Russian diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 15 (Reuters) - Moscow does not violate United Nations sanctions against North Korea, but is categorically against new restrictive measures on Pyongyang, a high-ranking Russian diplomat told the RIA state news agency in remarks published on Sunday. The White House on Friday said North Korea recently provided Russia with a shipment of weapons, calling it a troubling development and raising concerns about the expanded military relationship between the two countries. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since 2006. Burmistrov told RIA that the risk of a nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula have grown sharply, partially as a result of Washington's actions. "The rhetoric of North Korean officials about a hypothetical 'nuclear conflict' clearly illustrates the sharply increased risks that are provoked by the United States by drawing strategic assets to the peninsula," Burmistrov said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Oleg Burmistrov, denuclearization, Burmistrov, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Nations, UN Security Council, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Moscow, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russian, Ukraine, Korea, China, Korean, United States, Melbourne

☆ Russia Does Not Violate UN Sanctions Against North Korea - Russian Diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Moscow does not violate United Nations sanctions against North Korea, but is categorically against new restrictive measures on Pyongyang, a high-ranking Russian diplomat told the RIA state news agency in remarks published on Sunday. "Russia, as a responsible member of the world community, strictly adheres to its international obligations towards Pyongyang through the UN Security Council," Russian Ambassador at Large Oleg Burmistrov told RIA in an interview. The White House on Friday said North Korea recently provided Russia with a shipment of weapons, calling it a troubling development and raising concerns about the expanded military relationship between the two countries. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs since 2006. Burmistrov told RIA that the risk of a nuclear conflict on the Korean Peninsula have grown sharply, partially as a result of Washington's actions.

Persons: Oleg Burmistrov, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, denuclearization, Burmistrov, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge Organizations: Reuters, Nations, North, UN Security Council Locations: Moscow, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russian, Russia, Ukraine, Korea, China, Korean, United States, Melbourne

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

☆ This green armored train has carried the Kim family for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the background, women in dresses and traditional clothing can be seen cheering and waving the North Korean flag. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves before departing Pyongyang for Russia on September 11, 2023. Armored train of luxuryThe train has long been the subject of intrigue, carrying generations of the Kim family across the country and on rare overseas trips. The same train – green with yellow striping – was seen in footage from Russian state media when Kim Jong Il visited Russia in 2002. Information from inside the country slowed to a trickle, even more so in recent years under Kim Jong Un’s rule.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Choe Sun Hui, Chol, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un, Konstantin Pulikovsky, Kim Jong Il’s, Pulikovsky, ” Pulikovsky, Xi Jinping, KCNA, KCNA Kim, Donald Trump, Putin Organizations: CNN, North, KCNA, Central Military Commission, Workers ’ Party, Reuters, Russian, Ministry, New York Times, Times, South, South Korean, Chosun Ilbo, Nuclear, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, North Korean, Yonhap Locations: North Korean, Russia, United States, Russia’s, Pyongyang, Korean, Switzerland, North Korea, Bordeaux, Burgundy, South, Korea, China, Beijing, Vietnam, Hanoi, Vladivostok, South Korean

☆ North Korea has 'no interest' in nuclear talks with the U.S., says think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. has been working hard over the past year to engage with North Korea on denuclearization — but Pyongyang has shown no interest, said Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "We can't simply assume that because the United States wants to talk, North Korea will come to the table," Cha told CNBC's "Squawk Box Asia" on Tuesday. The two countries have long been sparring over North Korea's nuclear threats and actions toward South Korea for years. Early Wednesday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles eastward, hours after a U.S. nuclear-armed submarine docked in South Korea — the first in decades. It was North Korea's first long-range missile test since April, and was deemed to be triggered by alleged U.S. spy plane incursions.

Persons: Victor Cha, Cha, CNBC's Organizations: U.S, North, Center for Strategic, International Studies, South Korea — Locations: North Korea, Pyongyang, Asia, Korea, United States, South Korea, North, U.S

☆ US, Japan, South Korea, condemn North Korean missile launch in joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 14 (Reuters) - North Korea's firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) this week violates multiple U.N. resolutions and threatens peace and stability in the region, the United States, South Korea, and Japan said on Friday in a joint statement condemning the launch. The missile, fired off North Korea's east coast on Wednesday, flew for 74 minutes to an altitude of 6,000 km (3,728 miles) and a range of 1,000 km, according to Japan, in what would be the longest-ever flight time for a North Korean missile. The countries urged North Korea "to cease its unlawful and escalatory actions and promptly return to dialogue," the statement added. Blinken reaffirmed the United States' "ironclad commitments" to the defense of Japan and South Korea in that meeting, according to a separate statement from the U.S. State Department. The launch came after heated complaints from North Korea in recent days, accusing American spy planes of flying over its exclusive economic zone waters, condemning a recent visit to South Korea by an American nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, and vowing to take steps in reaction.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Park Jin, Blinken, Ismail Shakil, Caitlin Webber, Sandra Maler Organizations: UN, U.S, Foreign, ASEAN Regional Forum, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: United States, South Korea, Japan, Korean, North Korea, Jakarta, Indonesia, American, Ottawa

☆ In rare UN appearance, North Korea defends missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 13, 2023. The 15-member Security Council met after North Korea said it tested on Wednesday its latest Hwasong-18 ICBM, adding the weapon is the core of its nuclear strike force. "We categorically reject and condemn the convening of the Security Council briefing by the United States and its followers," North Korea's U.N. North Korea last spoke at a council meeting on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in December 2017, diplomats said. North Korea - formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.

Persons: Kim Song, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, NATO DeLaurentis, Washington, China's U.N, Zhang Jun, Zhang, Michelle Nichols, Mark Porter, Deepa Babington Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS UNITED NATIONS, Security, Democratic People's, U.S, United Nations, NATO, DPRK, Thomson Locations: North Korea, United States, U.N, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang, Russia, China, Britain, France, South Korea, Washington, Beijing, Moscow, emboldening North Korea, CHINA, U.S, NATO, China's

☆ North Korea says it will launch its first-ever military spy satellite to monitor U.S. drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: People watch a television show North Korea's 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces day military parade released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-jun | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesNorth Korea announced its plans to launch its first-ever military spy satellite – giving a lift for some South Korean and Japanese defense stocks. North Korean military official Ri Pyong Chol said in a Monday statement that Pyongyang plans to launch a satellite with the aim to track "dangerous" actions by the U.S., pointing to its recent joint military drills taking with South Korea. North Korea claimed the event "fully proves how the enemy is making preparations for the military act of aggression on the DPRK," referring to its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Defense stocks riseShares of South Korean defense companies Firstec and Victek rose 3.8% and 3.3% respectively Tuesday afternoon, returning from a market holiday Monday.

☆ North Korea launches rocket likely connected to military spy satellite, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea launched a purported rocket Wednesday, a day after the country announced a plan to put its first military spy satellite into orbit, South Korea's military said. It wasn't immediately clear whether a North Korean spy satellite would significantly bolster its defenses. Since the beginning of 2022, North Korea has conducted more than 100 missile tests, many of them involving nuclear-capable weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, South Korea and Japan. North Korea says its testing activities are self-defense measures meant to respond to expanded military drills between Washington and Seoul that it views as invasion rehearsals. U.S. and South Korean officials say their drills are defensive and they've bolstered them to cope with growing nuclear threats by North Korea.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Ju, Kim Il, Ri, Lee Choon Geun, Kim Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, Chiefs, Staff, North Korean, South Korea's Science, Technology Policy, U.S Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, South Korea's, Seoul, Korea, United States, Korean, South Korea, Washington, Japan

☆ Bill Clinton says he feels 'terrible' for pushing a 1994 agreement with Russia that resulted in Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Azmi Haroun | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Bill Clinton expressed regret for his role in a 1994 agreement between Russia, Ukraine and the US. The agreement saw Ukraine give up nuclear weapons left over from the fall of the Soviet Union. Clinton said that if Ukraine still had the weapons, Russia would not have invaded. "I feel a personal stake because I got them [Ukraine] to agree to give up their nuclear weapons," Clinton said. "A great deal had to do with the risks of proliferation and the challenges of keeping nuclear weapons secure," Miles said.

☆ Human rights in North Korea to stay on UN Security Council radar
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Since 2006 North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions over its ballistic missiles and nuclear programs, but there are exemptions for humanitarian aid deliveries. The council has annually discussed rights in North Korea for the past three years, but behind closed doors. Between 2014 and 2017 the council held annual public meetings on human rights abuses in North Korea. The following year the United States instead convened a meeting on the threat of escalation by North Korea amid growing tensions between Pyongyang and Washington. The United States sanctioned Kim in 2016 for human rights abuses.

☆ Russia was making big plans for Ukraine's nuclear power plants before its invasion fell apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Those plans depended in part on seizing Ukraine's nuclear power plants and using them for leverage. Dmytro Smolyenko/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesAccording to the RUSI report, Russia's war plans viewed Ukraine's nuclear power plants as a means to achieve Moscow's larger aims. The Kremlin's plan envisioned three uses for the Ukrainian nuclear power facilities once the invasion was underway. Moscow also incorporated Ukraine's nuclear power facilities into its information operations. Fighting in a nuclear plantThe Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on August 29.

☆ Mike Pompeo is using his memoir to try to demolish the Trump adviser-turned-critic John Bolton
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Pompeo compares Bolton writing a memoir to Edward Snowden, who leaked classified information from the National Security Agency to reporters in 2013. "At least Snowden had the decency not to lie about his motive," Pompeo writes. Former President Donald Trump listens to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the White House, on October 21, 2019. "Memo to John Bolton: I'm talking about you," Pompeo writes. Pompeo writes that he was having lunch with reporters the day of the firing and got a note saying that the president needed to speak with him.

☆ Trump had to explain his 'Little Rocket Man' nickname to Kim Jong Un, Mike Pompeo says in new book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Trump had to explain to Kim Jong Un that his "Little Rocket Man" nickname was an Elton John reference. Kim told him that he didn't like the "Little" part of the nickname. When Kim said no, Trump explained that the British singer's 1972 hit song "Rocket Man" inspired him to give Kim the nickname in 2017. Kim and others at the lunch laughed, and Kim said, "'Rocket man,' OK. 'Little,' not OK."During his 2016 race for the White House, Trump gave many of his opponents catchy nicknames. Trump first referred publicly to Kim as "Little Rocket Man" on Twitter in 2017 and repeated it at a UN General Assembly speech and throughout his presidency.

☆ U.N. chief says onus on North Korea to return to talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea has been subject to U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. So-called six-party denuclearization talks - between North Korea, South Korea, China, the United States, Russia and Japan - stalled in 2009. "The onus is on the DPRK to comply with its international obligations and return to the negotiating table," said Guterres, using North Korea's formal name. The United States has said that its up to North Korea to decide whether it will engage in talks on its nuclear weapons program. North Korea has rebuffed U.S. entreaties for diplomacy since President Joe Biden succeeded Trump in January 2021.

☆ Biden-Xi meeting brings North Korea into crosshairs. Sanctions are needed.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Anthony Ruggiero | Anthony Ruggiero Is Senior Director Of The Nonproliferation | Biodefense Program At The Foundation For Defense Of Democracies. He Previously Served On The National Security Council Under President Donald Trump As The Senior Director For Counterproliferation | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But after North Korea re-engaged in negotiations, he reduced sanctions in exchange for promises of denuclearization, which Pyongyang soon violated. They included sanctions and an indictment against a Chinese company and four Chinese people who helped North Korea evade U.S. sanctions. This robust sanctions policy in the last year of Obama’s presidency extended into the beginning of his successor’s term. More than 20 countries curtailed diplomatic or commercial relationships with North Korea. Yet, instead of ratcheting up pressure on North Korea, Trump turned to other issues for the rest of his term.

☆ Analysis: Why is North Korea testing so many missiles?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seems to genuinely dislike the allied drills, and particularly the involvement of U.S. stealth fighters. After North Korea conducted an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test on Thursday, the allies announced they would be extending Vigilant Storm past Friday. "North Korea is aiming to increase its deterrence capabilities," he said. If North Korea prefers to conduct a nuclear test in a crisis, it is well on its way to manufacturing one." North Korea has completed all the technical preparations for a nuclear test - its first since 2017 - according to South Korean and U.S. officials.

☆ North Korea fired off more missiles than it ever has in a single day, triggering an air raid alert in South Korea for the first time in years
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea launched at least 23 missiles on Wednesday, the most it's ever fired in a single day. According to multiple reports, South Korea issued an air raid alert for the first time in years. The missiles — all short-range ballistic missiles or surface-to-air missiles — were fired from North Korea's eastern and western coasts, according to the South's Yonhap News Agency. Additionally, Seoul's military noted that the North fired over 100 artillery shells into the ocean. North Korea, however, has long bristled at these types of exercises, characterizing them as preparations for an invasion.

☆ Analysis: U.S. and allies turn to deterring war with North Korea as options for preventing nuclear tests dwindle
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Now that the North's nuclear weapons are mature and deployed, the United States and its allies are looking to simply dissuade the North from military action. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said last week the focus of efforts to deal with North Korea should be shifted from curbing nuclear weapons development to deterring their use. The newly released U.S. Nuclear Posture Review says Kim Jong Un's regime would be annihilated if it ever attacked with nuclear weapons. Another major drill began on Monday with hundreds of South Korean and U.S. warplanes, including a rare deployment of American F-35B fighters. "They're doing it because they want to send a message to North Korea, hey, we mean business," he said.

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