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☆ North Korea's arms factories are going full-tilt making weapons and ammo for Russia's war, says South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewNorth Korean weapons factories are "operating at full capacity" making arms and ammunition for Russia, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said on Monday. That's enough cargo space for 3 million rounds of 152 mm artillery shells or 500,000 rounds of 122 mm artillery shells, Shin said. AdvertisementIn exchange, Russia has been sending North Korea food and raw materials needed to create munitions, Shin said. Overall, Moscow is shipping about 30% more goods to Pyongyang than it's receiving from North Korea, Shin added. Meanwhile, the US State Department estimates that North Korea has sent some 10,000 container shipments to Russia since September.

Persons: —, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Shin, it's, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Grant Shapps, Russia's, Kyiv's, Kyrylo Budanov Organizations: Service, South Korean Defense Minister, Yonhap News Agency, Business, US State Department, State Department, UK, GOP Locations: Russia, North Korea, Moscow, Pyongyang, Korea, Vostochny, Ukraine, Russian, Korean

☆ North Korea's twice-failed spy satellite is now up and running, aerospace experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean spy satellite was spotted adjusting its orbit in space, experts said. AdvertisementA North Korean spy satellite has made maneuvers in orbit that show it is very much "alive," contrary to previous assessments that suggested it was inactive, experts said on Tuesday. North Korea announced it had launched Malligyong-1 into orbit in November, after two failed attempts. The launches drew condemnation from the US, which viewed them as cover for North Korea testing missile technology. The latest findings come as South Korea warned that Pyongyang could launch a new spy satellite as soon as March, The Korea Times reported.

Persons: Marco Langbroek, —, Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Langbroek, Jonathan McDowell Organizations: Service, Delft University of Technology, Korean Defense Minister, Korea Times, Harvard - Smithsonian Center, Astrophysics, NK News, White, Pentagon, US, Guardian, The Korea Times Locations: Korean, South Korea, Leiden, Netherlands, North Korea, Pyongyang

☆ 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

☆ S.Korea Defence Minister Heads to Middle East for Talks, Arms Expo
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's defence minister Shin Won-sik departs on Thursday for a seven-day trip to the Middle East to hold ministerial talks and attend an arms exhibition in Saudi Arabia, the ministry said. He will also travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday for the World Defense Show in Riyadh before heading to Qatar to meet Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, the country's defence minister. South Korea has emerged in recent years as one of the world's biggest arms exporters with sales jumping to $17 billion in 2022 from $7.25 billion the year before, data from the defence ministry showed. The country's arms exports to the Middle East grew nearly tenfold between 2013 and 2022, according to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesExperts say arms sales have been buoyed by South Korea's price competitiveness and ability to ensure speedy delivery.

Persons: Shin Won, sik, Shin, Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies Organizations: United Arab Emirates, South, Akh Unit, World Defense, Korea Chamber of Commerce, Industry Locations: SEOUL, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Qatar, Korea, Israel, Gaza

☆ North Korea's Kim inspects spy satellite photos of 'target regions', US bases
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nuclear-armed North Korea launched the satellite on Tuesday, but South Korean defence officials and analysts said its capabilities have not been independently verified. Kim examined photos of Seoul and other cities of Mokpo, Kunsan, Pyeongtaek and Osan, where U.S. and South Korean military bases are located. The photos were taken as the satellite passed over the peninsula on Friday morning, state news agency KCNA said. On Saturday, Kim visited the control centre once again to examine more photos taken in the morning of different target regions in South Korea: Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu and Gangneung. On Thursday, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said North Korea had "exaggerated" by saying Kim had already viewed images of Guam.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Carl Vinson, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, Yonhap, Josh Smith, Jihoon Lee, Clarence Fernandez, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korean, National Aerospace Technology Administration, Naval, Hickam Air Force, U.S . State Department, U.S, South Korean Defence Minister, Thomson Locations: Rights SEOUL, Seoul, North Korea, Mokpo, Pyeongtaek, Osan, Pyongyang, South Korea, Jinhae, Busan, Ulsan, Pohang, Daegu, Gangneung, Korean, Harbor, Hawaii, United States, Japan, Pacific, Guam, U.S

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

North Korea said it placed its first spy satellite in orbit on Tuesday. South Korea's military said North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally. Critics have said the pact weakened South Korea's ability to monitor the North's near the border while North Korea had violated the agreement. South Korea said it was suspending a clause in the agreement and resuming aerial surveillance near the border. North Korea had notified Japan of a satellite launch after two failed attempts to put what it called spy satellites into orbit this year.

Persons: Kim, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Adrienne Watson, Jonathan McDowell, Shin Won, sik, Kim Jong, Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Moon Jae, Critics, Carl Vinson, U.N, Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Hong Min, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Joyce Lee, Liz Lee, Satoshi Sugiyama, Ed Davies, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle, Alex Richardson, Kim Coghill Organizations: Reuters, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, North, ., U.S, Andersen Air Force Base, Pentagon, . National Security, Harvard – Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, U.S . Space Force, South Korea's Defence, National Security, South Korean, Korea's Defence, Korea Institute for National Unification, South, U.S ., Thomson Locations: North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Korea, South Korea, SEOUL, United States, . North Korea, Pyongyang, Pacific, Guam, U.S, South, Britain, North, Santa Fe, Korean, Japan, China, North Korea's, RUSSIA, Russian, Russia, Minwoo, Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ North Korea vows more offensive response to US 'threats' -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Song Kyung-Seok/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 16 (Reuters) - North Korea on Thursday criticised a recent visit to South Korea by top U.S. defence officials and vowed more "offensive" responses to what it called military threats from the United States and its allies, state media reported. During Austin's visit, South Korea and the United States revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats. South Korea's defence ministry said the revision was necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. Austin's visit followed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's trip to South Korea last week. North Korea and Russia have denied any arms deals, though their leaders pledged closer military cooperation at their September summit.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won, sik, Kyung, Defense Lloyd Austin's, Austin's, Antony Blinken's, Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, Soo, hyang Choi, Chris Reese, Cynthia Osterman, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defense Minister, United Nations Command, UNC, Defense Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, DPRK, Democratic People's, United, Pentagon, U.S . State Department, U.S . Defense Security Cooperation Agency, South Korean Foreign, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Defense Lloyd Austin's Seoul, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korea, Republic of, Russia, San Francisco

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a welcome ceremony before an annual security meeting with South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. Washington has accused North Korea of supplying military equipment to Russia for use in its war with Ukraine, and Moscow of providing technical military support to help the North. "If the countries that backed North Korea during the Korean War ever try to help again, then those countries will also receive grave punishment from the international community along with North Korea." China and North Korea are parties to the armistice with the UNC. The defence chiefs also agreed to step up joint drills and cooperate with Japan to deter and better prepare for any North Korean attack.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Austin, We're, Shin Won, Shin, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, Rights, . Defense, . Command, UNC, Security, Democratic People's, DPRK, ., Defence, Korean, United Nations, Command, Soviet Union, U.N, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, China, Russia, North Korea, Pyongyang, People's Republic of China, North, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Washington, Ukraine, Moscow, . North Korea, Russia's, North Korea's, Soviet, United States, Britain, Australia, Turkey, U.S, Austin, Japan

[1/2] US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik attend a welcome ceremony before their annual security meeting at the Defence Ministry in Seoul, South Korea on November 13, 2023. JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - South Korea and the United States have revised a bilateral security agreement aimed at deterring North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats during talks on Monday, South Korea's defence ministry said. The Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS) is aimed at countering the threat of North Korea's nuclear weapons and other armaments, according to an announcement on the agreement by the two countries 10 years ago. The revision was considered necessary because the existing strategy did not adequately address the rapid advancements in North Korea's missile and nuclear threats, it said. Earlier, South Korea's defence ministry said Shin and Austin would discuss jointly countering threats by North Korea, including through executing an "extended deterrence" strategy.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Shin Won, Lloyd Austin, Shin, Austin, Phil Stewart, Hyunsu Yim, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Korea's Defence, U.S ., The Defence Ministry, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, United States, North Korea, United, Korea

JUNG YEON-JE/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday left open the possibility of more strikes against Iran-linked groups if attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria don't stop, hours after overnight U.S. air strikes in Syria. "These attacks must stop, and if they don't stop, then we won't hesitate to do what's necessary, again, to protect the troops," Austin told reporters at a news conference in Seoul. Austin said the latest air strikes in eastern Syria targeted facilities used by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps and related groups. "These strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the freedom of action of these groups, which are directly responsible for attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria," Austin said. It was still unclear whether anyone was killed in the latest U.S. strikes in Syria.

Persons: Defense Lloyd Austin, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won, sik, JUNG YEON, Lloyd Austin, Albu Kamal, Austin, Phil Stewart, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Defense, South Korean Defence Minister, Defence Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, . Defense, American, U.S, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, United, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Iran, Iraq, Syria, The U.S, Albu, Mayadeen, Israel, U.S, United States, State, East

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and South Korea on Monday updated a bilateral security agreement with the aim of more effectively countering North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was in Seoul for annual security talks with South Korean military officials, including Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, which were focused on boosting nuclear deterrence against North Korea. They agreed to start as planned a real-time information sharing arrangement on North Korean missile launches in December. They also agreed to set up multiyear plans in coming weeks to enhance their trilateral military exercises, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. U.S. and South Korean officials have accused North Korea of providing munitions and military equipment to Russia to help boost its war in Ukraine.

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Austin, Shin, ” Austin, Yoon Suk, Minoru Kihara, Yoon, ”, Moon Jae, Kim Jong Un, Antony Blinken, Kim Organizations: Korean, U.S . Defense, South Korean, Defense, Austin, ROK, South, Japanese, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Shin, U.S, United Nations Command, Foreign Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, United States, Seoul, Japan, North Korea, Ukraine, Korean, Republic of Korea, U.S, South Korean, Washington, Hamas, Korea, Israel, Russia, South, Pyongyang, Moscow . U.S, Austin

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday with Japanese defence minister Minoru Kihara joining the meeting online. U.S. President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an Aug. 18 summit that by the end of this year the three countries would share North Korea missile warning data in real time. The ministers also condemned growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of U.N. resolutions, the South Korean defence ministry said in a statement, and also stressed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Brown, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, held talks with his South Korean counterpart in Seoul on Sunday, the South Korean military said. In his first visit to South Korea since he took office in October, the top U.S. general discussed the "continuous provocations" of North Korea including missile launches, and reaffirmed the United States' commitment to the defence of South Korea, the South Korean joint chiefs of staff said in a statement.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Minoru Kihara, Kihara, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Charles Q, Brown, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Miral Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Defence, Korean, Sunday, . Defence, South Korean, Korea, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Thomson Locations: Rights TOKYO, SEOUL, South Korea, Japan, United States, South, Sunday ., Seoul, North Korea, Russia, Taiwan, TOKYO

☆ North Korea lashes out at U.N. Command over meeting in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 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. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Nov 13 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday called for the United Nations Command to be dissolved calling it an "illegal war organization" over a meeting which is scheduled to take place between the member states in South Korea later this week, state media KCNA reported. The DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's criticism comes a day after U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met his South Korean counterpart Shin Won-sik in Seoul on Sunday with Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara for a trilateral meeting. They agreed to start as planned a real-time data sharing scheme on North Korean missiles in December and condemned growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a violation of U.N. resolutions during the meeting.

Persons: Kim Hong, Lloyd Austin, Shin Won, Minoru Kihara, Hyunsu Yim, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, United Nations Command, UNC, Command, Institute for Disarmament, Peace, DPRK Foreign Ministry, DPRK, North, Democratic People's, U.S . Defence, South Korean, Japanese, Korean, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, North Korea, Panmunjom, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, U.S, Seoul, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Russia

The top appeals court, or Yargitay, took the unprecedented step of making a criminal complaint against Constitutional Court judges on Wednesday, arguing that their ruling last month in favour of releasing Atalay was unconstitutional. "The Court of Cassation (Yargitay) has committed a crime by not recognising the Constitutional Court decision. He called for compliance with the Constitutional Court ruling and said the Yargitay appeals court judges should be put under investigation. The Istanbul Bar Association said on Thursday it had filed a criminal complaint against the Yargitay judges involved in the case on the grounds of misconduct and "depriving a person of liberty". Rule of law, predictability and trust are fundamental for investors and Turkey’s record in this front was and still is miserable."

Persons: Erkan, Sera Kadigil, Ahmet Sik, Umit, Osman, Tayyip Erdogan, Ozgur Urfa, Erdogan, Mehmet Ucum, Mehmet Simsek, Central Bank Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan, Wolfango Piccoli, Daren Butler, Alex Richardson Organizations: Workers ' Party of Turkey, Turkish, REUTERS, Rights, Constitutional, Cassation, Twitter, Istanbul Bar Association, Central Bank Governor, Ece, Thomson Locations: Ankara, Turkey, Rights ANKARA, Istanbul

☆ South Korea Metro Workers Launch Strike; Disruption Limited
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - More than 10,000 unionised South Korean metro workers launched a two-day strike on Thursday in protest against the subway operator's push for job cuts to stem snowballing debt, causing disruptions for some commuters in the greater Seoul area. The strike came hours after negotiations between Seoul Metro and its two major unions fell apart due to differences over the operator's plan to scale back its workforce by some 13%, or more than 2,200, by 2026. Seoul's metro operators have grappled for years with debt, partly from free rides for senior citizens, as Asia's fourth-largest economy faces a rapidly aging population and surging welfare costs. But city authorities warned of some delays in the evening, and pledged to mobilise emergency trains, buses and substitute workers. Lee called for efforts to curb the metro operator's debt, which topped 1.7 trillion won ($1.3 billion) last year.

Persons: Shin, Lee Jung, sik, Lee, 1,307.2600, Hyonhee Shin, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean, Seoul Metro, Employment, Labour, Facebook Locations: Shin SEOUL, Seoul, Seoul's

☆ Fearing China, South Korea targets firms building Taiwan navy submarines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

SI Innotec, which was fined in August 2022, and Park, who received a suspended prison sentence, deny wrongdoing and have appealed. The equipment was not designed solely for military purposes and did not involve sensitive technology, SI Innotec told Reuters. SI Innotec said the contract, at CSBC's request, listed the equipment's primary use as for wind power generation. "The accused were fully aware that the subject equipment would be used to manufacture a military submarine", the court ruled. It was at this point that Seoul's foreign ministry told DAPA it disapproved of the deal, one of them said.

Persons: Tsai Ing, Narwhal, Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Park Mal, sik, China's, DAPA, Moon Jae, Taiwan's, Innotec, SI Innotec, Moo, sik —, —, Yang Hyang, Yang, KHNT's, KHNT, Cho Hyeon Gyu, 1,343.1000, Ben Blanchard, Faith Hung, Tian, Katerina Ang, Josh Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Administration, Keumha Naval Technology, South, Police, Foreign Ministry, Democratic Progressive Party, Indigenous Defense, South Korean, Foreign Trade, SI, Thomson Locations: Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Rights SEOUL, Beijing, Seoul, U.S, China, South Korea, Park, Taipei, Netherlands, Pacific, Beijing . U.S, Changwon, Korea

☆ South Korea Rail Workers Launch First Strike in Four Years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Korean Railway Workers' Union demands improved pay and working conditions and an expansion of the KTX bullet train services to include lucrative routes such as in southern Seoul. Company chief Han Moon-hee criticised the strike as "illegitimate" and urged the workers to return to work. Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik on Wednesday also called for the union to cancel the planned strike, citing an economic impact and public inconvenience. According to the Korea Cement Association, rail accounts for 40% of cement transportation, and if the strike lengthens, the reduced ability to deliver could affect firms' profitability during the fall's peak building season. If the strike lengthens, we will have to convert to land transportation, which will drive up costs and hit profitability," the official said.

Persons: Hyonhee Shin, Joyce Lee SEOUL, KORAIL, Han, Lee Jeong, sik, it's, Stephen Coates Organizations: Korean Railway Workers, Union, Korea Railroad Corp, Company, Labor, Korea Cement Association Locations: Seoul

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

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

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

Kim’s delegation likely includes his foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, and his top two military officials – Korean People’s Army Marshals Ri Pyong Chol and Pak Jong Chon. Other officials identified in North Korean state media photos may hint at what Kim might seek from Putin and what he would be willing to give. U.S. officials released intelligence last week that North Korea and Russia were arranging a meeting between their leaders. After decades of a complicated, hot-and-cold relationship, Russia and North Korea have been drawing closer since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Both Russian and North Korean officials denied such claims.

Persons: —, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Jeon Ha Gyu, Choe Sun Hui, Ri, Pak Jong Chon, Putin, Pak, Song, Adm, Kim Myong Sik, it's, Kim Jong, Jo Chun Ryong, Putin’s, Dmitry Peskov, ”, Adrienne Watson, “, Matthew Miller, Wagner, Sergei Shoigu, Jim Heintz, Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Dake Kang, Ng Han Guan Organizations: Korean Central News Agency, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Korean People’s, Korea’s Unification Ministry, TASS, Associated Press, White, National Security, North, Democratic People’s, ”, Washington, United, Korean, Russian Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, North, North Korean, Korea, Russian, Vladivostok, Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday ., Ukrainian, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Washington, Japan, Moscow, Beijing, United States, Korean, Tallinn, Estonia, Fangchuan, China, russia, ukraine

The announcement did not name Choi and gave only limited details, although some media subsequently identified Choi and his links with Foxconn. The unreleased 18-page indictment, reviewed by Reuters, provides details in the case against Choi, including how he is alleged to have stolen Samsung's trade secrets and details about the planned Foxconn plant. Choi's Singapore-based consultancy Jin Semiconductor won the contract with Foxconn around August 2018, according to the indictment. According to the indictment, the new Foxconn plant had planned capacity of 100,000 wafers per month using 20-nanometre DRAM memory chip technology. However, Foxconn ended the contract just a year later and only paid salaries related to the project, the lawyer said.

Persons: Kim Hong, Choi Jinseog, Taiwan's Foxconn, Choi, Kim Pilsung, Cho Young, sik, Samoo, Choi's, Chung Chan, Kim, Foxconn, Cho, HanmiGlobal, Chung, Lee Jong, Lee, Jin Semiconductor's, Yoon Suk, 1,294.4600, Heekyong Yang, Ben Blanchard, Chen Lin, Josh Ye, Miyoung Kim, Lincoln Organizations: Samsung Electronics, REUTERS, Samsung, South, Prosecutors, Reuters, Jin Semiconductor, Foxconn, Samoo Architects & Engineers, Google, SK Hynix, Samsung's, Sangmyung University, Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Suwon, South Korea, SEOUL, China, Choi's Singapore, Xian , China, HanmiGlobal, South, CHINA, United States, Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong

SEOUL, April 27 (Reuters) - For the first time since the 1980s a U.S. Navy nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) will visit South Korea to help demonstrate Washington's resolve to protect the country from a North Korean attack. The visit was announced in a joint declaration during a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Wednesday. "That could be a huge pressure on North Korea, because usually they don’t share where those submarines are," said Moon Keun-sik, a retired South Korean submarine captain and squadron leader. The United States has pledged to deploy more so-called "strategic assets" such as aircraft carriers, submarines, and long-range bombers to South Korea to deter North Korea, which has developed increasingly powerful missiles that can hit targets from South Korea to the mainland United States. The submarine visit is also seen as a way to reassure South Korea and quell talk in Seoul of developing homegrown nuclear weapons.

☆ S.Korean labour minister defends longer work week as helpful for mothers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

“We’ll introduce bold measures to help cut working hours during pregnancy or while raising children,” the minister, Lee Jung-sik, told a media briefing when asked whether the labour reform proposal will help tackle South Korea's fertility crisis. Critics of the measure, however, have said that the measures will hurt, not help, working mothers and other women. It would supersede a 2018 law that limited the work week to 52 hours - 40 hours of regular work plus 12 hours of overtime. "It will make it legal to work from 9 a.m. to midnight for five days in a row. There is no regard for workers' health and rest," the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said in a statement.

[1/2] Protesters chant slogans at a news conference in support of the ongoing strike by truckers in Seoul, South Korea December 5, 2022. As supplies of fuel and construction materials run low, the South Korean government has stepped up pressure to end the strike. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), an umbrella union under which the truckers' union falls, has called the President's "start work" order the equivalent of martial law and says the government should negotiate. As of Monday afternoon, nearly 100 petrol stations had run out of fuel. That is up from the 21 petrol stations that the industry ministry had said were out of fuel on Nov. 28.

☆ North Korea fires ballistic missile as it vows ‘fiercer’ military response to U.S. and allies
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, hours after the North threatened to launch “fiercer” military responses to the U.S. bolstering its security commitment to its allies South Korea and Japan. It said South Korea has strengthened its surveillance of North Korea while maintaining military readiness in close coordination with the United States. It was North Korea’s first ballistic missile firing in eight days and the latest in its barrage of tests in recent months. North Korea previously said some of the tests were simulations of nuclear attacks on South Korean and U.S. targets. Many experts say North Korea would eventually want to enhance its nuclear capability to wrest bigger concessions from its rivals.

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