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☆ North Korea's Kim Calls for South to Be Seen as 'Primary Foe', Warns of War
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kim said the constitution should be amended to educate North Koreans that South Korea is a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy" and define the North's territory as separate from the South. "We don't want war but we have no intention of avoiding it," Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, at a cabinet meeting, said Pyongyang was being "anti-national" for calling the South a hostile country. Analysts have said North Korea's foreign ministry could take over relations with Seoul, and potentially help justify the use of nuclear weapons against the South in a future war. Ruediger Frank, professor of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna, said Kim's new policies "will trigger a cascade of changes across inter-Korean relations and regional dynamics".

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Yoon Suk, Ruediger Frank, Frank, Josh Smith, Lisa Shumaker, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Supreme, Assembly, North, East Asian, Society, University of Vienna, U.S Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, Korea, North, Seoul, North Koreans, South Korea, KCNA . North Korea, South, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea says Israel bombed Gaza hospital, calls US 'accomplice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Mohammed Al-Masri/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 26 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry accused Israel of bombing a hospital in the Gaza Strip on Oct 17., saying it had openly committed a war crime "under the undisguised patronage of the United States". North Korean state media has often argued against Western views, especially those of the United States, on international issues. It also routinely lashes out at the United States. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has said 471 people were killed in a blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital earlier this month. There is still uncertainty around the death toll from the hospital blast and the number of injuries, U.S. officials said.

Persons: Mohammed Al, Masri, Israel, KCNA, connived, Jack Kim, Ed Davies, Miral Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, Islamic, U.S, Thomson Locations: Al, Ahli, Israel, Gaza City, Rights SEOUL, Gaza, United States, Korean, Arabi, Israeli, Palestinian

☆ North Korea Condemns Attack in Syria -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday condemned "hostile forces inside and outside Syria" for a drone attack last week that caused many casualties in the country, calling it a terrorist attempt to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Scores of people were killed in a drone attack on a graduation ceremony at a military academy in the Homs region in Syria on Oct. 5, in one of the bloodiest strikes against the military in more than 12 years of civil war. "The recent hideous terrorist act was prompted by ... the hostile forces inside and outside Syria who are ... attempting to overthrow the legitimate regime of Syria," state media KCNA said on Monday, citing North Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. In November last year, Assad swore in a new ambassador to North Korea according to a statement by the Syrian government, continuing a history of ties between reclusive Pyongyang and Damascus, diplomatically isolated under a decade of Western sanctions. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Sonali Paul)

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, KCNA, Joyce Lee, Sonali Paul Organizations: North Korea's Foreign Ministry Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Syria, Syrian, Homs, Pyongyang, Damascus

☆ North Korea condemns attack in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 9 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday condemned "hostile forces inside and outside Syria" for a drone attack last week that caused many casualties in the country, calling it a terrorist attempt to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Scores of people were killed in a drone attack on a graduation ceremony at a military academy in the Homs region in Syria on Oct. 5, in one of the bloodiest strikes against the military in more than 12 years of civil war. "The recent hideous terrorist act was prompted by ... the hostile forces inside and outside Syria who are ... attempting to overthrow the legitimate regime of Syria," state media KCNA said on Monday, citing North Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. In November last year, Assad swore in a new ambassador to North Korea according to a statement by the Syrian government, continuing a history of ties between reclusive Pyongyang and Damascus, diplomatically isolated under a decade of Western sanctions. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, KCNA, Joyce Lee, Sonali Paul Organizations: North Korea's Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Syria, Syrian, Homs, Pyongyang, Damascus

☆ North Korea blames US for 'grave terrorist' act against Cuban embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Cuban flag flutters in the wind after being raised at the Cuban Embassy reopening ceremony in Washington July 20, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - North Korea accused the United States on Sunday of letting a "terrorist" act against Cuba take place on U.S. soil, saying a recent attack against the Cuban embassy in Washington was the result of "despicable anti-Cuban" U.S. intentions. Along with Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran are on the State Department list. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States strongly condemned the attack and that U.S. law enforcement authorities would investigate. Havana has said it is unreasonable for Washington to keep Cuba on its terrorism list and maintain a Cold War-era economic embargo.

Persons: Gary Cameron, Jake Sullivan, Jack Kim, William Mallard Organizations: Cuban, REUTERS, Rights, United, State Department, North Korean, White House, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Washington, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Cuba, North, Syria, Iran, Havana

☆ Fukushima wastewater released into the ocean, China bans all Japanese seafood
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Sakura Murakami | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Sales to China and Hong Kong accounted for 42% of all Japanese aquatic exports in 2022, according to government data. Separately from China, Hong Kong and Macau have announced their own ban starting Thursday, which covers Japanese seafood imports from 10 regions. Japan will conduct monitoring around the water release area and publish results weekly starting on Sunday, Japan's environment minister said. PROTESTSIn Hong Kong, Jacay Shum, a 73-year-old activist, held up a picture portraying IAEA head Rafael Grossi as the devil. "The Fukushima nuclear disaster is not over.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Geraldine Thomas, Han Duck, Jacay Shum, Rafael Grossi, Shum, Iizuka, Sakura Murakami, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Irene Wang, Bernard Orr, Farah Master, Joyce Zhou, Hongji Kim, Soo, hyang Choi, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: IAEA, Tokyo Electric Power, International Atomic Energy Agency, Japan, Hong, REUTERS, Minwoo, World Health Organization, London's Imperial, Japan Fisheries Co, Korean, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Japan, TOKYO, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Fukushima, Busan, South Korea, China , Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, South, Beijing, Lincoln

SEOUL, Aug 16 (Reuters) - North Korea's claim on Wednesday that U.S. soldier Travis King fled racism and abuse in America comes as Pyongyang pushes back on Washington's criticism of the North's human rights record. King has not been directly heard from, but an uncle in United States told media this month his nephew said he experienced racism during his military service. During the protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, North Korean officials cited "extreme racists" in America and criticised authorities' response for threatening to "unleash even dogs for suppression". North Korean state media has its own history of issuing racially charged statements. A landmark 2014 U.N. report on North Korean human rights concluded that North Korean security chiefs - and possibly leader Kim Jong Un himself - should face justice for overseeing a state-controlled system of Nazi-style atrocities.

Persons: Travis King, King, Lim Eul, Donald Trump, George Floyd, Harrison Kim, Eldridge Cleaver, ”, Barack Obama, gaunt, Obama, Kim Jong Un, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S . Army, United Nations Security, U.S, North, Korea's Kyungnam University, University of Hawaii, NK News, Black Panther Party, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, America, Pyongyang, Korea, United States, North Korea, U.S, Charlottesville , Virginia, Seoul, North Korean, African, China

[1/2] A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 18, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). She also hinted that the North could fire more missiles into the Pacific Ocean. The United States and its allies have never shot down North Korean ballistic missiles, which are banned by the United Nations Security Council, but the question drew new scrutiny since the North suggested it will fire more missiles over Japan. The United states deployed the B-52 bomber for a joint drill with South Korean fighter jets, in what South Korea's defence ministry said was a show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. Around 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, leaving the countries technically at war.

☆ US flies B-52 in joint drill with S.Korea - S.Korea defence ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Air Force/Handout via REUTERSSEOUL, March 6 (Reuters) - The United states deployed a B-52 bomber for a joint drill with its ally South Korea on Monday, in a show of force against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, South Korea's defence ministry said. North Korea has traditionally called for those joint exercises to be called off, branding them as a prelude to invasion. With denuclearisation talks stalled, North Korea conducted a record number of missile launches last year. As South Korea has lifted anti-COVID measures, the allies are returning to large-scale drills. South Korea and the United States will achieve "peace through strength" by stepping up joint drills, the ministry in Seoul said in a statement.

☆ North Korea says UN should demand end to S.Korea-US military drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 5 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday called on the United Nations to demand an immediate halt to combined military drills by the United States and South Korea, saying they were raising tensions that threaten to spiral out of control. The United States and South Korea will conduct more than 10 days of large-scale military exercises in March, including amphibious landings, officials from the two countries said on Friday. The U.S. and South Korea say the exercises are in self-defence and are necessary to counter the rising threats from North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programmes, which are banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions. "The UN and the international community will have to strongly urge the U.S. and South Korea to immediately halt their provocative remarks and joint military exercises," Kim said. Last month Kim issued a statement saying UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been "extremely unfair, unbalanced" on North Korea's missile tests.

☆ North Korea may try to pressure U.S. with ICBM, nuclear tests - S.Korean lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] A Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in Pyongyang, North Korea February 18, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Feb 22 (Reuters) - North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year to perfect its weapons capabilities, South Korean lawmakers said on Wednesday, citing intelligence officials. The briefing came as the U.S., South Korean and Japanese navies staged joint tactical drills on Wednesday in waters between the Asian neighbours. A Japanese escort vessel and U.S. and South Korean destroyers joined the training aimed at stepping up trilateral ballistic missile responses, Tokyo's defence ministry said. Youn Kun-young, another member of the committee, said North Korea might also develop solid fuel-based ICBMs this year, and confirmed the defence ministry's report that Chinese spy balloons did not enter South Korean airspace.

☆ Kim Jong Un abruptly reappears after 36 days out of the spotlight and orders North Korea to 'prepare for war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Kim Jong Un had not been seen in public for 36 days, fueling speculation about his health. But North Korea's leader attended a meeting with military officials on Monday, reports said. He was discussing war strategies as tensions rise around the Korean peninsula, the reports said. Kim's Jong Un's longest-ever break from the spotlight was in 2014, when he was not seen for 40 days. Tensions have been rising around the Korean Peninsula after Pyongyang condemned planned joint military drills between its rival, South Korea, and the US in the area.

☆ U.S. says joint drills in the region do not serve to provoke North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The White House on Wednesday rejected North Korean accusations that joint military exercises in the region are a provocation and said the United States has no hostile intent toward Pyongyang. "We have made clear we have no hostile intent toward the DPRK (North Korea) and seek serious and sustained diplomacy to address the full range of issues of concern to both countries and the region," said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. The White House comment came after North Korea's Foreign Ministry said that drills by the United States and its allies have pushed the situation to an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone." The statement, carried by state news agency KCNA, said Pyongyang was not interested in dialog as long as Washington pursues hostile policies.

☆ White House: U.S. has no hostile intent toward North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday rejected North Korean accusations that joint military exercises in the region are a provocation and said the United States has no hostile intent toward Pyongyang. "We have made clear we have no hostile intent toward the DPRK (North Korea) and seek serious and sustained diplomacy to address the full range of issues of concern to both countries and the region," said a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council. The White House statement reiterated a U.S. willingness "to meet with DPRK representatives at a time and place convenient for them." "We reject the notion that our joint exercises with partners in the region serve as any sort of provocation. "The United States is continuing to work closely with allies and partners to ensure peace and stability in the region.

☆ North Korea says U.S. drills have pushed situation to 'extreme red-line' -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Feb 2 (Reuters) - North Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that joint drills by the United States and its allies have pushed the situation to an "extreme red-line" and threaten to turn the peninsula into a "huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone." "This is a vivid expression of the U.S. dangerous scenario which will result in turning the Korean peninsula into a huge war arsenal and a more critical war zone," the North Korean statement said. More than 28,500 American troops are based in South Korea as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Last year, North Korea conducted a record number of ballistic missile tests, which are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions. "The combined air drills this time show the U.S.' will and capabilities to provide strong and credible extended deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday stepped up sanctions against the Wagner Group, labeling the Russian mercenary company fighting in Ukraine as a transnational criminal organization responsible for widespread human rights abuses. The U.S. Treasury Department, as part of action targeting dozens of people and entities in an effort to degrade Russia's ability to wage the war, said it designated Wagner Group as a "significant transnational criminal organization" on Thursday. It had previously designated Wagner under its Russia and Ukraine sanctions programs. "These images were gathered in order to enable Wagner combat operations in Ukraine," Treasury said. He said the United States assesses Wagner has about 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 40,000 convicts recruited from Russian prisons.

☆ Russia's Wagner chief writes to White House over new U.S. sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 21 (Reuters) - The head of the Russian private military contractor Wagner published on Saturday a short letter to the White House asking what crime his company was accused of, after Washington announced new sanctions on the group. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday that Wagner, which has been supporting Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine and claiming credit for battlefield advances, would be designated a significant Transnational Criminal Organization. Kirby called Wagner "a criminal organization that is committing widespread atrocities and human rights abuses". Last month, the White House said Wagner had taken delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. Washington had already imposed curbs on trade with Wagner in 2017 and again in December in an attempt to restrict its access to weaponry.

REUTERS/Igor Russak/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - The United States will impose additional sanctions next week against Russian private military company the Wagner Group, which U.S. officials say has been helping Russia's military in the Ukraine war, the White House said on Friday. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. Treasury Department will designate Wagner as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization. Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin last month denied taking delivery of arms from North Korea and characterized the report as "gossip and speculation." Kirby said Russian President Vladimir Putin has been increasingly turning to Wagner for military support, causing some tensions in Moscow. "Wagner is becoming a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries."

☆ Canada condemns N.Korean arms sale to Russia's Wagner Group -statement
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Canada on Friday condemned what it said were North Korean arms deliveries to Russia, saying Pyongyang's transaction with the private military company the Wagner Group "clearly violates international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions." "We will continue to work with international partners to address these developments and respond to further arms deliveries should they take place," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said in a statement. North Korea's foreign ministry, in a statement, has denied that it has supplied munitions to Russia but did not make any mention of Wagner. The United States on Thursday said North Korea had completed an initial arms delivery to the Wagner Group to help bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, confirming news first reported by Reuters. Reporting by Steve Scherer in Ottawa; writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea fires missile amid tension over Russia arms aid
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A North Korean flag flies above the North Korean embassy in Beijing on February 12, 2013. North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the sea off its east coast on Friday, the South Korean military said, the latest in an unprecedented number of missile tests this year. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the missiles were fired from the Sunan area of North Korean capital Pyongyang. Pyongyang's foreign ministry on Friday also denied a Japanese media report on munitions shipments to Russia, calling it "groundless". Tokyo Shimbun reported that North Korea had shipped artillery shells and other munitions to Russia via train last month, with additional shipments expected in coming weeks.

☆ North Korea denies media report it supplied munitions to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Dec 23 (Reuters) - North Korea's foreign ministry denied a media report it supplied munitions to Russia, calling it "groundless," and denounced the United States for providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, the North's official KCNA news agency reported on Friday. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun reported earlier that North Korea had shipped munitions, including artillery shells, to Russia via train through their border last month and that additional shipments were expected in the coming weeks. The North Korean foreign ministry statement did not make any mention of Wagner. South Korea's foreign ministry said on Thursday they have been monitoring North Korea's activities amid concerns over possible arms transactions with Russia. In a separate statement, the North Korean foreign ministry also slammed the United States' attempt to issue a U.N. Security Council presidential statement on its latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch.

☆ North Korea fires more missiles as U.S. flies bombers over South
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The South Korean military said two B-1B bombers trained with four U.S. F-16 fighter jets and four South Korean F-35 jets during the last day of the "Vigilant Storm" joint air force drills that wraps up Saturday. It said North Korea will respond with the "toughest counteraction" to any attempts by "hostile forces" to infringe on its sovereignty or security interests. South Korea also on Friday scrambled about 80 military aircraft after tracking about 180 flights by North Korean warplanes inside North Korean territory. North Korea has launched dozens of ballistic missiles this year, including multiple ICBMs and an intermediate-range missile flown over Japan. South Korean officials say there are indications North Korea in coming weeks could detonate its first nuclear test device since 2017.

☆ South Korea issues an air raid alert after North Korea fires three missiles toward the sea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

South Korea issued an emergency alert after North Korea fired missiles toward the eastern sea boundary. The escalation comes hours after North Korea issued a veiled threat toward the US and South Korea. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired the three short-range ballistic missiles Wednesday morning from its eastern coastal area of Wonsan. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an initial statement that North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward sea Wednesday, but offered no further details like how far it flew. The White House on Tuesday pushed back against North Korea's saber rattling, reiterating that drills are part of a routine training schedule with South Korea.

☆ North Korea says U.S.-South Korea drills 'can no longer be tolerated'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] 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 PhotoWASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday again demanded that the United States and South Korea halt joint military exercises, saying such "rashness and provocation can be no longer tolerated," while the White House said concern remains high about the potential for a North Korean nuclear test. In denouncing the drills in a statement carried by North Korea's official news agency, Pak Jong Chon, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, warned the United States and South Korea against any attempt to attack. North Korea's foreign ministry on Monday demanded an end to the drills, saying they could draw "more powerful follow-up measures" from Pyongyang. North Korea and South Korea remain technically at war since an armistice agreement ended fighting in the 1950-1953 Korean War.

☆ North Korea demands the U.S., South Korea halt joint military drills
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday demanded that the United States and South Korea stop large-scale military exercises, calling them a provocation that may draw "more powerful follow-up measures" from Pyongyang. The United States and South Korea began one of their largest combined military air drills on Monday, with hundreds of warplanes from both sides staging mock attacks 24 hours a day for the better part of a week. read moreThe foreign ministry statement said North Korea was "ready to take all necessary measures for defending its sovereignty, people's security and territorial integrity from outside military threats." North Korea condemns the joint drills as a rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul. read moreAsked if the United States would eventually recognize North Korea as such, Price replied: "That is not our policy.

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