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☆ South Koreans mourn as country’s first celebrity panda, Fu Bao, heads to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Fu Bao fandomBorn to parents Ai Bao and Le Bao in July 2020 as part of China’s “panda diplomacy” program, Fu Bao is South Korea’s first naturally-bred panda. Some South Koreans said Fu Bao provided them with moments of joy during the pandemic. In one video, Fu Bao clings tightly to Kang’s leg, unwilling to let go, as he spins gently around the room. The other short video shows Fu Bao clinging to Kang’s arm while relaxing on a wooden bench. Once Fu Bao departs for China, there will be four giant pandas left at Everland – Fu Bao’s mother Ai Bao, father Le Bao, and their twin babies Rui Bao and Hui Bao, who were born last July.

Persons: Fu Bao, Fu, Fu Bao’s, Ai Bao, Le Bao, ”, you’re, zookeeper, grandpa, Kang Chul, ” Kang, 판다월드, Everland, Rui Bao, Hui Bao Organizations: CNN, South Korea’s, South, YouTube, China Conservation and Research Center, Samsung, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: South, Yongin city, South Korea, China, Everland, Sichuan Province

☆ 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, “

Tottenham Hotspur striker Son Heung-min secured the exemption after his Korean team won gold at the last Games in Jakarta in 2018. K-pop star Suga, songwriter and rapper for the boy band supergroup BTS, began the enlistment process for mandatory military service last month, making him the third BTS member to go off to perform the military duty. The military service law was amended several years ago to allow selected K-pop megastars to defer their service to aged 30, but not to avoid it entirely, with a large section of the population against giving stars like BTS special treatment. "We have players (in the current squad) who have been exempt from military service by winning gold medals in past editions of the games, but... we also several players who have not yet avoided military service. "But of course, because a gold medal gives one an exemption, and we have many who haven't done their service yet... we should perform at our best and get the gold."

Persons: Lee, Kelley L Cox, Son Heung, Kwon, Suga, Faker, Lee Sang, Baek, chul, Kim Woomin, I’m, ” Kim, Choo Il Seung, I'm, Heo Hoon, Martin Quin Pollard, Eduardo Baptista, Ian Ransom, Toby Davis Organizations: DRX, League of, Chase Center, USA, Rights, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, North, Asian Games, Tottenham Hotspur, Korean, BTS, League, China, Qatar, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, USA, Rights HANGZHOU, China, North Korea, South, Jakarta, Korea, Hangzhou, Qatar, Beijing

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

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

After receiving their silver medal in the men's team 10m running target, their country's first of the Games, the three North Korean athletes first broke with tradition by declining to turn towards the flag during the rendition of the national anthem of the winners, South Korea. Then, during the customary group photo, where all medal winners bunch together for the cameras, the bronze medallists, Indonesia, joined South Korea on the top rung of the podium, but the three North Koreans, Kwon Kwang-il, Pak Myong-won and Songjun Yu, did not. During a brief, but awkward delay one of the South Koreans tapped one of the North Koreans on the shoulder and tried to speak to them, but the North Koreans kept silent and did not even look to their left where their rivals stood. The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the two sides are still technically at war.

Persons: Jeong, Kwon Kwang, Pak Myong, Songjun Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Sports Centre, North, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Koreans, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, South Korea, Indonesia, North Koreans, North Korea, Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo

☆ North Korea's Kim blasts 'irresponsible' top officials for flood damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives a field guidance in South Pyongan Province, North Korea, in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on August 21, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Aug 22 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has lashed out at top officials for their "irresponsible" response to flood damage, saying they had "spoiled" the national economy, state media reported on Tuesday. Such irresponsibility and lack of discipline from officials is "mainly attributable to the feeble work attitude and wrong viewpoint of the premier of the cabinet," Kim said. This week's visit is the latest in a series of inspections the North Korean leader has made of flood-hit farmlands amid mounting concerns over a food crisis in the reclusive country. Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at South Korea's Kyungnam University, said Kim's harsh criticism could herald a cabinet reshuffle.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong, Kim, KCNA, Kim Tok Hun, Kim Tok, Lim Eul, Lim, Soo, hyang Choi, Miral Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North Korean, Korea's Kyungnam University, Thomson Locations: South Pyongan Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL

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

☆ 4 South Korean airlines will give emergency exit seats to uniformed workers in a new scheme after a passenger opened a door 700 feet in the air
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Asiana Airlines passenger made headlines in May as he opened an emergency exit in mid-air. Now, four South Korean airlines are trying to prevent this happening again, per The Korean Times. In May, an Asiana Airlines flight was coming in to land when a passenger opened the emergency exit door at an altitude of 700 feet, minutes before landing. The newspaper reports that uniformed personnel including police officers, soldiers, firefighters, and airline employees, will have priority for seats in the emergency exit row. Park told reporters it would apply to 94 seats in 38 aircraft operated by Asiana Airlines, Air Seoul, Air Busan and Aero K Airlines.

Persons: hyperventilation Organizations: Asiana Airlines, Korean Times, Morning, Korea Times, Guardian, Power Party, Air, Air Busan, Aero K Airlines, Los Angeles International Airport Locations: Air Seoul, Bulgaria

SEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) - Tourists should expect far stricter supervision if visits to the border between North and South Korea resume, analysts said, after U.S. soldier Travis King used an organised tour to get close enough to dash across to North Korea last week. The U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC), which oversees the area, has indefinitely suspended all JSA tours after King's unauthorised crossing. Not all DMZ tours stop at the JSA, which is the only spot where visitors can step up to and even briefly over the border into the North. Visiting JSA is free of charge for South Korean nationals, but the tour King was on started at $180, according to a Tripadvisor listing. King's case would be the first successful border crossing by a JSA tourist ever, Zwetsloot said.

Persons: Travis King, King, Andrew Harrison, I've, Jacco Zwetsloot, Zwetsloot, we'll, Lim Eul, Banning, Lim, Harrison, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: U.S . Army, Joint Security Area, United Nations Command, UNC, JSA, NK, South, North, Kyungnam University, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North, South Korea, Korea, Panmunjom, Washington, The U.S, Seoul

☆ Factbox: A look at Americans held in the past in North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here are some other Americans held in the past by North Korea. - The last American detained by North Korea was Bruce Byron Lowrance, who was caught after entering from China in October 2018. -Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American missionary, returned to the United States in November 2014 after being imprisoned in North Korea for two years. North Korean media said Park confessed to entering the state illegally and had changed his mind about North Korea after being treated kindly there. - In 1996, Evan Hunziker, then 26, was held for three months in North Korea on spying charges.

Persons: Donald Trump, Tony Kim, Kim Hak, Kim Dong, Jonathan Ernst, Bruce Byron Lowrance, Kim Jong, Otto Warmbier, Joseph Yun, Mike Pompeo, Kim, Kim Sang, Euna Lee, Laura Ling, Bill Clinton, Kenneth Bae, Matthew Todd Miller, Bae, Miller, Robert Park, Aijalon Mahli Gomes, Jimmy Carter, Gomes, Evan Hunziker, Hunziker, Bill Richardson, Thomas Hubbard, Bobby Hall, David Brunnstrom, Matt Spetalnick, Alistair Bell Organizations: Base Andrews, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, North, CIA, U.S . State Department, U.S, Korean, Pyongyang University of Science and Technology, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Base Andrews , Maryland, U.S, North, Washington, China, North Korean, United States, Ohio, Pyongyang, American, Korean, Korea, Boston, South Korea

☆ North Korean media blames U.S., allies for Ukraine war ahead of invasion anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 23 (Reuters) - North Korean state media marked the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine by blaming the crisis on NATO and calling America's involvement a "trail to self-destruction." The Ukraine war, the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War Two, has displaced millions, left Ukrainian cities, towns and villages in ruins and disrupted the global economy. North Korea has forged closed ties to Russia since the war began, publicly supporting Moscow in statements as well as at the United Nations. "The current situation in Ukraine once again proves that there can be no peace in the world at any time unless the United States' policy of force, tyranny, and greedy aggression... is ended." The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia, which both Moscow and Pyongyang have denied.

[1/2] AI chip startup Rebellions co-founder and chief executive Park Sunghyun works at the company headquarters in Seongnam, South Korea February 2023. SEOUL Feb 13 (Reuters) - South Korean startup Rebellions Inc launches an artificial intelligence (AI) chip on Monday, racing to win government contracts as Seoul seeks a place for local companies in the exploding AI industry. "But it's not set in stone because AI chips can carry out different functions and there aren't set boundaries or metrics." A100 is the most popular chip for AI workloads, powerful enough to create - in industry lingo, "train" - the AI models. Rebellions declined to give a forecast for its AI chip venture.

☆ South Korean police blame fatal Halloween crush on lack of preparation, poor response
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of tributes at a memorial at the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Jan 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's police on Friday said a lack of preparations and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people. "Misjudgement of the situation, delay in sharing information and lack of cooperation among related agencies accumulated to cause large casualties," Sohn told reporters. The investigation team has referred 23 people, including the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prosecutors. The bereaved families and opposition lawmakers have criticised the police investigation for failing to hold top officials accountable.

☆ After embarrassing incursion by North Korean drones, South Korea vows to speed up work on its own stealth drones
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Hyung-Jin Kim | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

North Korean drones flew into South Korean for the first time in five years on Monday. A local county office sent emergency text messages notifying residents of a new batch of North Korean drones. South Korean TV footage of a North Korean drone on December 26. It was the first time North Korean drones entered South Korean airspace since 2017. South Korean Defence Ministry/Getty ImagesOn Monday, South Korea sent its own surveillance assets, apparently unmanned drones, across the border as corresponding steps against the North Korean drone flights.

☆ North Korea says it tested 'high-thrust solid-fuel motor' for apparent ICBM development
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A view of a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor" test to develop a new strategic weapon, at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in Tongchang-ri, North Korea, December 15, 2022, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, Dec 16 (Reuters) - North Korea has tested a "high-thrust solid-fuel motor", state media reported on Friday, as the isolated country seeks to develop a new strategic weapon and speeds up its nuclear and missile programmes. The static firing test proved the motor's reliability and stability, providing a "guarantee for the development of another new-type strategic weapon system", KCNA added. North Korea has been working to build more solid-fuel missiles, which are more stable and can be launched with almost no warning or preparation time. North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year, including an ICBM capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, despite international bans and sanctions.

☆ North Korea launches 23 missiles as Kim Jong Un climbs the 'escalation ladder'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Stella Kim | Jennifer Jett | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

North Korea's provocations on Wednesday, while highly symbolic, are "more for show than for military escalation," he told NBC News. Hours before firing its first missiles, North Korea threatened the United States and South Korea over joint military exercises continuing this week that the North considers a rehearsal for invasion. Yoon's office said the timing of the North Korean launches "clearly showed the nature of the North Korean government." Over the course of the day, North Korea fired at least 23 ballistic missiles toward the sea. But Russia and China are also wary of North Korea and its unpredictability, Foster-Carter said.

☆ Home to 28,000 U.S. troops, S.Korea unlikely to avoid a Taiwan conflict
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

China is South Korea's largest economic partner, and Seoul could find itself on the literal front lines of any regional military conflict. But when asked whether South Korea will help the United States if China attacks Taiwan, Yoon did not directly answer. South Korean troops fought alongside Americans in Vietnam and supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but questions of future involvement are up to South Korea alone, LaCamera said. In response, South Korean Vice Defence Minister Shin Beom-chul told broadcaster MBC that there had been no such discussions between Washington and Seoul. Cho said North Korea could support China in a Taiwan conflict by launching an attack on South Korea, or simply use the conflict as a chance to push forward with its nuclear or missile development.

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