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☆ Russia's Lavrov to arrive in North Korea as cooperation deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks during a news conference following talks with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Moscow, Russia, October 9, 2023. Sergei Ilnitsky/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to arrive in Pyongyang on Wednesday for meetings seen as setting the stage for a visit by President Vladimir Putin, who has stepped up cooperation with politically isolated North Korea. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Lavrov may brief the North Koreans on the results of Putin's visit to China, as well as discuss the standing invitation to visit Pyongyang. U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim on Tuesday called relations between North Korea and Russia "worrying," after the White House said last week Pyongyang recently provided Russia with weapons. The two ships had moved several hundred containers to and from a port in North Korea since August, the RUSI report said.

Persons: Sergei Lavrov, General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Sergei Ilnitsky, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Putin, Lavrov, North Korea Sung Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Josh Smith, Lidia Kelly, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Russian, Arab League, Rights, North, Russia's TASS, Special, U.S, Kremlin, Royal United Services Institute, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, North Korea, Ukraine, Koreans, China, U.S, Korean, Melbourne

☆ South Korea to hold largest defence show in bid to boost global sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] South Korea's K-2 tank is displayed at the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) in Seongnam, South Korea, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Josh Smith Acquire Licensing RightsSEONGNAM, South Korea, Oct 16 (Reuters) - South Korea will kick off its largest-ever defence exhibition this week, as the country seeks to turbocharge its arms sales and showcase a rare appearance by a U.S. nuclear-capable bomber. "This is an opportunity for Korea's defence industry to draw international attention and take a giant leap forward," Lee said. At a South Korean military airbase south of Seoul on Monday, exhibitors made final preparations as participants in early events wandered among South Korean and U.S. military vehicles and warplanes on the tarmac, including advanced American stealth F-22 and F-35 aircraft. Under Yoon, South Korea and the United States have stepped up displays of strength, particularly U.S. nuclear-capable assets, in an effort to deter North Korea.

Persons: Josh Smith, Lee Jong, Lee, Yoon Suk Yeol, Charles Cameron, Yoon Organizations: Aerospace, Defense, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Seoul International Aerospace, South, South Korean, U.S . Air Force, Thomson Locations: Seongnam, South Korea, Rights SEONGNAM, Seoul, U.S, Poland, South Korean, American, United States, North Korea, South, Korean, Ukraine

☆ 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 to Hold Largest Defence Show in Bid to Boost Global Sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Josh SmithSEONGNAM, South Korea (Reuters) - South Korea will kick off its largest-ever defence exhibition this week, as the country seeks to turbocharge its arms sales and showcase a rare appearance by a U.S. nuclear-capable bomber. "This is an opportunity for Korea's defence industry to draw international attention and take a giant leap forward," Lee said. South Korea has been roughly ninth in the world for defence exports in recent years, but President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for it to improve. At a South Korean military airbase south of Seoul on Monday, exhibitors made final preparations as participants in early events wandered among South Korean and U.S. military vehicles and warplanes on the tarmac, including advanced American stealth F-22 and F-35 aircraft. Under Yoon, South Korea and the United States have stepped up displays of strength, particularly U.S. nuclear-capable assets, in an effort to deter North Korea.

Persons: Josh Smith, Lee Jong, Lee, Yoon Suk Yeol, Charles Cameron, Yoon Organizations: Reuters, U.S, Seoul International Aerospace, Defense, South, South Korean, U.S . Air Force Locations: Josh Smith SEONGNAM, South Korea, Seoul, U.S, Poland, South Korean, American, United States, North Korea, South, Korean, Ukraine

Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, as seen from near Israel's border with Gaza in southern Israel, October 12, 2023. Military experts said this week that photos from the conflict showed Hamas militants may be using North Korean weapons, including possible F-7 rocket-propelled grenades. The North's official KCNA news agency called the claims of its weapons being used in the attacks "a groundless and false rumour". U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on Thursday said he could not confirm the reports about the source of the rockets being used by Hamas. North Korea's state media earlier this week blamed Israel for causing bloodshed in Gaza.

Persons: Amir Cohen, Israel, Bruce Bechtol, Joost Oliemans, Stijn Mitzer, John Kirby, Kirby, Jack Kim, Michael Perry Organizations: Rockets, REUTERS, Rights, North, Angelo State University in, Israeli Defense Force, . National Security, United, Palestinian, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Israel's, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Washington, Angelo State University in Texas, Iran, Syria, United States, Korean

☆ North Korea's Next Spy Satellite Launch Attempt May Come in October -Think Tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Hyunsu YimSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will try this month to launch a spy satellite, a Seoul-based think tank said, the third attempt after two previous launches failed soon after liftoff. The previous two launches came soon after the G7 summit and the trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan and South Korea, respectively, KINU noted. In both cases, North Korea notified international maritime authorities of a window during which they expected to launch the rocket. North Korea's rocket programs are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit its use of ballistic missile technology. Russia and North Korea have not elaborated on what their future space cooperation might entail, but analysts say such efforts risk violating the resolutions and sanctions.

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, KINU, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korea Institute for National, U.S, United Nations Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, North Korea, Seoul, China, Russia, South Korea, United States, Korean, Pyongyang, Japan

☆ Travis King: What happened to other US soldiers who defected to North Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sarah Leslie/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody after North Korea expelled him into China, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, following rare diplomatic cooperation between the U.S., North Korea and China. A U.S. military spokesman later said an investigation indicated that White crossed into North Korea of his own free will. In a video released by the North, White denounced the United States and praised North Korea and its then leader Kim Il-Sung. - Charles Robert Jenkins walked into North Korea when on patrol on the DMZ in 1965. - James Joseph Dresnok was a 21-year old U.S. army private stationed in South Korea in 1962 when he fled to the North.

Persons: Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Travis King, Joseph T, White, Kim Il, Charles Robert Jenkins, Jenkins, Hitomi Soga, Soga, James Joseph Dresnok, Dresnok, Jerry Wayne Parrish, Larry Allen Abshier, Kim Jong, Dresnok's, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Chizu Organizations: Security Area, REUTERS, U.S, North, Korea Times, United Nations Command, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Panmunjom, South Korea, U.S, North Korea, China, China . U.S, Pyongyang, United States, Vietnam, Japan, Korean

☆ Factbox-Travis King: What Happened to Other US Soldiers Who Defected to North Korea?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody after North Korea expelled him into China, U.S. officials said on Wednesday, following rare diplomatic cooperation between the U.S., North Korea and China. A U.S. military spokesman later said an investigation indicated that White crossed into North Korea of his own free will. In a video released by the North, White denounced the United States and praised North Korea and its then leader Kim Il-Sung. - Charles Robert Jenkins walked into North Korea when on patrol on the DMZ in 1965. - James Joseph Dresnok was a 21-year old U.S. army private stationed in South Korea in 1962 when he fled to the North.

Persons: Travis King, Joseph T, White, Kim Il, Charles Robert Jenkins, Jenkins, Hitomi Soga, Soga, James Joseph Dresnok, Dresnok, Jerry Wayne Parrish, Larry Allen Abshier, Kim Jong, Dresnok's, Josh Smith, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: Reuters, U.S, North, Korea Times, United Nations Command, Washington Post Locations: U.S, North Korea, China, China . U.S, South Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Vietnam, Japan, Korean

Those talks were suspended amid legal, diplomatic, and trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo over issues dating to Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. A senior South Korean government official said China has been proactive in seeking trilateral cooperation and arranging meetings since relations soured between Seoul and Beijing in 2017 over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Tuesday's meeting involve South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a briefing on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea are close neighbours and important cooperative partners, and strengthening trilateral cooperation serves their common interests. The trilateral summits have traditionally involved China's prime minister, but South Korea is also pushing for a separate visit by President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Park Jin, Japan Takehiro Funakoshi, Foreign Affairs of China Nong Rong, Jung Byung, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Chung Byung, Takehiro Funakoshi, Nong Rong, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Josh Smith, Hyonhee, Liz Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korean Foreign, Foreign Affairs, Japan, Foreign Affairs of, Political Affairs, South Korean, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Thomson Locations: Foreign Affairs of China Nong, SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ South Korea Hosts Japan, China as US Allies Try to Reassure Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

A senior South Korean government official said China has been proactive in seeking trilateral cooperation and arranging meetings since relations soured between Seoul and Beijing in 2017 over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Japan and South Korea have an interest in avoiding conflicts and maintaining a stable security relationship with China, and Beijing's assistance in slowing down, if not halting, North Korea's extensive nuclear development program, he added. Tuesday's meeting involve South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a briefing on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea are close neighbours and important cooperative partners, and strengthening trilateral cooperation serves their common interests. The trilateral summits have traditionally involved China's prime minister, but South Korea is also pushing for a separate visit by President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Chung Byung, Takehiro Funakoshi, Nong Rong, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Hyonhee, Liz Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korean, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ Analysis: South Korea's Yoon rails against domestic critics as ‘communists’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the ASEAN-South Korea Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 6, 2023. In South Korea, the label of communist carries higher stakes than in many Western democracies with the ongoing threat from ostensibly communist North Korea and Cold War-era laws that effectively ban activities deemed related to communism. “There is a legitimacy problem for Yoon in the sense that the gap between popular opinion in South Korea and what is being pursued internationally is increasing," Gray said. In a speech earlier this month, Yoon said South Korea's freedom is "under constant threat" from "communist totalitarian and anti-state forces" who are critical of South Korea's deepening ties with the U.S. and Japan. "The president keeps emphasizing the threat from communist forces which don't exist," a spokesperson for the Democratic Party said at a briefing last week.

Persons: Yoon Suk, yeol, Tatan, Yoon's, Yoon, Kevin Gray, Gray, Andrew Yeo, Yeo, Benjamin Engel, Engel, Rhee Jong, " Rhee, Rhee, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: South, ASEAN, South Korea Summit, Association of, Southeast Asian Nations, Rights, U.S, University of Sussex, Liberation, Democratic Party, Gallup, Brookings Institution, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, National Security, Seoul National University, Thomson Locations: South Korean, Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Tokyo, Seoul

☆ North Korean athletes to participate in the Asian Games in China, KCNA reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 16 (Reuters) - North Korean athletes have left Pyongyang for the Asian Games on Thursday that will take place in China, marking the first international, multisport event that North Korea has participated in since the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia. The Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, a year after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. KCNA did not mention the size of the team or athletes' travel routes. North Korea closed its borders to nearly all travel in early 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics due to coronavirus concerns. In August, North Korean taekwondo athletes participated in the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) World Championships in Kazakhstan, the first appearance by the country's athletes at an overseas competition since the start of the pandemic.

Persons: KCNA, Heekyong Yang, Josh Smith, Sandra Maler Organizations: Asian Games, Tokyo, North, International, International Olympic Committee, Beijing Winter Games, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Pyongyang, China, Korea, Indonesia, Hangzhou, North Korea, North Korean, Kazakhstan, Tokyo

☆ Russia-North Korea summit: "Comrades" Putin and Kim send rivals a warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Discussions of any open violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea would signal that major international agencies will be paralysed, said Andrei Lankov, a Korea expert at Seoul's Kookmin University. The summit is an indicator that North Korea-related Security Council resolutions are dead, as are all attempts to stop North Korea or penalise it for having a nuclear program, he said. UKRAINE FACTORLankov also said that Russia may be unlikely to provide North Korea with advanced technology that it could eventually lose control of. If Russia, North Korea and China feel that they are threatened, it makes sense they would seek to support each other through partnerships or even alliances to counter the United States. "It's just difficult for me to imagine that Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin can trust each other enough for a real long term concerted alliance formation," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Duyeon Kim, Leif, Eric Easley, Andrei Lankov, Lankov, Mason Richey, Jinping, Josh Smith, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Vostochny, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Center, New, New American Security, Ewha University, U.S, Seoul's Kookmin University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, SEOUL, Russia's, U.S, Ukraine, North Korea, New American, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Northeast Asia, China, South Korea, Korea, UKRAINE, Kyiv, Poland, United States

☆ North Korea fires two ballistic missiles with leader Kim away in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, Sept 13 (Reuters) - North Korea fired two ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Japanese Coast Guard said on Wednesday, just hours before leader Kim Jong Un was expected to meet President Vladimir Putin in Russia. It was the first such launch to occur while Kim was abroad for a rare trip, analysts said. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that Japan had lodged a protest against North Korea through diplomatic channels in Beijing. The nuclear-armed North has conducted regular launches of everything from short-range and cruise missiles to massive intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that can strike the continental United States. In 2018 and 2019 he visited China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and Russia in nine separate trips, but his current visit in Russia is the first since then.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Hirokazu Matsuno, Kim didn’t, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim, Tom Hogue, Christian Schmollinger, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, Japanese Coast Guard, Japan's Coast Guard, North, United Nations, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, South, Russia, Japan, Beijing, United States, China, Moscow, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Seoul, Tokyo

Russia's President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting at the Vostochny Сosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13, 2023. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's formal name. At the opening of the meeting with Putin, Kim said it was an unwavering position of the North to further develop its traditional friendship and ties with Russia. Russian media said Putin showed Kim around the building where Russia's new space launch rocket, the Angara, is assembled. Humanitarian aid to North Korea and U.N. Security Council resolutions imposed on Pyongyang may also be discussed, Russian officials have said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Smirnov, Kim, Putin, Kim Jong, Moscow, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, KCNA, Jo Chun Ryong, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Soo, hyang Choi, Lidia Kelly, Guy Faulconbridge, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, North, DPRK, Democratic People's, Russia, Kremlin, Vostochny, Munitions Industry, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, North Korea, South Korea, MOSCOW, SEOUL, Washington, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North, Moscow, Ukraine, Pyongyang, Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's, South, United States, Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne

☆ How could Russia help North Korea build a satellite?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The unprecedented visit comes as North Korea seeks to put its first spy satellite into orbit, an effort that has seen two failed attempts this year. Here's what we know about North Korea's race for space, why it's so controversial, and how Russia might help:WHY DOES NORTH KOREA WANT A SATELLITE? Seoul said the satellite had little military value, though analysts said any working satellite in space would provide North Korea with better intelligence on its enemies. At the time of the 2016 space launch, North Korea had yet to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). "Any form of satellite technology transfers or coordination between Russia and North Korea could be against international sanctions," he said.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Mikhail Metzel, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Pyongyang’s, Brian Weeden, Putin's, Lee Choon Geun, Lee, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, North Korean, TASS, Secure, Foundation, United Nations, North, Vostochny, Korea's Science, Technology Policy Institute, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Kremlin, Rights SEOUL, Pyongyang, Korea, North, North Korea, South Korea, Seoul, U.S, United States

☆ Inside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's armoured train
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves from a private train as he departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. It is unclear how many trains North Korean leaders have used over the years, but Ahn Byung-min, a South Korean expert on North Korean transportation, said multiple trains were needed for security reasons. "Even if it is slow, train is safer and more comfortable than anything else for a North Korean leader," Ahn said. In the 2002 book "Orient Express", Russian official Konstantin Pulikovsky described a three-week journey to Moscow by Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. The wheels of Kim Jong Un's train must be changed in Russia or a North Korean station bordering Russia, because the two countries use different rail gauges, Ahn said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Ahn Byung, Ahn, " Ahn, Konstantin Pulikovsky, Kim Jong Il, Georgy Toloraya, Toloraya, Kim Il Sung, Kim's, Kim family's, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, NK News, WHO, THE, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, China, Vietnam, Korean, North Korean, Moscow, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Paris, Russian, Koreans

☆ How Kim Jong Un’s meeting with Putin could shake up North Korea-Russia relations
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. “North Korea has basically been on its own, without any true allies,” said Artyom Lukin of Russia's Far Eastern Federal University. Early in his rule, Kim's relations with Beijing and Moscow were chilly, with both countries joining international sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and missile programs. The few reports in Chinese state media have referred only to official statements from Russia and North Korea on the meeting. "Trust is so low among Russia, North Korea, and China that a real alliance of the three isn’t credible or sustainable."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Donald Trump, ”, Artyom Lukin, Russia's, Xi, John Delury, Kim Il Sung, Leif, Eric Easley, Easley, Josh Smith, Martin Quin Pollard, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, China -, Eastern Federal University, Studies, Yonsei University, Ewha University, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Moscow, Beijing, North Korea's, China, Ukraine, South Korea, Japan, China - U.S, Korea, United States, Russian, Vladivostok, Seoul

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by government officials, departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied that North Korea would supply arms to Russia, which has expended vast stocks of weapons in more than 18 months of war. "The presence of Jo Chun Ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Center. The U.S. State Department said any transfer of arms from North Korea to Russia would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions, which ban any arms transactions with North Korea. Russia had voted, along with China, to approve Security Council resolutions as late as 2017 punishing North Korea for ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Peskov, Jo Chun Ryong, Michael Madden, Chang Ho, Matthew Miller, Sergei Shoigu, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Lidia Kelly, Steve Holland, Humeyra Pamuk, Jack Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Kyodo, South Korea's Defence, TASS, Eastern Economic, OF, North Korean, Munitions Industry, Stimson, . South Korean, The U.S . State Department, Department, Russian Defence, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, WASHINGTON, Washington, Khasan, South, China, Ukraine, Vladivostok, Moscow, Korea, The, Seoul, Tokyo, Melbourne

☆ Who is accompanying North Korea's Kim on trip to Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Top military commanders, arms industry officials and diplomats accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on his trip to Russia, hinting at a potentially defence-heavy agenda for meetings with President Vladimir Putin. North Korea did not name the members of the delegation, but analysts identified several key figures who appear to be accompanying Kim in photos released by state media on Tuesday. Overseeing North Korea's defence industry including its nuclear and missile programmes, Ri travelled to Russia with Kim's late father, Kim Jong Il, in 2011. An official at Seoul's Unification Ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs said Kim and Putin could explore ways to return North Korean labourers to Russia, banned under the U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Ri Pyong Chol, Ri, Kim's, Kim Jong Il, Marshal Pak Jong Chon, Pak, Jo Chun Ryong, Michael Madden, Putin, Jo, Kang Sun Nam, Madden, Choe Son Hui, Choe, Donald Trump, Kim Yo Jong, Su Yong, Pak Hun, Han Kwang Sang, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Central Military Commission, Marshal, Munitions Industry Department, Stimson, Jo . Defence, U.S, Seoul's Unification Ministry, . Security, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Washington, Vietnam

☆ Explainer-Inside North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un's Armoured Train
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

It is unclear how many trains North Korean leaders have used over the years, but Ahn Byung-min, a South Korean expert on North Korean transportation, said multiple trains were needed for security reasons. "Even if it is slow, train is safer and more comfortable than anything else for a North Korean leader," Ahn said. In the 2002 book "Orient Express", Russian official Konstantin Pulikovsky described a three-week journey to Moscow by Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's father and predecessor. The wheels of Kim Jong Un's train must be changed in Russia or a North Korean station bordering Russia, because the two countries use different rail gauges, Ahn said. The train was "a sweet home and an office," for Kim Jong Il, state television has said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Putin, Ahn Byung, Ahn, " Ahn, Konstantin Pulikovsky, Kim Jong Il, Georgy Toloraya, Toloraya, Kim Il Sung, Kim's, Kim family's, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, NK News, WHO, THE Locations: SEOUL, Russia, China, Vietnam, Korean, North Korean, Moscow, Bordeaux, Beaujolais, Paris, Russian, North Korea, Koreans

☆ North Korean ammunition could offer Russian troops flawed but useful support
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia on Tuesday for meetings with President Vladimir Putin, where U.S. officials say they expect both sides to pursue an arms deal. The White House has said Russia wants to buy "literally millions" of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea. Hinton told Reuters the question of quality in North Korean artillery shells could have an impact if flaws fall outside accepted tolerances. The performance of North Korea's artillery and crews has been suspect since the North Korean army fired around 170 shells at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong in 2010, killing four people. "However, it would matter if Korean ammunition is of such poor quality that it is just unsafe to use for Russian soldiers - there have been indications that such quality issues play with Korean ammunition," he added.

Persons: Danish Siddiqui, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Joseph Dempsey, Siemon Wezeman, Wezeman, Patrick Hinton, Hinton, Josh Smith, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Danish, Rights, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Western, North, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, British Army, Royal United Services Institute, Korean, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Stockholm, Korean, Yeonpyeong, Washington

[1/3] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by government officials, departs Pyongyang, North Korea, to visit Russia, September 10, 2023, in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 12, 2023. Kim left on Sunday in a trip that will include meetings with President Vladimir Putin, state news agency KCNA said. American officials, who first reported that the visit was imminent, say the discussions are likely to include a possible deal for North Korea to provide Russia with weapons for the war in Ukraine. Kim was accompanied by top government officials including military personnel, KCNA said. "The presence of Jo Chun Ryong indicates that North Korea and Russia will conclude some type of agreement for munitions purchases," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the Washington-based Stimson Center.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, Vladimir Putin, KCNA, Jo Chun Ryong, Michael Madden, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Hyunsu Yim, Josh Smith, Grant McCool, Stephen Coates Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Munitions Industry, Stimson, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, Russia, Rights SEOUL, Ukraine, Korea, Washington, Moscow

☆ North Korea marks founding day with parade, diplomatic exchanges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gestures as the civil defense military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is held in Pyongyang, September 8, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 9 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un marked the country's founding anniversary with a parade of paramilitary groups and diplomatic exchanges in which he vowed to deepen ties with China and Russia. Kim observed the parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang and held talks with a visiting Chinese delegation, state media KCNA reported on Saturday. "Most stakeholders in the region want to avoid a new Cold War, but this looks increasingly difficult as Beijing and Moscow prop up Pyongyang and North Korea aligns itself with China and Russia's challenges to the international order." North Korea supplements its already large military with various paramilitary, reserve, and security groups such as the army-affiliated Worker-Peasant Red Guards (WPRG).

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Kim Il, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Xi, Leif, Eric Easley, China's Xi, Russia's Putin, Putin, Jihoon Lee, Josh Smith, Sandra Maler, Stephen Coates, Michael Perry Organizations: Democratic People's, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ewha University, Guards, Thomson Locations: Democratic People's Republic, Korea, Pyongyang, Rights SEOUL, China, Russia, Northeast Asia, North Korea, India, Seoul, Beijing, Moscow, New Delhi, Ukraine

☆ Submarines, nuclear drones: Why is North Korea developing its navy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Josh Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea's navy has historically been dwarfed by the country's land forces, and overshadowed by its rapidly advancing ballistic missile program. Here is what we know about North Korea's navy and its latest advancements. HOW BIG IS NORTH KOREA'S NAVY? "The North Korean Naval Force possesses the capacity to carry out a surprise attack any time," the paper said. In March and April North Korea tested what it said was a nuclear-capable unmanned underwater attack weapon.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, Romeo, Vann Van Diepen, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Carnegie Endowment, International, Korean People's Navy, NAVY, Korean People's Army Naval Force, Korean, North Korean Naval Force, Naval, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Rights SEOUL, Korea, U.S, Pyongyang, Washington

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