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☆ How Fake Eyelashes Help Fund Kim Jong Un's Regime
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Lilian Manansala | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

North Koreans making false eyelashes generate millions for their country. The cheap, high-quality product is lucrative for the secretive country. Here's how it's sidestepping international sanctions.

☆ Trump former advisers sound the alarm that he praises despots in private and on the campaign trail
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

“He views himself as a big guy,” John Bolton, who served as national security adviser under Trump, told me. Trump lamented that Hitler, as Kelly recounted, maintained his senior staff’s “loyalty,” while Trump himself often did not. “He truly believed, when he brought us generals in, that we would be loyal — that we would do anything he wanted us to do,” Kelly told me. ‘Shocked that he didn’t have dictatorial-type powers’Trump’s former advisers say he most consistently lavished praise on Russian President Vladimir Putin. At a town hall organized by Fox News in July 2023, Trump said, “Think of President Xi: central casting, brilliant guy.

Persons: Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Adolf Hitler “, Putin, Kim, ”, John Kelly, “, Putin wouldn’t, Orbán, CNN's Jim Sciutto, ” Trump, he’s, autocrats, Trump, Powers, Kelly, ” John Bolton, Erdogan, anybody’s, ” Kelly, Hitler Trump, Hitler, ’, ‘, ’ ” Kelly, Mussolini, Hitler’s, Steven Cheung, “ John Kelly, John Bolton, Vladimir Putin, Bolton, ’ ”, Xi, Reuters “ Trump, Matthew Pottinger, Xi —, authoritarians, Joe Biden, ” Bolton, Biden Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hungarian, Mar, Republican, Trump, Nazi, North, KCNA, Reuters, Fox News, Fox, Russian, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Hungarian, North Korea, Europe, Turkey, Nazi Germany, Panmunjom, South Korea, Hollywood, France, Osaka, Japan, Anadolu, NATO, Ukraine

☆ North Korea showcases artillery that poses a deadly threat to the South
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea on Thursday showed off its long-range artillery systems, thousands of weapons that it could use to strike the South with little warning while causing tens of thousands of casualties, according to experts. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed both drills and was seen in photos provided by state media. North Korean artillery fires during large-scales exercises on March 7. Even retaliatory strikes by South Korea and the US would be difficult to execute, the report said. In January, Kim called the South the North’s “primary foe and invariable principal enemy” and ordered a reunification monument in the North Korean capital to be demolished.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, Kim, “, KCNA Kim, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korean, Korea’s Defense, Monday, North, Korean Central News Agency, Korean People's Army, South Korean Defense Ministry, Peninsula . Artillery, RAND Corp, RAND, ROK, DPRK, U.S, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Russia, Korean, Republic of Korea

☆ South Korea and US begin large annual military drills with eye on North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Brad Lendon | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea and the United States began their annual Freedom Shield joint military drills on Monday to bolster readiness against North Korea. The 11-day drills will integrate elements of “live exercises” with constructive simulations, according to United States Forces Korea (USFK) and South Korea’s Defense Ministry. North Korea has previously condemned US and South Korea joint military drills, but it has not yet made any official comment or response to the current exercises. In January, Kim called the South the North’s “primary foe and invariable principal enemy” and ordered a reunification monument in the North Korean capital to be demolished. Meanwhile, North Korea has fostered closer ties with Russia, providing Moscow with arms for its war in Ukraine.

Persons: Seoul’s, Lee Sung, jun, USFK, Kim Jong, Kim, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, United States, North, United States Forces, Korea’s Defense Ministry, Chiefs, Staff, South, CNN North Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, United States Forces Korea, Northeast Asia, Korea, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, East Asia, United States

☆ The US mocked Russia for its motley cast of allies in Ukraine. It's not laughing any more.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They didn't have the defensive positions prepared," RAND defense researcher Bruce W. Bennett told Business Insider. To work with North Korea, Putin has contravened UN Security Council resolutions he himself signed onto. "If Russia failed to achieve success in Ukraine, meaning it got pushed out of Ukraine, is Putin going to survive physically?" Operating like this "really emboldens North Korea, Iran, and any other autocratic state," said Sanner. AdvertisementIn supplying weapons, Kim Jong Un's regime is unlikely to be driven by a dislike of Ukraine, Bennett said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Bruce W, Bennett, Putin, State Anthony Blinken, Mark Milley, Grant Shapps, Beth Sanner, that's, Joseph Byrne, Kim Jong Un, John Herbst, Byrne, ALEXANDER KAZAKOV, Kim, Sergei Lavrov, Kim Jong, would've, Russia's, it's, we're Organizations: Service, RAND, Business, State, Joint Chiefs of Staff, UK Defence, Trump, Biden, Atlantic, Royal United Services Institute, REUTERS, Atlantic Council, Putin, Ukraine —, US, UN, New York Times, North Locations: Ukraine, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Komsomolsk, Khabarovsk Region, South Korea, Korea, Moscow, KCNA

☆ 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 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

☆ Tourists have returned to North Korea for the first time since the pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Lilit Marcus | Mayumi Maruyama | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

American college student Otto Warmbier was detained on a North Korea trip in 2016, allegedly for stealing a propaganda poster. Courtesy Elena BychcovaRussia and North Korea’s relationshipBefore the pandemic, the largest source of inbound tourists to North Korea wasn’t Russia – it was China. The Russian ski trippers were the first tourists allowed into the hermit kingdom since the pandemic, a sign of Russia’s increasing popularity in North Korea. Now, both say they would consider going to North Korea again someday – but only if the political situation changes. “I hope traveling will save the world.”Another Russian ski trip in North Korea is slated for March 2024.

Persons: Lena Bychcova couldn’t, —, kingdom’s, Kim Jong Un, Otto Warmbier, Bychcova, Ilya Voskresensky, grandpa, Voskresensky, “, KIM, JIN, Kim Won Jin, Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, ” Bychcova, Lena Bychcova, Elena Bychcova, Vladimir Putin, –, Bychcova doesn’t, ”, Kim, Putin, Anna Chernova, Mariya Knight Organizations: CNN, Koryo, ”, Getty, Intelligence, Ukraine, Korean, United, Russia, North Locations: Korea, Russian, North Korea, Tourism, United States, Pyongyang, Korean, Vladivostok, Soviet Russia, AFP, Elena Bychcova Russia, North, Russia, China, United Nations, Ukraine, Yekaterinburg, Ukrainian

☆ Putin looms over a third successive US election
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —“Russia, Russia, Russia.”Ex-President Donald Trump’s scathing catch phrase for a torrent of investigations during his administration also serves as an apt catch-all for the current meltdown over Moscow roiling US politics. But Russia and its leader, whom President Joe Biden described as a “crazy S.O.B.” at a Wednesday fundraiser, won’t go away. All the ways Putin is playing in US politicsPutin is advancing Russian interests against the US on multiple fronts. Putin recently formalized his warming ties with North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un by presenting him with a new limousine. The Russian leader was particularly incensed by the US-led operation to topple Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in 2011.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Donald Trump’s, Joe Biden, won’t, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Ukraine –, –, Alexander Smirnov, “, Trump, Smirnov, Biden, it’s, Putin can’t, ” Douglas, Alexey Navalny, Biden lambasts Trump, ” Biden, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, he’s, he’d, Mike Turner, Ksenia, Paul Whelan –, Evan Gershkovich, Geopolitically, Kim Jong Un, George W, Bush, Barack Obama, Moammar Gadhafi, Hillary Clinton, Robert Mueller, “ We’ll, Mueller Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, United States, European NATO, ”, Moscow, House Republicans, GOP, CIA, NATO, Republican Party, Republicans, Republican, Trump, Marine, Wall Street, Putin, Biden, US, Democratic Locations: Russia, Moscow, United States, China, Soviet, East Germany, United, Ukraine, Russian, European, Washington, Asia, Sweden, Finland, Berlin –, Europe, Ukrainian, California, North Korea, Iran, Crimea, Helsinki, Geneva

☆ Putin gifts car to Kim Jong Un in sign of ‘special personal relations,’ North Korean state media reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Russian-made car for Kim’s personal use was delivered Sunday by a Russian delegation, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agency TASS the car was an Aurus, the luxury automaker founded in 2018 to produce Russia’s official state cars. In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Putin — his first in more than 20 years. The North Korean leader is often seen being chauffeured in what’s believed to be a Mercedes-Maybach Pullman Guard armored limousine, worth upwards of $1 million. During Kim’s visit to Russia last September, Putin showed his Aurus limousine to the North Korean leader.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Dmitry Peskov, –, Kim Yo Jong, Putin, Putin —, Kim, “, ”, what’s, Royce, Donald Trump Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Korean, Korean Central News Agency, TASS, Pyongyang, CNN, Putin, North, Maybach Pullman Guard, Maybach S600 Guard, Washington -, Advanced Defense Locations: Seoul, South Korea, United States, Russian, North Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukraine, Netherlands, Washington, Singapore

☆ Report: North Korean missile fired by Russia against Ukraine contained US and European components
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A North Korean ballistic missile fired last month by the Russian military in Ukraine contained hundreds of components that trace back to companies in the US and Europe, according to a new report. Last year, as CNN previously reported, CAR determined that 82% of components inside Iranian-made attack drones fired by Russia inside Ukraine were made by US companies. Courtesy Conflict Armament ResearchThe research also shows that North Korea was able to produce the missile and ship it over to Russia quickly. More evidence of Russia, North Korea tiesThe White House confirmed last month that Russia has been firing North Korean missiles at Ukrainian cities. North Korea has also likely provided Russia with “millions of artillery rounds” over the last year, according to a report published last week by the Pentagon’s inspector general.

Persons: Biden, North Korea —, ”, Korea “, Kim Jong Un, John Kirby Organizations: CNN, Research, National Security Council, North, Congress, White House, Korean, Intelligence, CAR, North Korean, United Nations Security, “, National Security Locations: Korean, Russian, Ukraine, Europe, North Korea, Iran, Russia, Kharkiv, United States, Asia, US, China, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, American, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang

☆ Putin gave Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian car, deepening their war bromance and ignoring sanctions to do it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Putin gifted Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian car, defying UN sanctions. AdvertisementRussian President Vladimir Putin gifted North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian car, openly defying UN sanctions and strengthening the two leaders' close bond. "North Korea is our neighbor, our close neighbor, and we intend, and will continue, to develop our relations with all neighbors, including North Korea." AdvertisementWPK officials, including Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, accepted the car on his behalf on Sunday, state news outlet KCNA reported. This wouldn't be the first time Kim Jong Un has gotten around the sanctions.

Persons: Putin, Kim Jong, —, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Kim, Mikhail Svetlov, Peskov, Kim Yo Jong, Kamala Harris Organizations: Service, North, Reuters, Russia's Vostochny, Royce, Maybach, Lexus, Ukraine, Norway's Intelligence Service, US Army, Africa Command, NATO, Munich Locations: North Korea, Russia's, Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome, Korea, Russia, China, Belarus, Iran, Europe, Ukraine, Africa, Germany

☆ 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, “

☆ North Korea Leader's Sister Says Japan PM's Comments Positive - KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said there is no impediment to closer ties with Japan and there may come a day Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visits Pyongyang, state news agency KCNA said on Thursday. Kishida, whose nation has no formal diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, has said he was exploring possibilities to meet North Korea's leader to resolve the matter of Japanese civilians abducted in the 1970s and 1980s. Kim Yo Jong, a deputy department director in the ruling Workers' Party, said Kishida's comments could be considered positive if meant to advance relations. Japan has been critical of North Korea's pursuit of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, often drawing harsh rebukes from Pyongyang, especially as Tokyo stepped up its security alliance with South Korea and the United States. Kim is widely considered the closest confidant and adviser to her brother on external policy matters.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Fumio Kishida, KCNA, Kishida, Kim Yo Jong, Kim, Jack Kim, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: North, Workers ' Party Locations: SEOUL, Japan, Pyongyang, Tokyo, South Korea, United States

Some experts say Kim may seek to further dial up pressure in an election year in South Korea and the United States. He also accused South Korea of frequently violating what he decried as North Korean territorial waters with its maritime patrols and interdiction of third-party ships. He ordered his navy to strengthen its defense posture in waters near the South Korean border islands of Baekryeong and Yeonpyeong, where a North Korean artillery bombardment killed four people in 2010. North Korea insists upon a boundary that encroaches deeply into waters currently controlled by South Korea. Following a separate, year-end political conference at which Kim accused South Korea of hostility, North Korea in early January fired hundreds of artillery rounds on three consecutive days near the western sea boundary with South Korea.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, Command, Supreme People’s Assembly, Washington Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Wonsan, United States, Korea, Baekryeong, Korean, U.S, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Beijing

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un Oversees Test of Surface-To-Sea Missile -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the inspection test of a new surface-to-sea missile on Wednesday, KCNA said on Thursday. North Korea had fired multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, the latest of multiple missile tests in recent weeks before an April general election in South Korea. Kim said South Korea is violating the North's sovereignty by insisting on a "Northern Limit Line" (NLL), the maritime demarcation line between the two Koreas, state media KCNA said. Kim gave orders to strengthen military readiness in the waters north of Yeonpyeong Island to the west of the Korean peninsula, in the region of the NLL, KCNA said. The new missile, called Badasuri-6 or "sea eagle-6" in Korean, flew over the sea and hit the intended target, KCNA added.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, Joyce Lee, Jonathan OatisEditing, Chris Reese Organizations: NLL Locations: SEOUL, Korea, South Korea, Yeonpyeong

☆ US raises concerns about cozying relations between Russia and North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

In January, high-ranking North Korean and Russian diplomats met in Moscow in advance of what North Korean state media says is a forthcoming visit to Pyongyang by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself — his first in more than 20 years. Trade with Russia could also further weaken the sanctions regime the US has placed on North Korea, also accelerating its economy and potentially bolstering its arms development program. As always with North Korea, deciphering how the hermit kingdom may respond is like reading chicken bones. For weeks, a blog post on an influential North Korea watchers website written by two former analysts circulated within the US government. 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.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, —, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Kim, ”, “, ” Jeffrey Lewis, Lewis, ” Lewis, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, ” Kim doesn’t, “ That’s, “ Kim, it’s, We’re, ” Seiler, we’ll Organizations: CNN, North, Russia, Intelligence, White House, DPRK, Democratic People’s, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, North Korean, National Intelligence Council, US Locations: North Korea, Washington, South Korea, Russia, Moscow, Pyongyang, Russian, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic, Soviet Union, United States, North, China, Beijing, Japan, Korean

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military says it has detected North Korea firing multiple cruise missiles into waters off its northeastern coast in its fifth test of such weapons since January. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday didn’t immediately provide the exact numbers of missiles fired or how war they flew. The launches were North Korea’s six missile-launch event this year, also including a Jan. 14 test of the country’s first solid-fuel intermediate range missile. Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accelerated his weapons demonstrations to a record pace and issued provocative threats of nuclear conflict with South Korea and the United States. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un Organizations: Korea’s, Chiefs, Staff, North, Associated Press Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Korea, United States

☆ North Korea Leader Kim: We Will Wipe Out Enemies if They Use Force -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Kim made the comments during a visit to the defence ministry on Thursday, rallying soldiers to uphold the ideology of the ruling Workers' Party and defend the country with their lives, KCNA news agency reported. "If enemies try to use force against our country, we will make the bold decision to change history and not hesitate to use all our super power to wipe them out," KCNA quoted him as saying. Kim repeated his vow to never hold dialogue or negotiations with South Korea, which he said was his country's "enemy No. 1," and said the policy of powerful military readiness was the only way to ensure peace and security for North Korea, KCNA said. North Korea has marked the foundation of its military on Feb. 8 and last year held a large military parade at midnight showcasing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Persons: Jack Kim SEOUL, Kim Jong Un, Kim, KCNA, Ae, Jack Kim, Chris Reese, Jamie Freed Organizations: Workers ' Party Locations: South Korea, North Korea, Seoul, Korea

☆ Opinion: Kim Jong Un wants the world to take his threat seriously
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The world once again is trying to parse the stance of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. After North Korea was defeated, the fighting stopped with a 1953 armistice but a peace agreement was never reached. Kim has certainly been signaling that something fundamental has shifted and he clearly wants the world to take his threats seriously. For decades the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea or DPRK, has had two explicit goals. The warning about North Korea cannot be ignored, and the US, South Korea and Japan should update their planning.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Kim Jong, Kim, Donald Trump, Kim “, ”, Robert Carlin, Siegfried Hecker, Carlin, Hecker, North, Kim Il Sung, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Carlin, Kim bluster, Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin, what’s Kim, It’s, he’s, Putin Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, West, Democratic People’s, South, Ukraine, Korean, Politico Locations: Korean, Frida Ghitis CNN North Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, South Korea, North, Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, DPRK, Seoul, United States, Korea, Russia, East Asia, Japan, China, Moscow, Pyongyang

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said it tested cruise missiles outfitted with new “super-large” warheads as well as a new type of anti-aircraft missile, extending a streak in weapons demonstrations that has rival South Korea worried. The report Saturday by North Korean state media came a day after South Korea’s military said it detected the North launching multiple cruise missiles into waters off its western coast. North Korean photos of the test showed a low-flying cruise missile striking a target built on a coastal shore, and another projectile soaring into the air after being launched from ground. In announcing the development of larger warheads for cruise missiles, North Korea could be trying to emphasize that these missiles are intended to be armed with nuclear weapons. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesCruise missiles are among a growing collection of North Korean weapons designed to overwhelm regional missile defenses.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, Analysts, Friday's Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, North Korean, Korean, United States, Russia, Japan, Guam, Nampho, U.S

☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un Inspects Shipyard -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a shipyard and underscored the importance of a strong naval force in "war preparations", state media KCNA said on Friday. "Strengthening naval force is the most important issue in pushing ahead with war preparations", KCNA cited Kim as saying during his visit to Nampho dockyard, a military shipbuilding base also referred to as Nampo. Kim was briefed on various warship constructions for a new "huge plan" decided by the North Korean leadership, KCNA said, without elaborating. KCNA said on Monday that Kim had inspected the construction of a nuclear submarine and discussed issues related to the manufacturing of other types of new warships, but gave no details. (Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim's, Kim, Joyce Lee, Sandra Maler Organizations: North Korean Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Nampho

☆ Japan's Message for Donald Trump: Don't Cut a Deal With China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +8 min

Trump, who reached a trade agreement with Beijing in 2019 that later expired, has not mentioned any potential deal with China during his campaign for the 2024 nomination. Two Japanese foreign ministry officials said they fear that Trump may be prepared to weaken U.S. support for nearby Taiwan in pursuit of a deal with China. A Trump aide told Reuters that no recent meetings have taken place between Trump and Japanese officials. "If he is going to cut a deal with China, Japan needs to try and get ahead of the curve and understand its potential role to support its interests in both the U.S. and in China," said Machida. Robert O'Brien, Trump's former national security adviser, also has connections with Japanese officials, two of the sources said.

Persons: John Geddie, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi, America's, Donald Trump, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden's, Trump, Xi, Kim Jong Un, they're, Ado Machida, Machida, Shinzo Abe, Aso, Japan's, Shigeo Yamada, Mike Pence, Jim Mattis, Mike Pompeo, Michael Green, Bill Hagerty, Yamada, Hagerty, Robert O'Brien, Trump's, O'Brien, Shigeru Kitamura, Biden, Tsuneo Watanabe, John Bolton, Watanabe, Yukiko Toyoda, Kaori Kaneko, Sakura Murakami, David Brunnstrom, Tim Reid, Ben Blanchard, Laurie Chen, Liz Lee, David Crawshaw Organizations: Trump, Republican, Group, North, Reuters, Fox News, U.S, Steel, Japan's Nippon Steel, U.S ., Liberal Democratic Party, . Studies, University of Sydney, Japan's U.S, Taiwan, Peace Foundation Locations: TOKYO, Japan, Asia, China, Beijing, Tokyo, Iowa, New Hampshire, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Trump, Taipei

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Wednesday it conducted a test-firing of long-range cruise missiles with an aim to sharpen its counterattack and strategic strike capabilities, in its latest display of weapons threatening South Korea and Japan. The event extended a provocative streak in weapons testing as North Korea continues to raise pressure on the United States and its Asian allies amid a prolonged freeze in diplomacy. North Korea in recent years has been expanding its lineup of cruise missiles, which are designed to be fired from both land and naval assets. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesSince 2021, North Korea has conducted at least 11 rounds of tests of what it described as long-range cruise missiles fired from both land and sea. The North’s two previous tests of cruise missiles on Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 were of a new weapon called Pulhwasal-3-31, which is designed to be fired from submarines.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Kim Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, Japan, North Korean, United States, Guam, Russia

☆ North Korean missiles won't defeat Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An expert believes that North Korean short-range ballistic missiles could hit pinpoint targets. North Korean arms are known for being cheap rather than good, as Moscow discovered when it recently began importing shoddy North Korean ammunition . But these North Korean ballistic missiles are not some knockoff of the notorious 1950s Soviet Scud, a liquid-fueled rocket that takes more than an hour to launch. "They may have some design heritage with Russian systems, but they borrow heavily from North Korean expertise." This suggests that Russia will need a lot of North Korean missiles, which in turn raises the question of North Korea's rocket manufacturing capacity.

Persons: —, Russia's, Masao Dahlgren, Dahlgren, Ukraine –, Kim Jong Organizations: Service, White House, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Korean, International Institute for Strategic Studies Locations: Russia, Korean, Ukraine, Korea, Moscow, Zaporizhia, Washington ,, United States, Iran, Nazi, Iranian, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Japan, South Korea, Pyongyang, Russian, Korea's

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