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☆ South Korean president takes up golf again to prepare for Trump’s second term
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —As countries around the globe prepare for a second Trump presidency, one world leader is teeing up a carefully calibrated diplomatic strategy. In South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol “recently began practicing golf again for the first time in eight years, in preparation for ‘golf diplomacy’ with President-elect Trump,” the presidential office told CNN on Tuesday. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech in Seongnam, South Korea, on October 1, 2024. Another potential headache for Yoon once Trump is in office is the future of the 28,500 US troops in South Korea. The troops serve as both a means to deter any potential attack from North Korea and to counter China’s aggression.

Persons: Yoon Suk, “, Trump, Yoon, Donald Trump, scrutinizing, Japan’s, Shinzo Abe, Kim Hong, Moon Jae, Kim Jong, ”, –, Kim Organizations: South Korea CNN, Trump, CNN, Reuters, South, North Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Trump, Florida , New Jersey, Virginia, Manhattan, Florida, Japan, Seongnam, Korea, North Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ South Korean actor Song Jae-lim dead at 39
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korean actor Song Jae-lim, a former model who rose to prominence in K-dramas, was found dead in Seoul on Tuesday. A police official told CNN that no evidence of foul play was found at the scene, and a note was discovered in the apartment. “Our initial investigation so far, has revealed no signs of criminal activity,” police told CNN. South Korean stars paid tribute to Song following the news of his death. How to get help Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters.

Persons: Song Jae, lim, Song, ”, Rose De Versailles, … Jae, lim …, Park Ho, san, Hong Seok, cheon, “, Moon bin, Sulli, SHINee’s Kim Jong, hyun Organizations: South Korea CNN — South, Seoul Seongdong police, CNN, “, ” Police, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders, Entertainment Locations: Seoul, South Korea, ”, South

☆ North Korean soldiers learning Russian commands and may be sent to Ukraine front lines, South Korean lawmakers say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-29 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean soldiers may be being readied for a move to the front lines of Russia’s war against Ukraine after being taught basic Russian commands, South Korean lawmakers told news agency Yonhap on Tuesday, citing the country’s intelligence officials. Russia is teaching North Korean soldiers about 100 basic military words like “fire” and “in position,” the lawmakers told Yonhap. However, they added, it’s clear that North Korean soldiers are struggling to communicate – and it’s not clear whether they’ll be able to bridge the language gap. This could mark the first time North Korea makes a significant intervention in an international conflict. She likely traveled to discuss potentially dispatching more North Korean troops – and what Pyongyang would receive in return, the lawmakers told Yonhap.

Persons: Yonhap, ”, Lee Seong, they’ll, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Choe Son Hui, Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, Ukraine, Pentagon, White House, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Korean, Sun, North, CNN, North Korean Foreign Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Russia, Korea, North Korea, Ukraine, Russian, Pyongyang, Washington

The United States, Ukraine and South Korea say that North Korean troops were dispatched to Russia for training with the aim of being deployed to Ukraine. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership in Pyongyang, North Korea on June 19, 2024. “We are developing scenarios to understand the potential impacts North Korea and Russia’s actions could have on us,” the government official said. The arrangement could also help North Korea gain real-world intelligence on the functioning of its weaponry. Soldiers march in a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on September 9, 2018.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, ” Zelensky, Inna Varenytsia, Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, ”, François Walschaerts, Foreign Affairs Kim Hong, Kim Tae, Defense Lloyd Austin, ” Austin, John Kirby, “, Carl Schuster, Ng Han Guan, Kim, Chun, ” Chun Organizations: South Korea CNN, Ukraine, NATO, Korean, CNN, National Intelligence Service, North, Maxar Technologies, Maxar, UN, Foreign Ministry, Getty, Korean First, Foreign Affairs, National Security Office, South, Moscow, Defense, National Security, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Ukraine, Europe, United States, Russia, North Korea, Moscow, Pyongyang, Kyiv, Washington, Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Koreans, South, Russia’s Far, China, Sergeevka, Russian, Brussels, AFP, South Korean, ” South Korea

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea blew up parts of two major roads connected to the southern part of the peninsula on Tuesday, South Korean authorities said, after Pyongyang warned it would take steps to completely cut off its territory from the South. South Korea's Defense MinistryOn Monday, South Korea said it had detected signs that North Korea was preparing to demolish roads that connect the two countries, warning that the explosions could occur imminently. The blasts come a few days after North Korea accused South Korea of flying propaganda-filled drones over its capital Pyongyang and threatened “retaliation,” in the latest tit-for-tat exchange following months of Pyongyang sending trash-laden balloons to the South. North and South Korea have been separated since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement. Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military.

Persons: Lee Sung, joon, Kim Jong, Kim, ” KCNA, KCNA, ”, Leif, Eric Easley, “ Kim Jong Un Organizations: South Korea CNN, Seoul’s, Chiefs of Staff, South Korean Defense Ministry, South Korean, South Korea's Defense Ministry, Korea's Defense, Defense Ministry, North, Korean People’s Army, DPRK, Democratic People’s, US, South, Ewha Womans University Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, West, East, Korean, Korea, North, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russia

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s army said it will take the “substantial military step” of completely cutting off its territory from South Korea on Wednesday, after months of fortifying its heavily armed border. Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military. Over the past year, a US aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ships, long-range bombers and submarines have visited South Korea, drawing angry rebukes from Pyongyang. “North Korea’s threats, both real and rhetorical, reflect the regime survival strategy of a hereditary dictatorship.”North and South Korea have been separated since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement. In January, Kim said North Korea would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, calling inter-Korean relations “a relationship between two hostile countries and two belligerents at war,” KCNA reported at the time.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, ”, Hong Min, ” Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Leif, Eric Easley, “ Kim Jong Un, ” Easley, ” KCNA Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, South, DPRK, Staff, Korean People’s Army, Democratic People’s, South Korean, General Staff, US, Korea’s, Chiefs, Korea Institute for National Unification, CNN, Inter, Korean, Armed Forces, Ewha Womans University, North Korean, United Nations Command Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, Hong, Russia, West

☆ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un threatens to destroy the South with nuclear weapons if provoked
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Lex Harvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons to destroy South Korea if attacked, state media reported Friday, after South Korea’s president warned that if the North used nuclear weapons it would “face the end of its regime.”The fiery rhetoric isn’t new, but comes at a time of tension on the Korean Peninsula and just weeks after North Korean state media released images of Kim visiting a uranium enrichment facility, which produces weapons-grade nuclear materials. “If such situation comes, the permanent existence of Seoul and the Republic of Korea would be impossible,” Kim added, using the proper name for South Korea. North Korea could revoke a key agreement which enshrines the potential for reunification of the Koreas as soon as Monday, when its legislature is expected to meet, Seoul’s Unification Ministry told CNN. Last month, North Korean state media released photos of Kim purportedly touring a nuclear facility in a rare glimpse of the nation’s closely guarded weapons program. On Tuesday, Yoon unveiled the Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, which is reportedly capable of penetrating North Korean underground bunkers.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, ” Kim, Yoon Suk Yeol, Jung Yeon, Yoon, ” Yoon, KCNA Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, South, North, Korean Central News Agency, Armed Forces Day, Unification Ministry, CNN, Korea Armed Forces, Seoul Air Base, Getty, SK, US, Armed Forces Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korean, Pyongyang, Republic of Korea, Korea, Russia, West, Korean, Seongnam, North Korea, United States

☆ South Korea was the world’s biggest ‘baby exporter.’ New evidence shows some mothers were forced to give up children
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea has for decades been known as the world’s largest “baby exporter” – sending hundreds of thousands of children overseas after the country was ravaged by war and many mothers left destitute. Searching for their rootsMore than 200,000 South Korean children have been adopted overseas since the 1950s following World War II and the Korean War, according to authorities. While adoptions continue today, the trend has been declining since the 2010s after South Korea amended its adoption laws in an effort to address systematic issues and reduce the number of children adopted overseas. “It’s truly terrifying to hear how systemic these issues were, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily surprising,” said Susanné Seong-eun Bergsten, who was adopted from South Korea and grew up in Sweden. “There is still much about Korean adoption that has not been formally acknowledged.”

Persons: ”, adoptees, “, Susanné Seong, Mark Zastrow, Bergsten Organizations: South Korea CNN, Commission, CNN, Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Korean, Daegu, Sejong, United States, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Europe, It’s, Sweden, adoptees

☆ North Korea releases images of Kim Jong Un visiting a uranium enrichment site
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-12 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Lucas Lilieholm | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a uranium enrichment facility, which produces weapon-grade nuclear materials, in a photo published by North Korean state media on Friday, September 13, 2024. “By showing highly enriched uranium and production facilities, they are sending a message that the world must recognize North Korea as a nuclear state. By disclosing these facilities, Kim Jong Un is saying that denuclearization of North Korea is unrealistic,” he told CNN. The disclosure comes at a time of heightened tensions between North Korea and the West, with the US and its allies accusing North Korea of providing substantial military aid to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. North Korea is believed to have several sites for enriching uranium.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, “ Kim, ”, Ankit Panda, Stanton, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, I’m, Martyn Williams, it’s Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Central News Agency, Carnegie Endowment, International, Korean, North, North Korean, Ewha Womans University, CNN, Stimson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, West, North Korean, Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Pyongyang, Korean, Russian

☆ Pharrell’s Joopiter puts on sale of G-Dragon’s prized possessions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-08 | by ( Mike Valerio | Stephy Chung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The sale features dozens of items owned by G-Dragon – an avid collector of art, design and fashion – including works he created and customized himself. Williams’ auction house, Joopiter, is hosting the online sale and an accompanying exhibition, at the Daelim Museum. JoopiterJoopiter has collaborated with a slew of celebrities since Williams founded his “digital-first” auction house in 2022. “The wrong attitude is going in and trying to become a collector.”Nike x Peaceminusone Para-noise Air Force 1 sneakers encrusted with crystals featured in the G-Dragon auction. That is how you build a really beautiful, special collection.”She pointed to Joopiter’s inaugural auction — a sale of almost 50 items from Williams’ personal stash, that raked in over $5 million.

Persons: Louis Vuitton, Pharrell Williams, Williams, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Pharrell, —, ” Williams, ”, Kwon Ji, Chanel’s, Joopiter Joopiter, it’s, “, Jackson, Caitlin Donovan, Joopiter, Donovan Organizations: South Korea CNN, Daelim, CNN, Nike, Force Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Yeezys, “

☆ An Se-young: South Korean badminton player wins landmark Olympic gold — then takes shot at country’s governing body
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-12 | by ( Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea’s badminton gold medalist An Se-young envisioned a glorious return from Paris, popping open a bottle of champagne with the coveted medal around her neck. The country was busy celebrating her triumph, until the athlete began calling out alleged mistreatment that she said she had endured for seven years, when she joined the national team. “I was so disappointed,” An said of the national team, accusing it of poorly managing her injuries. South Korea’s badminton team won An’s gold medal in women’s singles and a silver in mixed doubles in Paris. Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesIn Paris, the country had four badminton coaches in addition to head coach Kim who supervised all of Korea’s badminton matches — men’s and women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.

Persons: peppering, “, China’s, ”, Ahn Young, Li, ning, ning China Masters, Kim Hak, Yonhap, Alex Pantling, Kim, Shim Suk, I’ve Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korean Badminton Association, Olympics, South, La Chapelle Arena Court, Hangzhou Asian Games, Incheon International Airport, Samsung Life, Kumamoto Masters Japan, ning China, News Agency, Investigations, Culture, Tourism Ministry, Games, Korea Sport Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Paris, South, South Korean, Hangzhou, Incheon, Kumamoto, Eastern, Korea

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea claims it is sending 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers toward its border with South Korea, in the latest bellicose declaration by leader Kim Jong Un against its neighbor. Photographs published by the North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun showed what appears to be vehicle-based missile launchers, with dozens of large green military trucks lined up in neat rows before Kim. Kim personally oversaw the transfer of equipment to military commanders and chiefs of staff, and delivered a speech claiming the new missile launchers were built with North Korean technology, state media reported. In response to the North Korean buildup, the US and South Korea – along with Japan – have stepped up their military cooperation via exercises and deployments that Pyongyang sees as a threat. There have been at least three incidents of South Korea firing warning shots since May after North Korean military personnel crossed the demarcation line, the midpoint of the Demilitarized Zone between the two countries.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Sinmun, Kim, ” Kim, Joseph Dempsey, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, International Institute for Strategic Studies, South Korea –, North Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, North Korean, Korean, North Korea, North, Pyongyang, Russia, Washington, Japan

☆ RIMPAC: US Air Force B-2 bomber used in exercise to sink surface ship with low-cost bomb
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Earlier this month, the US and allies practiced taking out a large surface ship with long-range weapons, including, for the first time, a US Air Force B-2 bomber. It showed the US military can use one of its most survivable weapons platforms, the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, to sink a major surface ship with a low-cost guided bomb. The Air Force says its stealthy characteristics allow it to penetrate heavily defended areas and also fly with a small chance of being detected by radar at high altitudes. Mating it up with relatively cheap and demonstrably effective precision-guided bombs with warheads of up to 2,000 pounds could give the Air Force bombers the “anti-ship lethality” of a submarine-launched torpedo without the liabilities of a submarine, according to a US Air Force website. The Air Force first tested QUICKSINK in 2022, when an F-15 fighter jet released a GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) that destroyed a full-scale surface target in the Gulf of Mexico, according to an Air Force statement.

Persons: ”, Seleena Muhammad, QUICKSINK, Carl Schuster, ” Schuster, Jon Husman, Alessio Patalano, Mark Hammond, Australia’s, “, LSIS Daniel Goodman, USS Fitzgerald, John Wade, RIMPAC, John Bradford, ” Bradford, Zhongping Organizations: South Korea CNN, US Air Force, US, Air Force, Munitions, Royal Air Force, U.S . Air Force, Navy, Air Force Research, Liberation Army Navy, PLAN, US Pacific Command Joint Intelligence Center, U.S . Navy, King’s College, US Navy, Ship, 3rd Fleet, Royal Australian Navy, Naval, Australia, Royal Australian, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, US Navy destroyer, US Marine Corps, Task Force, Foreign Relations International Affairs, Times, PLA Navy, Global Times, ” Global Times Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Kauai, China, Tarawa, England, U.S, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, London, Oahu, Hawaii, Norwegian, USS Dubuque, ‘, Malaysia, Netherlands, China China, Asia, Taiwan Strait, South China

☆ North Korea’s trash balloons fall near South’s presidential office
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The discovery at the presidential office Wednesday came after South Korean authorities warned the public to beware of falling objects as suspected North Korean trash balloons moved south toward the northern area of Gyeonggi province. “While monitoring trash balloons sent by North Korea in cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff today, we identified trash that fell in the presidential office area in Yongsan,” the presidential security service said later in a statement. “North Korea’s actions clearly violate international law and seriously threaten the safety of our citizens,” JCS said in a statement after an earlier balloon incident. Despite repeated North Korean warnings, the South Korean activists were “not stopping this crude and dirty play” she said. The South Korean Defense Ministry said the US planes will join with South Korean F-15, F-16 and FA-50 fighters in exercises that will end August 8.

Persons: –, Kim Jong, Kim Yo Jong, ” Kim Yo Jong, “, Washington Organizations: South Korea CNN, South, North, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, South Korean, North Korean, Korean Central News Agency, US Marine Corps, Suwon Air Base, South Korean Defense Ministry, US Defense Department, Marine Corps, ” Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South, Gyeonggi province, North Korea, Yongsan, Pyongyang, South Korean, North Korean, North Korea’s, United States, ” North Korea, North

☆ Inside the world of South Korean convenience stores — the global king of one-stop shops
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In large South Korean cities like Seoul, convenience stores are on every corner, sometimes with multiple outlets from competing companies dotting the same street. Heo Ran/ReutersThere are a few things that set South Korean convenience stores apart. A quick search on YouTube, TikTok or Instagram shows an endless supply of videos about Korean convenience stores. Indeed, Korean convenience store companies have grown so successful they are even expanding overseas. But when she next returns to South Korea, she will “definitely” still visit a convenience store and hit record, she said.

Persons: ”, Chang Woo, ” Chang, Heo Ran, Chang, – they’re, Jiny, “, Emart24 –, Maeng Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea Convenience Store, South, Kwangwoon University, Deloitte Korea, McKinsey, Companies, Deloitte, YouTube Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, “, United States, Korea, London, Australia, “ Korea, Sydney, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Malaysia

The echoes of well-known North Korean songs celebrating friendship spilled into nearby neighborhoods, as families filled booths serving both North and South Korean treats such as the deep-fried confection yakgwa, and fruit punch, or hwachae. A booth at the Defectors' Day festival sells North Korean styles of traditional treats, including watermelon punch (hwachae) and the deep-fried sweet yakgwa. Maybe there (are) many thousands of thousands of North Korean defectors who want to come to (South) Korea and have a prosperous life. “We express our respect and applause to the 34,000 North Korean defectors who are pioneering new lives every day (in South Korea), he said. “I didn’t know that a day like Defectors’ Day would happen, but now that it has been established, I feel like I have to work harder,” she said.

Persons: ’, Kim Jong Un, Mike Valerio, ”, resettling, –, Daeheyon, ‘, ’ ”, “, Kwon Ji, Yoonjung Seo, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Yoon, “ It’s, Han Bong, he’d Organizations: South Korea CNN —, North, South, CNN, ”, Sunday, Blue House Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, North, South, Korean, China, Asia, South Koreans, Korea, North Koreans

☆ Bukchon Hanok Village: South Korea to set visitor curfew for historic district to crackdown on tourists
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Known for its picturesque and well-preserved traditional Korean houses called “hanok,” Bukchon Hanok Village is one of Seoul’s most popular tourist hot spots – attracting thousands of visitors every day. But tourists greatly outnumber residents and complaints about noise, littering and privacy issues in the vicinity have escalated over the years. Located in the Jongno district in downtown Seoul, Bukchon sits near other cultural landmarks like the Jongmyo royal ancestral shrine and the grand Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung palaces. In a bid to ease tensions and control crowds, district officials will start to restrict tourist access to the popular village from as early as October this year. Out-of-control tourists have been especially problematic in Kyoto, one of Japan’s most popular tourist cities, famed for its iconic Gion geisha district.

Persons: Rhee Soo, Lee Youn, ” Lee, Overtourism, Sindere, “, ”, Emma Hägg Organizations: South Korea CNN, CNN, Tourists Locations: Seoul, South Korea, throngs, Jongno, Bukchon, South Korea’s, Korea, Barcelona, Italy’s, Venice, Japan, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Sweden, Swedish

☆ South Korea to mass produce lasers that can take out drones at $1.50 a hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korea is beginning the mass production of a low-cost laser weapon that has successfully shot down small drones during testing, the country’s key arms agency said Thursday. The release did not give a cost for the weapon, but said each shot fired would only cost about $1.50. In Ukraine, the Middle East and elsewhere, small drones - some available off the shelf - have shown the ability to disable or destroy multimillion-dollar pieces of military hardware, including tanks. The agency said South Korea is the first country to publicly acknowledge it will deploy a mass-produced laser weapon. In 2022, the US Navy successfully tested a high-energy laser system against a target representing a cruise missile.

Persons: DAPA, ” James Black, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, Korea’s, Administration, RAND, Korea Institute for Defense, Hanwha Aerospace, US Navy Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Ukraine, RAND Europe, Britain

☆ North Korean failed missile test may have fallen near capital Pyongyang, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Gawon Bae | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A ballistic missile launched by North Korea on Monday might have had an “abnormal” flight trajectory and could have fallen inland, possibly near the capital of Pyongyang, the South Korean military said. North Korea launched two ballistic missiles on Monday morning, according to reports from the South Korean, American and Japanese governments. South Korea later said the North Korean claim was false. Meanwhile, both nations are drawing closer to their respective partners – with North Korea recently signing a defense agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea stepping up cooperation with Japan and the United States. “Pyongyang is also determined not to appear weak while South Korea conducts defense exercises with Japan and the United States.”

Persons: Lee Sung, ” Lee, Lee, Kim ramped, Vladimir Putin, Leif, Eric Easley, Kim, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, North, South Korean, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, Korean Central News Agency, Nations, Ewha Womans University, Central Committee, Worker’s Party, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Pyongyang, South, South Hwanghae, Changyon, North Korea’s, Japan, United States

For many years, South Korean activists and North Korean defectors have sent balloons to the North, loaded with propaganda material criticizing dictator Kim Jong Un and USB sticks filled with K-pop songs and South Korean television shows – all strictly prohibited in the impoverished, highly isolated nation. Choi, co-founder of the Committee for Reforming and Opening North Korea, is among the North Korean defectors who have vowed to continue sending balloons to their homeland. The leaflets include declarations of freedom for the North Korean people, and propaganda messages against dictator Kim Jong Un. Charles Miller/CNNFitted with GPS trackers, the activists can monitor these next generation “smart” balloons in real time on journeys that often span hundreds of kilometers. Relations between the two countries thawed somewhat in 2017 and 2018, allowing some South Korean elements, including parts of its pop culture, to seep into the hermit nation.

Persons: Choi, Kim Jong, Kim Yo Jong, North, Yoonjung Seo, Kim Jong Un, Charles Miller, ” Choi, “ It’s, ‘, ’ ”, Kim ramped, Vladimir Putin, ” Organizations: South Korea CNN, CNN, South, North, South Korean, North Korean, GPS, Workers ’ Party, Nations, Chiefs of Staff Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, South Korea’s, South Korean, Korean, Pyongyang, Korea, China, “ North Korea, North Korean, Japan, United States

☆ Fire at lithium battery factory kills at least 22 in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-24 | by ( Gawon Bae | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea Monday killed at least 22 people, most of them foreign nationals, local officials said. It was extinguished around 3:10 p.m, and firefighters were able to enter the factory, said Hwaseong Fire Department official Kim Jin-young in a briefing. Rescue workers recovered a number of burned bodies, Kim said, and one person died due to cardiac arrest. Emergency personnel carry the body of a person killed in a fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell on June 24, 2024. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the Interior and Safety Ministry and the head of the fire department to “make all-out efforts” to rescue people by “mobilizing all available personnel and equipment.”Parts of the lithium battery factory were burned following a fire in Hwaseong, South Korea on June 24, 2024.

Persons: Kim Jin, Kim, Kim Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: South Korea CNN, Fire Department, South, Reuters, Interior, Safety Ministry Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korean

☆ ‘My vision went dark’: CNN reporter experiences 6G-force before hitching a fighter jet ride
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Four South Korean F-4 fighter jets fly in formation on May 8, 2024, during a commemorative final flight of the aircraft. That test would come a few weeks before the F-4 flight at a South Korean Air Force medical facility south of Seoul. Lendon in the back seat of a South Korean F-4 Phantom flying over southern South Korea on May 8, 2024. South Korean Air Force F-4s flying in formation with two KF-21 fighter jet prototypes over southern South Korea on May 8, 2024. A total of 120 are expected to be delivered to the South Korean Air Force by 2030, and the jet is expected to be exportable.

Persons: Douglas, Lendon, –, didn’t, I’m, It’s, Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, I’d, don’t, South Korea Brad Lendon, Daegu –, vomited, “, ”, wouldn’t Organizations: South Korea CNN —, South Korean Air Force, US Navy, CNN, US Navy Blue Angels, US Air Force Thunderbirds, hometown Cleveland National Air, South, McDonnell, US, Korean, Wright, Daegu Air Base, Daegu, General, KF, Korean Air Force, South Korean Air Force Korea Aerospace Industries, Phantoms, Boeing, South Korean Airforce, Suwon Air Base Locations: Suwon, South Korea, Midway, Japan, Vietnam, North Korea, Seoul, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Daegu, Ohio, Korean, South Korean

☆ Land mine blasts inflicted casualties on North Korean troops in DMZ in recent months, South says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-18 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korean troops have suffered “multiple casualties” from land mine explosions while laying explosives along the country’s heavily armed border with the South in recent months, the South Korean military said Tuesday. A number of the North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded by land mine explosions, the JCS said in a statement, without providing more details on the casualties. The South Korean military is closely monitoring the North’s military activities on the border, it added. It said the measures are also an effort by North Korea to strengthen internal controls, such as blocking North Korean residents and troops from defecting to South Korea. Separately, South Korean troops fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers working in the DMZ briefly crossed into the South on Tuesday in the second such incident in less than two weeks, the JCS said.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim’s, Kim Yo Jong Organizations: South Korea CNN — North, South Korean, South Korea’s, Chiefs of Staff, North, South, United Nations Command, Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, South, Pyongyang, Korean, North Korea, China

Seoul, South Korea CNN —The oldest member of the K-pop phenomenon BTS is spending his day hugging 1,000 fans, after finishing his mandatory military service in South Korea on Wednesday. Jin made his first public appearance at Seoul’s Jamsil Sports Complex this afternoon, where he is performing and meeting fans. Some BTS superfans – known as ARMY (Adorable Representative MC for Youth) – have journeyed from overseas to attend the BTS Festa event. “I wish to tell Jin if he comes to Thailand, can he hold a concert for seven days, because I love BTS so much,” Cheenchanya said. “BTS themselves pour out so much love – they put love into their music, into their personalities, their fans,” said Stoudnour.

Persons: Jin, –, Jin –, ” Cheenchanya, Holly Campbell, Ashley Stoudnour, ” Campbell, V, ”, ” Stoudnor, Anthony Wallace, Kim Yoon, jeong, Michelle Pedraza, They’ve, Louis Vuitton, Dior Organizations: South Korea CNN, Mim, CNN, BTS, Getty, Billboard Music Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Thailand, Melbourne, Australia, Florida, AFP, California

☆ South Korea fired warning shots after North’s troops accidentally crossed border, Seoul says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —South Korean forces fired warning shots on Sunday after North Korean troops accidentally crossed their shared border, Seoul’s military said, as tensions simmer on the Korean Peninsula following a series of tit-for-tat exchanges between the two sides. “There were no unusual movements other than the North Korean army immediately moving north after our warning shots,” said Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. Video Ad Feedback How South Korea is retaliating against North Korea’s trash balloons 02:48 - Source: CNNThe 160-mile demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea is one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. The South Korean military said about 20 North Korean troops were involved but could not determine how many actually crossed the MDL. They did not disclose the number of warning shots fired.

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