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☆ North Korea's Kim Jong Un urges improved military capabilities for war
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged the country’s military to improve capabilities for fighting a war in a speech last week, state media KCNA said on Monday, after Pyongyang dispatched thousands of troops to Russia. The report came amid international criticism over rapidly developing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Washington, Seoul and Kyiv have said there are more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers in Russia to support its war against Ukraine, and some of them have engaged in combat in Kursk, near the Ukraine border. Biden’s administration has allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia, sources told NBC News, marking a significant policy reversal and a response to Russia’s deployment of North Korean ground troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that North Korean troops had suffered casualties in combat with his country’s forces, and the first battles between them "open a new page in instability.”

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, ”, “, ” KCNA, Alexander Kozlov, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Shigeru Ishiba, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Korean, Ukraine, National Resources and Ecology, South, Economic Cooperation, NBC Locations: Pyongyang, Russia, United States, South Korea, North Korea, Washington, Seoul, Kyiv, Kursk, Ukraine, Russian, Asia, Peru, Korean

I’m tripping over their bodies,” said Sydney Seiler, the U.S. national intelligence officer for North Korea from 2020 to 2023. “Kim Jong Un is selling North Korean soldiers as cannon fodder mercenaries,” South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said last month. It’s an entirely new environment for the North Korean soldiers, who live in one of the most isolated and repressive countries in the world. The Russian military is teaching the North Korean soldiers about 100 key military terms, but “North Koreans are having a difficult time learning Russian,” South Korean lawmakers Lee Sung-kwon and Park Sun-won said last month. North Korean soldiers’ inexperience could be another point of friction and a major factor in how they are deployed.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Sydney Seiler, Seiler, Gavriil, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol, Shigeru Ishiba, Kim, “ Kim Jong, Kim Yong, hyun, John Hardie, Lee Sung, Bruce Bennett, ” Hardie, Bennett, ” Bennett, Edward Howell, “, ” Howell, Stella Kim Organizations: Ukraine, North, NBC News, U.S, The State Department, Korea’s National Intelligence Service, NBC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Getty Images, Economic Cooperation, South Korean Defense, Pentagon, Politico, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, North Korean, South Korean National Intelligence Service, AFP, Getty, Korean, Battalion, Russian Ministry of Defense, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, South, Sun, Rand Corp . Communication, Chatham House Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, U.S, North Korea, Russian, Kursk, Korean, Korea, Washington, Pyongyang, Getty Images North Korea, South, Asia, Lima , Peru, The U.S, California, Ukrainian, London, Seoul, Hong Kong

☆ Trump looms over Biden’s final meeting with Xi in Peru
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-16 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In the end, looking backward may be more productive for Biden and Xi than trying to predict what’s next for their two nations. Biden administration officials acknowledge they have little insight into what a notoriously unpredictable leader might be planning. What Biden can do, they argue, is reiterate to Xi the value of maintaining communication, even amid the expected contention. A key counterweight could be Biden’s legacyHow Trump confronts those threats is not something he’s discussed at great length, at least as a candidate. It’s also an area his aides believe could — and should — be continued by the incoming Trump administration, though acknowledging they have little to go on when it comes to the president-elect’s intentions.

Persons: Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Donald Trump’s, that’s, Biden, “, Trump, Robert F, Kennedy, Jr, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, Matt Gaetz, He’s, there’s, Xi’s, ”, Jake Sullivan, aren’t, China’s, —, Obama, he’s, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, It’s, Korea’s Yoon Suk, Shigeru Ishiba Organizations: Peru CNN —, Biden, White, APEC, Xinhua, Mar, Lima Convention Center, Trump Trump, Ukraine Locations: Lima, Peru, Chengdu, China, Washington, Beijing, United States, Bali, San Francisco, Taiwan, Ukraine, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Japan, South Korea, Tokyo, Seoul, East Asia

☆ 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

SEOUL, South Korea — As foreign governments prepare to deal with a second Trump administration, at least one key U.S. ally is hoping to make headway on the fairway. Last month, the U.S. and South Korea agreed on a new five-year cost-sharing plan for the U.S. troops. Maintaining a strong security alliance with the U.S. is especially important for South Korea given the growing hostility from nuclear-armed North Korea. That in turn could lead South Korea and even Japan to consider whether they need nuclear weapons of their own. Stella Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea, and Jennifer Jett reported from Hong Kong.

Persons: Trump, Yoon Suk, “, Donald Trump, Yoon, ”, Shinzo Abe, David Boling, Chung Sung, Abe, Abe “, Boling, ” Yoon —, ” Jeremy Chan, “ I’ve, Yoon doesn’t, he’s, ” Chan, Lydia Ko, Ko, Shigeru Ishiba, ” Boling, Chan, Choi Sang, mok, Joe Biden, Brendan Smialowski, Kim Jong, Stella Kim, Jennifer Jett Organizations: NBC, South, Eurasia Group, Trump, House, Paris Olympics, Japanese, U.S, South Korean Finance, Seoul, Getty Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, U.S, Florida , New Jersey, Virginia, North Korea, Japan, New York, Seoul, United States, East Asia, China, Northeast Asia, New Zealand, Scotland, Korea, Chiba, AFP, Hong Kong

☆ South Korea’s president denies wrongdoing in growing scandal around him and his wife
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denied wrongdoing on Thursday in a burgeoning influence-peddling scandal involving him and his wife that is severely hurting his approval ratings and providing political munition to his rivals. The political firestorm coincides with South Korea facing a slew of critical foreign policy issues, such as Donald Trump’s election win to become the next president of the United States and North Korea’s reported entry into the Russia-Ukraine war. The opposition party alleges that the conversation proves Yoon provided Myung with political favors in return for free surveys. Lee, a firebrand lawmaker who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, is undergoing four separate trials over corruption and various other allegations. Yoon noted that North Korea’s arsenal has significantly advanced since Trump’s diplomacy with Kim collapsed in 2019.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Donald Trump’s, Yoon, Kim Keon Hee, Myung Tae, Myung, “, ” Yoon, ”, Kim Young, Lee Jae, Lee, Yoon —, Shigeru Ishiba, Trump, Kim Jong, Kim, ” “, Biden Organizations: South, People Power Party, Democratic Party, firebrand, Trump, North Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, United States, North, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Tokyo, Seoul

☆ Trump claims Kim Jong Un ‘misses’ him. But he faces a very different North Korean leader this time around
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Hong Kong CNN —No United States leader has handled relations with North Korea quite like Donald Trump. But the second Trump administration will face an emboldened and arguably more dangerous North Korean leader. The North Korean leader has met with his “closest comrade” Russian President Vladimir Putin twice since last September and inked a major defense pact in June. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meet in Pyongyang this past June. That means the North Korean leader may look for benefit in Trump’s return.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kim Jong, ”, Kim, Trump, Kim “, Kim –, extinguishes, Vyacheslav Madiyevskyy, ’, Rachel Minyoung Lee, ” Kim, ” He’s, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Lee, Dmitry Azarov, –, Robert O’Brien, “, ” O’Brien, Chul Lim, “ Trump, Duyeon Kim, Putin –, Yoon Suk, Edward Howell Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, North Korean, Reuters, Trump, Stimson, North, South, AP, CNN, North Korea Research Center, University’s Institute, Far Eastern Studies, Center, New, New American Security, US, Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, NATO, North Korea, University of Oxford Locations: Hong Kong, States, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, United States, South Korea, Kharkiv, Singapore, Hanoi, North, Washington, North Korean, Japan, ” Russian, China, Iran, Korea, Russian, Seoul, New American, Korean, Beijing, United Kingdom

Over 200,000 people looked up the “4B movement” on Google on Wednesday, making it one of the top trending topics on the online search engine. Of the female voters, 91% of Black women voted for Harris vs. 7% who voted for Trump, and 57% of college-educated white women voted for Harris vs. 41% who voted for Trump. Of the male voters, 37% of white men voted for Harris vs. 60% who voted for Trump, and 47% of college-educated white men voted for Harris vs. 50% who voted for Trump. Aleisa Mora, 30, posted a TikTok about the 4B movement in March after reading the English translation of the book “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” by Cho Nam-Joo, which is largely credited as the book that began the 4B movement. However, she said those comments only underscore her belief in why the 4B movement is needed in the United States.

Persons: Donald Trump, Meera Choi, ”, Choi, Kamala Harris, —, Harris, Joe Biden, ” Choi, Yoon Suk Yeol, Aleisa Mora, Kim Jiyoung, Cho Nam, “ We’ve, Ahn Young, we’re, ’ ” Mora, Marykate Cecilia, “, Cecilia, ” Cecilia Organizations: Google, Yale University, South, “, Trump, NBC, Data, World Bank, U.S Locations: TikTok, South Korea, South Korean, United States, Seoul

☆ A feminist movement that advocates abstaining from sex with men is trending in the US after Trump's win
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-07 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Google searches for "4B movement" rose on Wednesday, as President-elect Donald Trump won the 2024 election. The South Korean feminist movement is about abstaining from sex and marriage with men. In South Korea, 4B is a response to gender-based issues like intimate-partner violence and pay gaps. Creators — mainly young women — post about abstaining from sex with men, with some saying they feel undervalued by men. His super PAC ads targeted young men, he appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast, and "Macho Man" was played at his rallies.

Persons: Donald Trump, —, Kamala Harris, Roe, Wade, Trump, that's, Tarana Burke, Biyeonae, Bisekseu, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joe Rogan's, Harris Organizations: Service, America, South, Trump Locations: Korean, South Korea, korea, Hollywood, South, Korea, American

☆ 8,000 of the troops Kim Jong Un sent to support Russia are about to hit the front lines, the US says
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As many as 8,000 North Korean troops are being deployed to Kursk, US officials said on Thursday. "If these North Korean troops engage in combat or combat support operations against Ukraine they would make themselves legitimate military targets." "One of the reasons that Russia is turning to these North Korean troops is that it's desperate," Blinken said. Now he's turning to North Korean troops. AdvertisementSouth Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's administration has considered sending teams to observe North Korean troops in Ukraine, which it says will not require parliamentary consent.

Persons: they're, Antony Blinken, —, Blinken, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, they've, Yoon Suk Organizations: US, Service, Kyiv, Ukrainian, South, State Department, North Korea, North, Ukraine, Pentagon, Austin, Research, South Korean Legislative, Russia's Ministry of Defense, Business Locations: Kursk, Russia, Ukraine, Washington, Pyongyang, Moscow, North Korea, South Korea, Poland, Seoul

☆ If South Korea decides to get involved in Ukraine, it has powerful options
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But South Korea remains wary of getting involved in the Ukraine war. GAVRIIL GRIGOROV via Getty ImagesSouth Korea hesitatesSignificant obstacles stand in the way of South Korea arming Ukraine, though. Chan said South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol was domestically unpopular and would encounter difficulties repealing the law via South Korea's center-left-dominated National Assembly. AdvertisementBut the escalating alliance between Russia and North Korea may soon reach a point where South Korea feels it needs to act. Because of Russia's increasing reliance on North Korea, Kim finds himself in a powerful position to negotiate sophisticated technology in return.

Persons: —, Yonhap, Jeremy Chan, Chan, Ellen Kim, Kim, Lloyd Austin, Kim Jong, Russia's Vladimir Putin, GAVRIIL GRIGOROV, Yoon Suk, yeol, Kim Jong Un, Joon Cho, Yoon, Sean McFate Organizations: Russia, Service, Security Council, South, Eurasia Group, Center for Strategic, International Studies, North, US, Getty Images, National, National Assembly, Kremlin, Georgetown University Locations: Korea, Ukraine, South Korea, North Korea, Russia, Seoul, Korean, China, Asia, Poland, Washington ,, Kyiv, Pyongyang, South Korea's, South, Moscow

☆ South and North Korea troops potentially entering Ukraine war unlikely to stoke regional conflict, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-25 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

South and North Korea troops potentially entering the Russia-Ukraine war is unlikely to stoke a wider conflict between the two Korean countries, experts said. The U.S. on Wednesday confirmed that North Korean troops had been sent to Russia. "The messaging we are seeing is likely intended to deter the actual deployment of North Korean troops to Ukraine from Russia. But that will depend on how the North Korean troops are deployed, she added. "In such a case, South Korean troops would be shooting in self defence, thus limiting the nature of such combat encounters."

Persons: Yonhap, Yoon Seok Yeol, Liang, Nah, Naoko Aoki, Aoki, Pyongyang's Organizations: stoke, Yonhap, NBC News, CNBC, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Seoul, RAND, North Locations: Korea, South, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, North, Moscow, Pyongyang, Seoul

☆ Russia's friendship with North Korea may have backfired
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-22 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin share a toast at a banquet table North Korean State MediaRussia's dangerous new allianceFor decades, South Korea has been in an uneasy standoff with its isolated and authoritarian neighbor, North Korea. AdvertisementRussia formed a new military alliance with North Korea to secure badly needed ammunition from North Korean stockpiles for its faltering campaign in Ukraine. South Korea is increasingly concerned about the technological capabilities and security guarantees North Korea has likely gained from Russia in return. Russia, previously a backer of sanctions designed to curtail North Korea's nuclear program, is now helping North Korea evade them. South Korea says it could arm UkraineIn response to Russia's strengthened relationship with North Korea, South Korea is threatening to arm Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion.

Persons: —, Georgiy Zinoviev, Yoon Suk, Zinoviev, Dmitry Peskov, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Ellen Kim, Russia's, Joe Biden, Kim Hong Kyun Organizations: Kremlin, Service, Russia, Korean, Korean State Media, Bloomberg, Center for Strategic, International Studies, ROK, South Korea's National Security Council, South, New York Times, Korea's Locations: Korea, North, Russia, Ukraine, North Korea, South Korea, US, Seoul, Asia, East Asia, Moscow, Russian, It's, South

☆ North Korean troops in Russia readying for combat in Ukraine war, S.Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL — North Korea has shipped 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s far east for training and acclimatizing at local military bases and will likely be deployed for combat in the war in Ukraine, South Korea’s spy agency said on Friday. South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) also said it had been working with Ukrainian intelligence service and had used facial recognition artificial intelligence technology to identify North Korean officers in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region supporting Russian forces firing North Korean missiles. Earlier, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called an unscheduled security meeting with key intelligence, military and national security officials to discuss North Korean troops’ involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, Yoon’s office said. Yoon’s office said South Korea, together with its allies, has been closely tracking North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia from the initial stages. South Korea will respond to the North’s activities with all available means, it added, without elaborating on what actions it might take.

Persons: Yoon Suk Organizations: Korea’s National Intelligence Service, Korean, South, Ukraine Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Ukraine, South, Ukraine’s Donetsk, Russian, Korea, Russia, North, South Korea, Washington

☆ Ukraine: North Korea is sending 12,000 troop to aid Russia’s war, South Korea intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-18 | by ( Story Associated Press | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul, South Korea AP —South Korean intelligence has found that North Korea has dispatched 12,000 troops including special operation forces to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, news reports said Friday, a development that could bring a third country into the war and intensify a standoff between North Korea and the West. North Korea has 1.2 million troops, one of the largest militaries in the world, but it lacks actual combat experience. Many experts question how much the North Korean troop dispatch would help Russia, citing North Korea’s outdated equipment and shortage of battle experiences. The statement said participants of the meeting agreed that North Korea’s troop dispatch poses a grave security threat to South Korea and the international community. Outside officials and experts say North Korea in exchange possibly received badly needed food and economic aid and technology assistance aimed at upgrading Kim’s nuclear-armed military.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, we’ve, ” Zelenskyy, Mark Rutte Organizations: South Korea AP — South, National Intelligence Service, NIS, North, NATO Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, Korean, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, Ukrainian, Donetsk, Moscow

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 wants to speed up becoming a nuclear superpower
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country will speed up steps toward becoming a military superpower with nuclear weapons and would not rule out using them if it came under enemy attack, state news agency KCNA reported Tuesday. This does not preclude the use of nuclear weapons.”“Our footsteps towards becoming a military superpower and a nuclear power will accelerate,” he added. North Korea has for decades pursued a nuclear weapons program and is believed to have enough fissile materials to build dozens of the weapons. It has conducted six underground nuclear detonation tests. Last week, South Korea marked an annual armed forces day with a large military parade showcasing a ballistic missile capable of carrying a massive warhead and featuring a flypast of a U.S. strategic bomber.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, Yoon Suk, “ Yoon Suk Yeol, ” KCNA, ”, Kim Jong Organizations: South, Republic, U.S, Kim Jong Un National Defense University Locations: Seoul, colluding, Washington, South Korea, North Korea, U.S

☆ North Korea leader Kim threatens to use nuclear weapons against the South if attacked
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-04 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country would not hesitate to use all available offensive forces including nuclear weapons if the enemy attempted to use force to encroach on its sovereignty, state news agency KCNA reported Friday. Kim criticized South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for threatening to end the North Korean regime at a military day event on Tuesday, saying the comment showed which side was destroying regional security and peace. DPRK is short for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name. North Korea has for decades pursued a nuclear weapons program and is believed to have enough fissile materials to build dozens of such weapons. Kim said “the enemies’ threatening rhetoric, action, trick and attempt did not check the DPRK’s powerful military strength and will not take away our nuclear weapons forever,” KCNA reported.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Kim, Yoon Suk, Yoon “, ” KCNA, “, Yoon, ”, ” Yoon Organizations: South, Democratic People’s Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, North, DPRK, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Korea, U.S, Pyongyang

☆ 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 prosecutors drop charges against first lady over Dior handbag
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, South Korea — Prosecutors in South Korea have decided not to charge first lady Kim Keon Hee over allegations of inappropriately accepting gifts last year, including a Christian Dior handbag, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Seoul prosecutors’ office. The scandal has caused a political uproar in South Korea and contributed to a bruising election defeat for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s governing party in April. Prosecutors also decided to drop graft charges against the pastor, Rev. Choi had told reporters, when he appeared for questioning by prosecutors, that he asked for several favors when he handed the gifts to Kim. Opposition lawmakers have called for a special counsel investigation into the case and allegations of other irregularities involving the first lady.

Persons: Kim Keon Hee, Dior, Yoon Suk, Kim, Yonhap, Prosecutors, Abraham Choi, Yoon, Choi, ” Organizations: South Korea — Prosecutors, ’, Seoul Central, Prosecutors ’, Yoon YouTube Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul

☆ South Korea military parade includes ‘monster missile’ and U.S. bomber flypast
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-01 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea showcased a ballistic missile capable of carrying an eight-ton warhead and featured a flypast of a U.S. bomber at military parades in Seoul on Tuesday, a show of force now held annually to signal readiness to respond to North Korean threats. For decades such military parades had been held only infrequently in South Korea. Military officials have said Tuesday’s parade was partly intended to showcase South Korea’s military might as a deterrence to North Korea, which frequently stages parades featuring weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles. The South Korean parade included a flypast by a U.S. B-1B strategic bomber for the first time, while the U.S. Eighth Army band and an armored Stryker brigade also took part. “That day will see the end of the North Korean regime.”Dubbed a “monster missile” by South Korean media, the Hyunmoo-5 was a centerpiece of the parade, specifically designed to penetrate underground bunkers.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, ” Yoon, Yu Yong, Kim Kang Il, KCNA, Kim, Tuesday’s, Jeon Ha Organizations: Armed Forces, U.S, U.S . Eighth Army, Strategic Command, South, Defense Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, U.S, Seoul, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Washington

☆ Seoul Halloween crowd crush: South Korea court sentences highest-ranking police officer yet to jail
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Gawon Bae | Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Seoul CNN —The former head of a local police station in Seoul has been sentenced to three years in jail over a deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush, making him the highest-ranking law enforcement official to be held criminally liable over the disaster. Seoul Western District Court said Monday it found Lee and two other former Yongsan police officers guilty of neglecting their duties, which resulted in deaths and injuries, despite signs that “the danger of large-scale casualties” was foreseeable. Itaewon, home to some of Seoul’s popular restaurants and bars, had hosted Halloween celebrations for years. Most who died that night were young South Koreans – largely in their teens and early 20s. Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a slew of new measures “to ensure a safe Halloween” – including a new CCTV system to monitor crowd numbers.

Persons: Lee Im, Lee, Itaewon, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: Seoul CNN, Seoul, South Koreans, South, Seoul Metropolitan Government Locations: Seoul, Yongsan, Itaewon, Asia, Japan, Shibuya, Guangzhou, China

☆ South Korea to criminalize watching or possessing sexually explicit deepfakes
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Reuters —South Korean lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill that criminalizes possessing or watching sexually explicit deepfake images and videos, with penalties set to include prison terms and fines. There has been an outcry in South Korea over Telegram group chats where sexually explicit and illegal deepfakes were created and widely shared, prompting calls for tougher punishment. Currently, making sexually explicit deepfakes with the intention of distributing them is punishable by five years in prison or a fine of 50 million won ($37,900) under the Sexual Violence Prevention and Victims Protection Act. Earlier this month, police launched an investigation into Telegram that will look at whether the encrypted messaging app has been complicit in the distribution of sexually explicit deepfake content. Earlier this year, social media platform X blocked users from searching for Taylor Swift after fake sexually explicit images of the pop singer proliferated on social media.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Taylor Swift Organizations: Reuters, South, Telegram Locations: South Korea

☆ She claimed she aborted her baby at nine months. In this country, there’s no law against that
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-20 | by ( Lex Harvey | Gawon Bae | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Protesters hold placards reading 'Abolish punishment for abortion' as they protest South Korean abortion laws in Gwanghwamun plaza in Seoul on July 7, 2018. efired/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesBy not passing abortion laws, the National Assembly is “not doing its job,” said Cho Hee-kyoung, a law professor at Hongik University in Seoul. Changing attitudes to abortionDespite the country previously having highly restrictive abortion laws, abortion has not historically been the lightning rod in South Korea that it has been in the United States. If overpopulation had once prompted the government to push abortions, South Korea was now dealing with the opposite problem. It is impossible to know the true number of abortions that take place each year in South Korea because the procedure is unregulated.

Persons: haven’t, It’s, Ed Jones, “, ”, Cho Hee, ” Cho, Nayoung, Cho, Jung Yeon, Susanné Seong, “ They’ve, Charlie Neibergall, ” Nayoung, SeongJoon Cho, Yoon Suk, she’d Organizations: Seoul CNN, vlogger, Seoul National Police, South Korean, YouTube, CNN, Getty, National Assembly, Hongik University, country’s Ministry, Justice, Health and Welfare Ministry, Health, Ministry, Welfare Ministry, World Bank, South Korea’s Institute for Health, Social Affairs, Human Rights Watch, Korea, Pharmaceutical Affairs, Supreme, Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, South, Bloomberg, Organization for Economic Cooperation, Development, HRW, Police Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Korean, Gwanghwamun, AFP, South, efired, “, United States, Jusarang, Ames , Iowa, Canadian, Korea

☆ Washington and Seoul discussing new deal on cost sharing for US troops in South Korea ahead of a potential Trump election victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-16 | by ( Kylie Atwood | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The negotiations over the Special Measures Agreement, known as the SMA, strained the US-South Korea alliance during the Trump administration. Former President Donald Trump demanded Seoul pay up to 400% more for the presence of the 28,500 US troops in the country during negotiations over the current agreement. Under the current agreement, South Korea pays about $1 billion annually, representing an increase of about 13.9% over previous SMAs. Earlier this year, Trump said that he did not think the South Korea is paying enough based on the last agreement. One complication is that a deal will have to be approved by South Korea’s national assembly — which is dominated by the opposition party to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Persons: —, Trump, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un’s, Joe Biden, ” Trump, Yoon Suk, “, ”, David Maxwell Organizations: CNN, Seoul, South, State Department, ROK, South Korean Ministry of Foreign, Biden, Defense Department, Biden Administration, US, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Trump Locations: Washington, Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Korea

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