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☆ North Korea tests another nuclear-capable underwater drone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 8 (Reuters) - North Korea conducted another test of a nuclear-capable underwater attack drone, state media said on Saturday, the latest in a show of force against the U.S. and South Korea. The country tested another kind of a nuclear-capable unmanned underwater attack weapon called "Haeil-2", over a week after it disclosed a new underwater drone system dubbed "Haeil-1", which translates to tsunami in Korean, designed to make sneak attacks in enemy waters. During the underwater strategic weapon system test from April 4 to April 7, state media KCNA said that the drone cruised 1,000 km (621.37 miles)of underwater distance for 71 hours and 6 minutes and successfully hit a simulated target. "The test perfectly proved the reliability of the underwater strategic weapon system and its fatal attack ability," KCNA said. North Korea has ramped up its military activities in recent weeks, protesting that the United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises.

☆ North Korea says U.S.-South Korea drills push tension to 'brink of nuclear war'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yonhap via REUTERS/File PhotoSEOUL, April 6 (Reuters) - North Korea on Thursday accused the U.S. and South Korea of escalating tensions to the brink of nuclear war through their joint military drills, vowing to respond with "offensive action," state media KCNA reported. KCNA released a commentary by Choe Ju Hyon, whom it called an international security analyst, criticising the exercises as "a trigger for driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the point of explosion." "Now the international community unanimously hopes that the dark clouds of a nuclear war hanging over the Korean peninsula will be removed as early as possible," it added. "The drills have turned the Korean peninsula into a huge powder magazine which can be detonated any moment," it added. North Korea has reacted furiously to the exercises, calling them a rehearsal for invasion.

☆ Russia says suspension of nuclear pact not impacted by US data move
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Russia said on Wednesday it would voluntarily stick to agreed limits on the number of nuclear warheads it can deploy regardless of the U.S step. Putin justified Russia's suspension last month by saying, without providing evidence, that the West had been directly involved in Ukrainian attacks against bases for Russian strategic bomber planes deep inside Russian territory. He said NATO demands that Russia should allow inspections of its nuclear bases under the New START treaty were therefore absurd. Signed in 2010 and due to expire in 2026, the New START treaty caps the number of strategic nuclear warheads that both countries, the world's largest nuclear powers, can deploy. Under its terms, Moscow and Washington may deploy no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads and 700 land- and submarine-based missiles and bombers to deliver them.

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia flexes its muscles with intercontinental ballistic missile drill; Kyiv waits for China call
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv still hasn't heard anything more about a purported call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping leave after a reception in honor of the Chinese leader's visit to Moscow, at the Kremlin, on March 21, 2023. So far, however, nothing has been arranged, Zelenskyy said. "We are ready to see him here," he told the Associated Press news agency Tuesday while en route to Kyiv after a visit to the Sumy region. When asked if there was any plan at the moment to meet with Xi, Zelenskyy replied "no."

☆ Russia starts exercises with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 29 (Reuters) - Russia has begun exercises with its Yars intercontinental ballistic missile system and several thousand troops, its defence ministry said on Wednesday, in what is likely to be seen as another attempt by Moscow to show off its nuclear strength. President Vladimir Putin has aimed to make the Yars missile system, which replaced the Topol system, part of Russia's "invincible weapons" and the mainstay of the ground-based component of its nuclear arsenal. During the exercises, the Yars mobile systems will conduct manoeuvres in three Russian regions, the ministry said, without identifying the regions. There are few confirmed tactical and technical characteristics of the Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile systems, which reportedly have an operational range of 12,000 km (7,500 miles). Since launching an invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has conducted numerous military exercises on its own or with other countries, such as China or South Africa.

☆ North Korea's showing off an underwater nuclear attack drone it says can cause a 'radioactive tsunami,' but the threat is likely 'exaggerated'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

North Korea has tested an underwater nuclear attack drone, similar to Russia's Poseidon torpedo. "This nuclear underwater attack drone can be deployed at any coast and port or towed by a surface ship for operation," state media boasted. "There have been signs that North Korea has been developing unmanned submarines, but we assess that they are still at an elementary level," South Korea's JCS added. "There are good reasons to maintain skepticism that North Korea will widely produce or deploy the Haeil system," he wrote in an NK Pro analysis. A screen grab shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspecting nuclear warheads at an undisclosed location in this undated still image used in a video.

☆ North Korea unveils new nuclear warheads as Kim orders more weapons-grade materials
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SEOUL, March 28 (Reuters) - North Korea unveiled new, smaller nuclear warheads as leader Kim Jong Un called for scaling up the production of weapons-grade nuclear material to expand the country's arsenal, state media KCNA said on Tuesday. KCNA released photos of the warheads, dubbed Hwasan-31, during Kim's visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute, where he inspected new tactical nuclear weapons and technology for mounting warheads on ballistic missiles, as well as nuclear counterattack operation plans. Kim ordered the production of weapons-grade materials in a "far-sighted way" to boost its nuclear arsenal "exponentially" and produce powerful weapons, KCNA said. "The frantic war drills in the puppet region are not just military drills but nuclear war drills for a preemptive strike ... pursuant to the U.S. political and military option to escalate confrontation with the DPRK and finally lead to a war," it said. DPRK is an abbreviation for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

☆ North Korea claims it can unleash a 'super-scale radioactive tsunami' with an underwater drone that detonates near ships or ports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korea claims it tested an underwater drone that can create a radioactive tsunami. It was designed to strike both naval assets and coastal targets, North Korean state media outlet KCNA reported. Friday's announcement was the first time that North Korea has publicly mentioned such a weapon. North Korea has in the last year aggressively ramped up its testing of long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. These tests have often been framed as a response to the US and South Korea for North Korea says is unprovoked aggression.

☆ US amphibious assault ship joins drills in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUSAN, South Korea, March 23 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. troops launched their largest amphibious landing drills in years involving a U.S. amphibious assault ship, officials said on Thursday, a day after North Korea tested four long-range cruise missiles. About 12,000 sailors and marines from the two countries will take part, as will 30 warships, 70 aircraft and 50 amphibious assault vehicles, the South Korean military said. Hours before the ship docked, North Korea fired four cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea said, in apparent protest of ongoing drills by the U.S. and South Korea. The ship's welldeck, which can be flooded to provide direct access to the sea, allows it to launch and recover landing craft and other amphibious vehicles, the U.S. military said. South Korea and the U.S. say the exercises are purely defensive.

In recent years the 15-member body has been split on how to deal with North Korea. Although both Russia and China backed toughened sanctions after North Korea's last nuclear test, in May 2022 they vetoed a U.S.-led push to impose more U.N. sanctions over North Korea's renewed ballistic missile launches. North Korea fired several cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, three days after firing a short-range ballistic missile into the sea. North Korea's last known firing of strategic cruise missiles was on March 12, when it said it fired two from a submarine. "But I think it is a much more dangerous North Korea than it has been in the past," Berrier said.

☆ North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles off its east coast, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 22 (Reuters) - North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, the latest in a series of tests of its weapons as its rivals, South Korea and the United States, conducted joint military exercises. North Korea fired the missiles at around 10:15 a.m. (0115 GMT) from its South Hamgyong province, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. Wednesday's North Korean missile launches come just three days after North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast. The North has long bristled at exercises conducted by South Korean and U.S. forces, saying they are preparation for an invasion of the North. South Korea and the United States deny that, saying instead, they have to prepare to defend against North Korean aggression.

☆ South Korea, US to hold largest live-fire drills amid North Korea tension
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 22 (Reuters) - South Korean and U.S. forces will hold their largest-ever live-fire exercises in June in a show of force to North Korea, which has ratcheted up tension with numerous missile launches, South Korea's defence ministry said on Wednesday. "During the live-fire exercises, the combined forces will demonstrate the alliance's formidable firepower and mobility on an unprecedented scale." In recent weeks, North Korea has been ramping up its military tests, firing an intercontinental ballistic missile last week and conducting a nuclear counterattack simulation against the U.S. and South Korea over the weekend. The United States has about 28,500 troops in South Korea. North Korea has reacted furiously to those drills, calling them a rehearsal for its invasion.

☆ A close Russian ally is messing with the legendary spaceport it leases to the Kremlin, seizing assets over an unpaid debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Baikonur is a source of pride for Moscow, from which the Soviet Union sent the first man to space. Baikonur is pivotal to the Russian space program. Even though it isn't physically in Russia, it has been leased by the Kremlin since Kazakhstan became independent when the Soviet Union collapsed. Founded by the Soviet Union as a test range for intercontinental ballistic missiles, it was transformed into a space port in 1955. It remains a key part of Russia's space program, and is the only site where Russia launches missions to the International Space Station.

☆ US, China, Russia argue over North Korea at United Nations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] People watch a TV broadcasting a news report on North Korea firing a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File PhotoUNITED NATIONS, March 20 (Reuters) - The United States, China and Russia argued during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday over who was to blame for spurring North Korea's dozens of ballistic missile launches and development of a nuclear weapons program. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006. China and Russia blamed joint military drills by the United States and South Korea for provoking Pyongyang while Washington accuses Beijing and Moscow of emboldening North Korea by shielding it from more sanctions. Russia and China, veto powers along with the United States, Britain and France, have said more sanctions will not help and want such measures to be eased.

SEOUL, March 20 (Reuters) - North Korea's presumed use of a silo in its latest missile test was aimed at boosting the speed and reliability of launches, and could be used in future flights of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), analysts said on Monday. "And without launch preparations being detected in advance, you can just press a button." Unlike the KN-23, liquid-fuelled missiles such as North Korea's Hwasong-17 ICBM require time for fuelling. With a silo that can take place underground, out of sight. North Korea typically relies on mobile launchers, but the country's lack of infrastructure could make launches from such trucks challenging, Yang said.

☆ North Korea claims that in 1 day, 800,000 youths just up and decided to voluntarily join its army and fight the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

North Korea on Sunday claimed that 800,000 young people signed up to join the military in one day. Even if this were true, it doesn't necessarily mean Pyongyang's army has 800,000 new soldiers, an expert says. Even if North Korea did recruit 800,000 army personnel in a day, it may not mean that its military strength will increase by that amount, Gordon Kang, who researches North Korea at the East Asia Institute in Singapore, told Insider. On Sunday, North Korea launched another missile test that flew an estimated 500 miles east and fell into the ocean. North Korea currently has an estimated 1.15 million active-duty troops, including 950,000 army personnel, according to the CIA.

☆ North Korea fired ballistic missile towards sea off east coast - Yonhap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, March 19 (Reuters) - North Korea fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, news agency Yonhap reported, citing South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Japan Coast Guard also said what was fired by North Korea could be a ballistic missile. The North on Thursday fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan, hours before South Korea's president flew to Tokyo for a summit that discussed ways to counter the nuclear-armed North. South Korean and American forces are conducting 11-day joint military drills, dubbed "Freedom Shield 23." Reporting by Hyunsu Yim; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 19 (Reuters) - North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile towards the sea off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, according to South Korea and Japan, the latest in a barrage of weapons tests from the nuclear-armed state. Seoul has condemned the recent ballistic missile launches by the North as a "clear violation" of a U.N. Security Council resolution. "North Korea's behaviour threatens international peace and security, and is unacceptable," Japan's state minister of defense, Toshiro Ino, told a news conference, adding Japan had protested strongly via North Korea's embassy in Beijing. But the recent missile launches highlight the destabilising impact of Pyongyang's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, it said in a statement. South Korean and American forces kicked off the 11-day drills, dubbed "Freedom Shield 23", a week ago on a scale not seen since 2017.

☆ Kim Jong Un's daughter was a mystery for years, but now she's showing up at North Korea's biggest missile tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

For years, Kim Jong Un's daughter — Kim Ju Ae — was a mystery to the world. But in late 2022 state media began showing photos of her at North Korean military events. Photographs released by state media after the launch appear to show the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, watching with a girl who has been identified by analysts and experts as his daughter, Kim Ju Ae. This photo provided on Nov. 19, 2022, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and his daughter inspecting a missile at Pyongyang International Airport in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with his daughter, inspects what it says is an artillery drill at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Thursday, March 9, 2023.

☆ North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles could hit central US in just 33 minutes, says Chinese study
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

North Korea's ICBMs can conceivably penetrate the US missile defense system, a Chinese study found. The study simulated the launch of a Hwasongpho-15 missile towards Columbia, Missouri. The study simulated the firing of a Hwasongpho-15 missile from the central North Korean city of Sunchon, towards Columbia, Missouri, per the SCMP. The report, released mid-February, came ahead of a series of North Korean test-firings this week. On Monday, two strategic cruise missiles were fired from a submarine off North Korea's eastern coast, according to Al-Jazeera.

☆ North Korea claims almost 800,000 people have signed up for military to fight against US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, March 18 (Reuters) - North Korea claims that about 800,000 of its citizens volunteered to join or reenlist in the nation's military to fight against the United States, North Korea's state newspaper reported on Saturday. About 800,000 students and workers, on Friday alone, across the country expressed a desire to enlist or reenlist in the military to counter the United States, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported. The North's claim came after North Korea on Thursday launched its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in response to ongoin0g U.S-South Korea military drills. North Korea fired the ICBM into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before South Korea's president flew to Tokyo for a summit that discussed ways to counter the nuclear-armed North. Kim accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with the military drills.

☆ North Korea claims almost 800,000 have signed up to fight against US
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, March 18 (Reuters) - North Korea claims that about 800,000 of its citizens volunteered to join or reenlist in the nation's military to fight against the United States, North Korea's state newspaper reported on Saturday. About 800,000 students and workers, on Friday alone, across the country expressed a desire to enlist or reenlist in the military to counter the United States, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported. The North's claim came after North Korea on Thursday launched its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in response to ongoing U.S-South Korea military drills. North Korea fired the ICBM into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before South Korea's president flew to Tokyo for a summit that discussed ways to counter the nuclear-armed North. Kim accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with the military drills.

☆ U.S. accuses China of trying to hide North Korea atrocities
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China and Russia argue that the 15-member Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, should not discuss human rights issues. They say such meetings should be confined to other U.N. bodies like the U.N. Human Rights Council or the U.N. General Assembly. Thomas-Greenfield said North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs were "inextricably linked to the regime's human rights abuses." Pyongyang rejects accusations of human rights abuses and blames sanctions for a dire humanitarian situation in North Korea. "Everybody knows full well that the U.S. uses human rights to settle scores with governments not to their liking."

☆ South Koreans sceptical as president offers olive branch to Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SEOUL, March 16 (Reuters) - As South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol landed in Tokyo on Thursday his plan to patch up relations with Japan faces lingering scepticism at home. Sixty-four percent of the respondents said South Korea did not need to rush to improve ties with Japan if there were no change in Tokyo's attitude, according to the poll. Yoon is the latest of many South Korean conservatives who embrace the argument that Seoul must heal divides with Japan to confront security challenges. Boycotts of Japanese products and vacations have largely faded in South Korea, and a growing number of South Koreans are travelling to Japan as COVID restrictions ease. Three Japanese animated films are among the top five at box office in South Korea.

SEOUL, March 17 (Reuters) - North Korea said that Thursday's launch was its largest Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), fired during a drill to demonstrate a "tough response posture" to ongoing U.S.-South Korea military drills, state media reported. North Korea fired the ICBM into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, hours before South Korea's president flew to Tokyo for a summit that discussed ways to counter the nuclear-armed North. Kim accused the United States and South Korea of increasing tensions with the military drills. China, which has a defense pact with North Korea, also blamed the United States for the current tensions, saying they are caused by Washington's efforts to increase pressure on Pyongyang. The Hwasong-17 is North Korea's biggest missile yet, and is the largest road-mobile, liquid-fuelled ICBM in the world.

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