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☆ A US tourist crossed the border into North Korea, UN says. South Korean media reports he's a US soldier.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A US national crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on Tuesday, the UN said. South Korean media is reporting that he was a US soldier. South Korean media has described it as a defection, though it is currently unclear if this is the case. Cases of Americans or South Koreans defecting to North Korea are extremely rare, while North Koreans crossing into South Korea are more common. More than 30,000 North Koreans have fled south since the 1950-1953 Korean War, according to the Associated Press.

Persons: Travis King Organizations: UN, Service, United Nations, The United Nations Command, Security Area, — United Nations Command, The Korea Herald, Ilbo, US Army, South, US Department of State, Associated Press Locations: South Korea, North Korea, US, North, Wall, Silicon, Seoul, South Korea's

☆ U.S. national crosses into North Korea, likely held in custody
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

South Korea's Dong-a Ilbo daily, citing South Korea's army, identified the person as Travis King, a U.S. army soldier with the rank of private second class. "We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," it added, referring to North Korea's People's Army. North Korea has been testing increasingly powerful missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched last week. U.S. State Department travel advisory bans U.S. nationals from entering North Korea "due to the continuing serious risk of arrest and long term detention of U.S. He died in 2017, days after he was released from North Korea and returned to the United States in a coma.

Persons: Travis King, Isaac Taylor, USFK, We're, Otto Warmbier, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Jack Kim, Andrew Heavens, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: U.S, United Nations Command, Joint Security Area, National, Democratic People's, . Command, UNC, Twitter, Korea's People's Army, Command, U.S . Army, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Pentagon, Korea's Defence Ministry, North, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea's, South, U.S, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, South Korea, United States

Seoul, South Korea CNN —For the first time in decades, a nuclear capable US Navy ballistic missile submarine has made a port call in South Korea, in a move that comes just days after North Korea test-fired what it said was a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile. The presence of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine in the South Korean port city of Busan was announced by the country’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday afternoon. The NCG is a joint US and South Korean panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April. The Nuclear Threat Initiative at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that each Trident missile can carry four nuclear warheads, meaning each US ballistic missile submarine could be carrying about 80 nuclear warheads. One arriving in South Korea on a port visit – which must be arranged 24 to 48 hours in advance – would be far more visible, giving North Korea an advantage, Schuster said.

Persons: Kurt Campbell, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un, ”, Kim, “, James Martin, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk, ” Biden, Biden, Yoon, ” Carl Schuster, ” Blake Herzinger, Schuster, Kim Jong, we’ve, ” Schuster Organizations: South Korea CNN —, North, country’s Defense, US National Security Council, Nuclear Consultative, DPRK, Democratic, Nuclear, James, James Martin Center, Nonproliferation, Trident, South, ROK, US Navy, Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific, United States Studies Centre Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Ohio, Korean, Busan, Washington, Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Hawaii, –

Seoul, South Korea CNN —A US national is believed to be in North Korean custody after crossing the border during a tour, a United Nations agency said Tuesday. The individual was detained during a Joint Security Area tour after crossing the Military Demarcation Line separating North and South Korea, the United Nations Command said in a tweet. The prospect of a US national being held in North Korean military custody comes at a time of fraught diplomacy and rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Under leader Kim Jong Un, North Korea has been ramping up tests of potentially nuclear capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, something South Korea and its treaty ally the United States are keen to push back on. The NCG is a joint US and South Korean panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April.

Persons: “, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, Kurt Campbell, Joe Biden, Yoon Suk Yeol Organizations: South Korea CNN, United, Security, United Nations Command, U.S, National, Democratic People’s, UNC, Joint Security, North, CNN, Busan –, US National Security Council, Nuclear Consultative, South Korean Locations: Seoul, South Korea, North, United Nations, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, DPRK, South, North Korea, United States, Busan, Washington, Pyongyang

☆ US soldier laughed as he ran across the DMZ in North Korea, witness says, and was reportedly in trouble with the military
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A US soldier crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on Tuesday. The soldier, identified as Travis King, was also in trouble with the US military, according to reports. The soldier, initially identified as a junior enlisted named Travis King, was also in trouble with the US military, according to reports. US officials told CBS News that the soldier was being flown back to the US from South Korea for disciplinary reasons. The Washington Post reported that the soldier was punished for some kind of misconduct while serving in South Korea.

Persons: Travis King, didn't, Defense Lloyd Austin, Austin Organizations: Service, Army, CBS News, Military, Reuters, Washington Post, Washington, US State Department, Department of Defense, Defense Department, Pentagon, Defense, United Nations Command, Security Area, UN Command, Korean People's Army Locations: South Korea, North Korea, Wall, Silicon

☆ U.S. national being held in North Korea after crossing border, UN says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Ruxandra Iordache | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. national may be in North Korean custody after crossing the inter-Korean border without authorization, the U.N. Command said on Twitter Tuesday. The person was touring the Joint Security Area — a site at Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone used by North and South Korea for diplomatic engagements and negotiations. The U.S. and North Korea do not currently have formal diplomatic relations. An U.S. travel advisory note urges U.S. nationals not to travel to North Korea "due to the continuing serious risk of arrest and long-term detention." The incident takes place on the same day as a U.S. nuclear submarine visited South Korea for the first time since the 1980s, arriving at the port of Busan, according to the U.S. forces in South Korea.

Organizations: U.S, Command, Twitter, National, Democratic People's, U.S ., NBC News, White Locations: North, Panmunjeom, South Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, U.S, North Korea, An U.S, Busan

☆ North Korea to make rare statement at UN Security Council
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Reuters) - North Korea is set to make a rare statement during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday, which was called over Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North Korea requested to speak at the meeting of the 15-member body and Great Britain - as council president for July - intends to grant it, said Mungo Woodifield, spokesperson for Britain's U.N. mission in New York. The council meeting was requested by the United States, Albania, France, Japan, Malta and Britain. North Korea - formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006. North Korea on Wednesday tested its latest Hwasong-18 ICBM, state media reported, saying the weapon is the core of its nuclear strike force and as a warning to the United States and other adversaries.

Persons: Mungo Woodifield, Britain's U.N, Michelle Nichols, Mark Porter Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, Democratic People's, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Great Britain, New York, United States, Albania, France, Japan, Malta, Britain, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK

☆ In rare UN appearance, North Korea defends missile launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile is launched from an undisclosed location in North Korea in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on July 13, 2023. The 15-member Security Council met after North Korea said it tested on Wednesday its latest Hwasong-18 ICBM, adding the weapon is the core of its nuclear strike force. "We categorically reject and condemn the convening of the Security Council briefing by the United States and its followers," North Korea's U.N. North Korea last spoke at a council meeting on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in December 2017, diplomats said. North Korea - formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006.

Persons: Kim Song, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, NATO DeLaurentis, Washington, China's U.N, Zhang Jun, Zhang, Michelle Nichols, Mark Porter, Deepa Babington Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS UNITED NATIONS, Security, Democratic People's, U.S, United Nations, NATO, DPRK, Thomson Locations: North Korea, United States, U.N, Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang, Russia, China, Britain, France, South Korea, Washington, Beijing, Moscow, emboldening North Korea, CHINA, U.S, NATO, China's

☆ North Korea condemns US plan to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as 'criminal'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 11 (Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday condemned U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine as a "criminal act" and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the plan. Reclusive North Korea has forged closer ties with the Kremlin and backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine in February last year. The United States announced last week it would send Ukraine the weapons controversial for the danger they pose to civilians long after fighting ends as part of an $800 million security package. Many U.S. allies and partners helping aid Ukraine are among the 111 state parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits all use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions and came into force in 2010. North Korea is not a party to the convention.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Choe Son Hui, Choe, Jack Kim, Ed Osmond, Nick Macfie Organizations: Korean Foreign, DPRK, Democratic People's, Kremlin, United States, U.S, Cluster Munitions, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Ukraine, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Moscow, Russia, United States, U.S

☆ A North Korean stunned world soccer when he scored in Serie A. Then Han Kwang Song went missing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Gawon Bae | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But the Covid-19 pandemic led to North Korea fully sealing its borders, making it impossible for Han and fellow repatriated North Korean nationals to return home. PyongyangHan was born in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang in 1998. The opening of North Korea through sport seemed like a door that would not be closed any time soon. They followed the Olympics and soccer,” former North Korean men’s soccer national team head coach Jørn Andersen told CNN Sport, adding that he had limited contact with the North Korean public during his time in Pyongyang between 2016 and 2018. Holding a North Korean passport, Han was no exception to these sanctions, despite his preternatural soccer talent.

Persons: Han Kwang, Qatar’s, Han, –, Hahn, hea, Kim Jong, Pyongyang Han, Kim Jong Un’s, Kim, Alberto Mier, Jørn Andersen, ” Andersen, Han Kwang Song, Enrico Locci, YuMi, Rome –, Choe, “, Mario Berreta, ” Cagliari’s, Max Canzi, ” Canzi, ‘ Tell Mario, ”, Canzi, Nicholas Pennington, Tullio M, Pennington, ” Han, Juventus –, Duhail, Sandro Stemperini, Qatar Han’s, Andersen, hasn’t, he’s, ” Anderson, regretfully Organizations: CNN, Juventus, Little North, South, CNN Sport, United Nations Security Council, North, Pyongyang International Football School, CNN North Korea, Korean, soccer, team, North Korean, Bundesliga, Liga, KCTV, FIFA, Cagliari's Serie, Chievo Verona, Academy, ISM Academy, AC Perugia Calcio, Cagliari, Canzi, Serie A, Perugia, Getty, AC Perugia, Juventus ’, Serie, ISM International Scouting Center, UNSC, North Korea, DPRK, Democratic People’s, Al, Qatar’s, Qatar Stars, Qatar, UN, Fiorentina, Sport, Qatar Stars League, “, Qatar Airways, – Locations: Korean, Italian, Pyongyang, South Korean, North Korea, Qatar, London, South Korea, Germany, Italy, England, Spain, Perugia –, Italy’s, Umbria, Rome, Europe, “, Cagliari, Puglia, Seoul, North Korean, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Qatari, Korea, North, Ahli, ”, Doha, China, Russia

☆ North Korea: "No intention to examine" Hyundai Group chief's bid to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - North Korea has no intention to "examine" South Korea's Hyundai Group chief's plan to visit the North's Mount Kumgang, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been seeking to visit North Korea in August and submitted applications to South Korea's unification ministry, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official at the ministry. Hyundai's late founder, Chung Ju-Yung, was born in North Korea. Mount Kumgang is on North Korea’s east coast near the demilitarised zone separating the two countries. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

Persons: Kumgang, Hyun Jeong, Chung, Yung, Yoon Suk, Heekyong Yang, Sandra Maler, William Mallard Organizations: Korea's Hyundai, Hyundai, DPRK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, North Korea’s, Kaesong, Pyongyang

☆ Kim Jong Un really wants to be Putin's buddy, saying they should start 'holding hands' and that North Korea stands in 'solidarity' with Russia's war in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has nothing but praise for Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine. Kim expressed a desire for close cooperation with Moscow, saying he and Putin should be "holding hands." North Korea has been seeking closer ties with Russia, especially after the war in Ukraine began. Kim lauded the invasion of Ukraine, portraying it as a move to protect Russia's sovereignty — even though Ukraine is an internationally recognized independent nation. North Korea was one of the few nations that has continually voted in favor of Russia at the United Nations since the war began.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim, Putin, — Organizations: Service, United Nations, Soviet Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Korea, Russia, Pyongyang, Russian, DPRK, US, Korean, China, Soviet Union, Beijing

☆ US concerned North Korea plans to deliver more weapons to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 12 (Reuters) - The United States is concerned that North Korea is planning to deliver more weapons to Russia, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Monday after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to bolster strategic cooperation with Moscow. Earlier on Monday, North Korea's KCNA state news agency said Kim made the pledge in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin marking Russia's National Day. "We are concerned that the DPRK is planning to deliver more military equipment to Russia," the spokesperson added, using the initials of North Korea's official name. North Korea has sought to forge closer ties with the Kremlin and backed Moscow after it invaded Ukraine last year, blaming the "hegemonic policy" and "high-handedness" of the United States and the West. The United States said in March it had new information that Russia was actively seeking to acquire additional weapons from North Korea in exchange for food aid.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim, Vladimir Putin, KCNA, Wagner, Hyonhee Shin, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . State Department, North, The State Department, United States, Kremlin, United, Thomson Locations: United States, Korea, Russia, U.S, Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, United, North Korea, Washington

☆ North Korea says it will launch its first-ever military spy satellite to monitor U.S. drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Jihye Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 09: People watch a television show North Korea's 75th anniversary of the founding of the armed forces day military parade released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-jun | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesNorth Korea announced its plans to launch its first-ever military spy satellite – giving a lift for some South Korean and Japanese defense stocks. North Korean military official Ri Pyong Chol said in a Monday statement that Pyongyang plans to launch a satellite with the aim to track "dangerous" actions by the U.S., pointing to its recent joint military drills taking with South Korea. North Korea claimed the event "fully proves how the enemy is making preparations for the military act of aggression on the DPRK," referring to its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Defense stocks riseShares of South Korean defense companies Firstec and Victek rose 3.8% and 3.3% respectively Tuesday afternoon, returning from a market holiday Monday.

☆ North Korea to hold key ruling party meeting in early June
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, May 29 (Reuters) - North Korea's ruling party will hold a key meeting in early June to review the country's economic plans, state media KCNA reported on Monday. It will mark the 8th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the country's ruling party. The last plenary meeting was held in February to discuss improving the economy and agricultural sector amid fears of food shortages. North Korea also criticized recent joint military drills between the U.S. and South Korea as "dangerous war gambles" in a separate commentary carried by KCNA also on Monday. "It is no exaggeration to say that the war scenario for aggression on the DPRK has already entered its implementation stage through training stage," the commentary read.

☆ US push for UN censure of North Korea appears to stall -diplomats
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, May 8 (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council negotiations on a U.S. push for the 15-member body to condemn North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches appear to have stalled after diplomats said China and Russia had stopped engaging. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in February she would pursue a formal presidential statement - one step below a resolution - to condemn North Korea's actions and urge diplomacy. North Korea's formal name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). 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. China and Russia blame 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.

☆ North Korea's next nuke test a matter of 'when,' not 'if,' US Army general says, warning its on the way to a key nuclear capability
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A top US Army general warned that North Korea is on its way to developing a key nuclear capability. Gen. Paul LaCamera also said this week that Pyongyang's next nuclear test is only a matter of time. LaCamera also said North Korea is slated to carry out a seventh nuclear test at some point in the future. North Korea conducted six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017, and each underground test produced explosive yields progressively larger than the one before it. Ju Ae has become a regular figure at North Korea's military-oriented events in recent months after spending years cloaked in mystery.

☆ North Korean leader orders spy satellite launch as planned -KCNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, April 19 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered officials to launch the first spy satellite as planned, saying that boosting reconnaissance capabilities is a priority to counter "threats" from the United States and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday. North Korea in December conducted what it called an important "final phase" test for a spy satellite and said it would complete preparations for the launch by April. KCNA said the satellite production has been completed but it did not elaborate when the scheduled launch date is. "Securing real-time information about the hostile forces' military scenario" is the "most important" task, Kim said. A state media photo showed Kim, accompanied by his daughter, talking to officials in front of a blurred image of an apparent satellite.

☆ US, Japan, South Korea to hold missile defence exercises to deter North Korea threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL/TOKYO, April 15 (Reuters) - The United States, Japan and South Korea said in a joint statement they discussed the regularisation of missile defence and anti-submarine exercises to deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The announcement was made at the 13th Defence Trilateral Talks held on Friday in Washington D.C. to exchange assessments of the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and broader region, as well as to consult on concrete ways to deepen trilateral security cooperation, the joint statement said. The representatives from the three countries "urged the DPRK to stop all destabilising activities immediately" and "reaffirmed that a DPRK nuclear test, if conducted, would be met with a strong and resolute response from the international community," the statement said, using North Korea's official name. It follows North Korea's announcement on Friday that it had tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a development set to "radically promote" its forces, which experts said would facilitate missile launches with little warning. Reporting by Jihoon Lee in Seoul, Mariko Katsumura in Tokyo; Editing by Diane CraftOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US, South Korea, Japan express concern over N.Korea's 'malicious' cyber activities - joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, April 7 (Reuters) - The United States, South Korea and Japan expressed deep concern over North Korea's "malicious" cyber activities to support its weapons programmes, in comments released in a joint statement on Friday. Crypto currency funds stolen by North Korean hackers have been a key source for financing the sanctions-stricken country's weapons programmes, officials and experts in the U.S. and its allies say. "We are also deeply concerned about how the DPRK supports these programmes by stealing and laundering funds as well as gathering information through malicious cyber activities," the statement said. South Korea's nuclear envoy held talks with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts in Seoul this week and condemned North Korea's weapons tests. read moreReporting by Soo-hyang Choi and Ju-min Park; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kenneth MaxwellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

The Treasury said that Mkrtychev's negotiations with North Korean and Russian officials "detailed mutually beneficial cooperation," adding that Mkrtychev confirmed Russia's readiness to receive military equipment from North Korea with senior Russian officials. Russia's embassy in Washington and North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In December, the White House said private Russian military company, the Wagner Group, took delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help bolster Russian forces in Ukraine. In November, after the White House said Pyongyang was covertly supplying Russia with a "significant" number of artillery shells, North Korea said it had never had arms dealings with Russia and has no plans to do so. Reporting By Arshad Mohammed, Daphne Psaledakis and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Josie KaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Russia is offering North Korea food for a bunch of weapons it needs to wage war in Ukraine, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia is once again seeking weapons from pariah states like North Korea to fuel its war in Ukraine. North Korea has battled food shortages in recent years while Moscow faces weapons shortages. The US has previously accused North Korea — and other isolated countries like Iran — of backing Russia's campaign by providing it with military assistance. "We also understand that Russia is seeking to send a delegation to North Korea and that Russia is offering North Korea food in exchange for munitions," Kirby said, according to multiple reports. Earlier this year, the White House revealed intelligence that it said showed North Korea providing rockets and missiles to the Kremlin-linked Wagner Group, a notorious paramilitary organization.

☆ 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.

☆ 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.

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