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[1/8] Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - Closing Ceremony - Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, Hangzhou, China - October 8, 2023 A view of the handover ceremony at the closing ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Oct 8 (Reuters) - China's eastern city of Hangzhou rounded off the 19th Asian Games on Sunday with a colourful and "joy"-themed closing ceremony after hosting the continental sporting extravaganza which organisers hailed as "one of the finest" ever. Taking place amid tight security the less-than two hour ceremony also included a handover to the hosts of the next Asian Games in 2026, the Japanese city Nagoya. The hosts' 201st gold left them two better than their previous best of 199 at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Organisers said 12,407 athletes from 45 nations competed in 40 sports at the Hangzhou Games, which were delayed for a year due to COVID-19. "We have hosted the most successful Asian Games in history" said Chen Weiqiang, Executive Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee and vice-mayor of Hangzhou.

Persons: Marko Djurica, Li Qiang, jigged, Takashi Kawamura, Randhir Singh, Gu Shiau, Kazakhstan's Moldir, Chen Weiqiang, WADA, Martin Quin Pollard, Ian Ransom, Christian Schmollinger, Toby Chopra, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Rights, Games, Nagoya, Mainichi, Olympic Council of Asia, energised, Bangkok Games, Hangzhou Games, Hangzhou Asian Games, Doping Agency, Olympic, Paralympic Games, Olympic Council of, OCA Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Nagoya, Nanjing, Aichi, Guangzhou, Jakarta, Japan, Macau, North, Korea, Olympic Council of Asia

☆ North Korea condemns attack in Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Oct 9 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday condemned "hostile forces inside and outside Syria" for a drone attack last week that caused many casualties in the country, calling it a terrorist attempt to overthrow the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Scores of people were killed in a drone attack on a graduation ceremony at a military academy in the Homs region in Syria on Oct. 5, in one of the bloodiest strikes against the military in more than 12 years of civil war. "The recent hideous terrorist act was prompted by ... the hostile forces inside and outside Syria who are ... attempting to overthrow the legitimate regime of Syria," state media KCNA said on Monday, citing North Korea's Foreign Ministry spokesperson. In November last year, Assad swore in a new ambassador to North Korea according to a statement by the Syrian government, continuing a history of ties between reclusive Pyongyang and Damascus, diplomatically isolated under a decade of Western sanctions. Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bashar al, Assad, KCNA, Joyce Lee, Sonali Paul Organizations: North Korea's Foreign Ministry, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Syria, Syrian, Homs, Pyongyang, Damascus

☆ North Korea-Russia rail traffic surges, suggesting arms supply - think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Rail traffic along the North Korea-Russia border spiked this week to the highest in years, suggesting arms supply by Pyongyang to Moscow after their leaders discussed deeper military cooperation, a U.S. think tank said on Friday. Satellite imagery showed an "unprecedented" 73 or so freight cars at Tumangang Rail Station in the North Korean border city of Rason, the Beyond Parallel Project of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a report. The traffic was far greater than that observed in the past five years, including pre-pandemic levels, it said. The U.S. and South Korea have warned military cooperation between North Korea and Russia was a violation of U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang. North Korea has slammed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for criticising Pyongyang's cooperation after the summit, saying it was "natural" and "normal" for neighbours to keep close relations.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Putin, Yoon Suk, Joyce Lee, William Mallard Organizations: Vostochny, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Rights, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, Pyongyang, South, Thomson Locations: Amur, Russia, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang, Moscow, U.S, Korean, Rason, Washington, Russian, Russia's Far, Ukraine, South Korea, Korea

☆ North Korea's Next Spy Satellite Launch Attempt May Come in October -Think Tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Hyunsu YimSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea will try this month to launch a spy satellite, a Seoul-based think tank said, the third attempt after two previous launches failed soon after liftoff. The previous two launches came soon after the G7 summit and the trilateral summit between the U.S., Japan and South Korea, respectively, KINU noted. In both cases, North Korea notified international maritime authorities of a window during which they expected to launch the rocket. North Korea's rocket programs are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that prohibit its use of ballistic missile technology. Russia and North Korea have not elaborated on what their future space cooperation might entail, but analysts say such efforts risk violating the resolutions and sanctions.

Persons: Hyunsu Yim, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, KINU, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Korea Institute for National, U.S, United Nations Locations: Hyunsu Yim SEOUL, North Korea, Seoul, China, Russia, South Korea, United States, Korean, Pyongyang, Japan

☆ North Korea halts nuclear reactor, likely to extract bomb fuel, Donga Ilbo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The operation of the 5 megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since late September, according to intelligence assessment by U.S. and South Korean authorities, the report said. Reprocessing of spent fuel rods removed from a nuclear reactor is a step taken before plutonium is extracted. The Yongbyon nuclear complex is the North's main source of plutonium that it likely has used to build nuclear weapons. North Korea has also operated uranium enrichment facilities, which is a separate source of material that could be used for nuclear weapons. North Korea claims itself a nuclear state but has kept how many nuclear weapons it may have built or deployed a secret.

Persons: Jeon Ha, Siegfried Hecker, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Hecker, " Hecker, Kim, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: Kyodo ., Donga Ilbo, Russia, North, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Thomson Locations: Korean, Yongbyon, Kyodo . North Korea, SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Korea's

☆ North Korea halts nuclear reactor, likely to extract bomb fuel - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A North Korean nuclear plant is seen before demolishing a cooling tower (R) in Yongbyon, in this photo taken June 27, 2008 and released by Kyodo. The operation of the 5 megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since late September, according to intelligence assessment by U.S. and South Korean authorities, the report said. Reprocessing of spent fuel rods removed from a nuclear reactor is a step taken before plutonium is extracted. The Yongbyon nuclear complex is the North's main source of plutonium that it likely has used to build nuclear weapons. North Korea claims itself a nuclear state but has kept how many nuclear weapons it may have built or deployed a secret.

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: Kyodo ., Donga Ilbo, Thomson Locations: Korean, Yongbyon, Kyodo . North Korea, SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, Korea's

☆ North Korea slams US for labelling it as 'persistent threat'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People attend a mass rally denouncing the U.S. in Pyongyang, North Korea, June 25, 2023 in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). SOUTH... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSEOUL, Oct 4 (Reuters) - North Korea criticised a new U.S. strategy on countering weapons of mass destruction for describing the reclusive state as among those it considers a "persistent threat," KCNA media reported on Wednesday. North Korea last week adopted a constitutional amendment to enshrine its policy on nuclear force, as leader Kim Jong Un pledged to accelerate production of nuclear weapons to deter what he called U.S. provocations, according to state media. Any use of nuclear weapons by Pyongyang will bring the regime to an end, the ministry added, echoing President Yoon Suk Yeol's remark last month. The U.S. Department of Defense's unclassified version of its "2023 Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction" said "North Korea, Iran and violent extremist organizations remain persistent threats as they continue to further pursue and develop WMD capabilities".

Persons: KCNA, Kim Jong Un, Yoon Suk, Kim Yung, Hyunsu Yim, Grant McCool, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, Korean Central News Agency, REUTERS, South, North Korean, U.S . Department, Thomson Locations: Pyongyang, North Korea, SEOUL, U.S, United States, South Korea, North Koreans, Korea, Iran, China, Russia, Germany

☆ North Korea slams UN nuclear agency as US mouthpiece
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File... Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSEOUL, Oct 2 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday denounced the U.N. atomic watchdog for joining a U.S.-led pressure campaign and "cooking up" a resolution over its nuclear programmes, calling the agency a "paid trumpeter" for Washington. An unnamed spokesman of Pyongyang's Ministry of Nuclear Power Industry released a statement criticising a resolution adopted on Friday at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference that calls for the North to curb its nuclear programmes. The spokesman described the resolution as a "result of conspiracy" by the United States and its allies, saying North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state has already become "irreversible." Grossi warned last year that the reclusive country could resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. The IAEA has had no access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009 and then restarted nuclear testing.

Persons: Tae Sung, Kim Hong, Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Hyonhee Shin, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Pyongyang's Ministry of Nuclear Power Industry, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, DPRK, Democratic People's, Thomson Locations: Gijungdong, Paju, South Korea, SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Washington, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea blames US for 'grave terrorist' act against Cuban embassy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Cuban flag flutters in the wind after being raised at the Cuban Embassy reopening ceremony in Washington July 20, 2015. REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 1 (Reuters) - North Korea accused the United States on Sunday of letting a "terrorist" act against Cuba take place on U.S. soil, saying a recent attack against the Cuban embassy in Washington was the result of "despicable anti-Cuban" U.S. intentions. Along with Cuba, North Korea, Syria and Iran are on the State Department list. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States strongly condemned the attack and that U.S. law enforcement authorities would investigate. Havana has said it is unreasonable for Washington to keep Cuba on its terrorism list and maintain a Cold War-era economic embargo.

Persons: Gary Cameron, Jake Sullivan, Jack Kim, William Mallard Organizations: Cuban, REUTERS, Rights, United, State Department, North Korean, White House, Thomson Locations: Cuban, Washington, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Cuba, North, Syria, Iran, Havana

☆ North Korea Slams UN Nuclear Agency as US Mouthpiece
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Hyonhee ShinSEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday denounced the U.N. atomic watchdog for joining a U.S.-led pressure campaign and "cooking up" a resolution over its nuclear programmes, calling the agency a "paid trumpeter" for Washington. An unnamed spokesman of Pyongyang's Ministry of Nuclear Power Industry released a statement criticising a resolution adopted on Friday at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference that calls for the North to curb its nuclear programmes. The spokesman described the resolution as a "result of conspiracy" by the United States and its allies, saying North Korea's status as a nuclear weapons state has already become "irreversible." Grossi warned last year that the reclusive country could resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. The IAEA has had no access to North Korea since Pyongyang expelled its inspectors in 2009 and then restarted nuclear testing.

Persons: Shin, Rafael Grossi, Grossi, Hyonhee Shin, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Monday, Pyongyang's Ministry of Nuclear Power Industry, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, DPRK, Democratic People's Locations: Shin SEOUL, North Korea, U.S, Washington, United States, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK, Pyongyang

☆ Divided again, South Korea beat North Korea in Asian Games basketball
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ro captained North Korea and guard Kim started on the bench, while South Korea had forward Kang Lee-seul, guard Park Ji-hyun and centre Park Ji-su among the 2018 alumni. With South Korea and North Korea still technically at war, there has been diplomatic tension at the Games. North Korean athletes refused to join South Korean rivals for a group photo of medal winners at the shooting competition. North Korea had a cheer-squad numbering a few dozen people high up in the grandstand of the half-full stadium. A North Korea team official sitting beside Jong, who was an assistant coach of the unified team in 2018, said the question was not relevant.

Persons: Ann Wang, basketballers, Lee, Ro Suk, Yong, Kim Hye, Jang, Ro, Kim, Kang Lee, Ji, Jung Sun, Jung, Jong, Ian Ransom, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium, North, REUTERS, Rights, Asian, South, China's, Group, Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre, Games, Unified Korean, Jakarta Asian Games, Olympic, North Korea, North Korean, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Jakarta, South, North Korea, South Korea, South Korean, Korea, Korean, Pyeongchang, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korea's, North Korean

☆ Japan's lunar startup ispace delays NASA-sponsored mission to 2026
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Japan's lunar transport startup ispace inc (9348.T) said on Thursday it would postpone a future moon landing mission by a year to 2026 to better prepare for a commission by U.S. agency NASA, as well as deal with component supply delays. Tokyo-based ispace attempted its first lunar landing with the Hakuto-R Mission 1 spacecraft in April, which failed due to an altitude miscalculation. The U.S. unit of ispace, which has partnered with spacecraft software developer Draper to build lunar landers, has also encountered procurement delays for some parts, Hakamada said. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, a MS&AD (8725.T) unit, paid 3.7 billion yen last month to ispace for Hakuto-R Mission 1's failure. The unsuccessful landing resulted in a steep sell-off, but the shares have since recovered, closing on Thursday at 1,401 yen.

Persons: ispace, Takeshi Hakamada, Draper, Hakamada, Kantaro Komiya, Himani Sarkar, Miral Organizations: U.S, NASA, Financial Times, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, U.S

For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was "disillusioned about unequal U.S. The Swedish government, which represents U.S. interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China. The State Department said the U.S. ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, met King in Dandong, China, a city bordering North Korea. King, who joined the U.S. army in January 2021, faced two allegations of assault in South Korea.

Persons: Travis King, King, Fort Sam Houston, Brittney Griner, Travis T, Sarah Leslie, Handout, Nicholas Burns, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Evan Garcia, Ed Davies, Neil Fullick, Toby Chopra Organizations: U.S . Army, Reuters, Base San, Fort, Brooke Army Medical Center, Russia, Security Area, REUTERS, Army, The State Department, Osan Air Force Base, U.S, South Korean, Thomson Locations: Texas, North Korea, U.S, Base San Antonio, Panmunjom, South Korea, Pyongyang, Swedish, Washington, China, Beijing, Dandong, Shenyang, United States, Korea

☆ US, Japan authorities warn of China-linked hacking group BlackTech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Hss Otomotiv Ve Lastik Sanayi Anonim Sirketi FollowTOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Japanese police jointly warned multinational companies of China-linked hacker group BlackTech in a cybersecurity advisory late on Wednesday. "BlackTech has demonstrated capabilities in modifying router firmware without detection and exploiting routers’ domain-trust relationships to pivot from international subsidiaries to headquarters in Japan and the United States, which are the primary targets," the statement said. BlackTech has been engaging in cyberattacks on governments and tech-sector companies in the United States and East Asia since around 2010, Japan's National Police Agency said in a separate statement. Amid heightening U.S.-China tensions over issues including Taiwan, U.S. security officials are raising the tone of their warnings against China's cyberattack capabilities. FBI chief Chris Wray earlier this month said China "has a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined".

Persons: Kacper, BlackTech, cyberattacks, Chris Wray, Kantaro Komiya, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, . National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, Japan's National Police Agency, Chinese Communist Party, U.S, FBI, United Kingdom, Washington Post, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, China, Japan, United States, East Asia, Blacktech, Taiwan, U.S, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United, South Korea

WASHINGTON/SEOUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Private Travis King, the U.S. soldier who ran into North Korea in July, is in U.S. custody and heading home after being expelled by North Korea into China, the United States said on Wednesday. For its part, North Korea appears to have treated his case as one of illegal immigration. North Korea's KCNA state news agency said King told Pyongyang he entered North Korea illegally because he was disillusioned about unequal U.S. Last month, it said that he wanted refuge in North Korea or elsewhere because of maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. army. KING IN 'GOOD HEALTH'The Swedish government, which represents U.S. interests in North Korea because Washington has no diplomatic presence in the country, retrieved King in North Korea and brought him to China.

Persons: Travis King, King, KCNA, Matthew Miller, Nicholas Burns, Miller, Kim Hong, Jonathan Franks, Claudine Gates, Gates, Myron Gates, Fort Sam Houston, Brittney Griner, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, Phil Stewart, Susan Heavey, Trevor Hunnicutt, Doina, Idrees Ali, Daphne Psaledakis Michael Martina, Humeyra Pamuk, David Brunnstrom, Brendan O'Brien, Johan Ahlander, Philippa Fletcher, Sharon Singleton, Bill Berkrot, Don Durfee, Daniel Wallis, William Maclean, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: North, The State Department, ., China . State Department, U.S, Osan Air Force Base, King, REUTERS, United States Army, ABC News, South Korean, Brooke Army Medical Center, Base San, Fort, Russia, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, SEOUL, U.S, North Korea, China, United States, Washington, Pyongyang, Swedish, Beijing, Dandong, Shenyang, South Korea, Sweden, Gijungdong, Panmunjom, Texas, Base San Antonio, Seoul, Chicago, Stockholm

☆ Thailand win first esports medal as princess rides in
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - E-Sports - China Hangzhou Esports Centre, Hangzhou, China - September 26, 2023 Players from Team Thailand prepare before the Arena of Valor Asian Games Version Bronze Medal Match REUTERS/Ann Wang Acquire Licensing RightsHANGZHOU, China, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Thailand claimed the first esports medal awarded at the Asian Games on Tuesday in an event closely watched by Olympic officials as a princess of the kingdom made a royal entrance to the equestrian event. But an enthusiastic crowd of locals cheered on the Thais at the Hangzhou Esports Centre as they prevailed 2-0 in a best-of-three match for the popular mobile phone game developed by a Chinese tech firm. The players tapped their small screens furiously and communicated with team mates via headsets throughout a contest that stretched to nearly 40 minutes. If esports is the future of the Games, Thai Princess Sirivannavari Mahidol represented its past as she made a regal entrance on a horse named 'Es Fangar's Samba King' in the dressage team event. "Luckily our father is supporting us," said the princess, who represented Thailand in badminton at the 2006 Asian Games in Qatar and equestrian at Incheon in 2014.

Persons: Ann Wang, Sirivannavari Mahidol, King Vajiralongkorn, Zhang Boheng, Zhang, Takeru Kitazono, nation's, Lee Hye, kyeong, Kwon, Martin Quin Pollard, Peter Rutherford Organizations: China Hangzhou Esports, Team Thailand, of Valor, REUTERS, Rights, Asian Games, Olympic, Vietnam, esports, Jakarta Asian, Thais, Hangzhou Esports, Thailand, Games, South, Doping Agency, Olympic Council of Asia, OCA, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China Hangzhou, China Hangzhou Esports Centre, China, Rights HANGZHOU, Thailand, Bangkok, Sorawat, India, Qatar, Incheon, North, Jakarta, Communist, Korean

After receiving their silver medal in the men's team 10m running target, their country's first of the Games, the three North Korean athletes first broke with tradition by declining to turn towards the flag during the rendition of the national anthem of the winners, South Korea. Then, during the customary group photo, where all medal winners bunch together for the cameras, the bronze medallists, Indonesia, joined South Korea on the top rung of the podium, but the three North Koreans, Kwon Kwang-il, Pak Myong-won and Songjun Yu, did not. During a brief, but awkward delay one of the South Koreans tapped one of the North Koreans on the shoulder and tried to speak to them, but the North Koreans kept silent and did not even look to their left where their rivals stood. The Hangzhou Asian Games is the first international multi-sport event North Korea is attending since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty meaning the two sides are still technically at war.

Persons: Jeong, Kwon Kwang, Pak Myong, Songjun Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, Dylan Martinez, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Sports Centre, North, South, Hangzhou Asian Games, Games, Koreans, Olympic Council of Asia, Hangzhou, International Olympic Committee, Beijing, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, China, HANGZHOU, South Korea, Indonesia, North Koreans, North Korea, Korea, Jakarta . North Korea, Tokyo

Those talks were suspended amid legal, diplomatic, and trade disputes between Seoul and Tokyo over issues dating to Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea. A senior South Korean government official said China has been proactive in seeking trilateral cooperation and arranging meetings since relations soured between Seoul and Beijing in 2017 over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Tuesday's meeting involve South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a briefing on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea are close neighbours and important cooperative partners, and strengthening trilateral cooperation serves their common interests. The trilateral summits have traditionally involved China's prime minister, but South Korea is also pushing for a separate visit by President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Park Jin, Japan Takehiro Funakoshi, Foreign Affairs of China Nong Rong, Jung Byung, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Chung Byung, Takehiro Funakoshi, Nong Rong, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Josh Smith, Hyonhee, Liz Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korean Foreign, Foreign Affairs, Japan, Foreign Affairs of, Political Affairs, South Korean, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Thomson Locations: Foreign Affairs of China Nong, SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ South Korea Hosts Japan, China as US Allies Try to Reassure Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

A senior South Korean government official said China has been proactive in seeking trilateral cooperation and arranging meetings since relations soured between Seoul and Beijing in 2017 over the deployment of a U.S. THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea. Japan and South Korea have an interest in avoiding conflicts and maintaining a stable security relationship with China, and Beijing's assistance in slowing down, if not halting, North Korea's extensive nuclear development program, he added. Tuesday's meeting involve South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi, and Nong Rong, China's assistant minister of foreign affairs. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a briefing on Monday that China, Japan and South Korea are close neighbours and important cooperative partners, and strengthening trilateral cooperation serves their common interests. The trilateral summits have traditionally involved China's prime minister, but South Korea is also pushing for a separate visit by President Xi Jinping.

Persons: Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Fumio Kishida, Joe Biden, Tong Zhao, Zhao, Chung Byung, Takehiro Funakoshi, Nong Rong, Wang Wenbin, Xi Jinping, Hyonhee, Liz Lee, Gerry Doyle Organizations: South Korean, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace Locations: Hyonhee Shin SEOUL, South Korea, China, Japan, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo, Korea, Beijing, U.S, United States

☆ North Korea says cooperation with Russia 'natural' for neighbours
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Sept 25 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday slammed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for criticising its cooperation with Moscow following leader Kim Jong Un's Russia visit, saying it is "natural" and "normal" for neighbours to keep close relations. Yoon, speaking at the U.N. General Assembly last week, said that if Russia helped North Korea enhance its weapons programmes in return for assistance for its war in Ukraine, it would be "a direct provocation." In a piece carried by KCNA news agency, the North denounced Yoon for "malignantly" slandering its friendly cooperation with Russia, and said Yoon was serving as a "loudspeaker" for the United States. "It is quite natural and normal for neighbouring countries to keep close relations with each other, and there is no reason to call such practice to account," it said. Any activities assisting North Korea's weapons programmes are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Persons: Yoon Suk, Kim Jong, Yoon, Kim, Vladimir Putin, Soo, hyang Choi, Chizu Organizations: Monday, South, ., Democratic People's, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Moscow, Russia, Ukraine, United States, Pyongyang, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

☆ Russia's desperate need for weapons in Ukraine could be a big win for the North Korean military
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The partnership could be big for North Korea, and experts told Insider both sides would benefit while standing against the West. Both sides stand to gain, but a partnership could be a big win for North Korea. North Korea could also receive petroleum products and food, which, according to a United Nations Security Council meeting this past August, North Korea desperately needs as its people starve. A 2010 North Korean artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island, for instance, saw an estimated 20 of 80 rounds fail to detonate. Although North Korean production efforts would likely need additional resources of raw materials and/or energy to be increase output in substantial quantities," Town told Insider.

Persons: Kim Jong, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, that's, Chun, Putin, he'd, Elizabeth Salmón, Kim prioritizes, Jenny Town, Henry L, Kim, Sergei Shoigu, John Kirby, it's, Joseph S, Bermudez Jr, Bermudez, Kim Il, KIM, It's Organizations: Service, North, Putin, BBC, South Korean Army, United Nations Security Council, UN, Stimson Center, Russian, White, DPRK, Ukraine, National Security, Democratic People's, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Korean, Getty, New York Times, North Korea Locations: Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Korea, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Korean, Pyongyang, AFP, South Korea, Japan, North

☆ US, South Korea, Japan raise concerns over Russia-North Korea military cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Bing Guan Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean, Japanese counterparts expressed "serious concern" over the discussion of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including possible arms trade, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday. Blinken, South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japan's Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa agreed to respond firmly to any acts that threaten regional security in violation of U.N. Security Council resolution in a brief meeting on Friday, the ministry said in a statement. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un made a weeklong visit to Russia last week and discussed military cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that the summit was aimed at allowing Russia to acquire ammunition from the North to supplement its dwindling stocks for its war in Ukraine. Reporting by Joyce Lee Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Bing Guan, Park Jin, Yoko Kamikawa, North, Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Yoon Suk Yeol, Joyce Lee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: 78th United Nations General Assembly, Lotte, REUTERS, Rights, South Korea's Foreign, Security, South, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Rights SEOUL, South, Russia, North Korea, Ukraine, Seoul

☆ China willing to work with South Korea ahead of summit with Japan, Xi Jinping says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the plenary session of the 2023 BRICS Summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 23, 2023. GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: Rights, South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

☆ China's Xi seriously considering South Korea visit, Yonhap reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING/SEOUL, Sept 23 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday said he will seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported, as part of efforts to support peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Xi, who has not visited South Korea since 2014, held talks with Han in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday. Xi told Han he would welcome such a summit at an opportune time and would seriously consider visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, according to CCTV, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un made a week-long visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, GIANLUIGI, Xi, Han Duck, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong Un, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, Joyce Lee, Mike Harrison, David Holmes Organizations: Rights, China Central Television, South Korean, Asian Games, South, Thomson Locations: Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rights BEIJING, SEOUL, South Korea, China, Hangzhou, Seoul, Japan, North Korea, Russia, United States, Beijing

☆ China Willing to Work With South Korea Ahead of Summit With Japan - Xi
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to work with South Korea to promote a strategic partnership to develop with the times, President Xi Jinping told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday, amid rising tensions surrounding Russia, the United States and North Korea. The commitment to cooperation came ahead of scheduled trilateral talks between China, Japan and South Korea in Seoul on Sept. 26, the first summit led by their senior officials in four years. Xi told Han that he welcomes the summit at an opportune time and he will seriously consider the matter of visiting South Korea, Yonhap reported on Saturday. China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation, Xi said, and asked South Korea to meet it half way to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation. Tensions between the two East Asian countries rose after North Korea's Kim Jong Un's weeklong visit to Russia earlier this month, which angered the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Han Duck, Xi, Han, Yonhap, Korea's Kim Jong, Albee Zhang, Ryan Woo, William Mallard, Mike Harrison Organizations: South Korean, Asian Games, China Central Television, South Locations: BEIJING, China, South Korea, Russia, United States, North Korea, Hangzhou, Japan, Seoul

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