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North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile as its anti-US rhetoric intensifies

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North Korea
  • The missile was launched shortly after 11 a.m. local time.
  • The missile achieved a maximum altitude of roughly 50km.
  • The Japan Coast Guard advised all vessels to wait for further information.

North Korea launched a suspected ballistic missile on Sunday, the latest in a series of provocative measures condemned by its neighbors as endangering regional peace.

According to Japan’s Ministry of Defense and the South Korean army, the missile was launched shortly after 11 a.m. local time.

According to Japan’s defense ministry, the missile achieved a maximum altitude of roughly 50km (31 miles) and flew a distance of approximately 800km (497 miles). According to the South Korean military, it was launched from the Dongchang-ri area of North Pyongan province in North Korea and landed in the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Upon its landing, the Japan Coast Guard advised all vessels to wait for further information, avoid approaching falling debris, and report anything unusual.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea stated that the military had increased monitoring and vigilance in anticipation of additional launches “while maintaining a full readiness posture through close cooperation with the US.”

North Korea has conducted a series of missile tests, including the launch of a long-range ballistic missile on Thursday while leaders from South Korea and Japan convened in Tokyo, as well as the launch of two cruise missiles from a submarine and two short-range ballistic missiles days earlier.

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North Korea launches second ballistic missile

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North Korea ballistic missile

North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Sunday. This comes just a few days after Pyongyang conducted its second ICBM test. Kim Jong Un has called for an “exponential” expansion. According to a local South Korean news agency, North Korea launched a ballistic missile on Sunday. This was the most recent launch to occur when … Read more

North Korea claims almost 800,000 people signed up for army

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North Korea

North Korea has announced that 800,000 people have enlisted in the military. To fight against the United State. In retaliation for military exercises between the US and South Korea. Over 800,000 of its people have chosen to serve in or reenlist in the military to battle the United States, according to North Korea. According to … Read more

Military fight against US: North Korea claims almost 800,000 people have signed up

by
North Korea
  • Some 800,000 students and workers across the country expressed a desire to register.
  • North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.
  • Kim accused the US and South Korea of inflaming tensions through military drills.

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.

Some 800,000 students and workers across the country expressed a desire to register or reenlist in the military to resist the US on Friday alone.

North Korea made the allegation after launching its Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday in retaliation to ongoing US-South Korean military drills.

North Korea launched the intercontinental ballistic missile into the sea between the Korean peninsula and Japan on Thursday, just hours before South Korea’s president traveled to Tokyo for a summit to discuss how to resist the nuclear-armed North.

The North’s ballistic missiles are prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, and the launch was condemned by governments in Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo.

On Monday, South Korean and US soldiers began 11 days of joint exercises called “Freedom Shield 23” to address the North’s mounting threats.

Kim accused the US and South Korea of inflaming tensions through military drills.

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Kim Jong Un and daughter oversee North Korea’s ICBM launch

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Kim Jong
  • Kim Jong said North Korea would “react to nuclear weapons with nukes.”
  • South Korea and the United States staged major military drills.
  • The allies have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his daughter, personally oversaw the recent test-firing of the country’s most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, state media images showed Friday.

The launch on Thursday — Pyongyang’s second ICBM test this year — involved a Hwasong-17 missile, the official Korean Central News Agency reported, adding that it was fired in response to “frantic” US-South Korea joint military drills.

Photographs in the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper showed Kim watching the black-and-white Hwasong-17 — dubbed a “monster missile” by analysts — blast off into the sky.

Some of the images showed him watching the launch with his daughter — never named by state media but identified as his second child Ju Ae by South Korean intelligence.

State media also released images showing the Earth from space, purportedly taken by a camera mounted on the ICBM.

KCNA said the launch “confirmed the war readiness of the ICBM unit”, adding that it “had no negative impact on the security” of neighbouring countries.

South Korea had previously said the missile was fired on a lofted trajectory — up instead of out, typically done to avoid overflying neighbouring countries.

Last year, North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power, and Kim recently called for an “exponential” increase in weapons production, including tactical nukes.

Overseeing the Thursday launch, Kim said North Korea would “react to nuclear weapons with nukes” and called for “irreversibly bolstering up the nuclear war deterrent”, according to KCNA.

He also highlighted the country’s “rapid response posture… to cope with any armed conflict and war”, KCNA said.

ICBM threat

In theory, the Hwasong-17 ICBM can reach the continental United States, and with this latest launch, North Korea is trying to emphasise the advanced level of its weaponry, analysts said.

“With the photos of the Earth, Pyongyang seems to be trying to show that it can accurately hit any target the regime wants with its ICBM,” Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute, told AFP.

The next step will likely be North Korea firing the missile “at a normal angle”, he said, which would demonstrate it can survive reentry into the atmosphere.

The Thursday launch — Pyongyang’s third show of force this week — came as Tokyo and Seoul sought to thaw long-frozen ties to counter an increasingly aggressive North Korea.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol flew to Japan Thursday to meet Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the first such summit in 12 years.

North Korea fired two cruise missiles from a submarine on Sunday, followed by two short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, as South Korea and the United States staged major military drills.

The allies have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from North Korea, which has conducted a series of increasingly provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.

“The fact (that) North Korea has almost normalised ICBM tests over the last year is a concern,” Joseph Dempsey, a researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, told AFP.

Soo Kim, a former CIA Korea analyst, said that Kim’s regime “has essentially desensitised the international community to its weapons tests,” she told AFP.

“We’ve reached a point where an ICBM test draws no greater attention than a short-range missile test,” she said.

“We’ll continue to see North Korea advancing and expanding its suite of weapons capabilities in the days to come.”

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Japan and South Korea leaders agrees to mend ties

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Japan

Japan and South Korea have agreed to resume bilateral security discussions. In response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. And to cooperate to defend the global rules-based order. In their first such conference in 12 years, the leaders of South Korea and Japan pledged to mend fences as the two neighbors work to deal … Read more

North Korea launches long-range missile ahead of discussions between Japan-South Korea

by
North Korea
  • It is Pyongyang’s fourth missile launch in a week.
  • It flew around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed in waters west of Japan.
  • Japanese and South Korean officials verified the launch of the long-range missile.

North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) just hours before South Korean and Japanese leaders were set to meet for historic negotiations.

Both Japanese and South Korean officials verified the launch of the long-range missile on Thursday morning.

It flew around 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and landed in waters west of Japan.

That is Pyongyang’s fourth missile launch in a week, and it comes as the United States and South Korea conduct combined naval exercises.

The other missiles that were launched last Thursday, Saturday and Monday were short-range ballistic missiles.

North Korea’s increased missile activity is likely to be at the top of the agenda when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol meets Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo later Thursday – the first such visit in 12 years.

The United States and South Korea have been conducting drills near the Korean peninsula since Monday, the largest in five years. North Korea has stated repeatedly that such exercises are provocative.

The missile was launched from Pyongyang on North Korea’s east coast at 07:10 (22:10 GMT), according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Service.

The Japanese defense ministry acknowledged that it was an ICBM and that it went higher than 6,000 kilometers for around 70 minutes. According to the ministry, it landed at about 08:20 outside of Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Officials in Japan have reported no damage from the missile.

Following the commencement on Thursday, Mr. Yoon directed that the joint US drills continue as planned.

Pyongyang would be punished for its “reckless provocations,” he warned.

North Korea recently fired an ICBM less than a month ago, prompting a UN emergency meeting and criticism from the G7.

Because of their vast range, ICBMs are particularly concerning. According to experts, such missiles launched from North Korea might theoretically reach the United States mainland.

Pyongyang is also thought to have built ICBMs with several warheads.

The recent increase in North Korean aggressiveness is one of the key subjects to be tackled at the Tokyo conference on Thursday.

Many people are hoping that the summit, which has been dubbed a “milestone” in the rapprochement of South Korea and Japan, will result in stronger security relations and military collaboration between the two countries.

Following Thursday’s missile launch, both countries stated they would meet their national security councils.

Despite a slew of restrictions imposed by the UN, the US, the EU, and its neighbors, North Korea launched more than 90 missiles in 2022, the most it has ever fired in a single year.

North Korea’s nuclear strategy has become more assertive under Kim Jong-un, who has overseen much of the country’s recent weapon development and four of the six nuclear tests.

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North Korea: Decides to use military deterrents offensively

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North Korea
  • North Korea has decided to take “significant practical” war deterrence measures.
  • The decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party’s military commission.
  • All such drills enrage North Korea, which sees them as practise for an invasion.

North Korea has decided to take “significant practical” war deterrence measures, according to state media, a day before Seoul and Washington begin their largest joint military exercises in five years.

The decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party’s military commission presided over by Kim Jong Un, the country’s leader.

“The meeting discussed and adopted the important practical steps for making more effective, powerful and offensive use of the war deterrent,”.

The report stated that the move was made to “deal with the current situation in which the war provocations of the United States and South Korea have crossed the red line,” but did not elaborate on the measures.

The “Freedom Shield” exercises, scheduled to begin Monday, will focus on the “changing security environment” caused by North Korea’s redoubled aggression, according to the allies.

All such drills enrage North Korea, which sees them as practise for an invasion.

The country has stated that its nuclear and missile programmes are for self-defense.

Analysts believe North Korea will use the drills as an excuse to carry out more provocations, such as missile tests and possibly a nuclear test.

According to reports, Kim ordered North Korea’s military to ramp up preparations for a “real war” on Friday.

Kim told soldiers to be ready for “two strategic missions, that is, first to deter war and second to take the initiative in war” while inspecting a fire assault drill.

Washington and Seoul have increased defence cooperation in response to North Korea’s growing military and nuclear threats, which has conducted increasingly provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.

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North Korea fires ballistic missile towards sea

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North Korea
  • North Korea launched at least six short-range missiles.
  • About 28,000 American forces are stationed in South Korea.
  • The missiles fired in North Korea’s test on Thursday were launched into the Yellow Sea.

North Korea launched at least six short-range missiles on Thursday afternoon, analysts said, in what could be the first salvo in weeks of military displays on both sides of the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas.

Photos distributed by state-run media, published photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attending a fire drill for the Hwasong artillery unit on the western front on Friday.

“Kim Jong Un examined the actual war response posture of the 8th fire assault company under the unit charged with striking the enemy’s operation airport in the direction of the western front,” reported.

About 28,000 American forces are stationed in South Korea, where the US Air Force operates two major airfields: Osan, about 64 kilometres (40 miles) south of Seoul, and Kunsan, on the Yellow Sea coast in the country’s west.

The missiles fired in North Korea’s test on Thursday were launched into the Yellow Sea.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported shortly after the test that North Korea had fired a short-range ballistic missile from the Nampo area in the country’s west.

According to reports, Kim stated that artillery units should be ready for two missions: “first to deter war and second to take the initiative in war, by steadily intensifying various simulated drills for real war.”

The newspaper published several photos from the firing drill, including one of Kim Jong Un with his daughter and North Korean military officials. Kim’s daughter, believed to be named Ju Ae, has recently appeared alongside her father at major events in North Korea.

Pyongyang is conducting winter training, which is being monitored by US and South Korean intelligence agencies, according to a spokesman for South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Thursday.

“Training is usually held until March,” ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu added.

On Monday, US, South Korean, and UN Command forces on the peninsula will begin the 11-day Freedom Shield exercises, which “will integrate elements of ‘live exercises’ with constructive simulations,” according to a statement issued by US Forces Korea last week.

Warrior Shield field training exercises will take place at the same time, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea have been conducting regular air exercises. According to USFK, a US B-52 bomber was escorted by South Korean fighter jets this week as it flew into the South’s air defence identification zone.

The US-South Korean exercises are expected to be the largest in years, after the two allies scaled back such military displays in 2017 when then-US President Donald Trump attempted to offer an opening for North Korea to negotiate an end to its long-range missile and nuclear weapons programmes.

That window has long since closed, with North Korea conducting a record number of missile tests last year while promising to expand its nuclear programme to arm the missiles.

In 2023, North Korean missile testing has slowed, but tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high.

Analysts see little reason to believe that things will improve.

“This is likely only the beginning of a series of provocative tests by North Korea,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ehwa Womans University in Seoul, said of Thursday’s missile firings.

“Pyongyang is poised to respond aggressively to major US-South Korea defense exercises, as well as to President Yoon’s upcoming summits with (Japanese) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida and (US) President (Joe) Biden.”

“The Kim regime may order missile firings of longer ranges, attempt a spy satellite launch, demonstrate a solid-fuel engine, and perhaps even conduct a nuclear test,” Easley said.

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North Korea conducts cruise missile test to show off its nuclear backlash

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north korea
  • North Korea announced on Friday that it had launched cruise missiles.
  • Asserted that increased military exercises between the US and South Korea.
  • North Korea said that the exercise showed off its “deadly nuclear response capacity against the aggressor forces.

North Korea announced on Friday that it had launched cruise missiles and asserted that increased military exercises between the US and South Korea “may be viewed as a declaration of war.”

During a tabletop exercise at the Pentagon when the two countries practised retaliations to a nuclear attack by Pyongyang, it happened.

Four Hwasal-2 missiles were fired during a “strategic cruise missile launching drill” by North Korean military early on Thursday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency on Friday.

North Korea said that the exercise showed off its “deadly nuclear response capacity against the aggressor forces.”

Seoul’s defence ministry disputed that account of the test, claiming that there was a discrepancy between what was declared and what US and South Korean surveillance systems discovered. It further stated that the analysis was ongoing.

Under the current UN sanctions, North Korea is not prohibited from launching cruise missiles, but the rehearsal on Thursday came after several weapons tests this week, including an intercontinental ballistic missile that the UN head referred to as “provocative.”

That condemnation, according to Pyongyang, was “unfair and uneven,” and on Friday it urged the international organisation, which met this week to examine the North Korean launches, to “bitterly denounce” joint military drills between Seoul and Washington.

Added drills
Seoul and Washington have rushed to increase cooperative exercises and relocate US strategic assets to the region after Pyongyang declared itself a “irreversible” nuclear power and shot a record-breaking number of missiles.

Regarding the US’s commitment to so-called extended deterrence, in which US resources, including nuclear weapons, are used to deter assaults on allies, South Korea is eager to assuage its growingly uneasy populace.

Even if there are increasing domestic calls for South Korea to explore acquiring its own nuclear weapons, the country nonetheless maintains an official commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.

According to a joint statement from Washington and Seoul, using North Korea’s official name, discussions on “possible options for responding to DPRK nuclear weapons use” were part of the joint tabletop exercise.

Joint exercises between the US and South Korea enrage North Korea since they are seen as invasion drills there.

Pyongyang said in a statement shortly after the Pentagon exercise that Washington’s “hostile and provocative activities… can be taken as a declaration of war.”

“The only option for the US to show a clear and tangible stand such as abandoning of its commitment to deploying strategic assets” and discontinuing joint drills, it continued, is for the US to do so.

food scarcity
The North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a “exponential” rise in the manufacturing of weapons, including tactical nuclear weapons, and relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in decades. Talks have also stopped.

In 2022, North Korea conducted numerous prohibited missile tests, alarmed East Asian neighbours.

Kim Yo Jong, Kim’s influential sister, this week referred to the Pacific as the nation’s “firing range.”

According to South Korea’s unification ministry, North Korea should stop investing in military advancements while its citizens are suffering hungry.

According to Lee Hyo-jung, deputy spokeswoman for the ministry, the cost of the three ballistic missiles it fired this week “is enough to buy around 100,000 tonnes of food for about two to three million vulnerable people for about five months.”

Following years of isolation due to the epidemic, South Korean officials recently issued a warning that North Korea may experience serious food shortages.

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After North Korea’s ICBM launch US holds drills with Asian allies

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ICBM

The US conducted air exercises with South Korea and Japan. In response to North Korea’s Hwasong-15 test launch. Which was denounced as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions. One day after North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) called the Hwasong-15, the United States conducted air exercises with South Korea and Japan utilizing … Read more

North Korea says it fired ICBM as warning to US, Seoul

by
North Korea
  • North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile.
  • The sudden launch of the drill was ordered by Kim Jong Un.
  • The test was a warning to Washington and South Korea.

SEOUL: North Korea announced Sunday it has test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as a warning to Washington and Seoul, saying the successful “surprise” drill underlined Pyongyang’s “power of deadly nuclear counterattack”.

The “sudden launching drill” was ordered by Kim Jong Un at 8 a.m. Saturday (2300 GMT), and a Hwasong-15 missile — a weapon first tested by the North in 2017 — was shot from Pyongyang airport that afternoon, according to the official KCNA.

The South Korean military said it detected an ICBM launch at 17:22 (0822 GMT) Saturday, which Japan said flew for 66 minutes before splashing down in its Exclusive Economic Zone, indicating it was capable of hitting the mainland United States.

North Korea’s leadership praised the test, the country’s first in seven weeks, saying it demonstrated “the actual war capacity of the ICBM units, which are ready for a mobile and mighty counterattack,” according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The launch was “actual proof” of the country’s “capability of fatal nuclear reprisal on hostile forces,” according to the statement.

The sanctions-evading launch came just days before Seoul and Washington were set to begin joint tabletop exercises aimed at sharpening their response to a North Korean nuclear assault.

Pyongyang warned last week of an “unprecedentedly” forceful response to impending drills, which it sees as war preparations and blames for the Korean peninsula’s deteriorating security situation.

New milestone?

The Saturday test is significant as “the event was ordered the day-of and so this is not so much a traditional ‘test’, but an exercise,” US-based analyst Ankit Panda told to the sources.

“We should expect to see additional exercises of this sort,” he added.

The exercise appeared to be “Kim’s way of telling the US and ROK that his country is continuing to hone its ballistic missile capabilities for eventual use in a real-time scenario”, said Soo Kim, a former CIA Korea analyst who now works at management consulting firm LMI.

“The weapons aren’t for display only,” she told sources. “This layer of imminence is probably intended to intimidate the allies, notably as they’re making efforts to strengthen deterrence in the Korean Peninsula.”

But the nine-hour process from Kim Jong Un’s order to the actual launch was “a long time”, she said, suggesting Pyongyang may face “greater challenges in launching in a realistic scenario”.

Relations between the two Koreas are already at an all-time low, following North Korea’s declaration of an “irreversible” nuclear state and leader Kim’s desire for an “exponential” increase in weapon manufacturing, including tactical nukes.

As a result, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has moved to strengthen ties with vital security ally America, promising to expand cooperative military drills and bolster Washington’s so-called extended deterrence offering, which includes nuclear assets.

On Sunday, a North Korean spokeswoman and Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, stated it was these moves by Seoul and Washington that “further endangers the situation every moment, shattering the stability of the area”, according to a report.

“I warn that we will watch every movement of the enemy and take corresponding and very powerful and overwhelming counteraction against its every move hostile to us,” she added.

Food shortages?

All of this points to “the start of high-intensity provocations from North Korea,” Park Won-gon, professor at Ewha University.

“What’s different from 2022 is that last year their justification was that the launches were part of their five-year military plan,” he said.

“Now they are making clear that they will counter the United States and South Korea.”

According to Park, Pyongyang’s increased assertiveness could also suggest that the domestic situation has deteriorated. South Korean officials have warned that the country may face serious food shortages as a result of years of pandemic-related isolation.

“North Korea always takes a hardline approach and creates external crises as part of its ‘seize mentality’ tactic to overcome internal struggles. It is typical North Korean behavior to unite the people by highlighting the South Korea-US threat.”

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North Korea tests long-range ballistic missile, says Seoul

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North Korea

North Korea launched an alleged long-range ballistic missile. Which had the potential to reach the US mainland. North Korea displayed nearly 11 upgraded ICBMs during military parade. North Korea launched an alleged long-range ballistic missile on Saturday afternoon, Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported. Pyongyang had earlier threatened “unprecedented forceful measures” if the … Read more

N.Korea warns of military drills over joint S Korea-US drills

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North Korea

N.Korea has threatened to launch “unprecedented” counteractions. If South Korea and the US conduct military drills. DPRK stands for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. North Korea has vowed to launch “unprecedentedly persistent and severe counteractions” if South Korea and the US carry out upcoming military drills. Before the annual Freedom Shield joint military drills … Read more

Kim Jong Un’s wife spotted wearing a “missile’ necklace at the event

by
Kim Jong Un
  • Kim Jong Un’s wife wore a pendant in the form of a rocket.
  • The silver necklace stole the show.
  • Kim Ju Ae sported a black and white suit with a brooch to the event.

At the KPA’s 75th anniversary celebration on Tuesday in Pyongyang, Ri Sol Ju, Kim Jong Un’s wife, wore a pendant in the form of a rocket. According to a report in The Telegraph, the silver necklace stole the show because it resembled North Korea’s heaviest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-17 ICBM.

Daughter Kim Ju Ae sported a black and white suit with a brooch to the event, while Kim went for a black coat and fedora. At the banquet table before the massive military parade, Sol Ju was caught flashing the “nuke necklace,” surrounded by her husband, daughter, and military brass.

During the week’s military parades, the dictator of North Korea’s daughter, who is thought to be nine or ten years old, was the centre of attention, igniting discussion about the potential next leader of the country. Ju Ae, who was making her fifth known public appearance, mingled with senior officers while her father displayed his record-breaking military prowess. Although she has frequently been referred to as the “loving daughter” in state media, some experts think that Kim is strategically using her to enhance his reputation as a “family man.” According to the article, Kim’s nuclear arsenal’s newest weaponry, including the actual Hwasong-17 and an ICBM with purportedly all-new solid fuel, were on display at the Wednesday parade.

Rumors regarding Kim’s health were rampant before to the display of strength since he had been’missing’ from the public eye for more than a month. NK News, a South Korean news source, reported that Kim had also missed a politburo meeting three times.

North Korea’s large military parade was held on Thursday despite a deepening food and economic crises, which was denounced by South Korea’s foreign ministry.

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North Korea displays advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles in nighttime military parade

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North Korea
  • North Korea cited the country’s “largest nuclear assault capacity.”
  • The missiles were paraded across Pyongyang.
  • The Hwasong-17 missile, according to analysts, was displayed in record numbers.

North Korea showed almost a dozen modernized intercontinental ballistic missiles during a nighttime military parade on Wednesday, citing the country’s “largest nuclear assault capacity,” according to state-run media.

The missiles were paraded across Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Plaza as Kim Jong Un, his wife, and a young girl thought to be his daughter watched.

The ceremony, which commemorated the North Korean army’s founding anniversary, came less than two months after North Korean leader Kim called for an “exponential buildup” in his country’s nuclear weapons in response to what he alleges are threats from South Korea and the United States.

North Korea tested more missiles last year than at any other time in its history, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking the ICBM mainland.

The Hwasong-17 missile, according to analysts, was displayed in record numbers on Wednesday night.

“It looks like 10-12 Hwasong-17 ICBMs made an appearance. This is cumulatively more ICBM launchers than we’ve ever seen before at a North Korean parade,” Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on social media.

17 mobile ballistic missile launchers

Prior to the parade, commercial satellite pictures from Maxar Technologies showed at least 17 mobile ballistic missile launchers lined up in readiness for the display.

The display also included tactical missiles and long-range cruise missiles, according to North Korean state media.

The Kim administration utilizes military parades to bolster domestic support for its military initiatives while also signaling to the US, South Korea, and others that it is ready to respond to any attack.

The march on Wednesday night followed a sumptuous banquet the night before, at which Kim put a girl thought to be his daughter Ju Ae in the spotlight, the latest indication that the youngster is being groomed as his ultimate successor.

Pictures published by state media showed the girl strolling with Kim and her mother as they entered the banquet site, while military officers stood nearby.

The girl was seated in the center of the main table, between Kim and her mother.

The presence of the girl at such a significant ceremony sends obvious signals in a country where the Kim family and the military are all-powerful, according to Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

“By ostentatiously including his wife and daughter, Kim wants observers at home and abroad to see his family dynasty and the North Korean military as irrevocably linked,” he said.

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Kim Jong Un brings his daughter at military feast

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Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong Un may be preparing a young girl to take over his dictatorship. As seen at a lavish banquet to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the KPA. The daughter, believed to be Kim’s second kid, Ju Ae who is 9 years old. The newest indication that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may … Read more

US, South Korea hold air drills as North Korea warns of ‘all-out showdown’

by
South Korea
  • South Korea launched a joint air drill with the US.
  • South Korea and the US agreed to strengthen security cooperation.
  • North Korea would implement the “concept of ‘nuke for nuke.’

SEOUL: South Korea said Thursday it had launched joint air drills with the United States using strategic bombers and stealth fighters, leading Pyongyang to warn that such activities may “spark an all-out showdown”.

The drills, the first of the year by the security allies, come a day after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his South Korean counterpart agreed to strengthen security cooperation in order to resist an increasingly hostile nuclear-armed North Korea.

The drills on Wednesday demonstrated “the United States’ willingness and capability to deliver robust and credible extended deterrence against North Korea‘s nuclear and missile threats,” according to the South Korean defense ministry.

According to the ministry, they included American B-1B long-range heavy bombers and stealth aircraft – US Air Force F-22s and South Korean F-35s — flying over the Yellow Sea.

The exercises, said to a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman, might “spark an all-out shutdown.”

Seoul and Washington’s moves to ratchet up joint drills breached “an extreme red line”.

After a year in which North Korea declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear power and conducted missile tests almost every month in violation of UN sanctions, South Korea is trying to persuade its increasingly apprehensive population of America’s solid defense commitment.

In view of Pyongyang’s “continuing provocations,” including a recent drone incursion into the South, Austin, and South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup agreed last week to “increase and enhance the level and scale” of joint military exercises.

‘Nuke for nuke’

Strengthening US-South Korean military drills and sending strategic weapons to the region amounted to “talking about using nuclear weapons against the DPRK,” according to a North Korean statement on KCNA, the country’s official name.

North Korea, it said, would implement the “concept of ‘nuke for nuke and all-out confrontation for all-out confrontation!”

“As long as it pursues its hostile policy and confrontational stance, the DPRK is not interested in any engagement or conversation with the US,” it continued.

Joint military exercises between the United States and South Korea enrage Pyongyang, which sees them as practise for an invasion and has frequently replied with threats and drills of its own.

“By emphasizing that the United States is entirely responsible for the deterioration of the situation on the Korean peninsula, (North Korea) is accumulating legitimacy for the development of its missile and nuclear weapons programs,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

He went on to say that a huge North Korean military parade, as well as the planned launch of a spy satellite, could exacerbate tensions with Seoul and Washington.

According to the 38 North website, commercial satellite data suggests that “massive parade preparations” are underway in Pyongyang ahead of one of the most important official holidays.

The parade could take place on February 16, the “Day of the Shining Star,” the birthday of Kim Jong Il, the son of North Korean founder Kim Il Sung and the father and predecessor of current leader Kim Jong Un, according to the statement.

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North Korea denies supplying Wagner group in Russia

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North Korea

North Korea denies arming Russia with rockets and missiles. Allegations are aimed at justifying Washington’s own military aid to Ukraine, Pyongyang says. North Korean official: US will face “unwanted result” if it continues spreading ‘rumor’. After the United States accused North Korea of delivering rockets and missiles to the Russian Wagner Group and supporting Moscow’s … Read more

North Korea issues ‘extreme cold’ weather alert

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North Korea

A cold wave warning has been issued for North Korea and South Korea. The poorest provinces in the nation are expected to see temperatures below -30C. High winds are also anticipated for coastal areas, according to state media. Authorities in North Korea have issued warnings about severe weather as a cold wave sweeps the Korean … Read more

COVID-19 lockdown imposed in Pyongyang for five days

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COVID-19
  • A five-day lockdown in North Korea’s capital.
  • People in the capital appeared to be in a panic.
  • It is unclear whether the lockdown extended beyond Pyongyang.

Pyongyang: A five-day lockdown of the capital Pyongyang has been ordered by North Korea due to an increase in cases of an unidentified respiratory illness.

The Seoul-based outlet that covers North Korea reported that residents were required to stay in their homes until the end of Sunday and submit to multiple temperature checks every day, citing a government announcement.

The notice did not specifically mention COVID-19, but North Korea did not do so during its first outbreak last year, when it only mentioned “fever” cases.

People in the capital appeared to be “panic-buying food in large quantities” on Tuesday, amid rumors of a lockdown.

Due to limited testing capabilities, North Korea acknowledged its first COVID-19 outbreak last year but did not provide the precise number of cases. In August, it declared “victory” over the outbreak.

State media has not yet covered the lockdown order, but has continued to cover anti-pandemic measures to combat respiratory illnesses like the flu.

At celebrations for the Lunar New Year, Pyongyang residents were photographed wearing face masks, some of them double-masking or donning masks of a higher grade.

It was unclear whether the lockdown extended beyond Pyongyang.

Since abandoning its zero-COVID policy late last year, China, North Korea’s main ally and trading partner has seen an increase in cases.

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North Korea issues a weather advisory for “severe cold”

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North Korea

Authorities in North Korea have issued warnings about severe weather as a cold wave sweeps the Korean peninsula. The Northern provinces are expected to see temperatures below -30C. This week, temperatures in Japan are predicted to reach their lowest levels in ten years. Authorities in North Korea have issued warnings about severe weather as a … Read more

North Korea issues a weather warning for “extreme cold”

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North Korea
  • Temperatures are expected to drop below -30C.
  • North Korean northern regions are the poorest.
  • People simply wrap plastic wrap around their doors and windows for insulation.

North Korea: Authorities have issued a weather warning for the country as a cold wave sweeps the Korean peninsula.

Temperatures are expected to drop below -30 degrees Celsius in the country’s northern regions, which are also the poorest.

According to state media, high winds are also expected in coastal areas.

South Korea has also issued a cold wave warning, and northern China has been experiencing record-low temperatures.

Temperatures in Japan are also expected to drop to their lowest in a decade this week.

While North Korea, like other places, has been affected by extreme or adverse weather, little is known about the impact on its people.

Ryanggang, North Hamgyong, and South Hamgyong are the poorest provinces in the country and are expected to be the most vulnerable to climate change.

Outside of Pyongyang, electricity is scarce, and residents are said to heat their homes with wood and dried plants in the winter. It also claims that many people simply wrap plastic wrap around their doors and windows for insulation.

According to Radio Free Asia, “large numbers” of people went missing in the country late last year during another extremely cold spell; many are thought to have starved or frozen to death as temperatures dropped below freezing and food became scarce.

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North Korea behind $100m crypto theft, FBI says

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FBI
  • North Korean cyber actors used the privacy protocol Railgun to launder more than $60 million.
  • A blockchain bridge was used to transfer cryptocurrencies between different blockchain networks.
  • Cyberattacks increased by 40% between 2020 and 2021.

According to US law enforcement, North Korean hackers were responsible for the theft of $100 million in digital assets from a US crypto firm last year.

The cyber heist on crypto firm Harmony was carried out last June by North Korean hacking groups Lazarus Group and APT38, according to a statement issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday.

According to the FBI, North Korean cyber actors used the privacy protocol Railgun earlier this month to launder more than $60 million in Ethereum stolen during the heist, a portion of which was sent to several virtual asset service providers and converted to Bitcoin.

Harmony, based in California, announced in June that hackers had stolen $100 million in digital coins from Horizon bridge, a so-called blockchain bridge used to transfer cryptocurrencies between different blockchain networks.

The FBI, which had previously issued an advisory about a malware campaign used in the “TraderTraitor” heist, said it had frozen some of the funds with the help of some of the virtual asset service providers.

The FBI would continue to work to “identify and disrupt”

In attempts to steal and launder cryptocurrency to fund the secretive state’s illicit missile and nuclear weapons programs.

“The FBI will continue to expose and combat the DPRK’s use of illicit activities, including cybercrime and virtual currency theft, to generate revenue for the regime,” the FBI said, referring to the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

North Korea, led by third-generation dictator Kim Jong Un, has been accused by US and UN officials of orchestrating an escalating cyber theft campaign to fund its activities, which include the development of long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

South Korea’s spy agency reported in December that North Korean hackers had stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion South Korean won ($1.2 billion) in virtual assets over the previous five years, including 800 billion South Korean won ($650.5 million) in 2022 alone.

According to a report released in January last year by blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, the value of assets stolen in North Korea-linked cyberattacks increased by 40% between 2020 and 2021.

Last month, Google’s anti-hacking unit revealed that North Korean hackers used South Korea’s deadly Halloween crowd crush to target internet users with malware planted in documents disguised as South Korean government reports.

The US Department of Justice charged three North Korean computer programmers in 2021 with extorting or stealing more than $1.3 billion in cash and cryptocurrency in a series of cyberattacks that began in 2014.

North Korea, which typically does not engage with international media, has denied carrying out cyberattacks overseas and accused the US and its allies of “spreading ill-hearted rumors”.

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Russia’s Wagner group denies recruiting Serbs to fight in Ukraine

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Wagner group serbs

Serbian-language adverts for the Wagner group were published on Russian websites. The US announced new sanctions against the Wagner Group on Friday. The group is accused of supplying Russia with N. Korean weapons for use in the Ukraine conflict. The Wagner paramilitary group in Russia denied recruiting Serbs to fight in Ukraine on Friday, a … Read more

South Korea, U.S. discussing nuclear exercises as tensions builds with North -Yoon

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south korea us

Yoon Suk-yeol says Seoul and Washington are contemplating prospective nuclear exercises. Comments follow his call for “overwhelming” war preparations after a year of N.Korean missile testing. Yoon said the drills would help execute U.S. “extended deterrence”. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol claimed Seoul and Washington are contemplating prospective nuclear exercises, while North Korean leader Kim … Read more

North Korea to boost nuclear warhead production

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Kim Jong Un

Over 70 missile tests were conducted by North Korea last year. Three short-range ballistic missiles were launched by North Korea on Saturday. The North may have launched a missile for the second day. Hours after North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters, a statement made by Kim Jong Un at a significant … Read more

North Korea launched 3 short-range missiles, says South Korea

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North Korea

North Korea reportedly launches at least three short-range ballistic missiles. Latest in a record-breaking year of weapons testing by Pyongyang. It’s the 37th time this year North Korea has launched a missile on Saturday. The latest in a record-breaking year of weapons testing, North Korea reportedly launched at least three short-range ballistic missiles on Saturday … Read more

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