North Korea fires unidentified projectile toward East Sea: South Korean military People watch a TV at Seoul Railway Station, Jan. 25, showing file images of a North Korean missile launch, during a news program. North Korea fired an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, Thursday, South Korea's military said, in Pyongyang's sixth such launch this year. AP-Yonhap North Korea launched an unidentified projectile toward the East Sea, Thursday, according to South Korea's military, in Pyongyang's sixth such test this year.The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the launch in a text message sent to reporters. It did not elaborate.Pyongyang apparently test-fired at least two cruise missiles from an inland area Tuesday following four reported rounds of weapons tests, including hypersonic missile launches, Jan. 5 and 11.The recent bouts of saber-rattling by the North comes as the United States has been stepping up sanctions pressure amid a protracted deadlock in its denuclearization negotiations with the recalcitrant regime. (Yonhap)Jan 27, 2022
North Korea remains silent on cruise missile test This combined photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 13, 2021, shows a long-range cruise missile being fired, as Pyongyang test-fired new long-range cruise missiles on Sept. 11 and 12. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe absence of coverage of North Korea's cruise missile launch by its state media is largely due to its lower strategic importance than that of ballistic missiles, according to Pyongyang watchers. However, others also assume that the test may have ended in failure.According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched two cruise missiles, Tuesday, marking its fifth show of force for 2022, following its firing of ballistic missiles on Jan. 5, 11, 14 and 17. Traditionally, North Korea has broken the news of its missile launches the following day through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) or the Rodong Sinmun, a North Korean newspaper and mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, but neither of them covered the incident, sparking speculation here. “The North Korean military is currently holding winter driJan 26, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea appears to have test-fired cruise missiles People watch a TV at the Seoul Railway Station showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch shown during a news program, Jan. 20. AP-Yonhap North Korea fired what appeared to be two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said, days after a flurry of ballistic missile tests.South Korea's military is assessing the launches to determine the nature of the projectiles, it said.Such a launch would be its fifth missile test of the year, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has vowed to bolster the country's military with cutting-edge technology at a time when talks with South Korea and the United States have stalled.The isolated nation's largest series of missile launches since at least 2019 has prompted an expression of concern from the U.N. secretary general, and the Biden administration has applied new sanctions.Cruise missile launches by the North are not banned under United Nations sanctions imposed on PyongJan 25, 2022
Unification minister to brief foreign envoys on North Korea policy Unification Minister Lee In-young in this Jan. 19, photo. YonhapSouth Korea's minister in charge of inter-Korean relations will brief foreign ambassadors and international organizations on the government's policy direction on North Korea later this week, a ministry official said Monday.Unification Minister Lee In-young plans to share his assessment of the recent security situation on the peninsula during the Tuesday session to be attended by ambassadors and charge d'affaires of 31 countries and Seoul office representatives of eight international organizations, including the World Food Programme, ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo told reporters.U.S. and European Union officials are scheduled to participate in it. But China, Russia and Japan have notified the ministry they are not sending representatives to the session due to “other schedules,” according to a source.“The Ministry of Unification has been working closely with related ministries and countries concerned for the peaceful and stable management of the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” the spokespersJan 24, 2022
North Korea criticizes Japan's move to revise security documents North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the party's meeting in Pyongyang, Jan. 3. / YonhapNorth Korea's foreign ministry on Sunday criticized Japan's moves to revise a set of key security documents as "extremely dangerous" steps away from its long-held defense-oriented policy.Japan has reportedly been moving to revise its national security strategy and other key defense documents this year as it confronts an increasingly assertive China and a nuclear-ambitious North Korea."What is extremely dangerous is that Japan is poised to include in these documents capabilities to attack enemy bases, a sharp increase in defense spending, and the development and purchase of armament equipment for preemptive strikes," the ministry said in a statement under the name of a researcher at its research institute on Japan.The ministry also voiced concerns that the focus of Japan's defense strategy could shift to an attack and invasion. (Yonhap)Jan 23, 2022
Biden, Kishida reaffirm commitment to complete denuclearization of Korea Combination photo show U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida / AP-Yonhap U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, Friday (local time).The leaders also condemned North Korea's recent ballistic missile launches in their virtual bilateral summit, according to the White House."The two leaders condemned the recent ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), which are in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," the White House said regarding the summit in a press release, referring to North Korea by its official name.The North has conducted four sets of missile launches since the start of this year, including the test firing of what Pyongyang claims was a new hypersonic missile in two of the launches."Toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, both leaders commiJan 23, 2022
Moon's peace initiative destined to fail gettyimagesbank North Korea waits for result of South Korea's presidential electionBy Kang Seung-wooIn his New Year speech on Jan. 3, President Moon Jae-in said he will pursue an “irreversible path to peace” on the Korean Peninsula until his term ends in May, with many believing that he referred to his drive to formally end the Korean War.However, his ambitious pledge appears to have been dampened as North Korea has threatened to lift its moratorium on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile tests ― a pause that has served as both a feat in the South Korean leader's inter-Korean peace initiative and a motive for his end-of-war declaration push.Last September, Moon proposed declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War at the United Nations. And since then, Seoul has promoted it as a catalyst for peace talks with Pyongyang. But the totalitarian state announced, Thursday, that it had decided to restart all temporally-suspended activities in light of what it calleJan 22, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
US hits snag in pursuit of sanctions against North Korea U.S. President Joe Biden holds an Infrastructure Implementation Task Force meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday. UPI-Yonhap Experts split over effectiveness of Biden's strategyBy Jung Da-min The U.S. is facing major challenges in its pursuit of additional sanctions against North Korea for conducting a series of missile launches this year, as China and Russia have been vetoing the move amid growing doubts over the effectiveness of the punitive measures. According to media reports citing diplomats, Thursday (local time), China and Russia placed a “hold” on the U.S. proposal for additional U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang, ahead of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting held later that day.China told other member countries that it needed more time to study the U.S.' proposal for such additional sanctions, while Russia said more evidence was needed to back Washington's request, diplomats said.The U.S. had imposed unilateJan 21, 2022
US, Japan reaffirm commitment to complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula North Korea launches what it claims to be a hypersonic missile, Jan. 11, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap The United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula Thursday, urging North Korea to quickly return to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).The countries also urged all U.N. member countries to fully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions on the North."We are strongly committed to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of all of North Korea's nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges, as well as related programs and facilities, in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs)," the countries said in a joint statement."We urge North Korea to abide by all relevant UNSCRs and return at an early date to and fully comply with the NPT and IAEA safeguards. We call on the entire international comJan 21, 2022
US, 7 other nations urge full implementation of sanctions on North Korea People watch a TV at Seoul Railway Station showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch shown during a news program, Jan. 20. AP-YonhapThe United States and seven other members of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) called on all U.N. members Thursday to fully implement UNSC sanctions on North Korea.The call came after China blocked a U.S. proposal to impose additional U.N. sanctions against the North for conducting four missile launches since the start of the year."We also call on all member states to implement Security Council resolutions, to which the Security Council unanimously agreed, and which calls on the DPRK to abandon its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner," said the joint statement, delivered by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield on behalf of her counterparts from Albania, Brazil, Britain, France, Ireland, Japan and the United Arab Emirates."It is extremely important that Member States take the necessary steps to implement the sanctions in their jurisdictions, or risk providiJan 21, 2022
