North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from around Wonsan-Kalma in Gangwon Province, flying northeast into the East Sea on Wednesday morning, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. It came six days after the North launched two other SRBMs from Wonsan. This photo released by North Korea's state-run Korean Central Television (KCTV) last Friday shows a missile being launched the previous day. KCTV-YonhapNSC expresses grave concern over North Korea testBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea, Wednesday morning, the latest in a series of missile tests off its eastern coastal area since May.These latest launches came six days after a similar test of two missiles last week. Hours after the missile tests, Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency National Security Council (NSC), presided over by National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong.“We expressed grave concerns over the firing of the missiles, which could have a negative impact on peace-building efforts,” the presidential office said in a statemJul 31, 2019
Latest North Korean missile firings underscore discontent over South Korea-US drills: experts This photo released by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency on July 26 shows a missile being launched from a site near the North's eastern coastal town of Wonsan the previous day. KCNA-YonhapNorth Korea's recent missile launches appear to be aimed at displaying discontent with next month's joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States and strengthening its negotiating power before resuming nuclear talks with the United States, experts said Wednesday. Wednesday's launches of two short-range ballistic missiles off the east coast marked the second time in less than a week that the communist nation has fired missiles. Experts warn that yet more missile launches could take place until the exercise, codenamed "19-2 Dong Maeng," is over."The fact that the missiles were short-range and flew at a low altitude tells us that the test-firing was directed at the South," Nam Chang-hee, a professor at Inha University said. "The North is obviously not happy about our efforts to keep the balance of terror as we keep the military drills in place and have decided to brJul 31, 2019
New North Korean submarine seen as capable of carrying 3 SLBMs: South Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his aides watch the country's new submarine under construction, according to the state's Korean Central Television, July 23. YonhapA newly constructed North Korean submarine seems to be capable of carrying three submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), South Korea's defense ministry was quoted as saying on Wednesday.The defense ministry determined that the North's submarine is ready to be deployed soon, Rep. Lee Hye-hoon, the chief of the parliamentary intelligence committee, told reporters after the ministry's closed-door briefing.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a new submarine, which the deployment of which he says is "near at hand," according to reports last week by North Korean media.The ministry said the North's sub appears to be slightly larger than a 2,500-ton Gorae-class submarine.The ministry added that North Korea fired two missiles on May 4, revising its earlier report of the North launching one missile. (Yonhap)Jul 31, 2019
North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles off east coast North Korea's Korean Central Television on July 26 broadcasted short-range ballistic missiles being fired. YonhapNorth Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, the second such launch in less than a week. The first missile was launched at 5:06 a.m., and the second at 5:27 a.m., from the Kalma area near the North's eastern port of Wonsan, according to the JCS. Both are estimated to have flown about 250 kilometers at an approximate altitude of 30 km, the JCS said, adding that the South Korean and U.S. militaries are analyzing more details. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the missiles were identified as a different type from previous models launched by North Korea, but did not elaborate.The launches come six days after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles from the same area into the East Sea in its first provocation since May, raising questions about the prospects for denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea."Successive missile launches by North Korea are not conduJul 31, 2019
North Korea's paper emphasizes women's role in building socialist country A woman poses for a photo by a waterfall atop Paektu Mountain, a volcano on the Chinese-North Korean border. TASSNorth Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday emphasized the role of women in building a powerful socialist country as the communist state marked the 73rd anniversary of announcing a law on gender equality."Just as a cart cannot run on one wheel, we cannot build a socialist powerhouse only with the power of the men," the Rodong Sinmun said in an article, adding that women are an integral part of advancing the construction of a socialist country."We cannot think about the dignity and status that we are now demonstrating on the global stage without the role of the women," the paper added.North Korea announced a gender equality law on July 30, 1946, mostly to guarantee women's right to vote, recognize their right to divorce and prevent forced marriage and prostitution.Pyongyang has claimed the law has helped realize the complete equality between men and women in all areas of the country, including the economic field. The North, however, is known to encourage women's participatiJul 30, 2019
US sanctions North Korean over ties to WMD program In this July 26 file photo, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stands in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. APThe United States on Monday sanctioned a Vietnam-based North Korean on suspicion of supporting North Korea's weapons of mass destruction program in violation of U.N. sanctions.The U.S. Treasury Department announced the measure on its website, saying the individual, Kim Su-il, is tied to the North's ruling Workers' Party and an employee of its affiliate, the Munitions Industry Department.That department, it said, was previously sanctioned by the U.S. and the U.N. for its involvement in "key aspects" of North Korea's missile program."Treasury continues to enforce existing sanctions against those who violate United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and evade U.S. sanctions on North Korea's unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Sigal Mandelker said. "Kim Su Il has violated UNSCRs and supports North Korea's weapons program."The designation is the latest demonstration of U.S. rJul 30, 2019
'North Korea remains hostile toward South Korea' President Moon Jae-in, right, talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, left, after Kim held his third summit with U.S. President Donald Trump at the Freedom House in the South’s side of the Joint Security Area (JSA), June 30. Trump is walking between the leaders of the two Koreas in this photo. Korea Times file By Jung Da-minNorth Korea's party policy toward South Korea was still hostile even after three summits between the North's leader Kim Jong―un and President Moon Jae-in, a North Korean document for internal circulation recently obtained by Japanese outlet Tokyo Shimbun has revealed. The report was prepared last November for the ideological education of officials at the North's Ministry of People's Security, police officers and soldiers of Korean People's Army. The document described the South Korean government's gift of 200 tons of tangerines from Jeju Island to North Korea as the North's “loot.”Last November, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim “was presented with a significant gift by PJul 29, 2019
North Korean leader back in Pyongyang, visits war cemetery North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends celebrations for the 66th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this undated picture released by North Korea's Central News Agency on July 27. YonhapPeople dance as North Korea commemorates the 66th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice in Pyongyang, North Korea in this undated picture released by North Korea's Central News Agency on July 27. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has returned to Pyongyang after a dayslong tour of provincial regions, including the on-site inspection of submarine construction and rocket launches, according to the country's state media Sunday.Kim paid homage at Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery on Saturday morning to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War armistice, which the North claims to be the victory of the war.It calls the conflict "the great Fatherland Liberation War."Putting a flower before the cemetery, Kim said, "The undying feats of the war martyrs who saved the country from the crisis of a life or death in the tragic annals under the leadeJul 28, 2019
North Korean boat with 3 crewmen crossed inter-Korean border A small boat carrying three North Koreans crossed the inter-Korean maritime border in the East Sea and was towed into a South Korean port for investigation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of StaffA fishing boat apparently operated by North Korea's military has been towed into a South Korean port for investigation after sailing across the inter-Korean sea border, the military authorities here said Sunday.Three North Koreans, one wearing the communist nation's military uniform, were aboard the 10-meter-long wooden boat, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).It was first spotted sailing in waters 5.5 kilometers north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea at around 10:15 p.m. on Saturday. Twenty-four minutes later, it started heading southward, moving at speeds of 2-5 knots and crossed the NLL at around 11:21 p.m., the JCS said.The military immediately sent naval vessels to deal with the incident. The crew members and the boat were brought to a military port in Yangyang, Gangwon Province, early Sunday morning.They were quoted as telling Jul 28, 2019
'US won't impose additional sanctions on North Korea' North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches the missile test on Thursday, in this photo provided Friday by the North Korean government. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulSouth Korea and the United States will not seek extra sanctions on North Korea despite Pyongyang test-firing two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Thursday, an aide to President Moon said Friday.“Despite the North's latest provocations, the United States and South Korea will keep their 'strategic ambiguity' on the matter by downplaying the firing's significance, refusing to call the launches a violation of UNSC (United Nations Security Council) resolutions that ban Pyongyang from taking part in ballistic missile activities,” the aide told The Korea Times.The aide said Washington and Seoul understood the firings were aimed at achieving “some strategic and political gains” but they did not violate North Korea's repeated promise to stop testing nuclear weapons or long-range ballistic missiles. “More broadly, but specifically, the United States and South Korea are hoping to avoid a suddeJul 26, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
