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  Ukraine warns of 'North Korean troops reaching NATO borders' SEOUL, December 30 (AJP) - Ukraine has warned that North Korean troops could appear on the borders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if Russia is not stopped. In a post shared on his Telegram on Sunday, Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine's presidential office, wrote that European countries and NATO should brace for potential hybrid threats at their doorsteps. "The appearance of North Korean troops dressed in Russian uniforms or Iranian proxies on the borders o December 30, 2024
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  'North Korea proposed troop deployment to Russia,' U.S. officials believe SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - North Korea initially proposed deploying its troops to Russia to assist Moscow's war in Ukraine, The New York Times reported on Monday, citing U.S. intelligence agencies. The deployment was "North Korea's idea and not Russia's," although Russian President Vladimir Putin "quickly embraced it," the daily wrote. Over 10,000 North Korean soldiers are believed to have been sent to Russia since last fall, with most of them depl December 24, 2024
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  Over 3,000 North Korean troops killed or injured in Russia, Zelensky claims SEOUL, December 24 (AJP) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Monday that more than 3,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia have been killed or injured in combat with Ukrainian forces. "The number of North Korean soldiers killed and wounded in the Kursk region has already exceeded 3,000," he said citing preliminary data. Zelensky took to social media to make the claim, while expressing concerns that Pyongyang is also threatening to send additional tr December 24, 2024
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  'North Korea preparing to send additional troops, equipment for Russia' SEOUL, December 23 (AJP) - South Korea's military has detected that North Korea is taking steps to send additional troops and equipment to support Russia, including the potential deployment of suicide drones. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday, North Korea is supplying Russia with 240mm multiple rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled artillery. The JCS also revealed that North Korea is making efforts to produce and supply suicide drones, including those sh December 23, 2024
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  North Korean hackers account for over half of global crypto theft SEOUL, December 20 (AJP) - North Korea-linked hackers reportedly have stolen approximately $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency across 47 separate scams this year. The amount is the largest ever recorded, according to a report released on Thursday by American blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis. The stolen amount surpasses the previous record of $1.1 billion in 2022 and more than doubles last year's total of $660.5 million. The firm said that North Korean hackers accounted for 60 December 20, 2024
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  Kim Jong-un visits mausoleum on father's death anniversary SEOUL, December 18 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum for his late father to mark the 13th anniversary of his death, according to state media. "A floral basket..... was laid before the statues" of Kim Jong-il and his father and regime founder Kim Il-sung at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, the country's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. Kim was accompanied by top party officials including his siste December 18, 2024
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  North Korean media covers Yoon's impeachment SEOUL, December 16 (AJP) - North Korea's state media reported Monday on the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, two days after the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach him over his short-lived declaration of martial law earlier this month. The North first reported on South Korea's political turmoil on Dec. 11, about a week after Yoon's botched martial law gambit. Describing him as the "ringleader of the rebellion," the official state December 16, 2024
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  US offers bounty for North Korean IT workers SEOUL, December 13 (AJP) - A reward of up to $5 million, along with the most wanted list, has been put on North Korean firms based in China and Russia that are allegedly involved in sending North Korean workers overseas for money laundering and supporting the country's weapons of mass destruction program, the U.S. State Department revealed on Thursday. The department said it is "seeking information on North Korean information technology (IT) companies..... engaged in the ex December 13, 2024
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  North Korea remains on annual US terrorism report SEOUL, December 13 (AJP) - North Korea remains on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, according to the U.S. State Department's annual report released on Thursday. The 2023 Country Reports on Terrorism, which guides U.S. counterterrorism policy, includes North Korea alongside Cuba, Iran, and Syria as countries that sponsor terrorism. The latest report reiterated its 2017 statement, highlighting that the department "determined that had repeatedly provide December 13, 2024
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  Russian Embassy in Pyongyang hosts banquet to celebrate ratification of military pact SEOUL, December 11 (AJP) - The Russian Embassy in North Korea hosted a banquet on Tuesday to celebrate the ratification of a military defense pact between the two countries, North Korean state media reported Wednesday. The official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said its leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong, Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, and other top officials including Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the rubberstamp Supreme People's Assembly, attended the event. December 11, 2024