North Korea threatens to permanently cut off border with South Korea

SEOUL, October 10 (AJP) - North Korea said it would "permanently shut down and block the southern border" as part of a "self-defensive measure," the isolated country's state media reported on Wednesday. The move comes amid strained tensions between the two Koreas, which has worsened since North's summit with the U.S. in Hanoi collapsed in February 2019. Relations have further deteriorated as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called the North the "

October 10, 2024

North Korean Leader threatens to use nuclear weapons, denounces Yoon in verbal tirade

SEOUL, October 4 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jung-un has lambasted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yul, calling him an "abnormal man." During his inspection of an army base, Kim said that his country would "use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed including nuclear weapons" if the enemy attempted to use armed force to encroach on its sovereignty, Pyongyang's state-run Korea Central News Agency reported on Friday. His florid verb

October 4, 2024

North Korean leader's sister sulks again over US submarine's visit to South Korea

SEOUL, September 25 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Yo-jong on Tuesday launched another tirade over the recent arrival of a nuclear-armed U.S. submarine here. She also vowed that the North will "continuously and limitlessly" enhance its nuclear arsenal. North Korea's "nuclear war deterrent to cope with and contain various threats from outside is bound to be bolstered up both in quality and quantity continuously and limitlessly," Kim said

September 25, 2024

North Korea celebrates victory at U-20 Women's World Cup with rare coverage

SEOUL, September 24 (AJP) - North Korea was quick to report its victory in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup held in Colombia, with its state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun featuring the coverage prominently on the front page on Tuesday. Under the headline, "The country's proud daughters who raised our great state's honor," the daily praised the women's football team's 1-0 victory over Japan in the final match held over the weekend. It is rare for the iso

September 24, 2024

Quad leaders condemn North Korea's nuclear, missile programs

SEOUL, September 22 (AJP) - The leaders of the United States, Australia, India and Japan condemned North Korea's nuclear weapons program and ballistic missile launches during their summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday. In a joint statement, the leaders of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) also reaffirmed their commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific" and expressed serious concern over "destabilizing" actions in the East and South China Sea

September 22, 2024

North Korea boasts about test-launch of new tactical ballistic missile

SEOUL, September 19 (AJP) - North Korea successfully test-fired a new tactical ballistic missile capable of carrying a large warhead, its state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Thursday. According to the KCNA, the newly-tested missile, equipped with a 4.5 ton warhead, was fired alongside a strategic cruise missile. The test aimed to assess "the accuracy of the missiles at a medium range of 320 kilometers and the explosive power of the super-large warhead."

September 19, 2024

North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles into East Sea

SEOUL, September 18 (AJP) - North Korea has fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from a launch site near Kaechon City some 72 kilometers (45 miles) north of Pyongyang, five days after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a weapons-grade uranium enriching facility, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday. According to the JCS, North Korea fired multiple SRBMs northeastwards from Kaechon at about 6:50 a.m. (2150 GMT) on Wednesday. The missi

September 18, 2024

N. Korea deploys about 120 waste balloons

SEOUL, September 16 (AJP) - Since Sunday, North Korea has sent approximately 120 waste balloons towards the South, with around 40 landing in the Seoul metropolitan area, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Monday. The JCS confirmed that roughly 40 of these balloons were identified in Seoul and its surrounding areas. "The contents of the balloons included household waste such as paper, plastic, and vinyl, with no harmful substances detected," the

September 16, 2024

North Korea discloses uranium enrichment facility

SEOUL, September 13 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a facility for producing weapons-grade nuclear materials including enriched uranium, Pyongyang's state-run Rodong Sinmun reported on Friday. During his "on-site guidance," Kim called for producing more nuclear weapons for "self-defense." Emphasizing the need to expand the number of centrifuges and their individual capacity, Kim expressed his great satisfaction with the facility. "Ju

September 13, 2024

North Korea fires ballistic missiles into East Sea

SEOUL, September 12 (AJP) - North Korea launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea on Thursday, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The launch occurred just two days after Seoul hosted a defense ministerial meeting with member states of the United Nations Command (UNC) to discuss strengthening security cooperation in response to North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. The JCS analyzed that the missiles were fi

September 12, 2024