US sends aircraft carrier to South Korea amid heightened N. Korea threats

SEOUL, March 03 (AJP) - The USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier, arrived at a South Korean naval base on Sunday, marking the first visit by a U.S. carrier to the country since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. The vessel, part of Carrier Strike Group 1, docked at the port in Busan, accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton and the Aegis-equipped destroyer USS Sterett. The South Korean military described the visit a

March 3, 2025

North Korea conducts artillery drill with 'strategic cruise missiles'

SEOUL, February 28 (AJP) - North Korea conducted an artillery drill earlier this week in waters off its west coast, North Korean state media reported on Friday. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), several strategic cruise missiles were launched and "precisely hit their targets" during the drill, which was observed by its leader Kim Jong-un last Wednesday. The drill was aimed at demonstrating the North's "counterattack capability in any space and

February 28, 2025

North Korea deploys more troops to Russia, spy agency says

SEOUL, February 27 (AJP) - North Korea is believed to have deployed additional troops to assist Russia's war in Ukraine, South Korea's spy agency said on Thursday. "North Korea has apparently sent its troops to Russia's frontline region of Kursk, a territory currently occupied by Ukraine, starting from the first week of February," the National Intelligence Service (NIS) here said in a press release. "We're assessing the exact number of the latest de

February 27, 2025

North Korea warns of 'resolute' response to South Korea-led sanctions monitoring body

SEOUL, February 24 (AJP) - North Korea on Monday vowed to take “resolute” measures against the newly formed South Korean-led body established to oversee U.N. sanctions targeting its nuclear and missile activities. The North’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement through its state-run news media, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), following the group’s commencement of official activities. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) w

February 24, 2025

North Korea directly names Trump administration, warns of response

SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) - North Korea warned on Saturday that it will respond to the “enemies’ military strategic threat” with its own "strategic means," directly naming the Trump administration for the first time. A statement from the chief of the Information Office at North Korea’s Ministry of National Defense on Saturday said, “Since the emergence of the Trump administration, the U.S. and its vassal forces are getting evermore pronoun

February 22, 2025

South Korea condemns North Korea's troop deployment to Ukraine

SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - The Ministry of Defense here condemned North Korea's alleged deployment of troops to Russia to assist its war in Ukraine, describing it as "deceptive and inhumane" during a press briefing on Thursday. "We strongly denounce the actions of the regime and urge the immediate stop of any additional troop deployments," said the ministry's spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu, when asked about a recent interview with two North Korea

February 20, 2025

North Korea condemns Australia's nuclear submarine deal with US

The leaders of Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. attend a ceremony for the security pact between the three countries, known as AUKUS, at a naval base in San Diego, in this file photo from March 2023. Reuters-Yonhap SEOUL, February 20 (AJP) - North Korea has criticized Australia's plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from Washington through its trilateral security pact with the U.S. and U.K. In a commentary on Thursday, the official Korean Central News Agency condemned Australi

February 20, 2025

Travel agencies in China to resume tours to North Korea

SEOUL, February 19 (AJP) - Travel agencies in China have begun selling group tours to North Korea this month. If realized, it would mark the first such trips in five years, though it remains to be seen whether the isolated country will fully reopen its borders. Zhixing Heyi, a Beijing-based travel agency, is currently offering a three-night, four-day tour to Rason, North Korea's easternmost border region, departing on Feb. 24. The agency said it had received an official notic

February 19, 2025

Kim Jong-un visits mausoleum on father's birth anniversary

SEOUL, February 17 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a mausoleum to pay tribute to his late father on the anniversary of his birth, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday. His sister Yo-jong and other high-ranking officials accompanied him on his visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang where his father and grandfather's embalmed bodies lie in state. According to KCNA, Kim "expressed his solemn commitment to dedicating himself to

February 17, 2025

North Korea 'poised to mass-produce ICBMs,' US commander says

SEOUL, February 14 (AJP) - North Korea is likely to soon begin mass production of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, a U.S. military commander speculated on Thursday. In a written statement to the Senate Committed on Armed Services, Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, claimed North Korea "probably can deliver a nuclear payload to targets throughout North Americ

February 14, 2025