Tag: North Korea

It appears the North Koreans are relying on misinformation to hype up their military capabilities:

A contrail of what appears to be a North Korean missile launch is seen from South Korea’s northwestern border island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea on June 26, 2024. (Yonhap)

South Korea’s military on Thursday dismissed North Korea’s claim of successfully conducting a multiple-warhead missile test earlier this week as a form of “deception,” reaffirming its assessment the missile exploded in the air.

Earlier in the day, the North said it conducted a successful missile test Wednesday aimed at securing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capabilities, contradicting South Korea’s earlier assessment the launch ended in failure.

“North Korea’s missile launched yesterday exploded in an early stage of the flight,” Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told reporters in a briefing. “North Korea made a different announcement this morning but (we) believe that this is merely a method of deception and exaggeration.”

Lee said photos released by the North this morning of the missile launch appeared to be similar to its launch of the Hwasong-17 liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched in March 2023.

Yonhap

This should give everyone further indications on how healthy the people in North Korea are:

Parasites have been detected in some of the trash-filled balloons sent by North Korea to South Korea, but no harmful substances were found, Seoul’s unification ministry said Monday.

In recent weeks, North Korea has sent more than 1,000 trash-carrying balloons toward the South on multiple occasions in retaliation for South Korean activists’ leaflet campaigns condemning the North Korean regime.

“Numerous parasites, such as roundworms, whipworms and threadworms, were found in the soil contained in the trash,” the ministry said in a press release, adding that the parasites are believed to originate from human excrement.

The findings are based on an examination of 70 balloons.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The trash attacks into South Korea are continuing:

North Korea on Monday sent balloons presumed to be carrying trash toward South Korea again, Seoul’s military said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the balloons appeared to be travelling in a southeastern direction from the northern part of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul.

It advised the public to not touch fallen balloons and report them to military or police authorities.

On Friday, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North’s leader, hinted about launching more balloons after North Korean defectors in the South sent balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets toward the North earlier in the week.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

This is about as close to an ultimatum to Russia that you will see from the Yoon administration:

National security adviser Chang Ho-jin said Sunday that South Korea will not be bound by anything with regard to its assistance to Ukraine if Russia provides North Korea with precision weapons.

Director of National Security Chang made the remark during a TV appearance, underscoring the point that Seoul’s decision on whether to provide weapons to Ukraine depends on how Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea goes. 

“I would like to emphasize that it all depends on what Russia will do,” Chang said on KBS TV. “Will there be any line remaining for us if Russia gives precision weapons to North Korea?”

Chang’s remark means South Korea could provide lethal weapons to Ukraine if Russia crosses the line.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Putin must really need the munitions that North Korea produces considering how chummy he is getting with Kim Jong-un:

This Sept. 14, 2023, file image, taken from Korean Central Television footage, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s trip to North Korea this week may produce a treaty on a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in light of changes in geopolitics and bilateral relations, though it will not be aimed against other nations, Russia’s state media has reported.

Citing Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s aide for foreign affairs, TASS reported that Putin is set to visit Pyongyang on Tuesday and Wednesday for a summitry program that he cast as “very eventful” and “very intensive.”

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency also confirmed that Putin will pay a state visit to the North at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It would mark Putin’s first visit to the North in nearly a quarter of a century.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.