[Herald Interview] Biden must alienate Pyongyang from Beijing for N.Korea policy to work

WASHINGTON -- The Biden administration’s current North Korea strategy has failed to embrace and take into account geopolitical realities and regional security dynamics, according to Joel Wit, the founder of 38 North, a US-based North Korea monitoring program. To resuscitate nuclear negotiations and get a step closer to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, he says the US first and foremost should alienate North Korea from China. Wit said the Biden administration’s current North Korea poli

Nov. 14, 2022

N. Korea unresponsive to S. Korea's bid to return body of presumed N. Korean

North Korea remains unresponsive to South Korea's move to send back the body of a presumed North Korean woman who was found near a border river in July, according to Seoul's unification ministry Monday. At the 9 a.m. daily opening call via the inter-Korean liaison hotline, the North did not make any comment on the South's move to return the body Thursday through the truce village of Panmunjom, the ministry said. "As we deemed our intent as being delivered to North Korea, we w

Nov. 14, 2022

US supports helping North Korean people, but Pyongyang ultimately responsible: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States supports and is taking steps to help the people of North Korea despite differences with the North Korean regime, a state department spokesperson said Thursday. Ned Price made the remark as he also called on Pyongyang to put its people before its own interests. "Even when we have profound differences with a particular regime, and that of course applies in the case of North Korea, we are always looking for ways that we can support the humanitarian needs of a pa

Nov. 11, 2022

US concern over possible North Korean nuclear test remains real: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to remain concerned about a potential North Korean nuclear test, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday, noting that Pyongyang may still decide to conduct a test. Sullivan also expressed concerns over additional North Korean missile tests. "We have been very transparent about out concern with North Korea that the DPRK would conduct its seventh nuclear test at some point in this broader timeframe, and by broader I mean we have been tal

Nov. 11, 2022

N. Korea fires ballistic missile as US awaits midterm election results

North Korea on Wednesday fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, as the United States counts the ballots for the midterm elections it held Tuesday. The South Korean military detected one short-range ballistic missile being fired from the area of Sukchon County in South Pyongan Province toward the East Sea at 3:31 p.m. local time on Wednesday, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The short-range ballistic missile traveled about 290 kilometers at a speed of Mach 6 and an altit

Nov. 9, 2022

N. Korea's 'SA-5 missile' fired across NLL similar to Russia's missile used in Ukraine war: S. Korean military

The North Korean missile that flew across its de facto maritime border with South Korea last week has been found to be an "SA-5" type similar to that used by Russia in the Ukraine war, South Korea's military said Wednesday. The defense ministry announced the results of an interagency analysis of the debris of a ballistic missile that North Korea fired southward on Nov. 2 past the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea. The debris is around 3 meters long and 2 meters wide, assessed to be t

Nov. 9, 2022

N. Korea's military denies US accusation it supplied weapons to Russia

North Korea's military said Tuesday it has never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia and has no plans to do so, accusing the United States of spreading "groundless" rumors aimed at tarnishing its image. In a statement issued by the vice director of the Military Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of National Defence the previous day, Pyongyang warned Washington against "persistently" coming up with such a "plot-breeding story." "We regard such moves of th

Nov. 8, 2022

N. Korea voices 'strong regret' over UN chief's criticism of recent missile launches: state media

North Korea on Tuesday voiced "strong regret" that the head of the United Nations has denounced Pyongyang's recent barrage of missiles, according to its state media. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement "strongly" condemning the North's missile launches, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), and urged the reclusive country to immediately cease provocations. "I express strong regret at the fact that the UN secreta

Nov. 8, 2022

Taegeuk military exercise opens to enhance readiness against North Korean threats

The South Korean military on Monday began conducting the Taegeuk military exercise to enhance military readiness posture against North Korean missile and nuclear threats. The four-day military exercise aims to strengthen the South Korean military’s capabilities to manage the crisis and its ability to transition into wartime, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The Taegeuk exercise will enable the South Korean military to master its mission capability in real-world scenarios in preparation for

Nov. 7, 2022

North fires four missiles into West Sea

North Korea fired four short range ballistic missiles into the West Sea on Saturday, continuing military provocations for the fourth consecutive day. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, South Korean military detected four short range ballistic missiles fired from North Pyongan Province from 11:32 a.m. to 11:59 a.m. The missiles flew about 130 kilometers, reaching altitude of 20 kilometers, the JCS said, adding that South Korean and US militaries are currently carrying out further

Nov. 5, 2022

S. Korea, US to wrap up joint air drills amid heightened tension with N. Korea

South Korea and the United States will end their joint large-scale air drills as planned Saturday after they were extended for a day amid threats from North Korea. The Vigilant Storm exercise, which kicked off Monday, was originally set to run for five days but was extended by one day in response to North Korea's continued provocations, including the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday. The combined air training involves some 140 aircraft from the South, includi

Nov. 5, 2022

US urges UNSC action to punish N. Korea over recent provocations

The United States on Friday called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to hold North Korea accountable for its recent provocative actions that included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield also stressed the importance of fully implementing the existing UNSC sanctions on the recalcitrant country. "Over the last week and a half the DPRK has exacerbated an extremely worrisome trend that we've seen all year; an increasing number o

Nov. 5, 2022

NK will 'pay price' for missile threat: Seoul's top military officer

North Korea will surely "pay a price" for its escalating provocations, South Korea's top military officer said Friday, labeling a series of recent missile launches a "grave" threat to regional security as he held talks with the US air force commander. Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum and US Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach held talks in Seoul earlier in the day to discuss the North's recent missile threat. During the meeti

Nov. 4, 2022

N. Korea fires three missiles after denouncing US, S. Korea for extending aerial drills

North Korea fired three more short-range ballistic missiles Thursday night, after a top North Korean military official denounced South Korea and the US for extending the “Vigilant Storm” air combat exercise. The South Korean military detected three short-range ballistic missiles being fired from the area of Koksan County in North Hwanghae Province toward the East Sea from 9:35 p.m. to 9:49 p.m., according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The short-range ballistic missiles traveled about

Nov. 3, 2022

North fires another missile into East Sea

North Korea fired another missile towards the East Sea late Thursday, continuing the series of launches that began Wednesday. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pyongyang fired a missile of as yet undetermined specifications towards the East Sea. Earlier in the day Pyongyang fired three projectiles from two separate locations. One of the projectiles launched earlier in the day was an intercontinental ballistic missile, which failed. The launch followed a threat from Pak Jong-chon,

Nov. 3, 2022

Cost of NK's missile shower may run up to $75 million

It has been estimated that the string of missile launches carried out on Wednesday could have cost North Korea as much as $75 million. According to Radio Free Asia, Bruce Bennett of RAND Corporation estimated that each launch would have cost Pyongyang between $2 million and $3 million. With South Korea having detected 25 missiles throughout the day, the cost of Pyongyang’s barrage would range from $50 million to $75 million. The estimated cost of launching a missile, including North Korea&

Nov. 3, 2022

S.Korea, US agree to step up coordination in surveilling N.Korea to enhance deterrence

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States on Wednesday agreed to step up coordination in monitoring North Korea in a bid to reinforce the alliance’s deterrence amid North Korea’s continuing saber-rattling, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said. South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup visited the headquarters of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency -- an intelligence and combat support agency under the auspices of the US Defense Department -- during his visit to t

Nov. 3, 2022

US condemns N. Korea's 'reckless' decision to fire missile below inter-Korean border: State Dept.

The United States condemns North Korea's firing of a missile that landed below the de facto maritime border with South Korea, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday. The spokesperson also said the U.S. will continue to work with South Korea and other allies to limit North Korea from further advancing its weapons programs. "The United States condemns the DPRK's ballistic missile launches and its reckless decision to fire a missile below the de facto maritime boundary with the Re

Nov. 2, 2022

North Korea fires more missiles

North Korea has fired six additional missiles late Wednesday afternoon, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. According to the JCS, six projectiles including surface-to-air missiles were fired from two locations into the East and the West seas between 4:30 p.m. and 5:10 p.m. The latest missiles were launched from Sinpo, South Hamgyong Province on North Korea’s west coast, and Onchon, South Pyongan Province on the east coast.  

Nov. 2, 2022

‘NK’s provocative missile launch over NLL backed with confidence over its nuke capability’

North Korea's latest firing of more than 10 ballistic missiles, one of which landed south of the de facto maritime border for the first time, reflects the regime's confidence in its military capabilities and its determination to cement its status as a nuclear-armed state, Seoul-based experts said on Wednesday. The short-range ballistic missile that crossed the Northern Limit Line fell into the high sea 57 kilometers east of South Korea’s eastern city of Sokcho and 167 km northw

Nov. 2, 2022