South Korean ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon said Thursday he believed US President-elect Donald Trump’s reelection will be a chance for South Korea and the US to deepen ties further. Speaking at Thursday’s meeting of the party leadership, Han Dong-hoon congratulated Trump on his victory. “My sincerest congratulations to Mr. Trump. I have said that his Asia priority policy would be an opportunity for deepening the South Korea-US relationship in a way that benefits both countr

Politics Nov. 7, 2024

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party of Korea congratulated Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s re-election as US president Wednesday. “President-elect Trump, while he was in office as the 45th president of the US, set a milestone in the history of the peace in the Korean Peninsula by leading North Korea-US summit,” the party said in a statement. “The Korean Peninsula is now in a more perilous situation than during President-elect Trump’

Politics Nov. 6, 2024

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense website went down Tuesday afternoon after suffering potential cyberattacks. The Defense Ministry said Wednesday its website was targeted by a suspected distributed denial-of-service attack, which is when service is disrupted by a flood of traffic. The website of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was temporarily inaccessible Wednesday morning, with the Cyber Operations Command investigating whether attacks by foreign sources are responsible. While the JCS

Defense Nov. 6, 2024

North Korea on Tuesday fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, hours before the US goes to the polls to elect its next president. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a brief announcement the missiles were launched at around 7:30 a.m. from a province south of Pyongyang and traveled 400 kilometers before landing in the waters. South Korean and US military and intelligence officials are analyzing details of the launch, including their type and rang

Defense Nov. 5, 2024

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party, on Monday condemned North Korea for participating in Russia’s war in Ukraine. At a meeting of the party's leadership, Han said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sending troops to Russia was a “serious challenge to international peace” and a “crime against humanity.” “The Kim Jong-un regime, with its decision to enter the war, has made it seem like the Korean Peninsula has something to do with the o

Politics Nov. 4, 2024

North Korea is believed to have dispatched thousands of soldiers to Russia to support its invasion of Ukraine, with thousands more anticipated to join by the year’s end, according to South Korean intelligence and military officials. While the National Intelligence Service said in its latest analysis the costs of North Korea stepping into the war seem to outweigh the benefits, other experts in Seoul say Pyongyang can now expect Moscow to have its back in a possible contingency on the Korean

North Korea Nov. 3, 2024

North Korea fired what could be a new intercontinental ballistic missile toward the sea east of the Korean Peninsula on Thursday, a day after South Korean defense intelligence authorities warned of Pyongyang preparing to stage large-scale provocations in the run-up to the US presidential election. The missile flew for approximately 86 minutes, the longest time of any North Korean missile to date, traveling about 1,000 kilometers before falling into the waters between North Korea and Japan, accor

Defense Oct. 31, 2024

The military cyber security authorities in Seoul said Wednessday they are on the lookout for North Korea possibly colluding with Russia in its cyber attacks against pro-Ukraine countries. According to Rep. Lee Seong-kweon, who was briefed by the Cyber Operations Command, North Korean attempts to infiltrate institutions affiliated with the South Korean military have increased significantly in the past couple of years. The military’s cyber security authorities are “on alert” for

Politics Oct. 30, 2024

The Defense Intelligence Agency in Seoul said Wednesday that North Korea may conduct its first nuclear weapons test in seven years ahead of the US presidential election, in what would be its seventh such test. In a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly intelligence committee, the Defense Intelligence Agency said North Korea will attempt to draw Washington’s attention by staging a major provocation such as a nuclear test ahead of the election that is less than a week away. “No

Politics Oct. 30, 2024

The South Korean intelligence agency said Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s daughter Kim Ju-ae appears to be on a rising path to power. Citing the National Intelligence Service, Rep. Park Sun-won of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea told reporters there are growing signs suggesting a “clear elevation of Ju-ae’s status.” He was briefed on North Korea affairs by the NIS as vice chair of the National Assembly intelligence committee. The NIS said Kim&

Politics Oct. 29, 2024

South Korea’s military on Monday warned of “corresponding measures” in response to North Korea threatening to fly an uncrewed aerial vehicle over Seoul. “If a North Korean UAV infiltration takes place, we will be taking corresponding measures to protect the safety and property of our people,” Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said. The JCS spokesperson dismissed accusations by North Korea that the UAVs that flew over Pyongyang earlier this month h

Defense Oct. 28, 2024

In a latest development in North Korea’s isolationist policy, new blockades were being built along inter-Korean railways running along the east and west sides of the Korean Peninsula to fortify the border areas, South Korea's Unification Ministry confirmed Friday. Kim In-ae, vice spokesperson for the Ministry of Unification in Seoul, said in a briefing that North Korea "had already built barriers at the undermined sections of Donghae lines through additional construction projects.&quo

Politics Oct. 25, 2024

South Korea's main opposition party lawmakers on Friday rallied in the halls of the National Assembly to condemn President Yoon Suk Yeol for his proposed shift in Ukraine aid policy in response to North Korean troop deployment by Russia. “The Yoon administration is reportedly considering providing ‘offensive weapons’ to Ukraine in the wake of Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops. This is an incredibly dangerous idea that treats people’s lives like pawns i

Politics Oct. 25, 2024

[코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 국가정보원은 북한이 오물풍선을 살포하는 이유가 대북전단 때문이 아닐 것이라고 평가했다. 24일 코리아헤럴드가 입수한 자료에 따르면 국정원은 “북한의 오물풍선 도발과 민간 단체의 대북전단 활동간의 인과관계 여부를 단정하기 어려우며, 특정한 패턴 없이 무작위로 오물풍선을 부양하고 있다”고 분석했다. 국정원은 9월 이후 북한이 오물풍선을 부양하는 횟수가 급격히 늘어난 것에 주목하면서, 앞으로 도발이 더 잦아질 것으로 예측했다. 북한은 지난 5월 말을 시작으로 올해 총 30차례에 걸쳐 오물풍선을 날려 보냈다. 월별로 살펴보면 ▲ 5월 1회 ▲ 6월 6회 ▲ 7월 3회 ▲ 8월 1회 ▲ 9월 11회에 이어 이번 달은 현재까지 8회로 전체 살포 횟수 중 절반 이상이 최근 한 달 사이에 집중되고 있다. 국정원은 최근 북한의 대남공세 강화 국면을 살펴봤을 때 “대남 적개심 고취 및 내부 결속, 우리 대북정책 전환 압박, 미국 대통령 선거

한국어판 Oct. 24, 2024

North Korea on Thursday flew another batch of trash balloons toward the South, most of which landed in Seoul and nearby areas, including Yongsan where the presidential office is located, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. For the first time since the balloon offensive began in May, the balloons carried leaflets targeting President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Some leaflets called Yoon a “thug” while others accused the first lady of going on extravagant

Politics Oct. 24, 2024