North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met at Russia's primary spaceport, the Vostochny Cosmodrome, in the Russian Far East on Wednesday, signaling a closer alignment between the two increasingly isolated countries. Kim and Putin emphasized their shared commitment to supporting each other's internationally prohibited actions, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korea's weapons development, expressing their determination to elevate bi

North Korea Sept. 13, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, publicly flanked by a cadre of key military officers, has entered Russia via his armored private train following a lengthy journey from Pyongyang for a high-stakes summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian Far East. Putin's announcement on Tuesday that he will visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center in the region also suggests that the location is the likely venue for the meeting. The move strongly signals that the focus of the i

North Korea Sept. 12, 2023

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has embarked on a train journey on Monday, government sources confirmed to The Korea Herald, strongly indicating the possibility of a forthcoming meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Russia. The move comes amid blistering criticism of talks between the two leaders on arms trade, which has raised concerns about potential support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The armored train, presumably carrying Kim, was slowly advancing toward the northeastern border

North Korea Sept. 11, 2023

The leaders of South Korea and Indonesia on Friday agreed to enhance bilateral economic and defense cooperation across a broad spectrum of areas, which includes collaborative efforts in developing an electric vehicle ecosystem and a fighter jet. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Indonesian President Joko Widodo convened for an in-person summit at the presidential palace in Jakarta on the final day of President Yoon's four-day visit to Indonesia. "Both discussed forward-looking and su

Foreign Affairs Sept. 8, 2023

North Korea has unveiled its first-ever operational submarine, purportedly capable of launching nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, while the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, has urged for intensified efforts to expeditiously arm the Navy with nuclear weapons against the evolving nature of military actions by adversaries. But South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff have dismissed the claim, assessing that the submarine does not seem to be capable of normal operation. North Korea conducted a ceremony t

North Korea Sept. 8, 2023

A high-level Chinese delegation, led by Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, is set to visit North Korea to participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the country's foundation, North Korean state media said Thursday. But all eyes are fixed on the reasoning behind China's decision to send a seemingly lower-ranking delegation compared to the previous occasion to commemorate North Korea's Sept. 9 anniversary. In September 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping dispatched Li Zhansh

North Korea Sept. 7, 2023

A potential meeting between the leaders of Russia and North Korea has raised the possibility of an arms deal, with speculations swirling over Moscow providing cutting-edge technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines to Pyongyang in exchange for weapons against Ukraine in the ongoing war. US officials have revealed the possibility of this meeting taking place during the Eastern Economic Forum, scheduled to run from Sept. 10 to 13 in the far-eastern Russian port city of Vladivostok. I

Foreign Affairs Sept. 6, 2023

North Korean state media's ongoing efforts to spotlight Kim Ju-ae, the daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, primarily serve to underscore Pyongyang's commitment to upholding fourth-generation hereditary succession, rather than indicating her formal designation as the heir apparent, South Korea's Unification Ministry said Tuesday. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea that mainly targets North Korean audiences, reported a total of 15 public

North Korea Sept. 5, 2023

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Gyeonggi Province — Despite seven decades having passed since the armistice, the countries that once valiantly deployed their combat forces in defense of South Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War still provide steadfast support for the security of the Korean Peninsula. The United Nations Command was founded in July 1950, one month after North Korea's surprise illegal invasion of South Korea, under UN Security Council Resolutions 82, 83 and 84. The situation marked the firs

Defense Sept. 5, 2023

Kim Gi-cheol remembers his son's determination to fulfill his military duty as a South Korean citizen, despite having the opportunity to secure an exemption by acquiring foreign nationality. Having spent an extended period abroad, his son was relatively unfamiliar with the Korean language and culture. Nevertheless, Kim never imagined that his son, who was proud to serve his home country, would be dead just three months after enlisting. In November 2022, while stationed at a general post in

Defense Sept. 4, 2023

North Korea conducted a purported live-fire drill simulating a "tactical nuclear attack" early Saturday by launching long-range strategic cruise missiles toward the West Sea, its state media claimed Sunday. However, the South Korean military dismissed the report as an "exaggeration," saying that North Korea may have failed to detonate a mock nuclear warhead in midair. The latest drill is the second nuclear attack simulation in three days, which North Korean state media has la

North Korea Sept. 3, 2023

The Korea Military Academy on Thursday announced it would relocate the statue of Gen. Hong Beom-do, a prominent figure in Korea's independence history, amid the intense ideological debate stirred by the plan. The debate centers on whether Gen. Hong joining the then Vladmir Lenin-led Soviet Communist Party in 1927 is a legitimate enough reason to remove it from the institution in Nowon-gu, Seoul, even in light of his notable role as an independent fighter throughout the Japanese Occupation o

Defense Aug. 31, 2023

North Korea has publicly launched military exercises that involve simulating the occupation of the entirety of South Korean territory through armed attacks in case of contingencies in the presence of the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, its state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday. The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army on Tuesday commenced a command post exercise, or CPX, involving its entire army. The CPX aims to evaluate and examine the operational planning, orga

North Korea Aug. 31, 2023

North Korea fired two ballistic missiles toward the waters off its east coast late Wednesday night in an apparent protest against the ongoing regular military exercises conducted by South Korea and the US. The two short-range ballistic missiles were launched from the area of Sunan district in the capital city of Pyongyang between 11:40 p.m. and 11:50 p.m., according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles flew around 360 kilometers before splashing down in the East Sea, the JCS said

North Korea Aug. 31, 2023

OSAN AIR BASE, Gyeonggi Province – The newly established United States Space Forces Korea has taken up the vital role of being the watchful eye and strategic compass of the US military and South Korea, the deputy commander said Wednesday. The essential responsibility is carried out through the operation of cutting-edge space assets, which facilitate the adept tracking of adversary activities in times of peace and the precise identification and targeting of an enemy in the event of continge

Defense Aug. 30, 2023