North Korea under the leadership of Kim Jong Un

[BouncerGuy]

N Korea fires banned missile in longest flight yet

North Korea has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile, which flew for 86 minutes - the longest flight recorded yet - and over 1,000km, before falling into waters off its east coast, South Korea and Japan said.

The ICBM was fired at a sharply-raised angle and reached as high as 7,000km (4,350 miles). This means that it if were launched horizontally, it would have covered a further distance.

The launch on Thursday comes at a time of deteriorating relations between the two Koreas and Pyongyang's increasingly aggresive rhetoric towards Seoul.

South Korea had also warned on Wednesday that the North was preparing to fire its ICBM close to the US presidential election on 5 November.

Seoul's defence ministry said the test was intended to develop weapons that "fire farther and higher".

South Korea said it would impose fresh sanctions on the North in response to the launch.

The US called Thursday's launch a "flagrant violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions".

"It only demonstrates that [North Korea] continues to prioritise its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes over the well-being of its people," the White House's National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.

Pyongyang last fired an ICBM in December 2023, in defiance of long-standing and crippling UN sanctions. That missile travelled for 73 minutes and covered about 1,000km.

In a rare same-day report on state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Thursday's launch shows "our will to respond to our enemies" and described it as "appropriate military action".

"I affirm that [North Korea] will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces," Kim said.

North Korea experts believe the launch was aimed at increasing its missiles' payload.

Pyongyang has been developing missiles that can "hit the US mainland even if it carries a larger and heavier warhead" or even multiple warheads, said Kim Dong-yup, an assistant professor at the University of North Korean Studies.

Neighbouring Japan said it monitored Thursday's launch.

South Korean and US officials met after the launch and agreed to "take strong and varied response measures", the South's military said in a statement.

"Our military maintains full readiness as we closely share North Korean ballistic information with US and Japanese authorities," it added.

Thursday's launch comes after South Korea and US accused North Korea of sending troops to Russia to support Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The Pentagon estimates that around 10,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to train in eastern Russia. A "small number" has been sent to Kursk in Russia's west, with several thousand more on their way, the US said earlier this week.

The alleged presence of North Korean troops in Russia has added to growing concerns over deepening ties between Putin and Kim.

Pyongyang and Moscow have neither confirmed nor denied these allegations.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

North Korea confirms launch of ICBM in longest-ever ballistic missile test

North Korea has confirmed it launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards waters off its eastern coast in what was the longest flight time yet for a North Korean missile, authorities in South Korea and Japan said, raising fears of advanced weapons development by Pyongyang.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the missile test launch on Thursday and issued a warning to his enemies, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

“The test-fire is an appropriate military action that fully meets the purpose of informing the rivals, who have intentionally escalated the regional situation and posed a threat to the security of our Republic recently, of our counteraction will,” Kim was quoted as saying by KCNA.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement the missile launched towards the East Sea, which is also known as the Sea of Japan, was detected at about 7:10am (22:10 GMT) and was fired on a “lofted trajectory”.

The JCS said later that initial analysis points to a possible use by North Korea of a newly developed solid-fuel booster for its long-range missiles.

North Korea confirms launch of ICBM in longest-ever ballistic missile test

Longest flight time recorded for North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile raises fears of new weapon.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

North Korea told the UN point-blank that it's speeding up nuclear weapons development

Pyongyang went loud and proud on Monday about its plans for nuclear weapons as the United Nations grilled its representative over a recent missile launch.

"We will accelerate and will not let up on the buildup of our nuclear force that can counter any threat presented by hostile nuclear-weapons states," Kim Song, the North Korean ambassador to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting.

"There will ever never be any change in this line," he added, referring to North Korea as a "responsible nuclear-weapon state."

Kim's statement came as Japan reported that North Korea fired at least seven short-range ballistic missiles from its east coast that ultimately fell into Japan-administrated waters.

Launched on the eve of the US election, the missiles were characterized by Pyongyang as a response to recent joint military drills between the US, South Korea, and Japan involving their long-range bombers.

Those joint drills were a signal to North Korea after its Thursday launch of what it said was a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile dubbed the Hwasong-19, which also landed in the Sea of Japan.

Its trajectory was recorded as Pyongyang's longest-ever ballistic-missile test, reaching an altitude of about 4,780 miles, though previous tests have extended farther in latitudinal distance.

The US, Japan, and South Korea have condemned the launch.

In his comments to the UN, Kim said the Hwasong-19 had "no slightest negative impact on the security of the neighboring countries."

North Korea told the UN point-blank that it's speeding up nuclear weapons development

The UN Security Council met on Monday to confront North Korea on its new ICBM launch, to which Pyongyang said it would accelerate its nuclear program.

www.aol.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

Pakistan voices concern over North Korea's ballistic missile launch​

In response to North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch on Monday, Pakistan expressed deep concern and urged for diplomatic engagement and dialogue to address the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The missile was launched at the same time as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Seoul, where he met with South Korea’s Acting President, Choi Sang-mok.

Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram, addressed the UN Security Council on Thursday, strongly supporting the revival of talks between the relevant parties.

The missile fired by North Korea was described by Pyongyang as a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle. Akram condemned these developments, calling them detrimental to regional and international peace and security.

Pakistan reiterated its commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, urging the implementation of UNSC resolutions and global disarmament goals.

The country also voiced opposition to further nuclear weapons testing and missile provocations, underscoring the need for a halt to coercive actions and threats in the region.

“Provocations such as missile tests and threats must end,” Akram stated. “Pakistan opposes any further nuclear weapons testing in Korea or elsewhere."

The South Korean military reported detecting a projectile, believed to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile, following the launch. UN officials warned that North Korea's missile program continues to undermine global non-proliferation efforts.

Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, stressed that while the launch had no direct impact on neighboring countries' security, North Korea failed to issue the required safety notifications for airspace and maritime boundaries.

North Korea's Ambassador to the UN, Song Kim, defended the missile test, describing it as a necessary step to strengthen the country’s national defence and strategic deterrent. He warned that any physical conflict on the Peninsula would be a result of "reckless actions" by the United States and South Korea.

Kim urged the UN Security Council to refrain from criminalising North Korea’s actions, citing double standards in the application of international law.

Pakistan voices concern over North Korea's ballistic missile launch | The Express Tribune

UN Ambassador Munir Akram says Pakistan opposes any further nuclear weapons testing in Korea or elsewhere.

tribune.com.pk

 

[hassan918]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vows to further develop nuclear forces​

SEOUL, Feb 9 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticised trilateral military cooperation among the United States, Japan and South Korea for raising tensions in the region and vowed countermeasures, including the further development of nuclear forces.

Kim said U.S. deployments of nuclear strategic assets, war exercises and military cooperation with Japan and South Korea were inviting military imbalance in the region and raising a grave challenge to the security environment, state media KCNA reported on Sunday.

"The DPRK does not want unnecessary tension of the regional situation but will take sustained countermeasures to ensure the regional military balance," Kim said during a visit to the defence ministry on Saturday to commemorate the founding day of its Army.

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

U.S. President Donald Trump, after a meeting on Friday with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, said he would have relations with North Korea, as they expressed concern over its nuclear program.

But during the visit, Kim "clarified once again the unshakable policy of more highly developing the nuclear forces," according to the report.

On Russia's war with Ukraine, Kim said: "The army and people of the DPRK will invariably support and encourage the just cause of the Russian army and people to defend their sovereignty, security and territorial integrity in keeping with the spirit of the treaty on the comprehensive strategic partnership between the DPRK and Russia."

Last month, South Korea said it suspected North Korea of preparing to send more troops to Russia, in addition to about 11,000 soldiers who had been dispatched for the three-year-long war.

In a separate commentary released later on Sunday, North Korea's KCNA again criticised South Korea's military activity with the United States this year and warned that aggressive actions would be met by undesired consequences.

"Anyone could easily guess how we would take the fact that they carried out war exercises that were more intense than ever before at a time when diplomacy schedules were being cancelled due to political turmoil," KCNA said.

Source: Reuters

 

[BouncerGuy]

North Korea's Kim slams 'serious accident' at warship launch

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has condemned a "serious accident" during the launch of a new warship on Thursday, calling it a "criminal act" that could not be tolerated.

Parts of the 5,000-ton destroyer's bottom were crushed, tipping the vessel off balance, state media reported.

Kim, who was present at the launch, has ordered the ship be restored before a key party meeting in June, and for those involved in designing the ship to be held responsible for the incident which he said "severely damaged the dignity and pride of our nation in an instant."

State media reports did not mention any casualties or injuries as a result of the incident.

Kim attributed Thursday's accident, which took place at a shipyard in the eastern port city of Chongjin, to "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism".

He added that the "irresponsible errors" of those involved will be dealt with at a plenary meeting next month.

It's not clear what punishment they might face but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights record.

People can be jailed for almost anything, activists have said, from watching a South Korean DVD to trying to defect.

It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents - though it has done this a handful of times in the past.

Last November, it described the mid-air explosion of a military satellite six months earlier as a "gravest failure" and criticised officials who "irresponsibly conducted preparations" for it.

In August 2023, the state blamed another botched satellite launch on an error in the emergency basting system, but said it was "not a big issue".

Thursday's incident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a new 5,000-ton destroyer on the country's west coast which it said is equipped to carry over 70 missiles.

Kim had called the warship a "breakthrough" in modernising the country's naval forces and said it would be deployed early next year.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

North Korea makes arrests over botched ship launch

North Korea has detained three shipyard officials over an accident during the launch of a new warship on Wednesday, state media say.

Parts of the 5,000-tonne destroyer's bottom were crushed during the launch ceremony, tipping the vessel off balance.

An investigation into the incident, which North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un described as a "criminal act", is ongoing.

KCNA, North Korea's official news agency, identified those detained as the chief engineer of the northern Chongjin shipyard where the destroyer was built, as well as the construction head and an administrative manager.

The report said that the three were "responsible for the accident".

On Friday, KCNA said the manager of the shipyard, Hong Kil Ho, had been summoned by law enforcers.

Satellite images showed the vessel lying on its side covered by large blue tarpaulins, and a portion of the vessel appeared to be on land.

North Korea's state media did not mention any casualties or injuries at the time, downplaying the damage.

KCNA reported that there were no holes on the ship's bottom - contrary to initial reports.

"The hull starboard was scratched and a certain amount of seawater flowed into the stern section," the agency said.

Kim said on Thursday the accident was caused by "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism".

He added that those who made "irresponsible errors" would be dealt with at a plenary meeting next month.

It is not clear what punishment they might face, but the authoritarian state has a woeful human rights record.

It is uncommon for North Korea to publicly disclose local accidents - though it has done this a handful of times in the past.

This particular accident comes weeks after North Korea unveiled a similar 5,000-tonne destroyer, the Choe Hyon.

Kim had called that warship a "breakthrough" in modernising North Korea's navy and said it would be deployed early next year.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

N Korea launches warship after earlier failed attempt

North Korea has launched a warship two weeks after it was damaged during an earlier launch attempt, in an incident that drew harsh criticism from the country's leader Kim Jong Un.

The 5,000-tonne destroyer, which was restored to balance earlier this week, was launched on Thursday and is now moored at a pier, state-run news agency KCNA said.

The ship is expected to be fully restored before a ruling party meeting sometime this month, KCNA added.

Kim, who witnessed the warship tipping over during the first launch attempt, criticised the incident as a "criminal act" that "severely damaged the [country's] dignity and pride".

It was the result of "absolute carelessness, irresponsibility and unscientific empiricism", he said.

At least four officials including Ri Hyong-son, the deputy director of the ruling Workers' Party's Munitions Industry Department, have been arrested over the incident.

Mr Ri is part of the party's Central Military Commission, which commands the Korean People's Army and is responsible for developing and implementing North Korea's military policies.

It is not clear what punishment the officials might face, but the authoritarian state has been known to sentence officials it finds guilty of wrongdoing to forced labour and even death.

The effort to right the ship was a manual process, according to researchers from 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

Satellite imagery shows workers on the quay pulling tethers and using barrage balloons to bring the vessel back to balance, they said, adding that some of the balloons appeared to still be attached to the vessel.

Some analysts saw Kim's swift and severe response to the earlier failed launch as a signal that Pyongyang would continue to advance its military capabilities.

The regime is "deeply invested in the image of a rising military power" and the failure may harden their resolve to push that forward, says Jihoon Yu, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.

Kim's "unusually severe" response to the failure is aimed at protecting the leader's image and reasserting his authority, he adds.

Michael Madden, a North Korea expert from the Stimson Center in Washington, sees Kim's response as a sign of the "high priority" his regime is putting into developing warships.

Just weeks before the botched launch, Pyongyang had unveiled a similar warship in another part of the country.

Kim called that warship a "breakthrough" in modernising North Korea's navy and said it would be deployed early next year.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

North Korea claims warship launch successful on second try

North Korea says it has successfully relaunched its new 5,000-ton naval destroyer, less than a month after it capsized during the first attempted launch, state media reports.

The country's leader, Kim Jong Un, had reacted furiously to the warship's failed launch in May, and demanded it be quickly repaired.

At least four officials - three shipyard officials and one senior official - have since been arrested over the incident.

State media says the ship has now been fully restored. But given how quickly it has been relaunched, experts are questioning whether the repairs are really complete.

Kim and his daughter, Kim Ju Ae, oversaw Tuesday's launch at Rajin Port in the country's north, according to KCNA, which published photos of them at the event.

This warship is one of two brand new 5,000-ton naval destroyers North Korea has built over the past year and launched since April.

They are now the biggest ships Pyongyang has in its fleet and are capable, in theory, of launching nuclear weapons.

Kim has made it a priority to develop a nuclear-armed navy, and says he plans to build two more of these destroyers in the coming year.

Satellite photos over the past few weeks showed the capsized ship in the harbour, before it was moved to a repair site, and then being refloated in the water, before it was moored at the pier.

According to KCNA, Kim spoke at Friday's event, saying that the initial failed launch had not set back the North's military modernisation programme.

"Soon, enemies will experience how provocative and unpleasant it is to sit and watch the ships of an adversary run rampant on the fringes of sovereign waters," it quoted him as saying.

BBC