North Korean troops in Russia 'equipped with heavy arms'

SEOUL, November 4 (AJP) - Thousands of North Korean troops armed with assault weapons and other military gear have been deployed to border areas near Ukraine since late last month, Kyiv's intelligence agency said. According to Ukraine's Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) last weekend, Russia has moved more than 7,000 North Korean soldiers to "the frontline with the help of at least 28 military transport aircraft." North Korean soldiers, who are likely to join

November 4, 2024

8,000 North Korean troops expected in combat 'in coming days,' UN envoy says

SEOUL, November 1 (AJP) - Some 8,000 North Korean troops are already in Kursk, a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine, a U.S. envoy revealed. "We just received some information..... that indicates that there are right now 8000 soldiers in Kursk Oblast," said Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Robert wood during a UN Security Council meeting in New York on Thursday. "And I have a very respectful question for my Russian colleague. Do

November 1, 2024

South Korea condemns North Korea's ICBM test as violation of UN sanctions

SEOUL, November 1 (AJP) - The Ministry of Unification here strongly condemned North Korea on Friday, warning that its test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day violated United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). In a press briefing, ministry spokesperson Kim In-ae said, "The ICBM launch is clearly a provocative act that violates UN Security Council resolutions and poses a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula." The

November 1, 2024

North Korea hails 'successful' test launch of new ICBM

SEOUL, November 1 (AJP) - North Korea said Friday it successfully test-fired its new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) the previous day, praising it as an "ultimate" version of its long-range missiles. The missile, dubbed Hwasong-19, reportedly reached an altitude of 7,688 kilometers, traveling approximately 1,000 kilometers for about 86 minutes before landing in its targeted area in the East Sea, according to Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (K

November 1, 2024

South Korean, U.S. defense chiefs condemn North Korea's troop deployment to Russia

SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - South Korean and U.S. defense ministers on Thursday condemned North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia to aid its war against Ukraine. In their joint statement after the 56th U.S.-South Korea Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington, D.C., South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and his U.S. counterpart Lloyd Austin denounced the North's "multiple missile launches, including ballistic missiles, its attempted launches of a space

October 31, 2024

North Korea test-fires ICBM as US presidential vote nears

SEOUL, October 31 (AJP) - North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) toward the East Sea on Thursday, shortly after defense chiefs from South Korea and the United States condemned Pyongyang's troop dispatch to Russia during talks in Washington, D.C. "The military detected a ballistic missile fired from a site near Pyongyang at about 7:10 a.m. (2210 GMT) this morning. We suspect that it is an ICBM launched at a high angle," South Korea's Joint Ch

October 31, 2024

North Korea 'prepares nuclear test site'

SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - North Korea appears to be preparing its nuclear test site at Punggye-ri and could be ready to conduct a test there soon, the Defense Intelligence Agency said on Wednesday. "Preparations for a transporter erector launcher (TEL) are complete, and it has been deployed to a specific location and an ICBM launch for technological verification of warhead re-entry could take place," the agency said in a close-door briefing to the National Assembly. Thi

October 30, 2024

Russia may use North Korean troops for combat operations: Pentagon

SEOUL, October 30 (AJP) - A "relatively small number" of North Korean soldiers are now in Kursk, a Russian territory occupied by Ukraine, with another 2,000 troops in eastern Russia moving toward the Ukraine border, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. "We remain concerned that Russia intends to use these soldiers in combat or to support combat operations against Ukrainian forces in Kursk," Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder told reporters during a press briefing. But

October 30, 2024

North Korean foreign minister travels to Russia amid deepening military ties

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui left for Russia, Pyongyang's official state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Tuesday. Her trip comes amid mounting evidence of North Korean troops being deployed in Russian border areas to support its war in Ukraine. The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang also confirmed that Choe's latest visit marks her third trip to Russia this year for "strategic dialogue" between the two close al

October 29, 2024

Zelensky warns of 12,000 North Korean troops in Russia 'soon'

SEOUL, October 29 (AJP) - Some 12,000 North Korean troops are expected to be deployed in Russian territory "soon," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday. Zelensky, who is in Iceland to attend a summit with Nordic leaders, also said some 3,000 North Korean officers and soldiers are "already on Russian territory." "We think that they will have 12,000 soon," he said. There were also signs indicating that Russian aircraft were transportin

October 29, 2024