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Tag: South Korea

  • North Korea opens New Year with missile launch

    North Korea opens New Year with missile launch

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    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward its eastern waters Sunday, entering 2023 with another weapons test after an unprecedented number of missile firings last year.

    South Korea’s military detected the launch from the North’s capital region around 2:50 a.m. Sunday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said the missile traveled about 400 kilometers (250 miles) before falling into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

    The Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launch “a grave provocation” that hurts peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and around the world. It said South Korea closely monitors North Korean moves in coordination with the United States and maintains a readiness to deal with any provocations.

    The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the launch highlights “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs. It said U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan “remain ironclad.”

    North Korea test-fired more than 70 missiles last year. Some experts say the country eventually aims to boost its weapons arsenals and increase greater pressures on its rivals to win concessions such as sanctions relief.

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  • N Korea fires 3 missiles amid tensions over drone flights

    N Korea fires 3 missiles amid tensions over drone flights

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    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters in its latest weapons display on Saturday, a day after rival South Korea launched a solid-fueled rocket as part of its efforts to build a space-based surveillance capability to better monitor the North.

    Tensions between the rival Koreas rose earlier this week when South Korea accused North Korea of flying five drones across the rivals’ tense border for the first time in five years and responded by sending its own drones toward the North.

    South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement it detected the three launches from an inland area south of Pyongyang, the North’s capital, on Saturday morning. It said the three missiles traveled about 350 kilometers (220 miles) before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The estimated range suggests the missiles tested target South Korea.

    The Joint Chiefs of Staff called the launches “a grave provocation” that undermines international peace. It said South Korea closely monitors North Korean moves in coordination with the United States and maintains a readiness to “overwhelmingly” deter any provocation by North Korea.

    The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launches highlight “the destabilizing impact” of North Korea’s unlawful weapons programs and that the U.S. commitments to the defense of South Korea and Japan “remain ironclad.” Earlier Saturday, Japan’s Defense Ministry also reported suspected ballistic missile firings by North Korea.

    It was North Korea’s first missile launch in eight days and came five days after South Korea said it detected the North Korean drones, all presumed to be small surveillance drones, south of the border.

    South Korea’s military on Monday scrambled warplanes and helicopters, but they failed to shoot down any of the North Korean drones before they flew back home or vanished from South Korean radar. One of the North Korean drones traveled as far as northern Seoul. That caused security jitters among many people in the South, for which the military offered a rare public apology Tuesday.

    South Korea still flew three of its surveillance drones across the border on Monday in an unusual tit-for-tat step against a North Korean provocation. South Korea on Thursday staged large-scale military drills to simulate shooting down drones.

    South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has called for boosting his country’s air defense network and vowed to sternly deal with provocations by North Korea.

    Since taking office in May, Yoon’s government has expanded regular military drills with the U.S. in the face of increasing North Korean nuclear threats. North Korea has called such drills between its rivals an invasion rehearsal and argued its recent missile tests were a response to them. But some experts say North Korea is using the South Korea-U.S. training as a pretext to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in future dealings with the U.S.

    Before Saturday’s launches, North Korea had already test-fired more than 70 missiles this year. Many of them were nuclear-capable weapons designed to attack the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan.

    On Friday, South Korea launched a solid-fueled rocket, a type of a space launch vehicle that it plans to use to put its first spy satellite into orbit in coming years.

    In March, South Korea conducted its first successful launch of a solid-fuel rocket, and defense officials said Friday’s launch was a follow-up test to the earlier launch. Friday’s unannounced launch triggered a brief public scare of a UFO appearance or a North Korean missile firing in South Korea.

    South Korea currently has no military reconnaissance satellites of its own and depends on U.S. spy satellites to monitor strategic facilities in North Korea.

    North Korea is also pushing to acquire its first military surveillance satellite. Earlier this month, North Korea said it used two old missiles as space launch vehicles to test a camera and other systems needed for a spy satellite and later released low-resolution satellite photos showing South Korean cities.

    Some South Korean experts said the North Korean satellite imagery was too crude for military reconnaissance purposes and that they are likely a disguised test of North Korea’s missile technology. Infuriated over such an assessment, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, issued crude insults against unidentified South Korean experts. She also dismissed some outside doubts over North Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile technology and threatened to conduct a full-range, standard-trajectory ICBM test.

    This week, North Korea is under a major ruling party meeting in Pyongyang to review past policies and new policy goals for 2023. It’s highly unusual for North Korea to test-launch a missile when it holds a key meeting.

    In an indication that the plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party was being wrapped up, the North’s state media reported Saturday that its powerful Politburo decided to complete the draft resolution of the plenary meeting.

    Some observers said North Korea will likely publish details of the meeting on Sunday, which would carry Kim Jong Un’s vows to expand his nuclear arsenal and introduce sophisticated weapons in the name of dealing with what he calls U.S. hostility.

    ———

    Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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  • North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles just days after flying drones into South, Seoul says

    North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles just days after flying drones into South, Seoul says

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    North Korea could hold nuclear test soon


    U.S. officials say North Korea could hold nuclear test “at any time”

    03:33

    North Korea fired three ballistic missiles toward the North’s eastern waters Saturday morning, South Korea’s military said.

    It’s the first missile launch by North Korea in eight days, and comes five days after South Korea accused Pyongyang of flying five drones into South Korea’s airspace for the first time since 2017.

    South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected three short-range ballistic missiles launched from North Korea into the East Sea at about 8 a.m. local time Saturday.

    North Korea has test-fired more than 70 ballistic and cruise missiles this year. Some experts say North Korea is seeking to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in future dealings with the United States.

    South Korean warplanes and helicopters failed to bring down any of the North Korean drones spotted south of the border before they flew back home or vanished from South Korean radar. One of them traveled as far as northern Seoul. That caused security jitters among many people in the South, for which the military offered a rare public apology Tuesday.

    The launch came as North Korea is under a major ruling party meeting in Pyongyang to review past policies and new policy goals for 2023. Some observers say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un would reaffirm his vow to expand his nuclear arsenal and introduce sophisticated weapons in the name of dealing with what he calls U.S. hostility.

    There have been concerns that North Korea might conduct its first nuclear test in five years. In late October, U.S. and South Korean officials told CBS News that Pyongyang is preparing to test an atomic weapon soon, in what would be its first nuclear test since 2017.  


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  • North Korea fires ballistic missiles towards Sea of Japan: Report

    North Korea fires ballistic missiles towards Sea of Japan: Report

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    DEVELOPING STORY,

    Japan’s Coast Guard said the missiles splashed down in the Sea of Japan, according to Japanese media reports.

    North Korea has reportedly fired two ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, the latest launches in a year that has seen an unprecedented barrage of missile tests by an increasingly belligerent Pyongyang.

    Japan’s Coast Guard said the first ballistic missile was fired on Saturday morning shortly after 08:00am local time (23:00 GMT) and the second was launched at approximately 08:16am (23:16 GMT), The Japan Times reported.

    The missiles splashed down in the Sea of Japan but outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone – a body of water that extends approximately 370km (200 nautical miles) from the country’s coastline, according to the news organisation.

    South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the first missile launch by North Korea but gave no further details, such as the specific type of weapon or the distance the missile had travelled.

    The launches on Saturday add to North Korea’s tally of about 70 ballistic missiles – including some eight intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) – fired throughout the year, the most ever by the nuclear-armed Pyongyang which has officially announced plans to modernise its military capabilities in response to what it says is provocation by South Korea and its key ally, the United States.

    Saturday’s launch also comes just days after North Korea allegedly flew drones into South Korea’s airspace for the first time since 2017, prompting Seoul to deploy fighter jets and helicopters to shoot down the unmanned aerial vehicles.

    South Korea’s military later apologised for failing to shoot down the drones and the country’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has since called for stronger air defences and high-tech stealth drones to better monitor North Korea.

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  • South Korea’s unannounced rocket launch causes UFO scare

    South Korea’s unannounced rocket launch causes UFO scare

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    SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military confirmed it test-fired a solid-fueled rocket Friday after its unannounced launch triggered brief public scare of a suspected UFO appearance or a North Korean missile launch.

    The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the rocket launch was part of its efforts to build a space-based surveillance capability and bolster its defense posture.

    It said it didn’t notify the general public of the launch in advance because it involved sensitive military security issues.

    A twisty tendril of vapor in white-to-red ombre could be seen snaking behind a bright white light in parts of South Korea’s sky Friday evening. South Korean social media and internet sites were abuzz with messages by citizens who said they saw a soaring object, rainbow-colored vapor trail or other mysterious lights. Some also posted photos and videos.

    “What is this? Is this a UFO? I’m scared,” said one Twitter user. Another said they suspected it was a North Korean missile launch and worried about a war, while a third said they believed a North Korean spy operating in South Korea was sending a signal back to the North. Others suspected it was a supernatural phenomenon.

    South Korean emergency offices and police received hundreds of citizens’ reports of witnessing of a suspicious flying object and mysterious lights across the country, according to local media.

    The South Korean rocket launch came four days after the South accused the North of flying five drones across the rivals’ border Monday for the first time in five years. South Korea’s military detected the drones but failed to shoot them down, causing security concerns about its air defense network. The military later offered a rare apology for that.

    South Korean officials said they plan to use a solid-fueled rocket to put the nation’s first spy satellite into orbit. In March, South Korea conducted its first successful launch of a solid-fuel rocket.

    Solid-fuel rockets reduce launch times, have simpler structures and are cheaper to develop and manufacture than liquid-fuel rockets, South Korean officials said.

    The Defense Ministry said Friday’s launch was a follow-up test of the March launch.

    North Korea is also pushing to develop its first military surveillance satellite and other high-tech weapons systems to cope with what it calls U.S. hostility. Earlier this year, North Korea performed a record number of missile tests in what experts call a bid to prefect its nuclear weapons technology and boost its leverage in future dealings with the United States.

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  • Fire after highway crash in South Korea kills 5, injures 37

    Fire after highway crash in South Korea kills 5, injures 37

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    Firefighters work to extinguish a fire on a highway in Gwacheon, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. A freight truck collided with a bus on a highway near Seoul on Thursday, causing a fire that killed multiple people and injuring dozens of others, officials said. (Kim Jong-taik/Newsis via AP)

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  • South Korea stages drills simulating downing of North drones

    South Korea stages drills simulating downing of North drones

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    SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea staged large-scale military drills Thursday to simulate shooting down drones as a step to bolster its readiness against North Korean provocations, three days after the North flew drones into its territory for the first time in five years.

    South Korean warplanes and helicopters failed to bring down any of the five North Korean drones spotted south of the border Monday before they flew back home or vanished from South Korean radars. One of them traveled as far as northern Seoul. That caused security jitters among many people in the South, for which the military offered a rare public apology Tuesday.

    Thursday’s training involved land-based anti-air guns, drones playing the role of enemy drones, and a total of 20 fighter jets, attack helicopters and unmanned assets. While there was no actual live-fire, it was still the country’s first set of major anti-drone drills since 2017, according to military authorities.

    The drills near Seoul set up diverse scenarios of border infiltrations by small enemy drones, under which the mobilized South Korean military assets practiced how they could detect, track and shoot them down, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

    Also on Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reiterated his push to build a stronger air defense and get tough on North Korean provocations. The North’s drone flights followed its record number of missile tests this year that some experts say is part of an effort to pressure the United States and its allies to make some concessions like sanctions relief.

    “Whether they have nukes or whatever weapons of mass destruction they have, we must send a clear message to those who repeat provocations. We must not be frightened of (their nukes) and we must not hesitate,” Yoon said during a visit to a weapons development agency. “To obtain peace, we must prepare for a war that (we can win) overwhelmingly.”

    Yoon said Tuesday his government will advance the planned establishment of a military drone unit and introduce high-tech stealth drones.

    North Korea’s state media hasn’t commented on South Korea’s announcement of its reported drone flights. But some observers say North Korea likely sent those drones to test South Korean and U.S. readiness. They say North Korea also likely assessed that drones could be a cheap yet effective method to trigger security concerns and an internal divide in South Korea.

    In response the North’s drone flying, South Korea said it sent three of its surveillance drones across the border in a rare tit-for-tat measure. North Korea didn’t make any reaction, according to South Korean defense officials.

    This week, North Korea is under a key ruling party meeting to review past projects and determine policy objectives for 2023. During its third day Wednesday, leader Kim Jong Un expressed hopes that local Workers’ Party officials would report successes on their jobs and duties to live up to the party’s trust in them, state media reported Thursday, without elaborating what their tasks are.

    In an earlier session, state media cited Kim as setting forth new goals to solidify his country’s military power, an indication that he would continue his run of weapons tests.

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  • Asian shares extend losses after Wall Street decline

    Asian shares extend losses after Wall Street decline

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    BANGKOK — Shares slipped in Asia on Thursday after benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wall Street in the middle of a mostly quiet and holiday-shortened week.

    U.S. futures were mixed and oil prices declined.

    Investors are watching to see how China‘s relaxation of its stringent COVID-19 policies, and the outbreaks of infections that have followed, will affect business activity and travel.

    One concern is that the massive outbreaks could generate new, potentially vaccine resistant variants of the virus, “leading to knock-on virus surges across the globe, China’s reopening could still mark a positive step over the long run in light of past global attempts in bringing virus cases under control,” Yean Jun Rong of IG said in a commentary.

    The Hang Seng in Hong Kong shed 1.0% to 19,691.33, while the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.3% at 3,078.81.

    Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index lost 0.9% to 26,093.67.

    The Kospi in Seoul sank 1.9% to 2,236.40 after the government reported South Korea’s industrial production fell 3.7% from a year earlier in November, worse than forecast and a bigger drop than the 1.2% decline in October. Retail sales were down 1.8% from the month before.

    Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 gave up 0.9% to 7,020.10. Bangkok’s SET index gained 0.3% and Mumbai’s Sensex was flat.

    The worst year since 2008 for the S&P 500 has been winding down with little in the way of data to drive trading. But later Thursday, the U.S. government was due to release jobless claims, a measure of employment that could provide insight into how the economy is faring as the Federal Reserve raises interest rates to quash inflation.

    The Fed has already raised its key interest rate seven times this year and is expected to continue raising rates in 2023. The key lending rate, the federal funds rate, stands at a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, and Fed policymakers forecast that the rate will reach a range of 5% to 5.25% by the end of 2023. Their forecast doesn’t call for a rate cut before 2024.

    On Wednesday, the S&P 500 fell 1.2%, with technology, energy and industrial stocks among the biggest weights on the benchmark index. It finished at 3,783.22.

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1% to 32,875.71. The Nasdaq slid 1.4% to 10,213.29. The Russell 2000 gave up 1.6%, ending at 1,722.02.

    Bond yields were mixed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences mortgage rates, rose to 3.88% from 3.85% Tuesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury fell to 4.34% from 4.38% late Tuesday.

    With two more days of trading left in 2022, the S&P 500 is headed for a roughly 20% drop for the year, even as profits and margins for companies in the index have hit record heights this year. The Dow is on pace for a 9.5% drop, while the Nasdaq is doing much worse, on pace to plunge 34.7%.

    Southwest Airlines slid 5.2% as the carrier grappled with the fallout after cancelling thousands of flight cancellations. The airline’s CEO said it could be next week before the flight schedule returns to normal. Shares in other airlines also fell. Delta Air Lines dropped 2.8% and United Airlines fell 2.4%.

    Tesla rose 3.3% as it stabilized from steep losses it suffered after reports Tuesday that it temporarily suspended production at a factory in Shanghai.

    U.S. crude oil prices settled 0.7% lower and natural gas prices plunged 10.8%. That hurt energy stocks. Exxon Mobil fell 1.6%.

    Early Thursday, U.S. benchmark crude was down 54 cents at $78.42 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

    Brent crude, the pricing basis for international trading, gave up 57 cents to $83.42 per barrel in London.

    The U.S. dollar fell to 133.77 Japanese yen from 134.39 yen late Wednesday. The euro rose to $1.0617 from $1.0613.

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  • Review: A baby for sale in Korean drama ‘Broker’

    Review: A baby for sale in Korean drama ‘Broker’

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    The Korean drama “ Broker ” begins like a noir. A young woman walks slowly in the pouring rain in the middle of the night in Busan, her flimsy hood doing little to keep her dry. She looks haunted but determined and soon we see her destination: A church with a collection receptacle labeled “Baby Box.” It’s then, from behind, that we see something squirming under her large, hooded jacket. She doesn’t open it, though. She sets the infant boy gingerly on the ground, wrapping him in his blanket, and walks away.

    Thankfully for the kid, two detectives are staking out this particular baby box. One, Soo-jin (Bae Doona), gets out to put the baby in the box. The other, Detective Lee (Lee Joo-young), trails the mysterious woman. They suspect an illegal child trafficking ring is operating out of the church and need to catch the perpetrators in the middle of a sale.

    Yet “Broker” is not an edge-of-your-seat crime thriller or maudlin drama. Yes, there are two cops on the tail of several men who have a shadowy business selling orphaned and deserted kids to wealthy owners. Yes, there are shades of a large, powerful crime syndicate looming. And yes, there are abandonment issues aplenty.

    But despite all the ingredients for a certain kind of film, writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda had something different in mind. In “Broker,” he’s made a quiet road trip film about some gentle souls in difficult situations and the makeshift family they become.

    Anyone who has seen the Japanese filmmaker’s “Shoplifters” will recognize some similar throughlines, from the family aspect to its gentle approach towards people on the fringes of society — but “Broker” takes things a step further by playing around with gender roles and expectations in unexpected and enlightening ways, making the detectives women and men the ones wearing the baby carriers.

    The baby box is not something out of a dystopian future, but a real thing in Japan and Korea that was meant for good but also extremely controversial. Was it enabling parents to “throw away” children too easily, some wondered. Or was it a public service for the most desperate in societies where single mothers are shamed?

    These questions are asked in the film, and gently debated, but “Broker” isn’t interested in definitive answers or moralizing, but instead empathy for both the mothers in impossible situations and the children haunted by their abandonment.

    Ha Sang-hyeon (played by Song Kang-ho of “Parasite”) is the lead broker of the operation, but he is not a slimy, soulless criminal mastermind using the babies and kids as a mere means to a profitable end. In fact, his de facto daycare looks like a pleasant place of love and attention for the littlest and most helpless infants on up.

    He and his right-hand man, Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) discover a note with this newest arrival: His name is Woo-sung and his mother says she’ll be back for him. From experience, they know that this is rarely ever true, especially when there is no parental name or number left. But the early twist is that the mother, Moon So-young (Lee Ji-eun), does come back and soon the three are on a journey to sell Woo-sung to the right kind of parents (a kind of Goldilocks scenario). There is a light and almost comic touch to some of these interactions that also doesn’t trivialize things.

    “Broker” is definitely a slow burn that can feel a bit repetitive at times, though the introduction of Hae-jin (Im Seung-soo) as an 8-year-old orphan with Premier League dreams helps get the film over a meandering hump.

    It also packs an emotional punch and has some surprises yet, but most importantly it’s a reminder that filmmakers looking to explore society’s ills don’t need to make something a misery fest to do so effectively and powerfully.

    “Broker,” a NEON release now playing in theaters, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “some language.” Running time: 129 minutes. Three stars out of four.

    ———

    MPA Definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

    ———

    Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.

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  • North Korea’s Kim lays out key goals to boost military power

    North Korea’s Kim lays out key goals to boost military power

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    SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presented unspecified goals to further bolster his military power next year at a meeting of top political officials, state media reported Wednesday, in an indication he’ll continue his provocative run of weapons displays.

    Kim’s statement came as animosities with rival South Korea rose sharply this week as the South accused the North of flying drones across the rivals’ border for the first time in five years. This year, North Korea already performed a record number of missile tests in what experts call an attempt to modernize its arsenal and increase its leverage in future dealings with the United States.

    During the Tuesday session at the ongoing plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, Kim analyzed new security challenges in international politics and on the Korean Peninsula and clarified principles and directions to take in external relations and fights against enemies to protect national interests and sovereignty, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

    Kim “set forth new key goals for bolstering up the self-reliant defense capability to be pushed ahead with in 2023 under the multilaterally changing situation,” KCNA said, without elaborating.

    Some observers say the new goals could be related to Kim’s push to expand his nuclear arsenal and introduce a spate of high-tech weapons systems such as multi-warhead missiles, a more agile long-range weapon, a spy satellite and advanced drones. They say Kim would eventually aim to use his boosted nuclear capability to force its rivals to accept the North as a legitimate nuclear state, a status he would think is essential in getting international sanctions on his country to be lifted.

    On Monday, South Korea’s military fired warning shots and launched fighter jets and helicopters, after detecting what it called five North Korean drones that violated the South’s airspace. South Korea also flown its own surveillance assets, in a likely reference to unmanned drones, across the border into North Korea in response.

    South Korea’s military said it had failed to shoot down the drones and offered a public apology over causing security concerns. President Yoon Suk Yeol called for strong air defense and high-tech stealth drones to better monitor North Korea.

    Some experts say the North Korean drone flights might have been designed to test South Korean and U.S. readiness and neutralize a previous inter-Korean tension-reduction agreement. They say North Korea likely assessed its drones as a cheap yet effective method to cause security jitters and a domestic divide in South Korea.

    Yoon, a conservative who took office in May, said Tuesday that South Korea has had little anti-drone trainings since 2017, a year when his liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in was inaugurated. In an apparent effort to blame the alleged lax air defense system to Moon’s engagement policy toward North Korea, Yoon said that “I think our people must have seen well how dangerous a policy relying on the North’s good faith and (peace) agreements would be.”

    Yoon’s comments triggered a backlash from Moon’s liberal opposition Democratic Party, which accused the president of trying to shift a responsibility for his government ’s security policy failure to someone else.

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  • N Korea’s Kim sets new military goals for 2023 at party meeting

    N Korea’s Kim sets new military goals for 2023 at party meeting

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    Kim Jong Un’s remarks may mean he will continue to conduct tests and expand military capabilities in the coming year.

    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled new goals for his country’s military on the second day of a key meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, which hint at another year of intensive weapons tests and regional tension, state media has reported.

    On day two of the meeting on Wednesday, Kim reviewed the “newly created challenging situation” on the Korean Peninsula and the broader political landscapes, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

    Kim also set the direction for the “anti-enemy struggle” and goals for reinforcing self-defence in 2023, KCNA reported, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

    “He specified the principles of foreign affairs and the direction of the struggle against the enemy that our party and government must thoroughly abide by in order to protect sovereign rights and defend national interests,” KCNA reported.

    “New core goals for strengthening self-defensive capabilities to be strongly pursued in 2023 have been presented in preparation for diverse fluctuations in the political situation,” North Korea’s official news agency added.

    KCNA did not provide details on the self-defence goals but Kim’s remarks indicate he may continue to accelerate and expand the country’s military capabilities.

    The high-level meeting in Pyongyang is being held amid a sharp rise in tension on the Korean Peninsula after a year of unprecedented North Korean weapons tests, large-scale military exercises between South Korean and United States forces, and North Korean drones crossing into South Korea on Monday, prompting Seoul to scramble fighter jets and attack helicopters in a failed bid to shoot them down.

    This year saw Pyongyang launching scores of ballistic missiles, with many of the launches designed to test and develop “top priority” strategic weapons under a five-year plan laid out at the Workers’ Party congress in early 2021.

    The list of weapons to be developed under the plan includes tactical nuclear weapons, a new intercontinental ballistic missile, hypersonic gliding flight warheads, nuclear-powered submarines, and a military reconnaissance satellite.

    During the plenary meeting, Kim also pointed out “a series of serious shortcomings” in such areas as science, education and health this year, suggested ways to overcome them and raised key tasks for next year, KCNA said.

    The economy is also high on the agenda, with Kim facing mounting pressure from international sanctions, the fallout from a nationwide COVID-19 lockdown and natural disasters.

    The meeting will continue for a third day on Thursday, the Yonhap News Agency reported.

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  • North Korea’s record year of missile testing is putting the world on edge | CNN

    North Korea’s record year of missile testing is putting the world on edge | CNN

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    Seoul, South Korea
    CNN
     — 

    In 2020, North Korea conducted four missile tests. In 2021, it doubled that number. In 2022, the isolated nation fired more missiles than any other year on record, at one point launching 23 missiles in a single day.

    North Korea has fired more than 90 cruise and ballistic missiles so far this year, showing off a range of weapons as experts warn of a potential nuclear test on the horizon.

    Though the tests themselves aren’t new, their sheer frequency marks a significant escalation that has put the Pacific region on edge.

    “The big thing about 2022 is that the word ‘test’ is no longer appropriate to talk about most North Korean missile launches – they are hardly testing missiles these days,” said Ankit Panda, a nuclear policy expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Everything we’ve seen this year suggests that Kim Jong Un is dead serious about using nuclear capabilities early in a conflict if necessary.”

    The attention-grabbing tests also threaten to set off an arms race in Asia, with nearby countries building up their militaries, and the United States promising to defend South Korea and Japan by the “full range of capabilities, including nuclear.”

    Here’s a look back at a year of weaponry and warnings – and what could come next.

    Of the more than 270 missile launches and nuclear tests by North Korea since 1984, more than a quarter came this year, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Missile Defense Project.

    Of that total, more than three quarters were recorded after Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011, reflecting the dictator’s ambitions – of which he made no secret, vowing in April to develop the country’s nuclear forces at the “highest possible” speed.

    That lofty goal was reflected in a flurry of testing, with North Korea firing missiles on 36 days this year, according to a CNN count.

    “For missiles, they set daily, monthly and yearly records,” said Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center.

    The majority of these tests were cruise and ballistic missiles. Cruise missiles stay inside the Earth’s atmosphere and are maneuverable with control surfaces, like an airplane, while ballistic missiles glide through space before reentering the atmosphere.

    Pyongyang has also fired surface-to-air missiles and hypersonic missiles.

    “North Korea is literally turning into a prominent operator of large scale missile forces,” said Panda. He pointed to recent instances where North Korea fired missiles in response to military exercises or diplomatic talks by the US and its regional allies, adding: “Anything that the US and South Korea will do, North Korea can proportionately demonstrate that it has capabilities to keep up as well.”

    Among the ballistic missiles tested was the Hwasong-12, which traveled more than 4,500 kilometers (about 2,800 miles) in October – flying over Japan, the first time North Korea had done so in five years. Another notable missile was the Hwasong-14, with an estimated range of more than 10,000 kilometers (more than 6,200 miles).

    To put those distances in context, the US island territory of Guam is just 3,380 kilometers (2,100 miles) from North Korea.

    But one particular weapon has drawn international attention: the Hwasong-17, North Korea’s most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to date. It could theoretically reach the US mainland – but there are still a lot of unknowns about the missile’s ability to deliver a nuclear payload on target.

    North Korea claimed to have successfully launched the Hwasong-17 in March for the first time. However, South Korea and US experts believe the test may have actually been an older and less advanced missile.

    The Hwasong-17 was tested again in November, according to North Korean state media, with Kim warning afterward that the country would take “more offensive” action in response to “enemies seeking to destroy peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and region.”

    Since early this year, the US and international observers have been warning that North Korea appears to be preparing for an underground nuclear test – which would be its first since 2017.

    Satellite imagery has shown new activity at North Korea’s nuclear test site, where the country has previously conducted six underground nuclear tests. It claimed its most recent test was a hydrogen bomb, the most powerful weapon Pyongyang has ever tested.

    That 2017 nuclear test had an estimated yield of 160 kilotons, a measure for how much energy the explosion releases.

    For comparison, the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in Japan, yielded just 15 and 21 kilotons respectively. The US and Russia have performed the most explosive tests in history, yielding upwards of 10,000 kilotons.

    It’s not clear exactly how many nuclear weapons North Korea possesses. Experts at Federation of American Scientists estimate it may have assembled 20 to 30 nuclear warheads – but its ability to detonate them accurately on the battlefield is unproven.

    Though there had once been hopes of a diplomatic breakthrough in 2019 after landmark meetings between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump, those were dashed after both leaders walked away without having struck any formal denuclearization agreements.

    US-North Korea relations have nosedived since then, with Kim in 2021 announcing a sweeping five-year plan for modernizing the North’s military, including developing hypersonic weapons and a nuclear-powered submarine.

    This year is an extension of that vision, with North Korea working toward developing its own strategic nuclear deterrent as well as nuclear options in any conflict on the Korea Peninsula.

    There are a few possible reasons why this year has been so active. Some experts say Kim could have felt empowered to act while the West was preoccupied with the war in Ukraine. Panda, the nuclear expert, added that tensions tend to flare when South Korea has a conservative government – which has been the case since May.

    North Korea’s aggressive acceleration in weapons testing has sparked alarm in the region, pushing its exposed neighbors – Japan and South Korea – closer to Western partners.

    The US, South Korea and Japan have held a number of joint exercises and fired their own missiles in response to Pyongyang’s tests. The US stepped up its presence in the region, redeploying an aircraft carrier into waters near the peninsula, and sending top-of-the-line stealth fighter aircraft to South Korea for training. Meanwhile, the Quad countries – a grouping of the US, India, Japan and Australia – have deepened military cooperation, with their leaders meeting in May.

    Individual governments have also taken dramatic action, with Japan saying it will double its defense spending, the pacifist nation’s biggest military buildup since World War II.

    But experts have warned that this rapid militarization could fuel instability across the region. And there’s no clear end in sight; the US and South Korea have more joint exercises planned in the spring, which could propel North Korea to continue firing tests “just to show their displeasure,” said Klingner.

    He added that negotiations are unlikely until Kim has further developed his weapons, when “in his mind, he’d be coming back to the table in a position of strength.”

    “Each of the lanes of the road, they’ve been improving their capabilities, both nuclear and missile,” he said. “It’s all very, very worrisome.”

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  • North Korean drones enter South Korean airspace

    North Korean drones enter South Korean airspace

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    North Korean drones enter South Korean airspace – CBS News


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    South Korean officials said five North Korean drones crossed the border into the country’s airspace on Monday. The military responded by firing warning shots and launching fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the drones.

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  • South Korea scrambles jets, fires warning shots after North flies drones across border, South says

    South Korea scrambles jets, fires warning shots after North flies drones across border, South says

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    Seoul, South Korea — South Korea’s military fired warning shots, scrambled fighter jets and flew surveillance assets across the heavily fortified border with North Korea on Monday after North Korean drones violated its airspace for the first time in five years, officials said.

    South Korea’s military detected five drones from North Korea crossing the border, and one traveled as far as the northern part of the South Korean capital region, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

    The military responded by firing warning shots and launching fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the North Korean drones. The attack helicopters fired a combined 100 rounds but it wasn’t immediately known if the North Korean drones were shot down. There were no immediate reports of civilian damage on the ground in South Korea, according to the Defense Ministry.

    One of the aircraft, a KA-1 light attack plane, crashed during takeoff but its two pilots both ejected safely, defense officials said. They said they also requested civilian airports in and near Seoul to halt takeoffs temporarily.

    Koreas Tensions
    A North Korean flag flutters in the wind atop a 160-meter tower in the North Korean village of Gijungdongseen, as seen from the Taesungdong freedom village inside the demilitarized zone in Paju, South Korea, on April 27, 2018.

    Lee Jin-man / AP


    South Korea also sent surveillance assets near and across the border to photograph key military facilities in North Korea as corresponding measures against the North Korean drone flights, the Joint Chiefs said. It didn’t elaborate, but some observers say South Korea likely flew unmanned drones inside North Korean territory.

    “Our military will thoroughly and resolutely respond to this kind of North Korean provocation,” Maj. Gen. Lee Seung-o, director of operations at the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

    South Korea’s public confirmation of any reconnaissance activities inside North Korea is highly unusual and likely reflects a resolve by the conservative government led by President Yoon Suk Yeol to get tough on North Korean provocations. North Korea could respond with more fiery rhetoric or weapons tests or other provocation, some observers say.

    On Friday, South Korea detected two short-range ballistic missile launches by North Korea, the latest in the country’s torrid run of weapons tests this year. Friday’s launches were seen as a protest of the South Korean-U.S. joint air drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

    It’s the first time for North Korean drones to enter South Korean airspace since 2017, when a suspected North Korean drone was found crashed in South Korea. South Korean military officials said at the time that the drone with a Sony-made camera photographed a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.

    North Korea has previously touted its drone program, and South Korean officials said the North has about 300 drones. In 2014, several suspected North Korean drones equipped with Japanese-made cameras were found south of the border. Experts said they were low-tech but could be considered a potential security threat.

    Earlier this month, North Korea claimed to have performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland. They were among high-tech weapons systems that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to introduce along with multi-warheads, underwater-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-powered submarines and hypersonic missiles.

    North Korea released low-resolution photos of South Korean cities as viewed from space, but some experts in South Korea said the images were too crude for surveillance purposes. Such assessments infuriated North Korea, with Kim’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong issuing a series of derisive terms to insult unidentified South Korean experts and express her anger.

    North Korea is to hold a key ruling Workers’ Party conference this week to review past policies and set policy goals. Some experts say that during the meeting, North Korea will likely reaffirm its push to bolster nuclear and missile arsenals to cope with what it calls hostile U.S. policies, such as U.S.-led international sanctions and its regular military training with South Korea.

    North Korea would eventually use its boosted nuclear capability as a bargaining chip to win international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state, the relaxing of international sanctions and other concessions, analysts say. 

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  • South Korea formally ends ban on imported sex dolls after lawsuits over customs seizures

    South Korea formally ends ban on imported sex dolls after lawsuits over customs seizures

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    South Korea has formally ended a ban on the import of full-body sex dolls, ending years of debate over how much the government can interfere in private life.

    Although there are no laws or regulations banning the import of sex dolls, hundreds and perhaps thousands have been seized by the customs, which cited a clause in the law that bans the import of goods that “harm the country’s beautiful traditions and public moral.”

    Importers complained and took their case to courts, most of which agreed with them and ordered customs to release the sex dolls, saying they are used in people’s private spaces and don’t undermine human dignity.

    On Monday, the Korea Customs Service said in a statement that it began enforcing a revised guideline to get life-size adult sex dolls into the country. It said it reviewed recent court rulings and opinions from relevant government agencies including the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

    The customs service said it will still ban the import of child-like sex dolls or others embodying certain people. It said other countries like the United States, Australia and the U.K. also ban child-like sex dolls.

    While the decision reflects South Korea’s slow yet gradual moves to restrict state interference into personal lives, some women’s rights and conservative organizations will likely again voice their opposition to the use of sex dolls. They say they deepen sexual objectification of women and undermine public moral.

    Lee Sang-jin, a former head of a local company that imports sex dolls, welcomed the customs service’s decision.

    “It’s a reasonable decision though it came bit late,” Lee said. “We thought our people’s rights to seek happiness and use (sex dolls) in their private lives have been restricted by the state. There are various types of people who use (sex dolls), including those who are sexually alienated or those who need them for artistic purposes.”

    South Korean authorities don’t crack down on the sale of domestically made sex dolls, but their quality is in general inferior to those made abroad, Lee said.

    Lee said his former company has already taken back more than 20 sex dolls from customs officials through lawsuits. He said the company has filed separate lawsuits seeking government compensation as many of the retrieved sex dolls became unusable following about two years of seizures by the customs service.

    The customs service’s decision would allow importers to get back their sex dolls held in government storages run by the agency.

    Customs officials said they still likely hold more than 1,000 sex dolls that had been sent to South Korea since 2018.

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  • South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean drones enter its airspace | CNN

    South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean drones enter its airspace | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Five North Korean drones crossed into South Korean airspace on Monday, prompting the South Korean military to deploy fighter jets and attack helicopters, the country’s defense ministry said.

    The ministry said South Korea’s military fired shots at the drones, but added it couldn’t confirm whether any drones were shot down.

    Lee Seung-oh, a South Korean defense official, said four of the drones flew around Ganghwa island and one flew over capital Seoul’s northern airspace.

    “This is a clear provocation and an invasion of our airspace by North Korea,” Lee said during a briefing. In response to the airspace violation, Lee said, the South Korean military sent its manned and unmanned reconnaissance assets to the inter-Korean border region, with some of them crossing into the North Korean territory.

    The assets conducted a reconnaissance mission, including filming North Korea’s military installations, Lee added.

    The South Korean military first detected the drones in the skies near the northwestern city of Gimpo at around 10:25 a.m. local time Monday, according to the country’s defense ministry.

    The last time a North Korean drone was detected below the inter-Korean border was in 2017, according to the South Korean defense ministry. At the time, South Korea said it had recovered a crashed North Korean drone that was spying on a US-built missile system in the country.

    North Korea has aggressively stepped up its missile tests this year, often launching multiple weapons at a time. It’s fired missiles on 36 separate days – the highest annual tally since Kim Jong Un took power in 2012.

    Most recently, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, according to South Korean officials. The missiles were fired from Pyongyang’s Sunan area into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

    The secretive country usually test-launches its missiles in this way, firing them at a lofted angle so that they land in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

    However, in October, it fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) at a normal trajectory that went over Japan for the first time in five years.

    In November, it claimed to have launched a “new type” of ICBM, Hwasong-17, from Pyongyang International Airfield, a missile that could theoretically reach the mainland United States. And last week, Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a top official in the regime, claimed in state media that North Korea was ready to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a normal trajectory, a flight pattern that could prove the weapons can threaten the continental United States.

    The United States and South Korean experts have warned that Pyongyang could be preparing for a nuclear test, its first in more than five years. North Korea has been developing its nuclear missile forces in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, ramping up its activities since the last of three meetings in 2019 between Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump failed to yield any agreement.

    In October, Kim warned his nuclear forces are fully prepared for “actual war.”

    “Our nuclear combat forces… proved again their full preparedness for actual war to bring the enemies under their control,” Kim said in comments reported by the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency.

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  • S. Korea fires warning shots after North drones cross border

    S. Korea fires warning shots after North drones cross border

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    SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military fired warning shots and scrambled aircraft after North Korean drones entered the South’s airspace on Monday, South Korean officials said, days after the North launched two ballistic missiles in its latest testing activities.

    Several North Korean drones crossed the inter-Korean border and were detected in the South’s territory on Monday morning, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said.

    South Korea’s military broadcast warnings and fired warning shots before it launched fighter jets and attack helicopters to shoot down the North Korean drones, the Defense Ministry said. It wasn’t immediately known if the drones were shot down.

    It’s the first time for North Korean drones to enter South Korean airspace since 2017, when a suspected North Korean drone was found crashed in South Korea. South Korean military officials said at the time that the drone photographed a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea.

    North Korea has previously touted its drone program, and South Korean officials said the North has about 300 drones. In 2014, several suspected North Korean drones were found south of the border. Experts said they were low-tech but could be considered a potential security threat.

    Last Friday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The launch was seen as a protest of the South Korean-U.S. joint air drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

    This year, North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests in what some experts call an attempt to improve its weapons and pressure rivals to make concessions such as lifting sanctions in future negotiations. Recently, the North also claimed to have performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

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  • Seoul: North Korean hackers stole $1.2B in virtual assets

    Seoul: North Korean hackers stole $1.2B in virtual assets

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    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean hackers have stolen an estimated 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in cryptocurrency and other virtual assets in the past five years, more than half of it this year alone, South Korea’s spy agency said Thursday.

    Experts and officials say North Korea has turned to crypto hacking and other illicit cyber activities as a source of badly needed foreign currency to support its fragile economy and fund its nuclear program following harsh U.N. sanctions and the COVID-19 pandemic.

    South Korea’s main spy agency, the National Intelligence Service, said North Korea’s capacity to steal digital assets is considered among the best in the world because of the country’s focus on cybercrimes since U.N. economic sanctions were toughened in 2017 in response to its nuclear and missile tests.

    The U.N. sanctions imposed in 2016-17 ban key North Korean exports such as coal, textiles and seafood and also led member states to repatriate North Korean overseas workers. Its economy suffered further setbacks after it imposed some of the world’s most draconian restrictions against the pandemic.

    The NIS said state-sponsored North Korean hackers are estimated to have stolen 1.5 trillion won ($1.2 billion) in virtual assets around the world since 2017, including about 800 billion won ($626 million) this year alone. It said more than 100 billion won ($78 million) of the total came from South Korea.

    It said North Korean hackers are expected to conduct more cyberattacks next year to steal advanced South Korean technologies and confidential information on South Korean foreign policy and national security.

    Earlier this month, senior diplomats from the United States, South Korea and Japan agreed to increase efforts to curb illegal North Korean cyber activities. In February, a panel of U.N. experts said North Korea was continuing to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from financial institutions and cryptocurrency firms and exchanges.

    Despite its economic difficulties, North Korea has carried out a record number or missile tests this year in what some experts say is an attempt to modernize its arsenal and boost its leverage in future negotiations with its rivals to win sanctions relief and other concessions.

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  • North Korea fires two ballistic missiles days after joint U.S.-South Korea drills, South says

    North Korea fires two ballistic missiles days after joint U.S.-South Korea drills, South says

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    Seoul, South Korea — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Friday, South Korea’s military said, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

    South Korea’s military detected the missile launches from North Korea’s capital region at around 4:32 p.m., South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. It said the South Korean military has strengthened its surveillance posture and is maintaining readiness with close coordination with the United States.

    The U.S. flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint training with South Korean warplanes on Tuesday. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the drills were part of a bilateral agreement on boosting a U.S. commitment to defend its Asian ally with all available military capabilities, including nuclear.

    2.jpg
    A B-52 fighter jet was part of joint U.S. drills with South Korea on Tuesday, December 20th, 2022.

    Joint Chiefs of Staff


    North Korea typically calls such military exercises by the U.S. and South Korea an invasion rehearsal, though the allies have steadfastly said they have no intention of attacking the North.

    The South Korea-U.S. training came after North Korea recently claimed to have conducted key tests needed to develop its first military spy satellite and a new strategic weapon, a likely reference to a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile.

    North Korea said it launched a pair of rockets Sunday to test cameras and other systems for the development of its first military reconnaissance satellite. Its state media published low-resolution photos of South Korean cities as viewed from space.

    Some civilian experts in South Korea and elsewhere said the photos were too crude for surveillance purposes and that the launches were likely a cover for tests of North Korea’s missile technology. South Korea’s military said North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles.

    Such assessments have infuriated North Korea, with the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issuing crude insults of unidentified South Korean experts. Kim Yo Jong said there was no reason to use an expensive, high-resolution camera for a single-shot test and that North Korea’s space agency used two old missiles as space launch vehicles.

    North Korea has test-launched a barrage of missiles this year, including nuclear-capable ballistic weapons designed to strike the U.S. mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan. North Korea said it was compelled to carry out such tests to respond to previous military drills between the United States and South Korea. 


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  • N. Korea fires ballistic missiles after US-S. Korea drills

    N. Korea fires ballistic missiles after US-S. Korea drills

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    SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Friday, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

    North Korea has conducted an unprecedented number of missile tests this year in what some experts call an attempt to bolster its weapons capability and pressure its rivals to make concessions such as sanctions relief in future negotiations. Recently, the North also claimed to have performed major tests needed to acquire its first spy satellite and a more mobile intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

    South Korea’s military detected the two missile launches from North Korea’s capital region at around 4:32 p.m. on Friday. Japan said it also confirmed at least one missile launch by North Korea.

    It wasn’t immediately clear exactly what kinds of missiles North Korea fired. South Korea’s military said the missiles traveled about 250 kilometers (155 miles) and 350 kilometers (220 miles) respectively before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

    Japanese Vice Defense Minister Toshiro Ino said that one missile detected by Japan flew as far as 300 kilometers (180 miles) at a maximum altitude of 50 kilometers (30 miles). He said that missile might have showed an “irregular” trajectory, a possible reference to North Korea’s highly maneuverable, nuclear-capable KN-23 missile, which was modeled on Russia’s Iskander missile.

    South Korea’s military called the launches “a grave provocation” that hurts international peace. It said South Korea will maintain a firm readiness and closely monitor North Korean moves in coordination with the United States. Ino also accused North Korea of significantly raising tensions with repeated weapons tests.

    The launches could be a response to the U.S.-South Korean aerial military exercises near the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday, as North Korea has said its torrid run of testing activities in past months were meant as a warning over its rivals’ previous combined drills. Washington and Seoul have said their drills are defensive in nature, but North Korea calls them practice for an invasion.

    The latest U.S.-South Korean drills drew B-52 nuclear-capable bombers and F-22 stealth fighter jets from the United States and other advanced warplanes from South Korea. The training was part of a bilateral agreement on boosting a U.S. commitment to defend its Asian ally with all available military capabilities, including nuclear, according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

    The F-22 jets were supposed to stay in South Korea for more joint drills this week with the South Korean air force, but the U.S. aircraft eventually returned to their base in Japan due to weather conditions, South Korean defense officials said.

    The aerial drills came after North Korea said it used old missiles as launch vehicles to test cameras and other systems on Sunday for the development of its first military reconnaissance satellite. Its state media also published low-resolution photos of South Korean cities as viewed from space.

    Some civilian experts in South Korea said the photos were too crude for surveillance purposes and that the launches were likely a cover for tests of North Korea’s missile technology. South Korea’s military has maintained North Korea fired two medium-range ballistic missiles.

    Such assessments have infuriated North Korea, with the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issuing crude insults of unidentified South Korean experts. Kim Yo Jong said there was no reason to use an expensive, high-resolution camera for a single-shot test.

    Kim Yo Jong also scoffed at South Korea’s previous assessment that North Korea still has technological hurdles to overcome to acquire functioning ICBMs that can launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. homeland — such as the ability to protect its warheads from the harsh conditions of atmospheric reentry.

    To prove the North’s ICBM capability, she suggested that North Korea might carry out a standard-trajectory ICBM launch. All of the North’s previous ICBM launches were made at a steep angle to avoid neighboring countries. A normal-angle ICBM launch could sharply inflame regional animosities and trigger a strong response from the U.S. as the weapon would fly toward the Pacific Ocean.

    A spy satellite and a solid-fueled ICBM are among the high-tech weapons systems that Kim Jong Un has vowed to introduce to cope with what he calls U.S. hostility. Other weapons systems he wants to procure include missiles with multi-warheads, underwater-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-powered submarines and hypersonic missiles.

    Last week, North Korea tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” that experts say would be used for a solid-fueled missile, which is more agile and harder to detect before launches than liquid-fueled weapons.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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