Kim Jong Un

March 3, 2025 2:28 PM

US aircraft carrier visits South Korea in show of force against North Korea

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson arrived at the southern port city of Busan in South Korea on Sunday as a show of force against North Korea, South Korea's navy said. It is the first U.S. aircraft carrier to dock at a South Korean port since U.S. President Donald Trump's second term in office began in January. The visit was part of the "ironclad" commitment of the United States to extended deterrence and to show readiness by the military alliance between Seoul and Washington against No...

February 28, 2025 12:27 PM

North Korea’s Kim orders nuclear readiness after missile test, KCNA says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised a test-launch of strategic cruise missiles and ordered full readiness to use nuclear attack capability, which would ensure the most effective defence for the country, state media said on Friday. The test was designed to warn "enemies, who are seriously violating the security environment of the (country) and fostering and escalating the confrontation environment" and to demonstrate "readiness of its various nuke operation means," KCNA news agency said. ...

January 13, 2025 12:01 PM

The dangers of Pakistan – North Korea nexus

On 6 January, North Korea tested a hypersonic missile. A hypersonic missile is one that can travel at more than five times the speed of sound, which makes it more difficult to track and shoot down. The test coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to South Korea. North Korea released photographs that showed its leader Kim Jong-un watching the missile-test along with his daughter. Pyongyang said the missile reached a top speed of Mach 12 -- that is 12 times the speed ...

September 14, 2024 10:53 AM

North Korea’s Kim meets Russia’s Shoigu, vows more cooperation, KCNA says

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with top Russian security official Sergei Shoigu and discussed deepening strategic dialogue between the two countries, state media KCNA said on Saturday. They had a "wide exchange of views on regional and international situations", and reached a satisfactory consensus on issues including more "cooperation to defend mutual safety interests," KCNA said. Kim said North Korea will continue to expand cooperation with Russia in accordance with the strategic partne...

September 13, 2024 12:53 PM

North Korea shows first photos of banned uranium enrichment site

North Korea for the first time showed images of the centrifuges that produce fuel for its nuclear bombs on Friday, as leader Kim Jong Un visited a uranium enrichment facility and called for more weapons-grade material to boost the arsenal. The state media report on Kim's visit to the Nuclear Weapons Institute and a production base for weapon-grade nuclear materials was accompanied by the first photos of the centrifuges, providing a rare look inside North Korea's nuclear programme, which is bann...

June 21, 2024 1:16 PM

Putin remarks about possible weapons for North Korea ‘incredibly concerning,’ US says

Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments on Thursday that Moscow may supply weapons for North Korea after signing a defense pact with Pyongyang are "incredibly concerning," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Putin suggested after a visit to North Korea this week that weapons supplies to the isolated nuclear-armed country would be a mirror response to the Western arming of Ukraine. He also warned that U.S. ally South Korea would be making "a big mistake...

June 20, 2024 11:07 AM

North Korea, Russia sign pact to give all available military help if other is attacked

North Korea and Russia agreed to provide immediate military assistance if either faced armed aggression, under a pact their leaders signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's first visit in 24 years. The pledge is seen as the revival of a mutual defence agreement under a 1961 treaty adopted by the Cold War allies that was annulled in 1990 when the Soviet Union established diplomatic ties with South Korea. The agreement for a "comprehensive strategic partnership" signed by Russian Pres...

May 31, 2024 12:10 PM

North Korea says 18-missile salvo was warning to South

North Korea said on Friday it had fired 18 short-range ballistic missiles during a drill as a demonstration of its willingness to launch a pre-emptive strike against South Korea's "gangsters' regime" if necessary to counter an attack. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the firing drill of the 600mm "super-large" multiple rocket launchers on Thursday, state news agency KCNA reported. South Korea said it had detected at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles fired by North Ko...

May 30, 2024 1:58 PM

North Korea fires multiple suspected short-range missiles

North Korea fired a salvo of at least 10 short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast, South Korea's military said on Thursday, calling it a possible display for would-be buyers, including Russia. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said North Korea had launched a ballistic missile that appeared to have landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. The suspected missiles were fired from the Sunan area near its capital Pyongyang at 6:14 a.m. on Thursday (2114 GMT on Wednesday) and flew...

May 29, 2024 4:53 PM

North Korea sends balloons carrying excrement over border, South Korea says

South Korea accused North Korea on Wednesday of sending a large number of balloons across their heavily fortified border to drop objects including trash and excrement, calling the act base and dangerous. The military's explosives ordnance unit and chemical and biological warfare response team were deployed to inspect and collect the objects, and an alert was issued warning residents to keep away and report any sightings to authorities. By Wednesday afternoon, more than 260 balloons had been de...