Category: North Korea

North Korea Warns of ‘Unprecedented’ Response to US–South Korea Joint Drills

North Korea has warned of “unprecedented and strong counteractions” if the United States and South Korea proceed with their planned joint drills, according to the North Korean official mouthpiece on Thursday. The North’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson accused the United States and South Korea of trying to gain “a long-term military edge” on the Korean Peninsula,…


North Korea Fires Missile Into Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone Amid Tensions

North Korea on Saturday fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that landed in waters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japanese and South Korean officials, after Pyongyang warned that upcoming U.S.-South Korea military drills would lead to a strong response. Japan government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters on Feb. 18 that North Korea “fired one ICBM-class…


South Korea Labels North Korea ‘Enemy’ in Defense Paper After 6 Years of Diplomatic Efforts

South Korea has reverted to calling North Korea “our enemy” in its latest defense white paper after six years of futile diplomatic efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula under the former administration. The South Korean Ministry of Defense released its biennial defense policy document on Thursday, the first of its kind under conservative President Yoon…


North Korea’s Penultimate Threat: Mobile Solid-Fuel Rockets

Commentary After nearly two decades of striving, North Korea, with plenty of Chinese help, has finally reached the stage of world-class nuclear terror in service of the hegemonic ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Eleven years after North Korea’s April 15, 2012, revelation of a mockup of a liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) traveling…


Watching Ukraine, Japan, and South Korea Consider Nuclear Weapons

Commentary Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has stirred profound defense policy changes in Europe and Asia, with once-neutral Sweden’s and Finland’s bids to join NATO a prime example. In East Asia the invasion and Russian president Vladimir Putin’s threats to attack his enemies with nuclear weapons has led South Korea and Japan to seriously consider acquiring…


Suspected North Korean Balloon Reportedly in South Korean Airspace

South Korea’s military has claimed that a suspected North Korean balloon briefly entered its airspace on Sunday, just days after the United States shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying in its airspace. The South Korean Ministry of Defense said on Monday that its military responded to the incident with “unspecified measures” but later…


US Vows to Defend South Korea With Nuclear Capability Amid North Korean Threats

The United States remains committed to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, to defend South Korea from North Korean aggression, U.S. secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Friday. Speaking alongside South Korean foreign minister Park Jin at a press conference, Blinken reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to improving its allied…


North Korea Warns of ‘Overwhelming Nuclear Force’ to Counter US

SEOUL, South Korea—North Korea said Thursday it’s prepared to counter U.S. military moves with the “most overwhelming nuclear force” as it warned that the expansion of the United States’ military exercises with rival South Korea is pushing tensions to an “extreme red line.” The statement by Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry came in response to comments by…


US, South Korea Vow to Scale up Joint Military Drills to Deter North Korean Threats

The United States and South Korea agreed on Tuesday to scale up their joint military exercises in a bid to counter North Korea’s military escalation. In a joint statement, U.S. defense secretary Lloyd Austin and South Korean defense minister Lee Jong-sup condemned North Korea’s continued provocations and vowed to take “a strong stance” against any…


South Korea’s Rapid Progress in Hypersonic Missiles Could Become a Major Deterrent to North Korea, Experts Say

The South Korean military recently revealed that it has made rapid progress in developing hypersonic missiles and is advancing plans to test them next year. Experts said that this weapon, if successful, will become a new deterrent to North Korea and significantly impact the status quo on the Korean Peninsula. According to Yonhap News Agency,…