South Korea Sues North Korea for Blowing Up Liaison Office
South Korea wants thirty-five million dollars in compensation for the building, which North Korea unilaterally destroyed in 2020, just two years after it was built, in response to balloons with leaflets sent over the border by North Korean defectors in 2018 (Reuters)
UN: Russia Resumed Oil Shipments to North Korea
Russia resumed sending oil to North Korea in December 2022 after having paused shipments in October 2020, a new UN sanctions committee report said (Bloomberg)
Kim-Jong-Un Calls for “Closer Strategic Cooperation” With Russia
The North Korean leader offered his “full support and solidarity” regarding the invasion of Ukraine, vowing to “hold hands firmly” with Russian President Vladimir Putin (Reuters)
The United States is concerned that increased cooperation could include more weapons deliveries to Russia, having confirmed a previous North Korean arms delivery to the Wagner Group (Reuters)
False Evacuation Alarm in Seoul Incites Panic
The government erroneously sent out an evacuation alert for the capital city of Seoul that triggered public alarm before it was withdrawn; the alert was in response to the possibility of a North Korean missile launch (NYT)
North Korea Builds Expansive Northern Border Wall
Reuters reported that North Korea has built and upgraded hundreds of kilometers of its northern border wall since 2020, essentially eliminating the North Korea-China route for potential future defectors (Reuters)
U.S., South Korea Begin Their Largest-Ever Live Fire Drills Near North Korean Border
U.S. and South Korean forces will conduct four more rounds of the joint exercises through mid-June; Pyongyang typically responds to the countries’ joint military operations with missile tests, though it didn’t immediately respond to these exercises (AP)
Their increased cooperation against North Korea’s nuclear threat also includes a new pact with Japan to share real-time data on North Korean missile launches; an article published yesterday by North Korean state media called the three countries’ steps to tighten military cooperation “sinister” and warned against “cooking up the Asian version of [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)]” (Reuters)
The drills mark seventy years of the U.S.-South Korea military alliance (Korea Herald)
North Korea has launched more than one hundred missiles since the start of last year (PBS)
Nikkei: North Korean Hacker Groups Stole Millions of Dollars in Cryptocurrency From Japan
Hacker groups linked to North Korea have stolen $721 million from Japan since 2017, a U.K.-based compliance group found; experts convened by the UN Security Council have warned that Pyongyang uses stolen cryptocurrency to support its nuclear and missile programs (Nikkei)
North Korea Condemns U.S.-South Korea Summit
Following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden’s meeting in Washington, North Korean state media KCNA said the agreement to increase military deployments to South Korea escalates tensions to the “brink of a nuclear war” (Reuters)
South Korean President Talks Heightened Military Cooperation at White House
The United States will increase military deployments to South Korea as part of a new deal to jointly respond to the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, U.S. officials told news outlets on the condition of anonymity; the agreement will see the United States deploy nuclear-armed submarines to South Korea for the first time in decades, and Washington will also increase joint military planning and information sharing with Seoul (NBC)
Yoon will affirm that Seoul will not seek its own nuclear weapons, though polls show that a growing number of South Koreans believe their country should have them; Washington has opposed the possibility (Japan Times)
North Korea Sends Rare Diplomatic Delegation to Iran
Minister of External Economic Relations Yun Jung Ho traveled to Iran yesterday, North Korea’s official news agency reported today; the trip is the first known visit by North Korean officials to Iran since August 2019 (AP)
Both countries are among the few supporters of Russia’s war in Ukraine; Pyongyang has been accused of providing Moscow with military equipment for its war efforts (Reuters)
North Korea Says Its Nukes Are ‘Undeniable and Stark Reality’
North Korea’s foreign minister made the comments after Group of Seven (G7) nations jointly called for the country’s full denuclearization during their recent meeting in Japan (AP)
North Korea to Launch New Satellite
According to state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared that preparations for the country’s first spy satellite launch should move forward; Kim also ordered the launch of more reconnaissance satellites (Reuters)
North Korea Tests New ICBM
North Korea tested a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with solid propellants that allow for fast deployments of missiles; according to North Korean state media, Kim Jong Un issued a warning to countries about “reckless acts,” stating that it would be met with fatal counteractions (Reuters)
The Japanese government told residents of Hokkaido island to seek shelter after North Korea’s test launch; it withdrew the warning soon after, as the missile did not land in Japan’s territory (Kyodo)
Pyongyang Cuts Crisis Hotline With Seoul
For the past few days, North Korea has been silent on a hotline used to reduce bilateral tensions, South Korea’s military said; Pyongyang has cut communications on the crisis line before, including in 2020, after South Korean activists delivered anti-government leaflets across the border by balloon, and in 2021, following U.S.-South Korea military drills (Bloomberg)
U.S., Japanese, South Korean Envoys Demand Tougher Enforcement of North Korea Sanctions
During talks in South Korea, the three nuclear envoys called for other countries to repatriate North Koreans working overseas as required by UN sanctions against Pyongyang’s nuclear program (Yonhap)
Chinese Ambassador Takes Up Post in North Korea
Ambassador Wang Yajun is the first foreign diplomat to arrive in the country since January 2020 (SCMP)
His posting is seen as a sign that North Korea is relaxing its pandemic-related restrictions (AP)
South Korea: Four Cruise Missiles Fired Off North Korean Coast
According to the South Korean Military, North Korea fired four cruise missiles off its east coast amidst US-South Korea joint military exercises (Reuters)
North Korea Announces Test of Undersea Drone
Pyongyang tested an undersea drone capable of creating a “radioactive tsunami,” North Korean state media said; South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to counter the threat (Bloomberg)
DIA: No Sign of Imminent North Korea Nuclear Test
According to the director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), North Korea does not appear prepared to conduct a nuclear test during upcoming military exercises between the United States and South Korea (Reuters)
U.S. Alleges that China and Russia Shield North Korea at the UN
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations accused China and Russia of “obstructionism” by shielding North Korea from action by the UN Security Council in response to Pyongyang’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile launches (AP)
North Korea Simulates Nuclear Counterattack
Pyongyang said it held drills over the weekend that simulated a nuclear counterattack against its adversaries; the simulation coincided with joint U.S.-South Korea military drills (Yonhap)
Leaders of Japan, South Korea Repair Relations at First Summit in Twelve Years
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol sought to put tensions behind them at today’s summit in Tokyo, where they announced new cooperation on intelligence sharing and trade; the leaders also pledged to cooperate against the threat posed by North Korea, which test-fired what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile ahead of the talks (Nikkei)
North Korea Responds to U.S.-South Korea Drill With Missile Launch
Pyongyang said it launched two cruise missiles from a submarine as the United States and South Korea prepared to begin large-scale military drills today; South Korea’s military said it had detected a missile launch (Japan Times)
Food Shortage Struggles Continue
According to state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered infrastructure upgrades and farmland expansion to increase food production (Reuters)
New sanctions were put in place by the U.S. Treasury Department against individuals and companies that it accused of Illicitly raising money for the North Korean government (Reuters)
North Korea Convenes Party Meeting Amid Food Shortages
Leader Kim Jong-un convened a rare party meeting to discuss agricultural issues amid reports of food shortages (Yonhap)