U.S., South Korea, and Japan Step Up Cooperation Against North Korean Cyber Threats
The United States announced new trilateral initiatives aimed at countering North Korean threats ranging “from its cybercrime and cryptocurrency money laundering to its reckless space and ballistic missile tests” (Al Jazeera)
Activists Warn North Koreans Deported from China Face Torture
Nearly six hundred defectors, mostly women, have not been heard from since China deported them to North Korea, where advocates say they face torture, sexual violence, and execution (BBC)
U.S., Japanese, and South Korean Security Officials Discuss North Korea
National security advisers from the three countries covered topics including North Korea’s recent military reconnaissance satellite launch at a trilateral meeting in Seoul, the South Korean president’s office said (AP)
North Korea Dismisses U.S. Offer of Nuclear Talks
Senior official Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected U.S. calls for a return to nuclear diplomacy and vowed to conduct more satellite and weapons launches (AP)
North Korea Announces Plan to Launch Spy Satellite By End of Month
The plan follows two failed launch attempts earlier this year; with the launch, Pyongyang could remotely monitor U.S., South Korean, and Japanese troops (Reuters)
Meanwhile, a South Korean spy satellite due to launch by the end of November would reduce Seoul’s dependence on U.S. intelligence systems (Reuters)
Defense Officials From U.S., China, Russia, Southeast Asia Gather at Indonesia Talks
Today’s dialogue, organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), covers military challenges within and beyond the region; yesterday, Indonesia’s defense minister named Myanmar, the Korean Peninsula, and the South China Sea as “hot spots that can destabilize the region” (Reuters)
U.S., South Korea Update Bilateral Defense Pact
The two countries formally updated their strategy for deterring North Korea for the first time since 2013 at a meeting of top defense officials in Seoul today (Nikkei)
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said the deal committed the United States to mobilizing its full military capabilities, including nuclear ones, to defend South Korea in the case of a North Korean nuclear attack (AP)
Blinken Visits South Korea as North Korea Threatens Response to Leaflets
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken begins a visit today to South Korea, which comes as the two countries have increasingly condemned North Korea’s military ties to Russia; South Korea aims to launch its first spy satellite later this month with U.S. support (Reuters)
Meanwhile, North Korea threatened to respond with a “shower of shells” if South Korea does not stop activists from flying anti-North Korea leaflets across the border in balloons (AP)
Tokyo Holds Missile Evacuation Drill Amid North Korea Fears
It was the city’s first simulation of a ballistic missile attack since 2018 (Reuters;Yomiuri Shimbun)
South Korean Lawmaker: North Korea Sent Russia One Million Artillery Rounds
A lawmaker briefed by South Korean intelligence officials said North Korea had sent Russia enough ammunition for two months of shelling in Ukraine (Bloomberg)
North Korea Closes Down Several Embassies Abroad
The closures could affect nearly a dozen international missions, which would represent 25 percent of all North Korean missions; the move appears to be a result of international sanctions, which have hindered North Korea’s ability to conduct business overseas (Reuters)
U.S. Discusses North Korea’s “Destabilizing and Escalatory Behavior” With China
The U.S. special representative for North Korea brought up the issue with his Chinese counterpart in a meeting focused on concerns over North Korean weapons transfers to Russia and China’s alleged forced repatriation of North Koreans (Bloomberg)
Seoul Identifies Four People Trying to Defect From Pyongyang by Boat
It is the first such attempt through the East Sea since 2019 (Yonhap)
U.S., Japan, and South Korea Hold Joint Aerial Defense Exercise
The drill marked the first time all three states practiced aerial maneuvers together, with the U.S. ambassador to Seoul saying it signaled a “new era” in defense ties (VOA)
Russian Foreign Minister Reportedly Proposes Regular Security Talks With North Korea
Sergey Lavrov proposed the talks on a two-day visit to Pyongyang to discuss the two countries’ approach to what he called increasing U.S.-led regional military threats, Russian state media reported; the United States and South Korea say that North Korea is sending Russia weapons for use in its war in Ukraine, which Pyongyang has denied (AP)
Meanwhile, the United States seized seventeen website domains allegedly used by North Korea to avoid sanctions, defraud businesses, and fund the country’s nuclear program (Reuters)
Israel: Hamas Using North Korean Weapons to Attack
The Israeli ambassador to South Korea suggested that the weapons could have been in Iran for a long time before being transferred to Hamas; North Korea denied that Hamas used its weapons (VOA)
U.S. Aircraft Carrier Arrives in South Korea
The carrier arrived in the port of Busan in a show of strength against North Korea after trilateral naval exercises with Japan and South Korea (AP)
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter wishing him victory over the ‘imperialists’ (Reuters)
‘Unprecedented’ Rail Traffic on North Korean Border Suggests Weapon Shipments to Russia
The sharp uptick in rail traffic observed by satellites follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s trip to Russia last month, when he visited several military sites (AP)
North Korea Suspends Nuclear Reactor, Likely to Extract Fuel for Bomb
Halting operations would allow North Korea to extract plutonium that could be used to make weapons (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the country began transferring arms to Russia, according to a U.S. official (CBS)
North Korea Condemns Pentagon Report that Calls It a ‘Persistent Threat’
North Korean state media said the report reveals the United States’ “wild ambition for seizing global military hegemony” and vowed to combat U.S. aggression or provocation with “the most overwhelming and sustained response” (AP)
North Korea Denounces UN Nuclear Agency as “Paid Trumpeter” for U.S.
After the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) adopted a resolution calling for the country to curtail its nuclear program, North Korea blamed the United States of “conspiracy” and of “cooking up” the resolution (Reuters)
North Korea Enshrines Expansion of Nuclear Force into Constitution
Nuclear envoys from Japan, South Korea, and the United States condemned the move, while North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said trilateral cooperation among the three countries poses “the worst actual threat” to his country (Yonhap;Yonhap)
U.S. Soldier Who Crossed Into North Korea Arrives Back in United States
North Korea expelled Travis King after having detained him for two months when he crossed the border in July; an unnamed U.S. official said his release was the product of “intense diplomacy” (BBC)
North Korean Leader Calls for Exponential Increase in Nuclear Weapons Production
Kim Jong Un wants his country to play a greater role in a coalition of countries confronting the United States in a “new Cold War,” North Korean state media said (AP)
North Korea Blames U.S. for Provoking Nuclear War on the Peninsula
North Korea released a report yesterday accusing the United States of “desperate efforts to ignite a nuclear war” and warned that any military conflict would have catastrophic consequences (WSJ)
Today, North Korea reiterated those accusations, claiming the United States made 2023 an “extremely dangerous year;” meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General called on countries to reverse a looming nuclear arms race (PBS;UN News)