THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea's Kim oversees artillery drills

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen a series of firing drills by artillery units in the west of the country, state-run KCNA news agency said Tuesday.

The announcement came amid tensions with Seoul and Washington, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits South Korea and after the allies wrapped up one of their major annual joint military training exercises.

The exercises have prompted angry retorts and live-fire drills from nuclear-armed Pyongyang, which routinely condemns all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

This time, Blinken's visit appeared to be adding fuel to the fire. The artillery drills were announced a day after Seoul said the North fired three short-range ballistic missiles, described by analysts as a calculated move to grab attention during Blinken's stop in the South.

The drills involved "super-large multiple rocket launchers," according to a report from the state-run KCNA news agency.

When the order was given, it said, the soldiers "simultaneously fired the gun of annihilation".

"Massive shells of super-large multiple rocket launchers, which were fired from the sharp gun barrels like lava, flew to the target with the flame of annihilating the enemy," it said.

The drills also featured a simulation of an "air explosion of a shell of" a super-large multiple rocket launcher, the report continued.

Blinken is attending the third Summit for Democracy and met with President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul early Monday. He is also meeting his South Korean counterpart on the sidelines of the event, for discussions now likely to be dominated by the allies' efforts to counter threats from the North.

Seoul is one of Washington's key regional allies, and the United States has stationed about 27,000 American soldiers in the South to help protect it against the North.

Pyongyang this month warned that Seoul and Washington would pay a "dear price" over their military exercises, and later announced that Kim had guided an artillery unit it says was capable of striking the South Korean capital.

Monday's ballistic missile test was the North's second this year, after Pyongyang launched one tipped with a manoeuvrable hypersonic warhead on January 14.

Source: Agence France-Presse 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea leader Kim Jong Un orders heightened war preparations

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected field training of troops at a major military operations base in the western region of the country on Wednesday (March 6) and ordered heightened readiness for war, state-run television KRT reported on Thursday (March 7).

The tour of the base, the location of which was not identified, comes after the start of annual combined military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces on Monday (March 4) in the South with twice the number of troops taking part compared to last year.

Kim said the military must "dynamically usher in a new heyday of intensifying the war preparations in line with the requirements of the prevailing situation," KRT reported.

The KRT news reader did not mention whether Kim directly referred to the drills by the U.S. and South Korean military. He inspected troops conducting actual maneuvers under conditions simulating actual war, state media said.

Source: Reuters

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea tests submarine-launched cruise missiles, KCNA says

 

North Korea tested its new strategic cruise missiles for the second time in a week on Sunday, calling it a newly developed submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM), accelerating its navy’s nuclear armament, state news agency KCNA reported on Monday.

Leader Kim Jong Un supervised the test of the missile, called “Pulhwasal-3-31,” which is identical to the strategic cruise missiles that the North said last week were under development.

KCNA said the missiles flew above the sea off the country’s east coast for 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds and hit an unspecified island target, indicating the flight time exceeded two hours.

Kim called the test a success, KCNA said, “which is of strategic significance in carrying out the plan…for modernizing the army which aims at building a powerful naval force.”

South Korea’s military said on Sunday that the North fired multiple cruise missiles off its coast but did not provide details.

North Korea’s ballistic missiles are typically more controversial and are explicitly banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions. But analysts have said intermediate-range cruise missiles were no less a threat than ballistic missiles and are a serious capability for North Korea.

In recent months, the North has tested an array of weapons that include ballistic missile systems that are under development and an underwater drone.

Kim separately inspected the construction of a nuclear submarine and discussed issues related to the manufacturing of other types of new warships, KCNA said.

Source: Reuters

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Rare footage shows teens sentenced to hard labour over K-drama

 

Rare footage obtained by BBC Korean shows North Korea publicly sentencing two teenage boys to 12 years of hard labour for watching K-dramas.

The footage, which appears to have been filmed in 2022, shows two 16-year-old boys handcuffed in front of hundreds of students at an outdoor stadium.

It also shows uniformed officers reprimanding the boys for not "deeply reflecting on their mistakes".

South Korean entertainment, including TV, is banned in the North.

Despite that, some are prepared to risk severe punishment to access K-dramas, which have a huge global audience.

Footage such as this is rare, because North Korea forbids photos, videos and other evidence of life in the country from being leaked to the outside world.

This video was provided to the BBC by the South and North Development (Sand), a research institute that works with defectors from the North.

It suggests authorities are coming down harder on such incidents. The clip has reportedly been distributed in North Korea for ideology education and to warn citizens not to watch "decadent recordings".

The video includes a narrator who is repeating state propaganda. "The rotten puppet regime's culture has spread even to teenagers," says the voice, in an apparent reference to South Korea. "They are just 16 years old, but they ruined their own future," it adds.

The boys were also named by officers and had their addresses revealed.

In the past, minors who broke the law in this way would be sent to youth labour camps rather than put behind bars, and the punishment was usually less than five years.

In 2020, however, Pyongyang enacted a law to make watching or distributing South Korean entertainment punishable by death.

A defector previously told the BBC that he was forced to watch a 22-year-old man shot to death. He said the man was accused of listening to South Korean music and had shared films from the South with his friend.

Sand CEO Choi Kyong-hui said Pyongyang sees the spread of K-dramas and K-pop as a danger to its ideology.

"Admiration for South Korean society can soon lead to a weakening of the system... This goes against the monolithic ideology that makes North Koreans revere the Kim family," she said.

North Koreans started getting a taste of South Korean entertainment in the 2000s, during the years of the South's "sunshine policy" which saw it offering unconditional economic and humanitarian aid to the North.

Seoul ended the policy in 2010, saying it found the aid did not reach the ordinary North Koreans it was intended for, and that it had not resulted in any "positive changes" to Pyongyang's behaviour.

But South Korean entertainment continued to reach North Korea through China.

"If you get caught watching an American drama, you can get away with a bribe, but if you watch a Korean drama, you get shot," a North Korean defector told BBC Korean on Thursday.

"For North Korean people, Korean dramas are a 'drug' that helps them forget their difficult reality," the defector said.

"In North Korea, we learn that South Korea lives much worse than us, but when you watch South Korean dramas, it's a completely different world. It seems like the North Korean authorities are wary of that," said another North Korean defector in her 20s.

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

 

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law.

The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

Dog meat stew, called "boshintang", is considered a delicacy among some older South Koreans, but the meat has fallen out of favour with diners and is no longer popular with young people.

Under the new law the consumption of dog meat itself will not be illegal.

According to a Gallup poll last year, only 8% of people said they had tried dog meat in the past 12 months, down from 27% in 2015. Fewer than a fifth of those polled said they supported the consumption of the meat.

Lee Chae-yeon, a 22-year-old student, said the ban was necessary to promote animal rights. "More people have pets today," she told the BBC in Seoul. "Dogs are like family now and it's not nice to eat our family."

The new law focuses on the dog meat trade - those convicted of butchering dogs face up to three years in prison, while people found guilty of raising dogs for meat or selling dog meat could serve a maximum of two years.

Farmers and restaurant owners have three years to find alternative sources of employment and income before the legislation comes into force.

According to government statistics, South Korea had around 1,600 dog meat restaurants and 1,150 dog farms in 2023, all of which will now have to submit a plan to phase out their businesses to their local authorities.

The government has promised to fully support dog meat farmers, butchers and restaurant owners, whose businesses will be forced to close, though the details of what compensation will be offered have yet to be worked through.

On Tuesday lunchtime in Seoul, down an alleyway with several dog meat restaurants, a handful of older people were tucking into the stew and the generational divide was stark.

Kim Seon-ho, 86, was disappointed by the ban. "We've eaten this since the Middle Ages. Why stop us from eating our traditional food?" he said. "If you ban dog meat then you should ban beef."

Previous governments, dating back to the 1980s, have pledged to ban dog meat, but failed to make progress. Current President Yoon Suk Yeol and First Lady Kim Keon Hee are known animal lovers - they have six dogs, and Ms Kim has called for the practice of eating dogs to end.

Animal rights groups, which have long been pushing for the ban, praised the outcome of Tuesday's vote.

Jung Ah Chae, the executive director of the Humane Society in Korea, said she was surprised to see the ban in her lifetime. "While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future," she said.

Dog meat farmers had campaigned against the ban. They argued that, given the declining popularity among young people, the practice should be allowed to die out naturally over time. Many farmers and restaurateurs are elderly and said it would be difficult for them to switch livelihoods so late in life.

One dog farmer, Joo Yeong-bong, told the BBC the industry was in despair.

"In 10 years, the industry would have disappeared. We're in our 60s and 70s and now we have no choice but to lose our livelihoods," he said, adding that this was "an infringement of people's freedom to eat what they like".

One dog meat restaurant owner in her 60s, Mrs Kim, told the BBC she was frustrated by the ban, and blamed it on the rise in the number of people in South Korea having pets.

"Young people these days don't get married, so they think of pets as family, but food is food. We should accept dog meat but raise and slaughter them in a hygienic environment," she said.

"Other countries like China and Vietnam eat dogs, so why are we banning it?"

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Lee Jae-myung: South Korea opposition leader stabbed in Busan

 

Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the presidential elections in 2022, was stabbed on the left side of his neck on Tuesday morning.

The attacker was arrested at the scene.

Mr Lee sustained a 1cm laceration and was treated in the hospital while conscious, reports said. Police said his wound was not life-threatening.

The attacker who appeared to be a man in his 60s to 70s, reportedly approached Mr Lee asking for an autograph, before suddenly lunging forward to stab him.

His weapon was about 20cm to 30cm (7.8 to 11.8in) long, Yonhap reported.

The man has been silent about both his identity and motive, the South Korean news agency said, citing police officers.

Videos of the attack posted on social media show Mr Lee first collapsing into the crowd and then onto the ground, while several people try to restrain the attacker. Photographs after the incident show Mr Lee lying on the ground with his eyes closed as someone presses a handkerchief to the side of his neck.

Yonhap said he was airlifted to hospital in a helicopter.

A spokesman of Mr Lee's Democratic Party of Korea said medical staff suspected injury to his jugular vein, which carries blood from the head to the heart. Mr Lee would have to undergo surgery as they were concerned about further bleeding, the spokesman, Kwon Chil-seung, said.

"After being transferred to Seoul National University Hospital, we plan to operate quickly. We strongly condemn the attack and consider it a clear act of democracy destruction," he said.

Mr Lee, 59, currently holds a seat in Incheon in South Korea's legislature. He is widely expected to run for a seat in the next general election, which will take place in April.

He narrowly lost the 2022 presidential elections - by a mere 0.73% difference in votes - to current President Yoon Suk Yeol, making it the closest presidential race in South Korean history. He is widely expected to stand in the next presidential elections in 2027.

Since then he has been indicted on corruption and breach of trust charges, with prosecutors accusing him of allowing private developers to profit illegally from a property project while he was mayor of Seongnam, a city of 1 million people to the south of Seoul. Mr Lee has denied those charges, calling them politically motivated.

In September a court dismissed a request from the prosecution for him to be held in custody while he awaited trial on the charges. Prosecutors are still investigating him on a number of other cases linked to corruption while he was in office.

The court's order came three weeks after Mr Lee began a hunger strike to protest Mr Yoon's foreign and domestic policies. Mr Lee had to be hospitalised because of the strike.

There have been a number of past cases of South Korean politicians being physically attacked with weapons.

In March 2022, Mr Lee's predecessor Song Young-gil was attacked with a blunt object while campaigning for Mr Lee. He survived with some head injuries.

In 2006, conservative party leader Park Geun-hye, who later became president, was attacked with a knife which left a scar on her face.

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: PH condemns North Korea's missile launch

 

The Philippines joined Japan in condemning the reported ballistic missile launch of North Korea on Monday.

President Marcos made the statement on Monday, Dec. 18, after North Korea reportedly fired an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan.

“We join Japan, together with the rest of the ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations), in condemning the continued threat that the launching [of] ballistic missiles by the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] represents,” Marcos said.

"The Philippines joins its voice to all our partners in peace in condemning this looming existential threat," he added.

The President made the remarks during his speech at the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) leaders meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo, Japan as part of the 50th Commemorative ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation Summit.  

“As we speak on economic progress in our region, we found these aspirations on a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific Region. So, such dangerous and provocative actions by the DPRK threaten and destabilize the region and the world,” he stressed.

North Korea reportedly fired a long-range ballistic missile, which supposedly fell into the sea, west of Hokkaido, according to Japan’s coast guard. 

Source: Manila Bulletin

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: BTS members head for South Korean military service, fans vow to wait

 

The remaining four members of K-pop supergroup BTS will begin their 18-month military service in South Korea this week, joining three others already serving, with fans pledging to wait until 2025 for them to perform as a group again.

A group of fans braved rainy weather on Monday to bid a temporary farewell to the seven-member band's leader, RM, and vocalist V in front of their boot camp in the central city of Nonsan.

"I think I'll be fine except for one thing, that I won't be able to make happy memories with you for a while, which is the hardest part," V wrote on fan platform Weverse on Monday, wishing fans well and happiness.

RM also wrote that he might be lonely at times, but that the 18 months would be a chance to get new inspiration and learn new things.

The duo were accompanied by other members of the band, including Jimin and Jung Kook who will start their military service on Tuesday, and the three others who were given a day off from military duty, the Yonhap news agency said.

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18-28 must serve in the military for about two years, as part of efforts to guard against nuclear-armed North Korea.

Known as ARMY, BTS’ global fan base of millions of loyal followers has helped the band support social causes. In 2020, supporters raised more than $1 million for the Black Lives Matter movement in just 25 hours.

Some ARMY fans gathered at a cafe in a Tokyo district known as Korea Town and vowed to wait for their return.

"I feel sad but I think they'll mature more going into the army and come back looking cool so I'm looking forward and want to wait for them," said Ayami Ito, 22, a nursing care worker.

In Seoul, supporters also expressed their sadness.

"It was raining today, and I was a bit depressed," Kim Yong-sun who runs a BTS-themed cafe near the band's agency building.

"ARMY fans came to the cafe and cheered me up. Talking about the members and listening to music, I feel now much better," said Kim, who was wearing a purple cap and hoodie, BTS' signature colour.

Since announcing a break from group projects in June 2022, BTS members have pursued solo activities before starting military service.

Jin, 30, the oldest member, joined the army last December, followed by j-hope in April and Suga in August.

BTS' global success has triggered debate over whether K-pop artists should be allowed to serve for a shorter term, a perk granted to Olympics and Asian Games medallists and some classical musicians with international achievements.

Source: Reuters

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Korea dangles ‘portfolio standard’ as incentive for hydrogen investments

 

The South Korean energy market is dangling ‘clean hydrogen portfolio standard’ or mandatory percentage of off-take (volume purchase) as an incentive for would-be developers or interested investors in its emerging hydrogen industry.

In a presentation at the ongoing 2nd Korea Offshore Wind and Hydrogen Summit here, Seong-hee Yang, senior manager for Global Legal, Finance and  Cooperation Department-International Cooperation Team of Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) noted that the performance standards for hydrogen has been intended “to promote the use of clean hydrogen, and it is separated from the existing RPS (renewable portfolio standard) system and provides a support system that meets the characteristics of hydrogen power generation.”

He emphasized that the mandated pie is 10-percent of the power generation mix and this is typically reckoned from the prior year’s actual record of electricity generation.

Yang said the price and award of hydrogen development contracts would be done through a competitive bidding system as underpinned by Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), which is also its government agency laying down the policy framework for hydrogen investments in the country.

The KEPCO executive qualified that the initial bidding for hydrogen ventures in South Korea kicked off this year, and “electricity sales company and community energy suppliers were designated as mandatory purchasers of hydrogen power generation.”

He added “the amount of clean power KEPCO purchases and the cost of purchasing power are determined in the hydrogen market and passed on to consumers.”

Yang specified that “the hydrogen power generation volume is determined by the MOTIE’s announcement; while unit purchase price is determined in the hydrogen power generation bidding market.”

The KEPCO executive conveyed that the investment-offers for hydrogen developments in Korea have been set two-tiered – one is for the regular or gray hydrogen market that could be utilized in planned re-purposing or retrofit of its thermal plants; while the other is clean or green hydrogen that could be coupled with renewable energy, primarily for offshore wind installations.

For the gas plants, Yang stated that the preliminary target will be 20-percent blend and that will be ramped up eventually as technological innovation for hydrogen advances on commercial maturity, primarily on the facets of cost competitiveness and technology innovation.

And in the targeted co-firing of ammonia with coal plants, ammonia is essentially a derivative of hydrogen – or hydrogen serves as an important catalyst for the production of ammonia. In particular, ‘green ammonia’ would refer to ammonia produced using hydrogen that is generated through renewables or low-carbon sources.

He underscored that the Korean government is aggressively pursuing hydrogen investments as part of the country’s overall decarbonization aspiration and to achieve its mid-century net zero goals.

“The Korean government plans to power the country mainly with hydrogen, renewables and nuclear by 2050 and phaseout coal,” Yang stressed.

And since Korea has limited resources on the production of massive-scale green hydrogen that will satiate the needs of its own market, KEPCO indicated that it will be exploring opportunities for hydrogen production in offshore markets – including those in Australia, Middle East North Africa (MENA) and North America as these markets already show competitiveness on green hydrogen ventures.

The secondary international portfolio that the Korean firm has been setting its sights on would be South Africa and Latin America “where resources are abundant but infrastructure is lacking and political risk is relatively high.”

For green hydrogen, Yang highlighted that the development paradigm “involves integrating water electrolysis and ammonia production facilities with renewable energy infrastructure,” adding that “this approach is similar to the IPP (independent power producer) business model and KEPCO holds an advantage due to its stability to leverage its overseas business experience and core competencies.”

He further cited that “considering the trend of declining unit costs for mid- to long-term renewable energy and hydroelectric facilities and strengthening policy support in various countries, green hydrogen is expected to have medium- to long-term price competitive edge over blue hydrogen.”

As explained, gray hydrogen is produced from natural gas through a process called steam methane reforming (SMR) or a chemical process in which methane from natural gas reacts with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide; while blue hydrogen has the same derivation from natural gas, but the key difference in the development process is the integration of carbon capture and storage or CCS technology. 

Source: Manila Bulletin

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: Travis King in US custody after North Korea expulsion

 

US soldier Travis King, who fled from South to North Korea in July, is in American custody after being expelled by Pyongyang, officials say.

Pvt King was transferred into US custody in China before being flown to a US military installation.

The 23-year-old reconnaissance specialist illegally crossed into North Korea in July.

North Korean media said he had fled because of "inhuman treatment" and racism within the US military.

A senior administration official said on Wednesday that after months of "intense diplomacy" Pvt King had been returned to US hands and had spoken to his family.

"We can confirm Pvt King is very happy to be on his way home, and he is very much looking forward to reuniting with his family," the official said.

"We are going to guide him through a re-integration process that will address any medical and emotional concerns and ensure we get him in a good place to reunite with his family."

The official added that the US made no concessions to secure his release.

After being met by US officials in the Chinese border city of Dandong, Pvt King was taken by a state department aircraft to a US airbase in South Korea.

He was expected to return to US soil on Wednesday afternoon, according to state department spokesperson Matthew Miller.

Earlier on Wednesday, North Korea's state-run news agency said the country had decided to remove Pvt King, without offering further details.

"The relevant body in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has decided to deport US soldier Travis King, who illegally entered the territory of the republic, in accordance with the laws of the republic," it said.

Pvt King has been in the army since January 2021 and was in South Korea as part of a unit rotation.

Before entering North Korea, he had served two months in detention in South Korea on charges that he assaulted two people and kicked a police car. He was released from custody on 10 July.

He had been due to return to the US for disciplinary proceedings, but managed to leave the airport and join a guided tour of the border village of Panmunjom on the heavily guarded Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two countries. Pvt King crossed into North Korea while on the tour.

The senior administration official said that the immediate focus will be on getting him medically evaluated before any potential disciplinary and administrative actions.

According to the senior administration official, the US learned earlier this month that North Korea intended to release Pvt King.

Swedish officials travelled to North Korea and brought Pvt King to its border with China, where he was met by US ambassador Nicholas Burns. China played a "constructive role" but "did not mediate", the official added.

"All these pieces had to come together quickly," the US official said.

As the US and North Korea have no diplomatic relations, Sweden's embassy in Pyongyang has traditionally negotiated on behalf of the US.

A Swedish embassy spokesman confirmed that the country had acted "within its role as a protective power" for the US in North Korea during the King case.

Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for Pvt King's mother, Claudine Gates, said in a statement that she will "forever be grateful" to the US Army and its partners "for a job well done".

The statement added that Pvt King's family does not intend to give any interviews "for the foreseeable future".

His relatives have previously told US media that he had experienced discrimination while serving in the US military.

They have said his mental health suffered during his time in South Korean custody.

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency last month, Ms Gates said her son had "so many reasons to come home".

"I just can't see him ever wanting to just stay in Korea when he has family in America," she said.

Frank Aum, a North Korea expert at the Washington DC-based US Institute of Peace, said that Pvt King's 71-day detention was "fairly typical" in cases of US citizens held in the country who "are not perceived to have committed a major crime".

Some analysts had speculated Pyongyang might have opted to use the US soldier as a diplomatic bargaining chip.

In previous instances, North Korea has insisted a senior US representative travel to the country to negotiate any American detainee's release, though there is so far no indication that happened in this case.

"They [North Korea] have believed that may be some way to help re-start talks," said Mr Aum, who was previously a senior adviser on North Korea at the office of the US secretary of defence.

"But it didn't seem like North Korea was interested in doing that this time. That may be a reflection of the fact that North Korea is not interested in engaging with the US at the moment."

Mr Aum added that North Korean officials were also no doubt keen to avoid "reinforcing an international perception" that they are a major human rights violator making arbitrary detentions.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on Wednesday that while the US "is open to diplomacy" with North Korea, the country's government has repeatedly "rejected" the possibility.

Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence and CIA paramilitary officer, told the BBC it is a "good thing" that Pvt King was being returned to US custody, although he "is a young man that made some mistakes".

"He is a US soldier and it was important that we did everything we could to bring him home," Mr Mulroy added.

Source: BBC 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korean firm offers newest submarines to Philippine Navy

 

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has stepped up a bid to build a pair of submarines for the Philippine Navy, to match the proposals of shipbuilding giants from France and Spain as they vie for the multibillion- peso acquisition project.

Executives from Hanwha Ocean were in Manila last week to formally pitch its newest 2,800-ton Jang Bogo-III submarines to the Philippine Navy for its updated proposal.

The 77-meter diesel-electric submarines with an overall beam of 9.7 meters are equipped with the latest propulsion system and lithium-ion battery technology that could ensure the Philippines’ enhanced defense capability to safeguard its sovereign and strategic maritime interests, Hanwha Ocean vice president Steve SK Jeong said in a press briefing in Manila.

Jeong added that the two-boat submarine offer—which intended to meet the Philippine Navy’s P97-billion budget—is part of a submarine force package that includes training, technology transfer, safety and integrated logistics support, simulators and a maintenance yard in Subic Bay “or anywhere the Navy wants them.”

The government-to-government deal involves a long-term loan with a delivery in seven years once a deal is signed.

Submarine features

The Jang Bogo-III submarines are currently operated by the Republic of Korean Navy for a two-year period.

The vessels are each armed with six torpedo tubes that are also capable of firing antiship missile, have a submerged speed of 21 knots and can handle up to 41 personnel.

In addition, the submarines are equipped with an air independent propulsion system, allowing these vessels extended endurance and range underwater. However, this capability is still subject to negotiation depending on Philippine Navy requirements.

Information from a Hanwha Ocean handout said the lithium ion battery has a shorter charging time and would allow six days of operations without battery charging. The offered submarines also boast shorter maintenance periods compared to the models offered by rivals.

The Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), before it was rebranded to Hanwha Ocean earlier this year, previously offered its 1,400-ton submarines to the Philippine Navy. It has been building submarines since the 1980s.

‘Wise to prepare’

Jeong, a retired Korean Navy vice admiral, said acquiring submarines was a “more economical choice” in the long term.

“Some people say buying, building a submarine force is expensive. It looks like we’re putting in more money the first time but in the long run it is a lot cheaper than building surface force,” he said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: BTS’ Suga Reveals Military Enlistment Date; Reps Ask Fans to “Refrain From Visiting His Workplace”

 

BTS’ Suga is set to enlist for mandatory military service this week, reps said Sunday.

“We have further information regarding Suga’s military service,” BIGHIT Music posted on the South Korean app Weverse. “Suga will be beginning his required service on September 22.”

South Korea requires men between the ages of 18 and 35 to enlist for a period of 18 to 21 months if they are physically fit.

Reps first noted last year that BTS would be required to enlist in the coming months and that all seven members of the group wouldn’t be able to perform together again until 2025.

“There will not be any official events taking place on the day he starts his service or on the day he enters the training camp,” BIGHIT continued. “We kindly ask fans to refrain from visiting Suga at his workplace during the period of his service. Please convey your warm regards and encouragement in your hearts only.”

The reps also gave fans a warning about unauthorized tours or products.

“Please be mindful to avoid getting adversely affected by unauthorized tours or package products that illegally use the artist’s intellectual property,” BIGHIT added. “Our company will take appropriate measures against attempts at any commercial activity that make unauthorized use of artist IP.”

BIGHIT added: “We ask for your continued love and support for SUGA until he completes his service and returns. Our company will also strive to provide all the support he needs during this time.”

For his part, Suga did a live stream on Weverse that was translated by a follower. He told fans that they shouldn’t be sad about his enlistment and that he’d be done in 2025.

Suga released his solo album, D-DAY, under the name Agust D in April. He recently wrapped his Agust D-DAY tour.

In addition to Suga, BTS members Jin and J-Hope also have enlisted.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea counting on PH’s support for Busan’s World Expo 2030 bid

 

The South Korean government is counting on the support of the Philippines, one of its closest allies, for the port city of Busan’s bid to host the World Expo in 2030. 

Busan is competing with Rome, Italy and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to host the World Expo 2030. 

According to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), which regulates “all international exhibitions that last more than three weeks, member states including the Philippines will vote for the host country of the World Expo 2030 during the 173rd General Assembly that will be held in November “on the principle of one country, one vote.”

South Korea is bidding to host the event in Busan between May 1 to Oct. 31 2030 under the theme “Transforming Our World, Navigating Toward a Better Future.” 

World Expos, according to the BIE, “are a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time by offering a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities.” 

In an interview with Manila Bulletin at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC), Park Enna, Korea’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom and the executive committee chairperson of the Citizens Committee Bid for the 2030 Busan World Expo, emphasized the strong partnership of the Philippines and South Korea. 

Park visited the Philippines to get the support of the government for Busan’s bid. 

“The Philippines and Korea, as members of the Pacific, we have the responsibility to make the Pacific area as something which can contribute to the whole world. How we make the Pacific area, how we can contribute to the world, it’s up to us,” she said. 

Park added, “As a genuine partner for the future, the Philippines and Korea, we hope to walk together and we act together.” 

South Korea and the Philippines have strong bilateral relations. The two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of bilateral relations next year. 

Thousands of Filipinos work in South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS), a government-to-government employment program. South Korea has helped the Philippines especially during times of disaster. 

“Korea and the Philippines, we will celebrate next year the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. It means that we will have a significant milestone to upgrade and deepen our collaboration as genuine brother-sister countries,” added Enna. 

She highlighted that “working together for the [Busan World] Expo, it will contribute to our strong bond.” 

Busan: A symbol of transformation 

Enna underscored Busan’s strong capabilities and qualities to host the World Expo 2030. 

“Busan is a symbol of transformation. Busan itself made a big transformation from a small fishing town to become the sixth largest container port in the world. We have a very successful story of transformation,” she said. 

Based on information South Korea submitted to the BIE, the Busan World Expo 2030 is estimated to attract 34.8 million visitors. 

The Busan World Expo 2030 will be held in the Busan North Port, which was Korea’s first trading port.  

“We believe that Busan can inspire the world with our transformation and also our vision for the transformation. The transformation we want to achieve is world transformation. That is the biggest strength of Busan because Busan has the vision for the world,” said Park. 

Busan’s second strength, she said, is that it is a maritime city. 

“Among candidates, Busan is the only city which connects the land and ocean. Our human civilization should utilize both land and ocean. Busan is the best location to implement that vision,” according to her. 

She added, “Busan can also inspire the world with its values. Values of openness, democracy, rule-based order, tolerance and innovation–those values on which future civilization should be built.” 

“Busan is ready to implement the vision of the Expo. Expo is no longer a simple exhibition of new technologies and inventions. Expo is a platform to present solutions to the problems or challenges of humanity like climate change, digital divide or new technology, unprecedented technology like AI [artificial intelligence] and robotics, and inequality issues,” she emphasized. 

According to Park, “Expo should present a blueprint for the future. Busan is the best, the most suitable one, the most desirable one to implement the mission of the Expo.”

“It is part of our redevelopment, the generation project of all the town. Our original port should make its own transformation from a port city to a green, innovative, smart city. Busan is ready in terms of logistics, transportation, accommodation and providing all the facilities required for the Expo,” she said. 

Last April, an enquiry team from BEI visited Busan to check on the aspects of the proposal submitted by South Korea for the World Expo 2030. 

The visiting mission, led by Patrick Specht, the president of the administration and budget committee, was met by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. 

“Their conclusion was all  candidate cities are qualified but among all others, Busan is the most ready to host the Expo,” added Park. 

Members of Grammy-nominated K-pop group BTS are the honorary ambassadors for the World Expo 2030 Busan. They were officially appointed in a ceremony last year. 

Enna said Busan is confident in winning the bid to host the World Expo 2030. 

“The Expo should serve to the humanity. Busan is a symbol of transformation and has a strong vision for the future, especially Busan citizens are very enthusiastic to have the Expo. This Expo is actually a citizen-driven initiative. It’s a participatory process,” said Park. 

Source: Manila Bulletin 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea conducts missile launch into sea after US bomber drills

 

North Korea fired at least two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Wednesday, August 30, South Korea’s military said, hours after the United States separately deployed B-1B bombers for allied air drills.

Japan’s defense ministry also reported that at least one suspected ballistic missile was launched, while Japanese media reported that two missiles were fired and landed outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“Our military has strengthened surveillance and vigilance in preparation for additional provocations, and is maintaining full readiness through close cooperation between Korea and the United States,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The launch comes a day before South Korea and the US wrap up 11 days of combined military drills, which Pyongyang has denounced.

The B-1B bombers conducted separate air drills with warplanes from South Korea and Japan earlier on Wednesday.

North Korea’s ballistic missiles are banned by United Nations Security Council resolutions that have imposed strict sanctions on the nuclear-armed country.

The US is concerned that arms negotiations between Russia and North Korea are actively advancing, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told a briefing on Wednesday, noting that any arms deal would violate sanctions.

Kirby said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had recently travelled to North Korea to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia.

The United States and South Korean militaries want to more closely integrate their systems for tracking North Korean missile launches, an effort that may soon include more cooperation with Japan as well, US Space Force officials said on Wednesday.

US President Joe Biden agreed with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at an Aug. 18 summit that by the end of this year the three countries would share North Korea missile warning data in real time.

Source: Reuters 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea says US soldier fled because of racism in army

 

North Korea has said US soldier Travis King crossed into its territory last month because of "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination" in the army.

The 23-year-old private dashed across the border from South Korea on 18 July while on a guided tour.

Private King admitted to crossing illegally and wanted refuge in the North, state media reported.

Washington said it could not verify the claims, which are Pyongyang's first public comments on the case.

Concerns have been growing for the welfare of the US soldier- who has not been heard from or seen since his crossing.

The US is trying to negotiate Private King's release with the help of the UN Command, which runs the border area, and has a direct phoneline to the North Korean army.

Responding to the North Korean report on Wednesday, a Pentagon official said their priority was to have Private King brought home safely "through all available channels".

North Korea has given no information on how it plans to treat Private King but said the soldier admitted he had "illegally" entered the country.

State news agency KCNA did not say if he would face prosecution or punishment.

In the report, there was no mention of his current whereabouts or condition.

"During the investigation, Travis King confessed that he had decided to come over to the DPRK [North Korea] as he harboured ill feeling against inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the US Army," KCNA reported.

"He also expressed his willingness to seek refuge in the DPRK or a third country, saying that he was disillusioned at the unequal American society."

Private King is a reconnaissance specialist who has been in the army since January 2021 and was in South Korea as part of his rotation.

Before crossing the border, he served two months in detention in South Korea for assault charges and was released on 10 July.

He was supposed to fly back to the US to face disciplinary proceedings but managed to leave the airport and join a tour of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates North and South Korea.

The DMZ, one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world, is filled with landmines, surrounded by electric and barbed wire fencing, and monitored by surveillance cameras. Armed guards are supposed to be on alert 24 hours a day although witnesses say there were no North Korean soldiers present when Private King ran over.

His family have previously told US media that he had relayed experiencing racism in the army. They also said his mental health appeared to have declined prior to his disappearance.

"It feels like I'm in a big nightmare," said his mother Claudine Gates, adding the family was desperate for answers.

North Korea is one of the few countries still under nominally communist rule and has long been a highly secretive and isolated society.

Its government, led by Kim Jong-un, also stands accused of systematic human rights abuse.

Analysts say the defection of Travis King has played into North Korea's anti-US messaging, at a time when relations between the two countries are their worst in years.

Pyongyang will most likely have relished the opportunity to highlight racism and other shortcomings in American society, especially given the international criticism it receives for human rights abuses.

The UN Security Council is due to hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the human rights situation in North Korea for the first time since 2017.

Ahead of its comments on Travis King, North Korean media had put out a statement on the UN meeting, which will be led by the US.

"Not content with fostering racial discrimination and gun-related crimes, the US has imposed unethical human rights standards on other countries", it read.

Source: BBC 

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: UK scouts pulled out of camp after S Korea heatwave

 

UK scouts are set to leave an international event in South Korea that has been hit by extreme heat.

Hundreds have fallen ill at the outdoor World Scout Jamboree, which is attended by more than 40,000 young people from around the world, amid 35C (95F) heat.

The British group of more than 4,000, the largest in attendance, is moving from Saemangeum to Seoul, the Scout Association confirmed.

The South Korean government said it was sending water and medics to the site.

The jamboree, described as the world's largest youth camp, gathers scouts from around the world every four years, each time in a different country.

This is the first since the pandemic and is due to run until 12 August.

Many of the parents the BBC has spoken to have said their children spent years preparing to attend the event, often raising thousands of pounds to do so.

Thunderstorms are forecast for the region in which it is taking place, while temperatures will feel hotter than 40C due to high humidity, according to AccuWeather.

The World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM), the largest international Scouting organisation, said it had asked the Korean Scout Association, which is hosting the event, to consider ending early.

The movement said that the host "decided to go ahead with the event" and assured participants that it was doing "everything possible to address the issues caused by the heat wave".

The WOSM called on the South Korean government to "honour" its commitments to provide extra resources and make the health and safety of participants its "top priority".

UK Scouts, the country's largest scouting organisation, said its group would be moved to hotels over the next two days to "alleviate the pressure on the site overall".

It added that its volunteers and others had worked to give their members "enough food and water... shelter from the unusually hot weather... and toilets and washing facilities appropriate for an event of this scale."

The group will travel home on 13 August as planned.

Parents of children at the campsite told the BBC that no activities were taking place due to the heat, and some people with specific dietary requirements were not being catered for.

Others have defended the event, saying their children were disappointed that they had to leave.

One mother from the north-east of England said that what was meant to be a "great life experience" had turned into a "survival mission" for her 16-year-old daughter.

"She knew it would be hot but not as hot as it is. They cannot cool down, their tents are too hot," said the mother, who did not wish to be named.

Her daughter had told her that the showers and toilets were "appalling and unsafe", with "floating rubbish, plasters and hair" blocking drains.

She said she was delighted that her daughter was being moved to Seoul, which is about 120 miles (197km) from the campsite.

Another parent said the situation was so bad they put their daughter on a plane back to the UK on Friday. "My priority was my daughter's welfare," they said.

However Peter Naldrett told the BBC that his two children were "frustrated, upset and angry" about having to leave.

"My kids have said that the toilets are a bit grim but it's manageable," he said.

Shannon Swaffer, whose 15-year-old daughter is at the event, said the children were "all devastated that it's ended early".

"By all accounts the heat is intolerable and adults and kids alike can't continue there," she said, adding that her family were "lifelong Scout people" and that the leaders had been "absolutely phenomenal".

Rebecca Coldwell said her 17-year-old daughter had received "outstanding" medical care for an infected wound, and that she was "heartbroken" about having to move to hotels.

UK Scouts has been asked for comment regarding claims of poor sanitation.

The Foreign Office said on Thursday that it had officials on the ground supporting British scouts.

South Korea is experiencing a sweltering summer and authorities have issued the country's highest hot weather warning for the first time in four years.

The majority of those attending the camping event are aged between 14 and 18. There are groups from 155 countries.

Officials told Reuters that at least 600 people had been treated for heat-related illnesses in recent days. Their nationalities were not specified.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo announced that aid was being sent to the site amid criticism from some that authorities failed to plan for extreme heat.

"The government will use all its resources to ensure that the jamboree can end safely amid the heatwave," he said.

Air-conditioned buses, water trucks and medical staff were being dispatched.

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea confirms custody of US soldier

 

North Korea has confirmed custody of Travis King in its first response to requests for information on the US soldier's whereabouts, the UN Command has said.

The 23-year-old private dashed across the border from South Korea on 18 July while on a guided tour.

The UN Command said it would not give more details about Pyongyang's response at this time.

It said it "did not want to interfere with the efforts to bring him home".

However, the reply indicates Pyongyang could be ready to start negotiating.

The UN Command, which polices the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), had sought information on Private 2nd Class (PV2) King using its direct phone line to the North Korean Army [KPA] in the Joint Security Area.

"KPA has responded to the United Nations Command with regards to PV2 King. In order not to interfere with our efforts to get him home, we will not go into details at this time," a statement said.

The North Koreans had previously acknowledged the request but this is the first time they have responded, confirming the US solider is in their custody.

North Korea has not publicly acknowledged custody of PV2 King.

Before he crossed the border, PV2 King served two months in detention in South Korea for assault charges. He was released on 10 July.

He was supposed to fly back to the US to face disciplinary proceedings but managed to leave the airport and join the DMZ tour.

He is a reconnaissance specialist who had been in the army since January 2021 and was in South Korea as part of his rotation.

The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separates the two Koreas and is one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world.

It is filled with landmines, surrounded by electric and barbed wire fencing and surveillance cameras. Armed guards are supposed to be on alert 24 hours a day.

The DMZ has separated the two countries since the Korean War in the 1950s, in which the US backed the South.

The war ended with an armistice, meaning that the two sides are still technically at war. Tens of thousands of US troops remain in the South.

As the US and North Korea do not have diplomatic relations, the Swedish embassy in Pyongyang tends to negotiate on behalf of the US. Currently its diplomatic staff are not in the country, because of the ongoing border closure since the pandemic.

Both the UN Command, that runs the border area, and the South Korean military have direct phone lines to the North Korean military, that they call daily to check in, though the North Koreans do not always pick up.

In recent years, a number of American citizens who illegally entered North Korea - excluding those convicted of criminal activity there - have been released within six months.

The detention of the soldier presents a major foreign policy headache for US President Joe Biden. PV2 King is believed to be the only American citizen currently in North Korean custody. Six South Koreans remain in detention there.

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: US soldier held by North Korea after crossing border

 

North Korea is reported to have detained a serving US army soldier who crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea without permission.

The man was on an organised tour of the UN-run zone dividing the two countries.

The crisis comes during a particularly tense time with the North, one of the world's most isolated states. The US tells its citizens not to go there.

A senior US commander said there had been no contact with the soldier.

Admiral John Aquilino Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command said he was "not tracking" contact with North Korea. He said the soldier had acted willingly by "making a run" but without authorisation, and the incident was being investigated by US Forces Korea.

Hours after the soldier's detention, North Korea launched two suspected ballistic missiles into the nearby sea.

The missile launch, which has been confirmed by South Korea's military, comes as tensions run high on the Korean peninsula. There has been no suggestion that the launch is tied to the soldier's detention.

It is unclear if the man has defected to North Korea or hopes to return. There has been no word yet from the North.

The Pentagon has identified the soldier as Private 2nd Class (PV2) Travis King. In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson said that PV2 King had been in the army since January 2021.

He is a cavalry scout - a reconnaissance specialist - originally assigned to an element of the army's 1st Armoured Division on a rotation with the US military in South Korea.

The Associated Press reports that PV2 King was apparently facing disciplinary action after being held in South Korea on assault charges.

According to the BBC's US partner CBS News, PV2 King passed through airport security in Seoul but somehow managed to leave the terminal and get on a tour of the border, from where he crossed over.

The American military has said he did so "wilfully and without authorisation".

An eyewitness on the same tour told CBS they had visited a building at the border site - reported by local media to be the truce village of Panmunjom - when "this man gives out a loud 'ha ha ha' and just runs in between some buildings".

"I thought it was a bad joke at first but, when he didn't come back, I realised it wasn't a joke and then everybody reacted and things got crazy," they said.

The United Nations Command, which operates the Demilitarised Zone and joint security area (JSA), said earlier its team had made contact with the North Korean military to try to negotiate his release.

"We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA [Korean People's Army - North Korea's military] counterparts to resolve this incident," it said.

It is unclear where or in what conditions PV2 King is being held.

Greg Scarlatoiu, executive director of the Washington DC-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, told the BBC that North Korean authorities were likely to "try pump information out of him" about his military service and "try to coerce him into becoming a propaganda tool".

The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separates the two Koreas and is one of the most heavily fortified areas in the world.

It is filled with landmines, surrounded by electric and barbed wire fencing and surveillance cameras. Armed guards are supposed to be on alert 24 hours a day.

The DMZ has separated the two countries since the Korean War in the 1950s, in which the US backed the South. The war ended with an armistice, meaning that the two sides are still technically at war.

Dozens of people try to escape North Korea every year, fleeing poverty and famine, but defections across the DMZ are extremely dangerous and rare. The country sealed its borders in 2020 at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and has yet to reopen them.

The last time a soldier defected at the JSA was in 2017, when a North Korean soldier drove a vehicle, then ran by foot across the military demarcation line, South Korea said at the time. The soldier was shot at 40 times, but survived.

Before the pandemic more than 1,000 people fled from North Korea to China every year, according to numbers released by the South Korean government.

The detention of the soldier presents a major foreign policy headache for US President Joe Biden. PV2 King is believed to be the only American citizen currently in North Korean custody. Six South Koreans remain in detention there.

Relations between the US and the North plummeted in 2017 after a US student who had been arrested a year earlier for stealing a propaganda sign was returned to the US in a comatose state and later died. His family blames the North Korean authorities for his death.

Three US citizens were later freed during Donald Trump's presidency in 2018. But ultimately, a series of talks held between Kim Jong Un and the former US president did little to improve the relationship.

North Korea has since tested dozens of increasingly powerful missiles that could carry nuclear warheads, which have been met by a slew of sanctions by the US and its allies.

The detention of the US national comes on the same day as a US nuclear-capable submarine docked in South Korea for the first time since 1981.

The submarine was specifically supplied to help the country deal with the nuclear threat posed by North Korea. Ahead of its deployment there were threats of retaliation from the authorities in Pyongyang, which warned the US that sending nuclear weapons to the peninsula could spark a nuclear crisis.

Hours after PV2 King's detention, South Korea's military confirmed that two ballistic missiles were launched from North Korea and landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.

Source: BBC

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: South Korea landslides, floods kill 7, over 1,000 evacuated

 

Seven people have died, three were missing, seven injured and thousands evacuated in South Korea on Saturday, officials said, as a third day of torrential rains caused landslides and the overflow of a dam.

As of 11 a.m. (0200 GMT), 1,567 people had been evacuated nationwide, according to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, and the number could rise as water overtopped the dam in North Chungcheong province.

Local governments' evacuation orders covered more than 7,000 people at various times, according to provincial authorities.

As of 9 a.m., more than 2,700 tonnes of water per second was flowing into Goesan Dam, the maximum it can discharge.

Korea Railroad Corp said it was halting all slow trains and some bullet trains, while other bullet trains might be delayed due to slower operation, as landslides, track flooding and falling rocks threatened safety.

A slow train derailed late on Friday when a landslide threw earth and sand over tracks in North Chungcheong province, the transport ministry said. The engineer was injured, but no passengers were on board.

In a meeting with government agencies on Saturday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo called for the military to actively join in rescue activities, working with government officials to mobilize equipment and manpower.

Source: Reuters

THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA: North Korea fires long-range ballistic missile

 

North Korea has fired a long-range ballistic missile, the South Korean military said Wednesday, days after Pyongyang threatened to down US spy planes that violated its airspace.

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points ever, with diplomacy stalled and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for increased weapons development, including tactical nukes.

In response, Seoul and Washington have ramped up security cooperation, vowing that Pyongyang would face a nuclear response and the "end" of its current government were it to ever use its nuclear weapons against the allies.

South Korea's military said it had detected the launch of a long-range ballistic missile fired from the Pyongyang area around 10 am (0100 GMT).

"The ballistic missile was fired on a lofted trajectory and flew 1,000 km (620 miles) before splashing down in the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.

A lofted trajectory involves firing a missile up and not out, a method Pyongyang has previously said it employs in some weapons tests to avoid flying over neighbouring countries.

The launch "is a grave provocation that damages the peace and security of the Korean peninsula" and violates UN sanctions on Pyongyang, the JCS said, calling on North Korea to stop such actions.

Pyongyang last fired one of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles in April -- the purportedly solid-fuelled Hwasong-18 -- and in February launched a Hwasong-15, which flew a similar 989 km.

The flight time of around 70 minutes is also similar to some of North Korea's previous ICBM launches, experts said.

"Given what we have at this point, it's about 90 percent certain that it was an ICBM launch," Choi Gi-il, a professor of military studies at Sangji University, told AFP.

He added that it could also have been North Korea attempting to re-test its satellite launch technology to prepare for another attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit, after a May launch failed.

- 'Provocative' US actions -

Wednesday's launch came after North Korea on Monday accused a US spy plane of violating its airspace and condemned Washington's plans to deploy a nuclear missile submarine near the Korean peninsula.

A spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of National Defence said the United States had "intensified espionage activities beyond the wartime level", citing "provocative" spy plane flights over eight straight days this month.

"There is no guarantee that such shocking accident as downing of the US Air Force strategic reconnaissance plane will not happen in the East Sea of Korea," the spokesperson added.

Kim's powerful sister Kim Yo Jong said that a US spy aircraft had violated the country's eastern airspace twice on Monday morning, according to a separate statement.

Kim Yo Jong said North Korea would not respond directly to US reconnaissance activities outside of the country's exclusive economic zone, but warned it would take "decisive action" if its maritime military demarcation line was crossed.

The United States said in April that one of its nuclear-armed ballistic submarines would visit a South Korean port for the first time in decades, without specifying an exact date.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has ramped up defence cooperation with Washington in response, staging joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and long-range heavy bombers.

Yoon is set to attend a NATO summit in Lithuania this week, seeking stronger cooperation with the alliance's members over North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats.

"Kim Yo Jong's bellicose statement against US surveillance aircraft is part of a North Korean pattern of inflating external threats to rally domestic support and justify weapons tests," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

"Pyongyang also times its shows of force to disrupt what it perceives as diplomatic coordination against it, in this case, South Korea and Japan's leaders meeting during the NATO summit."

Source: Agence-France-Presse