Category: North Korea

S. Korea, U.S. not considering any military measures against N. Korea: Cheong Wa Dae

Official White House Photo. South Korea and US Presidents and First Ladies, November, 2017.

2017/12/01 12:28

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States have not discussed any military options, including a naval blockade, against North Korea, an official from South Korea’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.

The remarks came hours after President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump held their second telephone conversation in just two days to discuss ways to rein in North Korea’s evolving missile technologies.

“The issue of a naval blockade was never mentioned in the phone call with President Trump,” the official told reporters, while speaking on condition of anonymity.

The possibility of a naval blockade surfaced immediately after North Korea launched a believed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in the wee hours of Wednesday, ending its 75-day hiatus in provocations.

Many experts said the idea is the only possible option available as Seoul and Washington have long been maintaining what they called “the strongest” sanctions and pressure against North Korea under bilateral and international efforts.

The Cheong Wa Dae official noted the countries continue to move toward maximum sanctions and pressure but said there are many other options left, such as a complete cut off of oil supplies to the communist state as suggested by Trump.

“I may not discuss every detail of the call between the two leaders, but I can confirm that there were no suggestions or discussions about military steps or a naval blockade,” he said.

The official also insisted the North’s latest missile provocation may not warrant a military action despite Pyongyang’s earlier claim that the launch was successful and that it marked the completion of building what it called a “state nuclear force.”

“We and the United States do not accept North Korea’s declaration of being a nuclear state itself,” the official said, adding the president, too, has stressed the need to first verify the North’s claimed success in its latest missile test.

In his second telephone call with Trump, the South Korean leader was quoted as saying the North’s claimed completion of developing an ICBM has not been confirmed.

 

Hwasong-15 ICBM: An Analysis of North Korea’s Photos by South Korean Experts

2017/11/30

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) — North Korea released photos of its new long-range ballistic missile Thursday, which features a different warhead shape from the previous version.

The front part of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is round and relatively blunt, while that of the Hwasong-14 ICBM is sharp, according to a photograph published by the Rodong Sinmun, a newspaper of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and monitored online here. It was shown on a transporter erector launcher (TEL) with nine wheels on each side, indicating the new one is longer than the Hwasong-14, which is carried by a 16-wheel TEL.

The newspaper also made public dozens of other photos of the new ICBM launch early Wednesday morning, including those of leader Kim Jong-un giving a “field guidance” at the launch site north of Pyongyang.

He pumped his fist, monitoring flight data on a screen and celebrating the successful launch with his aides. The missile reportedly flew 950 kilometers at an apogee of 4,475 km to splash into the East Sea.

The North announced that it has completed its “nuclear force” and claimed the ICBM is capable of hitting all areas of the United States and delivering a “super-sized heavy” nuclear warhead.

The newspaper used four front pages to hype up the communist nation’s first ballistic missile firing in 2 1/2 months.

Experts said the round warhead tip may reflect the North’s pursuit of a multiple reentry vehicle.

“North Korea seems to have designed the protection cover of the reentry vehicle in consideration of a possible multiple warhead system,” said Chang Young-keun, a missile expert at Korea Aerospace University in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

He added it appears to have replaced the engine system for the second-stage rocket.

“There’s a possibility that it has a bigger fuel tank and more vernier thrusters,” Chang said. “But it remains unconfirmed whether it’s a solid-fuel engine.”

Shin Jong Woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense Security Forum (KODEF) based in Seoul, said the North seems to have used a cluster engine for the first stage of the Hwasong-15 as well.

“The Hwasong-14 type was equipped with one Paektusan rocket engine but the Hwasong-15 appears to have two,” he said.

Pyongyang fired two Hwasong-14 ICBMs in July.

It remains uncertain whether the isolated communist nation has developed a brand-new ICBM in just a few months.

North Korea Announces Missile was Hwasong-15 ICBM Capable of Striking U.S.

 

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea announced Wednesday that it has successfully tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), claiming that the missile can strike anywhere in the continental United States with a nuclear warhead.

North Korea launched a Hwasong-15 ICBM earlier in the day from an area north of Pyongyang, according to the state-run TV broadcaster in its “important” announcement.

In July, Pyongyang test-fired two Hwasong-14 ICBMs.

The North’s missile flew 960 kilometers to an altitude of around 4,500 km, Seoul’s military said.

“North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced that the country realized great historic cause of completing state nuclear force,” the North’s media said.

Chronology of North Korea’s missile, rocket launches

Photo Courtesy Yonhap News Agency.

2017/11/29

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired what appears to be a long-range ballistic missile on Wednesday. The following is a chronology of the North’s major missile provocations.

— Aug. 31, 1998: North Korea fires off its first ballistic missile, the Unha-1, also known as the Taepodong-1, from the launch site of Musudan-ri in North Hamgyong Province.

— July 5, 2006: North Korea test-fires an advanced version of the Taepodong-2 missile at the Musudan-ri launch site.

— April 5, 2009: North Korea launches the Unha-2 rocket at the Musudan-ri launch site with the attendance of leader Kim Jong-il and his son, Kim Jong-un.

— April 13, 2012: North Korea fires off a long-range rocket, the Unha-3, from the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province. But the rocket crashes in pieces into the sea shortly after takeoff.

— Dec. 1, 2012: North Korea says it will launch a working satellite, the Kwangmyongsong-3, on the carrier rocket Unha-3, between Dec. 10 and 22.

— Dec. 10, 2012: North Korea extends the rocket launch window until Dec. 29, citing technical problems in the first-stage control engine module.

— Dec. 12, 2012: North Korea launches a long-range rocket from the Dongchang-ri launch site in North Pyongan Province.

— May 8, 2015: North Korea for the first time tests a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), dubbed KN-11. Seoul said that it was more of a test for the ejection rather than firing.

— Nov. 28, 2015: North Korea fires off an SLBM in the East Sea, but Seoul views the test as a failure.

— Dec. 21, 2015: South Korea’s military says North Korea conducted another SLBM test in December, but the test ended in failure. The Washington Free Beacon reported that North Korea succeeded in the underwater test of a KN-11 missile near the eastern port of Sinpo on Dec. 21, citing unidentified U.S. defense officials.

— Feb. 2, 2016: North Korea notifies U.N. agencies of its plan to launch a satellite between Feb. 8 and 25.

— Feb. 6, 2016: North Korea informs the International Maritime Organization of its plan to move up the launch date to Feb. 7-14.

— Feb. 7, 2016: North Korea fires a long-range rocket from the Dongchang-ri launch site at around 9:30 a.m. The North claims it has successfully placed a satellite, named Kwangmyongsong-4, into orbit.

— March 18, 2016: North Korea launches what appears to be two mid-range Rodong ballistic missiles from its western province.

— April 15, 2016: North Korea conducts its first test-launch of an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, also known as the BM-25, but the launch ends in failure.

— April 23, 2016: North Korea test-fires an SLBM in the East Sea, which flies only about 30 km

— April 28, 2016: North Korea launches two intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missiles, but the launches end in failure.

— May 31, 2016: North Korea test-fires an intermediate-range Musudan, but the launch ends in failure.

— June 22, 2016: North Korea fires off two intermediate-range Musudan missiles. One missile flies about 400 km, which experts widely view as a success.

— July 9, 2016: North Korea launches an SLBM off its east coast, but Seoul says the missile appears to have exploded at an altitude of some 10 kilometers.

— July 19, 2016: North Korea test-fires two mid-range Rodong missiles and a shorter-range Scud missile.

— Aug. 3, 2016: North Korea fires off two mid-range Rodong ballistic missiles from near the southwestern area. One missile flies about 1,000 km before falling into Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

— Aug. 24, 2016: North Korea test-fires an SLBM in waters off its east coast towards Japan. The missile flies about 500 km, making it the longest flight by such a missile.

— Oct. 15, 2016: North Korea fires off an intermediate-range Musudan ballistic missile, but it explodes after launch.

— Oct. 20, 2016: North Korea launches what appears to be an intermediate-range Musudan, but the test ends in failure.

— Feb. 12, 2017: North Korea launches a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, Pukguksong-2, into the East Sea. Experts say the country appears to apply technology used in the SLBM to have developed a new missile.

— March 6, 2017: North Korea fires four ballistic missiles from its the Dongchang-ri launch site toward the East Sea.

— March 22, 2017: North Korea launches a missile from its east coast that is presumed to have failed. The type of the missile is not confirmed.

— April 5, 2017: North Korea fires what appears to be a type of KN-15 intermediate-range ballistic missile.

— May 14, 2017: North Korea fires a new mid-to-long-range ballistic missile, the Hwasong-12, from a northwest site. It flies about 700 km before landing in the East Sea.

— May 21, 2017: North Korea fires the ground-to-ground Pukguksong-2 missile, also known as a KN-15. It flies more than 500 km.

— May 27, 2017: North Korea is presumed to have launched a surface-to-air guided missile, believed to be a KN-06, from the eastern region.

— May 29, 2017: North Korea fires what is presumed to be a Scud-type ballistic missile. It flies about 450 km.

— June 8, 2017: North Korea test-fires multiple surface-to-ship cruise missiles.

— July 4, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile from a northwestern province into waters off its east coast. Pyongyang claims that it successfully test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile and that it reached an altitude of 2,802 kilometers and flew 933 km.

— July 28, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile from the northern province of Jagang into the East Sea.

— Aug. 26, 2017: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.

— Aug. 29, 2017: North Korea launches a ballistic missile over Japan from a region near Pyongyang. It flies more than 2,700 kmat a maximum altitude of around 550 km.

— Sept. 15, 2017: North Korea fires a ballistic missile over Japan from Pyongyang. It reaches as high as some 770 km and flies around 3,700 km. It marked the first missile launch after the U.N. Security Council implemented fresh sanctions over its sixth nuclear test.

— Nov. 29, 2017: North Korea launches what appears to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It flies some 960 km, reaching an apogee of around 4,500 km.

Urgent Statements from South Korea: NK Ballistic Missile Launch

Photo: North Korea fires a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile on Sept. 15, 2017, in this file photo. (Yonhap)

Statement 1.

(URGENT) N. Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea JCS

2017/11/29 03:21

Statement 2.

Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea JCS

2017/11/29 03:28

 

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile from South Pyongan Province early Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The missile flew eastward and the South Korean military is analyzing details with the U.S., it said.

Statement 3.

(LEAD) N. Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea’s military

2017/11/29 03:37

(ATTN: UPDATES with details)

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile from an area north of Pyongyang early Wednesday, South Korea’s military said.

“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile eastward from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at dawn today,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing the trajectory, it added.

It marked the North’s first ballistic missile launch since Sept. 15, when it fired an intermediate ballistic missile.

Statement 4.

(URGENT) S. Korea’s military stages ‘precision strike’ missile exercise in response to N. Korea’s missile launch: JCS.

2017/11/29 03:57

Statement 5.

(2nd LD) N. Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea’s military

2017/11/29 04:06

(ATTN: UPDATES with details; ADDS photo)

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile from an area north of Pyongyang early Wednesday, resuming its provocative act after a 75-day lull, according to South Korea’s military.

“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17 a.m. today,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

South Korean and U.S. authorities are analyzing related details including the flight distance and trajectory of the projectile, it added.

In response to the North’s provocation, the South’s armed forces conducted a “precision strike” missile launch starting at around 3:23 a.m., said the JCS.

It marked the North’s first ballistic missile launch since Sept. 15, when it fired an intermediate ballistic missile over Japan.

Statement 6.

Pentagon detects ‘probable’ N.K. missile launch

2017/11/29 04:29

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28 (Yonhap) — The Pentagon detected a “probable” missile launch from North Korea Tuesday and is assessing the situation, a spokesman said.

“At approximately 1:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time), we detected a probable missile launch from North Korea,” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Chris Logan said. “We are in the process of assessing the situation and will provide additional information when available.”

South Korea’s military said the North fired an unidentified ballistic missile eastward from South Pyongan Province, north of Pyongyang.

It marks North Korea’s first missile launch since Sept. 15.

Statement 7.

(URGENT) Pentagon: Initial assessment indicates N.K. missile was ICBM

2017/11/29 05:05

Statement 8.

(URGENT) N. Korea’s missile flies around 960km at altitude of 4,500km.

2017/11/29 05:06

 

(END)

Statement 9.

(URGENT) S. Korean President Moon Jae-in convenes NSC meeting to discuss N. Korea’s missile launch.

2017/11/29 05:11

(END)

Statement 10.

(3rd LD) N. Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea’s military

2017/11/29 05:17

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile from an area north of Pyongyang early Wednesday, resuming its provocative act after a 75-day lull, according to South Korea’s military.

“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17 a.m. today,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missile flew some 960 kilometers at an apogee of around 4,500 km, it added.

The Japanese government reportedly said the missile flew for 50 minutes and apparently landed in its exclusive economic zone.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss the issue, according to his office, Cheong Wa Dae.

The South’s armed forces also conducted a “precision strike” missile launch near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea starting at around 3:23 a.m. in response to the North’s provocation, said the JCS.

It marked the North’s first ballistic missile launch since Sept. 15, when it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

Statement 11.

S. Korea holds missile exercise against N. Korea’s provocation

2017/11/29 05:31

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s military said Wednesday it conducted live-fire missile training on Wednesday near the eastern sea border with North Korea minutes after its ballistic missile launch.

The South’s Army, Navy and Air Force staged the 20-minute combined drill close to the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea from 3:23 a.m. according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

It involved the Army’s missile unit, the Navy’s Aegis ship and the Air Force’s KF-16 fighter jet, each firing a missile at a simulated target set in consideration of the distance to the site where the North’s shot the ballistic missile.

The North launched it from the vicinity of Pyongsong, just north of Pyongyang.

The South’s armed forces responded with the three missiles — Hyunmoo-II, Haesong-II and SPICE-2000, which hit the target simultaneously, added the JCS.

The quick military response came as the military closely monitored the North’s provocation, it said.

“Our military is keeping a eye on North Korea’s military activities 24 hours,” it said. “It shows our resolve and ability to strike the origin of provocation and core facilities with precision anytime on the ground, at sea and in the air.”

(END)

Statement 12.

(4th LD) N. Korea fires ballistic missile: S. Korea’s military

2017/11/29 05:48

ATTN: UPDATES throughout with Pentagon’s statement from 4th para)

By Lee Chi-dong and Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Nov. 29 (Yonhap) — North Korea fired what appeared to be a long-range missile from an area north of Pyongyang early Wednesday, resuming its provocations after a 75-day lull, according to South Korean and U.S. militaries.

“North Korea launched an unidentified ballistic missile into the East Sea from the vicinity of Pyongsong, South Pyongan Province, at around 3:17 a.m. today,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The missile flew some 960 kilometers at an apogee of around 4,500 km, it said.

The altitude suggests the North might have tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

“Initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM),” Pentagon spokesman Col. Robert Manning said in a statement.

He added the missile traveled about 1,000km and landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

“We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch,” he said. “The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, our territories or our allies.”

South Korean President Moon Jae-in convened a National Security Council (NSC) meeting to discuss the issue, according to his office, Cheong Wa Dae.

The South’s armed forces also conducted a “precision strike” missile launch near the Northern Limit Line in the East Sea starting at around 3:23 a.m. in response to the North’s provocation, said the JCS.

It marked the North’s first ballistic missile launch since Sept. 15, when it fired an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

It’s the communist nation’s 11th missile provocation since the South’s president took office in May with the stated policy goal of improving inter-Korean ties and bringing lasting peace to the peninsula.

Radio signals suggest N. Korea possibly preparing for missile launch

KYODO NEWS KYODO NEWS

The Japanese government has been on alert after catching radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a ballistic missile launch, government sources said Monday, November 27, 2017.

“North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,” one of the sources said.

But as satellite images have not shown a missile or a movable launch pad, the signals may only be related to winter training for the North Korean military, the sources said.

The reclusive state has been relatively quiet recently, not conducting a nuclear or missile test since Sept. 15 when it launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile over northern Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

Analysts say, however, the North may resort to more military provocations after U.S. President Donald Trump put Pyongyang back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism on Nov. 20.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warned in a statement on Sept. 21 that he could take the “highest-level” of retaliatory action against the United States after Trump threatened to “totally destroy” the country if it moves against the United States or its allies, in a speech at the United Nations earlier that month.

South Korea propaganda loudspeakers are coming down

Photo courtesy Yonhap News Agency, released by South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

UPDATE:

SEOUL, May 1 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s defense authorities began taking down loudspeakers installed along the border with North Korea on Tuesday in Seoul’s first action to follow up on their summit deal last week, officials said.

 

SEOUL, Nov. 26 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s military is broadcasting towards North Korean servicemen the news of the young North Korean soldier who defected to South Korea through the heavily armed land border earlier this month, according to military officials on Sunday.

The news started to be broadcast through the South Korean military’s loudspeakers set up along the inter-Korean border shortly after the defection on Nov. 13, the officials said.

The broadcast operation is aimed at disseminating outside news to the reclusive country’s soldiers and border residents as part of ongoing psychological warfare between the two Koreas as they remain technically at war since the Korean War (1950-53) ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The 24-year-old North Korean soldier, identified only by his family name Oh, ran away from his military unit to to the South Korean side of the military demarcation line in the truce village of Panmunjom, where both South and North Korean soldiers keep watch.

He was shot multiple times by North Korean soldiers in the defection process and is recuperating at a hospital after receiving treatment in South Korea.

The officials said that the military broadcast is currently featuring the defection case in great detail, including how he defected and was shot and treated in South Korea as well as how the North Korean side chased and fired at Oh in violation of the Truce Agreement.

Sunday’s broadcast, for example, pointed to the North Korean Army’s dire health conditions, saying that “The nutritive conditions of the North Korean soldier who recently defected through the Panmunjom were unveiled,” according to the official. (The defector had a massive infestation of parasites in his digestive system that complicated his medical treatment.)

The military broadcasting operation has been bitterly protested by North Korea for its potential to provoke defections by North Korean front-line soldiers.

South Korea resumed the broadcast operation in January last year in retaliation for North Korea’s fourth nuclear test. The broadcasts are loud enough to be heard by North Koreans residing as far as 20 kilometers from the border, according to military officials.

The officials also said the military is planning to start its interrogation of Oh as soon as he has recovered from the gunshot wounds.

F-22 Raptor Stealth Fighters Head to Korea for Bilateral Exercise

U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter aircraft, assigned to the 36th Fighter Squadron, deploy during Exercise Vigilant Ace 18 at Osan Air Base, South Korea, December 3, 2017. U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Franklin R. Ramos

SEOUL, Nov. 23, 2017 (Yonhap) — The United States is planning to send six F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to a joint air force exercise in South Korea next month in what is believed to be U.S. action to put maximum pressure on North Korea, military officials in South Korea have announced. “Six F-22 fighters from the U.S. Air Force are scheduled to join the joint South Korea-U.S. air force exercise Vigilant Ace from Dec. 4-8,” the officials said.

Video courtesy Lockheed Martin.

The fighters will fly to the Korean Peninsula from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan and stay at an air base in South Korea throughout the exercise. Up to four F-35A Lightning stealth fighters are also likely to join the deployment, they said.

The U.S. fleet will reportedly engage in enemy infiltration and precision strike drills with South Korean Air Force fighter jets during the exercise.

It would mark the first time the U.S. has deployed six Raptors to Korea at once and is sure to put pressure on North Korea with the overwhelming military force by the allies.

Video courtesy Lockheed Martin.

The Raptor, an air superiority fighter, is capable of flying to key enemy facilities and launching precision attacks under the radar. Its maximum speed is about Mach 2.5

The planned deployment comes as the U.S. steps up the deployment of strategic assets to South Korea in a show of force aimed at pressuring North Korea to the maximum level. Early this month, three U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carriers were deployed to the East Sea after powerful American fighter jets flew near North Korea in the previous months.

South Korea and the U.S. are escalating pressure, both economic and military, on North Korea in efforts to bring the country back to the table to negotiate its illegal development of nuclear weapons.

The US Pacific Air Forces Office of Public Affairs emphasized the drills are an annual event named VIGILANT ACE 18. VIGILANT ACE is a regularly scheduled flying exercise.

It will involve 12,000 U.S. personnel who will participate along with the Republic of Korea Air Force. The realistic air combat exercise is designed to enhance interoperability between U.S. and Republic of Korea forces and increase the combat effectiveness of both nations.

U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy personnel will train with air assets from the Republic of Korea, flying 230 aircraft at eight U.S. and ROK military installations. VIGILANT ACE is part of a continuous exercise program designed to enhance readiness and operational capability of U.S. and ROK forces.

Previously known as Beverly Bulldog, VIGILANT ACE 18 highlights the longstanding military partnership, commitment and enduring friendship between two nations. It is designed to ensure peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, and reaffirms the U.S. commitment to stability in the Northeast Asia region.