The two Koreas held a ceremony on Wednesday for a project to reconnect rail and road links, although construction cannot begin while sanctions over <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-condemns-us-sanctions-warns-denuclearization-at-risk-184559">North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes</a> remain in place, officials said.

The two sides agreed in October to inaugurate work on reconnecting railways and roads that have been cut since the 1950-53 Korean War, another example of the thaw in North-South relations this year.

A special train carried 100 <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-to-lift-certain-restricted-zones-at-dmz-181597&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiN4ZL95rzfAhXJqo8KHa0zDc84ChAWCBQwBQ&amp;client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rm1wg9UQqWWAfi9uaS-5-">South Korean </a>officials, politicians and members of families displaced by the war to the ceremony at Panmun Station in the border city of Kaesong.

They were joined by a 100-strong North Korean delegation, as well as officials from the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/east-asia/denuclearisation-includes-eliminating-us-nuclear-threat-in-korean-peninsula-north-korean-state-media-185456">United Nations</a>, China, Russia and Mongolia, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry.

The United States and the UN Security Council gave their support for the ceremony, South Korean officials said, but construction cannot begin while sanctions block the shipment of energy and metal products, as well as other supplies.

"There's a lot of things to do before we actually start construction," Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said, adding the two sides would conduct additional joint surveys and design work for one or two years.

There was a feeling of nervous excitement on the South Korean train as it left the capital Seoul.

"I'm just deeply moved," said Shin Jang-chul, who drove the last freight train between the Koreas a decade ago.

"It's been 10 years and I've been wondering if I would ever be able to come back after I retire," he added.

The ceremony was another example of the thaw in relations between the Koreas, technically still at war after their conflict ended in a truce not a peace treaty. But major economic initiatives have been stalled by the lack of progress on denuclearising the North.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to the ceremony during a September summit in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a step toward joint industrial zones and reconnecting transport links.

However, the plan has been delayed amid US concerns that improving Korean ties could undermine efforts to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Kim agreed to work toward denuclearisation at a summit with US President Donald Trump in June, but talks have since made little headway, with Pyongyang upset at Washington's insistence that sanctions remain until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearisation.

"The South is trying to build on existing agreements, believing that advancing inter-Korean ties would have a positive impact on denuclearisation," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

"But given the absence of actual construction, the North will keep pressing the South to make it happen despite sanctions, in line with Kim's efforts to shore up his regime," he added.

The two Koreas held a ceremony on Wednesday for a project to reconnect rail and road links, although construction cannot begin while sanctions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes remain in place, officials said.

The two Koreas held a ceremony on Wednesday for a project to reconnect rail and road links, although construction cannot begin while sanctions over North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes remain in place, officials said. The two sides agreed in October to inaugurate work on reconnecting railways and roads that have been cut since the 1950-53 Korean War, another example of the thaw in North-South relations this year. A special train carried 100 South Korean officials, politicians and members of families displaced by the war to the ceremony at Panmun Station in the border city of Kaesong. They were joined by a 100-strong North Korean delegation, as well as officials from the United Nations, China, Russia and Mongolia, according to South Korea's Unification Ministry. The United States and the UN Security Council gave their support for the ceremony, South Korean officials said, but construction cannot begin while sanctions block the shipment of energy and metal products, as well as other supplies. "There's a lot of things to do before we actually start construction," Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said, adding the two sides would conduct additional joint surveys and design work for one or two years. There was a feeling of nervous excitement on the South Korean train as it left the capital Seoul. "I'm just deeply moved," said Shin Jang-chul, who drove the last freight train between the Koreas a decade ago. "It's been 10 years and I've been wondering if I would ever be able to come back after I retire," he added. The ceremony was another example of the thaw in relations between the Koreas, technically still at war after their conflict ended in a truce not a peace treaty. But major economic initiatives have been stalled by the lack of progress on denuclearising the North. South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to the ceremony during a September summit in Pyongyang with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as a step toward joint industrial zones and reconnecting transport links. However, the plan has been delayed amid US concerns that improving Korean ties could undermine efforts to press Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons. Kim agreed to work toward denuclearisation at a summit with US President Donald Trump in June, but talks have since made little headway, with Pyongyang upset at Washington's insistence that sanctions remain until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearisation. "The South is trying to build on existing agreements, believing that advancing inter-Korean ties would have a positive impact on denuclearisation," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul. "But given the absence of actual construction, the North will keep pressing the South to make it happen despite sanctions, in line with Kim's efforts to shore up his regime," he added.

Watch: Koreas inaugurate rail, road project, but sanctions delay construction

In an aim to reduce the inconvenience of the residents staying near the inter-Korean border, the South Korean government on Wednesday gave its nod to lift the classification of certain restricted zones that host military facilities.

The ruling Democratic Party agreed to lift the designation of the military-controlled zones in 21 places, totalling an area of around 337 million square metres.

This exercise is the largest since 1994 when South Korea had lifted classification of certain restricted zones, with a total area of 1.7 billion square metres, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The lifting of the zones near the inter-Korean border will not affect military operations, the South Korean government said.

The zones are situated in border areas of Gangwon Province, in the country's northeastern part and Gyeonggi Province, situated near the capital Seoul.

The restricted zones were put in place by South Korea during confrontations and tensions with North Korea over the past few decades.

In these areas, land development is limited and people residing at the border face restrictions over property rights.

The South Korean government also agreed to simplify the people`s entry process into the civilian-access controlled zone located near the inter-Korean border.

If the proposal goes ahead, it would help some 30,000 residents and tourists visiting the border village of Panmunjom every year in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the de facto border between the two Koreas.

Last month, a South Korean train arrived at the Panmun station in North Korea's Kaesong Industrial Region for an 18-day joint railway inspection which aims at modernising railway lines and eventually connecting both the nations through railways.

Inter-Korean relations have dramatically improved this year following South Korean President Moon Jae-in`s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the past few months.

The two Korean leaders have met thrice -- in April, May and September -- agreeing to cease hostilities against each other, strengthening inter-Korean cooperation and achieving complete denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula.

As part of the efforts, South Korea has been keen to expand and carry out inter-Korean projects with North Korea, despite the international sanctions imposed on the latter over its nuclear weapons programme.

In an aim to reduce the inconvenience of the residents staying near the inter-Korean border, the South Korean government on Wednesday gave its nod to lift the classification of certain restricted zones that host military facilities.

In an aim to reduce the inconvenience of the residents staying near the inter-Korean border, the South Korean government on Wednesday gave its nod to lift the classification of certain restricted zones that host military facilities. The ruling Democratic Party agreed to lift the designation of the military-controlled zones in 21 places, totalling an area of around 337 million square metres. This exercise is the largest since 1994 when South Korea had lifted classification of certain restricted zones, with a total area of 1.7 billion square metres, Yonhap News Agency reported. The lifting of the zones near the inter-Korean border will not affect military operations, the South Korean government said. The zones are situated in border areas of Gangwon Province, in the country's northeastern part and Gyeonggi Province, situated near the capital Seoul. The restricted zones were put in place by South Korea during confrontations and tensions with North Korea over the past few decades. In these areas, land development is limited and people residing at the border face restrictions over property rights. The South Korean government also agreed to simplify the people`s entry process into the civilian-access controlled zone located near the inter-Korean border. If the proposal goes ahead, it would help some 30,000 residents and tourists visiting the border village of Panmunjom every year in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the de facto border between the two Koreas. Last month, a South Korean train arrived at the Panmun station in North Korea's Kaesong Industrial Region for an 18-day joint railway inspection which aims at modernising railway lines and eventually connecting both the nations through railways. Inter-Korean relations have dramatically improved this year following South Korean President Moon Jae-in`s meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the past few months. The two Korean leaders have met thrice -- in April, May and September -- agreeing to cease hostilities against each other, strengthening inter-Korean cooperation and achieving complete denuclearisation in the Korean Peninsula. As part of the efforts, South Korea has been keen to expand and carry out inter-Korean projects with North Korea, despite the international sanctions imposed on the latter over its nuclear weapons programme.

South Korea to lift certain restricted zones at DMZ

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.&nbsp;

The hugely successful group`s Japan tour - its first after they reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in May -comes as ties between the two nations have frayed due to a diplomatic row over South Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two. 
 
Social media showed the t-shirt, which bore the words "Patriotism our history Liberation Korea" by a photo of a rising mushroom cloud.&nbsp; 
Japan became the first nation to suffer an atomic bombing on August 9, 1945, at Hiroshima.&nbsp;

"We have seen news that a t-shirt worn by one of the members has set off a furore and after asking their record company about this, we made the decision to postpone their appearance on our Nov 9 show," TV Asahi network said on its website.

A BTS Japan fan site also announced their appearance had been postponed, along with an apology to fans who had been looking forward to the broadcast.&nbsp;

There was no mention of cancelling the Japan leg of their tour, which kicks off on Nov 13.&nbsp;

BTS has been together since 2013 and gained a worldwide following, in May becoming the first K-pop performers to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself:Tear." Previous stops on their 2018 tour have included New York and London.&nbsp;

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

A Japanese TV station said it had cancelled a Friday television show with South Korean boy band BTS after a member's t-shirt sparked anger on social media and was interpreted as commemorating the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The hugely successful group`s Japan tour - its first after they reached the top of the Billboard 200 album chart in May -comes as ties between the two nations have frayed due to a diplomatic row over South Koreans forced to work for Japanese firms during World War Two. Social media showed the t-shirt, which bore the words "Patriotism our history Liberation Korea" by a photo of a rising mushroom cloud. Japan became the first nation to suffer an atomic bombing on August 9, 1945, at Hiroshima. "We have seen news that a t-shirt worn by one of the members has set off a furore and after asking their record company about this, we made the decision to postpone their appearance on our Nov 9 show," TV Asahi network said on its website. A BTS Japan fan site also announced their appearance had been postponed, along with an apology to fans who had been looking forward to the broadcast. There was no mention of cancelling the Japan leg of their tour, which kicks off on Nov 13. BTS has been together since 2013 and gained a worldwide following, in May becoming the first K-pop performers to top the Billboard 200 with "Love Yourself:Tear." Previous stops on their 2018 tour have included New York and London.

K-pop band BTS' show cancelled on Japan TV over atom bomb t-shirt furore

&nbsp;Any solution to the Korean Peninsula issue must address India's concerns about the nuclear proliferation linkages in its neighbourhood, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

In her address to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Thursday, Ms Swaraj said India has been consistently supporting the efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula.

"We have been consistently supportive of efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," she said in the meeting held on the margins of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly.

"We believe that any solution to the issue of Korean Peninsula must address concerns about the proliferation linkages with India's neighbourhood,"&nbsp;Swaraj said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan which has close defence ties with North Korea.

Since the 1970s, Pakistan and North Korea have cooperated extensively on the development of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons technologies, according to defence analysts and media reports.

She said the world today was characterised by chronic armed-conflicts in different parts of the world, especially in West Asia.

These conflicts are of intra-state nature with the proliferation of non-state actors and terrorist-networks with global reach, she added.

Conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen pose security challenges for the region and for global peace, Swaraj said while expressing deep concern with continuing tensions on the border between Gaza Strip and Israel.

Swaraj said India had recently considerably increased to US $5 million its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

"India firmly believes that the dialogue and country-led processes are the only viable options to effectively address the issues in that region," she added.

Any solution to the Korean Peninsula issue must address India's concerns about the nuclear proliferation linkages in its neighbourhood, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

Any solution to the Korean Peninsula issue must address India's concerns about the nuclear proliferation linkages in its neighbourhood, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan. In her address to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Thursday, Ms Swaraj said India has been consistently supporting the efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. "We have been consistently supportive of efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," she said in the meeting held on the margins of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly. "We believe that any solution to the issue of Korean Peninsula must address concerns about the proliferation linkages with India's neighbourhood," Swaraj said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan which has close defence ties with North Korea. Since the 1970s, Pakistan and North Korea have cooperated extensively on the development of ballistic missile and nuclear weapons technologies, according to defence analysts and media reports. She said the world today was characterised by chronic armed-conflicts in different parts of the world, especially in West Asia. These conflicts are of intra-state nature with the proliferation of non-state actors and terrorist-networks with global reach, she added. Conflicts in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen pose security challenges for the region and for global peace, Swaraj said while expressing deep concern with continuing tensions on the border between Gaza Strip and Israel. Swaraj said India had recently considerably increased to US $5 million its contribution to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). "India firmly believes that the dialogue and country-led processes are the only viable options to effectively address the issues in that region," she added.

Solution to Korean issue must address India's concern: Sushma Swaraj

Democratic People's Republic of Korea&nbsp;(DPRK) on Tuesday urged South Korea to scrap a&nbsp;military intelligence-sharing pact&nbsp;with&nbsp;Japan.

North Korea called the deal a hurdle lying in the way of implementing the&nbsp;Panmunjom Declaration.

According to the official&nbsp;Korean Central News Agency&nbsp;(KCNA), "Such dangerous hurdles should be removed without fail as they harm the improvement of the inter-Korean relations and create a war crisis on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula," Xinhua quoted.

The South Korea-Japan&nbsp;agreement was signed by former South Korean President&nbsp;Park Geun-hye&nbsp;and&nbsp;Japanese Prime Minister&nbsp;Shinzo Abe&nbsp;under the pretext of the "threat from the north,"&nbsp;KCNA&nbsp;said.

Pyongyang has also asked Seoul to repatriate 12&nbsp;DPRK&nbsp;women, who were kidnapped two years ago, by South Korean intelligence, and demanded a halt to joint military exercises with the United States in order to implement their joint declaration issued in Panmunjom.

On April 27, the&nbsp;Panmunjom Declaration&nbsp;for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula&nbsp;was adopted between the Democratic People's of Republic Korea's Kim Jong-un and the Republic of Korea's Moon Jae-in, during the 2018 inter-Korean Summit.

North Korea applauded the need for achieving a "complete denuclearisation" during the joint declaration of the recently-concluded inter-Korean summit held in Panmunjom on the southern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).

Kim and Moon held the historic summit, which was the first time it was held in South Korea, and the first after 11 years.

The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. It also agreed to achieve "complete denuclearisation" on the&nbsp;Korean Peninsula.

The Korean War between the two countries took place between 1950-53, which ended with a ceasefire and signing of an armistice agreement.

However, in absence of a peace treaty, the two countries are technically still at war.&nbsp;

North Korea called the deal a hurdle lying in the way of implementing the Panmunjom Declaration

Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday urged South Korea to scrap a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. North Korea called the deal a hurdle lying in the way of implementing the Panmunjom Declaration. According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), "Such dangerous hurdles should be removed without fail as they harm the improvement of the inter-Korean relations and create a war crisis on the Korean Peninsula," Xinhua quoted. The South Korea-Japan agreement was signed by former South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe under the pretext of the "threat from the north," KCNA said. Pyongyang has also asked Seoul to repatriate 12 DPRK women, who were kidnapped two years ago, by South Korean intelligence, and demanded a halt to joint military exercises with the United States in order to implement their joint declaration issued in Panmunjom. On April 27, the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity, and Unification of the Korean Peninsula was adopted between the Democratic People's of Republic Korea's Kim Jong-un and the Republic of Korea's Moon Jae-in, during the 2018 inter-Korean Summit. North Korea applauded the need for achieving a "complete denuclearisation" during the joint declaration of the recently-concluded inter-Korean summit held in Panmunjom on the southern side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). Kim and Moon held the historic summit, which was the first time it was held in South Korea, and the first after 11 years. The two Koreas agreed to sign a peace treaty formally later this year, ending the six-decades-old war between the two countries. It also agreed to achieve "complete denuclearisation" on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean War between the two countries took place between 1950-53, which ended with a ceasefire and signing of an armistice agreement. However, in absence of a peace treaty, the two countries are technically still at war.

North Korea urges S. Korea to scrap military intelligence pact with Japan

Friday's historic pledge by the leaders of the two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give US&nbsp;President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing Iran's nuclear program, Israel's intelligence minister said.

Yisrael Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul.

Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz said.

The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should US&nbsp;President Donald Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran.

Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and threatened to reimpose the US penalties unless Britain, France and Germany can fix its "flaws." The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbing its nuclear programme.

"He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition," Katz said.

"I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our region, because there is a connection," he said.

Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to missile technology.

"Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence," he said.&nbsp;

"We have a lot of evidence," Katz added, shrugging his shoulders without elaborating.

Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.

During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the US&nbsp;not to abandon the deal and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump's progress on North Korea.

"I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran," said Katz, who wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel's next prime minister.&nbsp;

Regional conflicts

While Iran's nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being, Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran's increased activities in Syria.

On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria.

The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Iran’s garrison in Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them.

"Iranians don't have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes," he said.

Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria.

"They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn't say the words S-300," Katz said.

"Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them the S-300," he said. "Because this is his main card that he is holding now in the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can he talk about with us afterward?"

The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran

Friday's historic pledge by the leaders of the two Koreas to work to denuclearize the Korean peninsula should give US President Donald Trump a stronger hand to renegotiate the treaty curtailing Iran's nuclear program, Israel's intelligence minister said. Yisrael Katz, who runs both the Intelligence and Transportation ministries, spoke in a Reuters interview after North Korea's Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to work for a "complete denuclearization" of the peninsula at a summit meeting in Seoul. Such a development, should it come to fruition, could have a larger impact of minimizing the threat of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Katz said. The 2015 Iran Nuclear agreement, which Israel's government vehemently opposed, is in danger of unravelling should US President Donald Trump decide by May 12 to restore US economic sanctions against Iran. Trump has called the accord the worst deal ever negotiated and threatened to reimpose the US penalties unless Britain, France and Germany can fix its "flaws." The deal lifted economic sanctions on Iran in return for curbing its nuclear programme. "He (Trump) will have more power against Iran now and maybe to convince the European Union not to be the weak link in the coalition," Katz said. "I think it will be very good if the North Koreans will finish and go out of the nuclear business and capabilities. It will also be good to our region, because there is a connection," he said. Katz said the connection between Iran and North Korea pertains to missile technology. "Yes, I think there is cooperation as it belongs to developing the ballistic missiles. And we have the evidence," he said. "We have a lot of evidence," Katz added, shrugging his shoulders without elaborating. Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France, which all struck the accord with Iran and the United States, see the deal as the best way to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. During his state visit earlier this week with Trump in Washington, French President Emmanuel Macron called for the US not to abandon the deal and said a new package of terms was being prepared with Britain and Germany. German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a one-day working visit with Trump on Friday, where she was careful to praise Trump's progress on North Korea. "I think that now we have to be very tough with Iran," said Katz, who wants to succeed Netanyahu as Israel's next prime minister. Regional conflicts While Iran's nuclear capabilities are curtailed for the time being, Katz reiterated that Israel would remain vigilant in seeking to curb Tehran's increased activities in Syria. On April 9, an air strike killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members at a Syrian base. Tehran blamed Israel and vowed unspecified retaliation, drawing Israeli counter-threats to broaden attacks on Iranian military assets in Syria. The Israelis have said their strikes aim to prevent Iran’s garrison in Syria from entrenching itself deeper in support of President Bashar al-Assad and linking with Hezbollah in Lebanon to form a broad front against them. "Iranians don't have to be in Syria. It is not to say we are going to attack every Iranian soldier in Syria, but bases, military bases, and munitions bases, and sophisticated missiles and other things like that? Yes," he said. Russia, a key ally of Assad, has said it would provide advanced weapons to Syria. Israel is concerned that might include the S-300 surface-to-air missile system, which military analysts say would improve Russia's ability to control air space in Syria. "They are talking about to supply advanced missiles, but they didn't say the words S-300," Katz said. "Personally, it is hard for me to believe that Putin will give them the S-300," he said. "Because this is his main card that he is holding now in the discussions with Israel ... If he will give them the S-300, about what can he talk about with us afterward?"

Israel says 'denuclearized' Korean peninsula helpful versus Iran

&nbsp;A South Korean actress who was once kidnapped by the North's agents on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un's late father and forced to make movies for the regime has died aged 91, her family said. 
 
Choi Eun-hee was the South's most famous actress for decades before being brazenly abducted by North Korean spies in Hong Kong in 1978 at the request of the North's then leader-in-waiting Kim Jong Il, an avid film fan. 
 
During her visit to Hong Kong to meet a potential investor in her art school, she was reportedly lured onto a boat by her guide before being transferred against her will to a cargo ship destined for North Korea.

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Her husband Shin Sang-ok, a top director, was taken to the North soon after, although circumstances over his alleged abduction remain unclear. Choi remained trapped in the North for eight years, where the two made more than 10 films together under the instruction of Kim Jong Il. 
 
In a 2011 interview, Choi said Kim "respected us as artists and fully supported us," but that she could never forgive him for the "outrageous and unforgivable" kidnapping. 
 
They were allowed to make "films with artistic values, instead of just propaganda films extolling the regime," Choi said, but always longed for their freedom. During their ordeal, the couple travelled overseas extensively for movie production missions and to attend film festivals -- always under heavy surveillance by the North's agents. 
 
Choi even won the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1985 for her role in 'Salt' -- a film about Korean guerrillas fighting against the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. The couple -- who had divorced in 1976, before their abductions -- remarried during a trip to Hungary at Kim's urging. 
 
But they finally staged a daring escape to the US embassy in Vienna after attending the Berlinale film festival in 1986 and sought asylum in the US due to fear for their personal security. The couple returned to the South in 1999 after spending more than a decade in the US. They remained married until Shin's death in 2006. 
 
Their dramatic life inspired several books and movies. Choi, who made her cinematic debut in 1942, had risen to stardom in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division between the communist North and the capitalist South. 
 
She was called the "queen" of South Korean cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s while appearing in more than 100 movies -- many made by Shin. 
 
North Korea abducted hundreds of South Koreans under a state-sanctioned policy in the decades following the Korean War. Choi's funeral will be held in Seoul on Thursday.

Choi Eun-hee was kidnapped by the North's Korea agents on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un's late father and forced to make movies for the regime

A South Korean actress who was once kidnapped by the North's agents on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un's late father and forced to make movies for the regime has died aged 91, her family said. Choi Eun-hee was the South's most famous actress for decades before being brazenly abducted by North Korean spies in Hong Kong in 1978 at the request of the North's then leader-in-waiting Kim Jong Il, an avid film fan. During her visit to Hong Kong to meet a potential investor in her art school, she was reportedly lured onto a boat by her guide before being transferred against her will to a cargo ship destined for North Korea. South Korean actress kidnapped by North Korea dies aged 91 https://t.co/5ZnzqnwtNb — Ankit Panda (@nktpnd) 17 April 2018 × Her husband Shin Sang-ok, a top director, was taken to the North soon after, although circumstances over his alleged abduction remain unclear. Choi remained trapped in the North for eight years, where the two made more than 10 films together under the instruction of Kim Jong Il. In a 2011 interview, Choi said Kim "respected us as artists and fully supported us," but that she could never forgive him for the "outrageous and unforgivable" kidnapping. They were allowed to make "films with artistic values, instead of just propaganda films extolling the regime," Choi said, but always longed for their freedom. During their ordeal, the couple travelled overseas extensively for movie production missions and to attend film festivals -- always under heavy surveillance by the North's agents. Choi even won the best actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival in 1985 for her role in 'Salt' -- a film about Korean guerrillas fighting against the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule. The couple -- who had divorced in 1976, before their abductions -- remarried during a trip to Hungary at Kim's urging. But they finally staged a daring escape to the US embassy in Vienna after attending the Berlinale film festival in 1986 and sought asylum in the US due to fear for their personal security. The couple returned to the South in 1999 after spending more than a decade in the US. They remained married until Shin's death in 2006. Their dramatic life inspired several books and movies. Choi, who made her cinematic debut in 1942, had risen to stardom in the wake of the 1950-53 Korean War that sealed the division between the communist North and the capitalist South. She was called the "queen" of South Korean cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s while appearing in more than 100 movies -- many made by Shin. North Korea abducted hundreds of South Koreans under a state-sanctioned policy in the decades following the Korean War. Choi's funeral will be held in Seoul on Thursday.

South Korean actress, once kidnapped to North Korea, dies at 91

By&nbsp;Gary Grappo*&nbsp;

The world can be forgiven for having been whipsawed by Washington&rsquo;s announcement on March 8 that President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The revelation came after briefings at the White House for the US administration by South Korean officials following South Korean President Moon Jae-in&rsquo;s dispatch of a delegation to Pyongyang for talks with their North Korean counterparts. Those meetings resulted in the invitation from Chairman Kim for the meeting between President Trump and him.

No sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader. (Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did but only after leaving office.) The jolting realization that this may now take place &mdash; tentatively scheduled for May &mdash; with a sitting US president who has variously threatened, taunted and excoriated Kim has the foreign policy intelligentsia and US public both flummoxed and leery, and probably just a bit anxious.

Is Donald Trump &mdash; both famous and infamous for his much touted deal-making skills, but also notorious for ignorance of complex foreign policy issues and lack of interest in educating himself &mdash; really up to this? Let&rsquo;s remember, we are talking about two leaders who have both bragged about their nuclear weapons and threatened to use them.

Credit goes to South Korea&rsquo;s President Moon for recognizing and capitalizing on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic games to encourage North-South dialog. Especially noteworthy is his recognition that any such proposed talks between Trump and Kim would be dead on arrival in Washington without the North&rsquo;s agreement to discuss the &ldquo;d&rdquo; word: denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.&nbsp;

Hoping the past isn&#39;t prelude

Let&rsquo;s return to reality. In the past, negotiations have been a tried and true tactic of the North Koreans to extract what they need from the US and the West, only to restart nuclear and missile testing when they got what they wanted. Invariably, their nuclear strategy proceeded almost unabated.

The US and its various negotiating partners, including South Korea, China and Japan, have all had the carpet pulled out from under them every time they&rsquo;ve attempted to negotiate with Pyongyang, including the most recent and short lived in early 2012. North Korea had pledged not to launch satellites in exchange for US and other Western aid. The agreement was abrogated when the North launched a satellite a few short months later to celebrate the centennial birthdate of the country&rsquo;s founder, Kim Il-Sung. And so it has gone, dating back at least to 1993. Ditto on agreements with South Korea, the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Can we expect this time to be any different?

The North is negotiating from a much different vantage point this time. It has nuclear weapons. It also possesses the means to deliver them, most certainly to South Korea and Japan and possibly even the US West Coast. The dynamics are changed, and not to the advantage of the US or its South Korean ally. Moreover, the North&rsquo;s young and ruthless leader &mdash; he ordered the assassination of his half-brother and execution of family members perceived as disloyal or threatening &mdash; has threatened to use them, including against the US. Possessing these weapons with the means to deliver them empowers Kim as never before, giving him leverage his grandfather and father could only have dreamed of. What does he want?&nbsp;

What Kim Jong-un wants

The consensus appears to be that Kim wants the US out of the Korean Peninsula &mdash; i.e., to sever what has been one of Washington&rsquo;s most important alliances with South Korea. Undoubtedly, there are other interests &mdash; official recognition, economic ties with the US and other major economic powers &mdash; besides China, which have taken a hit as of late due to increased sanctions, and the opportunity to appear one-on-one on the world stage with the leader of the world&rsquo;s superpower. There he&rsquo;ll be able to say to the American president, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve got what you&rsquo;ve got, now let&rsquo;s talk!&rdquo;&nbsp;

This is not a position that a US president has faced since the arms negotiations of the 1970s with the Soviet Union, which roughly qualified as an &ldquo;equal.&rdquo; Nuclear weapons have handed the leader of an impoverished, isolated police state the dream of every dictator: gravitas, respectability and the attention of the U.S. and its president.

Heretofore, Kim has made clear he will not give up his new-found leverage&hellip; ever. This may be mere posturing, but one must still ask: Is he really willing to rid his nation of its nuclear weapons, missiles and supporting infrastructure? And the answer is, only if he gets what he wants&hellip; maybe&nbsp;

Meeting of unknown minds

Further obfuscating an accurate reading of this announced gathering is the personalities of the two principals. In past summits between an American president and his counterpart from any nation, senior State Department and National Security Council officials and experts conducted extensive pre-meeting negotiations so that the main event would be almost a mere formality &mdash; i.e., the handshakes, signings, banquets, toasts and photo ops. Pre-meetings are intended to sort out major issues, identify obstacles, reach preliminary understandings and ensure the ultimate encounter between principals is a satisfactory one. But that hasn&rsquo;t happened this time, presumably at all.

Instead, these talks will be in the hands of two erratic and unpredictable leaders who are not likely to fully and accurately understand the other or the issues and implications. Nor will the issues have been tackled in advance by senior experts. That&rsquo;s a risk.

For his part, Donald Trump places far too much stock in his innate abilities, soi-disant high-functioning gut instincts and business acumen, qualities that have earned him the Oval Office and the unflagging support of a core following within the Republican Party. He places little trust in the expertise and counsel of experts around him. That&rsquo;s a further complicating risk. Luckily for Americans and South Koreans, the more sober-minded South Korean President Moon won&rsquo;t be far away, one presumes, and should help keep the American tethered. Or at least, Americans and South Koreans can hope.

Kim, on the other hand, will face an American president he knows only from media reports and biased and censored information from his eager-to-please intelligence service, loath to tell him anything he may not wish to hear, less they suffer the fate of other disloyal minions. It&rsquo;s impossible to know his mindset in the run-up to this meeting.

All this suggests that despite whatever happy talk emerges from this summit of shock, concrete results may be lacking and, in any event, suspect. It will depend on one ineluctable fact: What is on the mind of Kim Jong-un? For that, the world must place its trust and hopes in an untested, inexperienced president, whose own mind remains a mystery.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

*Gary Grappo is a former US ambassador and a distinguished fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies at the Korbel School for International Studies, University of Denver. 
&nbsp;

The <a href="rel=" target="blank">article</a> was originally published in <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/">Fair Observer</a>

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Can the world expect substantive achievements to come out of the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong, who will face each other they know only from media reports and biased information from their eager-to-please intelligence services?

By Gary Grappo* The world can be forgiven for having been whipsawed by Washington’s announcement on March 8 that President Donald Trump will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The revelation came after briefings at the White House for the US administration by South Korean officials following South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s dispatch of a delegation to Pyongyang for talks with their North Korean counterparts. Those meetings resulted in the invitation from Chairman Kim for the meeting between President Trump and him. No sitting US president has ever met with a North Korean leader. (Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton did but only after leaving office.) The jolting realization that this may now take place — tentatively scheduled for May — with a sitting US president who has variously threatened, taunted and excoriated Kim has the foreign policy intelligentsia and US public both flummoxed and leery, and probably just a bit anxious. Is Donald Trump — both famous and infamous for his much touted deal-making skills, but also notorious for ignorance of complex foreign policy issues and lack of interest in educating himself — really up to this? Let’s remember, we are talking about two leaders who have both bragged about their nuclear weapons and threatened to use them. Credit goes to South Korea’s President Moon for recognizing and capitalizing on the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic games to encourage North-South dialog. Especially noteworthy is his recognition that any such proposed talks between Trump and Kim would be dead on arrival in Washington without the North’s agreement to discuss the “d” word: denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Hoping the past isn't prelude Let’s return to reality. In the past, negotiations have been a tried and true tactic of the North Koreans to extract what they need from the US and the West, only to restart nuclear and missile testing when they got what they wanted. Invariably, their nuclear strategy proceeded almost unabated. The US and its various negotiating partners, including South Korea, China and Japan, have all had the carpet pulled out from under them every time they’ve attempted to negotiate with Pyongyang, including the most recent and short lived in early 2012. North Korea had pledged not to launch satellites in exchange for US and other Western aid. The agreement was abrogated when the North launched a satellite a few short months later to celebrate the centennial birthdate of the country’s founder, Kim Il-Sung. And so it has gone, dating back at least to 1993. Ditto on agreements with South Korea, the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Can we expect this time to be any different? The North is negotiating from a much different vantage point this time. It has nuclear weapons. It also possesses the means to deliver them, most certainly to South Korea and Japan and possibly even the US West Coast. The dynamics are changed, and not to the advantage of the US or its South Korean ally. Moreover, the North’s young and ruthless leader — he ordered the assassination of his half-brother and execution of family members perceived as disloyal or threatening — has threatened to use them, including against the US. Possessing these weapons with the means to deliver them empowers Kim as never before, giving him leverage his grandfather and father could only have dreamed of. What does he want? What Kim Jong-un wants The consensus appears to be that Kim wants the US out of the Korean Peninsula — i.e., to sever what has been one of Washington’s most important alliances with South Korea. Undoubtedly, there are other interests — official recognition, economic ties with the US and other major economic powers — besides China, which have taken a hit as of late due to increased sanctions, and the opportunity to appear one-on-one on the world stage with the leader of the world’s superpower. There he’ll be able to say to the American president, “I’ve got what you’ve got, now let’s talk!” This is not a position that a US president has faced since the arms negotiations of the 1970s with the Soviet Union, which roughly qualified as an “equal.” Nuclear weapons have handed the leader of an impoverished, isolated police state the dream of every dictator: gravitas, respectability and the attention of the U.S. and its president. Heretofore, Kim has made clear he will not give up his new-found leverage… ever. This may be mere posturing, but one must still ask: Is he really willing to rid his nation of its nuclear weapons, missiles and supporting infrastructure? And the answer is, only if he gets what he wants… maybe Meeting of unknown minds Further obfuscating an accurate reading of this announced gathering is the personalities of the two principals. In past summits between an American president and his counterpart from any nation, senior State Department and National Security Council officials and experts conducted extensive pre-meeting negotiations so that the main event would be almost a mere formality — i.e., the handshakes, signings, banquets, toasts and photo ops. Pre-meetings are intended to sort out major issues, identify obstacles, reach preliminary understandings and ensure the ultimate encounter between principals is a satisfactory one. But that hasn’t happened this time, presumably at all. Instead, these talks will be in the hands of two erratic and unpredictable leaders who are not likely to fully and accurately understand the other or the issues and implications. Nor will the issues have been tackled in advance by senior experts. That’s a risk. For his part, Donald Trump places far too much stock in his innate abilities, soi-disant high-functioning gut instincts and business acumen, qualities that have earned him the Oval Office and the unflagging support of a core following within the Republican Party. He places little trust in the expertise and counsel of experts around him. That’s a further complicating risk. Luckily for Americans and South Koreans, the more sober-minded South Korean President Moon won’t be far away, one presumes, and should help keep the American tethered. Or at least, Americans and South Koreans can hope. Kim, on the other hand, will face an American president he knows only from media reports and biased and censored information from his eager-to-please intelligence service, loath to tell him anything he may not wish to hear, less they suffer the fate of other disloyal minions. It’s impossible to know his mindset in the run-up to this meeting. All this suggests that despite whatever happy talk emerges from this summit of shock, concrete results may be lacking and, in any event, suspect. It will depend on one ineluctable fact: What is on the mind of Kim Jong-un? For that, the world must place its trust and hopes in an untested, inexperienced president, whose own mind remains a mystery. *Gary Grappo is a former US ambassador and a distinguished fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies at the Korbel School for International Studies, University of Denver. The article was originally published in Fair Observer (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Sneak-peek into Kim Jong's unpredictable mind before meeting Trump

India has the three important factors needed in an economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday. The three factors, he said, are&nbsp;&quot;democracy, demography, and demand&quot;.&nbsp;

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Modi was speaking at the second India-Korea Business Summit, at which Modi invited Korea to invest in India.&nbsp;

&quot;If you see around the globe, there are very few countries where you have three important factors of economy together. They are - Democracy, Demography and Demand. In India, we have all the three together,&quot; Modi said.&nbsp;

&quot;We have worked towards creating a stable business environment, removing arbitrariness in decision making. We seek positivity in the day to day transactions. We are widening areas of trust. This represents a complete change of the government&rsquo;s mindset,&quot; Modi added.&nbsp;

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We have worked towards creating a stable business environment, removing arbitrariness in decision making. We seek positivity in day to day transactions. We are widening areas of trust. This represents a complete change of the Govt&rsquo;s mindset: PM Modi at India-Korea Business Summit <a href="https://t.co/m8JoVzgirL">pic.twitter.com/m8JoVzgirL</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/968352101972828161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi also said that the two countries shared so much in common.&nbsp;

He said &quot; Relations between India-Korea dates back centuries. We are also bound by our Buddhist traditions. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore composed poem &#39;Lamp of the East&#39; in 1929 about Korea&#39;s glorious past and its bright future. From Princess to Poetry and from Buddha to Bollywood India &amp; Korea have so much in common&quot;.

Recalling his previous visit to Korea&nbsp;he said he used to wonder the country&#39;s progress. He also said that he admired the global brand that&nbsp;Korea has created.&nbsp;

He said, &quot;I visited Korea when I was CM of Gujarat. I used to wonder how can a country make such progress! I admired the way they have created and sustained a global brand. Korea has given exemplary products to the world.

The theme of the summit 2018, &quot; India-Korea Scaling up the Special Strategic Relationship through Trade Investments&quot;.

&nbsp;

'We are widening areas of trust. This represents a complete change of the government’s mindset,' Modi said at the India-Korea Business Summit in Delhi

India has the three important factors needed in an economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday. The three factors, he said, are "democracy, demography, and demand". × Modi was speaking at the second India-Korea Business Summit, at which Modi invited Korea to invest in India. "If you see around the globe, there are very few countries where you have three important factors of economy together. They are - Democracy, Demography and Demand. In India, we have all the three together," Modi said. "We have worked towards creating a stable business environment, removing arbitrariness in decision making. We seek positivity in the day to day transactions. We are widening areas of trust. This represents a complete change of the government’s mindset," Modi added. We have worked towards creating a stable business environment, removing arbitrariness in decision making. We seek positivity in day to day transactions. We are widening areas of trust. This represents a complete change of the Govt’s mindset: PM Modi at India-Korea Business Summit pic.twitter.com/m8JoVzgirL — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2018 × PM Modi also said that the two countries shared so much in common. He said " Relations between India-Korea dates back centuries. We are also bound by our Buddhist traditions. Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore composed poem 'Lamp of the East' in 1929 about Korea's glorious past and its bright future. From Princess to Poetry and from Buddha to Bollywood India & Korea have so much in common". Recalling his previous visit to Korea he said he used to wonder the country's progress. He also said that he admired the global brand that Korea has created. He said, "I visited Korea when I was CM of Gujarat. I used to wonder how can a country make such progress! I admired the way they have created and sustained a global brand. Korea has given exemplary products to the world. The theme of the summit 2018, " India-Korea Scaling up the Special Strategic Relationship through Trade Investments".

Have worked towards creating stable business environment, removing arbitrariness in decision-making: PM Modi

The United States has alleged that Russia hacked several hundred computers used by the authorities at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

They carried out the operation and tried to make it appear as though the intrusion was conducted by North Korea, what is known as a &quot;false-flag&quot; operation, said two US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter.

Officials in Pyeongchang acknowledged that the Games were hit by a cyberattack during the February 9 opening ceremony but had refused to confirm whether Russia was responsible. The internet services were affected as well as the broadcast systems and the Olympics website. Many attendees were unable to print their tickets for the ceremony, resulting in empty seats.

As the days passed by, cybersecurity researchers had thought Russian hackers would retaliate against the International Olympic Committee for doping violations. Any Russian athletes that were allowed to attend were prohibited from competing under the Russian flag or anthem.

The Russian athletes were punished by the IOC before these games in response to Russia&#39;s alleged state-sponsored doping program that marred the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

However, 168 Russian athletes are allowed to compete in the Games under a neutral flag.

According to an intelligence report, the Russian military agency GRU had access to as many as 300 Olympic-related computers in February.&nbsp;

As per media reports, US officials are concerned the Russians may try to disrupt the closing ceremony on Sunday. &quot;We&#39;re watching it pretty closely,&quot; said one. &quot;It&#39;s essentially a Korean problem,&quot; the official added. &quot;We will help the Koreans as requested.&quot;

According to an intelligence report, the Russian military agency GRU had access to as many as 300 Olympic-related computers in February

The United States has alleged that Russia hacked several hundred computers used by the authorities at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea. They carried out the operation and tried to make it appear as though the intrusion was conducted by North Korea, what is known as a "false-flag" operation, said two US officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. Officials in Pyeongchang acknowledged that the Games were hit by a cyberattack during the February 9 opening ceremony but had refused to confirm whether Russia was responsible. The internet services were affected as well as the broadcast systems and the Olympics website. Many attendees were unable to print their tickets for the ceremony, resulting in empty seats. As the days passed by, cybersecurity researchers had thought Russian hackers would retaliate against the International Olympic Committee for doping violations. Any Russian athletes that were allowed to attend were prohibited from competing under the Russian flag or anthem. The Russian athletes were punished by the IOC before these games in response to Russia's alleged state-sponsored doping program that marred the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. However, 168 Russian athletes are allowed to compete in the Games under a neutral flag. According to an intelligence report, the Russian military agency GRU had access to as many as 300 Olympic-related computers in February. As per media reports, US officials are concerned the Russians may try to disrupt the closing ceremony on Sunday. "We're watching it pretty closely," said one. "It's essentially a Korean problem," the official added. "We will help the Koreans as requested."

Olympics cyberattack planned by Russian hackers, attempted to blame North Korea: US

North Korea&#39;s band of all-female supporters was unable to inspire the historic joint Korean women&#39;s ice hockey team as they were dumped out of the Pyeongchang Olympics with an 8-0 defeat to Sweden on Monday.

The unified team for the Winter Games in South Korea was the product of a landmark deal between the South and North Korea -- the neighbours still technically at war -- after a year of high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile tests.

The home crowd -- seated among them the North Korean cheerleaders -- roared their players as they skated onto the ice in their blue-and-red jerseys, &quot;KOREA&quot; emblazoned over a pale blue silhouette of the peninsula.

The joint team is deeply symbolic, but as a hockey side they were at the Games with little hope of making a serious impression in terms of the competition.

And so it proved as they were hammered 8-0 for the second time in a row, this time to the Swedes, ranked five in the world.

Sweden were 3-0 up in just 10 minutes and the heavy defeat means Korea play Japan on Wednesday in their final match in a deadrubber.

The unified hockey team was hastily assembled only two weeks before the Olympics began -- and it showed in the one-sided losses to Switzerland and now Sweden.&nbsp;

&quot;Adding new players obviously isn&#39;t easy but I think going into this tournament we knew it was going to be tough,&quot; said the joint team&#39;s Canadian coach Sarah Murray.

But even as the home team were being pounded, the 200-strong North Korean cheerleaders in red, blue and white tracksuits chanted, &quot;Cheer up&quot;, clapping and waving mini-unification flags in unison and setting off a Mexican wave.

The unity was interrupted when a four-member South Korean cheering group, in tight white T-shirts and pink shorts, skipped and hopped to Avril Lavigne&#39;s &quot;Girlfriend&quot;.

The North Koreans responded with songs of their own -- mostly old folk numbers, including a ballad longing for one&#39;s home town -- showing a deep cultural divide between the two halves of the divided peninsula.

The Games have triggered a rare moment of reconciliation between the two Koreas.

Only a few months ago, Pyongyang&#39;s missile and nuclear tests and exchanges of threats with Washington were driving tensions sky-high.

But in a whirlwind of Olympic diplomacy, hundreds of North Koreans came South last week to attend the Pyeongchang Games.

And in extraordinary scenes the North Korean leader&#39;s sister Kim Yo Jong cheered the unified team together with the South&#39;s President Moon Jae-in in the defeat on Saturday to Switzerland.

Despite the disappointing consecutive losses local fans at the stadium were more bothered about the significance of the joint team.

&quot;I know we lack skill compared to other teams but I hope they will play with one mind,&quot; said Kim Sang-wook, 62, from Seoul.&nbsp;

Koo Bon-jae, a 20-year-old student from the South Korean capital, added: &quot;I was initially against it but I was touched after seeing them on the ice together.&quot;

Since the division of the peninsula the two Koreas have only competed as unified teams in 1991, when their women won the team gold at the world table tennis championship in Japan, and their under-19 footballers reached the world championship quarter-finals in Portugal.

The unified team for the Winter Games in South Korea was the product of a landmark deal between the South and North Korea -- the neighbours still technically at war -- after a year of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests

North Korea's band of all-female supporters was unable to inspire the historic joint Korean women's ice hockey team as they were dumped out of the Pyeongchang Olympics with an 8-0 defeat to Sweden on Monday. The unified team for the Winter Games in South Korea was the product of a landmark deal between the South and North Korea -- the neighbours still technically at war -- after a year of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests. The home crowd -- seated among them the North Korean cheerleaders -- roared their players as they skated onto the ice in their blue-and-red jerseys, "KOREA" emblazoned over a pale blue silhouette of the peninsula. The joint team is deeply symbolic, but as a hockey side they were at the Games with little hope of making a serious impression in terms of the competition. And so it proved as they were hammered 8-0 for the second time in a row, this time to the Swedes, ranked five in the world. Sweden were 3-0 up in just 10 minutes and the heavy defeat means Korea play Japan on Wednesday in their final match in a deadrubber. The unified hockey team was hastily assembled only two weeks before the Olympics began -- and it showed in the one-sided losses to Switzerland and now Sweden. "Adding new players obviously isn't easy but I think going into this tournament we knew it was going to be tough," said the joint team's Canadian coach Sarah Murray. But even as the home team were being pounded, the 200-strong North Korean cheerleaders in red, blue and white tracksuits chanted, "Cheer up", clapping and waving mini-unification flags in unison and setting off a Mexican wave. The unity was interrupted when a four-member South Korean cheering group, in tight white T-shirts and pink shorts, skipped and hopped to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend". The North Koreans responded with songs of their own -- mostly old folk numbers, including a ballad longing for one's home town -- showing a deep cultural divide between the two halves of the divided peninsula. The Games have triggered a rare moment of reconciliation between the two Koreas. Only a few months ago, Pyongyang's missile and nuclear tests and exchanges of threats with Washington were driving tensions sky-high. But in a whirlwind of Olympic diplomacy, hundreds of North Koreans came South last week to attend the Pyeongchang Games. And in extraordinary scenes the North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo Jong cheered the unified team together with the South's President Moon Jae-in in the defeat on Saturday to Switzerland. Despite the disappointing consecutive losses local fans at the stadium were more bothered about the significance of the joint team. "I know we lack skill compared to other teams but I hope they will play with one mind," said Kim Sang-wook, 62, from Seoul. Koo Bon-jae, a 20-year-old student from the South Korean capital, added: "I was initially against it but I was touched after seeing them on the ice together." Since the division of the peninsula the two Koreas have only competed as unified teams in 1991, when their women won the team gold at the world table tennis championship in Japan, and their under-19 footballers reached the world championship quarter-finals in Portugal.

Pyeongchang 2018: Olympic hopes over for unified Korean team after 8-0 drubbing

Google Doodle celebrated Winter Olympics which kicked off in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Friday.

Saturday&#39;s doodle features&nbsp;a turtle winning race at number one spot; the turtle is considered to be a symbol of good luck and divinity in South Korean culture.

Turtle doodle is the second doodle of the series of 17 google doodles for each day of the Olympics.

Friday&#39;s doodle has magpie sitting on google logo covered in ice; the magpie bird also is a good luck symbol.

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The magpie bird is also a good luck symbol. (Others)
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These doodles will be running from February 9 to February 25.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang officially commenced on Friday.

More than 2,000 athletes representing 92 counties are participating in the event.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Saturday's doodle features a turtle winning race at number one spot; the turtle is considered to be a symbol of good luck and divinity in South Korean culture

Google Doodle celebrated Winter Olympics which kicked off in Pyeongchang, South Korea on Friday. Saturday's doodle features a turtle winning race at number one spot; the turtle is considered to be a symbol of good luck and divinity in South Korean culture. Turtle doodle is the second doodle of the series of 17 google doodles for each day of the Olympics. Friday's doodle has magpie sitting on google logo covered in ice; the magpie bird also is a good luck symbol. The magpie bird is also a good luck symbol. (Others) × These doodles will be running from February 9 to February 25. The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang officially commenced on Friday. More than 2,000 athletes representing 92 counties are participating in the event.

Google Doodle: Second-day doodle features another lucky symbol of Korea

Korean-born speed skater Victor An and 31 other Russian athletes launched a last-ditch appeal on Tuesday against their suspensions from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics following a widespread doping scandal.

Just three days before the start of the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport&nbsp;(CAS) said it opened arbitration proceedings following an urgent request from the 32.

As well as An, the six-time short-track Olympic champion, the group includes Sochi 2014 biathlon gold medallist Anton Shipulin and Sergei Ustyugov, a cross-country skiing world champion.

&quot;The applicants challenge the IOC decision refusing to invite them to participate in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games,&quot; a CAS statement said.&nbsp;

&quot;They request that CAS overturn the IOC decision and allow them to participate in these Games as Olympic Athletes from Russia.&quot;

The late appeal will raise hopes that An, who switched allegiance to Russia in 2011 after falling out with South Korea&#39;s skating authorities, can make an emotional end to his Olympic career in his native country.

Last week, 28 Russians had life bans from the Olympics overturned by CAS, prompting 15 of them to apply to take part in Pyeongchang. However, the International Olympic Committee refused to give them invitations.

Russia&#39;s team has been banned from Pyeongchang, although 168 &quot;clean&quot; Russian athletes were cleared to take part under a neutral flag as &quot;Olympic Athletes from Russia&quot;.

A 32, Shipulin and Ustyugov were not included on the list of allowed athletes, although Stanislav Pozdnyakov, vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee, has insisted they had &quot;never been implicated in any type of doping affair&quot;.

Russia was suspended from Pyeongchang after the discovery of a systemic doping conspiracy culminating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics -- where, as the host nation, they topped the medals table.

The confusion over Russia&#39;s participation echoes the build-up to Rio 2016, when the IOC stopped short of banning Russia and instead left it up to individual sports federations to accept or deny Russian athletes.

&nbsp;

Just three days before the start of the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said it opened arbitration proceedings following an urgent request from the 32

Korean-born speed skater Victor An and 31 other Russian athletes launched a last-ditch appeal on Tuesday against their suspensions from the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics following a widespread doping scandal. Just three days before the start of the Games, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said it opened arbitration proceedings following an urgent request from the 32. As well as An, the six-time short-track Olympic champion, the group includes Sochi 2014 biathlon gold medallist Anton Shipulin and Sergei Ustyugov, a cross-country skiing world champion. "The applicants challenge the IOC decision refusing to invite them to participate in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games," a CAS statement said. "They request that CAS overturn the IOC decision and allow them to participate in these Games as Olympic Athletes from Russia." The late appeal will raise hopes that An, who switched allegiance to Russia in 2011 after falling out with South Korea's skating authorities, can make an emotional end to his Olympic career in his native country. Last week, 28 Russians had life bans from the Olympics overturned by CAS, prompting 15 of them to apply to take part in Pyeongchang. However, the International Olympic Committee refused to give them invitations. Russia's team has been banned from Pyeongchang, although 168 "clean" Russian athletes were cleared to take part under a neutral flag as "Olympic Athletes from Russia". A 32, Shipulin and Ustyugov were not included on the list of allowed athletes, although Stanislav Pozdnyakov, vice-president of the Russian Olympic Committee, has insisted they had "never been implicated in any type of doping affair". Russia was suspended from Pyeongchang after the discovery of a systemic doping conspiracy culminating at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics -- where, as the host nation, they topped the medals table. The confusion over Russia's participation echoes the build-up to Rio 2016, when the IOC stopped short of banning Russia and instead left it up to individual sports federations to accept or deny Russian athletes.

Victor An among 32 Russians to appeal for Olympic spot

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gambled by calling a snap election &ndash; and he has won big.

Voters handed Abe&rsquo;s Liberal Democratic Party a sweeping victory in the Oct. 22 balloting for Japan&rsquo;s House of Representatives.

The call for the election came in late September after North Korea had just fired another test missile, with its longest delivery system yet. Over the past months, North Korea has tested six missiles, with each test either falling into the Japan Sea or passing over Japan to land in the Pacific. This latest missile flew over Japan&rsquo;s northernmost island of Hokkaido before falling into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea&rsquo;s leader, Kim Jung Un, used strong threats after this missile test, saying that he hoped to see Japan sink into the sea. Abe and his hawkish, conservative coalition have been attempting to rebuild Japan&rsquo;s military capabilities and to scrap its WWII-era constitution that prohibits aggression.

Based on my research in Japanese politics, I believe the party&rsquo;s electoral victory spells trouble for peace in Asia.

Re-arming the military

Abe&rsquo;s agenda has taken shape in a number of ways. In August, his minister of defence submitted a historic budget request that violates a decades-old unwritten principle. The principle is for Japan&rsquo;s defence budget to never be larger than 1 per cent of GDP. This principle was part of the commitment made after WWII to forever renounce military aggression.

The new budget request is a whopping 5,255 billion yen in military spending (US$48.1 billion) or 2.5 per cent of Japan&rsquo;s GDP for the fiscal year 2018. The request includes new land-based missile defence systems to monitor space and provides auto-warnings for missile launches. This technology would assist in detecting potential missile launches from North Korea, and could theoretically intercept them.

In September, the Japanese Navy launched the ship &ldquo;Myoko&rdquo; that will patrol the Japan Sea between Japan and Korea. It will guard against potential missile fires by North Korea with anti-missile defence capabilities, identical to those of the U.S. Navy. At the launch, Abe said that the &ldquo;increasingly severe security environment&rdquo; posed by North Korea and China must be &ldquo;squarely faced&rdquo; by Japan. He referred to the environment awaiting the Myoko&rsquo;s crew as a &quot;raging sea&quot;.

Many in Japan anticipate the role of Japan&rsquo;s military will soon change to respond to North Korea. Increasing military spending in the budget now may lead to future increases and spending on more offensive weapons. For example, two years ago, Japan and the U.S. renegotiated their security alliance. Japan agreed to come to the aid of its most important ally if the U.S. or one of its allies were to come under attack. A discussion on changing the Japanese Constitution&rsquo;s WWII prohibition of aggression is likely to be revived.

Destabilising the region

The requested increase in military spending in August had an immediate effect on the region and possibilities for peaceful relations.

A spokesperson for China&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted China&rsquo;s concern over the new plan and accused Japan of inflating the threat posed by China in order to take a more offensive stance in Asia.

The relationship between China and Japan is already tense. The two nations are engaged in a dispute over the Senkaku Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. This disagreement flared up last summer when China stepped up military activity near the islands. Then in February, President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to come to Japan&rsquo;s aid with conventional and nuclear weapons in a statement signed by both leaders.

Abe&rsquo;s victory confirms that Japanese people take these threats seriously. Their fears may play into a developing brinksmanship between Japan and North Korea that could, in my opinion, implicate the United States.

Trump will visit Asia in November, and his stay in Japan includes a visit with Japanese who were abducted by North Korea during the 1970s and &lsquo;80s. Doing so may open old wounds with North Korea &ndash; the stories of abduction provoke strong feelings for the Japanese people who will be reminded of North Korea&rsquo;s past offences. Prospects for a peaceful resolution with North Korea are becoming more slim, strengthening Abe&rsquo;s case for building out Japan&rsquo;s offensive capabilities.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/japans-vote-for-abe-could-worsen-prospects-for-peace-with-north-korea-china-86173" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

The USA's aid for Japan's military might narrow the prospect of solving Japan's issues with China and North Korea

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gambled by calling a snap election – and he has won big. Voters handed Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party a sweeping victory in the Oct. 22 balloting for Japan’s House of Representatives. The call for the election came in late September after North Korea had just fired another test missile, with its longest delivery system yet. Over the past months, North Korea has tested six missiles, with each test either falling into the Japan Sea or passing over Japan to land in the Pacific. This latest missile flew over Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido before falling into the Pacific Ocean. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jung Un, used strong threats after this missile test, saying that he hoped to see Japan sink into the sea. Abe and his hawkish, conservative coalition have been attempting to rebuild Japan’s military capabilities and to scrap its WWII-era constitution that prohibits aggression. Based on my research in Japanese politics, I believe the party’s electoral victory spells trouble for peace in Asia. Re-arming the military Abe’s agenda has taken shape in a number of ways. In August, his minister of defence submitted a historic budget request that violates a decades-old unwritten principle. The principle is for Japan’s defence budget to never be larger than 1 per cent of GDP. This principle was part of the commitment made after WWII to forever renounce military aggression. The new budget request is a whopping 5,255 billion yen in military spending (US$48.1 billion) or 2.5 per cent of Japan’s GDP for the fiscal year 2018. The request includes new land-based missile defence systems to monitor space and provides auto-warnings for missile launches. This technology would assist in detecting potential missile launches from North Korea, and could theoretically intercept them. In September, the Japanese Navy launched the ship “Myoko” that will patrol the Japan Sea between Japan and Korea. It will guard against potential missile fires by North Korea with anti-missile defence capabilities, identical to those of the U.S. Navy. At the launch, Abe said that the “increasingly severe security environment” posed by North Korea and China must be “squarely faced” by Japan. He referred to the environment awaiting the Myoko’s crew as a "raging sea". Many in Japan anticipate the role of Japan’s military will soon change to respond to North Korea. Increasing military spending in the budget now may lead to future increases and spending on more offensive weapons. For example, two years ago, Japan and the U.S. renegotiated their security alliance. Japan agreed to come to the aid of its most important ally if the U.S. or one of its allies were to come under attack. A discussion on changing the Japanese Constitution’s WWII prohibition of aggression is likely to be revived. Destabilising the region The requested increase in military spending in August had an immediate effect on the region and possibilities for peaceful relations. A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted China’s concern over the new plan and accused Japan of inflating the threat posed by China in order to take a more offensive stance in Asia. The relationship between China and Japan is already tense. The two nations are engaged in a dispute over the Senkaku Diaoyutai islands in the East China Sea. This disagreement flared up last summer when China stepped up military activity near the islands. Then in February, President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to come to Japan’s aid with conventional and nuclear weapons in a statement signed by both leaders. Abe’s victory confirms that Japanese people take these threats seriously. Their fears may play into a developing brinksmanship between Japan and North Korea that could, in my opinion, implicate the United States. Trump will visit Asia in November, and his stay in Japan includes a visit with Japanese who were abducted by North Korea during the 1970s and ‘80s. Doing so may open old wounds with North Korea – the stories of abduction provoke strong feelings for the Japanese people who will be reminded of North Korea’s past offences. Prospects for a peaceful resolution with North Korea are becoming more slim, strengthening Abe’s case for building out Japan’s offensive capabilities. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Japan's vote for Abe could worsen prospects for peace with North Korea, China

During what was the 2017 Easter weekend for most of the world, North Koreans celebrated the &ldquo;Day of the Sun&rdquo;. It was the 105th birthday of the country&rsquo;s late founding leader and &ldquo;eternal president&rdquo; Kim Il-sung (1912-1994).

Thousands of soldiers, military vehicles and, most notably, various ballistic missiles were paraded for the inspection of current supreme leader Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-sung&rsquo;s grandson).

But it wasn&rsquo;t the parade that signalled North Korea&rsquo;s belligerence; numerous other countries hold military parades to mark some significant occasion or another.

Instead, what was clearly aggressive was the presentation of a mock-up video of the country&rsquo;s ballistic missiles destroying an American city during a national musical performance.

This video is the most visceral expression yet of Pyongyang&rsquo;s intentions. Its telecast was likely timed to coincide with the expected arrival of the US Navy&rsquo;s aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, and its accompanying fleet of warships in Korean waters.

Inching closer

On April 8, US President Donald Trump and other American officials told the media that the Carl Vinson had been ordered to make its way towards the Korean peninsula. The likely plan was to demonstrate American resolve in managing the crisis that North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear weapons program has created.

Subsequent revelations that the warship was actually heading south for exercises with the Australian Navy at the time showed a series of blunders in internal communication. But the fact that the Carl Vinson has arrived off Korean waters two weeks later does not change the prospect of a military conflict between North Korea and the United States.

The key question is whether North Korea does have nuclear weapons that it can readily use against the United States and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan. It&rsquo;s still unlikely North Korea has the current capability to launch a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can destroy an American city.

North Korea&rsquo;s scientists have yet to master the technology to build missiles that can traverse this distance and to construct warheads that can survive re-entry into the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere after space flight.

But years of testing has allowed North Korea to inch closer to getting right the extremely demanding science of building and launching viable intercontinental nuclear weapons. And this is why the United States is against further testing, to the point that the Trump administration seems serious about justifying pre-emptive strikes on the basis of further nuclear and missile tests.

What is of immediate concern is that previous tests have led to North Korea being able to achieve the relatively easier requirements of building workable medium-range ballistic missiles, with small enough warheads, to strike American bases in South Korea and Japan. These have about 80,000 US military personnel in total.

Approaching catastrophe

North Korea may already have as many 20 nuclear warheads that are small enough to be carried on its Nodong (or Rodong-1) medium-range missiles that can reach these bases. And the Trump administration seems to not want to risk the lives of American soldiers by assuming that North Korea doesn&rsquo;t already have this nuclear capability.

The cost of that mistake would be the lives of not just 80,000 American military personnel but also countless South Korean and Japanese lives as well. In fact, a North Korean nuclear attack, which will likely develop into war, can be expected to create a humanitarian, environmental and economic catastrophe that will set back the international community.

This is what&rsquo;s immediately at stake for everyone. And it explains why the United States is putting pressure on China, as an ally of North Korea, to influence it to stop its nuclear weapons program.

But if China and other countries fail to stop North Korea building nuclear weapons, the United States will feel pressured to use military force to destroy whatever nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles sites it can locate by satellite surveillance.

The decision to divert the Carl Vinson to waters near the Korean peninsula may also be driven by new intelligence on North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear threat. The challenge is that sending an American naval armada towards North Korea risks triggering the very nuclear attack against US bases that the Trump administration is trying to avoid in the first place.

This could explain why the administration said it was sending its naval vessels two weeks ago when it really did so later. It may have been to test North Korea&rsquo;s attitude without escalating the situation by the actual presence of American naval forces that could trigger military action by Kim Jong-Un&rsquo;s regime.

A worrying stand-off

Why would North Korea want to use nuclear weapons against American bases in Northeast Asia in the first place? It is helpful to remember that, technically, North and South Korea have been at war since 1950 (the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than peace). And that the United States has chosen to provide military assistance to the South to help protect it from any aggression by the North.

North Korea may have a very large army of about one million soldiers. South Korea effectively has half that number. Although the majority of South Korea&rsquo;s able-bodied male citizens may contribute to a military reserve of a few million soldiers, mobilising them in time to respond to a conflict is another question and their role is often excluded from analyses.

As such, the American military personnel and the superior equipment, aircraft and ships that they operate provide the South with a better chance of avoiding defeat should war break out.

Pyongyang&rsquo;s intention in using nuclear weapons would be to destroy these American bases to remove the advantage they give to South Korea&rsquo;s national defence. This is why the threat of nuclear use, especially by a more brazen regime under Kim Jong-Un, needs to be taken very seriously.

Such is the current quagmire as the world waits to see how the geopolitics of the Korean peninsula will unfold over the next few months. And as strategists and policymakers scramble to find other approaches for halting North Korea&rsquo;s growing nuclear threat.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-must-be-taken-more-seriously-than-ever-76592" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

North Korea?s growing nuclear power intends to destroy the US army bases in Korean region

During what was the 2017 Easter weekend for most of the world, North Koreans celebrated the “Day of the Sun”. It was the 105th birthday of the country’s late founding leader and “eternal president” Kim Il-sung (1912-1994). Thousands of soldiers, military vehicles and, most notably, various ballistic missiles were paraded for the inspection of current supreme leader Kim Jong-Un (Kim Il-sung’s grandson). But it wasn’t the parade that signalled North Korea’s belligerence; numerous other countries hold military parades to mark some significant occasion or another. Instead, what was clearly aggressive was the presentation of a mock-up video of the country’s ballistic missiles destroying an American city during a national musical performance. This video is the most visceral expression yet of Pyongyang’s intentions. Its telecast was likely timed to coincide with the expected arrival of the US Navy’s aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson, and its accompanying fleet of warships in Korean waters. Inching closer On April 8, US President Donald Trump and other American officials told the media that the Carl Vinson had been ordered to make its way towards the Korean peninsula. The likely plan was to demonstrate American resolve in managing the crisis that North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has created. Subsequent revelations that the warship was actually heading south for exercises with the Australian Navy at the time showed a series of blunders in internal communication. But the fact that the Carl Vinson has arrived off Korean waters two weeks later does not change the prospect of a military conflict between North Korea and the United States. The key question is whether North Korea does have nuclear weapons that it can readily use against the United States and its regional allies, South Korea and Japan. It’s still unlikely North Korea has the current capability to launch a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile that can destroy an American city. North Korea’s scientists have yet to master the technology to build missiles that can traverse this distance and to construct warheads that can survive re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere after space flight. But years of testing has allowed North Korea to inch closer to getting right the extremely demanding science of building and launching viable intercontinental nuclear weapons. And this is why the United States is against further testing, to the point that the Trump administration seems serious about justifying pre-emptive strikes on the basis of further nuclear and missile tests. What is of immediate concern is that previous tests have led to North Korea being able to achieve the relatively easier requirements of building workable medium-range ballistic missiles, with small enough warheads, to strike American bases in South Korea and Japan. These have about 80,000 US military personnel in total. Approaching catastrophe North Korea may already have as many 20 nuclear warheads that are small enough to be carried on its Nodong (or Rodong-1) medium-range missiles that can reach these bases. And the Trump administration seems to not want to risk the lives of American soldiers by assuming that North Korea doesn’t already have this nuclear capability. The cost of that mistake would be the lives of not just 80,000 American military personnel but also countless South Korean and Japanese lives as well. In fact, a North Korean nuclear attack, which will likely develop into war, can be expected to create a humanitarian, environmental and economic catastrophe that will set back the international community. This is what’s immediately at stake for everyone. And it explains why the United States is putting pressure on China, as an ally of North Korea, to influence it to stop its nuclear weapons program. But if China and other countries fail to stop North Korea building nuclear weapons, the United States will feel pressured to use military force to destroy whatever nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles sites it can locate by satellite surveillance. The decision to divert the Carl Vinson to waters near the Korean peninsula may also be driven by new intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear threat. The challenge is that sending an American naval armada towards North Korea risks triggering the very nuclear attack against US bases that the Trump administration is trying to avoid in the first place. This could explain why the administration said it was sending its naval vessels two weeks ago when it really did so later. It may have been to test North Korea’s attitude without escalating the situation by the actual presence of American naval forces that could trigger military action by Kim Jong-Un’s regime. A worrying stand-off Why would North Korea want to use nuclear weapons against American bases in Northeast Asia in the first place? It is helpful to remember that, technically, North and South Korea have been at war since 1950 (the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice rather than peace). And that the United States has chosen to provide military assistance to the South to help protect it from any aggression by the North. North Korea may have a very large army of about one million soldiers. South Korea effectively has half that number. Although the majority of South Korea’s able-bodied male citizens may contribute to a military reserve of a few million soldiers, mobilising them in time to respond to a conflict is another question and their role is often excluded from analyses. As such, the American military personnel and the superior equipment, aircraft and ships that they operate provide the South with a better chance of avoiding defeat should war break out. Pyongyang’s intention in using nuclear weapons would be to destroy these American bases to remove the advantage they give to South Korea’s national defence. This is why the threat of nuclear use, especially by a more brazen regime under Kim Jong-Un, needs to be taken very seriously. Such is the current quagmire as the world waits to see how the geopolitics of the Korean peninsula will unfold over the next few months. And as strategists and policymakers scramble to find other approaches for halting North Korea’s growing nuclear threat. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Why North Korea's nuclear threat must be taken more seriously than ever

A dominant India continued their unbeaten run in the tournament and thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to sail into the final of the 10th men&#39;s Asia Cup hockey tournament here today.

The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in tomorrow&#39;s summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals -- three field strikes and one through penalty corner.

Satbir Singh (39th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (51st), Lalit Upadhyay (52nd) and Gurjant Singh (57th) were the scorers for India.

By virtue of this win, India not only topped the Super 4 stage with seven points, but also continued their domination over Pakistan.

It was India&#39;s fourth win over Pakistan this year, having beaten them twice in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London and once in the pool stages here.

The defeat knocked Pakistan out of the final race and India will now play either Korea or Malaysia, who play later in the day, in the final.

Contrary to the result, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, while Pakistan were the better side in terms of possession in the first two quarters.

Pakistan had three chances via penalty corners to take the lead in the first quarter, but wasted all.

The Indians secured the first penalty corner in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Harmanpreet messed up the opportunity.

After Ramandeep Singh&#39;s shot was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali in the 23rd minute, India defended well to deny their rivals from another short corner.

Minutes later, Harmanpreet hit the cross bar from India&#39;s second penalty corner as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time.

But India looked more organised after the change of ends and dominated the proceedings in the final two quarters.

Satbir gave India the lead in the 39th minute after receiving a fine back stick pass from Lalit.

Minutes later, Harmanpreet&#39;s effort from India&#39;s third set piece was saved by Amjad Ali.

The Indians created chances in the final few minutes of the third quarter but Pakistan custodian Amjad Ali was upto the mark to keep Pakistan in the hunt.

India wasted two more penalty corners in a span of two minutes as Amjad Ali made multiple saves to deny their opponents.

India pressed on the gas in the final 10 minutes and scored three goals in a span of six minutes to run away with the game.

While Harmanpreet Singh scored his seventh goal of the tournament from India&#39;s sixth penalty corner, Lalit made it 3-0 a minute later by pouncing on a loose ball inside the D.

India added salt to Pakistan&#39;s wounds when Gurjant slotted home three minutes from the final hooter after receiving a precision pass from Akshdeep Singh from the right flank.&nbsp;

India will play either Korea or Malaysia in the final

A dominant India continued their unbeaten run in the tournament and thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 4-0 to sail into the final of the 10th men's Asia Cup hockey tournament here today. The sixth ranked India, who just needed a draw to seal a place in tomorrow's summit clash, produced a superlative performance after the change of ends to pump in four goals -- three field strikes and one through penalty corner. Satbir Singh (39th minute), Harmanpreet Singh (51st), Lalit Upadhyay (52nd) and Gurjant Singh (57th) were the scorers for India. By virtue of this win, India not only topped the Super 4 stage with seven points, but also continued their domination over Pakistan. It was India's fourth win over Pakistan this year, having beaten them twice in the Hockey World League Semi-finals in London and once in the pool stages here. The defeat knocked Pakistan out of the final race and India will now play either Korea or Malaysia, who play later in the day, in the final. Contrary to the result, the Indians were slow to get off the blocks, while Pakistan were the better side in terms of possession in the first two quarters. Pakistan had three chances via penalty corners to take the lead in the first quarter, but wasted all. The Indians secured the first penalty corner in the final minute of the opening quarter, but Harmanpreet messed up the opportunity. After Ramandeep Singh's shot was saved by Pakistan goalkeeper Amjad Ali in the 23rd minute, India defended well to deny their rivals from another short corner. Minutes later, Harmanpreet hit the cross bar from India's second penalty corner as both the teams failed to break the deadlock at half time. But India looked more organised after the change of ends and dominated the proceedings in the final two quarters. Satbir gave India the lead in the 39th minute after receiving a fine back stick pass from Lalit. Minutes later, Harmanpreet's effort from India's third set piece was saved by Amjad Ali. The Indians created chances in the final few minutes of the third quarter but Pakistan custodian Amjad Ali was upto the mark to keep Pakistan in the hunt. India wasted two more penalty corners in a span of two minutes as Amjad Ali made multiple saves to deny their opponents. India pressed on the gas in the final 10 minutes and scored three goals in a span of six minutes to run away with the game. While Harmanpreet Singh scored his seventh goal of the tournament from India's sixth penalty corner, Lalit made it 3-0 a minute later by pouncing on a loose ball inside the D. India added salt to Pakistan's wounds when Gurjant slotted home three minutes from the final hooter after receiving a precision pass from Akshdeep Singh from the right flank.

India beat Pakistan 4-0 to enter Asia Cup final

Indian shares fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, dragged down by financial and healthcare stocks, as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula hit regional markets.

Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">US President Donald Trump told North Korea</a> that any threat to the United States would be met with &quot;fire and fury.&quot;

Analysts said any fall in domestic equities could be limited. Shares have hit records highs this year on prospects of improving earnings and economic and fiscal reforms from the government.

&quot;Global news flow is weighing heavy on the markets. I don&#39;t think there is more than 4-5 pct downside from the levels we&#39;ve seen recently,&quot; said Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services.

The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.29 per cent at 9,949.50 as of 0528 GMT, while the benchmark BSE&nbsp;Sensex&nbsp;was 0.38 per cent lower at 31,893.61.

Drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries&#39; shares slumped as much as 5 per cent to their lowest in over four years after unit Taro Pharmaceutical Industries June-qtr profit halved to $54.5 million.

The Nifty Pharma index fell as much as 2.2 per cent to its lowest in over two months.

Nifty Bank index was trading 0.5 per cent lower, after falling nearly a per cent in the last two sessions.

Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after US President Donald Trump told North Korea that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury."

Indian shares fell for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, dragged down by financial and healthcare stocks, as escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula hit regional markets. Asian shares and US stock futures slipped after Pyongyang said it is considering plans to attack Guam, just hours after US President Donald Trump told North Korea that any threat to the United States would be met with "fire and fury." Analysts said any fall in domestic equities could be limited. Shares have hit records highs this year on prospects of improving earnings and economic and fiscal reforms from the government. "Global news flow is weighing heavy on the markets. I don't think there is more than 4-5 pct downside from the levels we've seen recently," said Gaurang Shah, head investment strategist, Geojit Financial Services. The broader NSE Nifty was down 0.29 per cent at 9,949.50 as of 0528 GMT, while the benchmark BSE Sensex was 0.38 per cent lower at 31,893.61. Drugmaker Sun Pharmaceutical Industries' shares slumped as much as 5 per cent to their lowest in over four years after unit Taro Pharmaceutical Industries June-qtr profit halved to $54.5 million. The Nifty Pharma index fell as much as 2.2 per cent to its lowest in over two months. Nifty Bank index was trading 0.5 per cent lower, after falling nearly a per cent in the last two sessions.

Sensex dips over Korea tension

The Pacific island of Guam remained calm a day after the apocalyptic threats from Korea.

The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-strike-on-guam-after-trumps-fire-and-fury-warning-18729">&quot; fire and fury&quot; over its nuclear ambitions</a>. Korea reverted saying it was considering missile strikes near US strategic military installations on Guam.

Governor Eddie Calvo assured the residents of Guam of their safety. He said that Guam and Washington are working together to secure the Pacific island.

George Charfauros, the territory&#39;s homeland security adviser said there was just a 0.000001 per cent chance of the North Korean missile hitting Guam.

The threat did not scare the people in Chelsea as it was like any other ordinary day for them. &quot;I haven&#39;t heard people talk about it. The customer traffic is normal. They&#39;re just buying school supplies because the school&#39;s just opened&quot; a shop worker in Chelsea told AFP.&nbsp;

Guam, a US island territory, is a popular tourist destination. The island is inhabited by around 6000 US troops and houses two US military installations, the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Base Guam.

Nationalists claim that it is because of the US military that the island attracts potential threats.&nbsp;

However, Calvo dismissed the claims saying the island is safe because of the US military presence.

&quot;Those who are against the military will keep that distinction and make that argument. In the same manner, those who support the presence of the military on Guam will argue that this is what keeps us safe,&quot; he said.

The governor also said that he has been assured by the White House that a strike on the territory would be considered an attack on the United States, adding that Guam is American soil inhabited by 200,000 Americans.&nbsp;

The verbal war between US and Korea has forced Germany to intervene and request United Nations Security Council to &quot;thoroughly implement&quot; the latest round of sanctions against North Korea.

The German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer has asked &quot;all sides to restraint&quot; stressing that Germany saw North Korea as the clear &quot;provocateur in this case and the source of our worries&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with 'fire and fury' over its nuclear ambitions

The Pacific island of Guam remained calm a day after the apocalyptic threats from Korea. The threats followed after the US President Donald Trump had warned North Korea with " fire and fury" over its nuclear ambitions. Korea reverted saying it was considering missile strikes near US strategic military installations on Guam. Governor Eddie Calvo assured the residents of Guam of their safety. He said that Guam and Washington are working together to secure the Pacific island. George Charfauros, the territory's homeland security adviser said there was just a 0.000001 per cent chance of the North Korean missile hitting Guam. The threat did not scare the people in Chelsea as it was like any other ordinary day for them. "I haven't heard people talk about it. The customer traffic is normal. They're just buying school supplies because the school's just opened" a shop worker in Chelsea told AFP. Guam, a US island territory, is a popular tourist destination. The island is inhabited by around 6000 US troops and houses two US military installations, the Andersen Air Force Base and the Naval Base Guam. Nationalists claim that it is because of the US military that the island attracts potential threats. However, Calvo dismissed the claims saying the island is safe because of the US military presence. "Those who are against the military will keep that distinction and make that argument. In the same manner, those who support the presence of the military on Guam will argue that this is what keeps us safe," he said. The governor also said that he has been assured by the White House that a strike on the territory would be considered an attack on the United States, adding that Guam is American soil inhabited by 200,000 Americans. The verbal war between US and Korea has forced Germany to intervene and request United Nations Security Council to "thoroughly implement" the latest round of sanctions against North Korea. The German foreign ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer has asked "all sides to restraint" stressing that Germany saw North Korea as the clear "provocateur in this case and the source of our worries".

Guam keeps its cool after North Korea strike threat

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response.

The massive &quot;Foal Eagle&quot; drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops.

Another annual joint exercise known as &quot;Key Resolve&quot; ended last month.

Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang&#39;s claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion.

Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible &quot;major conflict&quot; while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise.

The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies&#39; capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week.

Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area.

China is &quot;putting pressure&quot; on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network&#39;s &quot;Face the Nation&quot; programme.

If North Korea carries out another nuclear test &quot;I would not be happy,&quot; he said.

&quot;And I can tell you also, I don&#39;t believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either,&quot; Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday.

Asked if &quot;not happy&quot; signified &quot;military action,&quot; Trump answered: &quot;I don&#39;t know. I mean, we&#39;ll see.&quot;

&#39;Catastrophic consequences&#39;&nbsp;

Pyongyang&#39;s show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of &quot;catastrophic consequences&quot; if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme.

Military options for dealing with the North were still &quot;on the table&quot;, Tillerson said.

China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North&#39;s nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to &quot;bigger disasters&quot;.

Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea.

&quot;There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help,&quot; he said.

The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally&#39;s territory.

But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed.

Trump&#39;s interview remarks &quot;were made in a general context, reflecting the American public&#39;s hopes for (defense) cost sharing,&quot; McMaster was quoted as saying by the South&#39;s presidential office.

The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South.

Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance.

(AFP)

Tensions have deepened in the region as the North is reportedly preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test

South Korea and the United States wrapped up their annual large-scale military drills on Sunday, but continued a separate joint naval exercise that has triggered dire threats from nuclear-armed North Korea. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been running sky-high for weeks, with signs that the North might be preparing a long-range missile launch or a sixth nuclear test -- and with Washington refusing to rule out a military strike in response. The massive "Foal Eagle" drill, which the defence ministry in Seoul said was ending as scheduled on Sunday, involved around 20,000 South Korean and 10,000 US troops. Another annual joint exercise known as "Key Resolve" ended last month. Both play out scenarios for a conflict with North Korea, but Seoul and Washington insist they are purely defensive in nature, despite Pyongyang's claims that they are provocative rehearsals for invasion. Their conclusion normally signals a period of relative calm in North-South tensions, but this year the situation looks set to remain highly volatile. US President Donald Trump has warned of a possible "major conflict" while Pyongyang has carried out a series of failed missile tests, including one on Saturday, and a massive live-fire military exercise. The South Korean defence ministry confirmed Sunday that a joint naval drill with a US strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, was still ongoing in the Sea of Japan (East Sea). The exercise, aimed at verifying the allies' capability to track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles, is expected to continue until sometime next week. Through state media, North Korea has threatened to attack the Carl Vinson, and a state-sponsored website on Sunday also warned of a possible strike against a US nuclear-powered submarine despatched to the area. China is "putting pressure" on its ally North Korea to curb its weapons programmes, Trump told the CBS television network's "Face the Nation" programme. If North Korea carries out another nuclear test "I would not be happy," he said. "And I can tell you also, I don't believe that the president of China, who is a very respected man, will be happy either," Trump said in excerpts of the interview released Saturday. Asked if "not happy" signified "military action," Trump answered: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see." 'Catastrophic consequences' Pyongyang's show of defiance included a failed missile test on Saturday that came just hours after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the UN Security Council of "catastrophic consequences" if the international community -- most notably China -- failed to pressure the North into abandoning its weapons programme. Military options for dealing with the North were still "on the table", Tillerson said. China has repeatedly pushed back at the idea that it alone holds the solution to curbing the North's nuclear ambitions, and warned that any use of US force would only lead to "bigger disasters". Pope Francis this weekend called for negotiations to resolve tensions over North Korea. "There are plenty of mediators in the world who are putting themselves forward. Norway, for example which is ready to help," he said. The tensions have also triggered some friction between Seoul and Washington, with Trump suggesting in a recent interview that the South should pay for the $1.0-billion dollar THAAD anti-missile system that the US is deploying on its ally's territory. But on Sunday South Korea said US National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster had spoken by phone with his counterpart in Seoul and both sides had reaffirmed that Washington would bear the cost of the THAAD deployment, as initially agreed. Trump's interview remarks "were made in a general context, reflecting the American public's hopes for (defense) cost sharing," McMaster was quoted as saying by the South's presidential office. The two countries have had a security alliance since the 1950-53 Korean war, and more than 28,000 US troops are stationed in the South. Beijing has been infuriated by the THAAD deployment, which it says upsets the regional security balance. (AFP)

US, South Korea continue joint naval drills amid Pyongyang threats

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un &quot;to his senses&quot;.

The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington&#39;s tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme.

After briefing senators at the White House, a&nbsp;statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to &quot;dismantle&quot; North Korea&#39;s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by &quot;tightening economic sanctions&quot;.

Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the &quot;international community to incrcease pressure&quot; on North Korea and convice them to &quot;return to the path of dialogue&quot;.

Reiterating its statement that &quot;all options were on the table&quot;, the statement further said: &quot;We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees.&quot;

The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea&#39;s intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed.

The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime.&nbsp;

But if China&#39;s efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution.

THAAD trouble

The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region.

THAAD&#39;s deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure.

Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula.

But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD.

They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea.

THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

North&#39;s defiance

North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might.

Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the&nbsp;founding anniversary of its military.

The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

While a military solution remains an option, the US first wants to impose tough economic sanctions to deter North Korea from its nuclear programme

The United States has spelled out its desire to ramp up sanctions against North Korea in order to bring its leader Kim Jong-Un "to his senses". The Pentagon released a statement that underlined Washington's tough stance on North Korea, which has pooh-poohed several economic sanctions in the past to continue with its ballistic missile programme. After briefing senators at the White House, a statement from Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats stated US President Donald Trump's desire to "dismantle" North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes by "tightening economic sanctions". Although Washington remained on the front foot about its policies towards Pyongyang, the joint statement said they were involved in getting help from the "international community to incrcease pressure" on North Korea and convice them to "return to the path of dialogue". Reiterating its statement that "all options were on the table", the statement further said: "We want to bring Kim Jong-Un to his senses, not to his knees." The Trump administration has been wary of North Korea's intention to continue with their nuclear testing and has warned about military action if needed. The US has also reached out to China to placate the isolated regime. But if China's efforts are not enough to deter North Korea, the Trump administration has underscored the possibilities of a military solution. THAAD trouble The US sent the THAAD defence intercepting equipment to be installed in South Korea on Wednesday morning. But the installation of the THAAD in a golf course in Seongju county has elicited heated protests from residents, who believe that the presence of the missile interceptor would goad North leader Kim Jong-Un to attack their region. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has also vexed and angered Beijing in equal measure. Its presence angers Beijing as it would help the US to monitor and perhaps scuttle their missile programmes. And it angers them because it is likely to escalate tensions in the Korean peninsula. But the US and South Korea governments have remained steadfast about their decision to install THAAD. They feel the increasing bellicosity of the North has left them with little option but to place the THAAD in South Korea. THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. North's defiance North Korea has been ruffling feathers by flexing its military might. Apart from test-firing missiles and threatening to launch ballistic missiles towards the US, Pyongyang has been recently busy in tom-tomming its largest-ever firing drill to mark the founding anniversary of its military. The regime has, like in the past, routinely dismissed suggestions of sanctions and military threat to continue building their weaponry. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US wants to ramp up North Korea sanctions to bring Kim 'to his senses'

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington&#39;s relations with North Korea remains on a&nbsp;knife edge.

Yonhap, South Korea&#39;s largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning.

The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme.

North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test.

South Korea&#39;s defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017.

South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang.

The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.

Controversial THAAD

Although THAAD will ease South Korea&#39;s security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor.

Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US&#39; presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests.

China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea&#39;s decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing.

In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to &quot;military and intelligence agencies&quot; have &quot;launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea&#39;s government, military and a big conglomerate&quot;, according to a report in the Journal.

Local unrest

The deployment has also raised concerns among locals.

Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region&#39;s golf courses.

The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them.

They also cite environmental concerns.

On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions.

US offensive

The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang&#39;s behaviour.

But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep.

Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for &quot;restraint&quot; regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump.

US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The THAAD arrived in the South as North Korea continues with its ballistic missile programme

The United States has started installing the controversial THAAD missile defence equipment in South Korea, as Washington's relations with North Korea remains on a knife edge. Yonhap, South Korea's largest news agency, reported that six trailers carrying the THAAD missile had entered a golf course in South Korea on Wednesday morning. The deployment of the advanced missile defence system in South Korea is to counter any threat from Pyongyang, who have thumbed nose at a series of sanctions to go ahead with their ballistic missile programme. North Korea has also been vocal about their plan to conduct their sixth nuclear weapons test. South Korea's defence ministry said the THAAD will be fully operational by the end of 2017. South Korea and the US decided to position the THAAD weeks back following an increasingly bellicose rhetoric emanating from Pyongyang. The THAAD system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. Controversial THAAD Although THAAD will ease South Korea's security, China has been a vocal critic of the advanced missile interceptor. Beijing feels the deployment of THAAD not only enables US' presence in the region, the defence system will also help Washington monitor and disrupt their missile tests. China has long been against the deployment of THAAD in the region, but South Korea's decision to install it amid the sabre-rattling of their neighbours has angered Beijing. In recent days, China has not only put an unofficial sanction on South Korean companies operating in their country, its hackers linked to "military and intelligence agencies" have "launched a variety of attacks against the South Korea's government, military and a big conglomerate", according to a report in the Journal. Local unrest The deployment has also raised concerns among locals. Residents of Seongju county in South Korea and the police clashed with each other over the deployment of THAAD in one of the region's golf courses. The residents have been against the positioning of THAAD there because they believe it would infuriate North leader Kim Jong-Un and would prompt him to attack them. They also cite environmental concerns. On Wednesday, all hands were on the deck for the police as they had to contend with about 8,000 angry residents. The police had to call for back-up as scuffles erupted between the two factions. US offensive The United States has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Carl Vinson to the western Pacific. Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up US military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang. The US has long pushed for China to make more efforts to curb Pyongyang's behaviour. But Beijing has resisted, concerned that a regime collapse could trigger a flood of refugees across the border and leave the US military on its doorstep. Chinese President Xi Jinping called Monday for "restraint" regarding North Korea in a telephone conversation with Trump. US defence leaders and other top officials are to give a classified briefing on North Korea to all senators in an unusual meeting at the White House later Wednesday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

US' missile defence interceptor arrives in South Korea to counter North's threat

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out &quot;at any moment&quot;, as Pyongyang vowed a &quot;merciless&quot; response to any US military action. 
 
Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test.&nbsp; 
 
A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear weapons programme &quot;will be taken care of&quot;. 
 
A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. 
 
&quot;One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment,&quot; Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner,&quot; he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. 
 
Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that &quot;thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment&quot;. North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. 
 
The North&#39;s Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. 
 
&quot;The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes,&quot; said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. 
Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of &quot;open threat and blackmail&quot; against the North. 
 
It also urged Washington to &quot;come to its senses&quot; and find a &quot;proper&quot; solution to the current stand-off.&nbsp; 
 
Trump&#39;s military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. 
 
The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. 
 
A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of &quot;when&quot; rather than &quot;if.&quot; 
 
Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North&#39;s sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort.&nbsp; 
 
Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s &quot;rape&quot; of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an &quot;outstanding&quot; relationship with Xi.&nbsp; 
 
But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. 
 
Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. 
 
China&#39;s state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. 
The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. 
 
Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. 
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion.&nbsp; 
 
Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine.&nbsp;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula. A clearly rattled China says the situation has reached breaking point

China issued a stern warning Friday that a conflict over North Korea could break out "at any moment", as Pyongyang vowed a "merciless" response to any US military action. Tensions in the region have surged to fresh heights in recent days with speculation mounting that the North is preparing a sixth nuclear test. A US naval strike force has been deployed near the Korean peninsula, and President Donald Trump has issued stark warnings that the threat posed by Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programme "will be taken care of". A clearly rattled China, under pressure from Trump to prevent any North Korean provocation, said the situation had reached breaking point. "One has the feeling that a conflict could break out at any moment," Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said. "If a war occurs, the result is a situation in which everybody loses and there can be no winner," he added during a joint press conference in Beijing with the visiting French foreign minister. Wang`s comments mirrored a warning from the North Korean foreign ministry`s Institute for Disarmament and Peace that "thermo-nuclear war may break out any moment". North Korea has invoked similarly dire scenarios on previous occasions when tensions on the Korean peninsula have spiked, but Beijing`s warnings have fuelled international concerns that the current situation is reaching tipping point. The North's Korean People`s Army (KPA) added its voice to the bellicose rhetoric on Friday with a statement threatening strikes against US military bases and other targets in South Korea. "The closer such big targets as nuclear powered aircraft carriers come, the greater would be the effect of merciless strikes," said the statement carried by the North`s official KCNA news agency. Citing the recent missile strike Trump ordered against Syria -- which was widely interpreted as a warning to Pyongyang -- the KPA denounced the US president for embarking on a path of "open threat and blackmail" against the North. It also urged Washington to "come to its senses" and find a "proper" solution to the current stand-off. Trump's military muscle-flexing was on display again Thursday when the US on dropped the biggest non-nuclear bomb it possesses on Afghanistan, targeting a complex used by the Islamic State group. The American president has repeatedly said he will prevent Pyongyang from its goal of developing a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the mainland United States. A White House foreign policy advisor said Friday that the US was assessing military options, and added that another provocative test was a question of "when" rather than "if." Satellite imagery analysis has noted activity at the North`s main nuclear test site ahead of Saturday`s 105th anniversary of the birth of the country`s founder leader Kim Il-Sung.The North's sabre-rattling has encouraged a rapprochement between Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, who met face-to-face for the first time late last week at Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort. Though his election campaign was marked with acerbic denouncements of China`s "rape" of the US economy, Trump dropped his anti-China bombast in Florida, afterwards hailing an "outstanding" relationship with Xi. But he insists China -- the North`s sole major ally and economic lifeline -- must exert more leverage on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear ambitions or suffer the consequences. Beijing has long opposed dramatic action against the North, fearing the regime`s collapse would send a flood of refugees across its borders and leave the US military on its doorstep. China's state broadcaster CCTV announced Friday that Air China -- the only foreign carrier operating commercial flights into North Korea -- would suspend services to Pyongyang from next week. The report gave no reason for the suspension, but noted that Air China has taken similar action in the past because of low passenger volumes. Despite the mounting tensions, there has been little sign of strain on the streets of Pyongyang in recent days, where the focus has been on preparations for Saturday`s anniversary. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Thursday unveiled the sprawling Ryomyong street development, a prestige housing project repeatedly promised in time to mark the occasion. Before the international press and tens of thousands of his adoring citizens, he cut a wide red ribbon to rhythmic cheers, before waving and returning to his Mercedes limousine. (AFP)

China warns of war 'at any moment' as North Korea vows 'merciless' response to US

Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops began a military exercise simulating an all-out North Korean attack Monday, as Pyongyang threatened a pre-emptive strike on forces participating in the drill. 
 
The two-week annual Ulchi Freedom exercise is largely computer-simulated, but still involves 50,000 Korean and 30,000 US soldiers. 
 
The drill always triggers a spike in tensions on the divided Korean peninsula, and this year it coincides with particularly volatile cross-border relations following a series of high-profile defections. 
 
On Sunday, the Unification Ministry in Seoul urged all citizens to be on guard against &quot;North Korean terror threats&quot; and warned of possible assassination attempts on defectors and anti-Pyongyang activists in the South. 
 
Ulchi Freedom plays out a full-scale invasion scenario by nuclear-armed North Korea and both Seoul and Washington insist it remains purely defensive in nature. 
 
Pyongyang views the drill as wilfully provocative and the Korean People&#39;s Army (KPA) issued a statement Monday morning, threatening a military response to what it described as a rehearsal for a surprise nuclear attack and invasion of the North. 
 
North Korea&#39;s frontline units were &quot;fully ready to mount a preemptive retaliatory strike at all enemy attack groups involved,&quot; said a spokesman for the KPA General Staff. 
 
The slightest violation of North Korea&#39;s territorial sovereignty during the military drill would result in the source of the provocation being turned &quot;into a heap of ashes through Korean-style preemptive nuclear strike,&quot; the spokesman said. 
 
Pyongyang has made similar threats in the past, but analysts say the risk of an unintended incident escalating into a military clash is higher this year given the lack of direct communication between the two Koreas. 
 
As tensions rose in the wake of North Korea&#39;s fourth nuclear test in January, Pyongyang shut down the two existing hotlines with South Korea, one used by the military and one for government-to-government communications. 
 
And last month it severed its only direct communications link with the United States when it shut down the so-called &quot;New York channel&quot; which had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations. 
 
The January nuclear test heightened North Korea`s isolation as the international community, backed by the North`s main diplomatic protector China, imposed substantially upgraded economic sanctions. 
 
Pyongyang has remained defiant, and there are concerns that the leadership might choose to lash out as its anger levels reach new peaks over a spate of headline-grabbing defections. 
 
Last week, North Korea&#39;s deputy ambassador to Britain, Thae Yong-Ho, defected to the South, a rare and damaging loss of diplomatic face for Pyongyang and a major PR victory for Seoul. 
 
The North&#39;s official KCNA news agency described Thae as &quot;human scum&quot; and said he had fled to avoid criminal charges including embezzling funds and raping a minor. 
 
Thae&#39;s move added to Pyongyang&#39;s fury with the defection in April of a dozen North Korean overseas restaurant workers, who it insists were kidnapped by South Korean intelligence. 
 
(AFP)

The annual drill always sparks tension between the Koreas, but high-profile defections this year have deepened the animosity even further

Tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops began a military exercise simulating an all-out North Korean attack Monday, as Pyongyang threatened a pre-emptive strike on forces participating in the drill. The two-week annual Ulchi Freedom exercise is largely computer-simulated, but still involves 50,000 Korean and 30,000 US soldiers. The drill always triggers a spike in tensions on the divided Korean peninsula, and this year it coincides with particularly volatile cross-border relations following a series of high-profile defections. On Sunday, the Unification Ministry in Seoul urged all citizens to be on guard against "North Korean terror threats" and warned of possible assassination attempts on defectors and anti-Pyongyang activists in the South. Ulchi Freedom plays out a full-scale invasion scenario by nuclear-armed North Korea and both Seoul and Washington insist it remains purely defensive in nature. Pyongyang views the drill as wilfully provocative and the Korean People's Army (KPA) issued a statement Monday morning, threatening a military response to what it described as a rehearsal for a surprise nuclear attack and invasion of the North. North Korea's frontline units were "fully ready to mount a preemptive retaliatory strike at all enemy attack groups involved," said a spokesman for the KPA General Staff. The slightest violation of North Korea's territorial sovereignty during the military drill would result in the source of the provocation being turned "into a heap of ashes through Korean-style preemptive nuclear strike," the spokesman said. Pyongyang has made similar threats in the past, but analysts say the risk of an unintended incident escalating into a military clash is higher this year given the lack of direct communication between the two Koreas. As tensions rose in the wake of North Korea's fourth nuclear test in January, Pyongyang shut down the two existing hotlines with South Korea, one used by the military and one for government-to-government communications. And last month it severed its only direct communications link with the United States when it shut down the so-called "New York channel" which had previously served as a key point of contact between North Korean and US diplomats at the United Nations. The January nuclear test heightened North Korea`s isolation as the international community, backed by the North`s main diplomatic protector China, imposed substantially upgraded economic sanctions. Pyongyang has remained defiant, and there are concerns that the leadership might choose to lash out as its anger levels reach new peaks over a spate of headline-grabbing defections. Last week, North Korea's deputy ambassador to Britain, Thae Yong-Ho, defected to the South, a rare and damaging loss of diplomatic face for Pyongyang and a major PR victory for Seoul. The North's official KCNA news agency described Thae as "human scum" and said he had fled to avoid criminal charges including embezzling funds and raping a minor. Thae's move added to Pyongyang's fury with the defection in April of a dozen North Korean overseas restaurant workers, who it insists were kidnapped by South Korean intelligence. (AFP)

S Korea, US begin military drill amid N Korea's threats

North Korea&#39;s first and only law firm set up by a foreigner, Hay, Kalb &amp; Associates, will suspend operations, the firm&#39;s principal said in a statement on Monday, as the country grows increasingly isolated. 
 
The firm is a joint venture between the North Korean state and British-French citizen Michael Hay, who has represented foreign clients in the capital, Pyongyang, for 12 years. 
 
Hay said he had made the decision based on &quot;business and geopolitical principles&quot;. 
 
&quot;This decision has been taken only after lengthy and thorough deliberation and an examination of the continuing deterioration of inter-regional relations pertaining to the Korean peninsula,&quot; Hay said in a statement. 
 
&quot;It is not unreasonable to assume that no meaningful change or indicator of change in relations shall occur, if at all, until well after the United States Presidential Inauguration, on January 20, 2017,&quot; Hay said in the statement. 
 
North Korea has come under growing diplomatic pressure since its January nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch in February, which led to a new UN Security Council resolution in March that tightened sanctions against Pyongyang. 
 
The majority of Hay&#39;s clients are foreign investors, many of whom have been negatively affected by the sanctions, Hay told Reuters. 
 
&quot;Sanctions are hurting legitimate foreign investors. There still is no credible, consistent evidence I see of DPRK companies hurting,&quot; Hay said. DPRK stands for Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea, the North&#39;s official title. 
 
Very few foreigners live or work in North Korea. Those who do are usually members of the diplomatic or NGO community, although a small group of foreign investors have maintained a quiet and steady presence inside the country. 
 
The suspension takes effect from midnight on Monday, Hay said, with an official suspension scheduled for Aug. 14, the firm&#39;s 12-year anniversary. 
 
Hay, who bills his firm as the only foreign-invested firm in North Korea, said he will still maintain an office in Pyongyang. 
 
North Korea has more than 8000 law graduates, according to an official 2008 census, half of whom are based in Pyongyang. Most are employed by the state. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Hay, Kalb & Associates?founder says he had made the decision based on 'business and geopolitical principles'

North Korea's first and only law firm set up by a foreigner, Hay, Kalb & Associates, will suspend operations, the firm's principal said in a statement on Monday, as the country grows increasingly isolated. The firm is a joint venture between the North Korean state and British-French citizen Michael Hay, who has represented foreign clients in the capital, Pyongyang, for 12 years. Hay said he had made the decision based on "business and geopolitical principles". "This decision has been taken only after lengthy and thorough deliberation and an examination of the continuing deterioration of inter-regional relations pertaining to the Korean peninsula," Hay said in a statement. "It is not unreasonable to assume that no meaningful change or indicator of change in relations shall occur, if at all, until well after the United States Presidential Inauguration, on January 20, 2017," Hay said in the statement. North Korea has come under growing diplomatic pressure since its January nuclear test and a long-range rocket launch in February, which led to a new UN Security Council resolution in March that tightened sanctions against Pyongyang. The majority of Hay's clients are foreign investors, many of whom have been negatively affected by the sanctions, Hay told Reuters. "Sanctions are hurting legitimate foreign investors. There still is no credible, consistent evidence I see of DPRK companies hurting," Hay said. DPRK stands for Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official title. Very few foreigners live or work in North Korea. Those who do are usually members of the diplomatic or NGO community, although a small group of foreign investors have maintained a quiet and steady presence inside the country. The suspension takes effect from midnight on Monday, Hay said, with an official suspension scheduled for Aug. 14, the firm's 12-year anniversary. Hay, who bills his firm as the only foreign-invested firm in North Korea, said he will still maintain an office in Pyongyang. North Korea has more than 8000 law graduates, according to an official 2008 census, half of whom are based in Pyongyang. Most are employed by the state. (Reuters)

North Korea's only foreign-founded law firm suspends operations

North Korean soldiers and citizens offered flowers at a war cemetery in Pyongyang today to mark the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Korean War. 
 
Video provided to Reuters by North Korea&#39;s official news agency KCNA, which Reuters cannot independently verify, showed people carrying flowers to the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery and the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery and observing a moment of silence. 
 
In the footage, North Koreans are also seen watching performances in front of the Taedongmun theatre in Pyongyang. 
 
The armistice, signed on July 27, 1953, halted fighting between US-led UN forces backing South Korea and Communist Chinese and North Korean troops. 
 
North Korea says the armistice marks the defeat of the United States and has protected the sovereignty of the communist country under founder Kim Il Sung. 
 
The truce has never been converted into a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreans technically in a state of war. 
 
(Reuters)

North Korea says the 1953 armistice marks the defeat of the United States and has protected the sovereignty of the communist country

North Korean soldiers and citizens offered flowers at a war cemetery in Pyongyang today to mark the 63rd anniversary of the end of the Korean War. Video provided to Reuters by North Korea's official news agency KCNA, which Reuters cannot independently verify, showed people carrying flowers to the Patriotic Martyrs Cemetery and the Fatherland Liberation War Martyrs Cemetery and observing a moment of silence. In the footage, North Koreans are also seen watching performances in front of the Taedongmun theatre in Pyongyang. The armistice, signed on July 27, 1953, halted fighting between US-led UN forces backing South Korea and Communist Chinese and North Korean troops. North Korea says the armistice marks the defeat of the United States and has protected the sovereignty of the communist country under founder Kim Il Sung. The truce has never been converted into a peace treaty, leaving the two Koreans technically in a state of war. (Reuters)

North Korea marks 63rd anniversary of end of Korean war

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula.&nbsp;The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also.&nbsp; 
 
China&#39;s Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea&#39;s nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would &quot;seriously damage&quot; regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. 
 
&quot;China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China&#39;s strategic security interests,&quot; it said in a statement on its website. 
 
The deployment of the THAAD&nbsp;system announced by the US and South Korea would &quot;seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China&quot;,and that&nbsp;the system would not aid the &quot;denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,&quot;&nbsp;Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. 
 
China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions.&nbsp;Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. 
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of &quot;friendly relations&quot; to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. 
 
Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have &quot;irreparable consequences&quot;, echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. 
 
&quot;This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences,&quot; the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. 
 
China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control.&nbsp; 
 
(WION, with inputs from AFP)

Government representatives from Russia and China each strongly denounce the move

The US and South Korea announced today that they have agreed to install a high-tec weapons defence system called the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) to the Korean peninsula. The US and South Korea began talks on deploying this system in February, after North Korea launched a long-range rocket following a fourth nuclear test in January. North Korea has carried out several missile launches, also. China's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the THAAD system would destabilise the security balance in the region without achieving anything to end North Korea's nuclear program. The deployment of a US missile defence system in South Korea would "seriously damage" regional security in northeast Asia, China said Friday, adding it strongly opposed the move. "China strongly urges the United States and South Korea to stop the deployment process of the THAAD anti-missile system, not take any steps to complicate the regional situation and do nothing to harm China's strategic security interests," it said in a statement on its website. The deployment of the THAAD system announced by the US and South Korea would "seriously damage the strategic security interests of countries in the region including China",and that the system would not aid the "denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula," Beijings foreign ministry said in a statement posted online. China is North Koreas largest trading partner and has been its key diplomatic protector for decades. But relations have soured over Pyongyang's nuclear tests and long-range missile launches, with Beijing supporting UN sanctions. Still, analysts say it is concerned over any build up of US power on its doorstep, and values Pyongyang as a strategic bulwark. Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the importance of "friendly relations" to a visiting North Korean official last month, even after the envoy reportedly told Chinese officials Pyongyang would continue with its internationally condemned nuclear programme. Russia also warned Friday that the US deployment of an advanced missile defence system in South Korea would have "irreparable consequences", echoing warnings by China of a threat to regional security. "This missile defence system tends to undermine stability in the region...We hope that our partners will avoid any actions that could have irreparable consequences," the Russian foreign ministry said after the US and South Korea announced they would deploy the system to thwart potential attacks from North Korea. China is positioning itself as the dominant county in the region, claiming that the bulk of the South China Sea falls under its control. (WION, with inputs from AFP)

US and South Korea to launch high-tech anti-missile system

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. 
 
Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). 
 
Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. 
 
&quot;This shows the need for us to continue to do what we&#39;re doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. 
 
&quot;No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding,&quot; Carter said. 
 
Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military&#39;s sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. 
 
?(AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

Experts say that the apparent success of the tests by Pyongyang are a step further in developing a proven nuclear strike capacity against US

The United States will continue to expand its defense systems to protect South Korea and regional allies from North Korean missiles, Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said on Wednesday. Carter spoke to reporters hours after Pyongyang tested two medium-range Musudan missiles, one of which flew 250 miles into the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Experts say the apparent success marked a significant step forward for a weapons program that ultimately aspires to develop a proven nuclear strike capability against the US mainland. "This shows the need for us to continue to do what we're doing, which is build these missile defenses of various ranges to protect both our South Korean allies, US forces on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and US territory," Carter said. Carter said he did not know if the missile test could be called a success because he did not know what the objectives of the launch were. "No matter what, we need to stay ahead of the threat by making sure that our missile defenses are good qualitatively, but also constantly expanding," Carter said. Seoul and Washington want to deploy the US military's sophisticated Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), that would protect against North Korean missiles, though China worries about the system being deployed on its doorstep. ?(AFP)

North Korea test shows need for expanded missile defense: Pentagon chief

The United States on Wednesday declared North Korea as a &quot;primary money laundering concern&quot; and moved to further block its ability to use the US&nbsp;and world financial systems to fund its weapons programmes. 
The US&nbsp;Treasury Department called for a prohibition on certain US&nbsp;financial institutions opening or maintaining correspondent accounts, which are established to receive deposits from or make payments on behalf of a foreign institution, with North Korean financial institutions. 
The department also prohibited the use of US&nbsp;correspondent accounts of third parties to process transactions for North Korean financial institutions. 
The announcement came days after the latest failed missile launch by North Korea. Tensions in the region have been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and then followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles. 
Those efforts have all fuelled calls in Washington, and abroad, for a clampdown on Pyongyang. 
US&nbsp;law already&nbsp;prohibits&nbsp;US&nbsp;financial institutions from engaging in transactions with North Korean institutions, but Treasury`s latest actions would impose additional controls, especially the prohibitions on the use of third-country banks&#39;&nbsp;US&nbsp;accounts to process transactions for North Korea. 
&quot;This is meaningful,&quot; said Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. &quot;This is designating the entire country, which means essentially that any entity that is interested in interacting with US&nbsp;financial institutions should no longer have any business with North Korea.&quot; 
&quot;Most, if not all, entities, if faced with the choice of having access to the US&nbsp;financial system or doing business with North Korea, are going to make the obvious choice,&quot; Cha added. 
South Korea&#39;s foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed the move, which it said in a statement would boost the effectiveness of existing sanctions on the North and have a broader impact than a 2005 US&nbsp;Treasury measure that targeted a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. 
About $24 million of North Korean funds were&nbsp;frozen at Macau`s Banco Delta Asia (BDA) after the US&nbsp;Treasury accused it of helping to channel earnings from the North&#39;s illicit activities, leading to a frantic attempt by Pyongyang to retrieve the money. 
Pyongyang has, since, developed tactics to skirt financial restrictions by resorting to informal means to transfer money, including the use of bulk cash hand-carried by officials. 
Adam Szubin, acting US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that Washington is expecting&nbsp;other governments and financial authorities to make similar moves to prevent Pyongyang from &quot;abusing&quot; global financial institutions to support its development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. 
&quot;The regime is notoriously deceitful in its financial transactions in order to continue its illicit weapons programs and other destabilising activities,&quot; Szubin said in a statement. 
The Treasury was asked&nbsp;to assess North Korea&#39;s status as a money laundering jurisdiction under the &quot;North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act,&quot; passed nearly unanimously by the US&nbsp;Congress in February. 
A UN&nbsp;Security Council resolution in early March also required member states to sever correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions within 90 days.

Washington takes action to restrict Pyongyang from using international money channels to fund its weapons programme

The United States on Wednesday declared North Korea as a "primary money laundering concern" and moved to further block its ability to use the US and world financial systems to fund its weapons programmes. The US Treasury Department called for a prohibition on certain US financial institutions opening or maintaining correspondent accounts, which are established to receive deposits from or make payments on behalf of a foreign institution, with North Korean financial institutions. The department also prohibited the use of US correspondent accounts of third parties to process transactions for North Korean financial institutions. The announcement came days after the latest failed missile launch by North Korea. Tensions in the region have been high since January when North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test and then followed that with a satellite launch and test launches of various missiles. Those efforts have all fuelled calls in Washington, and abroad, for a clampdown on Pyongyang. US law already prohibits US financial institutions from engaging in transactions with North Korean institutions, but Treasury`s latest actions would impose additional controls, especially the prohibitions on the use of third-country banks' US accounts to process transactions for North Korea. "This is meaningful," said Victor Cha, Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "This is designating the entire country, which means essentially that any entity that is interested in interacting with US financial institutions should no longer have any business with North Korea." "Most, if not all, entities, if faced with the choice of having access to the US financial system or doing business with North Korea, are going to make the obvious choice," Cha added. South Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday welcomed the move, which it said in a statement would boost the effectiveness of existing sanctions on the North and have a broader impact than a 2005 US Treasury measure that targeted a bank in the Chinese territory of Macau. About $24 million of North Korean funds were frozen at Macau`s Banco Delta Asia (BDA) after the US Treasury accused it of helping to channel earnings from the North's illicit activities, leading to a frantic attempt by Pyongyang to retrieve the money. Pyongyang has, since, developed tactics to skirt financial restrictions by resorting to informal means to transfer money, including the use of bulk cash hand-carried by officials. Adam Szubin, acting US under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said that Washington is expecting other governments and financial authorities to make similar moves to prevent Pyongyang from "abusing" global financial institutions to support its development of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. "The regime is notoriously deceitful in its financial transactions in order to continue its illicit weapons programs and other destabilising activities," Szubin said in a statement. The Treasury was asked to assess North Korea's status as a money laundering jurisdiction under the "North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act," passed nearly unanimously by the US Congress in February. A UN Security Council resolution in early March also required member states to sever correspondent banking relationships with North Korean financial institutions within 90 days.

US moves to block North Korea's access to world financial system

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio.

At 1 a.m., his show, &quot;Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea,&quot; sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea, defying the isolated state&#39;s efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders.

&quot;Brothers and sisters in the North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of North Korea at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality,&quot; Kim said.

He was referring to the meeting of the North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman.

&quot;I am desperately praying that North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people,&quot; Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company.

North Korea strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of North Koreans consume illicit media, including South Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China.

The impoverished North is still technically at war with rich, democratic South Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes.

Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of North Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government&#39;s Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country.

&nbsp;

&quot;LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET&quot;

Kim Myung-jun,&nbsp;professor at Sogang University&#39;s school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about&nbsp;entertainment, whereas radio carried news.

&quot;Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted,&quot; he said. &quot;AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of North Korea.&quot;

Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests.

&quot;I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea,&quot; said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years.

&quot;But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person&#39;s slaves, that is meaningless. That&#39;s what I am talking about on my show.&quot;

North Korea&#39;s constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed.

It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered North Korean sets.

One weekly guest, defector Ko Ji-eun, said she was a fan of Kim&#39;s show while hiding in China for several years.

After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the North last year and has since fled to the South.

&quot;North Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities,&quot; Ko said. &quot;Many people inside North Korea are listening to this radio a lot.&quot;

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. At 1 a.m., his show, "Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea," sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea.

For an hour each day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. At 1 a.m., his show, "Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea," sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea, defying the isolated state's efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders. "Brothers and sisters in the North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of North Korea at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality," Kim said. He was referring to the meeting of the North's ruling Workers' Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman. "I am desperately praying that North Korea's Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people," Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company. North Korea strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of North Koreans consume illicit media, including South Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China. The impoverished North is still technically at war with rich, democratic South Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes. Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of North Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government's Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country. "LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET" Kim Myung-jun, professor at Sogang University's school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about entertainment, whereas radio carried news. "Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted," he said. "AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of North Korea." Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests. "I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea," said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years. "But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person's slaves, that is meaningless. That's what I am talking about on my show." North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed. It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered North Korean sets. One weekly guest, defector Ko Ji-eun, said she was a fan of Kim's show while hiding in China for several years. After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the North last year and has since fled to the South. "North Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities," Ko said. "Many people inside North Korea are listening to this radio a lot."

Good morning, North Korea! Defector preaches dangers of cult worship

North Korea today fired what was believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, but appeared to have failed, a media report said. 
 
&quot;The Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea (North Korea) launched a projectile, estimated to have been a Musudan missile, from the Wonsan area. But the launch appeared to have failed,&quot; said South Korea&#39;s Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a&nbsp;Xinhua report, citing&nbsp;Yonhap news agency. 
 
Late on Monday, South Korea&#39;s military confirmed that it was tracking signs of possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea.&nbsp;

North Korea's launch attempt of Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile failed

North Korea today fired what was believed to be a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile, but appeared to have failed, a media report said. "The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) launched a projectile, estimated to have been a Musudan missile, from the Wonsan area. But the launch appeared to have failed," said South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a Xinhua report, citing Yonhap news agency. Late on Monday, South Korea's military confirmed that it was tracking signs of possible ballistic missile launch by North Korea.

North Korea's attempted missile launch fails, again

For an hour every day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. 
At 1 am, his show, &quot;Hello from Seoul, the Republic of&nbsp;Korea&quot;, sends a mix of gospel music and news into&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea, defying the isolated state&#39;s efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders. 
&quot;Brothers and sisters in the&nbsp;North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality,&quot; Kim said. 
He was referring to the meeting of the&nbsp;North&#39;s ruling Workers&#39; Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman. 
&quot;I am desperately praying that&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people,&quot; Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company. 
North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Koreans consume illicit media, including South&nbsp;Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China. 
The impoverished&nbsp;North&nbsp;is still technically at war with rich, democratic South&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes. 
Robert King, U.S. special envoy for&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government&#39;s Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country. 
 
&quot;LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET&quot; 
Kim Myung-jun,&nbsp;professor at Sogang University&#39;s school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about entertainment, whereas radio carried news. 
&quot;Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted,&quot; he said. &quot;AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea.&quot; 
Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests. 
&quot;I am not saying everything is bad in&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea,&quot; said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years. 
&quot;But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person&#39;s slaves, that is meaningless. That&#39;s what I am talking about on my show.&quot; 
North&nbsp;Korea&#39;s constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed. 
It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korean sets. 
&nbsp;Defector Ko Ji-eun, a weekly guest said she was a fan of Kim&#39;s show while hiding in China for several years. 
After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the&nbsp;North&nbsp;last year and has since fled to the South. 
&quot;North&nbsp;Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities,&quot; Ko said. &quot;Many people inside&nbsp;North&nbsp;Korea&nbsp;are listening to this radio a lot.&quot;

A defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary send news and gospel music to North Korea.

For an hour every day, Kim Chung-seong, a defector from North Korea and a Christian missionary, takes to the microphone in a small Seoul studio. At 1 am, his show, "Hello from Seoul, the Republic of Korea", sends a mix of gospel music and news into North Korea, defying the isolated state's efforts to keep its people in the dark about the world, religion and the truth about its leaders. "Brothers and sisters in the North, I hope this time can be a moment of prayer for a miracle that every party member of North Korea at the party congress can meet God, not take a further step into the cult of personality," Kim said. He was referring to the meeting of the North's ruling Workers' Party this month, where young leader Kim Jong Un was unanimously elevated to party chairman. "I am desperately praying that North Korea's Kim Jong Un and all administrators under him kneel down in front of God and repent for their sins, leave the path of tormenting their people," Kim, who came to the South in 2004, said in his studio at the Far East Broadcasting Company. North Korea strictly bans access to outside information, but a growing number of North Koreans consume illicit media, including South Korean TV dramas that show the prosperity of life across the heavily fortified border, via contraband USB sticks and DVDs smuggled from China. The impoverished North is still technically at war with rich, democratic South Korea because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a treaty. It has also been slapped with UN and other sanctions for its nuclear and missile programmes. Robert King, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, told a Senate panel in October that up to 29 percent of North Koreans had listened to foreign radio and said the medium, including the U.S. government's Voice of America, remained the most important way to get information into the country. "LISTENING UNDER THE BLANKET" Kim Myung-jun, professor at Sogang University's school of mass communications in Seoul, said smuggled USB sticks and DVDs were more about entertainment, whereas radio carried news. "Once you listen in, you tend to keep listening under the blanket. It gets you addicted," he said. "AM radio stations like Far East Broadcasting Company have pretty good signals and can be listened to clearly in much of North Korea." Kim, the broadcaster, said he tried to delegitimise the three-generation Kim family dictatorship and preach Christian gospel on his show, often with fellow defectors as guests. "I am not saying everything is bad in North Korea," said Kim, 39, who has hosted the show for six years. "But, for example, if the party congress is meant to worship one particular person and make 20 million people that person's slaves, that is meaningless. That's what I am talking about on my show." North Korea's constitution guarantees freedom of religion provided it does not undermine the state, but outside of a small handful of state-controlled places of worship, no open religious activity is allowed. It is also illegal to own a radio that can be tuned, and the only radio or TV sets permitted are those pre-set to state channels. However, many tune in to foreign shows with smuggled Chinese radios and illegally altered North Korean sets. Defector Ko Ji-eun, a weekly guest said she was a fan of Kim's show while hiding in China for several years. After she arrived in Seoul last year, Ko met a fellow defector who had listened to the show while inside the North last year and has since fled to the South. "North Koreans are now using Chinese earphones not to expose themselves to authorities," Ko said. "Many people inside North Korea are listening to this radio a lot."

Good morning, North Korea! Defector preaches on radio about the dangers of a personality cult

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