North Korea&#39;s parliament awarded Kim Jong Un a new post today, adding to a long list of titles for the young leader. 
 
The North&#39;s state television said Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear. 
 
He also has the titles of the Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers&#39; Party of Korea, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People&#39;s Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People&#39;s Army. 
 
Kim, believed to be in his early 30s, attended the assembly meeting today. He also holds the rank of marshal in the North Korean military, and is more usually referred to &quot;our marshal&quot; in propaganda and common parlance. 
 
The parliament meets once or twice a year to formally approve budgets or policies set out by the ruling Workers&#39; Party. It also has the authority to grant Kim new titles or positions within North Korea&#39;s opaque leadership structure. 
 
The meeting was called to implement policy aims stated in a rare Workers&#39; Party congress in May, during which Kim Jong Un announced a five-year economic plan. 
 
On June 22, North Korea launched two Musudan intermediate-range missiles, drawing strong condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States for infringing UN sanctions designed to stop Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile development programmes. 
 
North Korea referred to the missile as a &quot;Hwasong-10&quot; and said the test did not put the security of neighbouring countries at risk. 
 
(Reuters)

Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear

North Korea's parliament awarded Kim Jong Un a new post today, adding to a long list of titles for the young leader. The North's state television said Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear. He also has the titles of the Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, First Chairman of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army. Kim, believed to be in his early 30s, attended the assembly meeting today. He also holds the rank of marshal in the North Korean military, and is more usually referred to "our marshal" in propaganda and common parlance. The parliament meets once or twice a year to formally approve budgets or policies set out by the ruling Workers' Party. It also has the authority to grant Kim new titles or positions within North Korea's opaque leadership structure. The meeting was called to implement policy aims stated in a rare Workers' Party congress in May, during which Kim Jong Un announced a five-year economic plan. On June 22, North Korea launched two Musudan intermediate-range missiles, drawing strong condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States for infringing UN sanctions designed to stop Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programmes. North Korea referred to the missile as a "Hwasong-10" and said the test did not put the security of neighbouring countries at risk. (Reuters)

North Korean assembly awards leader Kim Jong Un fresh title

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China&#39;s concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and &quot;cautiously&quot; address the plan. 
 
The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. 
 
China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD&#39;s deployment could also affect their security. 
 
South Korea should &quot;attach importance to China&#39;s legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States&#39; plan&quot; to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 
 
North Korea&#39;s drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang&#39;s sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. 
 
Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. 
 
(Reuters)

Beijing has urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could affect their security

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Wednesday, urged South Korea to pay attention to China's concerns about the deployment of the US THAAD missile defence system to the country and "cautiously" address the plan. The United States and South Korea have begun talks on possible deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system after North Korea tested its fourth nuclear bomb on January 6 and conducted missile tests. China and Russia have urged the United States to back off, saying THAAD's deployment could also affect their security. South Korea should "attach importance to China's legitimate concern on security and cautiously and appropriately address the United States' plan" to deploy THAAD in South Korea, Xi told visiting South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, the official Xinhua news agency reported. North Korea's drive to develop a nuclear weapons capability, has angered China, Pyongyang's sole major diplomatic and economic supporter. But Beijing fears THAAD and its radar have a range that would extend into China. Xi added that China and South Korea should continue to work for the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, work together to maintain peace and stability, and solve problems through dialogue and consultation. (Reuters)

China's Xi urges caution over US anti-missile system deployment in South Korea

South Korea will propose a supplementary budget of around 10 trillion Won ($8.44 billion) to parliament soon, the government said on Tuesday, as it tackles Brexit turmoil in financial markets, weak exports, and a corporate overhaul of the country&#39;s shipping and shipbuilding industries.

President Park Geun-hye called on all government ministries to have the supplementary budget ready as soon as possible.

&quot;Unrest in global financial markets has been growing from Brexit. Uncertainties over the Chinese economy and geopolitical risks from North Korea are still pressuring our economy,&quot; she said at a meeting of economy-related officials and lawmakers.

&quot;The economic situation inside and outside our country is more serious than ever. If we do not take extraordinary measures there are concerns growth and employment will contract in the second half of the year.&quot;

The supplementary budget will be spent on stimulus measures including a big retail spending drive, rebates on appliances, a tax incentive to replace older diesel cars, and additional unemployment benefits for shipbuilding workers.

The extra budget will be mostly funded from a surplus in tax revenue for the first half of the year, avoiding the need to sell more treasury bonds and run up additional government debt.

Equities cautiously inched up after the announcement as an extra budget had been widely expected, given South Korea&#39;s soft economic growth.

Shares were up 0.4 per cent while the Won rose 0.8 per cent against the dollar helped partly by offshore factors.

&quot;This looks like the finance ministry just pushed the ball over to the Bank of Korea again,&quot; said Stephen Lee, an economist at Samsung Securities.

&quot;What I&#39;m a bit concerned about is that tax revenue going forward might not be as great as it was in the first half of the year...We might face some difficulties later if the Brexit aftermath on exports and capex is worse than expected.&quot;

Lee said the Bank of Korea may face pressure to cut interest rates again after it lowered them to a record low 1.25 per cent to bolster economic growth earlier this month.

Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said last week a supplementary budget would have to be ratified before mid-July to have maximum effect. Lawmakers in both ruling and opposition parties favour the extra budget.

Reflecting more difficult conditions inside and outside the country, the finance ministry lowered its growth forecast for this year to 2.8 per cent from the 3.1 per cent projected in December last year.

Inflation for 2016 was also downgraded to 1.1 per cent from 1.5 per cent forecast previously.

The extra budget comes as the latest buffer against possible fallout from the corporate restructuring of the country&#39;s struggling shipping and shipbuilding firms. Earlier this month, the government and central bank said they would create an 11 trillion Won fund to support two state-run banks most exposed to these industries.

Lee noted global financial markets were reacting more sensitively to political events around the world. He saw a danger of volatility spiking again when Italy holds its own referendum regarding constitutional reforms in October and from the US&nbsp;presidential election on November 8.

To keep capital flows from rocking the economy, the government said it will continue with plans to ease the cap on the foreign currency forward positions local banks can hold from 40 per cent from the current 30 per cent starting July.

It will also pass an amendment in September to temporarily lower an existing levy on foreign exchange borrowings by banks, securities firms, creditors and insurance companies. The levy aims to reduce sudden volatility in markets. 
 
($1 = 1,184.9000 Won) 
 
(Reuters)

The extra budget will be mostly funded from surplus in tax revenue, avoiding the need to sell more treasury bonds and run up additional debt

South Korea will propose a supplementary budget of around 10 trillion Won ($8.44 billion) to parliament soon, the government said on Tuesday, as it tackles Brexit turmoil in financial markets, weak exports, and a corporate overhaul of the country's shipping and shipbuilding industries. President Park Geun-hye called on all government ministries to have the supplementary budget ready as soon as possible. "Unrest in global financial markets has been growing from Brexit. Uncertainties over the Chinese economy and geopolitical risks from North Korea are still pressuring our economy," she said at a meeting of economy-related officials and lawmakers. "The economic situation inside and outside our country is more serious than ever. If we do not take extraordinary measures there are concerns growth and employment will contract in the second half of the year." The supplementary budget will be spent on stimulus measures including a big retail spending drive, rebates on appliances, a tax incentive to replace older diesel cars, and additional unemployment benefits for shipbuilding workers. The extra budget will be mostly funded from a surplus in tax revenue for the first half of the year, avoiding the need to sell more treasury bonds and run up additional government debt. Equities cautiously inched up after the announcement as an extra budget had been widely expected, given South Korea's soft economic growth. Shares were up 0.4 per cent while the Won rose 0.8 per cent against the dollar helped partly by offshore factors. "This looks like the finance ministry just pushed the ball over to the Bank of Korea again," said Stephen Lee, an economist at Samsung Securities. "What I'm a bit concerned about is that tax revenue going forward might not be as great as it was in the first half of the year...We might face some difficulties later if the Brexit aftermath on exports and capex is worse than expected." Lee said the Bank of Korea may face pressure to cut interest rates again after it lowered them to a record low 1.25 per cent to bolster economic growth earlier this month. Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho said last week a supplementary budget would have to be ratified before mid-July to have maximum effect. Lawmakers in both ruling and opposition parties favour the extra budget. Reflecting more difficult conditions inside and outside the country, the finance ministry lowered its growth forecast for this year to 2.8 per cent from the 3.1 per cent projected in December last year. Inflation for 2016 was also downgraded to 1.1 per cent from 1.5 per cent forecast previously. The extra budget comes as the latest buffer against possible fallout from the corporate restructuring of the country's struggling shipping and shipbuilding firms. Earlier this month, the government and central bank said they would create an 11 trillion Won fund to support two state-run banks most exposed to these industries. Lee noted global financial markets were reacting more sensitively to political events around the world. He saw a danger of volatility spiking again when Italy holds its own referendum regarding constitutional reforms in October and from the US presidential election on November 8. To keep capital flows from rocking the economy, the government said it will continue with plans to ease the cap on the foreign currency forward positions local banks can hold from 40 per cent from the current 30 per cent starting July. It will also pass an amendment in September to temporarily lower an existing levy on foreign exchange borrowings by banks, securities firms, creditors and insurance companies. The levy aims to reduce sudden volatility in markets. ($1 = 1,184.9000 Won) (Reuters)

South Korea may propose $8.4 billion in extra budget to shield against Brexit, domestic risks

Turmoil unleashed by Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. 
 
In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday&#39;s referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. 
 
Labour&#39;s left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. 
 
His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn&#39;s failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. 
 
Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. &quot;He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader,&quot; Benn told BBC television. 
 
The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. 
 
Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain&#39;s exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. 
 
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote &quot;will cast a shadow over the global economy&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult to predict now,&quot; he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. &quot;The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view.&quot; 
 
Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. &quot;Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects,&quot; said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. &quot;If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention,&quot; Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. 
 
No respite 
 
South Korea&#39;s finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. 
 
The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. 
 
Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. 
 
The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain&#39;s lead and further weakening the EU. 
 
Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. 
 
Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. 
 
Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain&#39;s new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. 
 
No lying down 
 
Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. 
 
The petition, posted on Parliament&#39;s website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday&#39;s figure. 
 
It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted &quot;leave&quot;. 
 
The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. 
 
An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. 
 
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible 
 
&quot;My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland&#39;s interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail,&quot; she told the BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr show.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The 52-48% referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project forging unity across the continent

Turmoil unleashed by Britain's vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday's referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. Labour's left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn's failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. "He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader," Benn told BBC television. The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain's exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote "will cast a shadow over the global economy". "It's difficult to predict now," he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. "The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view." Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. "Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects," said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. "If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention," Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. No respite South Korea's finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain's lead and further weakening the EU. Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain's new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. No lying down Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. The petition, posted on Parliament's website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday's figure. It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted "leave". The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible "My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland's interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. (Reuters)

British EU exit turmoil alarms Asia, rocks Labour opposition

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. 
 
The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. 
 
US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. 
 
About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. 
 
South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. 
 
&quot;It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable,&quot; Hwang said. 
 
&quot;The government will not stand idly against North Korea&#39;s continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform,&quot; Hwang added. 
 
North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. 
 
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. 
 
&quot;Well I&#39;m really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn&#39;t realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn&#39;t get there when I was over here in &#39;51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That&#39;s where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt,&quot; said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. 
 
North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. 
 
(Reuters)

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions

South Korea commemorated the 66th anniversary of the beginning of the 1950-53 Korean War today in Seoul. The Korean War started on June 25, 1950, when Communist North Korean troops launched a surprise attack across the 38th parallel into South Korea. US-led United Nations forces battled Chinese- and Soviet-backed North Korea, in which three million soldiers and civilians were killed and five million became refugees. About 5,000 war veterans and civilians, along with government officials, attended a ceremony to mark the anniversary. South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, urged North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. "It has been a long time since the sound of gunfire has stopped. But we are still facing off on each side of the ceasefire line. As a divided country, our security remains unstable," Hwang said. "The government will not stand idly against North Korea's continuing provocations. We will surely defend our country and take every possible measure to make North Korea give up nuclear weapons and come out on to the path of change and reform," Hwang added. North Korea launched what appeared to be an intermediate-range missile on June 22 to a high altitude in the direction of Japan before it plunged into the sea, military officials said, a technological advance for the isolated state after several test failures. North Korea leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising the test launch of an intermediate-range missile that the country now has the capability to attack US interests in the Pacific, official media reported on June 23. "Well I'm really impressed with how fast things have been changed, the country. I didn't realise that Seoul is as big as it is. I didn't get there when I was over here in '51. I was all along the 38th went through Incheon. That's where I came in and landed. When I got over here there was nothing left, everything was burnt," said one of the American war veterans, Vernon E. Neuharth, who attended the cermony. North and South Korea are still technically at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce without a peace treaty. (Reuters)

South Korea commemorates 66th anniversary of Korean war

Pyongyang on Saturday rejected the UN Security Council&#39;s sharp criticism of its latest missile tests and blamed the United States for driving the divided peninsula toward an &quot;uncontrollable extreme phase&quot;. 
 
North Korea this week conducted its most successful tests to date of a powerful home-grown missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching nuclear attacks on the US mainland. 
 
They drew a strong rebuke from the UN Security Council, which described the launches as &quot;grave violations&quot; of resolutions banning the North from developing ballistic missiles. 
 
The 15-member council called for sanctions to be redoubled after holding an emergency meeting over the tests. 
 
Pyongyang rejected the criticism, calling it &quot;a product of high-handedness wantonly violating the sovereignty of an independent state&quot;. 
 
&quot;This is an unreasonable deed of turning black into white,&quot; a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. 
 
North Korea has conducted a string of failed missile launches this year which have escalated international tensions. 
 
At a rare congress of the ruling party in May, leader Kim Jong-Un vowed Pyongyang would push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme despite UN sanctions and near universal condemnation. 
 
North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, and Seoul has rejected recent overtures for peace talks with Pyongyang as an &quot;insincere&quot; propaganda ploy. 
 
Saturday&#39;s KCNA statement blamed the US for ratcheting up tensions between the neighbours by sending weapons to South Korea. 
 
&quot;Its (the US&#39;s) sustained strategic mistake and rash deed are now driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the uncontrollable extreme phase,&quot; it warned. 
 
(AFP)

North Korea conducted its most successful tests this week of a missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching attacks on America

Pyongyang on Saturday rejected the UN Security Council's sharp criticism of its latest missile tests and blamed the United States for driving the divided peninsula toward an "uncontrollable extreme phase". North Korea this week conducted its most successful tests to date of a powerful home-grown missile it hopes will one day be capable of launching nuclear attacks on the US mainland. They drew a strong rebuke from the UN Security Council, which described the launches as "grave violations" of resolutions banning the North from developing ballistic missiles. The 15-member council called for sanctions to be redoubled after holding an emergency meeting over the tests. Pyongyang rejected the criticism, calling it "a product of high-handedness wantonly violating the sovereignty of an independent state". "This is an unreasonable deed of turning black into white," a foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA. North Korea has conducted a string of failed missile launches this year which have escalated international tensions. At a rare congress of the ruling party in May, leader Kim Jong-Un vowed Pyongyang would push ahead with its nuclear weapons programme despite UN sanctions and near universal condemnation. North and South Korea have technically been at war for decades, and Seoul has rejected recent overtures for peace talks with Pyongyang as an "insincere" propaganda ploy. Saturday's KCNA statement blamed the US for ratcheting up tensions between the neighbours by sending weapons to South Korea. "Its (the US's) sustained strategic mistake and rash deed are now driving the situation on the Korean peninsula to the uncontrollable extreme phase," it warned. (AFP)

Pyongyang blames US for driving peninsula towards 'uncontrollable extreme phase', rejects UN criticism

India&#39;s pistol ace Jitu Rai clinched the silver medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup after posting a score of 199.5 in the finals of the 10m air pistol event today. 
 
The 28-year-old, who won his sixth World Cup medal, finished second behind Brazillian Felipe Almeida Wu, who shot 200 to claim the gold medal. 
 
Jin Jongoh of South Korea settled for bronze with a score of 178.8.With the silver podium finish, Jitu has reaffirmed faith that he is in good shape ahead of the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil starting from August 5. 
 
On Friday, the world number one in 50m pistol had finished tenth in the qualification round of the event in Baku. Last September, he had become the first Indian shooter to earn a Rio quota with a second place finish at the World Championships in Spain. 
 
(ANI)

The 28-year-old won his sixth World Cup medal, finished second behind Brazillian Felipe Almeida Wu

India's pistol ace Jitu Rai clinched the silver medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup after posting a score of 199.5 in the finals of the 10m air pistol event today. The 28-year-old, who won his sixth World Cup medal, finished second behind Brazillian Felipe Almeida Wu, who shot 200 to claim the gold medal. Jin Jongoh of South Korea settled for bronze with a score of 178.8.With the silver podium finish, Jitu has reaffirmed faith that he is in good shape ahead of the 2016 summer Olympics in Rio de Janerio, Brazil starting from August 5. On Friday, the world number one in 50m pistol had finished tenth in the qualification round of the event in Baku. Last September, he had become the first Indian shooter to earn a Rio quota with a second place finish at the World Championships in Spain. (ANI)

Indian shooter Jitu Rai bags silver in Baku World Cup

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

Park In-Bee&#39;s chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. 
 
The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA&#39;s Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. 
 
She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. 
 
Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. 
 
&quot;Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury,&quot; her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. 
 
The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women&#39;s PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. 
 
&quot;At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I&#39;m not in top condition, I&#39;d rather give the opportunity to another player,&quot; she said. 
 
Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. 
 
The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. 
 
Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. 
 
(Reuters)

The 27-year-old said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would pull out of Rio if she hadn't recovered from injury

Park In-Bee's chances of playing at the Rio Olympics golf tournament dimmed further on Tuesday after the South Korean world number three pulled out of an international team event due to a lingering thumb problem. The seven-times major champion, who was inducted into the LPGA's Hall of Fame earlier this month, has been plagued by injury this season and is without a victory in 10 starts. She has missed two cuts, withdrawn after the first round in three events, and posted her worst ever score as a professional, 12-over-par 84, in the first round of the LPGA Volvik Championship in May. Her management company said on Tuesday she would skip the July 22-24 International Crown event, which pits eight countries against each other at Merit Club, Illinois. "Park In-bee notified the LPGA that she will be unable to attend the International Crown due to her left thumb injury," her management company, Galaxia SM, told Reuters. The 27-year-old, who has raked in almost $13 million in career earnings on the LPGA Tour, said before the Women's PGA Championship this month that she would not go to Rio if she was not fully recovered from the injury. "At the Olympics, you play for your country, not for individual honour. If I'm not in top condition, I'd rather give the opportunity to another player," she said. Park missed the cut at the event, carding an 8-over 79 in the second round. The top 15 players in the world rankings as of July 11 qualify automatically for the Rio Games, where golf is making its return to the Olympic programme after a 112-year absence. Each country can send a maximum of four players. Currently, Kim Sei-Young, Chun In-Gee and Amy Young make up the other three places, but there are five more South Koreans in the top 20 battling for Olympic spots. (Reuters)

Thumbs down for South Korean golfer Park's Rio dream

North Korea appears to be readying another test of a powerful, new medium-range missile, following a series of failures for a ballistic weapons programme that aspires to threaten the US mainland, multiple reports said Tuesday. 
 
Japanese and South Korean media quoted official sources saying that North Korea looked to have deployed a so-called Musudan missile near its east coast. 
 
The North has made four failed attempts this year to test fly the Musudan, which has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres (1,550 to 2,500 miles). 
 
The lower range covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include US military bases on Guam. 
 
&quot;We have detected signs that the North has deployed what appears to be a Musudan missile,&quot; South Korea&#39;s Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified government official. 
 
Japan&#39;s Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK both cited unidentified sources saying that preparations for a missile launch might be underway. 
 
The defence ministry in Seoul declined to confirm the reports, but said it was &quot;closely monitoring the situation.&quot; 
 
UN resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, even though it regularly fires short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast. 
 
In Tokyo, chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga partially confirmed a Kyodo report that Japan&#39;s military had been ordered to intercept any missile or falling parts that might threaten Japanese territory. 
 
&quot;We ordered the self-defence forces to take necessary steps to protect our people`s lives and property,&quot; Suga said. 
 
First unveiled as an indigenous missile at a military parade in Pyongyang in October 2010, the Musudan has never been successfully flight-tested. 
 
Three failures in April were seen as an embarrassment for the Pyongyang leadership, coming ahead of a rare ruling party congress that was meant to celebrate the country&#39;s achievements. 
? 
The latest attempt in May was also deemed to have failed. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

North Korea had four failed attempts at testing the Musudan missile which has a range of 1,550 to 2,500 miles

North Korea appears to be readying another test of a powerful, new medium-range missile, following a series of failures for a ballistic weapons programme that aspires to threaten the US mainland, multiple reports said Tuesday. Japanese and South Korean media quoted official sources saying that North Korea looked to have deployed a so-called Musudan missile near its east coast. The North has made four failed attempts this year to test fly the Musudan, which has an estimated range of anywhere between 2,500 and 4,000 kilometres (1,550 to 2,500 miles). The lower range covers the whole of South Korea and Japan, while the upper range would include US military bases on Guam. "We have detected signs that the North has deployed what appears to be a Musudan missile," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an unidentified government official. Japan's Kyodo News agency and public broadcaster NHK both cited unidentified sources saying that preparations for a missile launch might be underway. The defence ministry in Seoul declined to confirm the reports, but said it was "closely monitoring the situation." UN resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, even though it regularly fires short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast. In Tokyo, chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga partially confirmed a Kyodo report that Japan's military had been ordered to intercept any missile or falling parts that might threaten Japanese territory. "We ordered the self-defence forces to take necessary steps to protect our people`s lives and property," Suga said. First unveiled as an indigenous missile at a military parade in Pyongyang in October 2010, the Musudan has never been successfully flight-tested. Three failures in April were seen as an embarrassment for the Pyongyang leadership, coming ahead of a rare ruling party congress that was meant to celebrate the country's achievements. ? The latest attempt in May was also deemed to have failed. (AFP)

North Korea prepares to test fire new medium-range missile

North Korea hacked into more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean firms and government agencies, planting malicious code under a long-term plan laying groundwork for a massive cyber attack against its rival.

The hacking originated from an IP address traced to the North Korean capital and targeted network management software that is widely used by private companies and government agencies, police said, declining to identify the software.

The IP address was identical to one used in a 2013 cyber attack against South Korean banks and broadcasters that froze computer systems for more than a week.

South Korea has been on high-alert against cyber attacks by the North after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February that led to new UN&nbsp;sanctions.

The North has always denied wrongdoing.

In the most recent case, documents stolen from the two conglomerates included blueprints for the wings of F-15 fighter jets.

Of the more than 42,000 materials stolen, more than 40,000 were defence-related.

South Korean media said the two conglomerates were the SK and Hanjin groups, but police declined to confirm that.

A spokesman at SK Holdings said four group affiliates were affected by the hacking but they worked with the police to quickly close the breach and the leaked documents were not classified.

A spokesman at Korean Air Lines, part of Hanjin Group, said the documents leaked from its network were not classified and no other group affiliates were affected.

A Defence Ministry official said none of the defence-related materials stolen was secret and there was no security breach.

The hacking began in 2014 and was detected in February&nbsp;after North Korea managed to steal information from two conglomerates including defence-related material, South Korea&#39;s police cyber investigation unit said.

&quot;There is a high possibility that the North aimed to cause confusion on a national scale by launching a simultaneous attack after securing many targets of cyber terror, or intended to continuously steal industrial and military secrets,&quot; the unit&nbsp;said.

The hackers took no action after gaining control of servers and computers at some corporate groups and waited&nbsp;as they continued to hack into more targets in what police said was likely an effort to build the scale of a planned attack.

Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the South and its main ally, the United States.

In March, the South&#39;s spy agency said it had intercepted an attempt to hack into South Korean computer networks to attack the transport system&#39;s control network, blaming the North for the attempt.

The United States accused North Korea of a cyber attack against Sony Pictures in 2014 that led to the studio cancelling the release of a comedy based on the fictional assassination of leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea denied the accusation. South Korea blamed the North for that attack, and the North denied responsibility.

Police said they worked with the affected companies and agencies to neutralise the malicious codes and prevent them from being used in a large-scale cyber attack.

The cyber-attack involved a theft of 42,000+ South Korean official documents with 95% of them being defence-related

North Korea hacked into more than 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean firms and government agencies, planting malicious code under a long-term plan laying groundwork for a massive cyber attack against its rival. The hacking originated from an IP address traced to the North Korean capital and targeted network management software that is widely used by private companies and government agencies, police said, declining to identify the software. The IP address was identical to one used in a 2013 cyber attack against South Korean banks and broadcasters that froze computer systems for more than a week. South Korea has been on high-alert against cyber attacks by the North after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February that led to new UN sanctions. The North has always denied wrongdoing. In the most recent case, documents stolen from the two conglomerates included blueprints for the wings of F-15 fighter jets. Of the more than 42,000 materials stolen, more than 40,000 were defence-related. South Korean media said the two conglomerates were the SK and Hanjin groups, but police declined to confirm that. A spokesman at SK Holdings said four group affiliates were affected by the hacking but they worked with the police to quickly close the breach and the leaked documents were not classified. A spokesman at Korean Air Lines, part of Hanjin Group, said the documents leaked from its network were not classified and no other group affiliates were affected. A Defence Ministry official said none of the defence-related materials stolen was secret and there was no security breach. The hacking began in 2014 and was detected in February after North Korea managed to steal information from two conglomerates including defence-related material, South Korea's police cyber investigation unit said. "There is a high possibility that the North aimed to cause confusion on a national scale by launching a simultaneous attack after securing many targets of cyber terror, or intended to continuously steal industrial and military secrets," the unit said. The hackers took no action after gaining control of servers and computers at some corporate groups and waited as they continued to hack into more targets in what police said was likely an effort to build the scale of a planned attack. Reclusive North Korea and the rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to destroy the South and its main ally, the United States. In March, the South's spy agency said it had intercepted an attempt to hack into South Korean computer networks to attack the transport system's control network, blaming the North for the attempt. The United States accused North Korea of a cyber attack against Sony Pictures in 2014 that led to the studio cancelling the release of a comedy based on the fictional assassination of leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea denied the accusation. South Korea blamed the North for that attack, and the North denied responsibility. Police said they worked with the affected companies and agencies to neutralise the malicious codes and prevent them from being used in a large-scale cyber attack.

North Korea hacks South Korea

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