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Analysis-Trump could woo North Korea after midterm setback, but Kim may not respond

Analysis-Trump could woo North Korea after midterm setback, but Kim may not respond

By Brenda Goh, Tamiyuki Kihara and David Brunnstrom SEOUL/TOKYO/WASHINGTON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The rebuke President Donald Trump suffered in the US midterm elections could prompt him to step up efforts to re-engage North Korea, but any willingness to make major concessions risks creating friction

North Korea Tests New Air-Defense Missile System and Conducts Cruise Missile Drill

North Korea Tests New Air-Defense Missile System and Conducts Cruise Missile Drill

North Korea has reportedly tested a 'newly designed' air-defense missile system and conducted a long-range strategic cruise missile strike drill, according to the state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 5. The air-defense test, conducted on November 4, aimed to assess the system's technical characteristics, including guidance modes, target identification and tracking capabilities, and detection information processing. KCNA images showed a slender, dark missile being fired vertically from a truck-mounted system. On the same day, a firepower subunit in eastern North Korea carried out a strike drill with long-range strategic cruise missiles against a simulated airfield target. Details regarding the cruise missile's flight distance, path, or impact were not provided, but KCNA images depicted a runway with aircraft silhouettes and multiple impacts causing smoke and small fires.

Senior Chinese and North Korean Officials Meet in Beijing to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Senior Chinese and North Korean Officials Meet in Beijing to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Senior Chinese official Cai Qi met with a North Korean delegation in Beijing, led by Kim Song Nam, director of the International Affairs Department of the Workers' Party of Korea. According to Chinese state media, Cai Qi emphasized the importance of enhancing strategic communication and coordination between the two nations to promote regional peace, stability, and development. China expressed its willingness to collaborate with North Korea to implement the consensus reached by their top leaders, foster traditional friendship, and strengthen mutual learning on party governance. This meeting follows a recent visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the Chinese border city of Dandong in late October and a key Chinese Communist Party conclave focused on internal party discipline. The discussions underscore ongoing efforts to maintain and deepen the relationship between China and North Korea, particularly in the context of regional dynamics and internal political developments within both countries.

North Korean Senior Official Visits China, Signaling Deepening Bilateral Cooperation

North Korean Senior Official Visits China, Signaling Deepening Bilateral Cooperation

Kim Song-nam, a senior official and Political Bureau member of North Korea's Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), has arrived in China, leading a party delegation. This visit, confirmed by North Korea's state media, follows an invitation from China's Communist Party's Central Committee. The delegation's arrival comes shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to Dandong, a Chinese border city. These high-level exchanges indicate a concerted effort by both nations to strengthen their traditional ties and cooperation. The relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing has seen renewed warmth, particularly after a period of cooling amid North Korea's closer alignment with Russia following the Ukraine war. Upon arrival, Kim Song-nam and his delegation were met by Deputy Head Sun Haiyan and other officials from the International Liaison Department of the Chinese party, as well as North Korean Ambassador to China Ri Ryong-nam. Concurrently, a delegation led by Xie Chuntao, executive vice president of t...

North Korea Launches Missiles Amid Rising Tensions with the United States Over Cyber Theft Accusations

North Korea Launches Missiles Amid Rising Tensions with the United States Over Cyber Theft Accusations

North Korea launched several missiles towards the East Sea on November 4, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The missiles, fired from the Sondok area, traveled less than 300 kilometers. This launch occurred amidst renewed tensions with the United States, following accusations that North Korean hackers were responsible for stealing over $6 billion from Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. The FBI attributed the theft to North Korean cyber actors known as TraderTraitor, an accusation Pyongyang has denied. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, stated that dialogue with the U.S. remains an option but is not necessary for North Korea’s interests under current circumstances. This missile launch is part of a series of weapons tests conducted by North Korea in recent weeks.

Financial Action Task Force Blacklists North Korea for 16th Consecutive Year, Urges Countermeasures

Financial Action Task Force Blacklists North Korea for 16th Consecutive Year, Urges Countermeasures

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a leading financial crime watchdog, has maintained North Korea on its list of high-risk countries for the 16th consecutive year. The FATF announced this decision on October 30, following its plenary meeting in Paris, and urged countries to implement countermeasures against Pyongyang. These countermeasures include cutting ties with North Korean banks, closing their branches and subsidiaries, and limiting dealings with North Korean individuals and companies. The FATF expressed concern that North Korea has 'increased its connectivity with the international financial system,' potentially heightening the risk of financing weapons of mass destruction. The U.S. Justice Department recently reported that North Korean IT workers used stolen or fabricated identities to secure remote jobs at over 70 U.S. companies, generating approximately $3 million, with earnings transferred to North Korean-controlled entities subject to U.S. sanctions.

Financial Action Task Force Maintains North Korea on Blacklist, Urges Countermeasures Against Weapons Financing

Financial Action Task Force Maintains North Korea on Blacklist, Urges Countermeasures Against Weapons Financing

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a leading financial crime watchdog, has kept North Korea on its list of high-risk countries for the 16th consecutive year. In its latest "call for action" update, the FATF urged countries to implement countermeasures, the strongest level of action, due to Pyongyang’s ongoing efforts to finance its weapons programs. The FATF expressed concern over North Korea’s failure to address deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing systems, and the serious threats posed by its illicit weapons-related activities. The U.S. Justice Department recently reported that North Korean IT workers used stolen or fabricated identities to secure remote jobs at over 70 U.S. companies, generating approximately $3 million, which is believed to have been transferred to North Korean-controlled entities subject to U.S. sanctions.

Chinese and North Korean Officials Deepen Cooperation Following Kim Jong-un's Visit

Chinese and North Korean Officials Deepen Cooperation Following Kim Jong-un's Visit

Senior Chinese and North Korean officials recently met in Beijing to deepen their relationship, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visit to the border city of Dandong. According to the South China Morning Post, China's top diplomat Wang Yi hosted a delegation led by Kim Song-nam, the international affairs chief of the Workers' Party of Korea. Wang Yi expressed China's readiness to work with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of both parties and countries. He emphasized advancing bilateral ties towards deeper, greater, substantive, and better development. This meeting signifies a renewed diplomatic drive between the two nations.

North Korean Official Kim Song-nam Holds Third High-Level Meeting in Beijing to Deepen Ties with China

North Korean Official Kim Song-nam Holds Third High-Level Meeting in Beijing to Deepen Ties with China

Kim Song-nam, a Political Bureau member and Central Committee secretary of North Korea's Workers' Party of Korea, held his third high-level meeting in Beijing with senior Chinese officials. The meetings, which included discussions with Liu Haixing, head of the Communist Party of China's Central Committee's International Liaison Department, and Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau and director of its General Office, aimed to reaffirm support for deeper ties and cooperation between the two countries. These discussions took place at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Kim Song-nam briefed Liu on Pyongyang's 'successes' in party-building work and its efforts to meet the targets of the five-year plan adopted in February. Liu, in turn, emphasized the significance of the visit for strengthening relations. The two sides reiterated mutual support for their policies and pledged enhanced cooperation. This series of meetings follows Chinese President Xi Jinping's June summit with North Korean...

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's 'My Friend Kim Jong Un' Explores North Korea's Impact on Korean Society

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's 'My Friend Kim Jong Un' Explores North Korea's Impact on Korean Society

Award-winning cartoonist Keum Suk Gendry-Kim's latest work, 'My Friend Kim Jong Un,' delves into the pervasive influence of North Korea on Korean society. The book, a 244-page softcover volume, uses black and white, and blue and gold comics to explore the psychological complexities of a nation divided. Gendry-Kim, whose home and studio are an hour from Seoul, has a direct view of North Korea, experiencing the daily sounds of artillery fire, helicopters, and sirens from a nearby military base. This proximity underscores the constant presence of the dictatorship and its nuclear capabilities in daily life. The book combines broad historical overviews with personal experiences, examining the life of the supreme leader from his birth and international education to his hobbies and relationships. It also incorporates interviews with former South Korean president Moon Jae-in, North Korean defectors, researchers, journalists, and even Kim Jong Un’s former chef.

North Korea's army of world-class hackers is secret weapon that took down Binance

North Korea's army of world-class hackers is secret weapon that took down Binance

By Heejin Kim, Kyu-seok Shim, Maggie Grether and Brenda Goh SEOUL, Nov 6 (Reuters) - North Korea rewards its top hackers, tasked with heists like the Binance crypto hack that netted a cool $6.3 billion, with perks such as a spacious apartment in the capital of Pyongyang and huge hard currency awards

Trump's midterm drubbing could give trade partners room to resist

Trump's midterm drubbing could give trade partners room to resist

Nov 4 (Reuters) - The drubbing for Donald Trump's Republicans in US midterm elections could embolden some trade partners to push back against his combative policies, although they may need to tread lightly to avoid provoking him in his final two years in power.