North Korea names hawkish general new military chief
North Korea has appointed as its new military chief a hawkish general, widely believed to have directed the 2010 shelling of a South Korean border island, state media confirmed Wednesday.
North Korea has appointed as its new military chief a hawkish general, widely believed to have directed the 2010 shelling of a South Korean border island, state media confirmed Wednesday.
South Korea on Monday predicted further missile tests by North Korea which fired four short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan at the weekend, drawing criticism from Seoul and UN chief Ban Ki-moon.
North Korea has been repeatedly moving multiple missiles around in an apparent bid to confuse outside intelligence gatherers ahead of an expected launch or to create an impression that it is planning multiple launches.
A top South Korean national security official said Sunday that North Korea may be setting the stage for a missile test or another provocative act with its warning that it soon will be unable to guarantee diplomats’ safety in Pyongyang. But he added that the North’s clearest objective is to extract concessions from Washington and Seoul.
The White House on Tuesday condemned North Korea’s successful launch of a long-range rocket, calling it a “highly provocative act” that threatens regional security.
The White House on Tuesday condemned North Korea’s successful launch of a long-range rocket, calling it a “highly provocative act” that threatens regional security.
North Korea confirmed Wednesday it had launched a long-range rocket, saying it had succeeded in its mission of placing a satellite in orbit, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
The Japanese government said Wednesday North Korea’s missile passed over its southern island chain of Okinawa around 12 minutes after take-off.
North Korea carried out Wednesday a widely criticized rocket launch, seen by many in the international community as a disguised ballistic missile test, the South Korean defense ministry said.
Cambodian Prime Minister and ASEAN chairman Hun Sen urged North Korea Monday to scrap a planned rocket launch, saying it would bring “fear and tension” to the region.
North Korea on Monday extended the launch period for a controversial long-range rocket by another week until Dec. 29, citing technical problems.
North Korea is gearing up to fire a long-range rocket this month in a defiant move expected to raise the stakes of a global standoff over its missile and nuclear programs.
North Korea could carry out a long-range missile test in the next three weeks, with new satellite images showing increased launch site activity, according to satellite operator DigitalGlobe Inc.
