Articles by Choi Si-young
Choi Si-young
siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com-
Kim Jong-un calls for improving people’s lives amid economic woes
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un urged his party officials to improve people’s lives in the next five years amid a growing economic crisis aggravated by the coronavirus pandemic, the official Korean Central News Agency said Monday. “As set forth in the January congress, the five-year plan has to improve the living conditions, bring about a fundamental change and buttress a socialist utopia the world envies,” Kim said as he marked the anniversary of the regime’s ruling pa
North Korea Oct. 11, 2021
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Key figures in Air Force suicide case avoid charges
Fifteen service members linked to the suicide of an Air Force master sergeant who claimed to have been sexually assaulted will be indicted, the Ministry of National Defense said Thursday, ending a monthslong investigation. But the 10 suspects accused of botching the initial investigation or bullying the victim when she was relocated upon the incident will not stand trial, because little evidence was found to press charges, the ministry said. The suspects include military police, prosecutors an
Defense Oct. 7, 2021
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‘North rehearsed submarine attacks on South during 2018 peace talks’
Most of North Korea’s naval drills involving submarines in the past seven years took place in 2018, when the two Koreas held talks three times to defuse tensions, Rep. Han Ki-ho of the opposition People Power Party said Tuesday, citing the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The military found that the North deployed its submarines to rehearse attacks on the South about 150 times in 2018, the highest number since 2014, when such drills took place about 120 times. Excluding 2018 from 2015 to 2019, Pyon
North Korea Oct. 5, 2021
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Moon says S. Korea should take pride in latest missiles
President Moon Jae-in said South Koreans should be proud of the latest missiles the country has recently revealed, Moon’s communications secretary said Saturday in a post on Facebook. The post quoted Moon during a closed-door meeting with his senior secretaries a day after the launch. On Sept. 15, South Korea test-fired its first submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a homegrown submarine, along with an air-to-surface missile and a cruise missile. The Sout
Politics Oct. 3, 2021
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S. Korea, US differ over NK sanctions
The US State Department said allies should continue enforcing UN sanctions over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, in response to the South Korean foreign minister’s suggestion to ease sanctions for nuclear talks amid North Korea’s latest weapons tests. “It is important for the international community to send a strong, unified message that the DPRK must halt provocations,” the State Department told Voice of America on Friday, referring to the North’s
North Korea Oct. 3, 2021
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North Korea says it tested anti-aircraft missile
North Korea test-fired a new anti-aircraft missile Thursday, its official Korean Central News Agency said amid an impasse over nuclear negotiations with the US and frayed ties with South Korea. The launch is the latest weapons test Pyongyang has conducted since test-firing a hypersonic missile Tuesday and ballistic missiles and a cruise missile earlier in September. It is considered a follow-up on Pyongyang’s plan to bolster its defense capabilities made public at its January congress. &
North Korea Oct. 1, 2021
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Air Force sets up crime unit after sex abuse case
The Air Force on Friday set up a unit of investigators at its headquarters following accusations that cover-ups led to the suicide of a master sergeant who claimed to have been sexually assaulted. The unit will take away military police power to investigate crimes, as they have been accused of looking the other way when the master sergeant filed a complaint. The sergeant’s death sparked a public outcry that led the military to form an independent investigation arm. Military police will n
Defense Oct. 1, 2021
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Air Force opens space center to expand reach
The Air Force opened a space center Thursday to bolster its defense capabilities and exchanges with foreign counterparts as the country seeks a greater presence in space. In May, South Korea and the US terminated missile guidelines that since 1979 had allowed Seoul to build missiles with a range of no more than 800 kilometers. The restrictions prevented Seoul from flying missiles far beyond the Korean Peninsula. “Space will be a key war-fighting domain and we will have our weapons ready
Defense Sept. 30, 2021
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North Korea says it tested hypersonic missile
North Korea said Wednesday that their newest weapon tested the previous day was a hypersonic missile, and that the launch matched all technical expectations. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapon seems to be in its early stages of development and far from deployment, adding the missile defense South Korea and the US maintain can take it down. “Flight maneuverability and stability of the missile, along with the gliding characteristics of the hypersonic warhead, were pr
North Korea Sept. 29, 2021
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Military unveils plans for AI-powered, agile Army
The South Korean Army will start testing a new combat system in 2024 to guide its entire operations as early as 2040. “The Army Tiger 4.0 is the future of warfare delivered by cutting-edge advances in technology,” the Army said. Tiger 4.0 is short for “Transformative Innovation of Ground forces Enhanced by the 4th industrial Revolution technology.” The Army said it will employ artificial intelligence-powered drones to facilitate decision-making on the battlefield, and
Defense Sept. 28, 2021
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NK fires missile, blames US ‘hostile policy’
North Korea fired what appeared to be a short-range missile into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The launch took place just minutes before North Korea’s ambassador to the UN urged the US to drop its “hostile policy” at the UN. The JCS offered no details, saying South Korean and US intelligence are looking into the launch, while Japan’s Defense Ministry said the projectile appeared to be a ballistic missile, without
North Korea Sept. 28, 2021
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North Korea’s overture on talks is a test: experts
North Korea’s offer to reopen inter-Korean dialogue could be a test to see South Korea’s response and make it accountable for whatever actions Seoul takes in its dealings with Pyongyang later, experts said Sunday amid growing speculation for a thaw in ties. On Saturday, Kim Yo-jong, who handles propaganda affairs as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, said the regime would be open to talks on conditions, in response to President Moon Jae-in’s call at the UN la
North Korea Sept. 26, 2021
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Key takeaways from S. Korea’s missile tests
The recent missile tests President Moon Jae-in oversaw and praised marked a milestone that experts say shows a rapidly growing South Korean missile capability. Here are key takeaways on what it means for North Korea and foreign powers. Fending off North Korea South Korea is the first non-nuclear state to have tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile. SLBMs -- which have also been developed by China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US -- are designed to deliver a fatal second strik
Defense Sept. 26, 2021
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Ruling party leader says Biden vague on NK
Rep. Song Young-gil, leader of the ruling Democratic Party, blamed a flare-up in inter-Korean tensions on the uncertainty of US policy on North Korea, in comments delivered Sunday US time. Song, who is visiting the US to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization with key White House officials and members of Congress, was referring to Pyongyang’s recent missile tests. The North revealed a new railway-borne missile system and launched ballistic missiles from a train in violation of UN re
North Korea Sept. 20, 2021
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N. Korea downplays S. Korea’s SLBM test
North Korea said Monday that the submarine-launched ballistic missile South Korea test-fired last week was primitive and not a threat. Pyongyang is seen as trying to discredit Seoul’s missile capabilities because South Korea is the first non-nuclear state to have tested an SLBM. Previously, SLBMs had been developed by only six countries: China, France, India, Russia, the UK and the US. “South Korea’s SLBM will not be effective in war. No strategic or tactical value there,&rdq
North Korea Sept. 20, 2021
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