The NIS must have helped with defection considering he defected by taking a flight to South Korea:
This March 19, 2024, file photo shows the North Korean Embassy in Cuba. (Yonhap)
A North Korean diplomat who had been stationed in Cuba defected to South Korea last year, South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday, the latest in a small but growing number of defections by North Koreans in elite groups.
The National Intelligence Service confirmed a media report that Ri Il-gyu, who had served as the counselor of political affairs at the North’s embassy in Cuba, entered South Korea in November with his family. It did not provide further details.
The defection came as efforts were under way for South Korea to establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. In February, the two countries forged formal ties in a surprise move widely seen as a setback to North Korea, which has long boasted about its brotherly ties with the Caribbean country.
It looks like there may soon be a plea deal for the dumb ass Soldier who ran into North Korea last year:
The first court appearance of a Fort Bliss soldier charged with desertion for running into North Korea last year has been postponed, according to the soldier’s attorney. Pvt. Travis King, 24, faces eight charges, including desertion, assault and soliciting child sexual abuse material. Attorneys are negotiating a possible plea agreement, said Frank Rosenblatt, the attorney for King. “These negotiations, I believe, will meet both the needs of Pvt. King and the Army to resolve this case,” Rosenblatt said Monday. “It does appear that because of that, the Article 32 hearing may no longer be necessary.”
If North Korea’s trash balloons are considered soft terrorism, than is the South Korean activists who send balloons into North Korea also soft terrorists?:
North Korea’s obnoxious sending of trash-filled balloons to South Korea is a “form of soft terrorism,” a U.S. think tank report said Tuesday, stressing it should not be taken lightly though it reflects the recalcitrant regime’s “weakness” and “insecurity.”
Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and Andy Lim, an associate fellow with the CSIS Korea Chair, released the report that analyzed Pyongyang’s campaign involving garbage-filled balloons in a question-and-answer format.
The United States has called for an open briefing of the UN Security Council to address arms transfers from the DPRK in violation of UN Security Counil resolutions on Friday, June 28.
The United States will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and…
It appears the North Koreans are relying on misinformation to hype up their military capabilities:
A contrail of what appears to be a North Korean missile launch is seen from South Korea’s northwestern border island of Yeonpyeong in the Yellow Sea on June 26, 2024. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s military on Thursday dismissed North Korea’s claim of successfully conducting a multiple-warhead missile test earlier this week as a form of “deception,” reaffirming its assessment the missile exploded in the air.
Earlier in the day, the North said it conducted a successful missile test Wednesday aimed at securing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) capabilities, contradicting South Korea’s earlier assessment the launch ended in failure.
“North Korea’s missile launched yesterday exploded in an early stage of the flight,” Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), told reporters in a briefing. “North Korea made a different announcement this morning but (we) believe that this is merely a method of deception and exaggeration.”
Lee said photos released by the North this morning of the missile launch appeared to be similar to its launch of the Hwasong-17 liquid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched in March 2023.
This should give everyone further indications on how healthy the people in North Korea are:
Parasites have been detected in some of the trash-filled balloons sent by North Korea to South Korea, but no harmful substances were found, Seoul’s unification ministry said Monday.
In recent weeks, North Korea has sent more than 1,000 trash-carrying balloons toward the South on multiple occasions in retaliation for South Korean activists’ leaflet campaigns condemning the North Korean regime.
“Numerous parasites, such as roundworms, whipworms and threadworms, were found in the soil contained in the trash,” the ministry said in a press release, adding that the parasites are believed to originate from human excrement.
The findings are based on an examination of 70 balloons.
The trash attacks into South Korea are continuing:
North Korea on Monday sent balloons presumed to be carrying trash toward South Korea again, Seoul’s military said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the balloons appeared to be travelling in a southeastern direction from the northern part of Gyeonggi Province that surrounds Seoul.
It advised the public to not touch fallen balloons and report them to military or police authorities.
On Friday, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of the North’s leader, hinted about launching more balloons after North Korean defectors in the South sent balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets toward the North earlier in the week.
This is about as close to an ultimatum to Russia that you will see from the Yoon administration:
National security adviser Chang Ho-jin said Sunday that South Korea will not be bound by anything with regard to its assistance to Ukraine if Russia provides North Korea with precision weapons.
Director of National Security Chang made the remark during a TV appearance, underscoring the point that Seoul’s decision on whether to provide weapons to Ukraine depends on how Russia’s military cooperation with North Korea goes.
“I would like to emphasize that it all depends on what Russia will do,” Chang said on KBS TV. “Will there be any line remaining for us if Russia gives precision weapons to North Korea?”
Chang’s remark means South Korea could provide lethal weapons to Ukraine if Russia crosses the line.
