Not that anyone really cares or will do anything, but Russia is openly violating U.N. sanctions with their exports of petroleum to North Korea:
Russia delivered more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in March alone, a White House official said Thursday, noting its shipments thus far have already exceeded Pyongyang’s annual import cap mandated by the U.N. Security Council (UNSC).
National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby made the remarks as Washington is working in tandem with South Korea, Japan and other partners to roll out new sanctions this month against those aiding in transfers of weapons and refined petroleum between the North and Russia.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
Here is the latest numbers on North Koreans defecting to the South:
The number of North Korean defectors who successfully reached South Korea came to 43 in the first quarter, marking an increase from the same period last year, government data showed Tuesday.
Joong Ang Ilbo
According to the Unification Ministry, eight men and 35 women arrived in South Korea from the beginning of January to the end of March, bringing the total number of North Korean defectors who have arrived in the South to 34,121.
The latest figure was lower than 57 tallied in the previous quarter but was higher than 34 in the same period a year earlier.
You can read more at the link.
The North Koreans could use drones and gliders for terror attacks, but why would they at this time?:
This file photo, provided by the National Intelligence Service, South Korea’s spy agency, on Jan. 8, 2024, shows an F-7 rocket-propelled grenade launcher manufactured in North Korea suspected to have been used by the Hamas militant group. Korean characters are engraved inside of the fuse (in blue circle) of the grenade launcher.
South Korea’s spy agency said Tuesday it cannot rule out the possibility of North Korea staging attacks involving drones and motorized paragliders amid suspicions over Pyongyang’s ties with the Hamas militant group.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS) issued the warning in its annual report on global terrorism, as the North has been ramping up weapons tests and verbal threats amid allegations of its illicit arms transfers.
In January, the NIS confirmed suspicions that North Korean-made weapons are being used by the Hamas militant group in its war against Israel despite Pyongyang’s repeated denial of such transactions.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
Another day and another North Korean provocation:
North Korea fired several rounds of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea on Monday, the South Korean military said, three days after it launched cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected what appeared to be several short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Pyongyang region at 3:01 p.m.
“The North Korean missiles flew about 300 kilometers and splashed into the sea,” the JCS said in a text message to reporters. It did not provide further details, citing an ongoing analysis.
Yonhap
You can read more at the link.
