Articles by Ji Da-gyum
Ji Da-gyum
dagyumji@heraldcorp.com-
Harris, Trump face off as North Korea tests US on Election Day
On the day of the US presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump, North Korea fired a salvo of ballistic missiles on Tuesday in an apparent message to Washington -- a continuation of its unrelenting saber-rattling, which included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile last week. Escalating tensions further, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, released a forceful English-language statement on US Elec
Foreign Affairs Nov. 5, 2024
-
South Korea and Central Asia set stage for first summit
South Korea and five Central Asian countries -- all former Soviet republics -- are gearing up for their first-ever summit, aiming to forge a synergistic partnership that leverages shared strengths and foster regional peace amid escalating tensions fueled by illicit military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul convened the 17th Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum in Seoul on Monday, bringing together foreign ministers, vice foreign ministe
Foreign Affairs Nov. 4, 2024
-
Allies say 1953 mutual defense treaty extends to cyber, space threats
South Korea and the United States have, for the first time, explicitly confirmed that cyber and space threats to either country could trigger mutual defense actions under their bilateral treaty signed in 1953, which forms the basis of their military alliance. The commitment was outlined in a joint statement following the South Korea-US '2+2' foreign and defense ministerial meeting held Thursday in Washington, notably amid rising concerns over deepening security cooperation between Russia and Nor
North Korea Nov. 1, 2024
-
Chinese police ranked 2nd in N. Korean enforced disappearances: report
Chinese police rank as the second-largest force after North Korea's secret police in arresting and facilitating the enforced disappearances of North Koreans, according to a report released by a human rights organization Thursday. The Seoul-based nonprofit Transitional Justice Working Group released findings based on data from 66 cases involving 113 North Korean victims of enforced disappearance. The data was collected through in-depth interviews with 62 North Korean escapees in South Korea
North Korea Oct. 31, 2024
-
At UN, allies warn NK troops risk becoming 'cannon fodder'
South Korean and US envoys delivered a stark rebuke to Kim Jong-un’s regime in an unusually tense meeting at the UN Security Council on Wednesday, warning that North Korean soldiers deployed against Ukraine could "return in body bags." The sharp, intentionally undiplomatic rhetoric underscored the allies' deepening alarm over Pyongyang’s expanding military alliance with Moscow, which has escalated from arms transfers to the actual deployment of North Korean forces -- a
Foreign Affairs Oct. 31, 2024
-
Selected NK troops, generals may be deployed to front lines: NIS
A contingent of North Korean troops, including high-ranking generals, deployed to Russia may now be positioned on the front lines of the Ukraine war, South Korea’s spy agency reported Tuesday, adding that the Kim Jong-un regime appears to be clamping down on information about the troop dispatch internationally. "Troop movements between Russia and North Korea have been assessed as underway, with the agency examining the potential relocation of certain personnel, including high-ranking
Foreign Affairs Oct. 29, 2024
-
N. Korean troops may deploy to Ukraine-Russia front sooner than expected: Yoon
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Monday that North Korean troops could be deployed by Russia to the front lines against Ukraine "sooner than expected," according to the presidential office. Yoon shared intelligence on North Korea's troop deployments to Russia and discussed potential response measures during a phone call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, held at her request, the presidential office said in a statement. "The (South Korean) pres
North Korea Oct. 28, 2024
-
S. Korea to hold talks with NATO allies amid NK troops in Russia
South Korea is set to convene its first 2+2 foreign and defense ministerial meeting with the United States in more than three years, paired with inaugural 2+2 talks with Canada, at a critical juncture marked by concerns of possible North Korean troop deployment to the Ukraine-Russia combat zone. The high-stakes meetings will take place in a pivotal week of diplomacy and include top diplomats and defense leaders from founding NATO members -- staunch allies of Ukraine since Russia's invasion.
Foreign Affairs Oct. 28, 2024
-
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
Growing indications suggest that North Korean troops are on the brink of deployment to support Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine, as North Korean soldiers have reportedly arrived in Russia's Kursk region, where Russian and Ukrainian forces have been battling for control of key strategic border location. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that Russia is expected to deploy the first contingent of North Korean soldiers to combat zones as early as Sunday and Monday, based on an
Foreign Affairs Oct. 27, 2024
-
Yoon signals flexibility in no-weapons policy for Ukraine
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday suggested possible flexibility in the country's longstanding policy of withholding lethal weapons aid to Ukraine, framing it as part of a phased counterstrategy in response to North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia. Yoon's comment came after South Korea's presidential office confirmed Tuesday that, depending on how the battlefield situation in Ukraine unfolds, Seoul will first consider providing defensive weapons, with the option of late
Foreign Affairs Oct. 24, 2024
-
N. Korea's support puts Putin in its debt: experts
North Korea's dispatch of personnel to support Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- even if their military involvement is limited or indirect -- could put Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyongyang's debt, experts said. The development may also set the stage for reciprocal support from Moscow for Kim Jong-un's aggressive ambitions, especially if North Korean casualties occur in the Ukraine war. Whether North Korea has dispatched troops to Russia remains a hotly debated issue, w
Foreign Affairs Oct. 23, 2024
-
S. Korea, UK to initiate 2+2 talks, boost defense ties
Top diplomats of South Korea and the United Kingdom have agreed to launch foreign and defense ministerial "2+2" talks early next year in a bid to strengthen their joint response to regional and global security threats, while pledging further cooperation on co-developing defense capabilities, according to a joint statement released Tuesday. South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met for the 9th Korea-UK Foreign Ministers' Strategi
Foreign Affairs Oct. 22, 2024
-
Seoul warns Russian envoy on North Korea troop deployment
South Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun summoned Russian Ambassador Georgy Zinoviev on Monday to issue a stern warning over North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia in support of its war in Ukraine -- a move confirmed by Seoul's intelligence agency last week -- and to demand their immediate withdrawal. The Foreign Ministry in Seoul said that the summoning of Russia's top envoy was aimed at conveying the South Korean government’s "grave stance o
Foreign Affairs Oct. 21, 2024
-
North Korea sends troops to support Russia in Ukraine war: NIS
North Korea has dispatched special forces to support Russia in its war against Ukraine, with the first batch already having arrived in Russia and a second group of North Korean troops expected to follow soon, South Korea's intelligence agency claimed on Friday. The National Intelligence Service said it "confirmed that North Korea began its participation in the war by transporting special forces to Russia via Russian Navy transport ships from Oct. 8 to 13." However, the NIS provided no
North Korea Oct. 18, 2024
-
Kim Jong-un drills front-line troops, branding S. Korea as 'foreign, hostile'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un doubled down on the legitimacy of using offensive forces against South Korea in the event of a contingency, drilling into front-line troops the notion of South Korea as both a "foreign" and "hostile" country. Kim on Thursday visited the headquarters of the Korean People's Army's 2nd Corps positioned on the front lines near the inter-Korean border, with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea Pak Jong-chon
North Korea Oct. 18, 2024
Most Popular
-
1
Dongduk Women’s University halts coeducation talks
-
2
Russia sent 'anti-air' missiles to Pyongyang, Yoon's aide says
-
3
Defense ministry denies special treatment for BTS’ V amid phone use allegations
-
4
OpenAI in talks with Samsung to power AI features, report says
-
5
Two jailed for forcing disabled teens into prostitution
-
6
South Korean military plans to launch new division for future warfare
-
7
Gold bars and cash bundles; authorities confiscate millions from tax dodgers
-
8
Teen smoking, drinking decline, while mental health, dietary habits worsen
-
9
Kia EV9 GT marks world debut at LA Motor Show
-
10
North Korean leader ‘convinced’ dialogue won’t change US hostility