DefenceTalk.com

North Korea to pay ‘price’ if it gives Russia arms: US
DefenceTalkThe White House warned Tuesday that North Korea would “pay a price” if it supplies Russia with weaponry for its war in Ukraine, with Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin expected to hold talks on the issue. Sanctions-hit Russia is reportedly eager to secure more military supplies from its ally to bolster its forces as […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-to-pay-price-if-it-gives-russia-arms-us-80069/ Read more...
North Korea says conducted new test of solid-fuel ICBM
DefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the successful test of the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile, state media reported Thursday, days after Pyongyang threatened to down any US spy planes that enter its airspace. A beaming Kim, flanked by his wife and key aides, was shown in state media images applauding enthusiastically after […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-says-conducted-new-test-of-solid-fuel-icbm-80041/ Read more...
North Korea’s solid-fuel ICBM: five things to know
DefenceTalkNorth Korea said Thursday it has successfully tested the Hwasong-18, its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, for the second time. The test on Wednesday unlocks a major breakthrough for North Korea’s banned weapons programmes, but what exactly is a solid-fuel missile and why does it matter that Pyongyang has one? What is a solid-fuel missile? […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-solid-fuel-icbm-five-things-to-know-80046/ Read more...
North Korea says it tested new underwater nuclear attack ‘drone’
DefenceTalkNorth Korea claimed Friday it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone able to unleash a “radioactive tsunami”, as it blamed recent US-South Korea exercises for a deteriorating regional security situation. Pyongyang carried out military drills of its own in response this week, the official Korean Central News Agency said, including test-firing a new nuclear-capable […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-says-it-tested-new-underwater-nuclear-attack-drone-79980/ Read more...
North Korea fires ‘long-range’ missile as S. Korea president heads to Japan
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired a “long-range ballistic missile” Thursday, Seoul said, as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol headed to Tokyo for a summit to boost ties in the face of Pyongyang’s growing aggression. The launch was North Korea’s third show of force since Sunday and came as South Korea and the United States staged their […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-long-range-missile-as-s-korea-president-heads-to-japan-79947/ Read more...
North Korea fires two ballistic missiles, Seoul says
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles Tuesday, Seoul said, Pyongyang’s second launch in three days and the first since South Korea and the United States began their largest joint military drills in five years. Washington and Seoul have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from the North, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-two-ballistic-missiles-seoul-says-79943/ Read more...
North Korea adopts war deterrence measures: state media
DefenceTalkNorth Korea has decided to take “important practical” war deterrence measures, state media reported Sunday, a day before Seoul and Washington begin their largest joint military drills in five years. The decision was made at a meeting of the ruling party’s military commission presided over by leader Kim Jong Un, according to the official Korean […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-adopts-war-deterrence-measures-state-media-79925/ Read more...
North Korea says it fired ICBM as warning to US, Seoul
DefenceTalkNorth Korea said Sunday it had test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as a warning to Washington and Seoul, saying the successful “surprise” drill demonstrated Pyongyang’s capacity to launch a “fatal nuclear counterattack”. In response, the US and South Korea staged joint air drills featuring a strategic bomber and stealth fighter jets, Seoul said. North Korean […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-says-it-fired-icbm-as-warning-to-us-seoul-79863/ Read more...
North Korea fires ICBM, lands near Japan
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile Friday in one of its most powerful tests ever, with Japan saying the weapon may have had the range to hit the United States mainland. The missile was believed to have landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said as he blasted the launch […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-icbm-lands-near-japan-79616/ Read more...
North Korea vows ‘overwhelming’ response to US-South Korea war games
DefenceTalkThe North Korean military said its response to US-South Korean war drills would be “resolute and overwhelming”, state media reported Monday. The warning came after a spate of North Korean weapons tests last week — including an intercontinental ballistic missile — as the United States and South Korea conducted their biggest-ever air force exercise. The […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-vows-overwhelming-response-to-us-south-korea-war-games-79598/ Read more...
North Korea ICBM launch appears to have failed, Seoul says
DefenceTalkNorth Korea unsuccessfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile during a new salvo of launches Thursday, the South Korean military said, with Washington urging all nations to enforce sanctions on Pyongyang. The launches prompted South Korea and the United States to extend their ongoing joint air drills, the largest-ever such exercises, citing North Korea’s “provocations”. People […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-icbm-launch-appears-to-have-failed-seoul-says-79595/ Read more...
North Korea fires 23 missiles, one close to South Korea
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired at least 23 missiles Wednesday, including one that landed close to South Korea’s waters in what President Yoon Suk-yeol said was “effectively a territorial invasion”. It also fired an artillery barrage into a maritime “buffer zone”, in what experts said was part of an “aggressive and threatening” response by Pyongyang to the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-23-missiles-one-close-to-south-korea-79582/ Read more...
North Korea fires ballistic missiles ahead of major US-South Korea air drills
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles on Friday, the South’s military said, the latest in a blitz of launches that Washington and Seoul have warned could culminate in another nuclear test. The launch comes as the South wraps up 12 days of amphibious naval military exercises, involving key security ally America, and ahead of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missiles-ahead-of-major-us-south-korea-air-drills-79556/ Read more...
North Korea says recent tests were ‘tactical nuclear’ drills, overseen by Kim
DefenceTalkNorth Korea’s recent missile tests involved “tactical nuclear” drills to simulate hitting the South, and were overseen by leader Kim Jong Un in response to US-led joint military exercises in the region, state media said Monday. Kim made acquiring tactical nukes — smaller, lighter weapons designed for battlefield use — a top priority at a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-recent-tests-tactical-nuclear-drills-79483/ Read more...
North Korea fires missiles, flies warplanes as it blames US for ‘escalation’
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired two ballistic missiles Thursday and flew warplanes, while claiming its recent blitz of sanctions-busting tests were necessary countermeasures against joint military drills by the United States and South Korea. As the United Nations Security Council met to discuss Pyongyang’s Tuesday launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan, North Korea blamed Washington […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-missiles-flies-warplanes-as-it-blames-us-for-escalation-79480/ Read more...
South Korea, US fire missiles in response to North Korea test
DefenceTalkThe South Korean and US militaries fired a volley of missiles into the sea in response to North Korea firing a ballistic missile over Japan, Seoul said Wednesday. Nuclear-armed North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile over Japan for the first time in five years on Tuesday, prompting Tokyo to issue evacuation warnings for some […]https://www.defencetalk.com/south-korea-us-fire-missiles-in-response-to-north-korea-test-79477/ Read more...
North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile
DefenceTalkNorth Korea has fired an unidentified ballistic missile, Seoul’s military said early Tuesday, part of a record-breaking streak of weapons tests by Pyongyang, as South Korea ramps up military drills with the US. “North Korea fired an unidentified ballistic missile east,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without giving further details. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-an-unidentified-ballistic-missile-79470/ Read more...
North Korea fires ballistic missiles
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired two ballistic missiles early on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, the nuclear-armed country’s fourth launch this week as Seoul, Tokyo and Washington ramp up joint military drills to counter Pyongyang. South Korea, Japan and the US staged anti-submarine drills Friday — the first in five years — just days after Washington and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missiles-79467/ Read more...
US, South Korea begin naval drills after North’s missile test
DefenceTalkSouth Korea and the United States began their first combined naval exercise near the peninsula in five years on Monday, a day after Pyongyang conducted a ballistic missile launch. Washington is Seoul’s key security ally and stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from the nuclear-armed North. South Korea’s hawkish President Yoon […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-south-korea-begin-naval-drills-after-norths-missile-test-79442/ Read more...
North Korea denies exporting weapons to Russia
DefenceTalkNorth Korea on Wednesday denied it was providing arms to Russia, state media said, weeks after the United States said Moscow was turning to Pyongyang to replenish its stocks depleted by invading Ukraine. “We have never exported weapons or ammunition to Russia before and we will not plan to export them,” an official at the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-denies-exporting-weapons-to-russia-79435/ Read more...
Nuclear shift: North Korean nuke law reflects global trend
DefenceTalkNorth Korea’s Kim Jong Un declaring he will never give up his nukes and enshrining a “first-strike” doctrine into law are part of a worrying new escalatory dynamic in nuclear weapons policy around the world, analysts say. Since the height of the Cold War, nuclear arsenals have served primarily as a deterrent to be used […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nuclear-shift-north-korean-nuke-law-reflects-global-trend-79432/ Read more...
North Korea law makes nuclear program ‘irreversible’
DefenceTalkNorth Korea has passed a law declaring its readiness to launch preventive nuclear strikes, including in the face of conventional attacks, state media said Friday. The move effectively eliminates the possibility of denuclearisation talks, with leader Kim Jong Un saying the country’s status as a nuclear state was now “irreversible”. The announcement comes at a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-law-makes-nuclear-program-irreversible-79372/ Read more...
US, South Korea begin biggest joint military drills since 2018
DefenceTalkThe United States and South Korea began their biggest combined military drills since 2018 on Monday, Seoul said — a move likely to enrage North Korea, which has been ramping up its nuclear threats. Washington is Seoul’s key security ally and stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from its nuclear-armed neighbor. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-south-korea-begin-biggest-joint-military-drills-since-2018-79246/ Read more...
North Korea’s Kim says ‘ready to mobilize’ nuclear weapons
DefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country was “ready to mobilize” its nuclear deterrent in any future military clash with the United States and South Korea, state media said Thursday. Washington and Seoul have repeatedly warned that Pyongyang is preparing to carry out its seventh nuclear test — a move that the United […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-says-ready-to-mobilize-nuclear-weapons-79147/ Read more...
World headed for new era of nuclear rearmament: SIPRI
DefenceTalkThe number of nuclear weapons in the world is set to rise in the coming decade after 35 years of decline as global tensions flare amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, researchers said Monday. The nine nuclear powers — Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, the United States and Russia — had 12,705 nuclear […]https://www.defencetalk.com/world-headed-for-new-era-of-nuclear-rearmament-sipri-78955/ Read more...
US, South Korea fly warplanes after North’s missile tests
DefenceTalkSouth Korea and the United States flew warplanes including stealth fighter jets over waters around the Korean peninsula Tuesday in a fresh show of force following recent missile tests by the North, Seoul said. Sixteen South Korean warplanes, including F-35 stealth fighters and four US F-16 jets, formed an attack squadron over the West Sea […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-south-korea-fly-warplanes-after-norths-missile-tests-78896/ Read more...
North Korea launches unidentified ballistic missile: Seoul
DefenceTalkNorth Korea launched at least one ballistic missile into waters off its east coast on Sunday, South Korea’s military said, after Seoul and Washington staged their first joint drills involving a US aircraft carrier in more than four years. Pyongyang has doubled down on upgrading its weapons programme this year despite facing crippling economic sanctions. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-launches-unidentified-ballistic-missile-seoul-78889/ Read more...
Protests as North Korea takes helm of world disarmament body
DefenceTalkNorth Korea on Thursday skipped the diplomatic niceties for a combative tone when it took the helm of the Conference on Disarmament. “My country is still at war with the United States,” declared Pyongyang’s ambassador Han Tae-Song. Around 50 countries voiced their outrage that unpredictable nuclear-armed North Korea is being tasked with chairing the world’s […]https://www.defencetalk.com/protests-as-north-korea-takes-helm-of-world-disarmament-body-78879/ Read more...
North Korea testing ‘nuclear detonation device’: Seoul
DefenceTalkNorth Korea has trialled a “nuclear detonation device”, a senior South Korean presidential official said Wednesday, adding that a nuclear test could be imminent. US and South Korean officials have warned for weeks that Pyongyang may conduct a seventh nuclear test, and on Wednesday it test-fired three missiles, including possibly its largest intercontinental ballistic missile […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-testing-nuclear-detonation-device-seoul-78826/ Read more...
Biden begins Asia trip in South Korea, under North nuclear shadow
DefenceTalkUS President Joe Biden arrived in South Korea Friday, his first Asia trip as US leader, aiming to cement ties with regional security allies as concern over a North Korean nuclear test grows. Biden wants the trip to build on recent moves accelerating a years-long US pivot to Asia, where rising Chinese commercial and military […]https://www.defencetalk.com/biden-begins-asia-trip-in-south-korea-under-north-nuclear-shadow-78811/ Read more...
North Korea ‘ready for nuclear test’ with Biden due in Seoul
DefenceTalkNorth Korea is poised to conduct a nuclear test, Seoul and Washington said Thursday, with the United States warning it could come as President Joe Biden visits South Korea this week. Touted as proof of the US “pivot” to Asia, Biden’s first trip as president to the region looks set to be overshadowed by an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-ready-for-nuclear-test-with-biden-due-in-seoul-78799/ Read more...
North Korea fires ballistic missile in latest show of force
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired a ballistic missile Wednesday, Seoul said, a week after Kim Jong Un vowed to boost Pyongyang’s nuclear arsenal and just days before the South inaugurates a new, hawkish president. Pyongyang has conducted 14 weapons tests since January, including firing an intercontinental ballistic missile at full-range for the first time since 2017. Last […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-in-latest-show-of-force-78751/ Read more...
At military parade, Kim vows to boost North Korea’s nuclear arsenal
DefenceTalkNorth Korea will rapidly accelerate development of its nuclear arsenal, leader Kim Jong Un said while overseeing a vast military parade showcasing his most powerful intercontinental ballistic missiles, state media reported Tuesday. Despite biting sanctions, North Korea has doubled down on Kim’s military modernisation drive, test-firing a slew of banned weapons this year while ignoring […]https://www.defencetalk.com/at-military-parade-kim-vows-to-boost-north-koreas-nuclear-arsenal-78730/ Read more...
North Korea tests new weapons system to improve ‘tactical nukes’
DefenceTalkKim Jong Un supervised the test-firing of a new guided weapons system to improve North Korea’s “tactical nukes”, state media said Sunday, capping days of celebrations surrounding the birthday of the country’s founding leader. The launch was the latest in an unprecedented blitz of sanctions-busting weapons-tests this year, which included firing an intercontinental ballistic missile […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-tests-new-weapons-system-to-improve-tactical-nukes-78700/ Read more...
North Korea’s tests stir nuclear debate in South
DefenceTalkAfter firing its largest-ever missile, North Korea is preparing to conduct a nuclear test, officials and analysts say, reviving a longstanding debate south of the border: should Seoul have nukes too? Pyongyang has conducted a blitz of sanctions-busting weapons tests this year, including launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at full range for the first […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-tests-stir-nuclear-debate-in-south-78685/ Read more...
North Korea could hold nuclear test on coming anniversary: US envoy
DefenceTalkPyongyang is ignoring US overtures for talks and could be planning its first nuclear weapon test in nearly five years for its April 15 holiday, the State Department’s top North Korea envoy said Wednesday. Sung Kim, the Special Representative for North Korea Policy, said Washington thinks Pyongyang could be planning a big show of its […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-nuclear-test-on-coming-anniversary-us-envoy-78638/ Read more...
Kim’s sister says North Korea nukes could ‘eliminate’ South
DefenceTalkNorth Korea will use its nuclear weapons to “eliminate” South Korea’s army in the event they launch a pre-emptive strike, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un said Tuesday. Kim Yo Jong’s warning, carried in state media, was her second angry retort in three days to comments made by South Korea’s defence chief Suh […]https://www.defencetalk.com/kims-sister-says-north-korea-nukes-could-eliminate-south-78592/ Read more...
Why did North Korea fake a ‘monster missile’ test?
DefenceTalkNorth Korea faked a “successful” launch of its most powerful long-range missile to shore up domestic support for Kim Jong Un’s regime after the real test ended in failure, analysts say. State media trumpeted the “miraculous” launch of what it claimed was a new Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile on March 24, publishing dramatic photos and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/why-did-north-korea-fake-a-monster-missile-test-78550/ Read more...
North Korea’s Kim vows ‘overwhelming’ military power: state media
DefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to build up “overwhelming” and unstoppable military power, state media reported Monday, days after he presided over the nation’s biggest missile launch. Kim’s comments follow Pyongyang successfully carrying out the launch in defiance of crippling international sanctions on Thursday, the first time the North has fired an […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-vows-overwhelming-military-power-state-media-78520/ Read more...
North Korea says Kim ordered test of ‘new type’ of ICBM
DefenceTalkNorth Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un personally oversaw the test-firing of the country’s “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile to boost its nuclear deterrent against the US “imperialists”, state media reported Friday. The Thursday launch was the first time Pyongyang has fired Kim’s most powerful missiles at full range since 2017, and it appears to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-says-kim-ordered-test-of-new-type-of-icbm-78496/ Read more...
North Korea suspected ballistic missile explodes after launch
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile that exploded mid-air shortly after launch, Seoul said Wednesday, with analysts warning it was likely a failed test of Pyongyang’s so-called “monster missile”. The launch — North Korea’s tenth suspected weapons test this year — comes after the United States said the nuclear-armed country was preparing to fire […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-suspected-ballistic-missile-explodes-after-launch-78427/ Read more...
North Korea plans ‘monster’ missile launch by April: analysts
DefenceTalkNorth Korea has been using satellite subterfuge to test parts of a so-called “monster” missile, analysts say, as it gears up for a sanctions-shattering launch ahead of a key domestic anniversary. Pyongyang has conducted a record nine weapons tests so far this year, in what experts see as an effort to work through a laundry […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-plans-monster-missile-launch-by-april-analysts-78381/ Read more...
US says North Korea testing new ICBM system
DefenceTalkTwo recent missile tests conducted by North Korea were of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, the Pentagon said Thursday, marking what one US official called a “serious escalation” that will be punished with fresh sanctions. According to North Korea, the February 26 and March 4 tests were focused on developing a reconnaissance satellite, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-says-north-korea-testing-new-icbm-system-78374/ Read more...
North Korea claims another test for developing reconnaissance satellite
DefenceTalkNorth Korea on Sunday said it has conducted another test for the development of a reconnaissance satellite. The test was carried out on Saturday, the state news agency KCNA said in a two-paragraph report that came just days before presidential elections in South Korea. South Korea’s military has already said it believed this last test […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-claims-another-test-for-developing-reconnaissance-satellite-78307/ Read more...
North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of South’s election
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile Saturday, Seoul’s military said, continuing this year’s record-breaking blitz of weapons tests with a launch just days before South Korea’s presidential election. From hypersonic to medium-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang test-fired a string of weaponry in January and last week launched what it claimed was a component of a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-souths-election-78304/ Read more...
North Korea fires ‘unidentified projectile’: South’s military
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired at least one “unidentified projectile” on Saturday, South Korea’s military said, the nuclear-armed country’s ninth suspected weapons test this year. “North Korea fired an unidentified projectile eastward,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without giving further details. Pyongyang carried out an unprecedented seven weapons tests in January, including of […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-souths-military-2-78301/ Read more...
North Korea hails ‘significant’ test in satellite development
DefenceTalkNorth Korea said it had carried out a test of “great significance” for developing a reconnaissance satellite, state media reported Monday, a day after Seoul said it had detected a ballistic missile launch. Despite sweeping international sanctions, Pyongyang carried out a record-breaking blitz of weapons tests in January before pausing launches during the Beijing Winter […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-hails-significant-test-in-satellite-development-78148/ Read more...
North Korea fires ballistic missile, restarting weapons tests blitz
DefenceTalkNorth Korea fired a ballistic missile Sunday, Seoul said, resuming a weapons-testing blitz after a month-long lull during the Beijing Winter Olympics, with the world’s attention now focused on Ukraine. The Sunday launch is Pyongyang’s eighth so far this year, including test-firing its most powerful missile since high-profile negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-restarting-weapons-tests-blitz-78129/ Read more...
North Korea presses ahead with weapons development despite sanctions
DefenceTalkNorth Korea pressed ahead with the development of its nuclear and missile programs last year despite international sanctions, according to a confidential United Nations report seen by AFP on Saturday. Pyongyang is under major sanctions over its weapons programs, including a ban on exports of coal, iron, lead, textiles, seafood and other products. While no […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-presses-ahead-with-weapons-development-despite-sanctions-77827/ Read more...
North Korea says Sunday test was Hwasong-12 missile
DefenceTalkNorth Korea confirmed it had fired a Hwasong-12 “mid-range ballistic missile”, state media reported Monday, the first time it has tested a weapon that powerful since 2017. Seoul’s military said it had detected the launch Sunday of an intermediate-range ballistic missile — Pyongyang’s seventh weapons test in January. North Korea has never test-fired this many […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-korea-says-sunday-test-was-hwasong-12-missile-77797/ Read more...