Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

NK weekly-domestic news

Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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(LEAD) N.K. says it tested underwater nuclear weapons system in response to trilateral drills

SEOUL -- North Korea said Friday it has tested an underwater nuclear weapons system under development in response to the latest joint maritime exercise involving South Korea, the United States and Japan.

North Korea's defense ministry said the country conducted an important test of the Haeil-5-23 in the East Sea, denouncing this week's naval drills involving a U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier as "reckless confrontation hysteria," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(LEAD) N. Korean foreign minister returns home after trip to Russia

SEOUL -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui returned home Friday after a visit to Moscow that involved a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

The delegation led by Choe arrived via Pyongyang International Airport, where they were greeted by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Chol-jun, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim Vladimir Topeha and Military Attache Valeri Isaenko of the Russian Embassy, the North's Korean Central News Agency said in a short dispatch.

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N. Korea holds cabinet plenary meeting to discuss economic plans

SEOUL -- North Korea has held a plenary meeting of the cabinet to discuss plans for economic development this year, state media reported Friday.

Premier Kim Tok-hun presided over the meeting held via video link Thursday to discuss follow-up measures put forth at a year-end plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(LEAD) Top diplomats of N. Korea, Russia discuss 'upcoming political contacts': reports

SEOUL -- The top diplomats of North Korea and Russia discussed the schedule of "upcoming political contacts" between their countries during their talks earlier this week, Russian media reported Thursday.

North Korea's Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui held talks with her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow on Tuesday before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin later that day amid deepening bilateral ties after their leaders' summit last September.

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(2nd LD) Putin meets N. Korean FM amid deepening military cooperation

MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

Putin met with Choe late Tuesday and was briefed on the results of her talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier in the day, the Kremlin said, without providing further details.

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N. Korea broadcasts map highlighting only northern Korean Peninsula in red

SEOUL -- North Korea's state-run broadcasting station on Wednesday aired a map that highlights only the northern part of the Korean Peninsula in red after its leader vowed to no longer seek reconciliation and unification with South Korea.

In the initial segment of a program broadcast on Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central Television, the network presented a map highlighting only the northern region of the Korean Peninsula in red.

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(4th LD) N.K. leader calls for defining S. Korea as 'invariable principal enemy' in constitution

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for revising the country's constitution to define South Korea as its "invariable principal enemy" and to codify the commitment to "completely occupying" the South Korean territory in the event of war, state media reported Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol hit back at Kim's hostile rhetoric with a vow to punish North Korea "multiple times" as hard in the case that it stages a provocation against South Korea.

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(4th LD) N. Korean FM arrives in Russia amid deepening military ties

SEOUL -- North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Russia on Monday for an official visit, state media reported, as the Kremlin said it aims to further develop ties with the North in all areas.

Choe left Pyongyang on Sunday to visit Russia from Monday through Wednesday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, with their talks set to take place Tuesday.

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(4th LD) N. Korea claims to have successfully launched solid-fuel hypersonic IRBM

SEOUL -- North Korea said Monday it successfully test-fired a solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) carrying a hypersonic warhead the previous day as part of regular activities to develop powerful weapons systems.

The missile loaded with a hypersonic maneuverable controlled warhead was launched Sunday afternoon in a bid to verify the warhead's gliding and maneuvering capabilities and the reliability of newly developed multi-stage high-thrust solid-fuel engines, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). It did not disclose the missile's flight details.

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(3rd LD) N. Korea fires suspected IRBM into East Sea: S. Korean military

SEOUL -- North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) into the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, in Pyongyang's first missile launch this year amid heightened tensions over its continued saber-rattling.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from an area in or around Pyongyang at about 2:55 p.m. and the missile flew around 1,000 kilometers before splashing into the sea.

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