Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

NK weekly-domestic news

Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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(LEAD) N. Korea fires several cruise missiles off west coast: JCS

SEOUL -- North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast Friday, the South Korean military said, in the latest in a series of the North's cruise missile launches this year.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the North's launch at around 11 a.m. from its west coast. It did not specify the number of missiles.

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N. Korea claims nuclear buildup 'indispensable' for global stability

SEOUL -- North Korea on Friday defended its strengthening of nuclear arms as an "indispensable contribution" to maintaining global stability while blaming the United States for pushing the world closer to "nuclear war."

The accusation came in response to a report by the British daily Telegraph that the U.S. is planning to place B61-12 nuclear bombs at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in what would mark the deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Britain for the first time in 15 years.

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(LEAD) N. Korean leader calls for bolstering navy's war readiness during visit to shipyard

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for strengthening the country's navy to step up war preparations and protect maritime sovereignty during a visit to a shipyard for warships, state media said Friday.

Kim made the remarks as the North has been dialing up tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the new year -- an election year for South Korea and the United States -- with weapons tests and harshly worded rhetoric.

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N. Korean delegation to visit Moscow on Feb. 13: Russian lawmaker

SEOUL -- A North Korean delegation may visit Moscow later this month and a Russian delegation plans to make a reciprocal trip to Pyongyang in March, a Russian lawmaker said Thursday.

The North Koreans are expected to visit the lower house of the Russian parliament on Feb. 13, and Russian lawmakers plan to reciprocate their visit the next month, Kazbek Taysaev, a deputy of the Communist Party, told Russia's Sputnik news agency.

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(2nd LD) Cuba's new envoy to N.K. assumes post amid Pyongyang's move to resume diplomacy

SEOUL -- Cuba's new ambassador to North Korea has begun his duties, according to the North's state media Thursday, as countries having friendly ties with North Korea have ramped up diplomatic activities in the secretive regime since the opening of its border.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was presented with the credentials of Cuban Ambassador Eduardo Luis Correa Garcia from Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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N. Korea to hold arts festival marking late leader's birth anniversary

SEOUL -- North Korea said Wednesday it will hold an eight-day cultural event next month on the occasion of the 82nd birth anniversary of the country's late leader Kim Jong-il.

The people's arts festival will be held Feb. 11-18 in Pyongyang to mark the anniversary, which falls on Feb. 16, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.

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(2nd LD) N. Korea says it conducted launch of 'Hwasal-2' strategic cruise missile

SEOUL -- North Korea said Wednesday it conducted a drill to launch the Hwasal-2 strategic cruise missile the previous day to check its rapid counterattack posture and improve its strategic striking capability.

The launch in the Yellow Sea had "no adverse effect on the security of a neighboring country," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said without giving further details, including how many missiles were launched and how far they flew.

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(LEAD) N. Korea conducts another cruise missile launch: JCS

SEOUL -- North Korea fired several cruise missiles off the west coast Tuesday, the South Korean military said, just two days after it test-fired submarine-launched cruise missiles from the east coast.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the North's launch at around 7 a.m. from its west coast. It did not specify the number of missiles.

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(3rd LD) N.K. leader oversees submarine-launched cruise missile test: state media

SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen the test-fire of submarine-launched cruise missiles and reviewed a project to build a nuclear-powered submarine, state media reported Monday.

The new Pulhwasal-3-31 strategic cruise missile precisely hit an island target after flying over the East Sea for 7,421 seconds and 7,445 seconds, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, suggesting the test involved two missiles.

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(2nd LD) N. Korea fires several cruise missiles from its east coast: JCS

SEOUL -- North Korea fired several cruise missiles from its east coast on Sunday, the South Korean military said, days after Pyongyang test-fired new strategic cruise missiles from the west coast.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the North's launch took place around 8 a.m. in waters off Sinpo Port, but did not elaborate, citing an ongoing analysis.

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