NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.
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Unification minister calls for cooperation with U.S. against N. Korea's suspected arms deal with Russia
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho expressed concerns Friday over North Korea's suspected arms deal with Russia and called for strengthened efforts between Seoul and Washington to protect international norms during his meeting with the U.S. ambassador in Seoul.
The meeting between Kim and Ambassador Philip Goldberg, their first encounter since Kim was appointed to the ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs, followed a rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
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(Asiad) N. Korea welcomed at athletes' village in Hangzhou
HANGZHOU, China -- North Korean athletes were officially welcomed at their living quarters in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for the 19th Asian Games on Friday, the eve of the opening ceremony of the quadrennial continental competition.
About 20 athletes and officials from Pyongyang attended the welcoming ceremony at the athletes' village for the Asian Games in Hangzhou.
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(LEAD) Russian Embassy voices 'deep regret' over Yoon's warning on growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties
SEOUL -- The Russian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday expressed "deep regret" over President Yoon Suk Yeol's speech condemning military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow at the United Nations and accused him of joining Washington's "propaganda campaign."
During his keynote address to the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday (U.S. time), Yoon warned that any arms deal between the two countries would be considered a "direct provocation" against South Korea, relaying concerns North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin could have agreed on a weapons deal at their rare summit last week.
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(LEAD) U.S. striving to stop N. Korea's potential weapons support to Russia 'wherever we can': Blinken
WASHINGTON -- The United States is trying to stop North Korea's potential arms support to Russia "wherever we can," its top diplomat said Wednesday, as last week's summit between the two isolated regimes deepened concerns about their military cooperation.
Speaking in an interview with broadcaster NBC, Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said that the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to a "certain amount of desperation" on the part of Russia amid the protracted war in Ukraine.
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Yoon says arms deal between N. Korea, Russia would be 'direct provocation' against S. Korea
NEW YORK/SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a stark warning against military cooperation between North Korea and Russia on Wednesday (U.S. time), saying any arms deal between the two countries would be considered a "direct provocation" against South Korea.
Yoon made the remark during a keynote address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, referring to concerns North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to an exchange of North Korean ammunition for Russian weapons technology during their summit in Russia's Far East last week.
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(2nd LD) Biden condemns N. Korea's defiance of UNSC resolutions, remains committed to diplomacy
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned North Korea's continued violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, but reiterated his commitment to diplomacy to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Biden made the remarks in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly as a recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin deepened concerns about a potential arms deal that would violate multiple UNSC resolutions.
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S. Korea observed military dealings between N. Korea, Russia months before Kim-Putin summit: official
NEW YORK/SEOUL -- South Korea began observing military dealings between North Korea and Russia "several months" before the two countries' leaders met in Russia's Far East last week to discuss a suspected arms deal, a South Korean presidential official said Tuesday (U.S. time).
The rare summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place at the Vostochny space center last Wednesday amid concern the North could agree to supply ammunition for Russia's war in Ukraine in exchange for food aid and a transfer of weapons technology.
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(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. nearing completion to revise joint deterrence strategy against N.K. threats
SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States are nearing completion of work to revise their joint deterrence strategy against North Korea's evolving military threats, Seoul officials said Monday, as the allies held key regular defense talks here.
The two sides took stock of progress in the efforts to revise the "Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS)" during the biannual Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) earlier in the day, the officials said. They seek to complete the revision by the end of this year.
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