https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/295610/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s apparent use of different launch methods to fire two types of cruise missiles from a tactical nuclear-capable submarine raises fresh questions about the operational readiness of its growing undersea arsenal, observers have said. The North’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Thursday the country had “test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles” off its eastern coast. The tests “contributed to inspecting the regular mobilisation readiness of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3371072/north-koreas-cruise-missile-launches-test-regional-defence-arms-race-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3371072/north-koreas-cruise-missile-launches-test-regional-defence-arms-race-intensifies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:02:32 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo The denuclearisation of North Korea has become an “increasingly improbable” goal and the United States and its allies should move beyond it to devote their diplomatic efforts to talks on arms limitations and crisis communication, the director of the US-based North Korean analysis website 38 North said. Recalling the 20 years since North Korea carried out its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006, Jenny Town said in a written interview that “a pivotal moment” in Pyongyang’s weapons development... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3370470/denuclearising-north-korea-would-defy-history-us-allies-missed-boat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3370470/denuclearising-north-korea-would-defy-history-us-allies-missed-boat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Oct 2026 04:00:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Saturday it test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile that it claimed has manoeuvrable flight capabilities designed to evade missile defences in South Korea and Japan. The latest test comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas over border landmine blasts. Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said her brother supervised the test of the missile, which she described as strategic, implying it was designed to deliver nuclear... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369665/north-korea-test-fires-intermediate-range-missile-amid-mine-blast-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3369665/north-korea-test-fires-intermediate-range-missile-amid-mine-blast-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 12:41:52 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s proposal for a phased approach to Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes is a pragmatic response, analysts say, but prospects for gaining its arch-rival’s acceptance remain uncertain. In a keynote speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Lee laid out a long-term, step-by-step sequence for pursuing the ultimate goal of North Korea’s denuclearisation. He had called for Washington to ease sanctions in return for North Korea stopping its nuclear... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3368586/south-korea-has-pragmatic-plan-phased-denuclearisation-will-north-bite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Sep 2026 03:23:51 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi North Korea could be using missile tests to take its denuclearisation off the US-China summit agenda and drive home its demands for recognition as a nuclear power as a prerequisite for talks with Washington, according to analysts. On Sunday, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles towards the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, which, according to South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, were detected three hours apart, with the first flying about 450km (280 miles), while the second travelled... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368428/did-north-koreas-missile-launches-target-xi-trump-summit-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3368428/did-north-koreas-missile-launches-target-xi-trump-summit-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 05:00:06 +0000 Kang Jun-young Kang Jun-young The September 24 summit between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump is no ordinary engagement. Their May summit took place in Beijing and largely centred on economic issues. This one will be on Trump’s home turf and is expected to put strategic questions on the table. Will the Korean peninsula and North Korea’s nuclear programme again be pushed to the margins? In Beijing, both sides focused on their immediate national interests, such as trade, semiconductors, rare earths and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367602/why-trump-xi-summit-must-put-korean-peninsula-back-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367602/why-trump-xi-summit-must-put-korean-peninsula-back-agenda?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Glyn Ford Glyn Ford It is clear that US President Donald Trump is pushing hard for a fresh summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming months. To achieve that, he appears prepared to downgrade and jeopardise the US-South Korea alliance, as seen in his recent move to scale back joint military exercises. For Trump, this will be a purely bilateral exercise, with both Seoul and Beijing totally sidelined, let alone Moscow and Tokyo. Equally, there is now a general acceptance that the issue of... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367471/new-trump-kim-summit-would-be-nightmare-everyone-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3367471/new-trump-kim-summit-would-be-nightmare-everyone-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Russia is increasingly mobilising North Korean workers to build military drones for use against Ukraine in defiance of international sanctions, giving Pyongyang a key source of revenue to fund its unlawful weapons programmes, according to a report by the US and its allies. Up to 25,000 North Koreans were believed to be working in Russia’s drone industry, including at facilities in Alabuga, Tatarstan, where unmanned aerial vehicles were assembled, the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team said... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367833/russia-employs-north-koreans-build-drones-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367833/russia-employs-north-koreans-build-drones-ukraine-war-report?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 06:37:36 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said on Thursday that the country’s nuclear-armed status was “absolute”, calling those hoping for its denuclearisation “idiots”. North Korea has legally enshrined its status as a nuclear weapons state, with its leadership declaring the country’s nuclear arsenal permanent and irreversible. US President Donald Trump recently said Pyongyang possessed 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons, with Seoul putting the figure at between 80 and 120. “The... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367785/only-idiots-expect-north-korea-give-nuclear-weapons-kim-yo-jong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367785/only-idiots-expect-north-korea-give-nuclear-weapons-kim-yo-jong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:33:54 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Monday it conducted a joint live-fire drill involving missiles, artillery and drones that it claimed showed “huge destructive power”. The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday’s drill was meant to get familiar with the procedure for the operation of the integrated firepower control system. South Korea’s military earlier said it detected short-range ballistic missile launches from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area on Saturday morning. After observing... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367382/north-korea-tests-weapons-capable-striking-south-korea-huge-destructive-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367382/north-korea-tests-weapons-capable-striking-south-korea-huge-destructive-power?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:59:18 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles ⁠from the Wonsan area towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said on Saturday. The missiles were launched at around 5.20am and flew about 250 km (155 miles), the JCS said in a statement, ‌adding that South Korean and US authorities were conducting a detailed analysis of their specifications. South Korean and US intelligence authorities had tracked and shared information on the launches from the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367271/north-korea-launches-missile-salvo-after-us-south-korea-japan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3367271/north-korea-launches-missile-salvo-after-us-south-korea-japan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Sep 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s promise to unveil more projects in eight months’ time at the launch of the country’s second modern destroyer hints at another major strategic military asset, according to experts. “The nuclearisation of our navy is being realised, making it increasingly suited, diversified and practical for the use of our deterrent,” Kim said while commissioning the Kang Kon in the southeastern port of Wonsan on Sunday. Kim was accompanied by his daughter and potential... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3366624/what-north-koreas-new-warship-reveals-about-kims-moves-secure-surrounding-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3366624/what-north-koreas-new-warship-reveals-about-kims-moves-secure-surrounding-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 08:11:30 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korean leader Kim Jong-un commissioned his second naval destroyer and called for building a more reliable nuclear deterrent, state media reported on Monday, as the US, South Korea and Japan began a trilateral military exercise he views as a security threat. The development comes as North Korea dials up pressure on the US after rebuffing President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back a major military drill with South Korea in a conciliatory step towards Kim. Observers say North Korea wants... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3366573/north-koreas-kim-launches-second-nuclear-destroyer-us-south-korea-japan-drills-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3366573/north-koreas-kim-launches-second-nuclear-destroyer-us-south-korea-japan-drills-start?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:03:54 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong The potential deployment of an American army specialist unit capable of integrated operations across domains, including cyberspace, to South Korea could further reorient the US military’s role on the peninsula from deterring North Korea towards containing China, analysts say. Recent reports that the Pentagon is considering moving elements of the Second Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), currently deployed in Germany, to South Korea have drawn attention to potential changes in the structure of the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3366207/us-militarys-cyber-unit-plan-threatens-south-koreas-diplomatic-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3366207/us-militarys-cyber-unit-plan-threatens-south-koreas-diplomatic-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2026 08:00:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea and the US agreed to maintain close coordination on efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, days after Pyongyang rebuffed President Donald Trump’s overtures and launched a barrage of short-range ballistic missiles. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call late on Monday that Seoul would work to ensure that Trump’s recent messages lead to renewed US-North Korea discussions and peace on the Korean peninsula, Seoul’s Foreign... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3365127/south-korea-pledges-help-trump-revive-talks-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3365127/south-korea-pledges-help-trump-revive-talks-north-koreas-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Aug 2026 01:54:10 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on South Korea on Thursday to exercise “genuine strategic autonomy”, and urged Seoul to develop ties with Beijing and Washington in parallel, rather than taking sides in major-power rivalries. According to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang told South Korean national security adviser Wi Sung-lac that Beijing hoped Seoul would “achieve strategic autonomy, refrain from bloc confrontation or taking sides, and develop relations with major powers... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364699/seoul-meeting-wang-yi-south-korean-president-voices-hope-closer-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3364699/seoul-meeting-wang-yi-south-korean-president-voices-hope-closer-china-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:37:45 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal South Korea’s security strategy has rested for more than seven decades on a single pillar: its alliance with the United States. That pillar has absorbed one blow after another during Donald Trump’s second term as US president. This week brought a fresh signal that has strained the relationship. In a social media post, Trump criticised joint US-South Korea military exercises, calling them “costly” and saying they send an “inappropriate and hostile” message to a North Korea he described as... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3364417/donald-trumps-blunt-remarks-offer-south-korea-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3364417/donald-trumps-blunt-remarks-offer-south-korea-opportunity?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 21:30:06 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he planned to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un later this year, despite Pyongyang denying that the two leaders were in direct communication. “Yeah, I will be,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he expected to meet Kim before the end of 2026. Trump, speaking during a tour of a new helipad under construction at the White House, provided no details about where or when a meeting might take place. The Wall Street Journal has reported that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3364612/trump-says-he-plans-meet-kim-jong-un-year-citing-excellent-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3364612/trump-says-he-plans-meet-kim-jong-un-year-citing-excellent-relationship?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 18:50:57 +0000 Associated Press,Reuters Associated Press,Reuters The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US’ request, South Korean officials said on Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises. The allies’ summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to “substantially reduce” them, citing what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korea’s refusal to join the US war... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364494/us-south-korea-slash-joint-military-drills-half-trump-eyes-kim-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364494/us-south-korea-slash-joint-military-drills-half-trump-eyes-kim-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 01:03:39 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press President Donald Trump’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea does not just slight a long-time ally but raises broader concerns about the security interests of the United States in Asia and elsewhere. Trump explained his decision by citing South Korea’s refusal to join his war against Iran and pointing to what he said was his good relationship with North Korea’s reclusive dictator Kim Jong-un, a transactional and personal approach to foreign policy that has defined... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364352/trumps-decision-scale-back-south-korea-drills-unsettles-asian-allies-makes-no-sense?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364352/trumps-decision-scale-back-south-korea-drills-unsettles-asian-allies-makes-no-sense?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Aug 2026 01:32:23 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong US President Donald Trump’s call to “substantially” reduce US-South Korea military drills has revived speculation that he is trying to persuade North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un to attend another summit between them even though Kim has expressed no such interest. Trump’s comments in a social media post on Sunday came as South Korea and the US began their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise on Monday, putting Seoul in an awkward position of defending the alliance while not undercutting his latest... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364307/south-korea-edge-over-trumps-call-cut-military-drills-goodwill-kim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3364307/south-korea-edge-over-trumps-call-cut-military-drills-goodwill-kim?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:22:16 +0000 Reuters Reuters South Korea’s defence ministry said on Monday that its joint military exercise with the United States had started after President Donald Trump’s announcement it would be scaled back. “The UFS exercise is proceeding as planned,” the ministry said in a brief statement to reporters, referring to the annual drill named Ulchi Freedom Shield. As always, North Korea has reacted sharply to the annual exercise involving about 18,000 South Korean military personnel. The 11-day joint drill is scheduled to... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364222/trump-orders-pentagon-scale-back-joint-military-exercises-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3364222/trump-orders-pentagon-scale-back-joint-military-exercises-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 22:29:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean war, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an “irreversible” nuclear state. The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 conflict, triggered by a North Korean attack, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Lee made the proposal in his speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910–45... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364131/south-koreas-president-proposes-formal-end-korean-war-talks-north?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3364131/south-koreas-president-proposes-formal-end-korean-war-talks-north?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Aug 2026 04:44:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s recent missile launch may be a test of upgraded exports to Russia, observers say, as the war in Ukraine gives Pyongyang opportunities to improve its weapons. At about 6am on Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) detected a missile launched from the North’s southeastern port city of Wonsan. It flew roughly 700km (435 miles) eastward before falling into the Sea of Japan, or East Sea. The JCS conspicuously did not specify the missile’s launch angle or whether it should... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363744/north-korea-missile-launch-hints-upgraded-weapons-exports-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363744/north-korea-missile-launch-hints-upgraded-weapons-exports-russia-ukraine-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 06:08:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea fired a ballistic missile off its east coast towards Japan early on Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, days before the planned start of massive US-South Korea joint drills. The 11-day exercises due to begin on Monday are a regular fixture of the summer calendar, designed to steel the United States and South Korea for defence against the nuclear-armed North. Pyongyang calls them rehearsals for an invasion and has staged missile launches before and after them in the past. “Our military... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3363710/north-korea-launches-suspected-ballistic-missile-japan-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3363710/north-korea-launches-suspected-ballistic-missile-japan-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Aug 2026 22:53:53 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan on Thursday, Seoul’s military said, with the launch coming after Pyongyang lambasted Japan’s military build-up in the Pacific. North Korea, which since 2019 has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state, featured among growing regional threats in a recent Japanese government assessment. Tokyo’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said this week that Japan’s military needs to be boosted with a “sense of urgency... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3363166/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-south-korea-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3363166/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-south-korea-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 08:43:05 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is keen to visit North Korea – a trip that could boost Jakarta’s diplomatic clout and allow it to act as a bridge between Seoul and Pyongyang. But Indonesians might not support another overseas trip, given negative public opinion of Prabowo’s frequent travels, analysts warn. Plus, he has not even been invited by the increasingly isolated North Korea. At a meeting with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce at the Presidential Palace on Friday, Prabowo said his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363040/indonesias-prabowo-happy-play-mediator-both-koreas-does-north-want-him?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3363040/indonesias-prabowo-happy-play-mediator-both-koreas-does-north-want-him?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:35:24 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal Each year on July 27, North Korea commemorates “Victory Day”, marking what it presents as its triumph in the Korean war. While few outside the country accept that characterisation, the date underscores a reality: the war never formally ended. The 1953 agreement was an armistice that left the peninsula in a state of suspended conflict. Responsibility for the resulting instability is widely distributed. North Korea’s missile tests, expanding nuclear arsenal and escalatory rhetoric have undermined... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361385/americas-north-korea-strategy-needs-dose-reality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3361385/americas-north-korea-strategy-needs-dose-reality?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2026 12:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse South Korea has abandoned its campaign prioritising pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, a minister said on Thursday, marking a fresh overture by Seoul’s dovish government. President Lee Jae Myung has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering nuclear-armed Pyongyang talks without preconditions. The hermetic leadership of North Korea has yet to respond to his repeated offers. But in a Thursday meeting with local reporters,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3361606/seoul-drops-denuclearisation-first-stance-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3361606/seoul-drops-denuclearisation-first-stance-pyongyang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:19:17 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Washington criticised China on Wednesday for providing only a few hours’ notice ahead of its launch of a submarine-fired ballistic missile into the Pacific, saying Beijing’s actions fell short of standards followed by other major nuclear powers. The US State Department said China failed to provide sufficient information ahead of Sunday’s test, which it said took place amid Beijing’s “rapid and opaque nuclear weapons build-up”. “We monitored China’s submarine-launched ballistic missile test on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3359907/us-says-china-gave-only-hours-warning-pacific-submarine-missile-launch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3359907/us-says-china-gave-only-hours-warning-pacific-submarine-missile-launch?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2026 22:51:46 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong After a year in office, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to improve relations with arch-rival Pyongyang appear to have stalled. To break the impasse, Lee may have to take the big step of partnering with China and the United States to formally end the 1950-1953 Korean war, according to analysts. Upon taking office, Lee pledged to pursue peaceful coexistence with the North after inter-Korean tensions reached their highest level in decades under his predecessor Yoon... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3358083/south-korean-presidents-peace-hopes-dim-pyongyang-pledges-arms-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3358083/south-korean-presidents-peace-hopes-dim-pyongyang-pledges-arms-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said his country was “equipping the navy with nuclear weapons”, state media reported on Wednesday, as he also unveiled plans to build 10,000-tonne warships. The remarks came at the commissioning of the Choe Hyon – one of two 5,000-tonne class warships the nuclear-armed state launched last year – in the port city of Nampo on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency reported. “The programme of equipping the navy with nuclear weapons is following its planned... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3358118/kim-says-north-korea-arm-navy-nuclear-weapons-build-bigger-warships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3358118/kim-says-north-korea-arm-navy-nuclear-weapons-build-bigger-warships?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2026 23:49:01 +0000 Yuanyue Dang Yuanyue Dang A recent survey in Japan and South Korea has revealed that strategic elites in both countries remain sceptical about developing nuclear weapons. However, should one of the two countries take the lead in acquiring nuclear weapons, support for such a move in the other country could rise rapidly, according to the survey published on Thursday by Washington-based think tank the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The impact of such a move could potentially exceed that of a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357628/japan-south-korea-not-nuclear-weapons-until-one-them-changes-policy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357628/japan-south-korea-not-nuclear-weapons-until-one-them-changes-policy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2026 23:17:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters North Korea’s Kim ⁠Yo-jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong-un, condemned a G7 call for the country’s denuclearisation as a violation of its constitution and an infringement of ‌sovereignty, state media KCNA said on Thursday. Kim said denuclearisation was an “irreversibly finalised agenda” that could never be realised, and that nuclear possession was North Korea’s core interest and an irreversible line, the statement carried by KCNA said. “Denuclearisation is the line ⁠of no retreat that... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357610/north-korea-warns-disaster-if-g7-tries-strip-its-nuclear-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357610/north-korea-warns-disaster-if-g7-tries-strip-its-nuclear-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2026 14:03:33 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korea’s latest spirited defence of its nuclear arsenal signals a strategy that goes beyond rejecting international calls to disarm and instead leans into mounting global superpower rivalry to legitimise its weapons build-up. The verbal offensive comes as North Korea could soon face renewed pressure to return to the negotiating table. Analysts say the winding down of the Iran conflict may allow Washington and its allies to refocus attention on the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has also seized... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357168/north-korea-plays-us-china-rivalry-card-justify-irreversible-nuclear-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3357168/north-korea-plays-us-china-rivalry-card-justify-irreversible-nuclear-status?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A stone’s throw from the barbed wire and minefields that separate the two Koreas, thousands gathered for a music festival this weekend to sing about peace in a place synonymous with conflict. The DMZ Peace Train Music Festival, named after the demilitarised zone that has separated the neighbours for seven decades, gathered artists and fans from around the world. It was the seventh instalment since the inaugural festival was held in 2018 under the slogan: “Let’s dance for a world without... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357147/south-korean-music-festival-plays-out-against-discord-reunification-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3357147/south-korean-music-festival-plays-out-against-discord-reunification-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Jun 2026 07:42:47 +0000 Gabriela Bernal Gabriela Bernal Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent Pyongyang visit may ultimately be remembered as a turning point in the international debate over North Korea’s nuclear weapons. While most headlines focused on the visit’s timing and the many pledges made by the two leaders aimed at expanding cooperation, the most significant development may have been what was left unsaid. Throughout the visit, neither side publicly referenced the denuclearisation issue. On the contrary, Xi called for expanded cooperation in... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3356668/time-us-wishful-thinking-north-korean-denuclearisation-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3356668/time-us-wishful-thinking-north-korean-denuclearisation-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest message of reassurance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, coming shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pyongyang, constitutes a form of strategic hedging, according to observers. The letter suggested that Pyongyang-Moscow ties were evolving beyond a largely transactional relationship into a firm military alliance, even as North Korea sought to rekindle its traditional “blood alliance” with China, they said. In a congratulatory message... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3356987/what-does-north-korea-get-its-blossoming-ties-russia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3356987/what-does-north-korea-get-its-blossoming-ties-russia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Alex Lo Alex Lo Even Western pundits grudgingly admitted the summit between President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was a success. Both sides, according to Bloomberg, “appear to have walked away with what they wanted”. Given China’s rising pre-eminence while avoiding any damaging war, it’s no surprise that Xi had the upper hand in his recent meetings with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But with Kim, the stakes for Beijing were just as high, in light of Tokyo’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356697/kim-jong-un-turns-out-be-cleverest-them-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/china-opinion/article/3356697/kim-jong-un-turns-out-be-cleverest-them-all?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:30:06 +0000 Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Cao Jiaxuan Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to North Korea may have helped cement China’s “indispensable” role in ensuring regional stability and highlighted its importance to his host’s economy, analysts said. The Chinese president wrapped up his visit on Tuesday afternoon after reaching what he said was a “critical consensus” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Xi told a lunch at the Kumsusan State Guest House that he was ready to work with Kim to to “jointly guide China-North Korea relations... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356540/has-xi-jinpings-north-korea-visit-helped-cement-chinas-vital-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356540/has-xi-jinpings-north-korea-visit-helped-cement-chinas-vital-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:00:07 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi When Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, he was entering a country undergoing notable development in both its nuclear programme and conventional combat capacity. North Korea has been aided in these developments by Russian military technology and economic aid, received in exchange for sending troops and equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine. These advances could help Pyongyang threaten the balance of power against South Korea and the United States. Surface and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3356368/chinas-xi-jinping-arrives-north-korea-armed-advanced-warships-and-ai-drones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3356368/chinas-xi-jinping-arrives-north-korea-armed-advanced-warships-and-ai-drones?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:59:18 +0000 Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Neil Denslow,Raymond Ma Chinese President Xi Jinping started his first visit to North Korea since 2019 pledging “unwavering” friendship and deeper ties with a country that boasts a growing nuclear arsenal and increasing ties with Russia. “No matter how times change or how the international situation evolves, the friendship between China and North Korea remains invincible,” Xi said in an article published on Monday by Rodong Sinmun, a state-run North Korean newspaper. The two countries should “strengthen exchanges at... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356358/xi-lands-north-korea-denuclearisation-likely-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356358/xi-lands-north-korea-denuclearisation-likely-table?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jun 2026 09:16:03 +0000 Xinyi Wu Xinyi Wu North Korea said on Sunday that its nuclear weapons programme was “irreversible”, challenging the US push for denuclearisation a day before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit. After President Donald Trump’s meeting with Xi last month, the United States said the two leaders shared the goal of denuclearising the Korean peninsula, although the Chinese statement did not mention the issue. But Kim Yo-jong, the sister of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, described the comments as “false... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356257/north-korea-says-its-nuclear-programme-irreversible-ahead-chinese-leaders-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3356257/north-korea-says-its-nuclear-programme-irreversible-ahead-chinese-leaders-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Jun 2026 11:00:18 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un’s recent display of nuclear-processing capabilities appears timed with reports of an impending visit by China’s leader and fuelled by insecurities about Seoul’s nuclear submarine talks with Washington. Analysts also say that mounting trilateral talks involving the United States, Japan and South Korea have galvanised Kim into doubling down on Pyongyang’s status as a nuclear-armed state. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Friday that Xi... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3356181/why-north-koreas-kim-doubling-down-nuclear-might-xi-visit-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3356181/why-north-koreas-kim-doubling-down-nuclear-might-xi-visit-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2026 01:30:14 +0000 Seong Hyeon Choi Seong Hyeon Choi South Korea’s plans to build nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s will spur a US-allied network of advanced underwater capabilities near the first island chain, strengthening deterrence against potential adversaries such as China and North Korea, analysts say. The South Korean defence ministry this week announced its basic plans to build the country’s first nuclear-powered submarine, giving its first detailed outline of the programme since US President Donald Trump granted initial... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3355292/how-will-south-korean-nuclear-submarines-alter-underwater-balance-near-first-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/military/article/3355292/how-will-south-korean-nuclear-submarines-alter-underwater-balance-near-first-island-chain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2026 09:08:45 +0000 Lee Min-Yong Lee Min-Yong The US strikes on Iran sent a clear signal to Pyongyang. But rather than retreat or show renewed interest in denuclearisation, North Korea has doubled down on deterrence. In recent weeks, Pyongyang has tightened security around its leadership and continued its missile launches, underscoring its sensitivity to Washington’s military posture. From Pyongyang’s perspective, these moves are meant not only to gauge how far US military pressure could one day extend, but also to signal that North Korea’s... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3353183/why-stability-must-come-denuclearisation-korean-peninsula?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 21:30:04 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press North Korea said on Friday it would deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that were capable of striking South Korea’s capital region and would commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks. The announcement comes days after South Korea said the North’s newly revised constitution drops all references to Korean unification, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s vows to terminate ties with South Korea and establish a two-state system on the Korean peninsula. Kim visited a munitions... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352837/north-korea-move-artillery-capable-striking-seoul-border-south?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 03:19:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse North Korea’s UN envoy said his country was not bound by the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) on nuclear weapons and external pressure would not change its status as a nuclear-armed state, official media reported on Thursday. Pyongyang threatened to withdraw from the treaty in 1993 and formally did so in 2003. It has since conducted six nuclear tests – prompting a raft of international sanctions – and is believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads. Signatories of the NPT have been holding a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352681/north-korea-says-nuclear-status-will-not-change-despite-external-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/east-asia/article/3352681/north-korea-says-nuclear-status-will-not-change-despite-external-pressure?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:23:18 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting on Monday at the United Nations in New York as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was “one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation”. On Monday he warned “the drivers” of nuclear weapons... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351625/looming-risk-nuclear-arms-race-un-proliferation-meeting-hears?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:41:03 +0000 Park Chan-kyong Park Chan-kyong War on Iran has changed many things, not least of which is the tenor of nuclear debate in two of America’s closest Asian allies: countries that have long defined themselves by the weapons they do not possess. For decades, the question of whether South Korea and Japan might one day build their own nuclear arsenal was treated as fringe speculation – the preserve of hawks and provocateurs. No longer. The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sounded the alarm.... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3351330/will-south-korea-or-japan-develop-nuclear-deterrent-their-own?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +0000