NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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S. Korea mulls tightening sanctions against N. Korea over missile launches

SEOUL -- South Korea's foreign minister said Friday the government is considering "various" options to strengthen sanctions against North Korea in response to the latest series of Pyongyang's missile launches.

Foreign Minister Park Jin made the remarks during his meeting with reporters, a day after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea in its third such provocation in less than a week.

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USFK makes public 'Teak Knife' surgical strike drills amid N.K. missile provocations

SEOUL -- A U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) unit carried out surgical strike drills involving its special commandos earlier this week at an American military base just south of Seoul, its public affairs office said Friday, following North Korea's missile provocations.

The USFK's Special Operations Command Korea (SOCKOR) revealed on its Facebook account a series of photos showing key activities of the Exercise Teak Knife at an airfield of Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, on Wednesday.

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(2nd LD) U.S. reaffirms commitment to defense of S. Korea after N. Korean missile launch

WASHINGTON -- The United States reaffirmed its "ironclad" commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan on Thursday, hours after North Korea fired two ballistic missiles in its latest provocation.

North Korea launched what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Thursday (Seoul time).

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(3rd LD) Harris vows to do 'everything in our power' to defend S. Korea amid N.K. threats

SEOUL -- U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday that Washington will do "everything in our power" to ensure its security commitment to South Korea, amid growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Harris made the remarks after a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. She arrived here from Japan earlier in the day, following two rounds of North Korean missile launches this week.

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(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan to hold trilateral anti-sub drills in East Sea

SEOUL -- South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold trilateral anti-submarine drills in the international waters of the East Sea later this week for the first time in more than five years, Seoul officials said Thursday, amid evolving North Korean military threats.

The three countries are set to stage the training Friday, as Pyongyang has been pushing to develop submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) while codifying an assertive nuclear policy that leaves open the possibility of preemptive strikes in a contingency.

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(LEAD) U.S. condemns N. Korean missile launch, urges Pyongyang to engage in dialogue

WASHINGTON -- The United States condemns North Korea's latest missile launch but remains open to dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday.

The remarks come hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea.

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(LEAD) Defense chief says indigenous KF-21 fighter will play key role for N.K. deterrence

SEOUL -- South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup expressed expectations Wednesday that the country's homegrown KF-21 fighter under development will play a "great" role in deterring evolving North Korean threats.

Lee made the remarks at a ceremony celebrating the first flight of the jet that the country has been pushing to develop by 2026 under the 8.8 trillion-won (US$6.15 billion) project aimed at replacing the aging fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighters and bolstering air power.

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N. Korea in period of provocation but U.S. prepared for dialogue: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test without warning but the United States remains committed to engaging with Pyongyang in serious diplomacy, a state department spokesperson said Monday.

Ned Price also said the North currently remains in a period of provocations.

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