NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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(LEAD) Yoon says U.N. Command key force in maintaining peace on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk Yeol met with key officials of the United Nations Command (UNC) on Thursday and vowed South Korea will not be fooled by pro-North Korean forces calling for the disbandment of the UNC to achieve "false peace."

"The U.N. Command protected the free Republic of Korea when the country was in crisis, hanging by a thread, and is continuing to play a pivotal role in maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula even after 70 years," Yoon said in a meeting with UNC officials at his office in Seoul, referring to South Korea by its official name.

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(LEAD) (Yonhap Interview) CTBTO chief urges N. Korea to take 'small step' in nuclear test moratorium

SEOUL -- The head of the international body tasked with overseeing a global ban on nuclear tests said Wednesday that he hopes to see North Korea take a "small step" in committing not to proceed with what would be its seventh nuclear test.

In an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency in Seoul, Robert Floyd, executive secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), said he hopes to see "North Korea take a small step towards building some bridges of trust and confidence with other countries."

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S. Korea's top general visits key Air Force, Navy, Marine units to check readiness

SEOUL -- Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum visited front-line Air Force, Navy and Marine units Monday to check readiness amid concerns about the possibility of North Korean provocations ahead of a major summertime South Korea-U.S. military exercise.

Kim inspected the Air Force's Eighth Fighter Wing in Wonju, 87 kilometers east of Seoul, a forward-deployed naval unit and a Marine Corps unit on the northwestern border island of Yeonpyeong.

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U.S. concerned about N. Korea-Russia cooperation, will enforce all sanctions: state dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains concerned about growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, a state department spokesperson said Monday, adding the U.S. will continue to implement all existing sanctions on the two countries.

The department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, also called on Pyongyang to stop its pursuit of illegal weapons programs and engage in dialogue.

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