NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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S. Korea, U.S. to resume 'live, virtual, constructive' elements in springtime allied drills: USFK

SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States plan to incorporate "live, virtual and constructive" (LVC) training elements in this year's springtime combined military exercise for the first time in five years, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Friday, as part of efforts to bolster readiness against evolving North Korean threats.

The LVC framework refers to "live" field maneuvers, "virtual" simulation drills and "constructive" war games -- three key elements that are intertwined and synchronized based on the same exercise scenario. The allies last applied the LVC concept during the now-suspended Foal Eagle field exercise in 2018.

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S. Korean, U.S. intelligence agencies issue joint security advisory against N.K. cyber threat

SEOUL -- Intelligence agencies of South Korea and the United States on Friday issued a joint security advisory against illicit North Korean cyber activities aimed at stealing cryptocurrencies through ransomware attacks.

The joint advisory by the South Korean National Intelligence Service (NIS), and the U.S. National Security Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that North Korea and its affiliated hacking groups are known to engage in shutdowns of networks of key institutions through malware attacks using fake domains through virtual private networks.

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U.S. offer for dialogue remains on table, but will not reduce sanctions on N. Korea: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to remain open to dialogue with North Korea but will not reduce sanctions on the reclusive country just to bring Pyongyang back to the dialogue table, a state department spokesperson said Thursday.

On the same token, the department spokesperson said the U.S. will not reduce its joint military exercises with allies.

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U.S. to continue efforts to free S. Koreans detained by N. Korea: Washington official

SEOUL -- The United States will continue efforts to seek the release of South Koreans detained in North Korea, a state department official said Tuesday.

Jung Pak, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, stressed the U.S. has "closely coordinated" with Seoul on the issue at a meeting with South Koreans with family members detained across the inter-Korean border.

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