NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, July 7 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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(LEAD) S. Korea to introduce anti-drone defense system at key military, gov't facilities

SEOUL -- South Korea plans to introduce an integrated defense system to counter hostile unmanned aircraft at key military and government facilities for the first time, officials said Thursday.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) recently put up a notice for the 48.5 billion-won (US$37.2 million) project on its procurement website as Seoul has sought to bolster anti-drone capabilities after North Korea's drone incursions late last year.

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(2nd LD) S. Korea retrieves N. Korean spy satellite wreckage, ends salvage operation: military

SEOUL -- South Korea has retrieved a North Korean spy satellite wreckage and concluded it has "no military utility," Seoul's military said Wednesday, ending a 36-day operation to salvage the sunken debris from a failed North Korean space rocket launch in late May.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that the military raised key parts of the rocket and the satellite through the search and salvage operation in the Yellow Sea from May 31 through Wednesday, and it worked in tandem with the United States to examine and analyze them.

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Inaugural session of S. Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group likely to be held in Seoul this month

SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States are likely to hold the inaugural session of the newly established Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in Seoul later this month, officials said Wednesday.

The NCG was established during a summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden in April to strengthen the U.S.' "extended deterrence" commitment to defending South Korea with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

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Defense ministry vows to build 'overwhelming' capabilities against N. Korean military threats

SEOUL -- South Korea's defense ministry renewed its commitment Monday to securing "overwhelming" capabilities to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats amid lingering tensions caused by its provocative acts earlier this year.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup presided over a meeting of top commanders to discuss the ongoing defense efforts, including strengthening the United States' "extended deterrence" commitment, "normalizing" defense cooperation with Japan and improving counter-drone capabilities.

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