NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.
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(LEAD) U.S. aircraft carrier may be deployed to S. Korea for joint drills next month: source
SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States are in consultation over the possible deployment of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Korea for allied drills next month, an informed source said Friday.
The move is in tune with the allies' stepped-up efforts to reinforce deterrence following the North's missile provocations, including the launch of a long-range ballistic missile last Saturday.
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U.S., S. Korea agree to hold additional exercises on nuclear deterrence
WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States have agreed to hold additional tabletop exercises (TTXs) in the near future to enhance their joint deterrence against North Korean nuclear threats, the U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday.
The agreement came at a Deterrence Strategy Committee TTX, held in Washington on Wednesday.
"Given the DPRK's recent aggressive nuclear policy and advancements in nuclear capabilities, the TTX scenario focused on the possibility of the DPRK's use of nuclear weapons," the countries said in a joint statement, released by the Pentagon.
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(2nd LD) S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold trilateral missile defense drills in East Sea amid N.K. threats
SEOUL -- South Korea, the United States and Japan held a trilateral missile defense exercise in the international waters of the East Sea on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, amid heightened tensions caused by North Korea's recent missile launches.
The exercise took place in waters east of South Korea's Ulleung Island, mobilizing three Aegis-equipped destroyers -- the South's Sejong the Great, the U.S.' USS Barry and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's JS Atago -- according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
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N. Korea capable of firing ICBMs at normal angle: DIA
SEOUL -- South Korea's military believes North Korea is fully capable of firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a normal angle, a lawmaker said Wednesday after a briefing by an intelligence agency under the defense ministry.
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) gave the assessment during a closed-door briefing to lawmakers of the parliamentary intelligence committee held days after the North fired a Hwasong-15 ICBM on Saturday, according to Rep. Yoo Sang-bum of the ruling People Power Party.
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S. Korea conducts aerial refueling drills, involving F-35A stealth fighters
SEOUL -- South Korea's Air Force staged aerial refueling drills, involving F-35A stealth fighters, on Tuesday, a day after North Korea fired two rockets, which it claimed can be mobilized to "destroy an enemy operational airfield."
The armed service deployed a KC-330 refueling tanker and an unspecified number of F-35A jets for the drills, officials said. It has conducted such drills regularly but disclosed them to the media for the first time.
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S. Korea to issue new overarching defense strategy as early as next month
SEOUL -- South Korea is seeking to publish a new overarching national defense strategy next month to chart a mid- and long-term direction of the country's security policy amid growing North Korean military threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday.
The document, akin to the United States' National Defense Strategy, will replace the existing National Defense Policy. It puts forward a policy direction for a 15-year period and will be published every five years, according to the ministry.
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