NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.
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(LEAD) (Yonhap Interview) N. Korea's border reopening can be 'opportunity' for human rights improvement: ex-U.N. investigator
SEOUL -- The former chief of the United Nations' landmark inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea said the "interruption" caused by COVID-19 and the North's recent border reopening could serve as an "opportunity" to promote the inflow of outside information and improve rights conditions in the isolated country.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Thursday, Michael Kirby, the former chair of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in North Korea, voiced hope that North Koreans abroad who are allowed to return home could play a role in helping people in the North know about life outside the secretive regime.
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U.S. imposes sanctions on two individuals, one entity for funding N. Korea's illegal weapons program
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions Thursday on two individuals including a North Korean national and one entity in Russia for helping to finance North Korea's illegal weapons development program.
The move comes in response to North Korea's failed attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite last week, according to the office.
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(3rd LD) N. Korea in active negotiations with Russia for arms deal: White House
WASHINGTON -- A group of Russian officials recently trip to North Korea, indicating a potential arms deal between the two countries, a U.S. National Security Council (NSC) official said Wednesday.
John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, said the trip may be followed by high-level discussions that could lead to the provision of North Korean weapons to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
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N. Korea's advancement of ballistic missiles may be result of 'external help' from other nations
SEOUL -- North Korea is likely to have steadfastly advanced its ballistic missile program, particularly in its rocket engine technology, due to "external help" from other countries, an Israeli expert said Wednesday.
Tal Inbar, a senior research fellow at the U.S-based Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance who has followed North Korea's space and missile programs for years, made the remarks during a press briefing hosted by NK Pro in Seoul.
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S. Korea, U.S. hold joint air drills, involving B-1B strategic bomber
SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States staged combined air drills, involving at least one U.S. B-1B strategic bomber, Wednesday, Seoul's defense ministry said, as part of the allies' annual joint military drills.
During the drills, FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea flew together with U.S. F-16 fighters to escort the B-1B aircraft above the Korean Peninsula, according to the ministry. It did not clarify the number of B-1B aircraft deployed here.
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S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold missile defense drills after N. Korea's botched rocket launch
SEOUL -- South Korea, the United States and Japan staged a trilateral missile defense exercise in the international waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Tuesday in response to North Korea's purported space rocket launch last week, officials said.
The exercise took place south of the southern island of Jeju after Pyongyang's attempt to launch its Chollima-1 rocket, carrying what it claimed to be a military reconnaissance satellite, was unsuccessful last Thursday, its second failure this year.
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