South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Friday, its latest weapons demonstration that came days after U.S. and South Korean warplanes conducted joint drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea threatened Tuesday to take “bold and decisive military steps” against Japan as it slammed Tokyo’s adoption of a national security strategy as an attempt to turn the country into an aggressive military power.

The North’s statement came four days after Japan announced a security strategy that reflects its determination to possess “counterstrike” capability and double its military spending to gain a more offensive footing against threats from China and North Korea.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States flew nuclear-capable bombers and advanced stealth jets near the Korean Peninsula for joint drills with South Korean warplane on Tuesday, as the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un derided doubts about her country’s military and threatened a full-range intercontinental ballistic missile test.

The deployment of the U.S. B-52 bombers and the F-22 stealth fighter jets was part of an agreement to protect South Korea with all available means, including nuclear, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Monday it fired a test satellite in an important final-stage test for the development of its first spy satellite, a key military capability coveted by its leader Kim Jong Un along with other high-tech weapons systems.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency also released low-resolution, black-and-white photos showing a space view of the South Korean capital and Incheon, a city just west of Seoul, in an apparent attempt to show the North is pushing to acquire a surveillance tool to monitor its rival.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea test-fired a pair of ballistic missiles with a potential range of striking Japan on Sunday, in a possible protest of Tokyo’s adoption of a new security strategy to push for more offensive footing against North Korea and China.

The launches came two days after the North claimed to have performed a key test needed to build a more mobile, powerful intercontinental ballistic missile designed to strike the U.S. mainland.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency said Thursday his organization will push to bolster its capacity to verify North Korean nuclear activities and raise international awareness of the urgency of its weapons program.

Rafael Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, made the comments during his meeting in Seoul with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, according to the South Korean Foreign Ministry. Grossi flew to South Korea on Wednesday for his first trip to the Asian country since he took office in 2019.

SEOUL, Dec 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Forces Korea launched a new space forces unit on Wednesday as the allies ramp up efforts to better counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

The U.S. Space Forces Korea is the second overseas space component of the U.S. Space Force and is tasked with monitoring, detecting and tracking incoming missiles, as well as bolstering the military's overall space capability. It will be led by Lt. Col. Joshua McCullion.

YEONCHEON, South Korea (AP) — Jin, the oldest member of K-pop supergroup BTS, began his 18 months of mandatory military service at a front-line South Korean boot camp Tuesday as fans gathered near the base to say goodbye to their star.

SEOUL, Dec 8 (Reuters) - South Korea on Thursday passed laws to scrap its traditional method of counting ages and adopt the international standard - a shift which will make its citizens either 1 or 2 years younger on official documents.

Koreans are deemed to be a year old when born and a year is added every Jan. 1. This is the age most commonly cited in everyday life.

A separate system also exists for conscription purposes or calculating the legal age to drink alcohol and smoke, in which a person's age is calculated from zero at birth and a year is added on Jan. 1.

SEOUL, Dec 6 (NNN-YONHAP) – The life expectancy for South Korean new-borns continued to rise for the 51st consecutive year in 2021, statistical office data showed, today.

The average life expectancy at birth came to 83.6 years in 2021, slightly up from 83.5 years recorded in the previous year, according to Statistics Korea.

It marked the lowest yearly gain in three years, amid the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, but the life expectancy kept going up since relevant data began to be compiled in 1970.