North Koreans given prison sentences for spying in Ukraine...

Two North Koreans were reportedly arrested and sentenced to eight years in prison in Ukraine by intelligence authorities after they attempted to steal classified intelligence regarding missile technology. Ukrainian media report that Ryu Song-chul and Lee Tae-kil, both employees at a North Korean trade office in Belarus, traveled to Dnepropetrovsk in 2011 and were arrested after attempting to steal information from Yuzhnoye Design Bureau, which designs satellites and rockets. The North Koreans were said to be searching for intelligence regarding missile launch technology and increasing the range of its missiles with liquid fuel-fired engines. The North Koreans apparently received their sentence in late May on allegations of spying after Yuzhnoye employees informed authorities of their suspicious behavior.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-06-09)

En Corée du Nord, de faux missiles auraient été présentés lors d'un défilé militaire...

Selon un expert allemand, l'armée nord-coréenne aurait exposé de faux missiles intercontinentaux lors du défilé organisé ce mois-ci à P'yongyang. L'ingénieur allemand Robert Schmucker, qui faisait partie de l'équipe onusienne d'inspecteurs dépêchée en Irak dans les années 1990, a accordé samedi un entretien à la NHK. Le 15 avril dernier, la Corée du Nord a exposé des missiles lors du défilé qui marquait le centième anniversaire de Kim Il-sung, le fondateur de la république populaire. Ayant analysé les photos du matériel présenté à cette occasion, M. Schmucker en est venu à la conclusion qu'il s'agissait de maquettes, pour diverses raisons. Les clichés révélant notamment des ondulations à la surface d'une ogive, l'ingénieur allemand estime que celle-ci n'a pas la résistance requise pour endurer un retour dans l'atmosphère. M. Schmucker a par ailleurs observé que les engins étaient dotés d'équipements pour le ravitaillement en combustibles solide et liquide, ce qui lui paraît invraisemblable. Il a enfin estimé que la Corée du Nord n'avait pas vraiment progressé en matière de développement de missiles balistiques intercontinentaux.
(Radio Japon International, 29-04-2012)

Experts say North Korean missiles were mock-ups...

Foreign experts say the six missiles North Korea unveiled during its military parade on April 15th were clearly mock-ups, and the North was merely putting on a show.

A German expert on North Korean missiles and other experts stated in a report that the missiles are undoubtedly life-size replicas that have somewhat improved from the model of the North's Musudan missile showcased in 2010.

The experts argue that at a glance, the models appear to be long-range missiles with a range of ten-thousand kilometers. However, they say a closer look reveals that all of the missiles are mock-ups. The report concludes there is no proof that North Korea owns a proper intercontinental ballistic missile.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-04-24)

North Korea test-fires 2 short-range missiles...

North Korea has reportedly test-fired 2 short-range surface-to-ship missiles into the Yellow Sea, west of the Korean Peninsula. South Korean government sources say the North launched the missiles from a base in the northwestern part of the country on Thursday morning. The sources say the KN-01 anti-ship cruise missiles are believed to have a range of about 120 kilometers. The sources say Thursday's tests have no apparent relation to the launch of what North Korea says is a satellite-carrying rocket in April. South Korea believes the North plans to test long-range ballistic missile technology. The sources say the latest tests are likely aimed at extending the range of the anti-ship missile. Observers say the North's action is also seen as a warning to South Korea and the United States over their joint amphibious landing exercise on Thursday. About 9,000 troops took part in the drill in South Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-30)

Vehicles confirmed near North Korea launch pad...

A new satellite photo of North Korea's rocket launch pad suggests the country is preparing to launch what it calls a satellite next month, as it has announced. The US satellite imagery firm DigitalGlobe took the photo of the facility at Tongchang-ri in the northwestern part of North Korea, on Wednesday. A photo taken on March 20th captured only the launch pad. But the new photo shows 2 vehicles nearby. The firm also points out that a crane arm at the top of the central tower has been swung in a different direction. Japan, the United States and some other countries consider North Korea's planned rocket launch no different from a long-distance ballistic missile launch. A senior US Defense Department official has warned that debris from the rocket could fall on Japan or South Korea. The official also said that the US is suspending an agreement made with North Korea to send food aid to the country.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-29)

The site where North Korea plans to launch a long-range rocket has been revealed in images taken by DigitalGlobe, a U.S. commercial vendor of space imagery and geospatial content. The images, which depict the launch site, were disclosed on Wednesday to coincide with a hearing of the House Committee on Armed Services. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Peter Lavoy said at the hearing that the rocket launch could result in casualties in various countries. Lavoy said North Korea's plan reflects its lack of desire to follow through on international commitments, forcing the U.S. to suspend its activities to provide nutritional assistance to the North. North Korea claims it plans to launch the rocket to put a satellite into space, but many nations contend the launch could be used to further its ballistic missile technology.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-29)

North Korea transports rocket's main body to launch site...

North Korea is thought to have brought to its new launch site what is believed to be the main body of a missile. The South Korean government, after analyzing photos from a US surveillance satellite, says an object that appears to be the main body of a missile was recently brought by train to the launch site. The site is in Tongchang-ri, Cholsan County, in the northwest of the country. The launch site was completed last year, and is about 3 times the size of the one in Musudan-ri in the northeast, the scene of previous ballistic missile tests. The gantry at the new launch pad measures about 50 meters, about 20 meters taller than the one in Musudan-ri. The pad is believed to be capable of launching long-range ballistic missiles. North Korea is thought to be assembling the missile inside a facility at the launch site and preparing to fire it as announced, despite opposition from Japan, the United States and South Korea.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-26)

North Korea has reportedly made considerable progress in its preparations to launch a long-range rocket. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on Sunday said that militaries of South Korea and the United States confirmed that the North moved the main part of the rocket to a launch facility. A JCS official said that the North seems to have made significant progress in the launch preparations, adding the South Korean and American militaries are cooperating to find out the specific schedule for the take-off. Earlier on Sunday, Japan’s Fuji Television reported that the North moved an object that appears to be the main body of the rocket to the launch facility in Dongchang-ri, Cholsan County, North Pyeongan Province.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-26)

North Korea may have provided arms to Iran in 1980s...

Declassified South Korean documents have revealed that North Korea began providing arms to Iran after the Iran-Iraq war broke out in 1980. That was one of the findings in about 180,000 pages of secret documents the South Korean government made public on Sunday. Among the papers are the minutes of talks between South Korean Foreign Minister Roh Shin-yeong and US Ambassador in Seoul William Gleysteen in October 1980. At the meeting, Gleysteen said the US believes the North has been providing Tehran with ammunitions in about 2 dozen round-trips between Pyongyang and Iran. Roh said his government has confirmed that North Korea sent anti-aircraft artillery and anti-tank rockets to Iran. A report from the South Korean Embassy in Iran said that machine guns, armored vehicles and other kinds of military equipment were unloaded in Iran from 16 North Korean ships. These documents suggest that the 2 nations started bilateral arms trade more than 30 years ago. The papers also indicate that Pyongyang sent 6,000 military personnel to 31 nations in Asia, Africa and South America from 1960s through August 1981. North Korea was apparently working to forge military ties not just with Iran, but with many other countries.
(KBS World radio, 2012-03-19)

North Korea to launch satellite in April...

North Korea says it will launch a satellite to mark the centenary of the birth of the country's founder Kim Il Sung. State-run North Korean media on Friday reported an announcement by the Korean Committee for Space Technology. The announcement said North Korea will launch a working satellite, Kwangmyongsong 3, from a launch site in Pyongan-pukdo between April 12th and 16th. It said a safe launch trajectory has been set to prevent rocket debris from affecting neighboring nations. It also said the launch will strongly inspire the country's citizens and troops who are striving to create a strong and prosperous nation. The launch will apparently use the same technology for long-range ballistic missiles that North Korea has tested in the past. The announcement could draw international criticism, as North Korea promised to freeze long-range missile testing in talks with the United States last month.
(Japan Broadcasting Corporation, 2012-03-16)

North Korea says it will launch its Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite in time for the centennial birthday of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15th. The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency cited a statement made by the spokesman of the communist nation's Korean Committee for Space Technology. The committee says Kwangmyongsong-3 is an earth observation satellite that travels along the polar orbit. It says the Unha-3 rocket carrying the satellite will blast off from a satellite launching station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province some time between April 12th and the 16th. The spokesman said a safe flight orbit has been chosen by determined a route that to prevent any rocket debris from affecting neighboring countries. The committee says it will abide by international regulations and practices concerning the launch of satellites being used for scientific and peaceful purposes and that it will also ensure maximum transparency for the entire process.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-03-16)

Official news agency KCNA says the event will take place mid-April, to mark the centenary of the birth of founding leader Kim Il-Sung. Foreign officials have said the past launches are disguised long-range missile tests. If it goes ahead, the launch would breach a United Nations resolution passed after a previous launch in 2009. North Korea says it has already launched two experimental satellites. It says the launch will occur southwards.
(Radio Australia, 2012-03-16)

North Korea possibly developing unmanned drones...

North Korea is currently developing an unmanned fighter jet based on the United States' high speed target drone. According to a military source, North Korea is said to be developing the aircraft based on several MQM-107D drones it acquired from Middle Eastern countries, possibly including Libya. The drone, which is currently also in use by the U.S. and South Korea, is used for missile training. South Korean intelligence authorities have said North Korea has tried to accommodate the drones to carry missiles but does not yet have the technology. If North Korea succeeds in developing the drones, the drones are expected to be placed in Hwanghae Province to target the South's northwestern islands.
(KBS World Radio, 2012-02-05)