Trump scales back military drills with South Korea because of ‘good friend’ Kim

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By Kang Jin-kyu, with Matthew Pennington in Washington AFP | Posted by TOE Donald Trump said he ordered the Pentagon to scale back “inappropriate and hostile” military drills with South Korea, hours before the exercises began on Monday. The US president cited his “good relationship” with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in his latest rebuke to long-standing alliances with Western partners. South Korean officials said the exercises had begun as planned and that they hoped the personal chemistry between Trump and Kim would bring them back to talks. North Korea has not responded publicly, though it has previously voiced anger at the regular joint manoeuvres, which take place in the South. The drills began as American allies in East Asia fret over North Korean displays of weapons capabilities and its growing alignment with Russia as well as traditional backer China. “Based on my very good relationship with Kim Jong Un, of North Korea, I ...
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North Korea tests cruise and anti-ship missiles from naval destroyer

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By Kyu-seok Shim Reuters

North Korea conducted another test of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles on Sunday as part of operational efficiency trials ‌of its destroyer Choe Hyon, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.

Leader Kim Jong ‌Un observed the test alongside senior defence officials and naval commanders, the report said.

Two strategic cruise missiles and ​three anti-warship missiles were fired to check the warship’s integrated weapons command system, train crews in missile-launch procedures and verify the accuracy and anti-jamming performance of upgraded navigation systems, KCNA said.

The cruise missiles flew for about 7,869 to 7,920 seconds and the anti-warship missiles for about 1,960 ‌to 1,973 seconds over waters ⁠off the country’s western coast, striking their targets with what the report described as ultra-precision accuracy.

KCNA said Kim was briefed the same day on ⁠weapons system plans for two additional destroyers under construction, indicating preparations for the third and fourth vessels of the Choe Hyon class.

Kim said strengthening what he called the country’s nuclear war deterrent ​remained ​a top priority, and called for improving strategic ​and tactical strike capabilities and rapid-response ‌readiness, the report said.

Pyongyang first test-fired L1N3R71KM weapons on the 5,000-ton Choe Hyon-class warship in April 2025, and in June Kim announced plans L1N3SF142 to build two additional destroyers in 2026 and commission two ships of the same or a more advanced class annually.

Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, said the reference to a fourth destroyer appeared to be ‌the first official acknowledgment of construction on the vessel ​beyond earlier announcements.

“The mention of the third and fourth ​destroyers suggests North Korea is accelerating ​the formation of a destroyer flotilla rather than fielding isolated platforms,” Lim ‌said, adding that faster follow-on production typically ​follows once initial testing ​is deemed successful.

Lim said weapons development L1N40Q11B appeared to be speeding up across multiple fronts as North Korea seeks to exploit global strategic distractions, including the conflicdt ​in the Middle East, to ‌push ahead with irreversible advances in nuclear and delivery capabilities.

The North Korean embassy ​in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



from The Times Of Earth https://ift.tt/oW5Px1T

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