They Float But Can They Sail? North Korea's Russian Inspired Warships
A WSJ visual investigation of North Korea's capsized warship exposes the military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow, while raising questions about the viability of Kim Jong Un's latest destroyers.
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San Francisco Chronicle
19 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
6 Americans detained in South Korea for trying to send rice and Bibles to North Korea by sea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Six Americans were detained Friday in South Korea for trying to send 1,600 plastic bottles filled with rice, miniature Bibles, $1 bills and USB sticks toward North Korea by sea, police said. The Americans were apprehended on front-line Gwanghwa Island before throwing the bottles into the sea so they could float toward North Korean shores on the tides, two Gwanghwa police officers said. They said the Americans are being investigated on allegations they violated the law on the management of safety and disasters. The officers, who requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to media on the issue, refused to provide personal details of the Americans in line with privacy rules. Gwanghwa police said they haven't found what is on the USB sticks. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea had no immediate public comment. For years, activists have sought to float plastic bottles or fly balloons across the border carrying anti-North Korea propaganda leaflets and USB thumb drives carrying South Korean dramas and K-pop songs, a practice that was banned from 2021-2023 over concerns it could inflame tensions with the North. North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites including the presidential compound. In 2023, South Korea's Constitutional Court struck down a controversial law that criminalized the sending of leaflets and other items to North Korea, calling it an excessive restriction on free speech. But since taking office in early June, the new liberal government of President Lee Jae Myung is pushing to crack down on such civilian campaigns with other safety-related laws to avoid a flare-up tensions with North Korea and promote the safety of frontline South Korean residents. On June 14, police detained an activist for allegedly flying balloons toward North Korea from Gwanghwa Island. Lee took office with a promise to restart long-dormant talks with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. Lee's government halted frontline anti-Pyongyang propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts to try to ease military tensions. North Korean broadcasts have not been heard in South Korean front-line towns since then. But it's unclear if North Korea will respond to Lee's conciliatory gesture after vowing last year to sever relations with South Korea and abandon the goal of peaceful Korean reunification. Official talks between the Koreas have been stalled since 2019, when U.S.-led diplomacy on North Korean denuclearization derailed.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
US, China formalize deal on rare earth shipments
China on Friday signaled it would approve the export of rare earth minerals to the US, hours after White House officials said the two sides had reached a deal, in what would be a major breakthrough following weeks of negotiations over US access to the key materials. Rare earths – essential in everything from everyday electronics to fighter jets – had become a key focus of trade frictions between the world's two largest economies in recent weeks as their tit-for-tat tariff escalation morphed into a supply chain struggle. 'China will approve the export application of controlled items that meet the conditions in accordance with the law. The United States will cancel a series of restrictive measures taken against China accordingly,' China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. The statement was framed as a response to a question that specifically referenced how 'China will accelerate the export of rare earths to the United States.' The Chinese statement followed comments from US President Donald Trump and his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Thursday confirming that the two sides had reached a deal. The agreement appears to formalize an understanding reached between the two sides earlier this month in London, which the US at the time said needed to be approved by Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. On Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was quoted by Bloomberg News as saying that China is 'going to deliver rare earths to us' and once they do that, 'we'll take down our countermeasures,' referring to the export curbs US imposed on China in May as US officials accused Beijing of not honoring a deal reached that month in Geneva, by holding up rare earth exports. At a White House event on Thursday Trump said: 'we just signed with China yesterday,' without elaborating. In its statement Friday, China's Commerce Ministry said it hoped that the two sides could 'continuously enhance consensus, reduce misunderstandings, strengthen cooperation, and jointly promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations.' China controls around 90% of global rare earth processing, according to the International Energy Agency. The two countries last month in Geneva reached an agreement to de-escalate hefty tariffs that had resulted in a de-facto trade embargo, but that agreement quickly fell apart due to the Trump administration's frustrations that China was not lifting export controls on rare earths that it had imposed following Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs placed on China in April. The US, in retaliation, imposed export curbs on chips software, ethane and jet engines, while threatening to revoke the US visas of Chinese students. China said it was complying with the agreement and blamed Washington for reneging on its promises. Officials from both sides then returned to the negotiating table in London in June. Following those talks, Trump announced a deal had been reached, pending approval from both national leaders, and that both sides had agreed to ease export restrictions. The US will also allow Chinese college students to attend American universities, Trump suggested. 'Magnets and any necessary rare earths will be supplied up front by China,' he wrote on social media at the time. Reuters reported this week that the US Commerce Department has allowed ethane traders to load ethane on vessels bound for China. But it has prohibited them from unloading in China without authorization – signs experts interpret as the administration is preparing to lift the curbs. Under the dual use licensing regime China introduced for rare earths in April, exporters are required to seek approvals for each shipment to customers in any country and submit documentation to verify the intended end use of these materials. While China has in recent weeks repeatedly said that it has been 'speeding up' approvals of rare earth export licenses for 'compliant' applications, experts and industry insiders have told CNN that many companies are still struggling to secure sufficient supplies of these critical elements and magnets. Analysts also expect China's dual use export restrictions still prohibit shipments to military suppliers, leaving US defense contractors without access to such materials.
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Wife of North Korea's Kim Jong Un Reemerges With Luxury Handbag
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's wife, Ri Sol Ju, reemerged in public Tuesday after a year and a half out of the spotlight, joining him and their daughter, Ju Ae, at a lavish completion ceremony for a beach resort on the poverty-stricken nation's east coast. Ri, who was last seen in state media photos on January 1, 2024, was pictured carrying what appears to be a handbag made by Italian luxury brand Gucci. Why It Matters Luxury good exports to North Korea are banned under United Nations sanctions targeting Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Nonetheless, such items reportedly make their way into the country via diplomatic pouches, which are exempt from customs inspection under international law. Kim Jong Un's taste for luxury is well documented, from expensive watches and cars to private jets. His close ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, even gifted him a Russian-made limousine after Kim took a liking to the vehicle during his 2023 visit to the country. Newsweek reached out to the North Korean embassy in China via emailed request for comment. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, daughter Ju Ae, left, and wife Ri Sol Ju, far left, are seen during the completion ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma beach resort in North Korea on June... North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, daughter Ju Ae, left, and wife Ri Sol Ju, far left, are seen during the completion ceremony for the Wonsan Kalma beach resort in North Korea on June 24, 2025. More Korean Central News Agency What To Know Ri's handbag appeared to be a Gucci GG Marmont shoulder bag, which retails for over $2,000. After the regime's move in late 2023 to raise official wages tenfold, the average worker now earns about 30,000 North Korean won—less than $4—per month, analysts say. Retail prices in North Korea are low but analysts say most citizens cannot survive on state salaries alone and must rely on informal or black market work to make ends meet. 1 of 2 While Ju Ae—widely believed to be Kim's chosen successor—now frequently appears alongside her father, Ri's reemergence may be part of efforts to showcase the new Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Area on the Kalma Peninsula. Kim declared that Wonsan Kalma would "shine as a world-level tourist resort," the first of several "paradises" planned around the country, according to the Korean Central News Agency. State media called the ceremony a "great auspicious event" in a press release. The tourist zone's hotels can accommodate nearly 20,000 guests and it boasts a range of facilities, restaurants and sea bathing. These features, KCNA said, "offer all year round the real taste of the east coast, presenting a wonderful picture of a 4 kilometer (2.5-mile)-long stretch of beach to be crowded with people every year." Moscow's ambassador and other officials from the Russian mission in the country attended the ceremony as special guests, per the outlet. What People Are Saying Rachel Minyoung Lee, a non-resident fellow with the 38 North program at the Stimson Center, told CNN: "Wonsan-Kalma is open to just North Koreans for now, but we should not be surprised to see Russians at the resort in the not-too-distant future. "More broadly, the opening of a major beach resort like Wonsan-Kalma helps to reinforce the state media narrative of Kim's people-first policy and helps to balance out his greater focus on building up national defense," What's Next The resort will open to domestic tourists on July 1, according to KCNA. However, tour operators cited by the BBC believe Wonsan Kalma is primarily geared toward visitors from Russia. Russians are currently the only foreign nationals permitted in certain areas of North Korea, as the two countries continue to deepen their ties.
