Latest news with #KoreanWarArmisticeAgreement
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Korean helicopters fight wildfire along heavily armed border with North Korea
South Korea sent two helicopters to battle a wildfire inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Seoul's military said Friday, adding it had warned North Korea in advance of its firefighting mission along the heavily armed border area. The blaze in the east of the DMZ dividing the Koreas comes just weeks after South Korea suffered record deadly wildfires in the country's southeast that forced communities to evacuate and destroyed thousands of structures, including a centuries-old Buddhist temple. South Korea's military aired broadcasts to North Korea to warn people there about the helicopters early Friday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. 'Our military is maintaining readiness while closely monitoring North Korean activities,' the Joint Chiefs added. It's unclear what caused the fire, which started Thursday afternoon in South Korea's eastern Goseong county, Gangwon province, according to authorities. The Korea Forest Service said the blaze had been about half extinguished as of Friday morning, while the military said firefighting efforts were 'proceeding smoothly' and there had been no damage to South Korean personnel or facilities. The DMZ is a no-man's land about 30 miles north of Seoul that was established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement to provide distance between the two sides and prevent military brush-ups. The 160-mile-long, 2.5-mile-wide DMZ is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world and both Seoul and Pyongyang maintain large numbers of troops there. It has been the site of high-level discussions on inter-Korea relations and is also a major tourist attraction. Largely devoid of human activity, the DMZ has inadvertently become one of the most pristine environments in Asia and a haven for wildlife. In 2023, Google released street-view images of the DMZ for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into the flora and fauna that inhabit the peaceful buffer. Inter-Korea hostilities have ramped up in recent years as North Korea appears to have intensified its nuclear production efforts and strengthened ties with Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scrapped a longstanding policy of seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea. Earlier this week, South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line before retreating.
CNN
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
South Korean helicopters fight wildfire along heavily armed border with North Korea
South Korea sent two helicopters to battle a wildfire inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Seoul's military said Friday, adding it had warned North Korea in advance of its firefighting mission along the heavily armed border area. The blaze in the east of the DMZ dividing the Koreas comes just weeks after South Korea suffered record deadly wildfires in the country's southeast that forced communities to evacuate and destroyed thousands of structures, including a centuries-old Buddhist temple. South Korea's military aired broadcasts to North Korea to warn people there about the helicopters early Friday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. 'Our military is maintaining readiness while closely monitoring North Korean activities,' the Joint Chiefs added. It's unclear what caused the fire, which started Thursday afternoon in South Korea's eastern Goseong county, Gangwon province, according to authorities. The Korea Forest Service said the blaze had been about half extinguished as of Friday morning, while the military said firefighting efforts were 'proceeding smoothly' and there had been no damage to South Korean personnel or facilities. The DMZ is a no-man's land about 30 miles north of Seoul that was established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement to provide distance between the two sides and prevent military brush-ups. The 160-mile-long, 2.5-mile-wide DMZ is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world and both Seoul and Pyongyang maintain large numbers of troops there. It has been the site of high-level discussions on inter-Korea relations and is also a major tourist attraction. Largely devoid of human activity, the DMZ has inadvertently become one of the most pristine environments in Asia and a haven for wildlife. In 2023, Google released street-view images of the DMZ for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into the flora and fauna that inhabit the peaceful buffer. Inter-Korea hostilities have ramped up in recent years as North Korea appears to have intensified its nuclear production efforts and strengthened ties with Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scrapped a longstanding policy of seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea. Earlier this week, South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line before retreating.
CNN
11-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
South Korean helicopters fight wildfire along heavily armed border with North Korea
South Korea sent two helicopters to battle a wildfire inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Seoul's military said Friday, adding it had warned North Korea in advance of its firefighting mission along the heavily armed border area. The blaze in the east of the DMZ dividing the Koreas comes just weeks after South Korea suffered record deadly wildfires in the country's southeast that forced communities to evacuate and destroyed thousands of structures, including a centuries-old Buddhist temple. South Korea's military aired broadcasts to North Korea to warn people there about the helicopters early Friday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. 'Our military is maintaining readiness while closely monitoring North Korean activities,' the Joint Chiefs added. It's unclear what caused the fire, which started Thursday afternoon in South Korea's eastern Goseong county, Gangwon province, according to authorities. The Korea Forest Service said the blaze had been about half extinguished as of Friday morning, while the military said firefighting efforts were 'proceeding smoothly' and there had been no damage to South Korean personnel or facilities. The DMZ is a no-man's land about 30 miles north of Seoul that was established in the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement to provide distance between the two sides and prevent military brush-ups. The 160-mile-long, 2.5-mile-wide DMZ is one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world and both Seoul and Pyongyang maintain large numbers of troops there. It has been the site of high-level discussions on inter-Korea relations and is also a major tourist attraction. Largely devoid of human activity, the DMZ has inadvertently become one of the most pristine environments in Asia and a haven for wildlife. In 2023, Google released street-view images of the DMZ for the first time, offering a rare glimpse into the flora and fauna that inhabit the peaceful buffer. Inter-Korea hostilities have ramped up in recent years as North Korea appears to have intensified its nuclear production efforts and strengthened ties with Russia as it wages war in Ukraine. Last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un scrapped a longstanding policy of seeking peaceful reunification with South Korea. Earlier this week, South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line before retreating.
Korea Herald
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea, US launch Freedom Shield drill, first under Trump's 2nd term
South Korea and the United States militaries on Monday kicked off their annual Freedom Shield exercise, a large-scale combined drill aimed at strengthening the allies' readiness capabilities. This year, the drill focuses on command post exercises based on computer simulations, assuming an all-out war against North Korea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. "This year's scenario incorporates evolving North Korean tactics observed in its military activities, including the deployment of drones, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, particularly in relation to North Korea's military support for Russia," the JCS said. The exercise includes field training exercises across South Korea, with the number of outdoor maneuvers increasing to 16 from 10 last year. Approximately 19,000 South Korean troops will participate. The JCS also underscored the exercise's defensive nature, noting that member states of the United Nations Command are set to participate, while the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission will monitor the drill to ensure compliance with the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement. The exercise drew strong criticism from North Korea, which claimed it legitimizes Pyongyang's "strongest response measures" against the US. In a statement released on Sunday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry condemned the drills as a continuation of Washington's "military hysteria," further asserting, "The US' reckless actions and irrational choices will ultimately undermine its own security." Earlier this month, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said North Korea is seriously considering 'escalating strategic-level deterrence measures' when the USS Carl Vinson, a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, arrived at a port in Busan participate in the exercise. South Korea's military stated that it is closely monitoring North Korea for potential provocations, including intercontinental ballistic missile launches or a seventh nuclear test, in cooperation with the US. As of Monday, no unusual North Korean military activity had been detected, South Korea's Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said during a press briefing in Seoul. The Freedom Shield exercise will run through March 20. Meanwhile, live-fire drills scheduled as part of the field training exercises have been canceled following an accident last Thursday, when two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets mistakenly dropped eight bombs on a civilian area, injuring 29 people.
