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Straits Times
27 minutes ago
- Business
- Straits Times
North Korea says Japan seeking to be a ‘military giant'
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Japan is in a multi-year process of increasing its defence spending, as many countries are doing under pressure from the United States. SEOUL - A new Japanese defence policy white paper showed the country was seeking to be a major military power, North Korean state media reported a foreign ministry official as saying on July 18, who justified Pyongyang's nuclear programme on that basis. The policy section chief of the Institute for Japan Studies under the foreign ministry described the Japanese defence white paper, approved this week, as 'a war scenario for realising its ambition for reinvasion from A to Z', the Korean Central News Agency said. The white paper was approved by the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on July 15. It argued, among other things, that China's intensifying military activities could seriously impact Japanese security, citing the first confirmed incursion by a Chinese military aircraft into its airspace. It also said North Korea's activities pose a 'more grave and imminent threat to Japan's national security than ever before'. Japan is in a multi-year process of increasing its defence spending, as many countries are doing under pressure from the United States, as Mr Donald Trump governs for a second time with a focus on more-burden sharing on defence. Japan is bolstering its military ties with Washington – and other regional US allies – to make US and Japanese forces nimbler in response to threats such as a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Driverless bus in Sentosa gets green light to run without safety officer in first for S'pore Asia Malaysia's King appoints Wan Ahmad Farid as new Chief Justice World Trump diagnosed with vein condition causing leg swelling, White House says Opinion Is your child getting drawn to drugs? Don't look away and don't give up World US strikes destroyed only one of three Iranian nuclear sites, says new report Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Asia Air India probe into Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment The Japan studies department of the North Korean foreign ministry said Japan was 'escalating the regional situation in a gradual way (to) justify its reckless moves to turn itself into a military giant', KCNA reported. Japan's military activities show that North Korea's efforts to build up its nuclear arsenal 'serve as an indispensable contribution to strongly suppressing the provocations of the US and its allies', the agency reported. AFP
UPI
an hour ago
- Politics
- UPI
U.N. report cites 'flagrant' violations by Russia and North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) walks with Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu during their meeting in Pyongyang, North Korea, on June 17 to discuss a 'special military operation' in Russia's Kursk region. File Photo by North Korean Central News Agency/EPA July 17 (UPI) -- Russian and North Korean officials violated U.N. resolutions regarding arms, troops and refined petroleum shipments throughout 2024 and beyond, a U.N. report says. Evidence shows North Korea many times shipped arms and material to Russia, which trained North Korean troops for combat against Ukrainian forces, Seth Bailey, the U.S. State Department's director for Korean and Mongolian Affairs, told U.N. members on Thursday. In exchange, Russia shipped refined petroleum products, military equipment and military technology to North Korea, Bailey said. The actions by both nations violate U.N. resolutions, as outlined in a 29-page U.N. report compiled by its Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team and published on May 29. The report focuses on illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and says the "rapid expansion of military, political and economic cooperation' between the two nations has caused "ongoing flagrant violations" of U.N. Security Council resolutions. "Throughout 2024, North Korea and Russia engaged in myriad unlawful activities explicitly prohibited" by the United Nations, the report says. The violations include the transfer of arms and material, including artillery, ballistic missiles and combat vehicles, from North Korea to Russia via sea, air and rail. North Korea also sent troops to Russia, which the Russian military trained for direct support in its war against Ukraine, according to the report. Russia also has shipped refined petroleum products to North Korea that "far exceed the yearly United Nations Security Council-mandated cap," with payments processed via banking relations between Russia and North Korea. "These forms of unlawful cooperation between [North Korea]and Russia contributed to Moscow's ability to increase its missile attacks against Ukrainian cities, including targeted strikes against critical civilian infrastructure," the report says. Russia's assistance has enabled North Korea to fund its military programs and continue developing its ballistic missiles program, which is banned by the United Nations. North Korea also "gains first-hand experience in modern warfare in return for its military support to Russia against Ukraine," the report says. Such military support includes the deployment of 11,000 North Korean troops to Russia since October. "The official confirmation of North Korean military support to Russia by both governments in April 2025 suggests that, at least for the foreseeable future, North Korea and Russia intend to continue and further deepen their military cooperation in contravention of relevant UNSCRs," according to the report. U.S., South Korea hold live-fire drills near DMZ Spectators watch an explosion at a combined U.S.-South Korea live-fire exercise at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea on May 25, 2023. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
![[Editorial] Mixed messages](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Korea Herald
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
[Editorial] Mixed messages
Seoul's fractured view on Pyongyang could sow strategic confusion amid rising tensions The notion of a country's main enemy — or 'jujeok' in Korean — is not just symbolic rhetoric. It is the fulcrum around which national defense policy, military readiness and diplomatic posture revolve. Yet the Lee Jae Myung administration's incoming ministers are offering strikingly divergent views on North Korea's status. In a region where miscalculation can lead to catastrophe, the lack of clarity is not a luxury South Korea can afford. During confirmation hearings this week, Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young described North Korea not as an enemy but as a 'threat.' Labor Minister nominee Kim Young-hoon echoed that assessment, distancing himself from the 'main enemy' label. By contrast, Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back offered a resolute view, stating that the North Korean regime and military are indeed South Korea's principal adversary. This inconsistency is not merely semantic. The designation of North Korea as South Korea's main enemy first appeared in the 1995 Defense White Paper under President Kim Young-sam, following the North's threats to turn Seoul into a 'sea of fire.' While subsequent governments shifted between hard-line and conciliatory stances, most notably under Roh Moo-hyun and Moon Jae-in, the Yoon Suk Yeol administration reinstated the enemy designation in 2022. Now, Seoul risks retreating from this stance just as Pyongyang has explicitly emphasized its own hostility. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last year formally declared the South a 'primary foe,' rejecting unification and dismantling the inter-Korean reconciliation framework. Since then, the North has accelerated weapons development, severed communication channels and deepened military ties with Russia. To overlook these developments or downplay their implications is to misread the strategic environment. Chung's statements suggest the new administration may be preparing a significant policy pivot. He proposed suspending joint military drills with the United States as a confidence-building measure, citing the 2018 model. He also raised the idea of renaming the Ministry of Unification to the Ministry of the Korean Peninsula, a move he claims would signal flexibility. Yet such proposals, absent careful coordination or broad consensus, could project confusion rather than pragmatism. Strategic ambiguity has long characterized inter-Korean policy, but frequent shifts weaken credibility. South Korea's defense posture cannot oscillate with each political transition. Doing so emboldens adversaries and complicates coordination with allies, particularly Washington. North Korea has repeatedly exploited policy vacillations, alternating between provocation and dialogue to gain time for weapons advancement. Calls to revive the 2018 military accord — annulled by the North and later suspended by Seoul — underscore this risk. South Korea honored the agreement despite repeated violations by the North, including missile launches, GPS jamming and trash balloon campaigns. Restoring such an accord without preconditions could repeat a pattern of unreciprocated concessions. What is missing from the current debate is a sober reflection on the record of past engagement. Chung attributes the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan in 2010 and Yeonpyeongdo shelling to the Lee Myung-bak administration's hawkish posture, yet similar provocations occurred under liberal governments. North Korea has pursued escalation to secure leverage regardless of the South's tone. This is not to dismiss the value of diplomacy. Efforts to reduce tensions must continue, but only with a clear-eyed understanding of the other side's intentions. Engagement should be mutual, measured and anchored in deterrence. One-sided overtures, whether symbolic or substantive, can be as risky as belligerence. If the Lee government intends to revise its stance toward Pyongyang, it must do so with unity, transparency and strategic rationale. Fragmented messaging — especially on foundational concepts like the main enemy — undermines trust both at home and among allies. In a geopolitical landscape marked by intensifying tensions, Seoul cannot afford ambiguity in its security doctrine.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
North Korean hackers blamed for record spike in crypto thefts in 2025
Hackers have stolen more than $2 billion in crypto during the first half of 2025, according to new data from crypto analysis firm Chainalysis, marking the worst year-to-date on record for crypto thefts. The blockchain analysis company said Thursday in a new report that the $2.17 billion stolen during the first half of 2025 has already surpassed the amount of crypto lost last year. Not only that, the amount of cryptocurrency stolen during the first six months of 2025 was about 17% higher than the same period in 2022, which was previously the worst year on record for stolen crypto. Much of the stolen crypto this year was attributed to a single breach at crypto exchange ByBit, which saw North Korean hackers steal more than $1.4 billion in crypto, much of it subsequently laundered and funneled into the North Korean regime, per the FBI. Chainalysis said the ByBit hack falls within a broader pattern of North Korean hacks, which have 'become increasingly central to the regime's sanctions evasion strategies.' North Korea, largely cut off from the outside world and the international banking system, has become a formidable threat in recent years by targeting Western companies to steal cryptocurrency with the aim of funding its sanctioned nuclear weapons program. North Korea has also relied on thousands of remote IT workers, who infiltrate tech companies to earn a wage, steal intellectual property, and then extort companies into paying so as not to publish their sensitive files. According to an earlier Chainalysis report, North Korean hackers were blamed for almost two-thirds of all crypto hacks during 2024.
Asahi Shimbun
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
Fact check: Do foreigners get preferential treatment?
Editor's note: The Asahi Shimbun has established new election coverage guidelines and set up a section for fact checking, including information posted on social media, during campaigns. The newspaper conducts fact checks to determine the veracity of comments made by politicians and social media posts in which the truth may be difficult to immediately confirm. *** Polarizing information has been circulating on the internet and elsewhere during the July 20 Upper House campaign that accuses foreign nationals of receiving preferential treatment over Japanese nationals for welfare benefits. As an example, in a video posted on an anonymous X account on June 23, a personality was 'furious' and claimed that 'foreigners are given preferential treatment in welfare' as the reason. The post had been viewed more than 2.85 million times by July 15. In Upper House election campaigning, some political parties and candidates have voiced similar concerns. The minor opposition Sanseito party, in particular, has stated in its policy that it will suspend welfare payments to foreigners. To rebut such rumors, welfare minister Takamaro Fukuoka denied that the government was providing favorable treatment to foreign residents in medical or welfare benefits at a news conference on July 15. The welfare ministry's division that is in charge of welfare administration told The Asahi Shimbun that there is no preferential treatment under the system. For foreign nationals living in Japan to receive welfare benefits, their assets and level of need are investigated in the same manner as Japanese nationals. Some foreign nationals may not be eligible to receive welfare depending on their residence status. NUMBERS SHOW MINOR DISCREPANCY As part of a fact-checking exercise, The Asahi Shimbun examined how many households are actually on welfare. Using the results of the 2020 census, it calculated the percentage of households receiving benefits by nationality of the head of household. As a result, of the 54.35 million households headed by a Japanese national, 1.57 million households, or 2.89 percent, were receiving welfare benefits. Of the 1.36 million households headed by a foreign national, 46,000 households, or 3.36 percent, were being given welfare assistance. By nationality of the head of household, there were 29,000 households headed by a South Korean or North Korean national on welfare. The figure accounted for 14.43 percent of the total number of households headed by a South Korean or North Korean national. There were 5,700 households headed by a Chinese national on the welfare rolls. The figure accounted for 1.62 percent of the total number of households headed by a Chinese national. There were 5,100 recipient households headed by a Filipino, accounting for 5.41 percent of the total number of households headed by that nationality. There were 1,700 households headed by Brazilians receiving welfare assistance, which accounted for 2.17 percent of the total number of households headed by that nationality. Of all households receiving welfare benefits, including those whose head of household is Japanese, elderly households accounted for 56 percent. However, when looking at households headed by a South Korean or North Korean national, the percentage was even higher, numbering 68 percent. Among all households receiving welfare assistance, including households headed by a Japanese national, 4.43 percent were single-mother households. However, among households headed by Filipino nationals, the percentage was significantly higher, at 48.41 percent. Atsushi Yoshinaga, a professor at Hanazono University who is an expert on welfare administration, said, 'The high percentage of elderly households headed by South Korean and North Korean residents in Japan receiving welfare benefits is due to the fact that for a long time in Japan, foreign nationals have been systematically excluded from joining the national pension system, resulting in a large number of people with low pensions.' He also said, 'Many Filipinos are impoverished women who have divorced their Japanese spouses and have children.' 'In both cases, there are historical reasons and it makes sense to allow them to continue receiving social welfare,' he said. MINISTRY CONDUCTS INVESTIGATION The Public Assistance Law stipulates that all citizens in need who are Japanese nationals are eligible to receive welfare. In the case of foreign nationals, in consideration of fairness to Japanese nationals, eligibility is limited to permanent residents who can work freely in Japan, spouses of Japanese nationals, other permanent residents including third-generation overseas immigrants of Japanese descent, special permanent residents such as Korean residents in Japan, and people who have been certified as refugees. Those who are in Japan on visas that restrict their employment, such as student visas, technical intern visas and specified skilled worker visas, are not eligible. Welfare benefits are doled out on a household basis. According to the ministry, the screening process for eligibility is conducted based on the same criteria, regardless of the nationality of the head of the household. Applicants are investigated to determine if they are able to work and if they have any assets. If there are assets, they must be converted into cash and used for living expenses. In the case of foreign nationals, to prevent them from entering Japan just for receiving welfare assistance, the circumstances that led to their impoverishment along with information about the guarantor they provided when they obtained their visa will be subject to investigation.
