Konstantin Asmolov
On Kim Jong-un’s visit to Russia, part two: the visit that didn’t happen
Rumors about the visit of the DPRK president of the State Affairs to the Russian Federation had been circulating before the announced visit, but in the author’s opinion, there is no correlation between these rumors and what happened afterwards. On September 4, the New York Times, citing unnamed “American and allied officials”, reported that Kim Jong-un may soon travel to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible arms deal. North Korea is seeking advanced technology…
Digest of Inter-Korean Tensions amid US-ROK Joint Exercises. Part 2. The North Korean Response
The DPRK’s response to the upcoming exercises began long before the exercises started. From August 1-12, the North Korean leader visited a number of military factories.In particular, from August 3 to 5, Kim Jong-un visited factories producing multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) and engines for cruise missiles and drones.In addition, he familiarized himself with the production of launchers for tactical missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, as well as small arms production.Kim also visited the construction of a new factory for the production…
Digest of Inter-Korean Tensions amid US-ROK Joint Exercises. Part 1. South Korean Actions
Ulchi Freedom Shield, a joint US-South Korean military exercise, was held on the Korean Peninsula from August 21 to 31, 2023. A press release from the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that Ulchi Freedom Shield-2023 was created to be “a rigorous and realistic exercise to strengthen the alliance’s joint defense posture and response capabilities based on scenarios that reflect various security threats and lessons learned from recent wars and conflicts.” Among other things, the exercise was developed to strengthen the army’s military readiness…
