Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
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Northeast Asia
South Korea reaffirms ‘peace through strength’ as North threatens more missile deployments
Felix Kim Facing escalating threats from North Korea — including the regime’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities and its deepening ties with Russia — South Korean defense leaders are reaffirming the nation’s commitment to building an “elite, advanced and powerful military” under the doctrine of “peace through strength.” The strategy focuses on reinforcing South Korea’s longtime alliance with the United…
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Features
Debunking the CCP’s False Narratives
FORUM Staff The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) approach to cognitive warfare is probably the least studied component of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strategy to dominate the international order, yet it may be the most critical. The CCP aims “to achieve what the People’s Liberation Army [PLA] refers to as mind dominance, which the PLA defines as the use of…
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Northeast Asia
South Korea, U.S. developing joint strategy on North Korea nuclear threat
Reuters Senior South Korean and United States defense officials met in Seoul recently to develop guidelines to coordinate the longtime allies’ response to potential nuclear threats from North Korea. The guidelines specify the procedures for maintaining and enhancing a “credible and effective” nuclear deterrence policy and posture, according to a joint statement. The Nuclear Consultative Group meeting came amid signs…
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Northeast Asia
ROK, U.S. troops ready for potential chemical, biological, nuclear assaults
FORUM Staff Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States military forces have trained together for years to deter the use of the world’s most hazardous materials near the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea. Military and civilian personnel from the U.S. Army’s 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (CBRNE) Command routinely deploy to South Korea for…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korea’s garbage balloons, other provocations follow regime’s failed satellite launch
FORUM Staff The hundreds of trash-laden balloons that North Korea floated over the fortified border into South Korea were a dangerous provocation, Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners said. The United Nations Command (UNC), which monitors compliance with the armistice that halted the Korean War in 1953, condemned the bizarre act as not only harmful and unsanitary but also a violation of…
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Across The Region
Allies Look to Boost Tracking of North Korean Missiles
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States militaries want to bolster their combined tracking of North Korean missile launches, an effort that also may involve Japan, U.S. Space Force officials said in August 2023. The allies see space integration as key to tracking North Korean threats and responding to a conflict. The U.S. Space Force component in South Korea,…
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Northeast Asia
PLA’s dangerous moves seek to shield North Korea from sanctions enforcement
FORUM Staff The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recent “unsafe and unprofessional” intercept of a Royal Australian Navy helicopter highlights a pattern of dangerous maneuvers aimed at sanctions enforcers. Beijing supported United Nations sanctions to deter North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear and weapons programs, but has undermined the international measures by allowing violators to use Chinese infrastructure and territorial waters to…
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Northeast Asia
North Korea, PRC partnership built on shaky ground
FORUM Staff Regardless of the North Korea-People’s Republic of China (PRC) declaration that 2024 will be a year of friendship between the nations, Pyongyang’s erratic behavior, banned nuclear and missile programs, and growing ties with Russia cast a shadow over North Korea’s relationship with Beijing. Analysts say Moscow and Pyongyang likely acted without the PRC’s input in trading North Korean…
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Conflicts - Tensions
A Nuclear Shift
FORUM Staff During the past decade, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has doubled its combat missile brigades within the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), unveiling missiles capable of launching conventional and nuclear warheads and touting technology to evade missile defense. “The technologies and deployment patterns of these weapons are important indications of the direction of China’s force posture,”…
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Northeast Asia
U.N. report: North Korea financing weapons program with cybercrime
United States Strategic Command United Nations investigators say North Korea has stolen billions of dollars in cyberattacks to fund the regime’s weapons of mass destruction. The U.N. found 58 suspected North Korean cyberattacks between 2017 and 2023, valued at about $3 billion, The Associated Press (AP) reported in February 2024. Hacking groups reporting to Pyongyang’s primary foreign intelligence organization continue…
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