North and South Korean troops exchange fire along border

SEOUL, South Korea — North and South Korean troops exchanged fire along their tense border on Sunday, the South’s military said, the first such incident since the rivals took unprecedented steps to lower front-line animosities in late 2018.Violent confrontations have occasionally occurred along the border, the world’s most heavily fortified.

North Korea's Kim Jong Un appears in public amid health rumors

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean state media says leader Kim Jong Un has made his first public appearance in 20 days amid rumors about his health.The Korean Central News Agency said Saturday that he attended a ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer factory in Suncheon, near the capital of Pyongyang, with other senior officials, including his sister, Kim Yo Jong.Photos from the ceremony weren’t immediately released.Kim Jong Un had been last seen during a ruling party meeting on April 11 to discuss coronavirus prevention.

North Korea says it test-fired new multiple rocket launcher

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea says it conducted its third test-firing of a new super-large multiple rocket launcher that it says expands its ability to destroy enemy targets in surprise attacks, as it continues to expand its military capabilities amid a standstill in nuclear negotiations with Washington.Experts say the North could continue to ramp up weapons demonstrations ahead of an end-of-year deadline set by leader Kim Jong Un for the Trump administration to offer mutually acceptable terms to salvage a fragile diplomacy strained by disagreements over exchanging sanctions relief and disarmament steps.Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency described the tests in a report Friday after the South Korean and Japanese militaries said they detected two North Korean projectiles being fired into the sea on Thursday.

North Korea says underwater-launched missile test succeeded

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Thursday it has carried out its first underwater-launched ballistic missile test in three years, in an apparent bid to dial up pressure on the United States ahead of a weekend resumption of their nuclear diplomacy.Wednesday’s test of the Pukguksong-3 missile, which North Korea describes as a type of missile capable of being launched from a submarine, is seen as the North’s most high-profile weapons launch since it began diplomacy with the United States early last year.

North Korea fires 2 projectiles after offering talks with US

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched two projectiles toward the sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, hours after the North offered to resume nuclear diplomacy with the United States but warned its dealings with Washington may end without new U.S. proposals.The launches and demand for new proposals were apparently aimed at pressuring the United States to make concessions when the North Korea-U.S. talks restart.