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WORLD NEWS Monday 8 January 2024
North Korea again fires near the sea border with the South, as its

leader’s sister mocks Seoul

By HYUNG-JIN KIM to them,” she said. “It is bet- Experts say North Korea is
Associated Press ter 10 times to entrust secu- likely to ramp up weapons
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) rity to a dog with a devel- tests and escalate its trade-
— North Korea again fired oped sense of hearing and mark fiery rhetoric against
artillery shells near its tense smell.” its rivals ahead of South Ko-
sea boundary with the Animosities between the rea’s parliamentary elec-
South on Sunday, as the two Koreas are running tions in April and the U.S.
influential sister of North Ko- high because North Korea presidential elections in No-
rean leader Kim Jong Un has conducted a barrage vember. They say Kim Jong
mocked the South’s abil- of missile tests since 2022 Un likely thinks a bolstered
ity to detect its weapons while South Korea has ex- weapons arsenal would
launches. panded its military training allow him to wrest greater
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs with the United States in a U.S. concessions if former
of Staff dismissed Kim Yo tit-for-tat cycle. President Donald Trump re-
Jong’s statement as “a This photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Yo North Korea’s artillery fir- turns to the White House.
comedy-like, vulgar pro- Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, delivers a ings Friday prompted South In her statement Sunday,
paganda” meant to un- speech during a national meeting against the coronavirus, in Korea to have its troops Kim Yo Jong called South
Pyongyang, North Korea on Aug. 10, 2022.
dermine the South Korean Associated Press on border islands fire artil- Korea’s military “gangsters”
people’s trust in the military lery rounds near the sea and “clowns in military uni-
and stoke divisions. fired didn’t expose any “The result was clear as we boundary in response. The forms.” She also suggest-
The Joint Chiefs of Staff threat to South Korea. expected. They misjudged shells launched by the ed South Korea’s possible
said North Korea fired more On Friday, North Korea the blasting sound as the two Koreas fell at a mari- future miscalculation of
than more than 90 rounds launched about 200 shells. sound of gunfire and con- time buffer zone they had North Korean moves could
near the rivals’ disputed South Korea also claimed jectured it as a provoca- established under a 2018 cause an accidental clash
western sea boundary on that the North fired more tion. And they even made military agreement on low- between the rivals, jeopar-
Sunday afternoon. It said than 60 rounds on Satur- a false and impudent ering front-line military ten- dizing the safety of Seoul,
South Korea strongly urged day, but its rival has denied statement that the shells sions. a city of 10 million people
North Korea to stop pro- that. dropped north” of the sea The agreement requires the which is only an hour’s drive
vocative acts immediately. Kim Yo Jong said that North boundary, Kim Yo Jong Koreas to halt live-fire ex- from the land border.
North Korea’s military later Korea on Saturday only said in a statement carried ercises, aerial surveillance On Tuesday, Kim Yo Jong
confirmed it used coastal detonated blasting pow- by state media. and other hostile acts along issued a statement calling
artillery systems to carry out der simulating the sound “I cannot but say that their border, but the deal is South Korean conservative
live-firing exercises. It said of its coastal artillery on the (South Korean) people are now in danger of collaps- President Yoon Suk Yeol
the drills were part of its mili- seashore, to test the South very pitiful as they entrust ing because the two Ko- “foolishly brave” but his
tary training schedules and Korean military’s detection security to such blind per- reas have taken measures liberal predecessor Moon
the direction of its shells capabilities. sons and offer huge taxes breaching it. Jae-in “very smart.”q

China sanctions 5 U.S. defense companies in response to US sanctions

and arms sales to Taiwan

By KEN MORITSUGU fense contractors generally The deal includes equip-
Associated Press don’t sell to China. ment, training and equip-
BEIJING (AP) — China an- The Foreign Ministry said the ment repair to maintain Tai-
nounced sanctions Sunday U.S. moves harmed China’s wan’s command, control
on five American defense- sovereignty and security in- and military communica-
related companies in re- terests, undermined peace tions capabilities.
sponse to U.S. arms sales to and stability across the Tai- The U.S. said the sale would
Taiwan and U.S sanctions wan Strait and violated the support the modernization
on Chinese companies rights and interests of Chi- of Taiwan’s armed forces
and individuals. nese companies and indi- and the maintenance of
The sanctions will freeze viduals. a credible defense. “The
any property the compa- “The Chinese government proposed sale will improve
nies have in China and remains unwavering in our the recipient’s capabil-
prohibit organizations and resolve to safeguard na- ity to meet current and fu-
individuals in China from tional sovereignty, security ture threats by enhancing
doing business with them, and territorial integrity and operational readiness,” a
the Foreign Ministry said in protect the lawful rights A man walks past a screen in the BAE Systems chalet at the news release from the Pen-
a statement posted online. and interests of Chinese Farnborough Airshow in Farnborough, England, on July 16, 2018. tagon’s Defense Security
It was unclear what im- companies and citizens,” Cooperation Agency said.
pact, if any, the sanctions the ministry statement said. Associated Press Taiwan is a major flashpoint
would have on the com- The announcement was claims the self-governing is- Wang Wenbin had warned in U.S.-China relations that
panies, BAE Systems Land made less than a week land as its territory and says three weeks ago that Chi- analysts worry could ex-
and Armaments, Alliant ahead of a presidential it must come under its rule. na would take counter- plode into military conflict
Techsystems Operations, election in Taiwan that is The Chinese Foreign Ministry measures following the U.S. between the two powers.
AeroVironment, Viasat and being contested in large did not specify which arms government’s approval of China says that U.S. arms
Data Link Solutions. Such part over how the govern- deal or which U.S. sanc- a $300 million military pack- sales to Taiwan are inter-
sanctions are often mostly ment should manage its re- tions China was responding age for Taiwan in Decem- ference in its domestic
symbolic as American de- lationship with China, which to, though spokesperson ber. affairs.q