North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has officially terminated efforts for reunification with South Korea, citing the nation’s bolstered defense capabilities and strengthened ties with Russia. The announcement, made through the state-run Korean Central News Agency, emphasized Pyongyang’s view of Seoul as its primary adversary, attributing the decision to Seoul’s strengthened joint military exercises with…

Russia said it’s going to start mass producing a new type of cluster bomb that’s supposedly invisible to radar. Russian state media reported the Drel — or “Drill” in Russian — is a new type of glide bomb made by the state-owned Rostec defense conglomerate. Drels are some of Russia’s newest weapons, so there isn’t…

An attacker stabs the leader of South Korea’s opposition party during a press event. And a plane with nearly 400 people on board catches fire while landing in Japan. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. Political leader in South Korea stabbed on livestream The leader of South Korea’s…

The United States Air Force is rebuilding the airfield used to launch the nuclear attacks on Japan during World War II, reclaiming Tinian Island’s north field from the jungle — just in case it’s needed in a war with China. Diplomatic efforts to prevent a conflict notwithstanding, the U.S. and China are on a path…

Top U.S. officials are heading to Mexico to discuss the surge in illegal migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border. And police in South Korea are investigating the death of an actor who starred in the Oscar-winning film “Parasite.” These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. US officials to…

North Korea may be building up its nuclear arsenal. The U.N. Atomic Agency reports the country started operating a light-water reactor at its main nuclear complex. The agency believes the operation is an attempt to produce bomb fuels. The initiative aligns with leader Kim Jong Un’s repeated vows to build more nuclear weapons. Kim said…

Israel releases new details after three hostages taken by Hamas were mistakenly killed by Israeli troops. And, a driver crashes into President Biden’s motorcade outside his campaign headquarters. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. Israel reveals more details on 3 hostages mistakenly killed by IDF troops U.S. Defense…

South Korea and Japan deployed fighter jets on Thursday, Dec. 14, in response to Chinese and Russian military planes entering their air defense zones, according to military officials in both countries. The incident first occurred in the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) off South Korea’s east coast.  In a statement by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs…

The United States and NATO built an air defense system to protect all of Europe from short- and medium-range ballistic missiles launched by Iran. The system is called the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) missile defense system, and the final piece of the network will be operational on Dec. 15. The newest facility in the…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched South Korea’s first homegrown spy satellite from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday, Dec. 1. The launch follows North Korea’s recent successful launch of its own spy satellite. The satellite is equipped with electro-optical and infrared capabilities, following launches will feature synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which can “see”…