Korea

Now we know why North Korea has never left Ukraine. Send missiles to Russia has made it a power

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For a while nobody has heard more about North Korean troops In the Ukraine War. However, the nation has never left the conflict in Eastern Europe. In fact, now it has been known The scope of the collaboration between Moscow and Pyongyang. While North Korean missiles arrived in Russia, another package of measures and artillery has been transforming the military capacity of North Korea. A war and its missiles. I told yesterday The Guardian. A prepared report For the UN sanctions multilateral group of the UN, it has revealed that Russia is using North Korean armamentincluding ballistic missiles and heavy artillery, to intensify their attacks against Ukrainian cities and destroying critical civil infrastructure. According to this consisting team by 11 countries (Among them the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and several EU nations), the Kim Jong-un regime has sent Moscow More than 20,000 containers With ammunition since September 2023, equivalent to some nine million projectiles of artillery and rockets. This massive arms supply, a VIOLATION OF RESOLUTIONS The UN Security Council has allowed Russia to hold and intensify its long -distance bombing campaign, especially in urban areas such as Kyiv and Zaporiyia. From Korea to Russia. The revelation arrives shortly after Kim and Putin signed An association treaty Comprehensive strategic in the summer of 2024. The same compromises both powers to Attend mutually If one of them is attacked. This pact formalizes a military alliance that already It had been brewing de facto through the systematic exchange of armament, technology and military personnel. The transfer of weapons It is not limited To projectiles: North Korea has supplied Russia Balistic missilesLong -range multiple launches, self -propelled cannons and other advanced ammunition, sent by sea, air and rail. Military Renaissance. For decades, North Korea dragged a chronicle inability to modernize His army. Isolated by international sanctions, devastated by natural disasters and impoverished by its own autarkic policy, Pyongyang maintained an oxidized military apparatus, with Soviet technology from the mid -twentieth century and insufficient resources to update it. However, and as explained this week The New York TimesRussian invasion to Ukraine has offered Kim Jong-un an unexpected opportunity: a military power needy ammunition, soldiers and conventional material. In exchange for supplying those millions of projectiles and thousands of troops, Kim has received from Moscow Fuel, food, technological assistance and a flow of weapons, components and knowledge that have completely transformed the North Korean military industry. Expanding arsenal. Thanks to this tacit exchange pact, North Korea has multiplied its capacity Armamentistic HE They have identified Modernized tanks with electronic war systems, attack drones led by artificial intelligence, advanced anti-aircraft systems, air-air missiles and naval destroyers equipped with supersonic cruise missiles. Ha also Test missiles Antiacera under the direct supervision of Kim, who has intensified his visits to ammunition factories and military facilities. He kamikaze drones trial With self -destruction capacity, directed by AI, it has been one of the most striking acquisitions, reducing the South Korea gap in the field of conventional weapons. These improvements reflect a Russian technological transfer that would have been unthinkable in the recent past. Troops, experience and diplomacy. Kim has not only exported ammunition. I remembered the Times that has also sent up to 15,000 soldiers North Koreans to the Russian Front, mainly in the Kursk region. Although Moscow initially hid his presence, in the end he recognized his participation as “significant”. For the North Korean regime, this deployment has an incalculable formative value: thousands of soldiers get real experience in combat, returning as veterans, something that not even the South Korean army can exhibit. According to analyststhis symbolic and strategic component full of pride to Kim and reinforces its internal and external image, providing it with greater margin of maneuver against key actors such as Trump or Jinping. If you want also, the result is a north Korea more assertivewith renewed military muscle and expanded negotiation capacity. North Korea nuclear submarine A pact without sanction. It is another of the legs that derive from the alliance. The Cooperation with Russia has allowed North Korea avoid effectively The sanctions of the UN Security Council, which explicitly prohibit the arms trade with the Kim regime. Plus: The Ukrainian conflict has facilitated A perfect route To overcome those restrictions. Moscow needs projectiles and soldiers, Pyongyang Technology and validation. The relationship, which began as A practical exchangehas been institutionalized with the signing of that alliance treaty that we commented. Since then, North Korea has intensified the construction of new destroyers Navales, has reactivated its program Nuclear submarines and has expanded its ammunition industry, multiplying by four its production of artillery projectiles. Naval ambitions. And of all, one of the most disturbing advances We commented recently: The presentation of Choe Hyon destroyerthe first of its class in decades, armed with cruise missiles similar to Russian 3m22 Zirconpotentially nuclear. To this is added the construction project of A nuclear submarinewhose only possibility is a qualitative leap in Pyongyang’s offensive capacity. Although many experts doubt that Moscow dares to share naval nuclear technology (especially a compact reactor for submarines), the fact that North Haya publicly shown The beginning of its construction suggests an unprecedented level of ambition. Its existence, even incomplete, already alters the strategic calculations of the United States and Japan in the Pacific. Errors and improvisations. No doubt, this meteoric advance is not exempt from errors: the recent shipwreck Of the second destroyer, which occurred shortly after his launch, caused Kim’s anger and the arrest of several officers. The incident reveals the pressure that the North Korean leader is exercising on his technical and military apparatus to accelerate development deadlines. Even so, with the support of Russia, these failures do not seem to stop the general rhythm of modernization. Kim has proposed to fulfill the ambitious arms program announced in 2021, and with the resources and knowledge acquired from Moscow, it is closer than ever to achieve it. Power rebalancing. Meanwhile, for Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, the North Korean military transformation … Read more

North Korea was going to throw his greatest war boat and ended up sinking it into the sea. Everything points to a culprit: Kim Jong-un

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Making a fool of it is something that It is not anyone’s pleasure. Surely you have ever stumbled down the street and looked around to see if someone had seen you. Now, imagine that what stumbles is a Military ship of 5,000 tons and several million dollars and sinks at the time of its premiere. That is what happened last week when Kim Jong-un He witnessed how His brand new war ship sank before the impotence of all those present and under the watchful eye of the rest of the planet. And everything indicates that the error was because, as the Spanish proverb points, the hurry are not good. Short. Days before the event, satellite images They showed both the vessel and a scenario in which what seemed to be an observation zone. Probably, the place from which Kim Jong-un was going to witness that historic moment. And the truth is that it was historic, but not for the reasons he would have wanted. On May 23, during the launch ceremony of the new North Korean destroyer (the second of its most advanced class), all attendees in the front row and the world was witnesses of a Technical failure that ended in disaster: the ship overturned. That symbol of power, with 143 meters in length and 74 vertical missile launch cells, ended up ridiculous. How do we float it? Satellite images later Analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, or CSIS, they showed the ship partially sunken with tarps that covered the disaster. And, although at first the rush was blamed, we now have more clues about everything that could go wrong. Obviously, there is no official information from North Korea, but in The New York Timeswe can see that there are analysts who are quite clear what the problem was. Or the sum of them. Image | CSIS/BEYOND PARALLEL/MAXAR When a ship is finished, there is Several ways to ‘throw it’ into the water. We have the sliding launch in which the ship slides on a ramp into the water. The dry dock in which the ship is built in a dry dock and, once finished, the water dike is filled (That is done with cruises). Also the mechanical launch by cranes, the launch with airbags that are placed under the ship and allow it to slide to the water. And the side launch that drops the side ship into the water. Normally, a single technique is used, but in the North Korean destroyer disaster it seems that sliding and side techniques were used. And not because that’s how it was planned. Perfect storm. As noted The New York TimesIt was the first time that analysts watched North Korea use the side launch to throw a war ship. This technique is sure if it is done well, but in Large ships It is more likely that a problem appears, with dire consequences if it happens. The reading of the analysts is that, using that technique for a 5,000-ton ship points to a lack of experience added to the political pressures by Kim Jong-un to achieve rapid results. The destroyer was manufactured in the port city of Chongjin that has experience assembling ships of such magnitude, but not something as huge as this ship. This puts on the table that a possible trigger was that inexperience When throwing such large ships. In the absence of a dry dike of the appropriate size, it is estimated that the engineers tried the lateral launch to throw it into the water, but the angle was not correct and, when trying to slide it, the ship was unbalanced and ended up lying on the right side. When it goes well, as happened with this fighting ship of 3,500 tons in 2013, it is worth seeing: And it can also go wrong: The hurry are not good. Interestingly, this destroyer is from Choe Hyun classwhose first model was inaugurated successfully Last month. It was going to be the second great frigate of North Korea and the new example of that naval remodeling that Kim Jong-un is promoting. And the precedents were good: the first It was built In the city of Nampo and, because it is a larger shipyard, they could put it afloat through the technique of dry dock. There were no major problems and, at the inauguration, the ruler saw how test missiles were thrown successfully. However, there are hurry in the government dome to follow demonstrating to the world its military potentialwhich has led the president to visit the shipyards who are building new ships to accelerate delivery deadlines. In addition, there are information They point out that, although the ship could have thrown out correctly, the ocean exit street is narrow and has a questionable depth. I made a. pic.twitter.com/urflog6leo – Dr. Jeffrey Lewis (@armsControlwonk) May 22, 2025 Firm hand. And who will pay for this? At the moment, the ridiculous has resulted in several arrests of members of the responsible shipyard itself. The Central News Agency of Korea reported that the chief engineer, a senior armament official and another member of the installation had been arrested, and Kim himself described The accident as a “criminal act”, demanding An urgent restoration of the ship before June. Country engineers estimate that, pumping seawater, they can straighten the ship and repair damage. And it will take about ten days to do it, but it seems complicated because, after a week, Keep as it was. Sentinel-2 images of May 23 and 28. Despite the clouds, we can see that the destroyer continues exactly at the same point And sarcasm. From South Korea, which always have an eye and a half placed in what their neighbors doThey think something else. Yang UK is an expert in North Korean military affairs of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul and, as Tnyt comments, the incident may not be only an accident, but something caused by a structural imbalance on the ship itself. … Read more

Russia has made its combat drones fly higher. Ukraine has found the solution in North Korea: balloons

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The war in Ukraine has raised drones as Great actors of the contest, and the nation itself as one of the Referents in the industry. However, Russia has not stayed to the saga. In fact, the air conflict has entered into a new critical phase marked by the technical evolution of Moscow’s attack drones. Ukraine’s response to support his unmanned army has found it in a simple tactic that has used North Korea With its “neighbors”, and vice versa: hot air balloons. The new threat. As we said, the air battle is being reinforced on the Russian side with the use of drones that fly faster and higher That ever, which makes them more and more difficult to intercept with the current resources of Ukrainian defensive units. Oleksiy, subcomandante of a mobile air defense unit of the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine, revealed over the weekend In Insider that traditional trucks equipped with mounted machine guns are no longer effective against these objectives, especially when drones fly more than 2,400 meters altitude, outside the reach of .50 caliber as The m2 browning They usually use these missions. Evolution of Shad-136. Already We have spoken previously of this model. The main weapon in the Russian aerial offensive is still The Shahed-136a Kamikaze drone of Iranian origin that Moscow manufactures locally. Originally designed to fly more than 185 km/h with an explosive load of about 40 kg, the models represented a cheaper weapon than cruise missiles, which allowed Russia to display them in mass attacks. However, Moscow has begun to use A modified version of the Shahed, an equipped with a more powerful engine capable of reaching speeds greater than 290 km/h, and also carries an explosive load more than double the initial. According to Oleksiythis improvement in speed and destructive capacity complicates defense work, and although conventional models are still used, their threat has increased significantly. Decoys and saturation. Another tactic that is making a dent is the systematic use of Drones Lego Without explosive load, whose objective is not to damage directly, but exhaust resources Ukrainian air defense. These devices accurately imitate armed drones and force defensive units to spend ammunition or missiles in false whites. In addition, they can carry out long -distance recognition missions, expanding Russian intelligence capacity. The result is a Systems overload of surveillance and a decrease in interception rates, since mobile units can only observe and report, without effective means of immediate response to drones to great altitude. The challenge of altitude. Drones used to fly at low level to avoid radars, but now they do it at heights that exceed the response capacity of mobile machine guns, becoming unattainable objectives. According to Oleksiythe solution involves reinforcing these units with portable air defense systems, acquaintances Like manpads (Man-supply Air Defense Systems), such as FIM-92 Stinger Americans or the old 9k38 Igla Soviet, designed to intercept low altitude aircraft, but effective against drones in certain circumstances. The problem, however, It is double: There is a shortage of these systems and not all operators have been trained to use them efficiently. Balloons appear. And suddenly, Ukraine has begun to use A tactic that We have been Seeing in The “Korea”: The use of hot air balloons, although in this case with a variable. In an increasingly defined conflict by aerial domain and intensive use of drones, the Ukrainian nation is betting on that ingenious low -cost solution and high efficiency to overcome the communication challenges posed by the modern battlefield: captive balloons full of helium, but equipped With radio repeaters. This unexpected tool comes from Aerobavovnaa Ukrainian startup founded in 2024 that has managed to significantly reinforce the operational capacity of drones (both terrestrial and aerial) extend your scope and keep the signals stable in saturated environments by interferences and topographic obstacles. How they work and what they solve. The system is so simple as revolutionary: Balloons anchored to the ground, made of light polymers and capable of rising up to a kilometer high, carry antennas and repeaters that act as aerial bridges for communication between operators and drones. This allows to overcome one of the most common problems of the use of drones in mountainous or urban areas: the loss of direct vision linethat interrupts the signal and returns useless to the device. According to The founder explained to Insider From Aerobavvna, Yuriy Vysooven, the problem is especially critical for terrestrial drones, whose point -to -point signal does not exceed the first hill. With balloons, operators can maintain control even in hostile environments, expanding the effectiveness of recognition, attack and surveillance missions. Agile display and evolution. Although the use of aerostatos is not new, Aerobavovna has redesigned its application military for the demands of the Ukrainian front. Its current models can be deployed in just five minutes (twenty -five in adverse conditions) and remain in the air up to seven consecutive days, with a payload of up to 25 kg. This capacity allows not only to transmit control signals for FPV drones, but also operate from A high position no need for towers or fixed infrastructure. The company has even developed an advanced version that can transport up to 30 kg of load, which opens the door to the use of more powerful electronic war systems from the air, without compromising mobility or speed of deployment. The challenges: precision and stability. No doubt, despite its success in the field, Aerobavovna It faces important technical difficulties, mainly related to aerostate stability in suction conditions. The accuracy in the orientation of the antennas is critical for the transmission of FPV signals, and any un controlled movement can compromise the entire operation. Air turbulence negatively affects the exact positioning of repeaters, which must be kept motionless and perfectly aligned so that the signal does not degrade or lose. This converts system stability into A priority challengeespecially when capabilities with heavier loads are extended. The production problem. It is the last great “but” of the invention. Currently, Aerobavvna produces … Read more

North Korea has just launched its impressive frigate with a vertical missile system. He has sunk

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Satellite images, those imposing air views from space, have allowed us to see our planet from Another perspective. These snapshots make screenshots To analyze how it affects the passage of time, for example, to the environmentbut also for reveal other secrets. An example of this we saw recently, when in North Korea it appeared An imposing construction that left little doubt. That half -finished frigate has appeared in society. And it has not lasted much afloat. A naval failure. It happened few hours ago. The launch ceremony of the second most advanced frigate in North Korea, held in the port of Chongjin with the presence of Kim Jong Un, ended in disaster when The ship overturned sideways after a technical failure during its side launch. Satellite images Subsequent show the nave tilted next to the spring, partially sunk and covered with blue canvases to hide the incident. The incident, qualified by Kim himself as A “criminal act” As a result of an “absolute negligence”, it was publicly recognized unusually rapidly by state media, in an attempt to anticipate the inevitable dissemination of satellite images. Official research points to a Bogies failure (The cars that support the helmet during the slip) that caused an asymmetric detachment and the consequent structural imbalance. Kim has demanded a Urgent restoration Before the plenary meeting of the central committee of the party in June, although experts doubt that this is possible given the magnitude of the damages. A sunk symbol. The sinister frigate belongs to the same class as The Choi Hyonlaunched In April From the western port of Nampo, and it is, with its 5,000 tons Dear, the largest North Korean war ship to date. Designed not only for coastal defense but also for strategic projection operations, the Choi Hyon class stands out for its 74 launch cells Missile vertical (VLS), which could house from ballistic missiles to supersonic cruise or advanced anti -aircraft defenses. They counted in The New York Times That the construction speed of these frigates, unprecedented in the country, suggests a somewhat hurried and politically motivated campaign, more focused on propaganda than in naval operability. In fact, during the armed tests of the Choi Hyon He suspected that still lacked complete propulsion systems, which reinforces the idea that key phases of development have been ignored with such With the terms of the regime. The lateral launch. Apparently, the method used (the lateral launch, unusual in North Korea) required a precise distribution of weight along the helmet, as well as a specialized infrastructure. According to him CSIS analysis (Center for Strategic & International Studies), the ruling could be due to the poor condition or poor installation of the rails of the side slide, aggravated by the fact that the Hambuk shipyard, selected to build this second frigate, It lacks experience in large tonnage ships. Traditionally, this shipyard has limited itself to minor vessels, such as chargueros or patrols, which raises doubts about its suitability for a program of such a magnitude. Plus: The simultaneous use of cranes and barges, detected days before launch, could have contributed to collapse structural. Political impact and consequences. A failure of this caliber always has consequences, but in a space like North Korea perhaps more. Beyond the technical error, the incident represents a considerable setback for the naval aspirations of Kim Jong Un, who seeks Transform the Navy Popular Korean (KPN) in a water force capable of strategic offensive operations. Failure not only puts that narrative in check, but It exposes vulnerability of a program that mixes excessive ambition with insufficient industrial capabilities. In fact, Kim has promised severe punishments To those responsible, which could translate into personal repercussions for engineers and officers of the shipyard. Although it has not yet been determined if the ship is a total loss, its recovery seems unlikely in the short termand any delay directly undermines the political schedule of the regime. Little operational effort. As we said and underlined In the Washington Postthis frigate program, rather than building a really capable naval force, seems oriented to reinforce the image of North Korea as self -sufficient military power before its population (and the world). Kim’s presence in the tests, the deployment of experimental missiles and the media fanfare that surrounded the Choi Hyon class indicate that the goal was more prestigious than tactical. However, the simple existence of these platforms, potentially armed with nuclear missiles, represents a latent threat that, of course, should not be underestimated. Under that context, the failure of the launch in Chongjin is not only a technical setback: it is a symbolic blow to the heart of Pyongyang’s strategic story. Image | Maxar Technologies, Csis In Xataka | North Korea has built a resort so great that it now faces another problem: find tourists to fill it In Xataka | Russia has confirmed one of the great unknowns of war in Ukraine: North Korea accompanies them and not only with troops

Japan went to South Korea as a desperate measure for the lack of rice. They have not even solved a national emergency

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To understand what is happening in Japan we must go back in time. The summer of 2024 left A perfect storm On the basis of the nation’s diet: rice. A unprecedented shortage of grains in his own fields began to leave No stock to shops. Then, the tourist boom has duplicate the problem turning it into a historical crisis reflected in a fact: 30% more expensive was being paid. Given the danger to running without a basic pillar, the decision was made “Release” tons of your reservations. What nobody could anticipate. Foreign rice. In April, La Nación opted for another unprecedented decision in 25 years: Import rice From South Korea, an unthinkable measure in a society Historically reluctant to the foreign grain, but that was forced to make its customs more flexible to the vertiginous increase in the price of the national grain. With prices that They doubled their value Regarding the previous year (reaching 4,214 yuan by 5 kg in April) and with a government response that fails to contain the climbing, consumers have begun to look beyond their borders. Not just that. The Aeon chain He also announced which will begin to sell American rice Calrose starting next month, with a price 10% lower than the Japanese grain, a decision that could mark a turning point in consumption habits. In front of national rice. The arrival of South Korean rice, sold both online and in supermarkets, although even in small volumes (just two tons with another twenty on the way), marked a point of cultural and economic inflection. The nationalist preference for local rice, which had condemned to failure Previous attempts such as that of Thai rice in 1993, has yielded to the urgency of more accessible prices. The Guardian told Cases of testimonies such as that of Miki Nihei diner, who said not to notice any difference when eating Californian rice, and revealed a change in public perception: the quality of foreign grain was no longer a sufficient reason to resist, when the pocket suffers. The rice becomes a politician. Now, a few weeks after crucial elections for the Upper House, the government of the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru ishiba is on the edge of political collapse Given the growing discomfort by the exorbitant increase in the price of rice, central food in Japanese food. With inflation that has reached the most symbolic product in the country, citizens have expressed their frustration in surveys such as that of the Kyodo agency, which places the approval of the Ishiba cabinet in a minimum of 27.4%marking a fall of more than five points in just one month. The pressure intensifies not only from the opposition, but also from its own Democratic Liberal Party (PLD), already weakened after lose most In the lower house last fall. THE DEBATE ON THE Impost to consumption Of 10%, that the government refuses to reduce despite popular claims, is emerging as the decisive axis of the electoral contest of July, with almost three quarters of voters asking for their total or partial cuts, especially in food. A late remedy. As we said at the beginning, in an attempt to contain the crisis, the government decided to release rice from the strategic reserves In March, a normally reserved measure For natural disasterswhich failed to stop the price increase. The price price in supermarkets reached practically Double of what cost a year ago. Although the price dropped minimally after the release of the first 300,000 tons, the results were disappointing. To reinforce his strategy, the executive announced the launch of another 300,000 tons Additional until July, with the novelty that part of these items will overcome wholesalers to reach the points of sale faster. However, More than 87% From respondents believe that these actions are insufficient, and citizens do not trust that trade negotiations with the United States focused among other issues in rice imports will be resolved in favor of Japan. From there to that leap For the search for “foreigner” rice In South Korea. A political fire. The theme has become more violent in recent days. It happened when the Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Taku Eto, unleashed A political storm and socially by declare that “he has never had to buy rice” thanks to the gifts he receives from his supporters. The phrase, pronounced during a fundraising party, was disseminated by the Kyodo and quickly replicated agency by other meansgenerating a wave of indignation in social networks where thousands of citizens, faced at record prices of the Japanese basic food, demanded their immediate resignation. Eto, visibly pressed, apologized the next day before the journalists, claiming that “he had exaggerated to please the public” and that his wife, after reprimanding him on the phone, reminded him that she Yes Buy Rice When it ends at home. Thus, he avoided responding if he will present his resignation, leaving the tension generated in full countdown to the key elections of the upper house in July. A market that does not supply. In short, the Rice search Out of the nation is not (alone) a commercial turn that responds only to the registration of the national product, but (also) to the suspicion of hoarding by distributors, logistics bottlenecks and a Shot demand For booming tourism. Given this panorama, the image of ishiba as an effective manager It wobblesand its refusal to touch the consumption tax is interpreted as disconnection with the real needs of citizenship. The rice crisis is not only forcing logistics and commercial adjustments, but also raises questions about the viability of food self -sufficiency in Japan, a country that for decades has shielded its agriculture with subsidies, tariffs and a national identity speech linked to the consumption of domestic rice. Suddenly, the rice not only feeds: it also marks the measure of discontent. Image | Ilo Asia-Pacific In Xataka | Japan had used its rice reserve against earthquakes or tsunamis. Now is your weapon against the price escalation In Xataka | In Japan there … Read more

A power in nuclear energy is emerging as the best alternative to Russia and China for the West: South Korea

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Russia and China are indisputably two powers in nuclear energy. So are USA, France and other western alignment countries. Although these states have a bulky nuclear plant park which really places them at the forefront is Your ability to develop new technologiesand in this area the most promising reactors are The fourth generation. Russia and China already have at least A reactor of this type in operationand the US, France, India, Canada or Japan are some of the countries that plan to have them in the future. However, there is a power in nuclear energy that often goes unnoticed. We all know that South Korea has a lot of weight in semiconductor industries, consumer electron Nuclear energy as a strategic pillar Not only within its mix of electricity generation, but also as an engine of innovation and export. South Korea is the most consistent alternative to China and Russia Currently South Korea has 26 Nuclear reactors in operation with an approximate total capacity of 25.7 GWE. This infrastructure contributes to its Mix with 30% of electricity, although the commitment of this Asian country for nuclear energy does not end here. And it is that between 2026 and 2033 the construction of four more reactors will conclude that will have a power of 1,340 MWE each of them, so the total installed power in this country within less than a decade will exceed 30 GWE. Its APR-1400 reactors incorporate passive security systems that allow them to compete from you with the machines exported by Russia, China or the USA In any case, as I have anticipated a few lines above, which has placed South Korea to the avant -garde and has positioned this country as One of the largest exporters in the nuclear sector It is your ability to develop your own technologies. Their APR-1400 reactors incorporate passive security systems that allow them to compete from you with the machines exported by Russia, China or the US. In fact, South Korea has already exported this reactor to the United Arab Emirates and is negotiating with the Czech Republic and Poland to sell their technology. On the other hand, this Asian country has also opted for fourth generation nuclear fission. Your smart reactor (System-Integrad Modular Advanced Reactor), what is An SMR type design (Compact modular reactor) is in the process of certification to be used in desalination and electricity generation facilities. It also prepares fourth generation reactors refrigerated by sodium, such as the machine outlined in the Kalimer project, although it is not yet clear when the first South Korean commercial reactor endorsed by this technology will come into operation. South Korea has a very ambitious plan: wants to capture at least Ten international contracts until 2030. His first project abroad has been Barakah’s nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, and It has been a success. As I mentioned a few lines above, Czech Republic and Poland are presumably will bet on South Korean reactors, but South Korea nuclear energy companies are also trying to take contracts in Egypt, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey and even in the United Kingdom. If only some of them get to fruition this Asian country will become a full competitor in the international market of China, Russia, France or the US. Image | Wikierati More information | Bloomberg In Xataka | Spanish nuclear have been criticized for their role in the blackout. This was what they did before, during and after collapse

The Benidorm of North Korea is about to open. Your problem is how to fill the crazy number of rooms

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In October 2024 confirmed the plan that had Pyonyang in hands. Benidorm is only one, but if tourism has become the Economic engine Of so many nations, they did not want to stay in the saga. Thus, North Korea announced that the ambitious project to turn Wonsan into a kind of Benidorm to the Korean There was a stern wind. The idea is now about to become a reality, it is called Wonsan-Kalma, and the number of rooms has gone hand in hand. An unparalleled resort. As we have gone countingKim Jong’s ambitious tourism project on the Kalma Peninsula, on the east coast of North Korea, seeks to position itself as one of the world’s greatest holiday complexes. A fact exposes the intentions: it has an estimated capacity between 7,000 and 20,000 rooms. Conceived as a tourist city from scratch, the resort Wonsan Kalma is described by analysts as the most huge tourism project ever driven by the regime. Announced Back in 2014the complex suffered multiple delays attributable to international sanctions and then at the closure of borders during the pandemic. However, its opening is already planned for June, and the regime has rehearsed a shy reopening to international tourism, although the economic viability of the resort remains deeply uncertain. Tourism as a strategy. Kim conceives the resort not only as a source of income in foreign currency, but as showcase of power and the modernity of your regime. However, the attractiveness of the enclave is in question: experts like Bruce W. Bennett and Marcus Noland They explained this week The doubts that foreign visitors attract in sufficient quantity to justify their huge investment. The logical basis of the project, which presumably aspired to capture South Korean tourists for its proximity and purchasing power, collides with the diplomatic impossibility of allowing them to enter. Meanwhile, and as We explain weeks agoRussian agencies have begun Offer tour packets for Citizens of Vladivostokbut even there the enthusiasm is doubtful. Russian travelers, According to the operators themselvesThey continue to prefer traditional destinations such as Thailand or Dubai. Oasis restricted to internal consumption. Thus, another plausible strategy of the regime would be to take advantage of the resort as an internal control and reward mechanism. They counted in Insider that the facilities could be used as an incentive for loyal citizens or exemplary workers, and the complex is designed with areas reserved for presidential delegations and suites. The problem? As Bennett points outaccess will be rigorously segregated, mainly to prevent North Korean citizens from entering foreign visitors. This structure reinforces the propaganda nature of the resort that, a priori, would serve more as a political showcase than as a real tourism center (something similar To “little manhattan” They raised recently). Structural limitations. Despite the monumental effort, the project drags many of the endemic problems of the regime. The Lack of experience North Korean in the hotel industry and the rigid state censorship are important obstacles to offer a credible tourist experience. In addition, recent history of the Ryugyong Hotel (That unfinished skyscraper for decades and symbol of North Korean failed excess) remains a latent warning. Plus: Kim’s fear of the free flow of information is incompatible with the logic of contemporary tourism. Therefore, although it is seen of modernity and luxury, it is likely to end up being Another monumental decorationwithout sufficient and useful tourists only as a propaganda tool. There is several examples similar A “diplomatic” letter. If you want, in parallel, the complex can be seen as a piece on the diplomatic board. In 2018, Trump had suggested Kim towill help your “big beaches” For economic development, and it is not ruled out that the resort is used precisely as a symbolic gesture in future negotiations, especially if Pyongyang seeks recognition as a nuclear power. Remember that the nation already has made “resort” For Russian soldiers. In that context, Kalma can always fluctuate, like promise or threat: It can be used to show openness or reinforce the cult of the leader. If so, Kim Jong Un, determined to differentiate himself from his predecessors, could see in “his Benidorm” not only a tourist destination, but a political statement to the world. Image | Diego Delso, Clay Gilliland In Xataka | Kalma is the first real effort of North Korea to become a holiday place. For now only for Russians In Xataka | North Korea has revealed a small manhattan of 10,000 apartments. The problem is what is behind the facade

In South Korea, parents are buying their children actions of Tesla instead of toys. Child capital is priority

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In January there was one of the most anticipated news in time in South Korea. A small ray of hope after years of demographic debacle when seeing how the nation saw a Increase figure thus breaking a streak of almost ten years. Then we knew ideas that sought to further enhance that birth rate, such as the offer of “Premium” meat To the new moms. Now we also know that kids are receiving gifts from their parents. But they are not toys, they are actions. From stuffed to the portfolio. In South Korea, traditional children’s gifts (dolls, consoles or games) are being replaced For stock stock actionsan increasingly popular trend between parents seeking to plant the seeds of financial education from childhood. What was previously exclusive to expert adults, today, According to local mediait makes its way between minors who, with the consent of its parents, already total more than 1.2 million investment accounts in the country. Explained the Korean Times Cases like Lee’s, a 45 -year -old office worker who has given her son on her birthday and on Children’s Day, embodying this new philosophy for seven years: build an early heritage and transmit economic knowledge through the example. Although the child still prefers the letters of Pokémon that his mother gives him, the father’s intention is not immediate, but in the long term: familiarize him with concepts such as dividends, shareholding property and compound growth, even if for now he does not fully understand them (or nothing). Fiscal instruments and benefits. This kind of dystopia has much more, since the favorite instruments of this generation of children’s investors are the High Dividend ETFfunds that replicate indices such as S&P 500, and actions known as those of Samsung Electronics, Tesla, Nvidia or Apple. Because the strategy not only responds to an educational eagerness, but also to tax advantages: Parents can transfer up to 20 million WON (about 14,000 euros) Free from child taxes every decade, which converts these gifts into efficient patrimonial transmission vehicles. According to an example cited in the middle by a father, an initial investment of 20 million WON with an annual yield of 7% can be transformed into 70 million after 20 yearswithout paying a single won. This forecast is aligned with an increasingly entrenched vision that the economic future begins to build not in adulthood, but in the first years of life. Adolescence and stock market. Apparently, the trend has begun to permeate even among children and adolescents themselves, particularly in the strip from 17 to 19 years. In a recent survey Made by Samsung Securities43% of young people claimed to have an investment account In his name, and 58% declared that they planned to invest in shares soon. This youthful interest contrasts with the traditional lack of financial culture among the youngest in other countries, and reveals a society that, through parental practice and accompaniment, is Refforting your relationship With money from the bases. According to Hwang Seiionresearcher of Korea Capital Market Institutethis phenomenon has low risk due to the small initial amounts and adult guidelines, but it can have a high impact on the literacy long -term financial. Seducing childhood. The last of the legs to be treated. Faced with this hatching of investors Precocosstockbrokers are deploying directed campaigns directly to children and adolescent public. Within the framework of Children’s Day, signatures like Mira Asset Securities, Samsung Securities and Kiwoom Securities offered economic rewardsgift cards and reduced commissions for minors that open their first online accounts. Kiwoomwhich concentrates more than half a million of these children’s accounts, has even launched a Educational Channel On YouTube to teach basic finances in a didactic way. An entire ecosystem that points to a strategic objective: to capture the investor from its earliest stage to consolidate a long -term relationship with the market. Transcending money. The KT told That, in the background, and beyond the accumulation of wealth, this movement represents a sociocultural transformation: money ceases to be a taboo issue between parents and children and becomes part of the dialogue daily. In a dystopia that few were able to advance, tell a small child who is Tesla’s shareholder or who has a fraction of the S&P 500 not only introduces it to the language of capital, but, apparently, offers a new way of understanding his place in the economic world. If you want also, in a historically oriented society to savings and educational effortSouth Korea seems to be finding new ways to translate those values ​​into the 21st century. What was once an envelope with tickets today can be a business fraction, and what was once an ephemeral toy, now it becomes a tool financial training. Childhood, losing along the way part of its playful character, is thus linked to a broader notion of forecast. Because how these hint Parents “Visionaries”It is never too soon to learn to invest in the future. Image | Pexels In Xataka | The last idea of ​​South Korea to lift birth: Free flesh to the new moms South Korea | Seoul is so desperate to activate his birth rate that he has had an idea: give € 700 to those who marry

North Korea accompanies them and not only with troops

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Since the Russian invasion in Ukraine began, a doubt has remained despite the apparent evidence. Neither The videosneither The testimoniesnot even the capture of prisoners North Korea by Ukraine ended up confirming the entire planet that, indeed, Pyongyang was fighting with Moscow. That moment of doubt has come to an end. Both nations They have confirmed How far their ties arrive. It is official. After months of rumors, Russia and North Korea They confirmed publicly that North Korean troops have been fighting on Russian soil next to Moscow’s forces in the war against Ukraine. The announcement, almost simultaneously by Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, celebrated the role of thousands of North Korean soldiers who, according to both leaders, contributed decisively to the “complete release” of the Russian border region of Kursk, a territory that had been briefly occupied by Ukrainian troops during the previous summer. So and according to the figures that move, North Korea has already sent about 14,000 soldiersmainly special forces, and replaced to more than 4,000 That, according to southern Korea estimates, they have died or results injured since 2023. But there is much more, since other military personnel, Pyongyang has supplied Millions of projectiles of artillery and ballistic missiles that Moscow has used against Ukrainian cities. Common objective. The joint recognition of this collaboration marks not only a military intensification but also diplomatic, at a time when both nations seek reinforce your position International against the United States. For Russia, the direct involvement of foreign troops allows you to snatch an important negotiation resource (Kursk’s partial control) just when Trump presses by a rapid resolution of the conflict. For North Korea, having poured blood on the Russian battlefield creates a kind of symbolic and political debt In Putin, expanding the margin of Kim Jong-un maneuver in future negotiations with Washington, including its stagnant nuclear program. Symbolism and propaganda. He counted The New York Times That in North Korea, Kim ordered to erect a monument in honor of fallen soldiers in Russia, a gesture that seeks to institutionalize this alliance as a brotherhood sealed by military sacrifice. Putin, meanwhile, exalted Korean fighters as decent heroes The same recognition as its Russian peers, a statement aimed at strengthening the internal narrative of the Kremlin and to consolidate an international cooperation that is increasingly depending on authoritarian regimes. The alliance is based not only on tactical interests but also on concrete benefits: North Korea, subject to hard sanctions, would be receiving in return Direct financial aid and Advanced military technologies that could improve their arms capacity. According to experts, it is not ruled out that Pyongyang Send more troops or expand your presence in the conflict with the aim of deepening your strategic links with Moscow. A clandestine arsenal. According to the Guardian And focused on arms aid, the use of a North Korean ballistic missile in a Russian attack that left 12 dead in kyiv had already put the depth of this collaboration in the foreground. It was a KN-23 missileendowed with an eyelet of up to a ton, which according to the Ukrainian Intelligence Services and South Koreans is part of a broader delivery of at least 148 kn-23 missiles and KN-24 Sent by Pyongyang since the late 2023. To this is added the supply of millions of artillery projectiles, multiple launch rockets and long -range artillery systems, which have reached the front through 64 maritime and railway shipments carefully tracked, representing Up to 70% of the weapons Artillery used by Russia on some fronts. War as a test field. It is another of the slopes of this alliance. The British environment explained that beyond the quantitative, the North Korean contribution has a strategic value that exceeds the simple replacement of obsolete reserves: many of these weapons are modern, and their deployment in Ukraine offers the Kim Jong-a regime Real Laboratory to Test and perfect its military technology. Missiles of the Hwasong-11 seriesself -propelled mortars and multiple pitchers not only reinforce the Russian offensive, but allow North Korea to evaluate the fight in combat of their own weapons systems. As the war extends, analysts of the Stimson Center and Network Nuclear Open foreseen a escalation in the arms supplyincluding anti -tank missiles, joint development drones and anti -aircraft systems that are already being studied for future deliveries. Barter geopolitics. For experts as Hugh Griffithsformer member of the UN sanctions monitoring panel, without the help of Kim Jong-un, Putin could not sustain his current offensive. In exchange for sending weapons and soldiers, Pyongyang I would be receiving Strategic components and technical knowledge that could transform their own offensive abilities, both in the Korean Peninsula and outside it. Redrawing the balances. In short, this war cooperation Between two of the most isolated regimes in the world represents a new chapter in the Ukraine War, one that acquires an increasingly internationalized dimension. While Ukraine disputes the narrative about Kursk control And it maintains the hope of using that land as a currency in peace negotiations, North Korean involvement transforms that front into a symbol of Global rearrangement of alliances. By participating directly in the European conflict, Pyongyang is not only positioned as a more ambitious military actor, but also redouble your challenge to the international order led by the West. In the background and between the lines, what is consolidated is a Moscow -Pyongyang axis with long -term implications for regional security in Asia, European stability and the already tense pulse between the United States, China, Russia and their respective allies. Image | The Presidential Press and Information Office In Xataka | Thousands of North Koreans came to fight with Russia. The question now is where they have gotten two weeks In Xataka | “I wanted to watch romantic films”: This was the surreal capture of the first North Korean soldier in Ukraine

re -estate in South Korea

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If “tariff” does not end up being the word of the year, it will be because something very fat happens from now on. The Trump administration has applied a series of Tariffs to practically all countries of the world, with cases as striking as the Gravamen up to 145% to some China products, with 125% response on their part. That is why Chinese sellers are studyingnot very legal lternatives To skip those tariffs and continue selling to the United States. Among those options is the re -labeling of products. The problem is that South Korea has caught them. Rehewed. A few days ago, and how can we read in Reutersthe customs authorities of South Korea (KCS) reported on a key discovery: a network of re -labeling of Chinese products. It is a mechanism by which Chinese companies carry their products to South Korea, put a South Korean label instead of the classic ‘Made in China’ and export those products to other countries. The effect is evident: China has very high tariffs in some products, South Korea not so much (and they have been suspended For three months), so it is an effective tool to skip those US commercial barriers and to continue selling their products in one of its main markets. The products. Do not think that these are plastic toys or pieces: among what South Korean customs have found are “high value” products. For example, surveillance cameras worth 19.3 billion wones (12.9 million euros) or materials used in batteries worth 3.3 billion wones (2.2 million euros), among others. As we say, they reached South Korean soil, they were processed minimally or even nothing, they re -rectified as if they were of South Korean origin and were exported to the United States. This is because South Korea is a United States partner with a free trade agreement, so it is a very attractive bridge to avoid tariffs. Trend. This is nothing new. During the Commercial War that we lived a few years ago (the one that put Huawei in the focus Of all the conflict), Chinese companies already used these tactics to avoid the blockages, labeling their products under “flag” Vietnamese, Malaya or South Korean. The problem is that, as the South Korean customs service indicates, the recent tariffs are having clear effects on this practice. Only during the first quarter of this year, the country’s customs detected violations of merchandise origin of 29,500 million wones (19.7 million euros) and 97% of them were destined for the United States. To put it in perspective, in all 2024 these violations were estimated at 34,800 of Wones (23.3 million euros), with 62% of those destined for the United States. Implications. The correlation between the recent tariffs and these re -labeling practices seem clear and the consequence is that South Korea will intensify its activity to intercept these products. So much that they have created a special group to investigate and combat these practices through surprise inspections and a closer collaboration with US authorities. Now, this practice can damage the reputation of companies that legitimately export their products. It will be the task of the different administrations to ensure the reputation and security of these exports, putting The focus of suspicion against companies that have more opaque supply chains. Works (they tell North Korea). As we read in EnterpriseSouth Korea is not the only country that would be used as ‘bypass’. In February, it was discovered that some Chinese companies sent their merchandise to Mexico, re -tixed and distributed them in smaller packages and introduced them into US soil. And it is something that simply works. An example outside the current tariffs is North Korea hair. Basically, there are North Korean companies that import post -haired hair from China, they assemble it to create eyelashes or wigs, they return it to Chinese companies in the form of finished product and it is China that is responsible for distributing that product both inside and outside its market, labeling the product as a fact in China and not in North Korea. Images | Xataka In Xataka | The tariff war will shoot the price of a component that nobody speaks: the SSD units

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