South Korea

The speaker of the House will stop in four Asian countries this week, but made no mention of a possible stop in Taiwan. Rumors she might visit the island democracy has fueled tension with China.

In a speech marking the 69th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, Kim said his country is ready to use nuclear weapons in potential military conflicts with the U.S. or South Korea.

North Korea on Sunday slammed the United States, South Korea and Japan for pushing to boost their trilateral military cooperation, warning it would reinforce its military capability.

The White House announced Tuesday that it would restrict use of the weapons, aligning the country's policy more closely — though not fully — with an international treaty banning the deadly explosives.

Two South Korean KT-1 trainer aircraft planes collided in mid-air during training and crashed near their base on Friday, killing all four people aboard the aircraft, officials said.

The grievances over sexual slavery, forced labor and other abuses stemming from Japan's WW II-era colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula have strained Seoul-Tokyo relations in recent years.

South Korea says North Korea fired at least one projectile in its third weapons launch this month, hours after the North warned of stronger action if the U.S. continues its "confrontational stance."

The potential upgrade at a U.S. air defense base, within range of missiles in North Korea and China, has residents concerned as Seoul walks a delicate balancing act between the rival powers.

A person who crossed the border from South Korea into North Korea on New Year's Day was likely a defector who had made the trip in the other direction in late 2020, the military said Monday.

The South Korean government says it will grant a special pardon to former President Park Geun-hye, 69, who is serving a lengthy prison term for bribery and other crimes.