By Byun Duk-kun WASHINGTON, March 14 (Yonhap) -- Any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea will be the end of the reclusive regime in Pyongyang, a U.S. Department of Defense spokesperson said Tuesday, amid concerns of a nuclear test by the reclusive country. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder also reiterated that the U.S. remains committed to deterring aggression. "I think we have been very clear that were North Korea to employ a nuclear weapon, it would be the end of the North Korean regime," the department press secretary told a daily press briefing. The U.S. had warned of such a dire consequence of a nuclear attack by North Korea after Pyongyang enacted a new law that it said would allow preemptive use of its nuclear weapons in case of a contingency. "Any nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners is unacceptable and will result in the end of that regime," the defense department had said in its National Defense Strategy, released in Octobe

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SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- A U.S. B-1B strategic bomber returned to South Korea for joint exercises Sunday, just 16 days after its previous deployment, as Pyongyang fired yet another ballistic missile into the East Sea, according to the defense ministry. The drills took place in skies over the Korean Peninsula as part of the Freedom Shield exercise that has been under way since March 13, and also involved F-35A stealth fighter jets of South Korea and U.S. F-16 fighters, the ministry said. A B-1B bomber was previously deployed to the peninsula on March 3. The deployment, seen as a show of force against North Korea, came as the North fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea earlier Sunday, three days after Pyongyang test-fired a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The defense ministry said the joint air drills demonstrated the robust combined defense posture of the South Korean and U.S. air forces and commitment to extended deterrence, w

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SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- A grandson of former President Chun Doo-hwan, who ruthlessly crushed a pro-democracy uprising in 1980, called his grandfather a "slaughterer," while accusing his family of allegedly using money from hidden assets. Since Monday, the grandson, named Chun Woo-won, has been posting undisclosed photos and fresh revelations about his family on social media that went viral in South Korea. "I believe my grandfather is a slaughterer. He is not a hero that protected the country but just a criminal," he said in a video uploaded on his Instagram account. The former president, who died at the age of 90 in 2021, seized power in a 1979 military coup and served as a president from 1980 to 1988. He has been widely criticized for the bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju, which left hundreds of people dead. In a telephone interview with Yonhap News Agency, Jae-yong, a son of the former strongman, confirmed that Woo-won is his son. Ja

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(ATTN: UPDATES with U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's statement in paras 9-10) SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) toward the East Sea on Sunday, South Korea's military said, in yet another provocation in apparent protest over an ongoing South Korea-U.S. military exercise. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from the Tongchang-ri area on the country's west coast at 11:05 a.m., and the missile flew some 800 kilometers before splashing into the sea. The Tongchang-ri area is home to the North's key long-range rocket launch site. "The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States are conducting a comprehensive analysis on (the missile's) specifics," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters. It added the allies will carry out their combined military drills in a "high-intensity" and "thorough" manner, while vowing to maintain a firm readiness posture based on capabilities to respond "ove

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SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will end the mask mandate for public transportation next week, the government announced Wednesday, lifting one of the last-remaining COVID-19 restrictions amid a stable virus situation. Vice Interior Minister Han Chang-seob said during a government COVID-19 response meeting that the lifting will go into effect Monday. The decision came as South Korea's daily virus tally continues its downward trend, reaching 11,401 cases Tuesday. Currently, wearing a mask is mandatory on public transportation, including buses, subways and taxis, as well as at hospitals, pharmacies and other high-risk facilities after the government lifted the indoor mask mandate on Jan. 30 except for those places. The mask mandate will remain in place for medical facilities, pharmacies and facilities vulnerable to infections. pbr@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, March 17 (Yonhap) -- J-Hope, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, has said the date for his enlistment in the military has been set. He, however, did not reveal the exact date, apparently hoping to make his future entry to a military boot camp a low-profile event. "I can't give you the details, but I have the date of my enlistment already. It's time to get ready," he said during a live broadcast on Weverse, a K-pop fan community platform, Thursday. "I think it is right to fulfill my duty as soon as possible and show you a maturer side of myself," he added. Last month, the group's agency, BigHit Music, said the dancer-rapper would begin the process of enlistment by applying for the termination of his enlistment postponement, without providing a specific time frame for the entry. He will become the second member of BTS to enroll in the military, following the oldest member, Jin, who began his military service in December. In South Korea, all able-bodied men

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SEOUL, March 15 (Yonhap) -- Police raided the defense ministry on Wednesday as part of an investigation into claims of a fortune teller's alleged involvement in the relocation of the presidential residence. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent investigators to the ministry headquarters in Seoul's Yongsan district to seize evidence, including vehicle entry records, officials said. The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol had earlier filed a complaint for libel charges against several people, including Kim Jong-dae, a former lawmaker of the minor progressive Justice Party, who alleged the fortune teller, known as Cheongong, made visits to the Army office inside the ministry compound. The presidential office lodged an additional complaint against former defense ministry spokesperson Boo Seung-chan and two news outlets last month that claimed Cheongong, accompanied by the head of the presidential security service, visited the Army office as well as the Army chief's official

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SEOUL, March 14 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile toward the East Sea on Tuesday, Seoul's military said, a day after South Korea and the United States kicked off a regular military exercise. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced the launch. It did not immediately provide other details. The latest launch came after the North fired what it claimed to be two "strategic cruise missiles" from a submarine Sunday and conducted a "fire assault drill" three days earlier. On Monday, Seoul and Washington began their 11-day Freedom Shield exercise, which is to proceed with the concurrent field training exercise, called the Warrior Shield. Pyongyang has decried the exercises as a rehearsal for a war of aggression against it. sshluck@yna.co.kr

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SEOUL, March 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired an unspecified missile from a submarine over the weekend, Seoul's military said Monday, in apparent protest over a regular South Korea-U.S. combined military exercise to begin this week. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that it detected the missile launched from the North's eastern coastal city of Sinpo on Sunday morning. It did not immediately provide other details. "While strengthening its monitoring and vigilance, our military is maintaining a full readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States," the JCS said in a text message sent to reporters. The latest launch came on the eve of the allies' major Freedom Shield exercise, which kicks off on Monday. The North has decried the exercise as "preparations for a war of aggression" against it. sshluck@yna.co.kr

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