Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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U.S. concern over possible N. Korean nuclear test remains real: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States continues to remain concerned about a potential North Korean nuclear test, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday, noting that Pyongyang may still decide to conduct a test.

Sullivan also expressed concerns over additional North Korean missile tests.

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New head of U.N. human rights office in Seoul urges N. Korea to improve rights situation

SEOUL -- The new head of the U.N. human rights agency's office in South Korea on Thursday called on North Korea to use resources for improving its dire human rights situations instead of focusing on provocative acts, like missile launches.

James Heenan, representative of the U.N. Human Rights Office in Seoul, made the remarks during his introductory meeting with reporters here amid heightened tensions on the peninsula caused by a string of North Korea's missile provocations.

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(2nd LD) N. Korea's 'SA-5 missile' fired across NLL similar to Russia's missile used in Ukraine war: S. Korean military

SEOUL -- The North Korean missile that flew across its de facto maritime border with South Korea last week has been found to be an "SA-5" type similar to that used by Russia in the Ukraine war, South Korea's military said Wednesday.

The defense ministry announced the results of an interagency analysis of the debris of a missile that North Korea fired southward on Nov. 2 past the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea.

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U.S. imposes sanctions on two individuals for aiding N. Korea's weapons program

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. treasury department on Tuesday designated two individuals for transporting prohibited goods to North Korea to be used in the country's missile development program.

"This action is part of the United States' ongoing efforts to limit the DPRK's ability to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs that threaten regional stability and follows numerous recent DPRK ballistic missile launches, which are in clear violation of multiple United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions," the department said in a press release.

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S. Korea's military kicks off 4-day Taegeuk drills

SEOUL -- South Korea's military began its annual computer-simulated Taegeuk exercise Monday, officials here said, as part of efforts to hone its capabilities against North Korea's threats.

The four-day command post exercise will focus on strengthening crisis management capabilities, and the ability to transition into wartime and train operational capabilities against various threats, including those from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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