Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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U.S. deepening trilateral cooperation with S. Korea, Japan against N. Korean threats: Biden

WASHINGTON -- The United States is strengthening its cooperation with South Korea and Japan to deter evolving threats posed by North Korea, President Joe Biden said Thursday.

Biden's remark comes after North Korea launched what it claims to be its first military spy satellite in a botched attempt.

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IMO adopts first-ever resolution condemning N. Korea's missile launches

LONDON/SEOUL -- The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a resolution strongly condemning North Korea's missile tests for the first time earlier this week, in a clear message to the reclusive country against its escalating provocations.

The resolution, adopted at the 107th session of the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) in London on Wednesday (local time), denounced the launches as a serious threat to the safety of international navigation and urged compliance with due regulations, including giving prior notice ahead of any missile tests.

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(LEAD) N.K.'s space vehicle possibly had technical glitch from 'excessive route change': S. Korean spy agency

SEOUL -- North Korea's launch of a "space launch vehicle" may have failed due to a technical problem caused by "excessive change of the projectile's route," South Korea's spy agency said Wednesday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered this information during a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee.

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(LEAD) N.K. leader estimated to weigh about 140 kg with significant sleep disorders: spy agency

SEOUL --- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is estimated to be experiencing significant sleep disorders and to weigh around 140 kilograms, lawmakers quoted South Korea's state intelligence agency as saying Wednesday.

Director Kim Kyou-hyun of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) delivered the report during a briefing to the parliamentary intelligence committee, according to key ruling and opposition members of the committee.

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Multinational anti-proliferation drills kick off on day of N. Korea's botched space launch

ABOARD THE ROKS MARADO -- Multinational maritime drills aimed at preventing the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) kicked off Wednesday, as North Korea's attempt to put its first spy satellite into orbit failed.

The Eastern Endeavor 23 drills, which were staged in a scaled back manner due to poor weather conditions, come after South Korea hosted a high-level forum of countries committed to preventing the trafficking of WMD under the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) on Jeju Island the previous day.

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(LEAD) (News Focus) Failed N.K. space rocket launch shows both technological challenges, growing space ambitions: analysts

SEOUL -- North Korea's botched launch of a "space launch vehicle" underlined both its technological difficulties and rising space ambitions in the face of the superior military intelligence capabilities of South Korea and the United States, analysts said Wednesday.

The North fired its new "Chollima-1" rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, "Malligyong-1," but it crashed into the Yellow Sea due to the "abnormal starting" of the second-stage engine, according to its official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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(4th LD) NSC condemns N.K. rocket launch as grave violation of U.N. resolutions

SEOUL -- The National Security Council (NSC) on Wednesday condemned North Korea's rocket launch as a grave violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and a serious provocation threatening peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, the presidential office said.

The presidential office convened an emergency NSC standing committee meeting led by National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong to discuss North Korea's "long-range ballistic missile launch under the pretext of a so-called satellite," it said in a statement.

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(LEAD) Yoon calls for more efforts to crack down on N. Korea financing nuclear, missile programs

SEOGWIPO, South Korea -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday urged strengthened cooperation to crack down on illegal financing by North Korea to advance its nuclear and missile programs, in spite of U.N. Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang.

Yoon made the remarks at a high-level forum of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which is aimed at countering the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), on the country's southern resort island of Jeju.

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S. Korean, U.S., Japanese nuclear envoys warn of 'stern, unified' response in case of N.K. 'satellite' launch

SEOUL -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan held a conference call Monday and agreed to cooperate to ensure North Korea will face a "stern, unified" international response if its "satellite" launch plan goes ahead, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, had the talks after Pyongyang reportedly notified Tokyo of a plan to launch a satellite between May 31 and June 11.
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