Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, May 20 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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N. Korea apparently on 'cusp of potentially another ICBM test': U.S. general

SEOUL -- North Korea appears to be on the "cusp of potentially another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test," a top U.S. military officer in South Korea has said, stressing the allied troops are "standing ready" to deal with it.

During a security forum in Hawaii on Wednesday (local time), Lt. Gen. Willard M. Burleson, the head of the Eighth U.S. Army, made the remarks amid rising concerns about the possibilities of an ICBM or nuclear test by Pyongyang.

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Biden embarks on three-day visit to Seoul amid signs of possible N. Korean provocation

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Joe Biden left for South Korea on Thursday for talks with his new South Korean counterpart on a wide range of issues, including North Korea, which is widely expected to stage additional provocations in the days to come.

Biden is set to arrive in Seoul on Friday (Seoul time) for a three-day visit, during which he will also meet with the country's top business leaders.

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U.S. willing to take action-for-action toward denuclearization of Korean Peninsula: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- The United States is committed to engaging with North Korea in serious dialogue and is willing to take "action for action" with North Korea toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Thursday.

It marks a rare occasion a ranking U.S. official has confirmed U.S. willingness to reciprocate North Korea's denuclearization measures.

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Top security officials of S. Korea, Japan discuss N. Korea, bilateral ties

SEOUL -- National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han held a virtual meeting with his Japanese counterpart Thursday, and discussed North Korea's provocations and the need to develop future-oriented bilateral ties, his office said.

Kim held video talks with Takeo Akiba, secretary general of Japan's National Security Secretariat, for the first time since taking office last week.

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U.S. flies spy plane to East Sea amid concerns about possible N.K. missile launch

SEOUL -– The U.S. military has flown a reconnaissance plane toward the East Sea, an aviation tracker said Thursday, amid concerns about the possibility of another intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch by North Korea.

In a Twitter post, Aircraft Spots released an image showing an RC-135S Cobra Ball aircraft en route to the East Sea. It said the flight was to "monitor the North Korean missile launch window."

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(3rd LD) N. Korean missile or nuclear test very possible during Biden's Asia trip: Sullivan

WASHINGTON -- North Korea is widely expected to stage a long-range or nuclear test before or even during President Joe Biden's trip to South Korea and Japan, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Wednesday.

He said the U.S. is fully prepared to make any necessary adjustments to U.S. defense posture to ensure the security of the U.S. and U.S allies.

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(LEAD) Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S. discuss N.K. nuke, missile threats in phone call

SEOUL/WASHINGTON -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States held phone talks Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile launches and its preparations for a possible nuclear test, Seoul's defense ministry said.

The talks between Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and his U.S. counterpart, Lloyd Austin, came amid concerns about the possibility of North Korean provocations, including another long-range missile test. It was their first phone call since Lee took office a week ago.

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(2nd LD) S. Korea, U.S. have 'plan B' ready in case of N.K. provocation during Biden's visit

SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden have a "plan B" ready to command the combined forces of the two countries in case North Korea carries out a major provocation during Biden's visit to Seoul this week, a presidential official said Wednesday.

Biden is set to arrive in Seoul on Friday amid concern the North could conduct a nuclear test or launch an intercontinental ballistic missile around his three-day visit.

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U.S. concerned about COVID outbreak in N. Korea, no delay in nuclear test expected: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States is deeply concerned about the COVID-19 outbreak in North Korea and supports providing humanitarian assistance, including COVID-19 vaccines, to the impoverished country, a state department spokesperson said Tuesday.

Ned Price, however, noted Pyongyang may still go ahead with its widely anticipated nuclear test.

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S. Korean, Chinese FMs agree to discuss humanitarian aid for N.K.

SEOUL -- The top diplomats of South Korea and China held video talks on Monday and discussed ways to cooperate on antivirus efforts for North Korea and stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

In their first talks since Foreign Minister Park Jin took office last week, Park and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi expressed concerns about North Korea's COVID-19 outbreaks and exchanged opinions on the need to provide humanitarian aid to the impoverished nation, according to the ministry.
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