North Korea conducts artillery drills along disputed sea border, South Korea to stage similar drills
Seoul, Jan 5: North Korea fired artillery rounds near its disputed sea boundary with South Korea on Friday in violation of a fragile 2018 military agreement, officials said, prompting the South to plan similar drills.
The rivals' drills are the first in about a year and are expected to deepen their already-serious animosity.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea fired 200 rounds in the waters north of their disputed western sea boundary.
It called the North Korean drills a provocation, though South Korea suffered no damage. It said South Korea will take a corresponding step, but didn't elaborate.
Residents of South Korea's front-line island of Yeonpyeong said the South Korean military has asked them to evacuate because it plans to launch maritime firing drills later Friday.
The Koreas' sea boundary has been the site of several bloody inter-Korean sea battles since 1999. North Korea also launched artillery strikes on Yeonpyeong island, killing four South Koreans, in 2010.
The 2018 agreement requires the two Koreas to halt live-fire exercises and aerial surveillance in no-fly and buffer zones that they established along their border. But the deal is in danger of collapsing after the two Koreas began bickering since the North's first military spy satellite launch in November.
South Korea accused North Korea of restoring front-line guard posts that it had dismantled under the 2018 deal, after South Korea resumed front-line aerial surveillance in protest of the North's satellite launch.
Earlier Friday, North Korea's state media said leader Kim Jong Un ordered authorities to increase production of mobile launch vehicles for missiles because the country faces a looming military showdown with its enemies.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Kim made the comments during a visit to a factory that produces transport erector launchers, or TELs, without saying when he went or where the factory is.
TELs are mobile launch vehicles which give North Korea the ability to move missiles around its territory, making it more difficult for its adversaries to detect launches in advance. Some South Korean experts have estimated that North Korea has about 100-200 such vehicles.
Kim said the factory's role is "very important" in bolstering North Korea's national defense "given the prevailing grave situation that requires the country to be more firmly prepared for a military showdown with the enemy," KCNA reported.
"He took an important measure for expanding the production capacity of the factory," it said.
Experts say Kim is likely to increase weapons tests ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November because of a belief that a boosted military capability would increase his chances of wresting U.S. concessions if former President Donald Trump is reelected.
In a key ruling party meeting last week, Kim vowed to expand the country's nuclear arsenal, launch three additional military spy satellites and take other steps to build up the military this year to acquire "overwhelming" war readiness to cope with what he called U.S.-led confrontation. Kim cited the expansion of U.S.-South Korean military drills that sometimes involve U.S. long-range bombers and a nuclear-armed submarine.
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ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan takes leave amid sexual misconduct probe linked to UN investigation
Hague: International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has taken a leave of absence pending the outcome of a United Nations investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority, the court confirmed on Friday.
Khan, a British barrister elected in 2021, recently made global headlines by seeking arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. His leave comes amid increasing internal pressure from senior ICC staff following the emergence of serious accusations.
The investigation, launched in November 2024 by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), is examining allegations that Khan engaged in unwanted sexual contact, coercive behaviour, and abused his position of authority toward a female subordinate. Additionally, the probe is exploring claims of possible witness intimidation and retaliation against prosecution staff. Khan was reportedly questioned by OIOS investigators over two days last week.
Despite initially resisting calls to step aside, Khan has now informed the court that he will take leave until the inquiry concludes. In his absence, the ICC's two deputy prosecutors—Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal—will assume interim leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor, which oversees around 450 personnel.
The developments come at a particularly sensitive moment for the ICC, which is currently navigating politically charged investigations, including those related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Observers have noted that the timing of the investigation into Khan has raised suspicions of political motivation, particularly following his actions against Israeli officials, though no conclusive evidence has surfaced to support such claims.
The United States, which has previously sanctioned ICC officials, is reportedly considering renewed measures in response to the court's recent actions regarding Israeli leaders. Earlier this year, former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed travel and financial restrictions on Khan.
Once the OIOS completes its investigation, the final report will be submitted to the president of the court’s governing body. If it concludes that Khan committed serious misconduct or violated his official duties, the ICC’s 125 member states will vote via secret ballot on whether he should be removed from office.
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