Foie gras, puppies, water parks: North Korea gets a glow-up
Coffee bars. Water parks. Retail therapy. North Korea – a country few would associate with leisure or pleasure – is experiencing an unlikely outbreak of fun. Leader Kim Jong-un, himself no stranger to indulgence, is orchestrating new ways for his citizens to spend their wealth. North Korea’s imports of massage equipment have surged 40-fold over the past decade, according to Chinese customs data.…
North Korea fired multiple ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, on Saturday. According to South Korea's military, the missiles were launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea's eastern coast.
The launches occurred a day after South Korea, Japan, and the United States concluded joint military exercises, called Freedom Edge, which North Korea views as a security threat. The five-day exercise was defensive in nature and aimed to enhance a joint response capability against North Korean nuclear threats.
North Korea's military actions have been condemned by the country as preparations for a military invasion. The US Pacific Command said the North's launch event does not pose an immediate threat to US territory or to its allies.
Brief written by urgent.news from The Mainichi, Tempo.co English, Free Press Journal, The Hill, KBS World Radio — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
