Aftermath of the Korean War

A US soldier under disciplinary action has fled to North Korea across the border with South Korea, Reuters reported, citing US officials.

North Korea was silent about the highly unusual entry of an American soldier across the Koreas' heavily fortified border although it test-fired short-range missiles Wednesday in its latest weapons display.

According to state television, he also said that Pyongyang should be fully prepared to use nuclear weapons at any time.
Kim made the remarks during an inspection of the country's nuclear weapons program, during which the trigger technology was tested.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday offered "audacious" economic assistance to North Korea if it abandons its nuclear weapons program while avoiding harsh criticism of the North days after it threatened "deadly" retaliation over the COVID-19 outbreak it blames on the South.

There were no casualties

North Korea has announced it will not take part in the Tokyo Olympics this year, saying the decision is to protect its athletes from Covid-19.

The decision puts an end to South Korea's hopes of using the Games to engage with the North amid stalled cross-border talks.

 In 2018, both sides entered a joint team at the Winter Olympics which led to a series of historic summits.

North Korea has blown up a joint liaison office used for talks between itself and South Korea, the latest sign that ties between the two longtime adversaries are rapidly deteriorating.

South Korea says that North Korea has exploded an inter-Korean liaison office building just north of the tense Korean border.
Seoul's Unification Ministry says the destruction of the building at the North Korean border town of Kaesong happened at 2:49 p.m. on June 16.

North and South Korean troops exchanged fire along their tense border on May 3, the South's military said, the first such incident since the rivals took unprecedented steps to lower front-line animosities.

US President Donald Trump became the first US acting head of state to cross the border between South and North Korea.

This happened as he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the demilitarized area, which continued with a one-hour tripartite conversation with the leaders of the two Koreas on the southern side of the border.