S Korea

The biennial Pacific Dragon exercise is scheduled to take place from Monday through August 14, according to the sources. In addition to the three countries, Australia and Canada will join the exercise in 2022's edition, Yonhap news agency reported.

Kim Jong-un issued the strongly worded, direct warning against the South's conservative administration, coupled with criticism of the US, in his speech on Wednesday marking the 69th anniversary of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The President was given the name by the Republic of Korea (ROK)-US Alliance Friendship Association, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday. "We, the ROK-U. Alliance Friendship Association, are honoured to announce and grant US President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. a Korean name. His name will be Bae Ji-sung," the association said in a statement.

Yoon was responding to a reporter's question about the US Department of Defence's assessment that the North has completed preparations to carry out a nuclear test as early as within the month, Yonhap news agency reported. "We believe that not only at the end of this month, but ever since my inauguration, it's fully ready and able to do it whenever it decides," he told reporters as he arrived for work.

North Korea has carried out a series of short-to long-range missile tests since Yoon's inauguration in May and showed signs of preparing for what would be its seventh nuclear test, Yonhap news agency reported. Yoon has made clear any provocation will be met with a strong and united response from South Korea in close coordination with the United States while also offering to keep the door open to dialogue with Pyongyang.

Han made the remarks during a dinner meeting with reporters Tuesday as Yoon was in Madrid to attend the NATO summit, Yonhap news agency reported. South Korea is not a member of NATO but was invited to the summit along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand as the organisation's Asia-Pacific partners.

"With diplomatic issues, it's a bit difficult for me to confirm anything before it's decided, but nothing has been finalised," Yoon told reporters as he arrived for work. The president is set to travel to Madrid to attend a NATO summit on June 29-30, which has led to speculation he could meet with Kishida on the sidelines, Yonhap news agency reported.

South Korean Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup made the remarks after holding trilateral talks with his US and Japanese counterparts, Lloyd Austin and Nobuo Kishi, on the margins of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, reports Yonhap News Agency. The meeting came amid growing concerns that the North has completed preparations for what would be its seventh nuclear test.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the allies launched the ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles from an eastern coastal region in Gangwon Province starting at 4:45 a.m. for around 10 minutes, Yonhap news agency reported. On Sunday, the North shot eight short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) from four different locations into the East Sea following a South Korea-US naval exercise last week involving an American aircraft carrier.

In the Realmeter poll of 2,528 people aged 18 or above nationwide conducted from May 16-20, 52.1 per cent said Yoon did a good job, while 40.6 per cent said he did not, reports Yonhap News Agency. Yoon's approval rating was high among the ruling People Power Party (PPP) supporters, conservative voters and those in their 70s.