SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised "heroic" North Korean troops who fought for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in a meeting with officers of the army's overseas operation, state media KCNA said on Thursday.

North Korea built a secret missile base just miles from the Chinese border, likely housing missiles capable of hitting the mainland U. S.

A California man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to shipping weapons and ammunition to North Korea that he said were to be used for a surprise attack on South Korea, authorities said Tuesday.

South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale joint military exercise on Monday to better cope with threats by nuclear-armed North Korea.

A Chinese national has been sentenced to eight years in prison for smuggling firearms and other military items to North Korea, the US justice department said. Shenghua Wen, 42, received around $2m (£1.5m) from North Korean officials to ship the items from California, according to a statement from the agency on Monday.

Shenghua Wen, 42, was sentenced to eight years in prison in connection with the scheme that earned him $2 million from North Korean handlers.

A Chinese man in California has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to exporting guns, ammunition and sensitive military equipment to North Korea.

U.N. Command member states must continue to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with South Korea as battle lines drawn in Russia’s war against Ukraine stretch to include North Korea, the French ambassador to South Korea said.