These Countries That Support North Korea Could Be Prevent A Nuclear War

These Countries That Support North Korea Could Be Prevent A Nuclear War


The half-woken bear that is North Korea was prodded further on Tuesday by none other than President Donald Trump. The president's working vacation in Bedminster, New Jersey, took an unexpected turn when he issued a new level of threat against the notoriously sensitive DPRK regime, prompting questions about who would support North Korea in the event of a war between the two countries.

Trump's statement before the press on Tuesday has been considered a significant amplification of the ongoing rhetoric surrounding the North Korean nuclear situation. "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States... They will be met with fire, fury, and, frankly, power the likes of which this world has never seen before," Trump said to reporters. This escalating rhetoric has many around the world concerned about a potential military conflict between the U.S. and North Korea, and which nations would take which side.

China is largely considered North Korea's biggest ally right now. Despite escalating international sanctions in response to North Korea's recent nuclear exploits, China hasn't done much to show austerity to its neighbor. Trade between the two countries was up 10 percent in the first half of this year as compared to the same time last year, indicating that the two countries are still working together economically without much disruption. Chinese president Xi Jinping also celebrated the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army last week According to Harvard international affairs professor Graham Allison, who wrote an op-ed for The Los Angeles Times on the matter, Xi's parade may have been a signal to the United States to back off, not North Korea.


The Russian government has also expressed support for North Korea, although it's difficult to say how far that support goes. Moscow has consistently encouraged the world community to keep positive relations with North Korea, and in 2015, even established a "year of friendship" between the two countries to strengthen ties.

Russian-North Korean trade has also increased this year. Russia has been making up for the deficits in coal trade that China imposed, which is critical since it's North Korea's primary foreign currency. However, Russia has also condemned North Korea's nuclear program, and even though Russian-U.S. relations are at a low point right now, it's difficult to see nuclear escalation getting no response from Vladimir Putin.

A few other countries have expressed support for North Korea in the past, including Bulgaria, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, it's the big superpowers with the potential to challenge the U.S. military that the world needs to be concerned about. China and Russia's influence over the North Korean regime may be what ends up diffusing the tension between the DPRK and the U.S. after all.

Why The North Korean Artillery Factor Makes Military Action Extremely Risky [Infographic]

Why The North Korean Artillery Factor Makes Military Action Extremely Risky [Infographic]

Last month, a poll found that a majority of Americans  now support military action against North Korea if diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis fail. While the United States undoubtedly possesses the military hardware and capabilities to deliver an effective strike on Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities, retaliation by the North is highly likely to occur. While this could of course come in the shape of one of the regime’s much vaunted intercontinental ballistic missiles armed with a nuclear warhead, observers believe the north’s artillery would almost certainly inflict devastating damage against the south, regardless of the missile program.

While a substantial part of North Korea’s military is made up of old antiquated Soviet weaponry, its artillery capabilities remain exceptionally powerful. The North Korean People’s Army Artillery Command has an estimated 12,000 pieces of tube artillery and another 2,300 multiple launch rocket systems. Koksan 170mm self-propelled guns and 240mm and 300mm multiple launch rocket batteries are capable of striking Seoul, though it is believed that the capital’s northern outskirts would be under the most threat from the systems with the longest range. While some studies have predicted Seoul’s annihilation, it’s likely that some districts would be heavily damaged with a significant level of civilian casualties.

For North Korea, deciding exactly what to target with all of those heavy guns would prove vital in any conflict. The regime could strike military targets across the demilitarized zone or hit South Korean urban areas in an attempt to inflict a shocking blow through mass civilian casualties and economic damage. The latter strategy would leave North Korean artillery vulnerable to counter barrages and airstrikes, giving the U.S. and South Korea a better chance at containing and eliminating the threat.

The following infographic is based on research conducted by Stratfor and it shows where North Korean artillery fire could be most heavily concentrated in a war with the south. The scenario is based on known and expected positions of conventional artillery as well as a situation where North Korea exposes all of its artillery simultaneously without failures. While the immediate border area could be heavily saturated by explosives, the airport at Incheon and parts of Seoul would also come under threat. The danger posed by artillery was already highlighted in November 2010 when North Korean shells and rockets were fired at Yeonpyeong Island, killing four South Koreans and wounding another 19. If the U.S. and its allies do eventually conduct a strike against Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities, the sheer size of the north’s artillery force means it will always have a devastating card to play in the event of any conflict.

Stunning images of Air France A380 engine destroyed in flight

Stunning images of Air France A380 engine destroyed in flight

Commentary: Passengers on an Air France flight look out the window and see that one of the plane's engines has been mysteriously wrecked.

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives.

When planes perform spectacularly, we celebrate them.

Sometimes, though, things go wrong.

On Saturday, for example, passengers on Air France flight 066 from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris to Los Angeles looked out of the window and saw something disturbing.

The Airbus A380's No. 4 engine -- that's the one on the outside of the right wing -- had endured an explosion. One passenger, Miguel Amador, speculated this had been caused by a bird strike.

But the front cowling and the fan disc had completely come off.

The plane was somewhere over Greenland at the time and was diverted to Goose Bay in Canada, where it landed safely. The A380 has four engines.

Air France didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The airline issued a statement on Sunday, however, in which it said: "The regularly trained pilots and cabin crew handled this serious incident perfectly."

Should America Fear North Korea's 'CIA'?

Should America Fear North Korea's 'CIA'?


North Korean intelligence apparatus is one of Pyongyang’s strong suites. Indeed, Pyongyang’s security services have demonstrated their ability to strike far from home as was shown during the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam—elder half-brother to the North Korean despot—in Malaysia. The Kim regime’s intelligence apparatus is ruthless and effective and could be used to good effect during any conflict on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea maintains an extensive intelligence collection and security apparatus—as might be expected of a totalitarian regime such as the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Pyongyang maintains two main agencies—one focused on external intelligence collection and clandestine operations and another focused on counterintelligence. There are also two smaller organizations dedicated solely to infiltrating South Korea. “North Korean intelligence and security services collect political, military, economic, and technical information through open-source, human intelligence, cyber, and signals intelligence capabilities,” reads a Pentagon report to Congress about Pyongyang’s expected capabilities in 2015. “North Korea’s primary intelligence collection targets remain South Korea, the United States, and Japan.”

North Korea’s primary external intelligence agency is the Reconnaissance General Bureau—which seems to be modeled on the Soviet/Russian GRU military intelligence agency. “The Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) is North Korea’s primary foreign intelligence service, responsible for collection and clandestine operations,” the Pentagon report reads. “The RGB is comprised of six bureaus with compartmented functions including operations, reconnaissance, technology and cyber, overseas intelligence, interKorean talks, and service support.”

North Korea’s internal security agency—though it might have some foreign intelligence functions too—is the Ministry of State Security. Not coincidentally, it shares the same name as the Soviet Union’s Stalinist-era Ministry of State Security—Ministerstvo Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti in Russian—the MGB. Indeed, the North Korean agency was modeled on the Soviet-era organization.

Recommended: The Case for War with North Korea

“The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is North Korea’s primary counterintelligence service and is an autonomous agency of the North Korean government reporting directly to Kim Jong Un,” the Pentagon report states. “The MSS is responsible for operating North Korean prison camps, investigating cases of domestic espionage, repatriating defectors, and conducting overseas counterespionage activities in North Korea’s foreign missions.”

Recommended: China's New Stealth Fighter Has Arrived

North Korea also maintains two other units specifically designed to infiltrate the South. One is overt, while the other group is covert. “The United Front Department (UFD) overtly attempts to establish pro-North Korean groups in South Korea such as the Korean Asia-Pacific Committee and the Ethnic Reconciliation Council,” the report states. “The UFD is also the primary department involved in managing inter-Korean dialogue and North Korea’s policy toward South Korea.”

The UFD also has a covert counterpart that trains infiltrators and attempts to sow dissent and chaos in the South. “The 225th Bureau is responsible for training agents to infiltrate South Korea and establishing underground political parties focused on fomenting unrest and revolution,” the Pentagon report states.

North Korean intelligence apparatus is one of Pyongyang’s strong suites. Indeed, Pyongyang’s security services have demonstrated their ability to strike far from home as was shown during the assassination of Kim Jong-Nam—elder half-brother to the North Korean despot—in Malaysia. The Kim regime’s intelligence apparatus is ruthless and effective and could be used to good effect during any conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Image: Reuters.

Russia Sends Navy Ships to Pacific In Show of Strenght

Russia Sends Navy Ships to Pacific In Show of Strenght
Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev (L) and Rear Admiral Eduard Mikhailov (C), the deputy commander of Flotilla of Pacific Fleet of Russia, answer questions from the members of the media onboard the Russian Navy vessel, Admiral Tributs, a large anti-submarine ship, docked at the south harbor port area in metro Manila, Philippines January 4, 2017.: 10_02_Russian_ships
© Romeo Ranoco/Reuters 10_02_Russian_ships
Russia is sending two anti-submarine warships and a tanker to the Pacific Ocean in a show of strength around the Korean peninsula and the South China Sea, areas where tensions are already high due to ongoing disputes.

The Admiral Vinogradov and Admiral Panteleyev destroyers, as well as the Boris Butoma tanker sailed from Russia’s Vladivostok base and will call at nine foreign ports in the next four months, a naval spokesman told state news agency RIA Novosti on Monday.

According to the Russian Pacific Fleet’s spokesman, Vladimir Matveev, “the main goal of the journey is showcasing the Andreevsky flag in the Asia Pacific Region and to further develop maritime cooperation with Asia Pacific countries.” He did not specify which countries will host the Russian ships.

The Andreevsky flag is the ensign of the Russian Navy—a blue St. Andrew’s cross on a white background. Matveev said the ships prepared for the trip with a combat readiness drill to check their ability to defend themselves should they encounter danger in the next few months. The destroyers trained warding off an aerial attack with missiles and artillery fire against both air and sea targets, at a training range in the Sea of Japan.

Russia military and naval capabilities have been focussed mostly on the West, however Moscow has increasingly appeared to seek to reinforce its post-Cold War capabilities in the far east.

Russia's Pacific Fleet will be bolstered by the arrival of two new Varshavyanka-class diesel-powered submarines: the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will arrive first in late 2019, followed by the Volkhov. Since 2013, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly spoken of a desire to rebuild Russia’s trade and military presence in the Asia Pacific.

The Russian navy wrapped up a war game with China off the coast of Vladivostok last month, a year after they staged a similar event in the South China Sea.

Report a problem.

Why North Korea Might Do the Unthinkable: Test a Nuclear Weapon in the Pacific Ocean

Why North Korea Might Do the Unthinkable: Test a Nuclear Weapon in the Pacific Ocean


The Trump Administration may inadvertently be provoking North Korea into conducting a live-fire test of a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile.

While it is clear that North Korea has both ballistic missile technology and a working hydrogen bomb, the U.S. State Department recently suggested in a tweet that Pyongyang does not have such capabilities. While many prominent international relations experts and former U.S. government officials immediately derided the State Department’s tweet, similar statements in previous decades prompted China to conduct a risky live-five nuclear missile test on October 27, 1966. Pyongyang—feeling the pressure to prove its capabilities—might do the same.

“#DPRK will not obtain a nuclear capability. Whether through diplomacy or force is up to the regime @StateDept,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert tweeted on October 1 to much derision.

Prominent detractors immediately noted that Nauert seems to have missed the fact that North Korea already possesses nuclear capability. Indeed, some arms control experts are convinced that such statements are actually provoking the North Koreans, especially when taken together with President Donald Trump’s own bellicose statements. Trump recently sent out a tweet on October 1 that effectively undercut Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s efforts at diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Such statements only embolden North Korea to attempt a so-called Juche Bird live-fire nuclear missile test. “Oh, yes,” Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, told The National Interest.

Recommended: The Case for War with North Korea

“The more we say they we're going to attack them before they have a nuclear deterrent, the more sense it makes to demonstrate that it’s too late and that they are already nuclear armed.”

Indeed, in previous weeks, as tensions have ratcheted up, North Korean officials have threatened to conduct such a live-fire nuclear test. "It could be the most powerful detonation of an H-bomb in the Pacific," North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho told reporters according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency on September 21.

Recommended: China's New Stealth Fighter Has Arrived

"We have no idea about what actions could be taken as it will be ordered by leader Kim Jong-un."

Joshua H. Pollack, editor of the The Nonproliferation Review and a senior research associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, noted however that Pyongyang might not be playing close attention to the State Department. They are, however, paying attention to Trump’s own statements and tweets—which often contradict those of his underlings.

“I don’t think they’re attuned to State in North Korea. They’re watching what Trump says and does!” Pollack told The National Interest.

“Two observations. First, have a look at KJU's [Kim Jong-un] reply to Trump's U.N. speech. He expressed surprise to hear remarks of this sort in a planned speech, as opposed to off-the-cuff remarks (an apparent reference to ‘fire and fury’). That's when he basically said that all options are on the table, in not so many words. Later, Ri Yong Ho gave public remarks in response to a Trump tweet - the first time they have overtly done so. I think they've decided that they now have to take Trump both seriously and literally, to coin a phrase.”

Thus far, there are no indications that North Korea will conduct a live-fire nuclear test in the Pacific—such an act would be extraordinarily provocative. But then there might not be any indication of such a test until the weapon explodes in a nuclear fireball somewhere over the ocean.

“I am not sure what indications one would expect — it will probably look like any other missile test until it explodes,” Lewis said.

“In the past, I have seen concerns expressed about suspicious movements between the site that assembles nuclear weapons and missile launch sites, but those have all been false alarms.  So, any indicators used by the U.S. intelligence community will just have the inherent problem of false positives.”

If the North Koreans do test such a live nuclear-tipped ballistic missile, it will likely be an intermediate range weapon, but it is possible that Pyongyang would test an intercontinental range weapon just so that Washington understands that the Kim regime can reach out and touch the American homeland.

“Probably a Hwasong-12, but I wouldn’t rule out a -14,” Lewis said.

There is no concrete evidence that North Korea will really attempt a live-fire weapons test, but the United States, Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China have all conduct such end-to-end nuclear tests to demonstrate that their strategic deterrent works. Given that North Korea hopes to deter the United States from attempting a regime change, there is a certain logic to conducting a live-fire nuclear test.

“All we have are—one—the fact that the U.S., USSR and China each concluded that such a test was necessary and—two—that the North Koreans have threatened to follow suit,” Lewis said.

Time will tell.

Report a problem.

Trump decries diplomacy with North Korea; Does that mean war's the only option left?

Trump decries diplomacy with North Korea; Does that mean war's the only option left?


Although President Trump has repeatedly stated that going to war with North Korea is not his preferred option, his statements on Sunday would seem to indicate that it’s the only outcome he’s now open to pursuing.

Donald Trump once again took to the social media platform Twitter to convey his foreign policy stance, claiming that American Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, was wasting his time by pursuing talks with Kim Jong un’s despotic regime.

New 'mini-copter' drone able to supply kilos of cargo to battlefields

New 'mini-copter' drone able to supply kilos of cargo to battlefields


Two large drones manufactured by Aeronautics Defense Systems (ADS) were unveiled Wednesday, said to be capable of carrying logistical and supply payloads in ground maneuvers over enemy territory.

The latest unveiling of the state-of-the-art drones ties into the Ministry of Defense's Tuesday announcement regarding soon-to-become operational new devices for the IDF, which shone only a partial light on the world of drones currently picking up steam all over the world—especially due to its military applications.

Drones are now far removed from the models the IDF has already been using for near-range observation missions. They are now part of a wave which may soon equal the activities and contribution made by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) squadrons.

The new copter drone (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The new copter drone (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
One of the drones unveiled Wednesday is considered a breakthrough in the field of UAVs—thought to still be in its infancy. An Aeronautics subsidiary, working in Be'er Sheva with Ben Gurion University, is completing development on what appears to be an unmanned mini-copter.

This drone has a diameter of two meters and weighs 120 kilos when fully loaded—75-90 kilo of which may be the cargo attached to it. "We'll want to reach weights of 200 and 300 kilos in the future," said a source in the company, which specializes in manufacturing UAVs and observation balloons for the IDF and other security apparatuses in the world. "The drone we developed can fly at exceedingly low altitudes in a manner that both masks it to the naked eye and is energy efficient."

This innovative drone can carry a variety of cargo for special forces, such as a team of soldiers carrying out a covert observation while lying in ambush. The cargo may include observation devices, batteries, weapons, ammunition or food and water, nullifying the need for an APC or other vehicle on the ground, which run the risk of hitting explosives, or for a manned plane to drop them.

One of the aerial vehicle's most distinguishing features is its hybrid engine integrating electric propulsion from batteries with using petrol. This enables the drone to reach distances beyond 8 kilometers. It may also be inputted with coordinates and then controlled from afar.

One of the drone's drawbacks, however, compared to a garden variety UAV, is its short air time capabilities along with the noise it produces, which may expose it to the enemy. "It's for this reason we're working on propellers made of special materials producing less noise," and ADS spokesman explained.

"We'll also be able to fasten each of these logistical drones with a unique cargo for photography and intelligence gathering missions, making it much more versatile," the spokesman continued. "This heavy drone does, in fact, possess elements from the world of UAVs such as avionics, flight control, unique payloads and communication devices. The drone has already participated in drills proving its capabilities."

A man walks past replicas of a North Korean Scud-B missile (C) and South Korean Hawk surface-to-air missiles (L) at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul on May 29, 2017 (AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je)

A man walks past replicas of a North Korean Scud-B missile (C) and South Korean Hawk surface-to-air missiles (L) at the Korean War Memorial in Seoul on May 29, 2017 (AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je)
“Egypt was a consistent North Korean customer in the past,” Berger told the Post. “I would call them a ‘resilient’ customer today.”

Western diplomats said Egypt initially denied any connection to the weapons haul, then tried obfuscation.

The case exposes the difficulties faced by the international community in trying to use economic sanctions to pressure Pyongyang to give up its nuclear ambitions.

Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Un, has managed to mitigate the crippling effect of the sanctions to some extent by continuing to sell cheap arms to countries such as Burma, Cuba, Syria, Eritrea and at least two terrorist groups, as well as key US allies such as Egypt, analysts told the paper.

The Post described that market as “a kind of global eBay for vintage and refurbished Cold War-era weapons, often at prices far lower than the prevailing rates.”

Quoting intelligence officials and Western diplomats, the report said Syria recently bought chemical weapons protective gear from Pyonyang and that the Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah — a “long-term customer” — has acquired North Korean rockets and missiles.

North Korean rifles have even been found on the bodies of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, although according to US officials, they were probably stolen from stocks sold long ago to the late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Report a problem.

Egypt secretly ordered more than 30,000 grenades from North Korea — report

Egypt secretly ordered more than 30,000 grenades from North Korea — report

Weapons ship spotted by US leaving North Korea, approaching Suez canal; sanctions busting order said to be behind US freeze of military aid to Cairo
A container ship passing through the Suez Canal. (photo credit: CC BY Argenberg, Flickr)
A container ship passing through the Suez Canal. (photo credit: CC BY Argenberg, Flickr)
Egypt ordered more than 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades from North Korea in a clandestine sanctions-busting deal that was foiled at the last minute by the US, the Washington Post reported on Monday.

The discovery, which led to what a United Nations report later described as the “largest seizure of ammunition in the history of sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” exposed one in a series of secret deals between the two countries that prompted US complaints to Egypt and the Trump administration’s decision over the summer to freeze or delay military aid to Cairo worth nearly $300 million.

The ship carrying the weapons to Egypt was spotted in the summer of 2016 by US intelligence, which tracked it as it left North Korea with a North Korean crew and watched it sail westward toward the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.

The US alerted Egyptian authorities through diplomatic channels. The vessel, which was flying Cambodian colors, carried heavy tarpaulin covering unknown cargo.

Egyptian customs agents were waiting when the ship entered Egypt’s waters outside of the Suez Canal. They discovered the weapons hidden under rocks of iron ore: more than 24,000 rocket-propelled grenades, and completed components for 6,000 more.

All were North Korean copies of a rocket warhead known as the PG-7, a variant of a Soviet munition first built in the 1960s, the Post report said.


A man passes by a TV news program showing a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, May 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
The crates carrying the arms were marked with the name of a private Egyptian company, which the report could not name, but the sheer number of arms, and the fact that they were clearly intended for large-scale military training, indicated that they were destined for the Egyptian army.

Egypt said in a response that it is transparent and abides by all UN Security Council resolutions.

But a UN probe discovered that Egyptian businessmen had ordered the rockets, worth millions of dollars, for the Egyptian army and had invested great efforts in keeping the deal secret due to the heavy sanctions against North Korea.

According to Andrea Berger, a North Korea specialist and senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California, Egypt still has diplomatic ties with Pyongyang and military ties dating back to the 1970s, which are hard to break.

Trial to lift lid on Kim Jong-Nam assasination

Trial to lift lid on Kim Jong-Nam assasination
Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong (L), along with Indonesian Siti Aisyah are accused of killing Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 at Kuala Lumpur airport (AFP Photo/MOHD RASFAN)
Vietnamese national Doan Thi Huong (L), along with Indonesian Siti Aisyah are accused of killing Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 at Kuala Lumpur airportVietnamese national Doan Thi Huong (L), along with Indonesian Siti Aisyah are accused of killing Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 at Kuala Lumpur airport (AFP Photo/MOHD RASFAN)
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Two women go on trial Monday accused of murdering the half-brother of North Korea's leader, in an audacious assassination in Malaysia that stunned the world and sparked a diplomatic crisis.

The defendants were arrested just days after the Cold War-style killing of Kim Jong-Nam on February 13 as he waited to board a plane to Macau at Kuala Lumpur airport, but have barely been seen since.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, both in their 20s, are accused of rubbing toxic VX nerve agent in his face in a hit that captivated global media attention.

Kim died an agonising death about 20 minutes after the attack, which was caught on airport CCTV as the VX -- a chemical so deadly it is listed as a weapon of mass destruction -- rapidly overcame his central nervous system.

The murder sparked a fierce row between North Korea and Malaysia, which had been one of Pyongyang's few allies amid global alarm over the country's atomic weapons programme, with both countries expelling each other's ambassadors.

The women -- who may face the death penalty if convicted -- are expected to plead not guilty at the start of the trial. The pair claim they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show.

Defence lawyers are convinced the real culprits have left Malaysia and that the women's innocence will be proven in court.

"We are fairly confident that at the end of trial, they will probably be acquitted," Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, a lawyer for Huong, told AFP.

Their only appearances since February have been at heavily guarded court dates, with the diminutive pair dwarfed by heavily armed police as they have been ushered into hearings wearing flak jackets and handcuffs in front of the world's media.

The closely-watched trial begins Monday at Sham Alam High Court, just outside Kuala Lumpur, with the prosecution to start presenting its case after the women's pleas.

There are still many unanswered questions surrounding the murder.

These range from how two women living precarious existences among Malaysia's army of migrant workers allegedly became involved in a high-profile assassination, to how a lethal nerve agent was deployed in an airport and killed Kim but harmed no one else.

South Korea accuses the North of being behind the murder of Kim Jong-Un's estranged half-brother, who had voiced criticism of the regime after falling from grace and going to live in exile overseas.

The North denies the allegation.

The run-up to the trial has been marked by fierce criticism from the women's lawyers who accuse prosecutors of failing to properly cooperate with them.

Some North Korean figures suspected of links to the plot fled Malaysia immediately after the assassination, while others were allowed to leave the country later to ease the diplomatic crisis.

Prosecutors -- who insist the women will get a fair trial -- will lay out their case over two months and will call 30 to 40 witnesses. The defence is then likely to be called.