Families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea pleaded with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, to return their loved ones dur

Kim Jong Un was reportedly enraged by the "sheer carelessness" leading to the botched launch of the regime's second destroyer.

Japan has stepped up its air defences amid rising tensions in Asia after acquiring three advanced F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the United States. The fifth-generation fighter jets will be based at the Komatsu Air Base in Ishikawa, located on the country's west coast just off the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.

The incident, which occurred during a ceremony attended by leader Kim Jong Un, reportedly saw “sections of the warship's bottom crushed.'

Pyongyang has carried out frequent missile tests in violation of United Nations Security Council sanctions and continues to build out its nuclear weapons program. The Kim Jong Un regime insists both are necessary for self-defense, citing "provocations" by the U.S. and its allies.

Families of Japanese nationals abducted by North Korea have again demanded a swift resolution of the decades-old issue.

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics agreed Monday to upgrade their nations' ties to a