Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Oct. 30 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news on North Korea this week.

U.S. bill names N. Korea, Iran among countries of concern in AI cybersecurity initiative

WASHINGTON -- U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at strengthening American cybersecurity defenses against artificial intelligence (AI) attacks, naming North Korea and Iran among countries of concern, congressional data showed Monday.

The AI Cyber Defense Act, introduced by Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-NC) and Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA) and referred to the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work with private-sector AI stakeholders to develop voluntary standards and best practices for detecting and preventing AI distillation attacks.

China unlikely to mediate potential Trump-Kim summit: U.S. experts

WASHINGTON -- China is unlikely to mediate a potential summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, U.S. experts assessed Tuesday, amid Trump's past signals to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.

Sydney Seiler, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) who previously served as the national intelligence officer for North Korea, made the assessment during a CSIS podcast, arguing that neither Pyongyang nor other key players see an urgent need for renewed U.S.-North Korea talks.

U.S. sanctions 10 individuals, entity over N. Korean IT worker fraud schemes

WASHINGTON -- The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and one entity accused of facilitating North Korea's illicit overseas information technology (IT) worker operations aimed at generating revenue for its weapons programs.

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the sanctions target networks that help North Korean IT workers obtain employment at legitimate businesses, including American companies, using stolen identities and fraudulent documents.

S. Korea, U.S., partners reaffirm N. Korea denuclearization goal, back sanctions enforcement

WASHINGTON -- South Korea, the United States and other like-minded partners on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of North Korea, highlighting recent sanctions targeting Pyongyang's overseas workers, cyber activities and military cooperation with Russia.

In a joint statement issued by 11 countries and the European Union, the participants welcomed sanctions imposed by the U.S., Australia and the European Union in October to disrupt North Korea's efforts to finance its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

U.S. PACOM says no immediate threat from N. Korea's latest missile launches

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) said Thursday that North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies, reaffirming Washington's commitment to regional defense.

"We are aware of the missile launches and are consulting closely with our allies and partners," the command said in a release. "Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies," it added.

S. Korea, U.S., Japan discuss N. Korea's latest missile launches by phone

SEOUL -- Senior diplomats from South Korea, the United States and Japan held telephone consultations Friday to share information and discuss responses to North Korea's latest ballistic missile launches, Seoul's foreign ministry said.

On Thursday, North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles from the Wonsan area toward the East Sea, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).