The United States has temporarily deployed an additional Patriot missile battery in South Korea following North Korea's recent nuclear test and long-range rocket launch, U.S. Forces Korea said Saturday.

The move came as the two allies plan to start detailed discussions on bringing in an advanced, high-altitude U.S. missile defense system opposed by China as early as next week.

North Korea's army chief of staff has been executed, South Korean media reported Wednesday, in what would amount to the latest in a series of purges and executions of top officials by leader Kim Jong-Un.

Ri Yong-Gil, Chief of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) General Staff was executed earlier this month for forming a political faction and corruption, Yonhap news agency said, citing a source familiar with North Korean affairs.

North Korea has restarted a plutonium reactor that could provide fuel for nuclear weapons, U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Tuesday.

"We further assess that North Korea has been operating the reactor long enough so that it could begin to recover plutonium from the reactor's spent fuel within a matter of weeks to months," he said.

President Barack Obama spoke to two key Asian allies late Monday, garnering support for strong action against North Korea in response to recent nuclear and missile tests.

The White House said Obama had spoken to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-Hye to weigh the next steps, including a U.N. Security Council resolution that would bring new sanctions.

Britain summoned North Korea's ambassador Monday to condemn Pyongyang's announcement that it had put a satellite into orbit with a rocket launch.

The move announced Sunday was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test and was swiftly criticized by the U.N. Security Council.

North Korea hailed an "epochal event" but its latest long-range rocket launch Sunday prompted international anger and plans for talks on a U.S. missile defense system for the peninsula.

Pyongyang's state TV announced it successfully put a satellite into orbit, "legitimately exercising the right to use space for independent and peaceful purposes".

North Korea launched a long-range rocket Sunday, triggering fresh outrage from an international community already determined to punish Pyongyang for a nuclear test last month.

Here are five questions and answers on what lies behind the global concern over what North Korea insists is a purely scientific space program.

South Korean and U.S. defense officials said Sunday they would begin formal talks on the deployment on the Korean peninsula of a U.S. missile defense system to counter the growing threat from North Korea.

The announcement followed a North Korean rocket launch that the U.S. and its allies condemned as a covert ballistic missile test.

The U.N. Security Council strongly condemned North Korea's rocket launch on Sunday and agreed to move quickly to impose new sanctions that will punish Pyongyang for "these dangerous and serious violations."

With backing from China, Pyongyang's ally, the council again called for "significant measures" during an emergency meeting held after North Korea said it had put a satellite into orbit with a rocket launch.

Russia urged North Korea on Thursday to avoid escalating tensions with a planned rocket launch, expressing "grave concern" over the announcement.

The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that it had summoned the North Korean ambassador in Moscow over Pyongyang's announcement that it will launch a satellite-bearing rocket sometime between February 8-25.