Japan urges N. Korea to jointly break mutual distrust

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday called on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to jointly overcome their mutual distrust, as he confirmed ongoing efforts to arrange a Japan-North Korea summit.In a television interview, Abe said his government has contacted the North Korean side "through various channels" in a bid to arrange a meeting with Kim.During historic talks with US President Donald Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, Kim reportedly said he was open to a meeting with Abe.Japan wants t

June 16, 2018

Seoul welcomes Trump's plan to have phone conversation with Kim Jong-un

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae expressed optimism on Saturday about US President Donald Trump's recent announcement that he would speak with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the phone, calling it "very important progress."(Yonhap)On Friday, Trump said he gave Kim a direct phone number to reach him and that he plans to personally call Kim on Sunday (US time)."Most important of all, this means the US and North Korean leaders are in a relationship where they can talk on the phone

June 16, 2018

Trump promotes NK summit in weekly address

US President Donald Trump released a weekly address Friday promoting his efforts to bring peace to the world through his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un earlier in the week.(Yonhap)In a 3-minute video posted on YouTube, Trump walked through the results of his historic meeting with Kim that took place in Singapore Tuesday."Our world has seen more than enough conflict. If there's a chance at peace, if there's a chance to end the horrible threat of nuclear conflict, then we must pursue

June 16, 2018

Trump says he gave NK leader direct phone number to call

US President Donald Trump said Friday he gave North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a direct phone number to reach him and that he plans to make a phone call to Kim. "I can now call him ... I gave him a very direct number," he told reporters at the White House. "He can now call me if he has any difficulty. I can call him. We have communication."US President Donald Trump (Yonhap)His remarks come days after his first and historic encounter in Singapore with the leader of the reclusive state on Tuesday.T

June 16, 2018

Abe considers visiting Pyongyang for summit with Kim: Japanese reports

TOKYO -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave a positive response to a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japan is mulling a visit to Pyongyang in August by Abe, Japanese media reported Thursday.Citing multiple Japanese government officials, the Sankei Shimbun newspaper reported that Kim said he could meet with Abe while holding summit talks with US President Donald Trump in Singapore on Tuesday, adding Kim's intention has been conveyed to the Japanese government through multiple

June 14, 2018

US hopes for ‘major’ N. Korea disarmament by 2020: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US hopes to see “major disarmament” of North Korea before the end of US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2021. 　(Yonhap)Speaking the day after a historic summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pompeo also said that “complete” denuclearization encompasses “verifiable” and “irreversible” amid criticism over the result of the summit. 　“Major disarmament... We‘re hopeful that we can achieve that in the two and half ye

June 14, 2018

S. Korea, US, Japan to discuss post-summit strategy over N. Korea

The top diplomats of South Korea, the United States and Japan had talks in Seoul on Thursday on North Korea, emboldened by the first-ever Pyongyang-Washington summit talks. Starting a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed hope that "the current momentum will be maintained."Their closed-door talks were followed by a trilateral session involving Japan's Minister Taro Kono.Earlier in the day, Pompeo paid a courtesy call on P

June 14, 2018

Trump declares via Twitter the NK nuclear threat is over

President Donald Trump declared on Twitter Wednesday that there was “no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea,” a bold and questionable claim following his summit with leader Kim Jong Un that produced few guarantees on how and when Pyongyang would disarm. “Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office,” he tweeted. “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. No

June 13, 2018

[US-NK Summit] Trump hails Kim Jong-un for taking ‘bold’ step

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressed his gratitude to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for taking “the first bold step toward a bright new future for his people.”  (Yonhap)Hailing the unprecedented US-NK summit on Tuesday as proving that “real change is possible,” Trump said that there is no limit to what North Korea can achieve when it gives up nuclear weapons and opens up to the world.　“Chairman Kim has before him the opportunity to be remembered as the leader who ushered in a glori

June 13, 2018

[US-NK Summit] Pompeo to brief Moon on outcome of US-N. Korea summit: official

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will personally brief South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the outcome of the historic US-North Korea summit, an official from Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday.The top US diplomat arrived at Osan Air Base, south of Seoul, around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. It is his first official visit to South Korea since he took office in April."Secretary Pompeo is scheduled to visit Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. The president will likely meet him personally," t

June 13, 2018

[Newsmaker] Trump, Kim Jong-un ready for history-making summit with top aides by side

After months of on-again, off-again speculation, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will finally sit down for a historic summit in Singapore on Tuesday aimed at ending a nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula.  　Accompanying Trump and Kim in Singapore for the high-stakes meeting are the leaders’ trusted foreign policy officials who have been leading the closed-door meetings in the flurry of diplomacy that culminated in Tuesday’s summit. 　With the roster of who will be s

June 11, 2018

Korean president to make state visit to Russia from June 21-23

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will make a state visit to Russia this month to discuss ways to enhance the countries' bilateral economic cooperation and joint efforts to peacefully denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, Moon's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Friday.Moon will embark on a three-day visit to Russia on June 21 for a summit with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing. He did not provide the summit date."The purpose of the state visit

June 8, 2018

[US-NK Summit] NK, Singaporean foreign ministers meet ahead of Kim-Trump summit

The top diplomats of North Korea and Singapore held talks in Pyongyang on Thursday ahead of the highly anticipated summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, the North's state media reported."Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan exchanged in-depth views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries with a long history and tradition in various fields and on the situation ahead of

June 8, 2018

[US-NK Summit] Pompeo to visit S. Korea after N. Korea summit

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to South Korea right after June 12 summit between the US and North Korea to discuss the results of the historic meeting and the next steps in the diplomatic effort to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The top US diplomat will visit Seoul on June 13-14 to meet senior officials from South Korea and Japan, after accompanying US President Donald Trump to his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore, according the State Department. In Seo

June 8, 2018

[Newsmaker] What are remaining variables ahead of NK-US summit?

As North Korea and the US finalize preparations for their historic summit, expectations are rising that the June 12 meeting is on course and the leaders of the two countries will reaffirm their shared goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula at the summit. 　But with only days to go before the meeting, analysts say there are remaining issues that could still derail the on-again, off-again summit or lead to US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walking away during t

June 5, 2018

Leaders of S. Korea, Philippines agree to improve ties, boost cooperation

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Filipino counterpart Rodrigo Duterte agreed Monday to enhance their countries‘ bilateral relations and expand their economic cooperation.In a bilateral summit held at Moon’s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, the two leaders also agreed to work together to peacefully rid North Korea of its nuclear ambition.“President Moon Jae-in expressed gratitude to President Duterte for his active support for our government‘s efforts to peacefully resolve th

June 4, 2018

US-NK summit prep talks continue at Panmunjeom

With the North Korea-US summit back on, the two countries continued their working-level talks to settle agenda items at the border village of Panmunjeom on Monday in a last-ditch effort to close the gaps on the denuclearization process ahead of the June 12 meeting. 　In Singapore, officials from the US and North Korea -- led by the White House’s deputy chief of staff for operations Joe Hagin and North Korea’s de facto chief of staff Kim Chang Son -- reportedly wrapped up their meetings to hammer

June 4, 2018

Moon to hold summit with Philippine President Duterte

President Moon Jae-in was set to hold a summit with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to discuss ways to bolster economic and other cooperation between the two countries.Duterte arrived in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day visit. He is the first head of state from an Association of Southeast Asian Nations  member country to visit South Korea since Moon took office in May last year.Monday's summit will be the second meeting between Moon and Duterte. They first met in the Philippines in

June 4, 2018

NK, US seen getting hardliners out of the way

Signs of North Korea and the US trying to form a conciliatory mood are detected in the lead up to the historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump to be held in Singapore on June 12. North Korea has tapped a more moderate defense minister in an apparent attempt to stave off potential opposition ahead of the pivotal summit with the US, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun reported Sunday, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of North Korean affairs.  US President Dona

June 3, 2018

Allies' defense chiefs vow full support for summit

SINGAPORE -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States agreed Saturday to maintain their robust alliance in the face of North Korea's recent peace offensive.In talks held on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security forum, in Singapore, Defense Minister Song Young-moo and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis shared the view that the summit between the North and the US later this month will serve as a "historic chance" for the denuclearization of the peninsula and establ

June 2, 2018