Most Popular
-
1
[Exclusive] Korean adoptee sisters meet for the first time in 39 years
-
2
Signs point to N. Korean troops in Russia-Ukraine combat zone
-
3
Rose's 'Apt.' redefines K-pop's global appeal
-
4
Yoon calls for measures to protect Koreans amid escalating Iran-Israel conflicts
-
5
Two years on, thousands mourn Itaewon tragedy, calling for accountability
-
6
Civil servant’s death linked to workplace bullying
-
7
[Weekender] Walk around Korea to really get to know the country
-
8
N. Korea slams Seoul-Washington joint air exercise
-
9
[Herald Interview] Love for K-drama, food defines 'Secret Ingredient'
-
10
[Herald Interview] K-pop’s 'best years are ahead of us': Spotify’s general manager for Asia Pacific
-
Biden's negotiators face choice between incremental NK nuke dismantlement or 'big deal': CRS report
US negotiators under the new Joe Biden administration could face a choice between the pursuit of an incremental dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear program and a big deal calling for its complete denuclearization, a congressional report has said. The recently updated Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on diplomacy with Pyongyang comes as White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said Friday that the administration will adopt a "new strategy" in handling North Korean threats throu
Jan. 26, 2021
-
‘NK diplomat is living in South’
North Korea’s former acting ambassador to Kuwait has been living with his family in South Korea for at least a year, a local newspaper reported Monday. The diplomat, Ryu Hyun-woo, was the North’s acting chief of mission in Kuwait in 2019, when he defected to the South with his family, who the source said had motivated him to defect in hopes of a “better future.” If true, it is the third time a ranking official from Pyongyang has defected to Seoul since 2012, when leade
Jan. 25, 2021
-
Unification Minister calls for flexible solution to the joint military exercises
Unification Minister Lee In-young on Monday stressed the need to find a flexible solution to the upcoming joint military exercise between Washington and Seoul, to prevent any further flare-up of cross-border tensions. Lee underlined four areas that need to be taken into account when deciding whether to hold the combined military drills, which have long irked Pyongyang. These are COVID-19, the Tokyo Olympics, the lack of an established US policy on the Korean Peninsula, and Seoul’s envi
Jan. 25, 2021
-
Minister hopes for 'wise' and 'flexible' solution to joint military drill issue
Unification Minister Lee In-young expressed hope Monday for a "wise" and "flexible" solution on whether to hold joint military drills with the United States so that the issue will not cause serious tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Lee made the remarks during a press conference for the new year in Seoul, weeks after North Korea demanded an end to joint military exercises between South Korea and the US as a major precondition for the improvement in inter-Korean relations. &q
Jan. 25, 2021
-
NK propaganda outlet mentions Biden's election for first time
A North Korean propaganda media outlet has mentioned Joe Biden's election as US president for the first time over the weekend, though official state media have stayed mum on his administration. DPRK Today, one of the North's propaganda websites, made the mention of Biden on Saturday, citing a report from Jaju Sibo, a pro-unification online media outlet in South Korea. "The US Congress failed to declare Biden as the president on this day and had to confirm Biden as the winner the following
Jan. 25, 2021
-
N. Korean diplomat defects to S. Korea: source
A North Korean diplomat has defected to South Korea while serving as the acting chief of mission at the country's embassy in Kuwait, a source said Monday. Ryu Hyun-woo, who had served as the embassy's charge d'affaires since Ambassador So Chang-sik was expelled from Kuwait after a UN resolution was adopted in 2017, entered South Korea, along with his family, according to the source. Further details were not available, including the timing of the defection. But a media report earlier said that
Jan. 25, 2021
-
[Feature] Dispute rages over ban on propaganda leafleting
It all began in June. North Korea threatened retaliation over the cross-border launch of anti-North propaganda leaflets. Municipal leaders representing residents of border towns demanded a halt to the leafleting. A lawmaker drafted legislation that would ban the practice. The fate of the law, which was approved in the National Assembly in December and is set to take effect in late March, is hanging in the balance as critics have petitioned the Constitutional Court to review it, saying it infrin
Jan. 23, 2021
-
1 in 2 N. Koreans underfed, worst in Asia-Pacific: UN report
Nearly five out of ten North Koreans were undernourished from 2017 to 2019, the highest in the Asia-Pacific region, the UN said in an inter-agency report. East Timor and Afghanistan followed. In the same period, seven out of ten North Korean children aged two or below did not have minimum acceptable diet. In the report released Wednesday by the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Program, World Health Organization and UNICEF, seven out of ten infants younger than six months old i
Jan. 22, 2021
-
Peace deal Moon wants Biden to inherit flawed: experts
North Korean experts said Thursday it would be a mistake for US President Joe Biden to build on the 2018 Singapore agreement to address North Korea’s denuclearization. President Moon Jae-in has suggested Washington start re-engaging with Pyongyang based on the deal. “What the administration should strive for instead is a comprehensive, well-crafted agreement such as the arms control agreements we had with the Soviet Union,” Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow for Northe
Jan. 22, 2021
-
Seoul should refrain from 'prioritizing' US-NK summit with Biden: US expert
South Korea should refrain from "prioritizing" a summit between US President Joe Biden and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un when it starts working with the new administration on the stalled nuclear issue, a US expert said Friday. Michael Green, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), made the remark during a virtual forum on the Korea-US alliance, stressing that Biden's team is less likely to respond to such a call, given that it is already l
Jan. 22, 2021
-
N. Korea ranks worst in undernourishment in Asia-Pacific region
North Korea was ranked the worst in terms of prevalence of undernourishment among its population in the Asia-Pacific region, a report showed Friday. According to the report jointly compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme and other global agencies, more than 45 percent of the North's population was suffering from undernourishment from 2017-2019. The proportion was the highest among Asia-Pacific countries surveyed. It was much higher than the corresponding fig
Jan. 22, 2021
-
Consistency key to denuclearizing N. Korea: US experts
Having a consistent policy on North Korea may be the key to denuclearizing the North, US experts said Thursday. They argued the North may have had little or no incentive to actually give up its nuclear weapons since it had been rewarded without doing so. "I think it's because there has been an inconsistent foreign policy, not only from the United States but a lot of countries, and we have in the past rewarded people like Kim Jong-il, they took our support and made promises, and then after
Jan. 22, 2021
-
Two Koreas look toward new relationship with Biden
Gone are the days when the leaders of the US and North Korea exchanged “love letters” -- or threats of “fire and fury.” US President Joe Biden took office Wednesday, and the world is now watching Biden to see what actions he will take -- not just unraveling years of Donald Trump’s policies, but how US foreign policy will formulate under the new leader, who declared that “America is back, ready to lead the world.” North and South Korea are also k
Jan. 21, 2021
-
Biden's speech signals better ties with Seoul, less drama with Pyongyang
WASHINGTON -- North Korea is and will continue to be a major challenge for the new US administration, but not as great a challenge as other domestic issues such as the pandemic, at least for now, as evidenced by President Joe Biden's inaugural address on Wednesday. The new US leader took office with a speech that mostly focused on the need for unity among Americans to fight off the deadly new coronavirus, but also other foes facing the US that he said included "anger, resentment, hatred, e
Jan. 21, 2021
-
US to review entire approach on NK: Secretary of State nominee Blinken
Antony Blinken, incoming US President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, said the North’s nuclear problem has “gotten worse” and that the new administration is planning a full review of Washington’s approach to Pyongyang. “I think we have to review and we intend to review the entire approach and policy toward North Korea because this is a hard problem that has plagued administration after administration, and it is a problem that has not gotten bet
Jan. 20, 2021
-
N. Korea tightens antivirus campaign as party congress, military parade end
North Korea is stepping up antivirus efforts and tightening border control to ward off the new coronavirus, state media reported Wednesday, as major political events attended by thousands of delegates wrapped up last week in the capital city. Pyongyang concluded the eight-day congress of the Workers' Party and held a military parade last week, during which thousands of attendees, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, were seen without masks. Officials attending Sunday's meeting of the rub
Jan. 20, 2021
-
Soldiers, civilians stage joint rallies in N. Korea in support of party decisions
Soldiers and civilians staged joint rallies across North Korea, calling for nationwide cooperation to carry out new policies and decisions made during a recent rare party congress, state media reported Wednesday. North Korea held the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party that ended last week, unveiling a new five-year economic development plan focusing on self-reliance in the face of the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and global sanctions on its regime. "Joint rallies of soldi
Jan. 20, 2021
-
US defense nominee vows to quickly conclude cost-sharing talks with S. Korea
The nominee for US secretary of defense on Tuesday said he will seek to quickly conclude stalled negotiations with South Korea to set the latter's contribution toward maintaining US troops on the Korean Peninsula. Lloyd Austin said an early conclusion to the long-stalled negotiations would be part of efforts to enhance and modernize the US-South Korea alliance. "The US-Republic of Korea (ROK) Alliance is the linchpin of peace and security in the region. It is among the most combined, inte
Jan. 20, 2021
-
Blinken says US is 'better positioned' to deal with N. Korea when working with allies
Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken on Tuesday vowed efforts to improve US relations with allies, saying the country is "far better positioned" to deal with threats from North Korea and other adversaries when it works with friendly nations. The former deputy secretary of state made the remarks at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "We can revitalize our core alliances -- force multipliers of our influence around the world," said
Jan. 20, 2021
-
US will review entire N. Korea policy, consider humanitarian aid: Blinken
The new US administration of Joe Biden plans to review the country's entire approach and policy toward North Korea, Biden's secretary of state nominee said Tuesday. Antony Blinken said the new administration may also try to find ways to get humanitarian assistance to the North to help lessen the suffering of North Korean people if necessary. "I think we have to review and we intend to review the entire approach and policy toward North Korea because this is a hard problem that has plagued
Jan. 20, 2021