[Newsmaker] N. Korea holds military parade, showcases new SLBM

North Korea held a military parade Thursday evening in central Pyongyang to celebrate the recently concluded party congress, showing off its state-of-the-art weapons, including a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), state media reported Friday. The parade held in Kim Il-sung square came after Pyongyang wrapped up its eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, at which leader Kim Jong-un pledged to bolster the nuclear arsenal of the country. North Korea appears to aim a

Jan. 15, 2021

N. Korea seen staging military parade: source

North Korea appeared to have staged a military parade on Thursday, a South Korean government source said, after Pyongyang wrapped up a rare party congress with calls to bolster its nuclear arsenal. The military parade began at around 6:00 p.m. and was in progress as of 8:00 p.m., the source said on condition of anonymity. Asked whether North Korea staged a military parade, a South Korean military official replied that the military was keeping a close watch on North Korea. Earlier in the da

Jan. 14, 2021

Seoul to fund survey on separated families

The Ministry of Unification on Thursday said it will spend 800 million won ($727,000) to carry out a survey of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, to check their status and to prepare for possible future family reunions. 　 The ministry decided to conduct the survey of around 50,000 members of divided families during a meeting of a civilian-government committee on inter-Korean exchanges, presided over by Unification Minister Lee In-young. 　 The survey, which will run from April to Oc

Jan. 14, 2021

Incoming Biden administration understands 'urgency' of NK nuke issues: Seoul official

The incoming US administration of Joe Biden is fully aware of the "urgency" of North Korea's nuclear issues, and South Korea is ready to closely work with Washington to draw up the "most effective" countermeasures as soon as the new government takes office, a Seoul official said Thursday. North Korea recently ramped up its push to strengthen its nuclear arsenal in its recent key party gathering in what appears aimed at upping the ante ahead of the inauguration of President-e

Jan. 14, 2021

S. Korea to boost capabilities to counter NK missile threats: defense ministry

South Korea will further boost its military capabilities to counter North Korea's short-range missile threats, the defense ministry said Wednesday, after Pyongyang vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal amid a deadlock in negotiations with the United States. Wrapping up an eight-day congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday, the North's leader Kim Jong-un called for enhancing the country's "nuclear war deterrent" and building "the most powerful military strength." Aske

Jan. 14, 2021

NK holds performance to celebrate party congress, no mention of military parade

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has attended a mass art performance held to celebrate the recently concluded party congress, state media said Thursday. The performance took place on Wednesday, a day after the North wrapped up the eighth congress of its ruling Workers' Party, which was held for more than a week since its opening on Jan. 5, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The grand art performance 'We Sing of the Party' took place with splendor in celebration o

Jan. 14, 2021

NK’s nuclear aims a warning to Biden’s US: experts

North Korea wrapped up a rare eight-day party congress Tuesday, with its leader Kim Jong-un calling for stronger nuclear deterrence and maximum military power to round off one of the biggest political events in Pyongyang in the last five years.  With only a week until US President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office, Kim’s outlining of ambitious military goals and a wish list of advanced weapons during the longer-than-usual congress is a message of defiance against Washington, expe

Jan. 13, 2021

[Newsmaker] Biden must act quickly before N. Korea creates crisis: think tank

WASHINGTON -- The new US administration of Joe Biden must act quickly to prevent North Korea from setting the stage by creating a crisis, a US think tank said Tuesday. The Korea Economic Institute of America (KEIA) also advised the incoming US administration to see if US-North Korea denuclearization talks could be picked up from where they were left off by the outgoing Donald Trump administration. "The Biden Administration should act quickly on North Korea to prevent Pyongyang from settin

Jan. 13, 2021

Trump's meeting with Kim 'squandered' best chance to denuclearize N. Korea: Tillerson

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump wasted the best chance to denuclearize North Korea by agreeing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. Tillerson also argued the US is now in a "worse place" in terms of national security because of Trump. "Nothing worked out. We squandered the best opportunity we had on North Korea. It was just blown up when he took the meeting with Kim," the former secretary of state said in a r

Jan. 13, 2021

NK leader's sister slams S. Korea over closely tracking military parade

The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un harshly criticized South Korea's military for closely tracking its military parade believed to have taken place in Pyongyang to celebrate a rare party congress. On Monday, Seoul's military officials said signs were detected that the North carried out a military parade in central Pyongyang Sunday night in time for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which has been under way since its opening last week. "What is weird is t

Jan. 13, 2021

NK leader pledges to strengthen 'nuclear war deterrent' as party congress closes

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for strengthening the country's nuclear capabilities as he addressed the final-day session of the ruling party's rare congress, state media said Wednesday. North Korea on Tuesday wrapped up the eighth congress of the Workers' Party, which had been held for more than a week since its opening on Jan. 5, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "While further strengthening our nuclear war deterrent, we need to do everything to build the stron

Jan. 13, 2021

NK’s congress nears end with signs of military parade

North Korea’s rare party congress appears to be nearing its end, with officials reviewing a draft resolution on the policy goals laid out by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and with key officials receiving invitations to “celebrations” of the congress, which could mean a military parade. 　 The delegates gathered for the ongoing eighth congress of the ruling Workers’ Party discussed a draft resolution for “thoroughly implementing the tasks set forth in the

Jan. 12, 2021

N. Korean officials seen wearing masks at party congress after days of no-mask sessions

North Korean officials participating in the ongoing party congress were seen wearing face masks in their latest meetings for the first time since its opening last week, raising questions over its standards on antivirus guidelines. Photos released by state media on Tuesday showed North Korean officials in blue face masks at the seventh-day session of the party congress as they were participating in consultative meetings the previous day. The delegates were seen sitting in close proximity, but m

Jan. 12, 2021

Xi congratulates NK leader on election as 'general secretary,' calls for stronger ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a message congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his election as general secretary of the ruling party and called for strong relations between the two countries, Pyongyang's media said Tuesday. Xi noted that Kim's election "fully showed the trust, support and expectation of all the WPK members and other Korean people for him," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. He also expressed his

Jan. 12, 2021

N. Korea, China have no respect for human rights: Pompeo

Countries like North Korea and China have no respect for human rights and oppose other universal values such as democracy, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday. "Governments like those in China, Iran, North Korea, they don't have the respect for the universal dignity of every human being in the way that America does," the top US diplomat said in a speech at Washington-based Voice of America (VOA). "Indeed, that is what America was founded upon. Those regimes are anathem

Jan. 12, 2021

Kim Jong-un promoted to general secretary

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un consolidated his grip on power at the party congress Sunday, where he was elected general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea. His predecessors all held the title, while his late father, Kim Jong-il, was named “eternal general secretary” in 2012 when Kim Jong-un succeeded him. “Leader Kim Jong-un has reshaped the party leadership, as guided by ideologies shared by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, and put forward policies for North Korean

Jan. 11, 2021

In-depth analysis needed to decide development of nuke-powered submarine: Seoul ministry

The defense ministry said Monday that it has yet to decide whether to push for the development of a nuclear-powered submarine, amid security concerns sparked by North Korea's pursuit of the underwater naval platform. The ministry's deputy spokesperson Col. Moon Hong-sik made the comment in an answer to a reporter's question about Seoul's plan for the new asset, after North Korea said Saturday that its research into nuclear-powered subs is complete and in the final stages of examination. "

Jan. 11, 2021

Signs detected of N. Korea staging military parade in Pyongyang late Sunday

South Korea's military said Monday that it has detected signs indicating that North Korea carried out a military parade in time for a ruling party congress in Pyongyang late Sunday. The North has been holding the eighth congress of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang since Tuesday, and the possibility has been raised that it could stage a military parade on the occasion. "Our military detected signs that North Korea held a military parade related to the party congress at Kim Il-sung Square in

Jan. 11, 2021

N. Korea crowns leader Kim Jong-un as party's general secretary

North Korea has endorsed leader Kim Jong-un as the general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party at its ongoing congress, state media said Monday, in an apparent move to tighten his grip on power. The election took place at the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, following the North's revision of party rules to reinstate the secretariat system that was scrapped in 2016, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The 8th Cong

Jan. 11, 2021

NK highlights importance of defense capabilities in revised party rules

North Korea has clarified the importance of powerful defense capabilities in containing military threats in its revised rules for the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Sunday. The revision was adopted at the fifth-day session of the eighth party congress in Pyongyang on Saturday, a day after leader Kim Jong-un defined the United States as the country's "foremost principal enemy" and vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). &q

Jan. 10, 2021