Derision, invectives against Moon by NK leader's sister draw ire of S. Korea

The derisive, invective-filled tirade against President Moon Jae-in by the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is drawing public outrage here and emboldening hawkish calls for a tougher stance against the recalcitrant regime. On Wednesday, Kim Yo-jong, the first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, slammed Moon over his recent speech marking the 20th anniversary of an inter-Korean declaration and other remarks, calling them "disgusting" and

June 17, 2020

Hotline between Seoul, Pyongyang spy agencies possibly in operation

North Korea's disclosure of Seoul's offer to send special envoys to Pyongyang sparked speculation about what communication lines remain open between the two sides after the North vowed to cut off all such hotlines. The North's Korean Central News Agency said President Moon Jae-in offered Monday to send special envoys to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but Kim's powerful sister Kim Yo-jong "flatly" rejected the offer as a "tactless and sinister proposal." The two Koreas di

June 17, 2020

Unification Ministry voices 'strong regret' over NK plan to send troops to Kaesong, Mount Kumgang areas

The unification ministry on Wednesday expressed "strong regret" over North Korea's plan to send its troops to two inter-Korean business zones near the border disarmed under previous inter-Korean agreements, urging Pyongyang to refrain from escalating tension. "We express our strong regret over an announcement by a spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army to turn the Mount Kumgang tourist area and the Kaesong industrial complex region into military zones,&qu

June 17, 2020

N. Korea placed explosives inside liaison office right after Kim Yo-jong's statement: sources

North Korea appears to have begun preparations to destroy the inter-Korean liaison office building by placing explosives immediately after leader Kim Jong-un's sister issued a warning, military sources said Wednesday. On Saturday night, some unusual movements were detected around the liaison office in the North's border town of Kaesong, such as vehicles moving around, according to the sources. It was right after leader Kim's influential sister Kim Yo-jong issued a statement saying, "Befo

June 17, 2020

Gyeonggi orders entry ban in border areas to block anti-North leaflets

The provincial government of Gyeonggi, which surrounds Seoul and borders North Korea to the north, took one step further in its crackdown on the distribution of propaganda leaflets into the North by issuing an administrative order on Wednesday banning anyone from entering its border areas to float such leaflets and threatening legal punishments. In the order, the Gyeonggi government said it will designate five cities and counties close to the inter-Korean border as off-limits danger zones unti

June 17, 2020

Cheong Wa Dae hits back at N. Korea's 'rude, senseless' criticism of Moon

The office of President Moon Jae-in strongly condemned the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday for her "rude and senseless" criticism of Moon and warned that it won't tolerate the North's unreasonable words and acts anymore. "It is a senseless act to disparage (Moon's speech earlier this week) in a very rude tone without understanding its purpose at all," Yoon Do-han, Cheong Wa Dae's senior secretary for public communication, said in a war of words betwee

June 17, 2020

N. Korea set to raise tensions further with eye on US: experts

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's destruction of an inter-Korean liaison office is likely the first step in a series of provocations aimed at increasing its bargaining power with Washington and Seoul ahead of the November presidential election in the United States, experts here said Tuesday. Fully aware that it is unlikely to get any sanctions relief it wants from the US before the election, North Korea will continue to escalate its military and nonmilitary threats in preparation for a second term f

June 17, 2020

NK to redeploy troops to Kaesong, Mount Kumgang areas, rejects Seoul's offer for envoys

North Korea said Wednesday it has rejected South Korea's offer to send special envoys and will redeploy troops to two inter-Korean business zones near the border, unrelentingly ratcheting up tensions a day after the regime blew up a joint liaison office. The North's disclosure of its rejection of the special envoy proposal shows the regime has no intention to defuse tensions through dialogue and will carry out a series of measures it has threatened to take in anger over propaganda leaflets cri

June 17, 2020

Seoul says it will 'strongly respond' if North further worsens situation

Hours after North Korea demolished the inter-Korean liaison office in its border town of Kaesong in a surprise provocation Tuesday, South Korea warned of a strong response if the North further worsens the situation. Cheong Wa Dae made the unusually strong warning after holding an emergency meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee to discuss the matter. "The government expresses strong regret over North Korea's unilateral explosion of the inter-Korean liaison off

June 16, 2020

Neighbors react to North Korea’s demolition with shock

In response to North Korea’s demolition of an inter-Korean liaison office, China called for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry sent out the message, less than two hours after the unprecedented aggression escalated military tensions on the peninsula. “South and North Korea are one people. As their neighbor, we hope for continued peace and stability on the peninsula,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. China, which shares a

June 16, 2020

Unification minister says explosion of liaison office was already preannounced

South Korea's unification minister said Tuesday that North Korea's detonation of the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong was already preannounced by the North and Seoul would need more details to assess the situation. Appearing in a session of the parliamentary standing committee on foreign affairs and unification, Minister Kim Yeon-chul said, "It is something partly preannounced (by North Korea)." "(The country) needs to study more details of the situation," Kim said a

June 16, 2020

North Korea demolishes liaison office, experts warn of further actions

North Korea on Tuesday demolished an inter-Korean liaison office in its territory near the border, following through on threats and leaving South Korea with little in the way of options. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification, the North blew up the four-story building at 2:49 p.m., hours after its military warned of refortifying areas disarmed in accordance with inter-Korean agreements. A National Security Council meeting presided over by National Security Office chief Chung Eui-y

June 16, 2020

NK may run out of foreign currency in 2023: report

North Korea’s recent heightened threats against South Korea come from its anxiety over deepening economic woes due to international sanctions, a Japanese newspaper said Tuesday. Citing a source close to trilateral talks among South Korea, the US and Japan, the Yomiuri Shimbun said that North Korea may run out of foreign currency in 2023 under economic sanctions by the United Nations and the US. The North’s recent raging threats over anti-Pyongyang leaflets from the South, which ha

June 16, 2020

Vice minister visits border region to monitor policing against anti-Pyongyang leaflets

Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho visited a western border region on Tuesday as part of efforts to deal sternly with the controversial campaign to fly propaganda leaflets into North Korea, the ministry said. Suh will visit Seokmo Island in the Ganghwa area on the country's western border to take a firsthand look at the preparedness of police and the coast guard to stop North Korean defectors and other activists from sending leaflets into the North, according to the ministry. The planned visit

June 16, 2020

N. Korea's military threatens to reenter disarmed border areas

North Korea's military said Tuesday it is reviewing plans to reenter border areas disarmed under inter-Korean agreements, days after the North threatened to take military action over the sending of leaflets by activists from South Korea. The General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) also revealed that the North would send its own propaganda leaflets into the South, saying it is considering opening front-line areas and waters off the southwest coast to cooperate for a "large-scale l

June 16, 2020

N. Korea's threats aimed at testing S. Korea-US alliance: ex-US official

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's recent threats against South Korea appear aimed at testing the South Korea-US alliance and opening up more gaps between the allies, a former senior US official said Monday. North Korea has ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with a series of threats to cut off all inter-Korean communication lines and even take military action over activists' flying of anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North. "I think, to some extent, what we've seen from North Korea i

June 16, 2020

Vice unification minister to visit border regions to monitor policing against anti-Pyongyang leaflets

Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho will visit two border regions this week as part of efforts to deal sternly with the controversial campaign to fly propaganda leaflets into North Korea, the ministry said Monday. Suh will visit the Ganghwa and Gimpo areas on the country's western border on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively, to take a firsthand look at the preparedness of police and the coast guard to stop North Korean defectors and other activists from sending leaflets into the North, according

June 15, 2020

Military beefs up surveillance on NK following provocation threats

South Korea's military has strengthened its monitoring of North Korea, but no unusual moves have been detected so far, a source said Monday, after Pyongyang threatened to take military action against the South. In a statement Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister, Kim Yo-jong, said its military will be entrusted with the right to take the "next step" against the South in the latest in a series of threats made by the North in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets se

June 15, 2020

Minister emphasizes summit spirit as Pyongyang threatens military action

South and North Korea should remember the spirit of reconciliation ingrained in the first-ever summit of their leaders held two decades ago, the unification minister said Monday, as tensions are growing after Pyongyang threatened to take military action against the South. Minister Kim Yeon-chul made the remark in a speech to mark the 20th anniversary of the June 15 Declaration adopted during the summit in Pyongyang in 2000 between then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and then-North Korean

June 15, 2020

Pentagon reaffirms 'robust' defensive posture after NK threats

WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon reaffirmed Sunday its commitment to keeping a "robust" combined defensive posture to respond to any situation involving North Korea, after Pyongyang hinted at military action against the South. On Saturday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened Pyongyang will take "a next step" against the South and gave an instruction for the army to take necessary measures. Seoul urged the North to comply with past inte

June 15, 2020