US concerned by NK missile development: senior official

The United States is concerned by North Korea's missile development and will continue to call out the regime for its missile tests, a senior US official said Tuesday.Andrea Thompson, under secretary of state for arms control and international security, was commenting in light of North Korea's five rounds of short-range ballistic missile tests since July 25. Experts say the regime has been advancing its weapons capabilities despite a commitment by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to work toward de

Aug. 14, 2019

Spy chiefs of Koreas met secretly in April after no-deal summit breakdown in Hanoi: source

The top intelligence officials of the two Koreas met secretly in April after the North's spy chief was replaced following Feb.'s no-deal summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, a government source confirmed Tuesday. The meeting between National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and his North Korean counterpart, Jang Kum-chol, came right after Jang took over as chief of the North's United Front Department (UFD), the source said.Jang replaced Kim Yong-cho

Aug. 13, 2019

UN probing 35 North Korean cyberattacks in 17 countries

UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- UN experts say they are investigating at least 35 instances in 17 countries of North Koreans using cyberattacks to illegally raise money for its nuclear program _ and they are calling for sanctions against ships providing gasoline and diesel to the country. Last week, The Associated Press reported that North Korea illegally acquired "as much as two billion dollars'' from its increasingly sophisticated cyber activities against financial institutions and cryptocurrency

Aug. 13, 2019

S. Korea says NK apparently eyes nuclear talks with US after military drills end

North Korea appears to be seeking the resumption of working-level nuclear talks with the United States after ongoing joint military drills between Seoul and Washington end, South Korea's presidential office said Monday.A senior Cheong Wa Dae official was responding to a statement issued by a North Korean foreign ministry official Sunday that contains strong condemnation against South Korea and blasted Seoul for staging the allies' military exercises that kicked off last week.The message came aft

Aug. 12, 2019

Pyongyang taunts Seoul as ‘fool,’ lambasts over military exercise with US

North Korea has slammed South Korea for the latter’s combined military exercise with the United States, which kicked off Sunday, saying it will not interact with the South until there is a plausible explanation for the “war exercise.”In a Foreign Ministry statement, released a day after it launched what are believed to be short-range ballistic missiles, Pyongyang said its recent launches are just part of the regular process of developing conventional weapons. “Given that

Aug. 11, 2019

Trump: Kim Jong-un wants to resume nuclear talks after Seoul-Washington joint exercise

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his will to restart negotiations on its nuclear program with the United States "as soon as" the joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington is over.The North Korean leader also pledged to stop missile launches when the combined exercise ends, according to the president."In a letter to me sent by Kim Jong-un, he stated, very nicely, that he would like to meet and start negotiations as so

Aug. 11, 2019

NK says inter-Korean contact difficult until Seoul gives 'plausible excuse' for military drill with US

North Korea said Sunday it won't even have contact with South Korea, let alone dialogue, unless Seoul gives a "plausible excuse" for its ongoing military exercise with the United States, calling it an "aggressive war exercise against" the North. Kwon Jong-gun, North Korean foreign ministry's director-general of the department of American affairs, made the remarks in a statement released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), blasting South Korea over the allies' joint mili

Aug. 11, 2019

Trump says he received 'beautiful' letter from NK leader, may have another meeting

US President Donald Trump said Friday that he received a "beautiful" letter from North Korea's leader this week in which Kim Jong-un expressed his displeasure with military exercises between South Korea and the US.Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said he was never a fan of the exercises either but he let them happen this time because they allowed a "turnover of various areas" to South Korea, which he liked.The allied drills began Monday to test South Korea's ca

Aug. 10, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae calls NK missile firing 'show of force' against S. Korea-US military drill

Cheong Wa Dae said Saturday that North Korea's latest firing of unidentified projectiles into the East Sea is an apparent show of force against the joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington slated for next week.Two short-range projectiles were fired from near its eastern coastal city of Hamhung in South Hamgyong Province earlier in the day.The South Korean military said the projectiles are presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles, which flew 400 kilometers with a peak altitude of

Aug. 10, 2019

N. Korea warns Seoul will 'pay dearly' for escalating tensions

North Korea blasted South Korea on Thursday for conducting joint military exercises with the United States and deploying high-tech US fighter jets, warning Seoul will "pay dearly" for escalating tensions on the peninsula."The joint military exercises which have been conducted by the South Korean authorities with outsiders century after century are the root cause escalating tension on the Korean peninsula and blocking the development of the inter-Korean relations," the North's

Aug. 9, 2019

Pyongyang says projectiles a ‘warning’ to Seoul, US

North Korea on Wednesday said that its recent weapon tests are a warning to South Korea’s “warmongers” who are raising tension on the peninsula. “Our military actions will be an opportunity to send an accurate warning on the joint military exercise the US and South have begun,” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was quoted as saying by the North’s Rodong Sinmun.  The message comes a day after North Korea fired what it calls a newly developed guided bomb. Tue

Aug. 7, 2019

N. Korea says it fired new missiles in warning against allies' joint exercise

North Korea said Wednesday it tested new tactical guided missiles under leader Kim Jong-un's guidance in the firing of two projectiles into the East Sea the previous day in a warning against the joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States that kicked off earlier this week.  On Tuesday, North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the fourth such launch in less than two weeks. They flew about 450 kilometers

Aug. 7, 2019

[News Focus] NK missile launches aimed at domestic audience, testing intelligence capabilities of S. Korea, US: experts

After firing two unidentified projectiles that Seoul believes to be short-range ballistic missiles early Tuesday, North Korea issued a statement strongly denouncing South Korea and the United States for their joint military exercise that kicked off the day before.In a statement carried via its news outlets, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson poured scorn on the joint military exercise and other military actions taken by the allies, warning such actions would inevitably drive the N

Aug. 6, 2019

US scraps visa waiver for S. Koreans with record of NK visit

The United States is no longer waiving visas for South Koreans and other foreign nationals with records of a visit to North Korea since March 2011, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.The tightened measure, effective Tuesday (US time), requires them to apply for a US visa in person through the embassy and undergo necessary steps, including an interview. "It does not mean a travel ban to the US for having visited North Korea. (The applicant) can still enter the country after obtaining a vi

Aug. 6, 2019

UN report: North Korea cyber experts raised up to $2 billion

A panel monitoring UN sanctions says North Korean cyber experts have illegally raised money for the country's weapons of mass destruction programs "with total proceeds to date estimated at up to $2 billion.''The experts said in a new report to the Security Council that North Korea is using cyberspace "to launch increasingly sophisticated attacks to steal funds from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to generate income.''Cryptocurrency exchanges deal in virtual money li

Aug. 6, 2019

N. Korea bristles at S. Korea-US military exercise, warns it could seek 'new road'

North Korea bristled Tuesday at joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, calling the maneuvers a violation of a series of peace agreements and warning it could seek a "new road" if such hostile moves continue.A spokesperson for North Korea's foreign ministry made the remarks in a statement issued shortly after the North fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, the fourth such launch in less than two weeks. "A

Aug. 6, 2019

US continues to monitor situation after NK launch: official

The United States continues to monitor the situation after North Korea carried out its fourth projectile launch in less than two weeks, a senior US government official said Monday.The North fired two unidentified projectiles off its east coast early Tuesday (Seoul time) and also released a statement denouncing South Korea-US military exercises that began this week."We continue to monitor the situation and are consulting closely with our South Korean and Japanese allies," the official t

Aug. 6, 2019

N. Korea fires unidentified projectiles off east coast: JCS

North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, in an apparent show of force against the ongoing joint military exercise between Seoul and Washington.The projectiles were fired at 5:24 a.m. and 5:36 a.m. from North Korea's southwestern county of Kwail in South Hwanghae Province, and both flew around 450 kilometers across the peninsula before splashing into the East Sea, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said

Aug. 6, 2019

N. Korea apparently not ready yet for nuke talks with US: Seoul official

North Korea does not appear ready yet for the resumption of its working-level nuclear talks with the United States, a senior Seoul official has said, amid concerns that its recent saber-rattling could dampen the mood for dialogue.The foreign ministry official made the remarks on Friday when Pyongyang fired off two short-range projectiles in the third such launch in about a week. On Saturday, the regime claimed to have tested a "newly-developed large-caliber multiple launch guided rocket sys

Aug. 4, 2019

N. Korea apparently not ready yet for nuke talks with US: Seoul official

   BANGKOK -- North Korea does not appear ready yet for the resumption of its working-level nuclear talks with the United States, a senior Seoul official has said, amid concerns that its recent saber-rattling could dampen the mood for dialogue.   The foreign ministry official made the remarks on Friday when Pyongyang fired off two short-range projectiles in the third such launch in about a week. On Saturday, the regime claimed to have tested a "newly-developed large-cali

Aug. 3, 2019