Govt. to complete administrative procedures this week for NK food aid

The government is taking administrative steps necessary to carry out its decision to send food aid to North Korea, with a view to completing the procedures by the end of this week, a unification ministry official said Monday.Last week, the ministry announced the plan to send 50,000 tons of rice in aid to the North via the World Food Programme (WFP) to help the impoverished state address worsening food shortages. The WFP will spearhead its shipment to North Korea, along with its distribution and

June 24, 2019

Pompeo notes 'very real possibility' of working-level talks with NK

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said there may be a "very real possibility" of Washington and Pyongyang resuming their working-level nuclear talks, after their leaders have exchanged personal letters.According to the State Department, Pompeo also said in his remarks to the press on Sunday (Washington time) that the United States is prepared to engage in dialogue with the North at a "moment's notice" should the North indicate it is ready.The remarks came hours after

June 24, 2019

Trump may visit DMZ on Sunday

US President Donald Trump is likely to visit the Demilitarized Zone between South and North Korea during his planned state visit to Seoul later this week, Japanese media reported Sunday. Following a summit with President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae on Sunday, Trump is expected to travel to the zone about 50 kilometers north of Seoul by helicopter. The DMZ has divided the country since the Korean War was halted in an armistice in 1953. The US president will pay a two-day state visit to the South

June 23, 2019

Kim Jong-un will consider ‘interesting content’ in Trump’s letter

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un received a letter with “excellent content” from US President Donald Trump, according to the Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. Pyongyang’s official mouthpiece said that Kim expressed his satisfaction with the letter after reading it. “Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong-un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content,” the KCNA said in a three-sentenc

June 23, 2019

Kim, Xi agree to expand ties whatever external situation: NK media

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and China’s President Xi Jinping reached a consensus on “important issues,” and agreed to build on their countries’ friendly relations “whatever the international situation,” North Korean state media reported.Xi left the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Friday after a two-day visit, the first by a Chinese leader in 14 years. State-run news agency KCNA issued a report on Saturday of the results of the visit. China is North Korea

June 23, 2019

S. Korea's Coast Guard, Navy drive out N. Korean boat sailing south in East Sea

INCHEON -- South Korea's Coast Guard and Navy jointly drove away a North Korean fishing boat entering the South's waters on Saturday, amid criticism about loopholes in maritime surveillance capabilities.The 5-ton North Korean vessel was detected by a Navy surveillance plane at around 9 a.m. in waters 114 kilometers northeast of the easternmost islets of Dokdo, according to the Coast Guard.The Coast Guard dispatched the 1,500-ton patrol vessel to the site at 10:40 a.m. and identified the North Ko

June 23, 2019

NK leader receives personal letter from Trump: KCNA

Received a personal letter with "excellent" and "interesting."Content from US President Donald Trump, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday.  "After reading the letter, the Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to its leader.  "Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, K

June 23, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae reiterates no cover-up of NK boat incident

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae reiterated Saturday that there was no government attempt to cover up the fact that a North Korean ship recently crossed the maritime boundary into the South undeterred.Presidential spokeswoman Ko Min-jung made the remarks in a Facebook post as opposition politicians stepped up their accusations that the military failed in its coastal and maritime defense operations amid the government's push for inter-Korean reconciliation. The fishing boat carryin

June 22, 2019

Kim, Xi reach consensus on 'important issues' through series of summits: KCNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have said that they reached a consensus on "important issues" through their five summits since last year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.They made the remarks during a luncheon hosted by Kim on Friday, the last day of Xi's two-day state visit to Pyongyang during which the leaders highlighted their traditional alliance amid tensions with the United States over China's trade practices and the North's denucleariza

June 22, 2019

Agency concerned about NK deficiencies in tackling money laundering, terrorism financing

A global agency dedicated to safeguarding the international financial system has expressed concerns over North Korea's failure to resolve "significant deficiencies" in its efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.The Financial Action Task Force issued a public statement at the close of its three-day plenary meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, in which it called on the North to "immediately and meaningfully" address the deficiencies. "The FATF

June 22, 2019

Kim, Xi reach consensus on 'important issues' through series of summits: KCNA

Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have said that they reached a consensus on "important issues" through their five summits since last year, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.They made the remarks during a luncheon hosted by Kim on Friday, the last day of Xi's two-day state visit to Pyongyang during which the leaders highlighted their traditional alliance amid tensions with the United States over China's trade practices and the North's denucleariza

June 22, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae hopes for early resumption of talks after N. Korea-China summit

South Korea's presidential office expressed hope Friday that this week's summit talks between North Korea and China will lead to the early resumption of denuclearization talks that have been stalled for several months."The government assesses that President Xi Jinping's visit to North Korea and his summit with State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un have become another chance for contributing to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia," Cheong Wa Dae spo

June 21, 2019

Large panel looking into defense failure over NK boat case

The defense ministry has set up a large probe panel to look into what went wrong with maritime operations following revelations that a North Korean boat crossed the eastern sea border and arrived at a South Korean port undetected, officials said Friday.The small-sized wooden boat, carrying four North Koreans, was found at the port of Samcheok, Gangwon Province, on Saturday. A South Korean civilian first spotted them and reported the case to police, sparking criticism over loopholes in South Kore

June 21, 2019

Kaesong industrial park should reopen: UN human rights envoy

Kaesong industrial park should be reopened regardless of sanctions, as tens of thousands of North Korean workers suffer from jobs lost, which also cuts access to adequate health care and food, a UN envoy for human rights said Friday.Tomas Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur for human rights in North Korea also urged China to not repatriate North Korean escapees, as they face severe punishment when they return home. “Kaesong industrial park should be allowed to reopen because, what is

June 21, 2019

Government under fire over suspected attempts to play down NK boat incident

Controversy over an incident involving a North Korean boat has continued following the revelation that a Cheong Wa Dae official attended closed-door press briefings at the Ministry of National Defense. Both Cheong Wa Dae and the Defense Ministry have been under fire over suspicions that attempts were made to play down the incident in which the military failed to detect a North Korean boat that crossed the inter-Korean maritime border and reached a coastal city in South Korea on Saturday.  A

June 21, 2019

Xi heads back home after state visit in N. Korea

Chinese President Xi Jinping left North Korea on Friday after a landmark two-day state visit to the neighboring ally, highlighting their strong alliance amid trade and nuclear tensions with the United States.Xi's plane left Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport in the afternoon, China's CCTV reported without providing details. He arrived in Pyongyang early Thursday, becoming the first Chinese head of state to visit the North in 14 years.Xi and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held summit talks

June 21, 2019

Minister hopes summits lead to resumption of nuclear talks

Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Friday he expects a series of summit meetings taking place in the region to serve as an opportunity to advance the stalled nuclear negotiations between North Korea and the United States. Kim made the remark during a meeting with lawmakers in Seoul, saying that eyes are on the results of this week's summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping as their previous meetings have played "meaningful roles" every time t

June 21, 2019

Kim, Xi agree to strengthen ties for regional peace, stability: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries for regional peace and stability, the North's official news agency said Friday.The two leaders reached the agreement during summit talks held in Pyongyang on Thursday after exchanging wide-ranging views on important international and regional issues, including the Korean Peninsula situation, the Korean Central News Agency reported.The two leaders "assessed that it i

June 21, 2019

Xi expected to demonstrate strong alliance with N. Korea on last day of state visit

Chinese President Xi Jinping was to pay a visit Friday to a monument in Pyongyang symbolizing the friendship between the two countries on the second and last day of a state visit to the neighboring ally. After a visit to the Friendship Tower commemorating China's participation in the Korean War in support of the North, Xi is expected to have a lunch meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before heading home later in the day.The two leaders held summit talks on Thursday, at which Xi said Ch

June 21, 2019

US names N. Korea worst human trafficking nation for 17th year

The United States on Thursday designated North Korea as one of the worst human trafficking nations for the 17th consecutive year.The State Department's annual Trafficking in Persons Report placed North Korea among the lowest Tier 3 countries, along with China, Iran and Russia, among others. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called out the regime for its use of forced labor."In North Korea, the government subjects its own citizens to forced labor both at home and abroad and then uses proceed

June 21, 2019