S. Korea in discussion with WFP on plan to provide food aid to N. Korea

South Korea is in discussion with a UN agency on its plan to provide food aid to North Korea, the unification ministry said Monday."Discussions are under way with the World Food Programme on the food provision issue," Lee Sang-min, the ministry's spokesperson told reporters during a regular press briefing. "It is about working-level matters." The Seoul government has been drawing up details on its push to provide food assistance to the North since early last month, including

June 17, 2019

S. Korean military vows to tighten sea border vigilance after NK boat incident

South Korea's military vowed Monday to beef up vigilance around the inter-Korean maritime boundary amid criticism that a North Korean boat drifted across it unchecked over the weekend.The fishing boat carrying four North Koreans was found adrift off the northeastern coastal city of Samcheok about 130 kilometers away from the Northern Limit Line, the de facto sea border, on Saturday.  Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that its overall coastal and maritime defense operations had proceeded &q

June 17, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US hold phone talks over Trump's planned visit, peninsula situation

The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States have held phone talks over US President Donald Trump's planned visit to Seoul and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday.During her visit to Russia on Sunday night (Moscow time), Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ahead of Trump's trip to South Korea after the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28 and 29.  They shared an understanding that T

June 17, 2019

US taking all necessary steps to fully grasp N. Korea threats: Pompeo

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said his country is taking "all actions" that are necessary to make sure it's fully aware of any threats from North Korea. "American people should rest assured the United States is taking all actions that it needs to take to make sure we understand the risks and threats that are posed by North Korea," he said in an interview with Fox News.  The remark came in response to a question about US President Donald Trump'

June 17, 2019

[News Focus] Moon returns to mounting speculations about NK dialogue

President Moon Jae-in has returned back from a three-nation tour of Europe, but his comments regarding North Korea have gained more public attention than Seoul’s relationship with Nordic countries. On the tour to Finland, Norway and Sweden, Moon not only put a timeline on his desired meeting with Kim Jong-un, but also urged Pyongyang to take concrete steps, while voicing his views on the groundwork necessary for US-North Korea dialogue.  “(I think) working-level negotiations sho

June 16, 2019

NK leader's wreath sent to late ex-first lady expected to be preserved permanently

A wreath of flowers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent for the funeral of late former South Korean first lady Lee Hee-ho is expected to be preserved permanently, an official said Sunday.Kim sent a condolence message and the wreath of white chrysanthemums to South Korea on Wednesday after Lee, wife of late former President Kim Dae-jung, died Monday. Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, delivered the message and the wreath at the border village of Panmunjom.The wreath was decorated with a black ribbo

June 16, 2019

N. Korean fishing boat found stranded in East Sea, crew under investigation

A North Korean fishing boat was found adrift in South Korean waters off the east coast Saturday, and its crew members are under investigation by authorities, they said. The boat carrying four crewmen was spotted by a South Korean fishing boat in waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) at around 6:50 a.m., according to officials.  The North Korean boat is known to have drifted across the NLL, the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, due to an engine problem. The m

June 15, 2019

NK media says inter-Korean declarations are milestones for peace, prosperity

North Korean media outlets said Saturday inter-Korean agreements signed last year are milestones for peace and prosperity of the Korean Peninsula, celebrating the 19th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by the two Koreas at their first-ever summit. The North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, said the June 15 declaration signed by then South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2000 was a landmark event in the country's unification history.It said the thr

June 15, 2019

Trump brushes off N. Korea's sanctions violations

US President Donald Trump on Friday appeared to downplay North Korea's violation of sanctions, saying "everybody" tries to skirt them.Trump has seemed eager to keep diplomacy with North Korea alive despite the collapse of his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in February and the North's firing of short-range missiles last month.On Tuesday he revealed that he received another "beautiful" letter from Kim and expressed optimism about the future of US dealings wi

June 15, 2019

New vice unification minister visits inter-Korean liaison office for 1st time

Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho visited the inter-Korean liaison office in North Korea's border town of Kaesong on Friday for the first time since his appointment.Suh was appointed last week as the South Korean chief of the office. He replaced Chun Hae-sung last month as vice unification minister, who also serves as Seoul's liaison office chief.Suh crossed the western land border into the North earlier in the day and returned home in the afternoon after meeting the South Korean staff and figuri

June 14, 2019

US state department aims for one-time solution to denuclearize North Korea

The United States pursues a one-time solution to get North Korea to eliminate its nuclear arsenal, Christopher Ashley Ford, assistant secretary of state for international security and non-proliferation, said Tuesday, in a stark contrast to the incremental approach that Pyongyang has been pushing for. “It may be that a one-time solution set can sometimes be generated within the nonproliferation enterprise itself. This is, after all, exactly what the United States aims to achieve with North

June 14, 2019

US ready for talks with N. Korea, but not in a hurry

The US State Department said Wednesday that it is ready to hold working-level talks with North Korea on relinquishing its nuclear arsenal after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent a letter to US President Donald Trump, the first direct contact between the two leaders in months. During a press briefing, US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus reaffirmed that the country is seeking to achieve lasting peace and the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.“Here at the State D

June 13, 2019

Moon's call for inter-Korean summit in June feeds speculations

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday expressed hopes on meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in the coming weeks, further fueling speculation surrounding inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue. “I am prepared to meet Chairman Kim at any time. In the end, whether we meet, or setting the time of the meeting, is down to Chairman Kim’s choice,” Moon said at the Oslo Forum on Wednesday. “President Trump is visiting Korea at the end of June, and if possible, meeting Chairman

June 13, 2019

Koreas to skip weekly liaison meeting again

South and North Korea will not hold a meeting of their liaison office chiefs this week, though the vice unification minister plans to travel to the office in the North's border town of Kaesong for the first time since his appointment, a ministry official said Thursday.Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho was appointed last week as the South Korean chief of the liaison office in Kaesong. The appointment came after he replaced Chun Hae-sung last month as vice unification minister, who also serves as S

June 13, 2019

Trump denies he is against spying on N. Korea

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday refuted allegations that he committed to not spying on North Korea.The question was raised after Trump said Tuesday that he would not have let the slain half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un work as a source for the US Central Intelligence Agency, as alleged in recent reports."No, it's not what I meant," Trump said at a joint press conference with the Polish president, when asked whether he was committing to not spying on North Korea. &q

June 13, 2019

US says is ready to continue working-level talks with N. Korea

The US State Department said Wednesday it is ready to continue working-level denuclearization talks with North Korea as the countries mark one year since their historic first summit in Singapore.At a press briefing, department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said US policy over the past year has centered on transforming bilateral relations."We're looking, of course, to build a lasting peace. We're looking for complete denuclearization," she said. "The president, as obvious by his state

June 13, 2019

Moon hopes to meet Kim before Trump visits S. Korea in late June

South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hope Wednesday that he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to the peninsula at the end of this month.   Speaking at the Oslo Forum in the Norwegian capital, Moon also emphasized the urgency of Pyongyang and Washington resuming formal dialogue.Trump is scheduled to attend the two-day G-20 summit to open in Osaka, Japan, on June 28. He plans to travel to South Korea as well during the upcom

June 12, 2019

Kim’s letter to Trump sparks hopes for dialogue

US President Donald Trump’s comments regarding a personal letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are fanning speculations that US-North Korea dialogue may resume. On Tuesday, Trump revealed that he had received a letter from Kim the previous day and that he expects positive developments between the two countries. “I just received a beautiful letter from Kim Jong-un,” Trump said, describing the letter as “very personal, very warm, very nice.”“I think

June 12, 2019

Denuclearization process at critical juncture: Minister

Recalling the first historic summit between leaders of the US and North Korea a year ago, Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said Wednesday that the government sees this month as a critical period in making progress in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “Today is the first anniversary of the historic Singapore summit … the second US-North Korea summit was held in Hanoi in late February, and we are expecting the third one to come soon,” Kim said during a meeting betw

June 12, 2019

NK sends flowers, condolence letter for first lady’s funeral

North Korea sent a condolence message and flowers for former first lady Lee Hee-ho who died Monday night, the Unification Ministry said Wednesday. Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and First Vice Director of Workers’ Party of Korea, delivered a written message in her brother’s name, for the funeral of Lee, who is known for her own efforts as well as support for the peace and inter-Korean reconciliation efforts of her husband -- former President Kim Da

June 12, 2019