[Newsmaker] Group claims establishment of NK provisional government

Free Joseon announced Friday that it has established a provisional government for North Korea in an effort to fight against the regime’s abuse of human rights. The group previously claimed it had protected the son of the late Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, from possible assassination.  (Yonhap)Formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense, the group said it will rise against the North Korean regime for committing crimes against humanity for decades. “We indict thi

March 1, 2019

Pompeo says N. Korea 'basically' wanted removal of all sanctions

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that North Korea "basically" wanted the removal of all sanctions in exchange for an unclear commitment to dismantle its main nuclear facility.Pompeo's account of this week's summit in Hanoi between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un contradicts that of the North Koreans. (Yonhap)After the summit was cut short Thursday without an agreement, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused the US of declining an offer to perm

March 1, 2019

NK's Rodong Sinmun casts Hanoi summit in positive light without referring to actual results

One day after the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's historic summit ended without an agreement, the Rodong Sinmun on Friday carried extensive reports on the summit, portraying it in a positive tone.On its front and second pages, the North's mainstream daily carried a long news story and 13 photos of the two leaders and their negotiation teams, all smiling and engaging with each other in the summit meeting in the Vietnamese capital Thursday. (Yonhap)"(Cha

March 1, 2019

Kim, Trump agree to continue 'productive dialogues': KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump agreed to continue "productive dialogues" to resolve issues raised at their second summit in Hanoi, Pyongyang's official news agency said Friday, a day after the talks ended without a written agreement.The Korean Central News Agency also said the summit served as an important chance to deepen mutual respect and trust. (Yonhap)"They agreed to keep in close touch with each other for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the e

March 1, 2019

N. Korea says it wants partial sanctions relief

North Korea's top diplomat said Friday his country called for partial sanctions relief during a summit with the United States here in a "realistic" offer."What we proposed was not the removal of all sanctions but a partial removal," Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said at a late-night press conference at a Hanoi hotel, hours after a summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump ended with no agreement. (Yonhap)Trump said Thursday Kim demanded the lifting of sanctions on Pyongyang "

March 1, 2019

Attempt at big deal leads to collapse in talks

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un left their Hanoi summit empty-handed as Washington demanded a bolder move from Pyongyang to give up its nuclear program.The US seems to have wanted a denuclearization deal that goes far beyond the dismantlement of the Yongbyon nuclear complex, while North Korea offered the shutdown of the main site in exchange for the complete lifting of US-led sanctions, according to Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a press conferen

Feb. 28, 2019

Trump hints US, NK have different visions for denuclearization

HANOI, Vietnam -- US President Donald Trump hinted that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s vision for denuclearization may be different from that of the United States, after the two failed to reached an agreement at their summit in Hanoi on Thursday.During a press conference, Trump said that while the meeting with Kim was “productive,” he felt it was not time to sign a deal, as they had failed to reduce gaps on the extent of denuclearization and the lifting of economic sanctions.Kim had asked for

Feb. 28, 2019

China says N. Korean nuclear issue can't be solved 'overnight'

Beijing expressed hope Thursday that the US and North Korea will keep talking, saying the nuclear issue will not be solved "overnight", after a much-anticipated summit in Hanoi ended without a deal.China is Pyongyang's sole major ally and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled across the neighbouring country by train to his second meeting with US President Donald Trump, which ended ahead of schedule Thursday without any joint announcements.Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he ha

Feb. 28, 2019

US-NK summit falls apart over NK demands for lifting of all sanctions

HANOI, Vietnam -- US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s summit ended earlier than scheduled Thursday, with the two sides failing to reach an agreement. Trump and Kim began the second day of their summit at 9 a.m. at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel as scheduled, but the event was cut short, with the leaders leaving the venue at about 1:25 p.m. They were originally scheduled to have a working lunch, and to hold a joint agreement-signing ceremony at about 2 p.m.,

Feb. 28, 2019

Trump reaffirms commitment to dialogue with N. Korea in talks with Moon

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue Thursday, hours after his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.In a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the US president also asked Moon to "actively" help mediate future dialogue with the North Korean leader.(Yonhap)"While expressing disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement in the summit, President Trum

Feb. 28, 2019

Trump reaffirms commitment to dialogue with N.Korea: Cheong Wa Dae

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue Thursday, hours after his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.In a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the U.S. president also asked Moon to "actively" help mediate future dialogue with the North Korean leader.(Yonhap)"While expressing disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement in the summit, President Tr

Feb. 28, 2019

Senior N. Korean official visits Beijing

A senior North Korean official visited China on Thursday, state media said, as leader Kim Jong-un's second summit with US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement in Hanoi."A delegation of the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK led by Vice Minister Ri Kil-song left here Thursday to visit China," the Korean Central News Agency said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Ri arrived at a Beijing airport on an Air Koryo flight, according to a source

Feb. 28, 2019

In a summit first, Kim Jong-un takes US media questions

So here's a bit of history made at President Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong-un: for what is almost certainly the first time, the North Korean leader actually answered an impromptu question from an American reporter. Then just a little bit later, as if to prove it wasn't a fluke, he did it again.Looking confident and speaking in his typically gravelly voice, Kim didn't miss a beat when asked by a member of the White House press pool about his outlook on the summit , saying "It's too early to

Feb. 28, 2019

Moon, Trump discuss outcome of US-N. Korea summit

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation Thursday on the outcome of the second US-North Korea summit, which ended without agreement.The call from the US president came shortly after he took off from Hanoi, the venue of his second bilateral meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap)Trump and Kim were earlier expected to sign an agreement detailing the North's denuclearization steps and possibly US measures to reward the impoverishe

Feb. 28, 2019

Glimpse into Yongbyon nuclear complex

The Yongbyon Scientific Research Center has been at the center of nuclear talks between the US and North Korea for more than two decades. Built in the 1960s under the leadership of North Korea’s founding leader Kim Il-sung, the Yongbyon complex has expanded in scale by adding a 5-megawatt-electric reactor, 100-megawatt-thermal experimental light water reactor, uranium enrichment buildings as well as spent fuel reprocessing facilities and research buildings. (Yonhap)Just as Siegfried Hecker, a le

Feb. 28, 2019

US-NK summit fails to produce results

HANOI, Vietnam -- The US-North Korea summit in Hanoi on Thursday ended with the two sides failing to reach an agreement.US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had met at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi and held three round of talks, but no results were forthcoming. (Yonhap)According to the White House, Trump and Kim engaged in a second private meeting in the afternoon in place of a scheduled working lunch. Trump and Kim met at about 9 a.m. and began the day wit

Feb. 28, 2019

No agreement at Trump, Kim summit in Vietnam - White House

US Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not reach an agreement at the end of twodays of meetings on Thursday but had constructive discussions on denuclearisation of the North and its economy, the White House said.(Yonhap)"No agreement was reached at this time, but their respective teams look forward to meeting in the future," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement. (Reuters)

Feb. 28, 2019

Trump, Kim might cancel working lunch: report

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un might cancel their working lunch in Hanoi on Thursday, a White House pool report said. (Yonhap)Trump has rescheduled his post-summit press conference to 2 p.m. (local time) from 4 p.m., it quoted White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders as saying.The Kim-Trump talks are expected to be ending in "the next 30 minutes," and Trump will return to his hotel for the presser, she added.She declined to say whether there would still be a joint ag

Feb. 28, 2019

Kim, Trump wrap up talks, begin working lunch

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wrapped up two rounds of summit talks just before noon Thursday.  (Yonhap)The two held a private meeting from about 9 a.m., which was followed by a short stroll on the grounds of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, and an expanded meeting with senior aides in attendance. Following the expanded meeting, attended by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim’s right hand man Kim Yong-chol, the two sides began the working lunch, whic

Feb. 28, 2019

Kim reiterates his commitment to denuclearize

HANOI, Vietnam -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday reiterated his apparent commitment to denuclearize, going into the expanded summit meeting with US President Donald Trump.“If I were not ready for such things, I would not have come here,” Kim was quoted as saying by White House pool reporters in response to a question on whether he was ready to denuclearize.  (Yonhap)To Kim’s statement, Trump chimed in saying, “That might be the best answer you’ve ever heard.”Asked if he was ready to

Feb. 28, 2019