US ambassador: N. Korea sanctions to linger until denuclearization

US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris stressed Thursday that sanctions will remain in place until North Korea denuclearizes, as Washington and Pyongyang are preparing for their second summit slated for late this month.Speaking at a security forum in Seoul, Harris also dangled the prospect of a "brighter, more secure and more prosperous future" for the impoverished communist nation in case it fulfills its denuclearization commitment stated in the Singapore summit last year between its leader

Feb. 14, 2019

NK official meets Vietnam's foreign minister ahead of Trump-Kim summit

Ri Su-yong, a top North Korean official on foreign affairs, met with Vietnam's foreign minister onWednesday, the North's state media said, amid prospects for a possible state visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to Hanoi this month.Ri, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, met a Vietnamese delegation led by top diplomat Pham Binh Minh in Pyongyang, according to the Korean Central News Agency. North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong, right, meets the de

Feb. 13, 2019

[Graphic News] Poll shows fewer S. Korean students see N. Korea as enemy

　Fewer young students in South Korea perceive North Korea as an enemy than a year ago, while a larger number of them regard the North as a cooperative partner, a poll has showed.　In the poll of 82,947 elementary, middle and high school students by the education and unification ministries last year, only 5.2 percent said North Korea should be thought of as an enemy, marking a sharp fall from 41 percent in a similar survey held in 2017.　Instead, 28.2 percent of the young students agreed with the n

Feb. 13, 2019

Vietnam orders hotels near Marriott Hotel Hanoi to cancel reservations for summit security: report

With the US-North Korea summit scheduled to take place Feb. 27-28 in Hanoi, the Vietnamese government has ordered hotels near JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi to cancel reservations that have already been made, a local daily here reported Wednesday.Hotels near the JW Marriott Hotel notified tour companies here that they would not be taking any reservations until after the forthcoming summit, per a Vietnamese government order, according to Maeil Business News.  Flags of United States and North Korea in a

Feb. 13, 2019

US, N. Korea covered more than 12 items in pre-summit talks: envoy

The United States and North Korea covered more than a dozen items in their pre-summit talks last week, the top US negotiator was quoted as saying, as the two sides prepare an action-for-action deal to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program.In a meeting with a visiting South Korean parliamentary delegation Monday, US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun shared some details of his talks with North Korean officials in Pyongyang last week.Biegun and his North Korean counterpa

Feb. 13, 2019

US military commander voices optimism about N. Korea summit, doubts denuclearization

A top US military commander on Tuesday expressed optimism ahead of this month's second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but he also questioned the regime's seriousness about abandoning its nuclear weapons.The remarks by Adm. Philip Davidson, chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command, come two weeks before the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the two leaders are expected to flesh out measures to achieve the North's denuclearization in return for U

Feb. 13, 2019

Vietnam's top diplomat arrives in Pyongyang

Vietnam's top diplomat arrived in North Korea on Tuesday for talks over a possible state visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the Southeast Asian country ahead of his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, a foreign report said.   Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who doubles as Vietnam's deputy prime minister, flew into Pyongyang in the afternoon on a three-day visit, according to Japan's Kyodo News.   Other foreign media reported earlier that Minh boarded an Air Koryo flight bou

Feb. 12, 2019

Investor Jim Rogers to visit North Korea next month

Jim Rogers, a renowned investor and chairman of Rogers Holdings, plans to visit North Korea next month at the invitation of Chairman Kim Jong-un, according to sources Tuesday.The Singapore-based investor, who once said he would “put all of my money” in North Korea if he could, received the US government’s approval for the trip with his wife. Jim Rogers (Bloomberg)The billionaire has touted the impoverished country with a gross domestic product per capita of $1,800 as an attractive investment des

Feb. 12, 2019

Pyongyang holds public execution of chief of state guesthouse for embezzling $3 million: report

The chief manager of the North Korean guesthouse where South Korean President Moon Jae-in stayed with his wife during his visit to Pyongyang was executed in public for embezzling some $3 million, a local daily here reported Tuesday.The chief manager of the Paekhwawon State Guest House, whose name was not revealed, was executed in public in December after being convicted of multiple offenses, including embezzlement, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper. According to sources, his wrongdoings wer

Feb. 12, 2019

Vietnam's top diplomat en route to Pyongyang

Vietnam's top diplomat was on his way to North Korea Tuesday amid reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be set for a state visit to the Southeast Asian country late this month.Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, who doubles as Vietnam's deputy prime minister, left for Beijing on an Air China flight earlier in the day. He's expected to head to Pyongyang by an Air Koryo flight scheduled to take off from the Chinese capital at 12:30 a.m., a source said. He is accompanied by five gove

Feb. 12, 2019

Will NK leader use Chinese plane or his own to fly to Vietnam for Trump summit?

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un flew to Singapore on a rented Air China plane, instead of his aged official jet, last June for his first summit with US President Donald Trump. What he will use to travel to Vietnam's Hanoi for a second meeting with Trump is a point of speculation that will likely remain a mystery until his arrival there.Many say Kim is likely to fly on the state jet, codenamed "Chammae-1," this time because the distance of travel, about 2,760 km, is only slightly more than half o

Feb. 12, 2019

US, N. Korea yet to narrow differences on denuclearization: envoy

The US envoy for North Korea was quoted as saying Monday that the two sides have yet to narrow their differences on denuclearization ahead of this month's second bilateral summit.US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun made the remark during a meeting with a visiting South Korean parliamentary delegation, according to the group.Biegun and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Hyok-chol, held talks in Pyongyang last week to hammer out the agenda and logistics for the Feb. 27-28 summi

Feb. 12, 2019

Religious leaders, civic group officials visit N. Korea for new year event

A group of religious leaders, civic group officials and lawmakers travelled to North Korea on Tuesday to hold a joint new year event with their North Korean counterparts.Buses carrying the delegation, composed of about 250 South Koreans, crossed the eastern inter-Korean border at around 11 a.m. to Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast for a two-day stay there.  (Yonhap)They included leaders of South Korea's major religions, labor unions and civic groups representing women, youth and farming co

Feb. 12, 2019

N. Korea blasts Japan over claim to S. Korean island of Dokdo

North Korea strongly condemned Japan on Monday for its attempt to lay territorial claim to the South Korean island of Dokdo, calling it an illogical, gangster-like act."Absolutely enraging the entire Korean nation is the gangster-like act of the Japanese reactionaries who, flatly denying the past crimes pending prompt liquidation, only makes far-fetched assertion that the land of Korea belongs to them," the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a signed commentary, noting the Japan

Feb. 11, 2019

Seoul selected as candidate city for joint Olympic bid with N. Korea

Seoul was selected Monday as the South Korean candidate city for a joint Olympic bid with North Korea.The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee said Seoul was chosen over Busan as the candidate city for the 2032 Summer Games at its general assembly at the National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province. Seoul earned 34 out of 49 votes from KSOC members. Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon (R) and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) Vice President Kim Young-chae pose with a document appoint

Feb. 11, 2019

US, NK narrow gaps on end of war and nuclear facility disclosure: report

The US and North Korea significantly narrowed their differences during last week’s working-level talks, setting the stage for discussion of more specific steps toward denuclearization, local media reported Monday. Citing unnamed South Korean sources, local news outlets said the US and North Korea had agreed to include certain clauses in the joint statement to follow the second US-North Korea summit. One will concern a declaration of the end of the Korean War and another will concern the disclosu

Feb. 11, 2019

Trump-Kim summit to be critical turning point for NK denuclearization: Moon

President Moon Jae-in said Monday the upcoming second summit between the United States and North Korea will become a critical turning point for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peacemaking process.Moon also said at a meeting with presidential secretaries and aides the US-North Korea summit slated for Feb. 27-28 in Vietnam will serve as an opportunity for the Koreas to elevate their ties. (Yonhap)"(The upcoming summit) will become a critical turning point that will advanc

Feb. 11, 2019

6 in 10 S. Koreans positive on US-NK summit: poll

Over 60 percent of South Koreans expect a positive outcome of denuclearization in the planned summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a poll showed Monday. In a Realmeter poll conducted Friday, 62.5 percent of 501 respondents answered they expected some results in resolving North Korea’s denuclearization issue in the upcoming summit.  (Reuters)On the other hand, 35.1 percent of the respondents said the summit will only weaken US-South Korea ties without brin

Feb. 11, 2019

South Gyeongsang Province to discuss marathon exchange with North

The mayor of South Korea's southeastern city of Changwon will travel to North Korea this week for talks about athletes from the province participating in an international marathon to be held in Pyongyang later this year, officials said.Mayor Huh Sung-moo will be among about 250 people, mostly civic group officials, to visit the North's Mount Kumgang resort on Tuesday and Wednesday for reconciliation events organized by pro-unification organizations of the two sides.During the trip, Huh plans to

Feb. 10, 2019

N. Korean leader urges military‘s role for economic growth

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for the military’s contribution to economic development, commemorating the founding anniversary of the nation‘s armed forces this week with a visit to the defense ministry, according to Pyongyang’s state media on Saturday.Delivering a speech at the Ministry of the People‘s Armed Forces on Friday, Kim said the military has “a large share this year, a crucial year in carrying out the five-year strategy for national economic development,” the Korean Centra

Feb. 9, 2019