Moon Jae-in arrives in Pyongyang

President Moon Jae-in arrived at around 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Pyongyang Sunan International Airport. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju, who arrived on the runway minutes before, greeted Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook as they stepped off the plane. They talked briefly for about a minute before the South Korean first couple were greeted by the North Korean leader’s younger sister Kim Yo-jong.  (Yonhap)(Yonhap)(Footage from Pyongyang Press Corps)It was the first time a Sout

Sept. 18, 2018

N. Koreans prepare to welcome Moon

North Koreans prepared to welcome South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang on Tuesday, with hundreds of well-dressed citizens waiting with bouquets of flowers and a military honor guard standing ready behind the red carpet at the airport.Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was also seen in live footage of Pyongyang's Sunan Airport provided by the North's Central TV Station to South Korean TV stations. The sister's presence means leader Kim will greet Moon at the ai

Sept. 18, 2018

Denuclearization, improving ties on Korean summit agenda

The main focus of outside attention to this week’s inter-Korean summit is whether it can find ways to resolve the stalemated diplomacy on North Korea’s nuclear program. Also at stake is what steps the Koreas will take to lower decades-long military tensions and improve ties.A look at the key issues on the agenda for the summit in Pyongyang between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in that is their third meeting this year: (AP)___DENUCLEARIZATIONSince entering ta

Sept. 18, 2018

Key developments leading to 3rd Moon-Kim summit

The following is a chronology of major developments in 2018 leading up to the third summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang from Tuesday to Thursday. (Yonhap)Jan. 1 -- In his New Year's Day message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expresses a willingness to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.Jan. 4 -- President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agree to delay the allies' regular joint military exercises until

Sept. 18, 2018

The Latest: North Korea says summit will ‘accelerate’ relations

The Latest on summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (all times local): 8:00 a.m.North Korea says the summit between leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will offer an important opportunity in “further accelerating the development” in relations between the rivals.(AP)North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency published the statement on Tuesday hours before the Korean leaders were expected to meet in Pyongyang for their third summi

Sept. 18, 2018

When Moon meets Kim: Can roads pave way to denuclearization?

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Reunification Highway runs all the way from the North Korean capital of Pyongyang to the Demilitarized Zone that divides the North from South Korea, 170 kilometers (100 miles) away. It starts under a giant concrete arch depicting two women in traditional gowns reaching out to each other and holding up a map of a unified Korea. Road signs along the way show the distance to Seoul, though it’s impossible to actually drive there.The highway is one of the best in North Korea.

Sept. 18, 2018

N. Korea calls Moon-Kim summit 'good opportunity' to improve ties

North Korea's state media reported Tuesday on this week's inter-Korean summit, calling it a "good opportunity" to improve ties between the two Koreas."The Pyongyang summit aimed at implementing the Panmunjom declaration for peace, prosperity and reunification of the Korean peninsula will offer an important opportunity in further accelerating the development of inter-Korean relations that is making a new history," the Korean Central News Agency said.  (Yonhap)The report came before South Korean P

Sept. 18, 2018

[Breaking] President Moon departs for Pyongyang

President Moon Jae-in left for Pyongyang on Tuesday morning for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Moon's plane with a 110-member delegation left Seongnam Air Base at 8:55 a.m. to fly a non-stop route via the West Sea. The plane is set to arrive in Pyongyang at around 10 a.m., his chief of staff Im Jong-seok earlier said. During his three-day trip, Moon said he will seek to facilitate the stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the US.(Yonhap)“First is removing

Sept. 18, 2018

Top diplomats of S. Korea, US vow close coordination on NK

Top diplomats of South Korea and the US vowed close coordination during phone conversations Monday, a day before South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke over the phone on two occasions to discuss the summit preparations and recent progress in inter-Korean relations, according to the Foreign Ministry. According to press releases by the ministry, Pompeo reaffirme

Sept. 18, 2018

At Pyongyang trade fair, North Korea is ready to make a deal

 Vendors selling everything from car batteries to "kangaroo essence'' health pills have descended on Pyongyang for an international trade fair.    Though North Korea continues to be one of the most heavily sanctioned countries in the world, this year's trade fair, which opened in the North Korean capital on Monday, includes more than 320 companies and is making something of a comeback, with many Chinese entrepreneurs taking part.       Almost all of the companies with stalls at the fair are from

Sept. 17, 2018

Moon aims to meet Washington and Pyongyang halfway

　With President Moon Jae-in heading to Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, there is a sense of expectation -- and caution -- over whether Moon can pull off his role as a mediator in stalled denuclearization talks between the US and North Korea. 　In his first meeting with Kim in April, Moon helped to ease escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. In his second meeting the following month, Moon met Kim to sustain momentum for North Korea’s first-ever

Sept. 17, 2018

Denuclearization, improving relations at top of summit agenda

Facilitating US-North Korea talks and easing inter-Korean military tension is the aim of the inter-Korean summit, President Moon Jae-in said Monday. Moon is set to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Tuesday. President Moon Jae-in speaks at the meeting with senior aides in Seoul on Monday. Yonhap“My aim for the summit is to speak with Chairman Kim Jong-un with open hearts,” Moon said at Monday’s meeting with his senior aides, saying that building trust is key to improving inter-

Sept. 17, 2018

Results and legacies of past inter-Korean summits

The first-ever inter-Korean summit between late President Kim Dae-jung and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il took place in Pyongyang over three days beginning June 13, 2000.Kim Dae-jung was the first South Korean leader to roll out an engagement policy toward the North labeled the “Sunshine Policy,” and the meeting resulted in the June 15 Declaration. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their first summit meeting on April 27. Cheong Wa DaeThe declaration stated that t

Sept. 17, 2018

Denuclearization a key item at upcoming inter-Korean summit: Seoul

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will discuss ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula when he meets North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this week, Moon's chief of staff said Monday.Im Jong-seok said it will mark a rare opportunity to discuss the issue with the North Korean leader himself."Just until recently, denuclearization had been an agenda item for talks between the North and the United States," Im told a press conference in Seoul, one day before the South Korean president was set to embark

Sept. 17, 2018

NK media highlight April summit agreement ahead of Moon's visit

North Korea's state media emphasized peace and prosperity between the two Koreas Monday, calling for efforts to build on the achievements they have made since the historic summit meeting in April. "The north and the south should actively open the new history of peace, prosperity and reunification by gathering power and wisdom and cherishing the achievements made on the way toward implementing the Panmunjom Declaration," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said

Sept. 17, 2018

S. Korea's Moon set for historic summit with NK leader Kim

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to embark on a trip to North Korea this week for his third and possibly most crucial meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Moon will head for Pyongyang on Tuesday, using a direct flight across the heavily-fortified inter-Korean border.The inter-Korean summit will mark the third of its kind since Moon took office in May 2017.(Yonhap)Moon and Kim held their historic first meeting in the border village of Panmunjom on April 27, followed by their seco

Sept. 17, 2018

Skepticism rising in S. Korea ahead of 3rd summit with North

SEOUL -- The shine is starting to come off South Korean President Moon Jae-in's engagement strategy with the North.The liberal politician, who reversed nearly a decade of conservative hard-line policy toward North Korea after his election last year, is preparing for a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un amid growing public skepticism about his approach. Moon, who goes to Pyongyang on Tuesday, has seen his approval rating fall to 49 percent in a recent Gallup Korea survey, the first

Sept. 16, 2018

North Korean seafood draws Chinese tourists

Despite the ongoing UN sanctions against North Korea, Chinese tourism to the reclusive land is on the rise. According to the South Korean wire service Yonhap, the appeal lies in the fresh, pristine seafood the North has to offer.A knowledgeable source quoted on Sunday by the news provider said North Korean seafood was widely believed in China to be untouched by pollution. Crabs and prawns from North Korea are blatantly sold at major restaurants, even in Beijing, having come in via furtive routes

Sept. 16, 2018

Moon Jae-in to be accompanied by large ‘special retinue’ to Pyongyang

President Moon Jae-in will be accompanied by 64 government, social and business representatives on his trip to Pyongyang, Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Im Jong-seok said Sunday. Moon is set for a three-day visit to Pyongyang from Tuesday, upon which he will hold his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Cheong Wa Dae chief of staff Im Jong-seok on Sunday announces the retinue that will accompany President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang. YonhapThe 14 government and Cheong Wa Dae officials in

Sept. 16, 2018