S. Korea, US envoys discuss humanitarian aid for NK, nuclear issue

South Korea and the US discussed potential humanitarian aid to North Korea and reiterated calls for the reclusive regime to return to dialogue, Washington’s top nuclear envoy said Monday, as Pyongyang may be on track to expand its nuclear program.   　 Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, made the remark after a meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Noh Kyu-duk, who is in Washington through Wednesday for talks with officials at the State Department and the Wh

Aug. 31, 2021

Unification minister calls for early resumption of dialogue with N. Korea

Unification Minister Lee In-young called Tuesday for the early resumption of talks with North Korea, saying dialogue is the only way toward achieving objectives that everyone wants. Lee made the appeal in an opening speech for the Korean Global Forum for Peace, an annual forum organized by the unification ministry, also urging North Korea to come out for talks on inter-Korean cooperation in humanitarian areas. "Even without perfect conditions for dialogue, the South, the North and the Uni

Aug. 31, 2021

N.Korea leader urges young ex-convicts to become 'kindling spark' for national development

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met and held a photo session with young ex-convicts volunteering to work in "difficult and challenging sectors," and urged them to become a "kindling spark" for national development, state media said Tuesday. Kim "held hands of each of the young people who volunteered to work at difficult and challenging sectors with high awareness and enthusiasm to glorify their youth in the van of the worthwhile era, highly estimating their deeds and me

Aug. 31, 2021

NK appears to have reactivated Yongbyon nuclear reactor: IAEA

North Korea appears to have restarted operations at its main Yongbyon nuclear reactor in July, a UN nuclear watchdog said, raising the alarm that the reclusive regime could be increasing its nuclear arsenal.   　 The International Atomic Energy Agency, in an annual report dated Friday, said it detected “deeply troubling” indications that the 5-megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex -- the country’s main source of weapons-grade plutonium -- has been reac

Aug. 30, 2021

N. Korea denounces S. Korea, US over joint military drill, vows to strengthen war deterrence

North Korea slammed South Korea and the United States over their recent summertime joint military drill, vowing to strengthen "war deterrence" strong enough to counter and remove any external threats. The North's foreign ministry issued the criticism in a statement Sunday as Seoul and Washington concluded the combined military exercise last Thursday, which was held in a scaled-back manner due to the coronavirus situation and peace efforts involving North Korea. "The exercise of

Aug. 30, 2021

N.Korea stresses close relations with Cuba on 61st anniversary of diplomatic ties

North Korea on Sunday stressed its close relations with Cuba and expressed continued support and solidarity on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. "For the last 60-odd years, the DPRK and Cuba have strengthened and developed the fraternal and comradely relations of mutual support and close cooperation on the sacred road of joint struggle for accomplishing the socialist cause," the North's foreign ministry said on its website. DPRK stands for

Aug. 29, 2021

N. Korea remains unresponsive to S. Korea's hotline calls even after summertime joint exercise wraps up

North Korea did not answer liaison calls from South Korea on Friday morning, a unification ministry official said, dashing hopes Pyongyang could pick up the phone now that joint military exercises between the South and the United States are over. The calls via the inter-Korean liaison office went unanswered at 9 a.m., the official said. North Korea also refused to respond to the military communication channels in the eastern and western border regions. The inter-Korean communication lines were

Aug. 27, 2021

N. Korea's main paper urges ideological education for youth ahead of anniversary

North Korea's main newspaper on Friday stressed the importance of ideological education for younger generations ahead of the county's Youth Day, urging officials to look out for any "exotic elements" in their lifestyles. The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal in an editorial, referring to the youth as a generation vulnerable to capitalistic ideas and foreign culture as they have "never experienced the hardships of a revolution." &q

Aug. 27, 2021

N. Korea to hold Supreme People's Assembly session next month: state media

North Korea will convene a meeting of its rubber-stamp legislature in Pyongyang next month to discuss adopting laws on youth education and modifications to the national economic plan, state media said Thursday. The standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly met in Pyongyang on Tuesday and decided to convene an SPA session on Sept. 28, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. The KCNA said the session will discuss the issue of "adopting the law on developing cities and

Aug. 26, 2021

US back to waiting on NK amid standoff

The US is being forced back to former President Barack Obama’s strategic patience on North Korea, as Pyongyang rebuffs any diplomatic outreach and shows no signs of returning to nuclear negotiations, experts said Wednesday. During his visit to South Korea that ended Tuesday, US special representative on North Korea Sung Kim reiterated that Washington is ready to meet with Pyongyang anytime, anywhere and without preconditions. But Pyongyang is likely to leave Washington hanging, according

Aug. 25, 2021

NK foreign ministry defends Cuba's capture of American, boat seizure as 'legitimate measure'

North Korea said Wednesday that Cuba has captured an American attempting to smuggle people from Havana to the United States, calling it a "legitimate measure." The North's foreign ministry made the claim in an article on its website, saying the American approached the eastern coast of the Cuban capital on a speedboat on Aug. 7 in an attempt to take several Cubans to the US. "The Cuban Coast Guard seized the speedboat and captured the American who had violated the territorial wat

Aug. 25, 2021

Unification minister, US nuclear envoy discuss ways to restart talks with Pyongyang

Unification Minister Lee In-young met with the visiting US envoy for North Korea on Tuesday and together they discussed ways to resume stalled nuclear talks at the earliest and engage with Pyongyang.  During an hourlong breakfast meeting, Lee and the US special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, shared their views on the North’s recent attitude and the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, a ministry official said.  Lee stressed the need for the stable management o

Aug. 24, 2021

South Korea, Russia affirm need to induce Pyongyang back to nuclear talks

Seoul and Moscow on Tuesday reaffirmed the importance of close coordination and the need to induce Pyongyang back to the stalled denuclearization talks, in the meeting between the two sides’ top nuclear envoys.  South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk held talks with visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, who doubles as the country’s top nuclear envoy, on Tuesday. The pair exchanged views on the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways fo

Aug. 24, 2021

NK paper calls for Japan to make reparations for colonial-era brutality

North Korea's main newspaper on Tuesday urged Japan to repent and make reparations for colonial-era brutality on the occasion of the 111th anniversary of Tokyo's annexation of the Korean Peninsula. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, pointed out that Japan forced Korea to sign the treaty in 1910, and called it a fabricated and illegitimate treaty. The paper challenged Japanese assertion that the annexation took effect legally with the approval of King Sunjong

Aug. 24, 2021

US holds no hostile intent toward North Korea, urges for dialogue: nuclear envoy

The US holds no hostile intent toward Pyongyang, President Joe Biden’s point man on North Korea said Monday, reaffirming a willingness to meet his North Korean counterparts “anywhere, at anytime.” 　 Sung Kim, the US special representative for North Korea, held talks with South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk in Seoul on Monday, to look for ways to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table. Their session comes as the allies are holding combined military drills

Aug. 23, 2021

N. Korea's main paper urges people to prioritize socialist ideology

North Korea's official newspaper called Monday for putting socialist ideology ahead of anything else, stressing that ideologically arming people should be the basis for moving science and technology and other areas forward. The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, made the appeal in an editorial, saying that emphasizing the economy while being negligent in ideological education will only result in the collapse of the foundation of socialism. "We must maintain

Aug. 23, 2021

N. Korea develops real-time PCR equipment to test for coronavirus: state media

North Korea has developed real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) coronavirus testing equipment on its own, state media said Monday, as the country continues to fight against the global pandemic. Scientists and workers at the 111 Factory in Pyongyang have developed the equipment, which meets global standards, for the first time in the country, the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, said. Many countries currently use PCR as a standard test for COVID-19 that works b

Aug. 23, 2021

S. Korea to talk N. Korea with US, Russian envoys

South Korea’s chief nuclear negotiator, Noh Kyu-duk, will meet separately with his US and Russian counterparts to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization next week, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. The South and US are seeking diplomacy with the North to resume nuclear talks, amid Pyongyang’s strong protest against the Seoul-Washington military drills that are due to end next week. The North, which routinely describes the drills as a rehearsal for invasion, warned t

Aug. 20, 2021

N.Korea flight of same jet type as leader's personal plane makes flight towards Wonsan: aviation tracker

An airplane of the same jet type as that of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was spotted flying to the eastern part of the country, an aviation tracker said. According to Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, North Korean carrier Air Koryo's AN-148 jet departed from Pyongyang at 9:08 a.m. Thursday and flew towards the eastern coastal town of Wonsan. The Antonov AN-148 jet is the type of aircraft used as Kim's personal jet but the latest jet appears to hold a different registration number fr

Aug. 20, 2021

N. Korea issued navigational warning for East Sea in indication of missile launch preparations

North Korea had declared a no-sail zone for ships off the east coast earlier this week, sources said Thursday, indicating that it had plans to launch missiles amid an ongoing combined exercise between South Korea and the United States.    The navigational warning was issued for Sunday through Monday for northeastern regions in the East Sea, according to the military sources. Such an advisory is usually issued ahead of missile launches or other weapons tests to warn vessels to stay cl

Aug. 19, 2021