Moon slams North Korea’s missile test amid efforts for dialogue

President Moon Jae-in on Friday expressed deep concerns over North Korea’s recent missile launches, calling any action that hampers ongoing efforts for resuming dialogue “undesirable.” “I’m aware the people are concerned about North Korea’s missile launches yesterday,” Moon said in his speech during a ceremony honoring patriotic servicemen who sacrificed their lives to defend the Yellow Sea during maritime battles against North Korea. “Now is

March 26, 2021

N. Korea holds general assembly of Olympic Committee

North Korea held a general assembly meeting of its Olympic Committee to discuss plans for this year, state media said Friday, amid uncertainty over the North's participation in the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics. The meeting was held through video links on Thursday to discuss "practical issues linked to actively organize public sport events," according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA said that Kim Il-guk, North Korea's Olympic chief and sports minister, and other participants

March 26, 2021

Seoul court orders N. Korea, leader Kim to pay damages to family of Korean War abductee

A Seoul court has ordered North Korea and leader Kim Jong-un to compensate a family member of a South Korean who was abducted to the North during the 1950-53 Korean War. The plaintiff, identified by his surname Choi, filed a damages suit in December over the policeman father who was kidnapped by North Korean soldiers in Hapcheon, 350 kilometers south of Seoul, in September 1950. The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday ordered Kim and his regime to pay Choi 50 million won ($44,135). It

March 26, 2021

US condemns N. Korea's missile launch as 'destabilizing'

The United States on Thursday condemned North Korea's ballistic missile launches as "destabilizing" actions violating multiple UN Security Council resolutions. "The United States condemns the DPRK's destabilizing ballistic missile launches. These launches violate multiple UN Security Council resolutions and threaten the region and the broader international community," a department spokesperson told Yonhap News Agency in an email. "Our commitment to the defense of the R

March 26, 2021

NK leader inspects construction site without attending missile test-firing

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a construction site for riverside apartments in Pyongyang without attending a test-firing of newly developed ballistic missiles, according to state media Friday. Thursday's "field guidance" trip to the construction site appears to underscore Kim's emphasis on improving people's lives. On the same day, the North test-fired two new tactical guided missiles without Kim's attendance. Kim "explained the plan to form the area of modern terraced

March 26, 2021

Biden says US will act accordingly if N. Korea escalates, but diplomacy still possible

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States will respond appropriately should North Korea continue to escalate tension, but that it is also prepared for diplomacy with the recalcitrant regime. Biden noted the launch of the missiles on Thursday (Seoul time) was in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. "Let me say that, number one, UN resolution 1718 was violated by those particular missiles that were tested," Biden said in his first formal press conference s

March 26, 2021

N. Korea says it test-fired new tactical guided missiles

North Korea said Friday it test-fired new tactical guided missiles a day earlier, confirming the launch of ballistic missiles for the first time in about a year. On Thursday, South Korea's military said the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, raising concerns that the missiles banned under the UN Security Council resolutions could sharply escalate tensions. The latest launch came as the Joe Biden administration prepares to announce a new policy

March 26, 2021

S. Korean nuclear envoy discusses NK missile launches with US official

South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy discussed North Korea’s latest missile launches with a senior US official and plans to do the same with his Japanese counterpart, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.  Noh Kyu-duk, the chief nuclear negotiator, spoke by phone with Sung Kim, acting US assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, earlier in the day, the official said, hours after the North fired what appeared to be two ballistic missiles into the East S

March 25, 2021

NK to step up pressure until US responds

The latest missile launches by North Korea are part of the regime’s accelerating cycle of provocations against the US as it seeks sanctions relief, experts said. The North fired what appeared to be ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Thursday morning, a violation of the UN Security Council resolutions. It was the North’s second missile test since US President Joe Biden took office in January. On Sunday it fired two short-range cruise missiles into the West Sea. “We belie

March 25, 2021

S. Korea deeply concerned about N. Korea's projectile launch: NSC

South Korea's top national security officials expressed "deep concern" about North Korea's latest projectile launch Thursday, especially as it came amid the Joe Biden administration's review of Washington's policy on Pyongyang, according to Cheong Wa Dae. They issued the statement following a 90-minute "emergency" meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) standing committee. It was convened shortly after the South Korean military's announcement that the North lobbed at

March 25, 2021

US wants to see stability of Korean Peninsula: Pentagon spokesman

WASHINGTON -- The United States opposes North Korea taking any actions that could raise tension on the Korean Peninsula, the spokesman for the US Department of Defense said Wednesday, amid reports that the North may be preparing to stage military provocations. John Kirby also called on the North to denuclearize. "We want to see North Korea denuclearize. We want to see stability and security on the peninsula and denuclearization is a key part of that," the Pentagon spokesman said at a

March 25, 2021

N. Korea wants to change, US must find right mix of steps: Brooks

WASHINGTON -- Despite its harsh rhetoric and threats to further advance its weapons of mass destruction, North Korea wants to change and the United States must find what it is that the North truly wants and how to best approach the challenge, a former US Forces Korea (USFK) commander said Wednesday. Retired Army Gen. Vincent Brooks also argued Pyongyang still has its door open to dialogue for denuclearization. "I am of the view that the nuclear arsenal is not an end unto itself, but rathe

March 25, 2021

N. Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS

North Korea fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on Thursday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, an apparent move pressing the United States as Washington prepares to announce a new policy on the North. The missiles were fired from the North's eastern town of Hamju, South Hamgyong Province, at 7:06 a.m and 7:25 a.m. and flew around 450 kilometers with an altitude of 60 km, the JCS said. "South Korean and US intelligence authorities are analyzin

March 25, 2021

Pro-NK paper says verbal message between leader Kim, China's Xi signals stronger relations

A pro-North Korea newspaper stressed Wednesday that the recent exchange of verbal messages between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping signals an important step toward bolstering bilateral cooperation. "North Korea and China reaffirmed their traditionally friendly relations and agreed on their stance on global and regional politics," the Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korea newspaper in Japan, said. The paper stressed that their exchange of friendly messages c

March 24, 2021

N. Korea resumes building up tensions as it awaits US move

North Korea’s missile launches Sunday marks its return to a fresh cycle of provocations to earn sanctions relief from the new US administration, experts said. On Wednesday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that the North fired two cruise missiles into the West Sea on Sunday, without elaborating on details. Senior administration officials from both Korea and the US said the North did not violate the UN Security Council resolutions. “It is not covered by UN S

March 24, 2021

Seoul declines to back UN resolution on NK rights

The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday condemning human rights violations in North Korea once again. South Korea decided not to co-sponsor it for the third year in a row. 　 The UN’s top human rights body passed the resolution by consensus for the 19th straight year during its 46th session in Geneva. 　 For the third consecutive year, South Korea opted out of co-sponsoring the bill, which denounces the regime’s human rights abuses, taking part in the

March 24, 2021

Unification minister promises support for aid groups to resume assistance to N. Korea

Unification Minister Lee In-young on Wednesday met with the head of a local aid organization and promised active support for their efforts to send humanitarian assistance to North Korea. During the meeting with the leader of Korea NGO Council for Cooperation with North Korea (KNCCK), Lee stressed that the ministry will continue to keep an eye on the coronavirus situation and make an overall assessment to resume humanitarian assistance. "North Korea declared the 'highest level of alert' ag

March 24, 2021

UN adopts resolution on NK human rights for 19th consecutive year

GENEVA/SEOUL -- The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights violations for the 19th consecutive year, officials said Wednesday. The 47-member council adopted the resolution by consensus in its 46th session in Geneva on Tuesday (local time), according to officials. South Korea took part in the adoption process by consensus and not as a co-sponsor of the resolution, a position that it has remained in for the past three years amid its eff

March 24, 2021

NK leader calls for stronger relations in verbal messages to Cuba, Vietnam, Laos

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sent verbal messages to the leaders of Cuba, Vietnam and Laos and called for stronger relations, state media reported Wednesday, in a move apparently intended to strengthen ties with socialist countries amid stalled nuclear talks with the United States. Kim sent the messages to "notify the accounts of the 8th Congress of the WPK" to Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong, Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Raul Castro, the first secretary of Cuba

March 24, 2021

US focused on denuclearization of N. Korea: Pentagon spokesman

WASHINGTON -- It is North Korea that threatens security and stability on the Korean Peninsula, US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday, adding that it is North Korea the US is focused on when it talks about denuclearization of the peninsula. The spokesman, however, said the terms of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization of North Korea only marked a "distinction without a difference." "I think it's a distinction without a difference,"

March 24, 2021