NK laundered money through US banks in 2008-2017: report

North Korea has used American banks to launder massive amounts of money for years to dodge international sanctions, leaked documents have revealed, according to NBC News on Sunday (US time). 　 The bank documents revealed Pyongyang has illegally transferred at least $174 million across the border using shell companies and help from Chinese companies, through major US banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Bank of New York Mellon from 2008 to 2017, during which time the US tightened sanctions against

Sept. 21, 2020

NK propaganda outlet slams S. Korea over nuclear deterrence discussion with US

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Monday slammed South Korea over recent defense talks between Seoul and Washington about deterring nuclear and missile threats from the communist nation, criticizing Seoul for being hypocritical by talking peace while preparing for war. Seoul and Washington held their biannual Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) via videoconference earlier this month and discussed ways to boost their alliance to deter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and agre

Sept. 21, 2020

NK silent as Moon speaks of peace deal

President Moon Jae-in said Saturday that the Pyongyang Joint Declaration should be fulfilled, in a message commemorating the second anniversary of the inter-Korean peace deal signed by him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 19, 2018, at their third summit that year. “The reason the deal has yet to be realized was that there were hurdles, both domestic and foreign. Nevertheless, we have an unwavering commitment to peace,” Moon wrote on Facebook, adding that the “seeds

Sept. 20, 2020

Defector caught trying to cross back into N. Korea

South Korea's police said Sunday that they have taken into custody a North Korean defector for attempting to cross into his homeland through a military unit in an eastern border town. The man in his 30s was caught entering a military unit in Chorwon, Gangwon Province, at around 9 a.m. on Thursday in an attempt to cross into the North. He was found to have four mobile phones and a cutting machine when he was caught. Police said that the man defected to the South in 2018 and has stayed in Seo

Sept. 20, 2020

NK premier visits industrial sites, urges increased production for typhoon recovery

North Korea's Premier Kim Tok-hun visited major industrial sites, including steelmaking factories, calling for expanded production to help with recovery efforts in areas hit by recent typhoons, state media reported Sunday. Kim inspected the Chollima Steel Complex in South Pyongyang Province on the North's west coast and encouraged its workers "to provide the people in the typhoon-hit areas with happy life as early as possible," according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). &qu

Sept. 20, 2020

NK stresses self-reliance undeterred by triple whammy of challenges

North Korea's official newspaper called Sunday for efforts to realize self-reliance in the economy and national defense undeterred by multiple challenges from its ongoing antivirus campaign, devastation caused by recent typhoons and the fallout from global sanctions. "Without economic independence, it is impossible to realize autonomous politics or the huge task of building a wealthy country with a strong military," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the North's ruling party, said in a

Sept. 20, 2020

DMZ trail in Paju to reopen to tourists next week

A western border hiking trail along the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas will reopen to the public next week, about 11 months after its closure due to the outbreak of African swine fever, authorities said Saturday. The municipality of Paju of Gyeonggi Province, about 30 kilometers northwest of Seoul, said it will reopen its DMZ hiking trail to tourists next Tuesday. In consideration of the ongoing outbreak of the coronavirus, however, the municipal government said it will limit the

Sept. 19, 2020

Pyongyang summit deal should be fulfilled, Moon says in anniversary message

President Moon Jae-in said Saturday that his Pyongyang summit accord with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should be implemented despite restraints at home and abroad, marking the second anniversary of its signing. He stressed that Seoul's commitment to peace remains firm, while the agreement has not been fulfilled speedily due to "internal and external restraints." In a message posted on Facebook, the president recalled his historic speech in front of 150,000 Pyongyang citizens at M

Sept. 19, 2020

Unification ministry reiterates calls for NK to fulfill summit agreements

The unification ministry on Friday reiterated calls for North Korea to implement agreements the leaders of the two Koreas reached during their summit in 2018. The appeal came on the eve of the second anniversary of a summit agreement signed between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Sept. 19, 2018, to reduce tensions and bolster cooperation. On the sidelines of the summit, the two sides also signed a military tension deal. "The two Ko

Sept. 18, 2020

Trump says considered sending Chicago Bulls player Rodman to N. Korea

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump on Thursday acknowledged that he had considered sending former Chicago Bulls basketball player Dennis Rodman to North Korea to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "He really does like Dennis Rodman, I will tell you. It's sort of great. I always said Dennis would be better than some of these staffs that they used to send over to get to know him (Kim)," Trump said in an interview with Fox Sports Radio. The sudden revelation came after the

Sept. 18, 2020

N. Korea has 'small number' of nuclear weapons: US general

WASHINGTON -- North Korea has a "small number" of nuclear weapons, the vice chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday, although that number was not defined. Air Force Gen. John Hyten told a virtual forum that the specific numbers were "classified" and in many ways hard to understand. "But a small number is a confident characterization of nuclear capabilities that can threaten their neighbors or the United States," he said in a symposium hosted by the

Sept. 18, 2020

‘NK likely to mark Oct. 10 anniversary with something big’

North Korea will likely celebrate its founding anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party on Oct. 10 with “something big” potentially showcasing missiles at a military parade amid the stalled nuclear talks with the US, Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Wednesday. “The North Koreans are going to come out potentially with scores of solid propellants, medium range missiles, maybe Pukguksong-2s,” he told a teleconference

Sept. 17, 2020

S. Korea ready to hold reunion of separated families with N. Korea at any time

South Korea is ready to hold reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War at anytime if there is an agreement with North Korea, a unification ministry official said Thursday. On Wednesday, Unification Minister Lee In-young told reporters during his trip to Panmunjom that he hopes to hold a "small-scale" reunion of war-torn families at the truce village as soon as concerns over the coronavirus pandemic ease. "We are fully prepared to hold a reunion of separated famil

Sept. 17, 2020

Ex-Trump chief of staff says there'll be 'deal of some sort' with N. Korea if Trump wins reelection

A former chief of staff to US President Donald Trump said Thursday that there will be a "deal of some sort" with North Korea that includes its "incremental concession" should Trump win reelection in November. Reince Priebus, who served in the White House post in 2017, made the remarks during a local forum, in response to an expert's view that Trump will seek to reach a deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un should he get another term. "I don't know what it will be,

Sept. 17, 2020

Unification minister stresses need for inter-Korean joint disaster control system in DMZ

Unification Minister Lee In-young said Thursday that South and North Korea should build a joint monitoring system in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to better cope with flooding, forest fires and other natural disasters. In a speech at the DMZ Forum 2020 broadcast online, Lee also expressed hope that the world's most fortified border between the two Koreas could be turned into an "international peace zone" by bolstering cross-border exchanges and cooperation. "If the South and the

Sept. 17, 2020

NK state media highlight party officials' efforts to support typhoon-hit areas

North Korean state media on Thursday highlighted party officials' efforts to help with recovery efforts in eastern regions hit by recent back-to-back typhoons. The Korean Central News Agency said that members of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and their families "sincerely" aided the people in the typhoon-hit areas in the North and South Hamgyong provinces. Trains and buses loaded with necessities, food and reconstruction materials arrived in the regions, and they were

Sept. 17, 2020

NK propaganda outlet slams S. Korea over budget proposal for military spending hike

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Wednesday blasted South Korea over a plan to increase its national defense budget for next year, saying "those enjoying fire would end up being killed by the fire." South Korea's defense ministry recently asked for 52.9 trillion won ($62.2 billion) in its budget plan for 2021, a 5.5 percent hike from its spending for this year. "(The South Korean government) is pouring more taxpayers' money in building up its armed forces and playing fire of

Sept. 16, 2020

Unification Minister calls for NK to fulfill inter-Korean agreements

Unification Minister Lee In-young urged North Korea to fulfill inter-Korean agreements from 2018 during his visit to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Wednesday. 　 Lee’s visit -- his first since taking office in July -- occurred a few days ahead of the second anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration reached by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the North’s capital on Sept. 19, 2018, which aimed to reduce military tensions an

Sept. 16, 2020

N. Korea could fire SLBM around next month's party anniversary: JCS chief nominee

North Korea could test-fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) around the founding anniversary of the Worker' Party next month, Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman nominee Won In-choul said Wednesday. The remark indicates changes in the military's assessment of what is going on in the North because Defense Minister nominee Gen. Suh Wook said Monday that chances for an SLBM launch anytime soon are slim given the short time left until the anniversary that falls on Oct. 10. There has

Sept. 16, 2020

US optimistic on nuclear talks with NK: Pompeo

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the US was optimistic that it would make progress in its stalled nuclear talks with North Korea. “As for North Korea, which you mentioned, we did have hopes that we could make further progress, that Chairman Kim would go in a different direction, but I’m still optimistic,” Pompeo told the president of the Atlantic Council, a US-based think tank, in an online conversation. “There’s still lots of work going on, wor

Sept. 16, 2020