NK paper says unity is 'most powerful weapon' against multiple challenges

North Korea's official newspaper on Friday urged people to unite behind the ruling Workers' Party, saying that unity is the "most powerful weapon" needed to guarantee survival from multiple challenges currently confronting the country. North Korea has been reeling from damage done by three recent powerful typhoons that flooded streets, houses and farming areas. The back-to-back natural disasters have weighed on its already fragile economy suffering from the fallout from Pyongyang's

Sept. 11, 2020

NSC officials discuss ways to advance Korea peace process before inter-Korean summit deal anniversary

South Korea's top national security officials had discussions Thursday on how to move forward the Korea peace process ahead of an anniversary of the two Koreas' signing of a Pyongyang summit agreement, Cheong Wa Dae said. During the weekly standing committee meeting of the National Security Council (NSC), they talked about the issue, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Sept. 19 accord signed between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, it said without elabora

Sept. 10, 2020

NK may be preparing to launch submarine missile: CSIS

Satellite images suggest North Korea may be preparing to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast, a US think tank said Wednesday. “Activity remains suggestive, but not conclusive, of preparations for an upcoming test of a Pukguksong-3 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the submersible test stand barge,” said Joseph Bermudez, senior fellow for imagery analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Sept. 10, 2020

Trump, North Korea's Kim exchanged letters of ‘magical force,’ ‘special friendship’: report

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un spoke of a “magical force” and a “special friendship” in the letters they exchanged, CNN reported Wednesday, citing transcripts of two letters that it obtained. In one of the letters sent a month after Kim’s meeting with Trump at the DMZ in June 2019, the North Korean leader wrote that he was upset that the South Korea-US military exercises had not fully stopped. “I am clearly offended and I do n

Sept. 10, 2020

NK paper highlights all-out recovery efforts from 3 consecutive typhoons

North Korea is making all-out efforts to recover from typhoon damage in the country's eastern regions, state media said Thursday, in a move seen in part as aimed at solidifying internal unity ahead of the founding anniversary of its ruling party next month. The North has been hit by three consecutive typhoons in recent weeks, with the latest one, Haishen, lashing the country's eastern regions Monday. Earlier, state media said that about 12,000 elite party members in Pyongyang headed to the typ

Sept. 10, 2020

Resumption of N. Korean weapons testing only matter of time: US expert

WASHINGTON -- North Korea appears to be ready to resume its nuclear and weapons testing in the near future, a former US intelligence official said Wednesday, stressing the need for "stronger" incentives or punishment for the communist state. "Another big element we need to think about is that additional weapons testing is probably just a matter of time," said Markus Garlauskas, a former intelligence officer for North Korea at the Office of the Director of National Intelligen

Sept. 10, 2020

Xi congratulates NK leader on state founding anniversary, stresses stronger ties

Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted growing ties with North Korea since the coronavirus outbreak in a congratulatory message sent to leader Kim Jong-un on the occasion the North's founding anniversary, according to state media Wednesday. North Korea marks the 72nd anniversary of its state founding Wednesday as it has been intensifying efforts to strengthen ties with China during the global coronavirus pandemic amid stalemated nuclear talks with Washington. Pyongyang has frequently praised

Sept. 9, 2020

NK leader holds party meeting to discuss typhoon damage

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party to discuss damage in an eastern mine region hit hard by last week's typhoon, state media reported Wednesday. The meeting was held Tuesday to discuss "the severe damage done to the Komdok area of South Hamgyong Province" by Typhoon Maysak, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The east coast region is home to zinc, magnesite and other mines. The KCNA

Sept. 9, 2020

US advisory on NK ballistic missile procurement issued as guidance to private enterprises: source

A recent US advisory cautioning against helping North Korea with its ballistic missile program is believed to be intended as guidance for private sector enterprises dealing related goods, rather than a warning to Pyongyang, a source said Tuesday. Last week, the US departments of state, treasury and commerce released the joint alert, saying that the North has continued to acquire technologies and equipment for its ballistic missile program, ranging from forestry trucks to make missile laun

Sept. 8, 2020

North Korea ready to produce newest weapons: report

North Korea’s program to develop new strategic weapons is nearing the production stage, a Seoul-based North Korea watcher warned Friday, calling for swift action from the international community to curb the import of parts that could be used to make weapons. Kim Jina, a research fellow at the Korea Institute of Defense Analyses, a Defense Ministry think tank, made the claim after analyzing the communist regime’s import items. Despite the sweeping sanctions imposed by the United Nat

Sept. 8, 2020

UN group asks Pyongyang to determine whereabouts of 41 missing persons

A UN group has asked the North Korean government to provide an explanation as to the whereabouts of 41 civilians presumed to have gone missing or been abducted. 　 According to an annual report posted on its website, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances has requested information on a total of 41 “enforced disappearance” cases from May 23, 2019, to May 15, 2020. The report is to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council’s upcoming 45th session slated

Sept. 8, 2020

Trump denies viewing 'love letters' from N. Korea's Kim just as such

WASHINGTON  -- US President Donald Trump on Monday refuted claims that he had considered what he has called "beautiful letters" from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un just as those, apparently dismissing the naivety such a claim may imply. "Just heard that wacko John Bolton was talking of the fact that I discussed "love letters from Kim Jong-un" as though I viewed them as just that," Trump wrote on his twitter account. "Obviously, was just being sarcastic,

Sept. 8, 2020

UN chief urges NK to resume stalled denuclearization talks

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged North Korea to resume stalled talks with the US and South Korea, stressing that diplomacy is the “only pathway” to achieve sustainable peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. 　 “In 2018, leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, and the United States showed that dialogue is possible and that diplomacy is the only pathway to sustainable peace and denuclearization,”

Sept. 7, 2020

S. Korea to use ARF meeting to urge N. Korea to return to nuke talks

South Korea will use the region's biggest annual security forum taking place this week to send a message that North Korea should return to the negotiating table, foreign ministry officials said Monday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha plans to take part in a series of annual meetings led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), set to take place from Wednesday through Saturday. This year's meetings will be held via videoconferencing due t

Sept. 7, 2020

Party members respond swiftly to NK leader's calls for recovery efforts

Some 300,000 North Koreans in Pyongyang have volunteered to help with recovery efforts in typhoon-hit eastern regions after leader Kim Jong-un called on party members in the capital city a day earlier to step forward to help, state media reported Monday. In an open letter sent to party members in Pyongyang, Kim said about 12,000 elite party members of the capital city will be sent to North and South Hamgyong Provinces each to help with recovery efforts, the Korean Central News Agency reported

Sept. 7, 2020

Telephone wires cut, residents evacuate as Typhoon Haishen approaches N. Korea

Streets were flooded and telephone wires were cut Monday as North Korea came under the influence of a powerful typhoon expected to make landfall in the country's east coast later in the day, state media reported. The North's state TV station broadcast live updates on Typhoon Haishen in the usually off-air hours Monday morning, with reporters covering the scenes from Wonsan city and Tongchon County on the east coast, such as flooded streets, cut antennae and telephone wires. The station usual

Sept. 7, 2020

Virtual reality tour of N. Korea to be unveiled

The Unification Ministry is working with the Korean Red Cross to roll out a virtual reality tour of North Korea for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War, the ministry said Sunday. “The project aims to comfort the split families here, as the window of reunion opportunity is getting smaller by the day, given their advanced age,” a ministry official said. The first VR content will be about the hometown of Hyun Mi, an 83-year-old singer who was born in Pyongyang in 1937 and was

Sept. 6, 2020

North’s Kim again inspects typhoon-hit area, vows swift recovery

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Saturday toured a province hit by Typhoon Maysak after convening a meeting there where he discussed countermeasures and replaced the provincial party committee chairman, the Korean Central News Agency said Sunday. “We can’t let our people here go on without homes when our national holiday is nearing,” Kim was quoted as saying at the meeting before visiting South Hamgyong Province. The regime celebrates the anniversary of its ruling party Oct.

Sept. 6, 2020

N. Korea shows activity suggesting preparations for SLBM launch: CSIS

Satellite imagery has shown activity at North Korea's main submarine shipyard in a possible sign that the communist nation could be preparing to test-fire a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), a US think tank reported. The primary indicator suggesting preparations for an SLBM launch is the presence of vessels at the North's Sinpo shipyard on the east coast, including one that resembles vessels previously used to tow the test stand barge out to sea, according to the Center for Strategi

Sept. 6, 2020

NK leader holds party meeting during visit to typhoon-hit area

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited typhoon-hit areas in the country's eastern South Hamkyong Province and presided over a Workers' Party meeting at the scene to discuss recovery efforts, state media reported Sunday. The enlarged executive policy meeting was held on Saturday to gauge the damage from last week's Typhoon Maysak that hit hard its eastern areas where more than 1,000 houses were destroyed, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The meeting "had an in-depth discussio

Sept. 6, 2020