Seoul’s leaflet crackdown faces backlash from rights advocates

The South Korean government’s crackdown on nonprofit groups led by North Korean defectors for sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border has met with a severe backlash from human rights advocates. 　 Thor Halvorssen, president of the Human Rights Foundation, a New York-based organization that promotes human rights and freedom, said Seoul’s decision to revoke operation license and seek prosecution of the defector groups is a violation of freedom of speech and expression, in a

July 16, 2020

Seoul prosecutors open probe into N. Korean leader's sister over liaison office demolition

South Korean prosecutors have begun an investigation into North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister and the North's military chief on charges of blowing up an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong last month, officials said Thursday. The unprecedented and symbolic probe into Kim Yo-jong, the sister now serving as the first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, and Army Gen. Pak Jong-chon, chief of the General Staff of the North Korean army, came after a Sou

July 16, 2020

Unification ministry to inspect dozens of activist groups over NK leafleting

The unification ministry will inspect dozens of government-registered activist group later this month to look into whether they have been involved in sending anti-North Korea leaflets, a ministry official said Thursday. The move comes as the ministry has been pushing to revoke the operation permits of two North Korean defector groups for sending leaflets to the communist state in defiance of the government's calls against such activity. "It is part of efforts to strengthen supervision o

July 16, 2020

S. Korea needs to disband joint 'working group' with US: ex-unification minister

A former South Korean unification minister called on the new minister nominee, Lee In-young, to dissolve a joint "working group" forum set up to coordinate North Korea policy with the United States, saying it hinders inter-Korean cooperation. Jeong Se-hyun, former unification minister and current executive vice chairperson of the presidential National Unification Advisory Council, made the remarks Thursday during an interview with TongTong TV, Yonhap News Agency's entertainment news

July 16, 2020

Trump wants another NK summit only if progress is likely: Pompeo

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump would hold another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un only if the two sides are likely to make progress on the agreement they reached during their first summit in Singapore, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday. Pompeo dismissed the notion that the leaders could meet again before the US presidential election in November, suggesting there isn't enough time before then. But he said there is more discussion taking place between Washington

July 16, 2020

N. Korea lashes out at Pompeo over anti-China remarks

North Korea on Wednesday lashed out at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his recent anti-China remarks, warning against interfering with affairs of other countries and "muddling up" public opinion. Earlier this week, Pompeo said that China's maritime claims to resources in the South China Sea are "unlawful" and criticized the Communist Party of China (CPC) for bullying countries in the region. His remarks drew strong rebuke from Beijing, which marked the latest in a se

July 15, 2020

Pyongyang resumes promoting Kumgangsan tourism programs

North Korea has started to promote its now-shuttered tourism project to Kumgangsan, appearing to invite foreign tourists back to the reclusive regime soon after shutting its borders amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 　 Pyongyang temporarily barred foreign tourists to the mountain resort on its east coast when it closed its borders in late January, as the virus spread in neighboring China and South Korea. The shutdown has crippled the North’s economy even more as trade and tourism were a key sou

July 15, 2020

NK's paper stresses antivirus efforts at major gateways for trade

North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday stressed the importance of antivirus efforts at the country's major seaports and land-based gateways for trade as the communist state is striving to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus. North Korea's media outlets have intensified calls for people not to lower their guard against COVID-19 since leader Kim Jong-un demanded "maximum alert," saying complacency will lead to an "unimaginable and irretrievable crisis." "Step

July 15, 2020

NK media hints at optimism about S. Korea's new security lineup

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Tuesday indirectly expressed optimism about South Korea's new national security lineup, citing a pro-unification media outlet in the South saying that high hopes are pinned on the new team. Earlier this month, President Moon Jae-in shook up the security lineup as part of efforts to break a stalemate in inter-Korean relations amid tensions in the wake of the North's blowing up of an inter-Korean liaison office. On Tuesday, Uriminzokkiri, one of the North's p

July 14, 2020

1 in 2 N. Koreans underfed: UN report

Nearly half of the North Korean population, or 12.2 million people, suffered undernutrition from 2016-2019, the United Nations estimated in its latest report on food security worldwide. At the time, North Korea was second only to Haiti, which posted the highest rate of undernourished residents globally at 48.2 percent of the population, slightly ahead the North’s 47.6 percent, according to the report compiled by UN food and relief agencies including the World Food Program. The report fo

July 14, 2020

NK strikes hopeful tone on South’s new appointees

North Korea took a positive tone in reports about South Korean Unification Minister nominee Lee In-young and about the country’s new special adviser to the president on foreign affairs and national security, Im Jong-seok. “There is much anticipation towards Lee In-young and Im Jong-seok,” the North’s propaganda outlet Uriminzokkiri wrote Tuesday, citing a commentary in the South’s online outlet Jaju Sibo. “Attention is drawn to their future moves as both h

July 14, 2020

Govt. expected to revoke operation permits for 2 defector groups this week over leafleting

The unification ministry said Tuesday that it could revoke the operation permits of two North Korean defector groups as early as this week over their sending of anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets. The move comes about a month after North Korea blew up an inter-Korean liaison office in its border city of Kaesong in anger over leaflets criticizing leader Kim Jong-un, saying such leafleting violates a series of peace agreements between the two sides. In response, South Korea's unification minist

July 14, 2020

NK paper urges thorough preparations against monsoons to minimize damage

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday urged its people to brace for the upcoming summer monsoon season, calling preventive efforts against floods a "war" to support the country's efforts to overcome economic difficulties. "Damage from floods can be prevented as long as we remain well prepared in advance," the Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party, said in an article. "Only complaining, hoping for luck and habitually responding to this work would en

July 13, 2020

N. Korea says Britain will 'pay price' for imposing sanctions

Denouncing Britain’s recent sanctions imposed on two North Korean organizations, the communist country threatened Saturday that the European country will be “made to pay the price.” Earlier this week, Britain blacklisted 49 individuals and organizations under its new human rights regime. With the decision, two North Korean organizations, believed to be involved in the forced labor, torture and killings of prisoners in gulags in the country, were banned from entering Britain a

July 12, 2020

NK's newspaper says anti-virus efforts more important than economic achievements

North Korea's official newspaper said Friday that preventing an outbreak of the coronavirus is more important than economic achievements, urging people to stay alert in their fight against the highly contagious virus. North Korea's media outlets have called for beefed-up anti-virus efforts recently after leader Kim Jong-un demanded "maximum alert" against COVID-19 and warned against complacency, saying that it will lead to an "unimaginable and irretrievable crisis." "

July 10, 2020

NK’s Kim Yo-jong rules out another summit with US

Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s influential younger sister, on Friday ruled out the possibility of holding another US-North Korea summit this year, saying it is “useless” for Pyongyang and would only benefit Washington, according to state media.  “This is my personal opinion but summit between the US and North Korea will not take place this year,” said Kim to the state-run Korea Central News Agency.  She said another summit is “unne

July 10, 2020

Another summit with US 'not needed,' 'not beneficial': Kim's sister

Another summit with the United States is "not needed" and "not beneficial" for North Korea as long as there is no change in Washington's negotiating position, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un said Friday. Kim Yo-jong made the remark in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency after US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that he would hold another summit with the North's leader "if I thought it was going to be helpful." "I doub

July 10, 2020

South Korea, US stress importance of reviving talks with NK

US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun on Thursday stressed the importance of resuming talks with North Korea and vowed to work with South Korea to this end, during his meeting with Suh Hoon, the newly appointed top security adviser to President Moon Jae-in. 　 The two met at Cheong Wa Dae in the morning, on the last day of Biegun’s three-day visit here. During an hourlong meeting, Biegun, who doubles as Washington’s top nuclear envoy, and Suh talked about North Korea’s r

July 9, 2020

[Graphic News] N. Korean households hold average $1,300 in cash

　North Korean families have average financial assets of over $1,700 while holding more than two-thirds of their assets in cash, the Bank of Korea said. 　According to the report, the average North Korean household had financial assets of $1,761 between 2012 and 2018, along with average financial debt of $408. 　It said North Korean households also held an average of $1,310 in cash during the cited period, though not necessarily in US dollars. 　North Koreans are believed to favor US dollars

July 9, 2020

NK facility suspected of building nuclear warheads active: report

New satellite images show recent activity at a previously undeclared facility near Pyongyang that US researchers suspect is being used to build nuclear warheads, CNN reported Wednesday. The US news network said the imagery it obtained shows the facility in the village of Wollo-ri near Pyongyang “has not been previously disclosed to the public and is believed to be linked to North Korea’s nuclear program and remains active.” The facility shown in the satellite images, capture

July 9, 2020