US defense secretary urges NK leader to exercise restraint

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to exercise "restraint" after the communist nation threatened to reveal a "new strategic weapon" in protest over stalled nuclear talks.Kim made the remark in a New Year's message that expressed his frustration over stalled denuclearization talks with the US. Experts have said the "strategic weapon" Kim said the world will see in the near future could be an intercontinenta

Jan. 3, 2020

N. Korea highlights legitimacy of leader Kim Jong-un in new documentary

North Korea on Thursday aired a new documentary film depicting leader Kim Jong-un's recent trip to Mount Paekdu and those of Kim's late grandfather and father, apparently highlighting the legitimacy of the current leader.The 61-minute film, titled "Will Forever Walk, the March of Mount Paekdu," began with Kim Jong-un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, riding white horses up the mountain that sits on the border with China. Mount Paekdu is considered sacred in North Korea as it is said to be the b

Jan. 2, 2020

North’s silence on inter-Korean matters puts Seoul on edge

While allies paid keen attention to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s warning about a “new strategic weapon,” officials in Seoul had one more concern -- the absence of South Korea from Kim’s lengthy remarks on the communist state’s policy direction. On Wednesday, instead of delivering his traditional New Year’s address, the North Korean leader announced the results of a four-day plenary session of ruling party officials. In his 18,000-word address, report

Jan. 2, 2020

NK leader visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark new year

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the mausoleum of his late grandfather and father in his first reported public activity this year after he threatened to show off a "new strategic weapon."Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father Kim Jong-il are enshrined, on the occasion of the start of the new year, according to the Korean Central News Agency. His visit to the mausoleum came after he warn

Jan. 2, 2020

NK passes ball into US court, leaves room for both dialogue, provocation: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to have passed the ball into the United States' court with a New Year's message that warned of "shocking actual action" and a "new strategic weapon" but still stopped short of abandoning negotiations altogether, experts said.Convening a four-day ruling party session through Tuesday, Kim said he sees no reason to stick to his commitment to suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, accusing the US of "abusing"

Jan. 1, 2020

Experts weigh in on N. Korea’s ‘new strategic weapon’

Following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s warning of a “new strategic weapon,” experts on Wednesday weighed in on the state of the regime’s veiled missile program for clues. Pyongyang has been trying to develop multiple-warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and the strategic weapon may be an upgrade of either of the two. Both of them could pose a greater threat to the United States and its allies, as they would be hard

Jan. 1, 2020

North Korea reverts to aggressive nuclear policy

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Wednesday declared the regime will continue to develop its nuclear program and debut a new “strategic weapon” in the near future, if the US does not end its economic sanctions. 　His remarks -- during an unexpectedly long four-day meeting of ruling party officials, reported by the state-run Korea Central News Agency -- signals the country plans to revert to its prior “byungjin” policy of simultaneously developing nuclear capabilities alon

Jan. 1, 2020

Trump voices confidence in NK leader despite new threat

WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said Tuesday he believes Kim Jong-un will uphold his commitment to denuclearize after the North Korean leader threatened to show off a "new strategic weapon."Hours earlier, North Korean media reported that Kim saw no reason to continue his self-declared moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, and warned that the world will soon see a "new strategic weapon."His remarks suggested that Pyongyang could soon test

Jan. 1, 2020

Pompeo says he hopes N. Korea chooses peace over war

WASHINGTON -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he hopes North Korea will choose peace over war after the regime threatened to reveal a "new strategic weapon."Pompeo made the comment to Fox News shortly after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivered the threat amid stalled denuclearization talks with Washington."It remains the case that we hope that Chairman Kim will take a different course," the top US diplomat said when asked for his assessment of the warning.

Jan. 1, 2020

White House cites NK summits among Trump's top achievements

WASHINGTON -- The White House on Tuesday cited Donald Trump's meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as among the US president's top achievements in office.In a press release reflecting Trump's first three years in office, the White House also noted that sanctions on North Korea have not been eased while the two countries have negotiated the dismantling of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.The statement came shortly before Kim announced a hard-line stance toward Washington over the stal

Jan. 1, 2020

NK leader says no reason to keep moratorium on ICBM tests, warns of 'new strategic weapon'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he sees no reason to stick to his commitment to suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests and will soon show off a "new strategic weapon," accusing the United States of stalling for time for its own political interests, according to state media Wednesday.Still, however, Kim appeared to have left room for negotiations as he also said during a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party that how much the North will bolster its &qu

Jan. 1, 2020

NK leader calls for military, diplomatic preparations

The North Korean ruling party’s plenary session continued for a fourth day Tuesday, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un again stressing “aggressive measures” the previous day.  According to North Korean media, Kim offered a “comprehensive report” on his regime’s policies and projects at Monday’s session of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, and called for preparations to be made. “(Kim) gave a c

Dec. 31, 2019

Pompeo says US hopes N. Korea chooses path of peace

WASHINGTON -- The United States hopes North Korea will choose a path of peace, not confrontation, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday, as the regime has threatened to take a "new way" over stalled denuclearization talks with Washington.Pompeo made the remark in an interview with Fox News amid expectations North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may announce a new US policy in his upcoming New Year's address."We're watching very closely ... we maintain our view that we can find a

Dec. 31, 2019

Kim calls for 'diplomatic, military countermeasures' ahead of end-of-year deadline

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for "diplomatic and military countermeasures" for preserving the country's sovereignty and security during an ongoing Workers' Party meeting, state media reported Tuesday, ahead of the impending expiry of Pyongyang's end-of-year deadline for US concessions.He made the calls at the third-day session of the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the North's ruling Workers Party on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.The meet

Dec. 31, 2019

Kim Jong-un stresses ‘aggressive measures’ for security

South Korean authorities are closely monitoring North Korea, following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s mention of “aggressive measures” to ensure sovereignty at the uncommonly long plenary meeting to the North’s ruling party. North Korean media reported Monday that Kim called for “proactive and aggressive measures to guarantee the country’s sovereignty and security befitting to the established political conditions,” on Sunday, the second day of th

Dec. 30, 2019

[2019 in review] From Hanoi to ‘Christmas gift,’ Trump-Kim’s roller-coaster year

It was another whirlwind year for US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 　They met twice this year, grabbing global headlines with their friendly handshakes in Hanoi, Vietnam, and a dramatic turn of events, as Trump “walked way” proclaiming a collapse of their talks. This was followed months later by photo ops of the US president crossing the border at the Demilitarized Zone in Pannumjom to meet Kim. 　Despite all the drama and “Trump-Kim chemistry,&rdquo

Dec. 30, 2019

US says it has many 'tools' to deal with NK 'Christmas gift'

WASHINGTON -- US National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warned North Korea Sunday that the United States has many "tools in its toolkit" to respond to any major provocation and will use them to demonstrate its disappointment.Brien made the comments in an interview with ABC amid concerns North Korea could be preparing to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile to express its frustration over stalled denuclearization talks with the US.North Korea's regime has set the end of the ye

Dec. 30, 2019

NK party meeting discusses 'offensive measures' to ensure sovereignty, security

North Korea has discussed "offensive measures" to ensure the country's sovereignty and security during the second-day session of a major party meeting, state media reported, amid concern Pyongyang could ditch negotiations with the United States and restart major weapons tests.In Washington, National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warned the North against any provocations, saying the US will be "extraordinarily disappointed" in such cases and will demonstrate its disappointme

Dec. 30, 2019

US stops operating surveillance flight on N. Korea: aviation tracker

The United States stopped operating a surveillance flight around the Korean Peninsula, an aviation tracker said Sunday, as North Korea did not follow through on its threat to deliver a "Christmas gift."Aircraft Spots tweeted earlier Sunday that "there is no RC-135S Cobra Ball operating" over the waters off South Korea for the first time in nearly five days.The US had carried out a surveillance mission over the East Sea from Tuesday through Saturday in an apparent move to moni

Dec. 29, 2019

[Newsmaker] Seven bodies found on suspected N. Korean boat in Japan

TOKYO, (AFP) -- The badly decomposed remains of seven people have been found in a suspected North Korean fishing boat that washed up on a Japanese island, a coast guard official said Sunday.The remains were found on Saturday in a broken vessel on the shore of Sado Island, which lies around 900 kilometres (560 miles) from North Korea across the Sea of Japan."Five of the bodies were identified as men but the remaining two could not be identified" as they were badly damaged, the official

Dec. 29, 2019