N. Korea's SLBM launch hurt nuclear talks with US: ex-US envoy

A former US envoy for North Korea said Monday that Pyongyang's recent test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile ruined its chances of reaching a nuclear deal with Washington in Sweden earlier this month.Joseph Yun, who served as US special representative for North Korea policy until early last year, spoke at a forum after fresh working-level denuclearization negotiations between the United States and North Korea broke down in Stockholm on Oct. 5.The talks had resumed for the first time sinc

Oct. 15, 2019

Top military officials of N. Korea, China highlight bilateral ties

Top military officials of North Korea and China have reaffirmed the importance of bilateral relations, saying defending them is a "notable duty" of their armies, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday.Kim Su-gil, director of the General Political Bureau of the North's army, met with Miao Hua, director of the political affairs department of China's Central Military Commission, in Pyongyang on Monday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. During the meeting, Kim emphasized that

Oct. 15, 2019

World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang not to be broadcast live

South Korea's most-anticipated World Cup qualifier of the current campaign, set to kick off in Pyongyang, will not be broadcast live to a South Korean audience, broadcasters here said Monday.On Tuesday, North Korea hosts the South-North match for the second round of the Asian qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup at 5:30 p.m. at Kim Il-sung Stadium in the North Korean capital. It is a rare sports exchange between the two sides at a time of heightened tensions on the divided peninsula followi

Oct. 14, 2019

NK propaganda outlet denounces meeting of military chiefs of S. Korea, US, Japan

A North Korean propaganda outlet on Monday slammed a recent trilateral meeting between the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, the United States and Japan, claiming that their talks were aimed at heightening tensions on the Korean Peninsula.South Korea's JCS Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki and his US and Japanese counterparts, Gen. Mark Milley and Gen. Koji Yamazaki, met in Washington earlier this month, as Park and Yamazaki were in the US capital to attend the change of command cere

Oct. 14, 2019

Pyongyang ups pressure against Seoul, denounces joint military exercise with US

North Korea denounced South Korea’s combined military exercise with the United States on Sunday, saying it is “the most concentrated” security threat against its regime. In a column on North Korean propaganda website Uriminzokkiri, Pyongyang made issue of the recent remark by US Marine Commandant Gen. David H. Berger, who said the joint military exercise of US and South Korean marines has continued, in a seminar. ”The US and South Korea’s military warmongers said th

Oct. 13, 2019

Kim Jong-un visits mausoleum on party anniversary

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid tribute to his late grandfather and father on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party, Pyongyang state media reported Friday.Kim visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun with members of the political bureau of the Workers’ Party central committee on Oct. 10, the 74th founding anniversary of the party, the Korean Central News Agency said.The bodies of Kim’s grandfather and the country’s founding leader Kim Il-sung an

Oct. 11, 2019

US warns Pyongyang to stop provocations, resume talks

The US Department of State warned North Korea to end provocations and resume denuclearization talks, Radio Free Asia reported Friday. According to RFA, the US State Department urged the North to “refrain from provocations and to uphold their responsibilities according to the UN Security Council resolutions.”  The State Department was also quoted as urging North Korea to play a “practical role” in achieving denuclearization and stability on the Korean Peninsula. Accor

Oct. 11, 2019

'N. Korea poses one of biggest ballistic missile threats to US'

North Korea's short- and medium-range ballistic missiles represent one of the "ballistic missile threats of most concern" to the United States, along with those from Iran and China, a U.S. congressional report has said.North Korea has an arsenal of hundreds of short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) that can reach all of South Korea and perhaps dozens of medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) capable of reaching Japan and U.S. bases in the region, according to the Congressional Researc

Oct. 11, 2019

Iran suspected of continuing missile cooperation with NK: CRS report

Iran is suspected of continuing to cooperate with North Korea on missile development, a recent US congressional report said after the communist nation carried out a surprise test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile.The Congressional Research Service report, published on Tuesday, raised the suspicions while noting that the two countries have cooperated on a wide range of military and weapons of mass destruction-related activities in the past, particularly the development of ballistic missil

Oct. 10, 2019

NK ship seized by US once owned by South Korean firms: report

A North Korean ship seized and auctioned off by the US had operated under the South Korean flag in the past, Voice of America reported Thursday. According to the report, the Wise Honest was owned by South Korean entities between 2004 and 2015 and sailed under the name “Eny.”Based on International Maritime Organization data, the report showed that the ship began operations as a Panama-registered vessel in 1989, and came to be owned by the South Korean entities in 2004, after operating

Oct. 10, 2019

N. Korea slams EU nations over statement condemning SLBM test

North Korea on Thursday lashed out at European Union members of the UN Security Council for issuing a statement condemning its recent test of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, calling it a "grave provocation" against Pyongyang.In a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson of the North's foreign ministry accused the United States of pushing the countries to sign the statement, warning that Pyongyang might reconsider the steps it has taken to

Oct. 10, 2019

Trump suggests he has phone calls with NK leader

US President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that he speaks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un by phone, in addition to their established form of communication -- letters.Trump mentioned Kim as he defended his controversial phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which has served as the basis for an impeachment inquiry against the US president.He said the phone call in July was "perfect" and went on to raise suspicions that a "spy" had leaked the contents of

Oct. 10, 2019

Envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan discuss NK talks

The top nuclear negotiators of South Korea, the United States and Japan met Tuesday in Washington, where they reaffirmed the importance of coordination on North Korea to achieve complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the US State Department said. Lee Do-hoon, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, held bilateral and trilateral meetings with his US and Japanese counterparts to discuss Saturday’s working-level nuclear negotiation

Oct. 9, 2019

UNSC says North Korea’s SLBM launch violates resolutions

European Union members of the United Nations Security Council have condemned North Korea for its recent firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile and urged Pyongyang to commit to negotiations with the United States. After convening a closed-door session on Tuesday (US time), Britain, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium and Estonia issued a joint statement calling for Pyongyang to discard its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. “We reiterate our condemnation

Oct. 9, 2019

NK leader visits military farm in first public appearance since breakdown of nuclear talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a military farm, state media reported Wednesday, in his first public appearance since the breakdown of working-level nuclear negotiations with the United States.The "field guidance" to Farm No. 1116 under Unit 810 of the Korean Peoples' Army appears to be designed to underline his commitment to resolve food problems and focus on economic development despite the lack of progress in Saturday's talks with the US in Sweden.The Korean Central News Age

Oct. 9, 2019

EU nations condemn NK missile test, urge meaningful talks with US

European Union members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned North Korea's latest missile launch as a clear violation of UN resolutions and urged the regime to engage in "meaningful" denuclearization negotiations with the United States.Britain, France, Germany, Poland and Belgium, as well as Estonia, which joins the council in January, issued the joint statement after a closed-door session of the Security Council in New York. North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Song had war

Oct. 9, 2019

N. Korea able to use Punggye-ri nuke testing site after restoration work: JCS

North Korea is believed to be able to reuse its now-defunct Punggye-ri nuclear test site after weeks or months of restoration work, though no such moves have been detected, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday.In May last year, the communist country demolished the testing site, which included four tunnels, in a show of its commitment to denuclearization. "Two of the four tunnels -- the No. 3 and No. 4 ones -- could be able to be used again after repair," Joint Chiefs of Sta

Oct. 8, 2019

[News analysis] North Korea needs to back down for nuke talks to yield results: experts

Neither North Korea nor the US adopted a new stance at their recent working-level denuclearization talks, and the road ahead appears rough unless the North comes to the table with substantial concessions, experts said. North Korea said Sunday’s talks with US counterparts in Sweden had “not fulfilled our expectations and broke down,” blaming Washington for not coming up with a new approach to negotiations.The US State Department called the talks, meant to end a stalemate on the

Oct. 8, 2019

UN grants sanctions waivers for equipment needed for World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang

The United Nations has granted sanctions waivers for equipment to be brought into North Korea for next week's inter-Korean World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang, a unification ministry official said Tuesday."We know that the issue of UN sanctions exemptions necessary for the game and athletes' trips (to North Korea) were resolved last week in accordance with customary procedures," the official told reporters.The official, however, did not provide information on what and how many items have

Oct. 8, 2019

North Korea warns against Security Council meeting on missile tests

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) -- North Korea warned Monday it would not "sit idle" if any attempt is made at the UN Security Council to raise the subject of its "self-defensive measures," an apparent reference to its recent missile tests.Three European countries -- Britain, France and Germany -- called for a closed door Security Council meeting Tuesday to discuss North Korea's test last week of a sea-launched missile, saying it was a "serious violation" of UN resolutions.Nor

Oct. 8, 2019