[News analysis] US, North Korea likely to discuss security guarantees in upcoming nuke talks

The US and North Korea have finally confirmed they will resume nuclear diplomacy within days. The big question is whether the two sides will come to the negotiating table with acceptable new proposals to make progress in the denuclearization process that has stalled due to differences in their positions. On Tuesday, North Korea disclosed the date for the working-level dialogue, which was supposed to take place in mid-July. US State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus later confirmed the talks,

Oct. 2, 2019

N. Korea appoints new head of US affairs department

North Korea appears to have appointed a new head of its foreign ministry's North American affairs department, according to the Russian mission in Pyongyang on Wednesday, as the North is set to resume denuclearization talks with the United States this weekend. Jo Chol-su's appointment was made known in a Facebook post by the Russian embassy as it reported Jo's meeting with Russian Ambassador to North Korea Alexander Matsegora, where Jo was referred to as the "Director-General of the North Am

Oct. 2, 2019

Inter-Korean summit possible at Korea-ASEAN summit: Former Moon aide

Preparations for the Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit are being made with the possibility of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s attendance in mind, a former aide to President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday. Tak Hyun-min, a former official with the presidential protocol office who currently serves as an adviser for the planning of presidential events, said in a radio interview that Kim’s possible attendance is being factored into the preparations.  Tak also said that if Kim attends th

Oct. 2, 2019

N. Korea's official paper blames Seoul's 'betrayal' for stalemate in inter-Korean ties

North Korea's official newspaper blamed South Korea's "betrayal behaviors" for the current stalemate in inter-Korean relations, urging Seoul to "return to basics" and respect the spirit of last year's summit agreements.The criticism came a day after North Korea said that Pyongyang and Washington agreed to resume working-level talks after months of impasse following their February summit, raising cautious hopes that progress in the upcoming talks could help the stalled inter-K

Oct. 2, 2019

N. Korean projectile may have breached Japan's EEZ: Tokyo

TOKYO (AFP) -- One of the projectiles fired by North Korea early Wednesday appears to have fallen into Japan's exclusive economic zone, the top government spokesman said."At around 7:10 am (1010 GMT), two projectiles were launched from the eastern coast of North Korea," Yoshihide Suga told reporters. "One of them appears to have fallen into waters... inside Japan's exclusive economic zone," the chief cabinet secretary said.The comments came after South Korea's military said t

Oct. 2, 2019

N. Korea presumed to have fired 1 SLBM-type missile: JCS

North Korea fired what was believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile from waters off its east coast on Wednesday, South Korea's military said, demonstrating its nuclear delivery capabilities just days before resuming denuclearization talks with the United States.  The missile, believed to be a type of Pukguksong, a North Korean SLBM, was fired from off the east coast near Wonsan in an easterly direction at 7:11 a.m., and flew around 450 kilometers at a maximum altitude of a

Oct. 2, 2019

North Korea, US to hold working-level talks on Saturday

North Korea on Tuesday issued a statement in Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui’s name, announcing plans to resume working-level negotiations with the US. The US and North Korea agreed to get together for a preparatory meeting Oct. 4, ahead of working-level talks the following day, according to the statement.“Our representatives are ready to engage in North Korea-US working level talks,” Choe said in the statement.“I hope that improvements in North Korea-US relations will

Oct. 1, 2019

NK ambassador urges US to come to nuclear talks with new proposal

North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations urged the United States Monday to come to denuclearization negotiations with a new proposal acceptable to Pyongyang.In an address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Kim Song said it is up to Washington to turn any future negotiations into a "window of opportunity" or "an occasion that will hasten the crisis."His remarks come as Washington and Pyongyang are expected to resume working-level talks in the coming weeks

Oct. 1, 2019

Unleashed from Trump, Bolton says N. Korea still seeks nukes

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- John Bolton warned Monday that North Korea had not truly chosen to give up nuclear weapons in the hawk's first public appearance since he left as President Donald Trump's national security advisor.At a think-tank conference on North Korea, Bolton said he could now "speak in unvarnished terms" about the "grave threat" posed by the regime of Kim Jong-un, who has courted Trump."It seems to be clear that the DPRK has not made a strategic decision to give

Oct. 1, 2019

Kim vows to 'always stand by' China in message to Xi

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un vowed to "always stand by" China in a message sent to President Xi Jinping on the occasion of China's founding anniversary, Pyongyang's state media said Tuesday."Our party, government and people fully support the Chinese party, government and people in their struggle to defend the stability and the core interests of the country and achieve sustained development, and will always stand by them on the path of defending and glorifying socialism," K

Oct. 1, 2019

International lawyers urge Seoul to repatriate N. Korean waitresses

A committee of international lawyers has concluded that a dozen North Korean restaurant workers who arrived in South Korea in April 2016 were victims of an abduction, and called for their repatriation to Pyongyang.The fact-finding committee on Monday released the final report on its probe into the high-profile “mass defection” case after conducting investigations in both Koreas. The committee, formed in May, comprises International Association of Democratic Lawyers’ repres

Sept. 30, 2019

S. Korean flag expected to be raised in Pyongyang during World Cup qualifier: ministry

South Korea's national flag is expected to be put up at a stadium in Pyongyang during next month's World Cup qualifier between the two sides, Seoul's unification ministry said Monday.North Korea is set to host the game on Oct. 15 as the two Koreas were placed in the same group for the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification in what would be a rare sports exchange between the two sides. "As the North has said that it will prepare the match in accordance with international pract

Sept. 30, 2019

Seoul to discuss food aid to N. Korea with WFP amid Pyongyang's silence

South Korea said Monday it will discuss with the World Food Programme what to do with promised food aid to North Korea as the communist nation remains unresponsive to the offer. In June, South Korea announced the plan to provide 50,000 tons of rice to the North via the WFP to help the impoverished country address its worsening food shortages. Seoul's original plan was to complete the delivery by the end of this month.But as the North has reportedly been refusing to accept the aid, taking issue w

Sept. 30, 2019

G-77 adopts statement urging lifting of sanctions on Pyongyang: NK media

The members of the Group of 77 developing countries have adopted a statement opposing "unilateral" economic sanctions on North Korea that hamper its development and prosperity, Pyongyang's state media said Monday.During the ministerial meeting of the G-77 held in New York on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the member states adopted a statement calling for the immediate lifting of sanctions on North Korea, according to the North's radio network Korean Central Broadca

Sept. 30, 2019

North Korea urges US to turn words into action

A North Korean envoy called on the United States to translate its promises into action ahead of upcoming working-level talks between the two countries to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. “The US should implement the North Korea-US joint agreement with sincerity and bold decision after great deliberation,” Ri Ki-ho, a counselor at North Korea’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, said at the 2019 Global Peace Forum on Korea, held at Columbia

Sept. 29, 2019

2 intl. aid agencies get temporary sanctions exemptions for projects in N. Korea

Two international humanitarian assistance organizations have received temporary sanctions exemptions for their aid projects in North Korea, a UN website showed Saturday.The World Health Organization and Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) will be allowed to bring in medical items necessary for their projects in the impoverished state for six months each from Sept. 20 and Sept. 23, respectively, according to the UN Security Council committee for sanctions on North Korea. The WHO ha

Sept. 29, 2019

2 N. Korean diplomats in Beijing possibly on way to New York

Two North Korean diplomats arrived in Beijing on Saturday, raising the possibility that they could be on their way to New York to attend the UN General Assembly session.Jang Il-hun, former deputy ambassador to the UN, and Kim Chang-min, director general at the foreign ministry's international organizations bureau, were seen at the airport in Beijing earlier in the day apparently after disembarking from a flight from Pyongyang. They did not respond to questions about the purpose of their trip and

Sept. 29, 2019

White House sends positive signal to Pyongyang with 'relationship transformation' message, Seoul official says

The White House has made clear its resolve to "transform" relations with North Korea, effectively sending a strong signal to Pyongyang ahead of the envisioned resumption of working-level nuclear talks, a South Korean government official has said.He was briefing foreign correspondents here on Friday on the outcome of the New York summit between President Donald Trump and President Moon Jae-in earlier this week.Cheong Wa Dae earlier said Moon and Trump "exchanged views on how to ach

Sept. 28, 2019

S. Korea is not free-riding on alliance with US: ex-US ambassador

Former US Ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert on Friday rejected the notion that South Korea is free-riding on the United States' troop presence in the country, saying the two nations are "very, very strong allies."Lippert, who served as the last US ambassador to Seoul under former President Barack Obama, made the remark as negotiations on renewing a burden-sharing deal between South Korea and the US got under way this week. US President Donald Trump has made clear that he want

Sept. 28, 2019

FM Kang meets UNDP chief, holds talks on NK projects

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with United Nations Development Programme chief Achim Steiner in New York for talks on issues of mutual interest, including support for North Korea, her ministry said Saturday.During the meeting held on Friday (New York time), the two sides exchanged views on such issues as the various ongoing joint projects between South Korea and the UN body, the UNDP's projects regarding North Korea and the implementation of reform measures for the UN development system, ac

Sept. 28, 2019