Russia detains N. Korean fishing vessels, 262 crew for poaching - Ifax

MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian border guards detained three North Korean fishing vessels and 262 crew members for poaching in waters that Moscow considers its exclusive economic zone, the Interfax news agency reported on Friday. The vessels have been delivered to Russia's port of Nakhodka and border guards have seized 30,000 squid as well as illegal fishing equipment, the report said.It is the second such incident this month. Russia on Sept.17 detained two North Korean boats in Russian territorial

Sept. 27, 2019

As North Korea expands arsenal, Japan's missile defense shield faces unforeseen costs - sources

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Additional tests may add at least $500 million to Japan’s price tag for two US-built ballistic missile interceptor stations that could struggle to shoot down the latest North Korean missile types, four government and defense sources said.“Japan is waiting to hear back from the US Missile Defense Agency about what tests will be required,” said one of the sources. “Those tests haven’t been budgeted for.”As part of a major defense upgrade, Japa

Sept. 27, 2019

N. Korea continues to build new ballistic missile submarine: 38 North

North Korea has continued to build a new ballistic missile submarine at its Sinpo shipyard, a US monitor said Thursday, citing recent commercial satellite imagery.38 North, which monitors activities inside the North Korean regime, said satellite imagery of the shipyard from Aug. 26 and Sept. 23 showed the movement of parts and equipment near the construction hall, indicating construction has continued since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reported visit to the site in late July.However, the ty

Sept. 27, 2019

Pompeo says US-NK talks not yet arranged

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that working-level denuclearization negotiations with North Korea that were expected this month have not been arranged.Pompeo made the remark at a press conference on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying the US stands ready to resume negotiations with the North."We've not been able to make those happen. And we don't have a date yet when we'll be able to get together," he said. "The North Koreans kn

Sept. 27, 2019

N. Korea says Trump is unlike former US leaders, hopes for progress

A former chief North Korean nuclear envoy said Friday he believes US President Donald Trump is different from his predecessors, and looks forward to him making a "bold decision" in nuclear talks despite calls in Washington for Pyongyang to denuclearize first.Kim Kye-gwan, currently an adviser to the North Korean foreign ministry, made the remarks in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, amid expectations that the US and the North could hold working-lev

Sept. 27, 2019

Trump 'quite likely' to visit Pyongyang: ex-US nuke envoy

US President Donald Trump could visit Pyongyang for a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to try to use the event to boost his reelection campaign, a former top US nuclear envoy said Thursday."A possibility of him going to Pyongyang, I think it's quite likely. He's focused on reelection. Anything that helps the reelection, he would be wanting to do it," Joseph Yun, former US special representative for North Korea told a forum in Seoul."Another summit is likely. Trump has e

Sept. 26, 2019

S. Korean, Chinese foreign ministers reaffirm cooperation on North Korea

The foreign ministers of South Korea and China met in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and agreed to continue their cooperation for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday.In the 30-minute talks, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi exchanged views on the current situation, including North Korea’s nuclear program. “The two sides agreed that it is imperative to make substanti

Sept. 26, 2019

S. Korea sounds N. Korea out about sending cheering squad for World Cup qualifier

South Korea is sounding North Korea out through various channels about its intention to send a cheering squad to Pyongyang for next month's World Cup qualifier between the two countries, a unification ministry official said Thursday.The move came days after South Korea's football governing body said that it was informed by the Asian Football Confederation that the North reaffirmed its will to host South Korea on Oct. 15, as scheduled, for their Group H match in the second round of Asian qualific

Sept. 26, 2019

70% of S. Koreans expect Kim Busan trip to be positive for nuclear talks, cross-border ties

About 70 percent of South Koreans think that a trip to the South by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit with Southeast Asian leaders would have a positive impact on denuclearization talks and inter-Korean relations, a survey showed Thursday.On Tuesday, the country's spy agency raised the possibility that Kim could visit the southern port city of Busan for the special summit that South Korea is to host in November for the leaders of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations.Ac

Sept. 26, 2019

Are inter-Korean relations back on track?

A glimmer of hope for the revival of inter-Korean diplomacy has emerged as international events have opened possibilities for engagement to break a monthslong impasse. With North Korea confirming that it will host South Korea next month for the World Cup qualifier in Pyongyang as planned, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday that it will consider sending a squad to the North. On Tuesday, the Korea Football Association in Seoul said it had been informed by the Asian Football Confeder

Sept. 25, 2019

WFP provides 1,425 tons of food aid to N. Korea in Aug.

North Korea received 1,425 tons of food aid from the World Food Programme last month, the UN food agency's monthly report showed Wednesday, as the impoverished country struggles to cope with chronic food shortages.The amount is down from the 2,188 tons provided a month earlier, according to the WFP report. A total of 557,930 people received the aid across North Korea last month. "Nutritional support is focused on areas of the country where food security and nutrition are fragile and reaches

Sept. 25, 2019

Trump says N. Korea must denuclearize to tap potential

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that North Korea must denuclearize in order to tap its "tremendous" economic potential.In a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said he delivered that message to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.His remarks come as the United States and North Korea are expected to resume working-level denuclearization negotiations in the coming weeks."I've told Kim Jong-un what I truly believe -- that, like Iran, his country is full of tremend

Sept. 25, 2019

Kim Jong-un may visit S. Korea if denuclearization negotiations work out: spy agency

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit South Korea to take part in a multilateral summit if denuclearization negotiations with the US work out, Seoul’s spy agency said Tuesday.In a closed-door session of the parliamentary intelligence committee, South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency chief Suh Hoon told lawmakers that working-level talks between the United States and North Korea are expected to take place in two to three weeks, according to the committee’s lawmakers, who

Sept. 24, 2019

Moon, Trump reaffirm NK denuclearization resolve

NEW YORK -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump agreed during their summit in New York on Monday on the need to obtain results in North Korean denuclearization talks, Cheong Wa Dae said. However, the two leaders did not discuss the security guarantees that Pyongyang is demanding or broach Trump’s “new method” of handling North Korean issues. Seoul’s presidential office also said Moon and Trump had discussed the importance of the South Korea-US

Sept. 24, 2019

Trump says meeting with Kim may 'happen soon'

US President Donald Trump said Monday that another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may happen soon, although likely after there has been progress in working-level denuclearization negotiations.Arriving at the United Nations headquarters in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, Trump was asked by a reporter when he plans to meet with Kim."It could happen soon," he replied.Later Trump added a caveat at the start of a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who

Sept. 24, 2019

Trump touts relations with North Korea, plays down short-range missiles

NEW YORK -- US President Donald Trump on Monday once again downplayed the significance of North Korea’s short-range missiles, saying that such weapons have never been part of US-North Korea discussions. Speaking ahead of his summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York, Trump said that North Korea’s short-range missiles are on the South Korea-US summit agenda, but downplayed their significance hinting that the matter is of little concern to the US. “We didn&r

Sept. 24, 2019

[Graphic News] ‘N. Korea’ springs to mind first as DMZ image: survey

　When people think about the inter-Korean DMZ, North Korea comes to mind first, according to a survey. 　Of the 500 South Koreans, 150 Chinese and 150 German respondents, 7.5 percent of respondents replied “North Korea” when asked what first comes to mind in relation to the 4-kilometer-wide area that separates the two Koreas. 　The “truce line” came next with 6.8 percent, followed by “inter-Korean division,” “mines” and “peace.” The surve

Sept. 23, 2019

[News analysis] Trump’s ‘new method’ on North Korea may indicate nuclear weapon first approach

The mood for dialogue between the US and North Korea has been heightened with US President Donald Trump’s recent comment on the possible employment of a “new method” to break the deadlock in nuclear talks with Pyongyang. A “new method would be very good,” Trump said on Sept. 18, criticizing the maximalist approach maintained by former US national security adviser John Bolton, who advocated the “Libyan model” in denuclearizing the regime.Trump fired Bolto

Sept. 23, 2019

Seoul’s foreign minister says biggest hurdle is drawing up road map for denuclearization

NEW YORK -- Drawing up a road map for the denuclearization of North Korea will be the biggest hurdle in working-level talks between the US and North Korea, even though all parties share a common definition of denuclearization, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha said Sunday. Speaking in New York, where she arrived as part of President Moon Jae-in’s entourage at the UN General Assembly, Kang said she believes the two Koreas and the US share the same idea of denuclearizat

Sept. 23, 2019

N. Korea’s seasoned negotiator responds quickly to Trump’s ‘new method’

Kim Myong-gil, who recently released a statement confirming that he is the head of the North Korean delegation for the envisioned working-level negotiations with the United States, is known to be a US expert. Having participated in various levels of nuclear weapons negotiations with the US since the 1990s, Kim may be able to bring about a more productive outcome for North Korea in the upcoming denuclearization negotiations, experts here say. Amid speculations that Kim would be the counterpart of

Sept. 22, 2019