N. Korea slams S. Korea's stealth fighter jet deployment

A North Korean propaganda website criticized Seoul's deployment of stealth fighter jets on Sunday, warning that such a provocative act could jeopardize the peace mood on the Korean Peninsula.   Late last month, South Korea received two U.S.-made F-35A fighter jets, although the date for their full operational deployment has yet to be decided.   A total of 10 F-35A fighters, manufactured by the U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin, are set to arrive in South Korea by the end of this year. In 2014, S

April 7, 2019

Trump says his relationship with Kim remains ‘very good’ amid nuclear stalemate

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (US time) that his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un remains “very good,” conveying his hopes of drawing Kim back to the negotiation table.His remarks come amid a stalemate between the two countries following the breakdown of the two leaders’ second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, in late February. The deal breakers concerned denuclearization and economic sanctions.“We’re getting along with North Korea. We’ll see how it works out, but we have

April 7, 2019

NK leader inspects construction site of key coastal tourist zone

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his second inspection of the construction site of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist area on the east coast in five months, state media said Saturday.The visit marked his second "field guidance" of economy-related facilities this year following the breakdown of the Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.Kim stressed large-scale construction like the tourist zone should "never be carried out in a slipshod manner," according to the Korean Central Ne

April 6, 2019

N. Korean hotel reopens after renovation ahead of major events

A major hotel in North Korea has reopened its doors after months of renovation in preparation for a possible rise in foreign tourists, the website of a Beijing-based tour agency showed Friday.Yanggakdo International Hotel has carried out a "facelift" since early this year and recently resumed operation, Koryo Tours said in a story and photos posted on its website. (Yonhap)The reopening came as Pyongyang is bracing for a rise in tourists in time for an international marathon event slated for Sund

April 5, 2019

S. Korea to share information on eastern fire with N. Korea

South Korea will share information with the North about a devastating forest fire that engulfed the country's northeastern regions near the inter-Korean border and will convey the need for possible cooperation, the unification ministry said Friday.The fire that broke out in Goseong, 160 kilometers northeast of Seoul, on Thursday spread quickly to neighboring areas, leaving one dead and thousands displaced. President Moon Jae-in earlier ordered officials to work with the North to put out the fire

April 5, 2019

Kim warned his military against unplanned activities before summit with Trump: report

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered his generals not to carry out any unplanned military activities during the days leading up to his summit with US President Donald Trump, an American broadcaster reported, citing government officials from South Korea and the US on Thursday. According to a US government official cited by CNN, Kim was careful not to raise tensions with the US with any inadvertent movements before the summit, which took place for two days in Hanoi, Vietnam, at the end of Febru

April 4, 2019

Sweden seeks to tap into North Korea’s renewable energy potential

A number of Swedish officials have visited North Korea’s science institution to take part in discussions on renewable energy research, an area of focus for the communist country in recent years, according to the Swedish Embassy in Pyongyang on Monday. “EU visit to the State Academy of Sciences’ Institute for Natural Energy. Discussion on renewable energy research and solar panel production. Presentation of the Unjong Development Zone,” the embassy said on Twitter along with three images showing

April 4, 2019

Russian minister visits NK amid speculation Kim may visit Moscow

A senior Russian minister is visiting Pyongyang amid speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may travel to Russia soon.Choe Pu-il, head of the North’s Ministry of People’s Security, held talks with Russia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev in Pyongyang on Tuesday, the North’s state-run media reported. (Yonhap)The two exchanged views on how to develop the friendly relations between their agencies and issues of mutual interest, the Korea Central News Agency said.The Minis

April 3, 2019

[Newsmaker] S. Korean ship held for violating UN sanctions on NK

North Korea continues to ship coal despite sanctions and a South Korean ship has been held at port for nearly six months for suspected involvement in related activities, it was revealed Tuesday. According to Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a South Korean ship suspected of transferring petroleum products to a North Korean vessel in a ship-to-ship transfer is currently being held in Busan. The South Korean ship suspected of being involved in violating sanctions on North Korea sits at anchor a

April 3, 2019

Russian minister in Pyongyang amid speculation over NK leader’s trip to Moscow

A senior Russian official has arrived in North Korea, Pyongyang’s state media reported Tuesday, amid speculation that leader Kim Jong-un might be preparing to visit the neighboring country for his first-ever summit with President Vladimir Putin.“Vladimir Kolokoltsev, minister of Interior of the Russian Federation, and his party arrived here on Monday,” the Korean Central News Agency said. It did not elaborate on why and how long he will stay in Pyongyang. Kim Yong Nam (right) president of the Pr

April 2, 2019

[News Focus] Free Joseon aims to overthrow Kim dynasty

(Free Joseon)The emergence of a North Korea dissident group has raised questions as to whether it could grow into a movement capable of serving as a catalyst to oust the Kim dynasty that has been ruling North Korea for more than 70 years. The Cheollima Civil Defense’s operations captured the attention -- and the imagination -- of the public when it proclaimed the birth of North Korea’s provisional government-in-exile and changed its name to Free Joseon on March 1. A screenshot of a video publish

April 2, 2019

S. Korean, US national security officials meet over upcoming summit

South Korean and US national security officials met in Washington on Monday to fine-tune the agenda for the upcoming summit between the two countries. Kim Hyun-chong, the second deputy chief of Cheong Wa Dae’s National Security Office, held talks at the White House with US deputy national security adviser Charles Kupperman. Kim Hyun-chong, the second deputy chief of Cheong Wa Dae’s National Security Office, speaks to reporters in Washington on Saturday. YonhapDuring the meeting, Kim and Kupperma

April 2, 2019

Ranking N. Korean official arrives home after trip to Laos

A top North Korean official returned home on Monday after a visit to Laos where the two nations agreed to bolster their friendly and cooperative relationship, the North's state media reported.Ri Su-yong (in red circle), who is in charge of international affairs at the North's ruling Workers' Party, arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to return home on Monday. (Yonhap)In a one-sentence dispatch, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the arrival of Ri Su-yong, vice ch

April 1, 2019

[Feature] North Korea drags its feet on joint work to return Korean War dead

When Park Woo-bokrye, 71, learned that the remains of her eldest brother had been found on the infamous Arrowhead Ridge, decades after he died fighting in the Korean War, she felt both excitement and regret. “My mother missed him so much. It would have been very nice if his remains could have returned before mother passed away,” Park, 71, said during the burial ceremony held at Daejeon National Cemetery on March 26, when her brother, Sgt. Park Jae-gwon, was laid to rest. “I am still deeply affec

April 1, 2019

Anti-Pyongyang group allegedly behind NK embassy raid preparing for 'big events'

A mysterious anti-Pyongyang group claiming responsibility for February's raid on North Korea's Embassy in Spain said it is preparing for unspecified "big events," warning the reclusive regime will experience more "humiliation" if its human rights abuses continue.In a statement posted on its website Sunday evening, Free Joseon urged North Korea to close down its political prisoner camps, halt repatriation of North Korean defectors and begin to reform and open up to the outside world."The more the

April 1, 2019

FBI's alleged role in N. Korea embassy attack creates stir

A mysterious case involving a recent break-in at North Korea's embassy in Spain has entered a new phase with speculation that US authorities might be involved in it.Apparent anti-Pyongyang activists carried out the raid on the embassy there a week ahead of the second US-North Korea summit in Hanoi in late February. A group calling itself Free Joseon claimed responsibility.They took computers and data and reportedly handed over some information to the FBI. (Yonhap)NBC News quoted a "law enforceme

April 1, 2019

Moon says US, N. Korea determined to continue dialogue

South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Monday that both the United States and North Korea are determined to continue their denuclearization negotiations despite the collapse of their latest summit in Hanoi."A temporary difficulty has been created due to the failure to reach an agreement at the second North Korea-US summit, but the fact that South Korea, North Korea and the US all do not wish to go back to the past is clearly being confirmed," the president said in a weekly meeting with his top

April 1, 2019

Top-down diplomacy necessary to advance progress with North Korea: presidential aide

To advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, it is necessary for Seoul, Washington and Pyongyang to maintain bilateral and trilateral dialogues and to continue to pursue a top-down approach, a presidential aide said Saturday. “Because of the top-down approach, we were able to get results to this point,” Kim Hyun-chong, the new No. 2 deputy chief of Cheong Wa Dae’s National Security Office, said upon his arrival at Dulles International Airport in Washington. During his US trip, Kim will

March 31, 2019

N. Korea releases 1st reaction to embassy intrusion in Spain

North Korea on Sunday released its first official statement on the break-in at its embassy in Spain last month by an anti-Pyongyang group, calling it a "grave terrorist attack."A spokesperson of North Korea's foreign ministry told the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, that "an illegal intrusion into and occupation of a diplomatic mission and act of extortion are a grave breach of state sovereignty and a flagrant violation of international law, and this kind of act shou

March 31, 2019