Pungsan dog gifted by NK leader to Moon gives birth to six puppies

One of the two dogs given to President Moon Jae-in by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as a gift after their third summit in Pyongyang in September has given birth to puppies, Moon said Monday.The North's leader gifted the pair of Pungsan-breed dogs, one male named Songkang, and a female named Gomi. Moon said in a Twitter message that Gomi gave birth Friday to six white puppies -- three male and three female -- and all look healthy. (Cheong Wa Dae)"As the pregnancy period of dogs is about two mon

Nov. 12, 2018

Minister: N. Korea eliminated 636 mines from Panmunjom area

North Korea has removed 636 land mines from the truce village of Panmunjom straddling the border with South Korea, Seoul's defense chief said Monday.Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo told lawmakers that it's part of the accomplishments under the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement signed in September. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo (Yonhap)The CMA, a key element in their latest summit deal, calls for the two sides to take a set of confidence-building measures, including the pullout

Nov. 12, 2018

Koreas hold second meeting to discuss joint survey of eastern cross-border roads

South and North Korea held a second meeting of their joint road research group Monday but failed to fix the dates for any additional field examinations necessary for their reconnection, the unification ministry said."During today's meeting, the two Koreas primarily discussed where and in what ways they will conduct field examinations with regard to roads along their eastern and western coasts and agreed to have further discussions," the ministry said in a text message sent to reporters. Five Sou

Nov. 12, 2018

Seoul approves visit by seven N. Korean officials this week

The South Korean government has approved a visit by seven North Korean officials to the South later this week to attend an international peace forum, the Ministry of Unification said Monday.Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said his ministry has given the green light to the South Korea visits by Ri Jong-hyok, vice chairman of the Korean Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, Kim Song-hye, director of the United Front Department's tactical office, and five other North Korean officials from Nov. 14-17.The s

Nov. 12, 2018

N. Korea's main paper blasts resumption of S. Korea-US marine drill

North Korea's official newspaper on Monday denounced the resumption of a South Korea-United States joint marine drill, saying any military act that threatens the opponent should be restrained.The Rodong Sinmun, the organ of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, said in an editorial that South Korea and the US should "behave reasonably" and abstain from "anachronistic" military acts that could undermine dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)A week ago, South Korea and the US resumed t

Nov. 12, 2018

South Korea's rush to North Korea

A new type of “gold rush” of sorts is unfolding, as the latest detente with North Korea grabs the imagination of enterprising South Koreans eyeing fresh opportunities in the North.The South Korean government, for one, is looking for the right moment to revive old business ties and form new ones with its communist neighbor rich in untapped natural resources.  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in eat Okryugwan restaurant‘s signature naengmyon at the truce v

Nov. 11, 2018

Kim Jong-un’s Seoul visit unlikely this year: experts

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s visit to Seoul appears to be less likely to take place this year without more progress in stalled denuclearization talks between Pyongyang and Washington, experts said Sunday.　South Korea’s Moon Jae-in administration is pushing to hold the fourth inter-Korean summit between Moon and Kim in Seoul within the year, in the hope of facilitating a breakthrough in the deadlocked US-North Korea talks. 　One of the unexpected achievements from the third summit, which was

Nov. 11, 2018

N. Korean media intensifies pressure on Seoul to drop out of new UN resolution

Uriminzokkiri, the North's external propaganda website, on Sunday warned South Korea against its move to vote for a new human rights resolution at the United Nations."The South should think carefully before behaving rashly about what kind of catastrophic consequences such a move would invite in the future," it said.(Yonhap)During a parliamentary audit session last month, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Seoul won't withdraw from the vote to adopt the new resolution, slated for n

Nov. 11, 2018

Cheong Wa Dae gifts NK tangerines in return for mushrooms

Cheong Wa Dae sent a gift of 200 tons of tangerines to North Korea, in return for the North's mushrooms in September following the summit between the two leaders in the North's capital city of Pyongyang, the presidential office said Sunday.According to the text message sent by presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom to reporters, South Korean cargo planes carrying the fruit left the resort island of Jeju for Pyongyang earlier in the day. On board are Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung and Suh

Nov. 11, 2018

[Newsmaker] Humanitarian aid for North Korea roils UN Security council

Controversy continues to escalate at the United Nations Security Council over humanitarian aid for North Korea, with member states divided over sanctions exemptions required to send relief materials to the country. The United States has been delaying approval of several requests for sanctions exemptions to deliver tractors, spare parts and other goods needed for humanitarian relief in North Korea, according to an AFP report Thursday.Russia asked the Security Council to discuss the delays during

Nov. 9, 2018

N. Korea, US rescheduling high-level talks: Seoul's top diplomat

North Korea and the United States are trying to set a new date for a meeting between their top officials, Seoul's foreign minister said Friday in response to skepticism about momentum in denuclearization talks.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was supposed to meet Kim Yong-chol, a senior aide to the North's leader Kim Jong-un, in New York this week.But it did not occur amid reports that Pyongyang demanded a delay in the talks. (Yonhap)"The US has said conclusively that the talks have been postpo

Nov. 9, 2018

Unification minister to visit US next week to discuss peninsula peace

South Korea's minister in charge of inter-Korean cooperation will visit the United States next week to discuss bringing permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula, his office said Friday.Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will visit Washington DC and New York from Nov. 13-17 to attend the 2018 Korea Global Forum and meet with US government officials and lawmakers, the ministry said. Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (Yonhap)Cho is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to exch

Nov. 9, 2018

Koreas to hold second meeting of joint road research group Monday

South and North Korea agreed to hold a second meeting of their joint road research group on Monday in the North's border city of Kaesong, the Ministry of Unification said Friday.Lee Eugene, deputy spokeswoman of the ministry, said that the agreement was reached after North Korea proposed the second meeting on inter-Korean road connection and modernization via the inter-Korean liaison office. (Yonhap)At the meeting, to be held at the liaison office in Kaesong, the two Koreas will discuss various

Nov. 9, 2018

Korea holds NSC meeting to discuss US election results

South Korea held a National Security Council meeting Friday to discuss the results of the US midterm elections, the presidential office said.Presidential National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong presided over the meeting of the council's standing committee, and members discussed the US election results and its implications for Washington's foreign policy, Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.Presidential National Security Advisor Chung Eui-yong (Yonhap)"Considering that the US Congress has provided

Nov. 9, 2018

NK media criticizes allies’ working group, joint military drill

North Korea’s external propaganda media on Friday lambasted the South Korea and US decision to launch a working group to coordinate strategies for Pyongyang’s denuclearization and resume joint marine drills. “The US and South Korea have decided to officially launch a working group in November and plan to discuss relevant details on management and structure of the group,” said Uriminzokkiri, a website run by Pyongyang in Korean. (Yonhap)It also called the formation of the working group an arrogan

Nov. 9, 2018

No further dismantlement at NK missile site: 38 North

WASHINGTON -- North Korea's key missile site has not been dismantled further since August, a US website monitoring the regime said Thursday.North Korea has pledged to dismantle a missile engine testing site and a launch pad in Dongchang-ri as part of its stated commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.38 North said satellite imagery from Oct. 31 indicates there has been no additional dismantlement activity since August. (Yonhap)"Components that were previously removed remain stacked on th

Nov. 9, 2018

US delays UN approval of aid to N. Korea: report

WASHINGTON -- The United States has been delaying the United Nations' approval of certain humanitarian aid to North Korea, Reuters reported Thursday.Citing documents obtained from a UN committee handling sanctions on North Korea, the news agency said the US has repeatedly asked for more time to consider the proposed aid to the impoverished nation.North Korea is under a wide array of economic sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, and delivery of humanitarian aid often

Nov. 9, 2018

Moon renews commitment to bolster trilateral cooperation with NK, Russia through peace

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that South Korea will lay firm groundwork for trilateral economic cooperation with North Korea and Russia by bringing lasting peace to the Korean Peninsula.Moon made the remark during an address at the inaugural meeting in the southeastern city of Pohang of the Korea-Russia Local Cooperation Forum involving 17 local governments of South Korea and nine local governments in Russia's Far East.President Moon Jae-in speaks during the inaugural meeting of the Korea-

Nov. 8, 2018

Seoul still preparing to hold inter-Korean rail connection ceremony: official

South Korea will make preparations to hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the connection and the modernization of inter-Korean railways, as agreed earlier by the Koreas, regardless of the recent postponement of high-level talks between North Korea and the United States, a Seoul government official said Thursday.A ranking official at the Ministry of Unification said that South Korea is preparing to proceed in accordance with an inter-Korean agreement to connect and modernize cross-border railway l

Nov. 8, 2018

Nat'l Theater plans to invite N. Korean art troupe to South Korea

The National Theater of Korea plans to invite a North Korean art troupe to a festival to mark the 70th anniversary of its opening in 2020, the theater's new head said Thursday. "We plan to make the anniversary festival a venue for arts troupes from all around the world, including one from North Korea," Kim Cheol-ho said during his inaugural press meeting.  NTK CEO Kim Cheol-ho speaks during a press meeting in Seoul on Nov. 8, 2018 (NTK via Yonhap)"Inter-Korean exchanges have recently been made i

Nov. 8, 2018