US 'going forward' on preparations for NK summit

WASHINGTON -- The United States is pushing ahead with preparations for a summit with North Korea despite the regime's silence on its offer to meet, the State Department said Thursday.Last week a South Korean official told US President Donald Trump that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had expressed a willingness to meet over the denuclearization of the regime.Trump accepted the offer on the spot. Pyongyang has yet to show a response.(Yonhap)Asked if the US has received a direct message from the N

March 16, 2018

Kang calls for continued support from US congressional leaders on Korea issues

South Korea's top diplomat has asked for continued support from US congressional leaders for efforts to resolve issues related to the Korean Peninsula, ranging from security to trade and economic cooperation between the allies, the foreign ministry said Friday.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is in Washington on a three-day trip during which she is scheduled to meet US officials, including Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, to mostly discuss details of the allies' summits with North Korea.S

March 16, 2018

Inter-Korean summit expected to be one-day meeting: official

Next month's summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to be a one-day meeting, a key presidential official said Friday."Though we have to discuss this in the summit preparation committee and then it should be finalized through working-level contact with the North, wouldn't it be like that?" the official told reporters when asked if the summit will last one day.The official added, however, that that's what it appears to be "for now," suggesting that the

March 16, 2018

NK media reports foreign minister's trip to Sweden

North Korea's foreign minister has left for Sweden to meet with his Swedish counterpart to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual concerns, the country's state media reported Friday.Ri Yong-ho's trip, confirmed by the North's state news agency, comes amid speculation that the North and the United States may meet in Sweden ahead of a proposed summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The Korean Central News Agency said in a short dispatch that Ri, who left

March 16, 2018

USFK commander might leave post: report

The top US commander in South Korea may leave his post as early as this summer amid concerns over the lack of seasoned Korea experts in Washington following a series of shake-up inside the Trump administration. Citing multiple government sources, local daily JoongAng Ilbo reported Wednesday that Gen. Vincent Brooks, would leave the US Army in July or August after serving about two years as the commander of the US Forces in South Korea and US-South Korea Combined Forces Command.  Gen. Vincent Bro

March 15, 2018

[Newsmaker] Ex-USFK commanders emerge as candidate for next ambassador in Seoul 　

　Former US Forces Korea commanders being linked to the post of US ambassador to Seoul is fueling speculations Washington could resume a hard-line stance on North Korea, should the planned summit fail to bring results. 　According to sources in Washington and Seoul, former USFK Commander James Thurman and his predecessor Walter Sharp have been considered as candidates to fill the ambassadorship that has been vacant for more than a year. 　In light of US President Donald Trump’s preference for milit

March 15, 2018

Inter-Korean summit prep committee launched

The preparation committee for the inter-Korean summit officially took form on Thursday, with President Moon Jae-in’s Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok taking the chair. Under Im, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will serve as the administrator. Committee members include National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, chief of staff for policy Chang Ha-sung, Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo, National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and Mi

March 15, 2018

Kang emphasizes S. Korea-US coordination ahead of summits

INCHEON -- South Korea's top diplomat said Thursday that it is important to maintain close coordination with the United States to discuss details of their summit plans with North Korea.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha told reporters before leaving for the US that she will do her best to prevent any possible disruptions in communication between the allies, a concern that has been spawned by President Donald Trump's recent firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson."It is necessary to maintain clos

March 15, 2018

Yes, canned soup may be fueling North Korea's air force

Is North Korea's air force selling canned soup and taxi rides to upgrade its runways and airstrips? Amid the toughest sanctions ever against the North and its nuclear weapons program, there are some compelling reasons to believe the answer may well be yes. The story of how _ and why _ offers some insight into how North Korea's economy functions under Kim Jong-un.There's a fine line between North Korea's military and its private sector. To augment the already huge share of the country's limited n

March 15, 2018

White House touts Pompeo's accomplishments as CIA chief

WASHINGTON -- The White House on Wednesday touted the accomplishments of Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo, who was tapped a day earlier to be the new top US diplomat.US President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and named Pompeo in his place in a surprise announcement that came less a week after he agreed to an unprecedented summit with North Korea's leader.Pompeo is known to have more hawkish views than the outgoing secretary and, if confirmed, could take a ha

March 15, 2018

Failure of past deals hangs over NK talks

　Just two months after North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un succeeded his father Kim Jong-il in late February 2012, a glimmer of hope emerged in Washington that the young leader would end the nuclear standoff. 　In what was dubbed the “leap day” deal, the North agreed on Feb. 29 that year to suspend nuclear tests, long-range missile launches and uranium enrichment. It also allowed international inspectors to monitor activities at its main nuclear complex.　“Today’s announcement represents a modest fir

March 14, 2018

Moon’s security adviser wraps up tour to rally support on NK

South Korea’s National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong is to arrive back in Seoul on Thursday, wrapping up a series of meetings with top officials of neighboring powers over recent North Korean developments. In the last leg of his trip, Chung on Tuesday met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, where he discussed details of his meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, as he had done with Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier in Beij

March 14, 2018

[Newsmaker] Trump’s choice of Pompeo positive for NK-US talks: expert

US President Donald Trump’s decision to tap a hard-liner as his new secretary of state ahead of a historic US-North Korea summit hints at serious intentions for the talks, and his determination to tighten his grip over North Korea policy, experts say.　The decision to pick Mike Pompeo, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, who has been loyal to Trump, could boost US-North Korea talks, they say. But concerns also persist that there is now no one left in Washington to challenge Trump’s decis

March 14, 2018

Trump replaces top US diplomat ahead of NK summit

WASHINGTON  -- US President Donald Trump on Tuesday replaced his top diplomat with his spy chief ahead of an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The surprise move comes less than a week after Trump accepted Kim's invitation to a summit on the regime's denuclearization.Trump tweeted he will be replacing Secretary of State Rex Tillerson with Director of Central Intelligence Mike Pompeo."(Pompeo) will continue our program of restoring America's standing in the world, strengthe

March 14, 2018

Amid NK’s continued silence, US says “no direct response” yet about summit

　The United States’ top diplomat said that North Korea has not contacted Washington directly since its acceptance of a bilateral summit last week, as Pyongyang keeps mum over what will become of a diplomatic breakthrough for the reclusive regime.　US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Monday the US had not heard anything directly from North Korea since President Donald Trump accepted Thursday the invitation from the North’s leader Kim Jong-un’s for a meeting to be held by May. 　“It‘s very earl

March 13, 2018

NK media appears to have toned down rhetoric against Trump ahead of summit

North Korea's state media refrained from using a derogative term in referring to US President Donald Trump, apparently toning down its rhetoric against him ahead of a historic bilateral summit.Last year, Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchanged threats and insults against each other. Trump belittled Kim as "Little Rocket Man," while the North called Trump the "mentally deranged US dotard."In an article on Washington's move to slap tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, the Rodong Sin

March 13, 2018

Abe promises support for talks, reiterates need for verifiable action

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday promised his government’s cooperation in efforts to bring about the denuclearization of North Korea. Speaking at a meeting with Seoul’s National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, Abe positively assessed recent developments, while reiterating that Pyongyang must take verifiable actions for further progress. Suh had traveled to Tokyo on Monday to discuss the results of his meetings with US President Donald Trump, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-

March 13, 2018

Upcoming inter-Korean summit may be shorter than previous ones: Seoul

South Korea is seeking "practical" preparation for an upcoming inter-Korean summit, as next month's meeting could last for a shorter period of time than summits held in 2000 and 2007, a Seoul official said Tuesday.Seoul is to set up a committee to prepare for the summit, which will be held at the border village of Panmunjom in late April, a major breakthrough in long-frayed inter-Korean ties.The previous two inter-Korean summits were held in Pyongyang, involving the composition of a special dele

March 13, 2018

KCCI preps for inter-Korean contact amid detente

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry is preparing for possible contact with its North Korean counterpart amid a mood of detente on the Korean Peninsula, sources said Tuesday.In a dramatic turnaround from icy relations, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in late April to discuss ways of promoting peace on the peninsula.US President Donald Trump agreed last week to a summit with Kim by the end of May after the reclusive leade

March 13, 2018

US 'fully' expects summit with NK

WASHINGTON -- The White House said Monday it "fully" expects US President Donald Trump to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if the regime keeps its promises.Kim invited Trump to a summit after agreeing to commit to denuclearization, halt nuclear and missile tests, and expressing understanding that joint military exercises between South Korea and the US would continue.Trump, in a surprise move, accepted the invitation Thursday. A day later, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called

March 13, 2018