NK art troupe rehearses for rare performances in S. Korea

North Korea's art troupe on Wednesday held a rehearsal for its upcoming performances in South Korea, which will celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The 140 member-strong Samjiyon Orchestra traveled to the South by ferry Tuesday to perform in Gangneung, a sub-host city of the Feb. 9-25 Winter Games, on Thursday, and in Seoul on Sunday.It will be the first performance by North Koreans in the South since 2002, when Pyongyang sent a cohort of 30 singers and dancers from several music and perfo

Feb. 7, 2018

Kim Yo-jong’s coming signals willingness to mend ties with SK, US

North Korea is seeking ways to mend ties with South Korea and open talks with the US to ease sanctions on the communist regime by sending a member of the Kim dynasty as a delegate to the PyeongChang Olympics, experts say. On Wednesday, North Korea informed South Korea that its leader Kim Jong-un’s younger sister Kim Yo-jong, first vice director of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, would be part of the delegation led by the country’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-n

Feb. 7, 2018

Seoul welcomes planned visit of N. Korean leader's sister

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday welcomed the planned visit of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, noting it reflects the communist state's willingness to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula."We believe North Korea's delegation contains the North's willingness to celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games and also reduce tension," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom told a press briefing.The remarks came shortly after North Korea said its high-level del

Feb. 7, 2018

S. Korea in consultations with US on planned trips by NK leader's sister

South Korea is having consultations with the United States to allow ranking officials, including the younger sister of the North Korean leader, to travel to the South in time for the opening of the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a government official said Wednesday. Earlier, the North informed the South that Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, will be included in a high-level delegation making a trip here this week. Two other officials included are Choe Hwi, the ch

Feb. 7, 2018

US-NK contact at PyeongChang appears uncertain

Prospects of US-North Korea engagement on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Olympics remain uncertain, with top US officials sending mixed signals on the matter. Before arriving in Japan on Tuesday, US Vice President Mike Pence said that he is open to the possibility of talking with North Korean officials on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Olympics. “President Trump has said he always believes in talking, but I haven’t requested any meetings. But we’ll see what happens,” Pence was quoted as sayi

Feb. 7, 2018

NK cheerleaders return after 13 years

A 280-member North Korean delegation, including 229 cheerleaders, arrived in South Korea on Wednesday to participate in events leading up to and throughout the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The delegation, headed by Sports Minister Kim Il-guk, crossed the border to the South via a western land route -- which goes through a now-closed inter-Korean industrial complex in Kaesong -- at 9:28 a.m., according to a pool report. The delegation also includes four officials from the National Olympic Committ

Feb. 7, 2018

[Photo News] North Korean art troupe holds rehearsal in Gangneung

Clad in red coats with a small North Korean flag on the left breast and black fur hats, the North Korean art troupe waved and smiled to reporters after finishing its Wednesday morning rehearsal at Gangneung Arts Center in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. North Korea’s art troupe delegation is headed by Kwon Hyok-bong, director of the Arts and Performance Bureau in North Korea’s Culture Ministry and Hyun Song-wol, the leader of the all-female Moranbong Band and Samjiyon art troupe. The 140-member Sam

Feb. 7, 2018

NK asks S. Korea to offer fuel for ship that carried art troupe

North Korea has asked South Korea to supply fuel to its ship that carried the North's art troupe to the South a day earlier as the ferry will be used for its lodging, Seoul's unification ministry said Wednesday.The Samjiyon art troupe traveled to the South by ferry Tuesday to perform in celebration of the PyeongChang Winter Games on a rare trip that involved Seoul temporarily exempting a North Korean ship's sea travel from its sanctions. (Yonhap)"The North has asked the South to provide fuel (to

Feb. 7, 2018

[Newsmaker] Pyongyang slams S. Korean conservatives' rally against NK art troupe

North Korea slammed anti-North Korea activists Wednesday for having held a rally against the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics when its art troupe arrived in South Korea a day earlier for performances.The Samjiyon art troupe traveled to the South by ferry Tuesday to perform in celebration of the Winter Games on a rare trip that involved Seoul's temporary exemption of a North Korean ship's sea travel from its sanctions.Members from conservative civic groups held a rally aga

Feb. 7, 2018

NK cheerleaders set to travel to S. Korea ahead of Olympics

Hundreds of North Korean female cheerleaders arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for a trip that will mark their first appearance in 13 years at an international sports event hosted by the South.A total of 229 cheerleaders were among the 280-member delegation that came to the South via a western cross-border land route at 9:31 a.m., according to a pool report.The delegation, led by Sports Minister Kim Il-guk, also includes three other officials from the National Olympic Committee, 26 taekwondo d

Feb. 7, 2018

Mattis vows to bolster Guam defense against NK threat

WASHINGTON -- US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed Tuesday to bolster the defense of Guam against North Korea's ballistic missile threats.At a congressional hearing, Mattis was asked by Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordello whether the US territory in the Western Pacific is adequately defended from "theater missile threats" and how he plans to strengthen the defense systems already in place."We will continue bolstering them to keep pace with the threat out of North Korea," the secretary said. Bordel

Feb. 7, 2018

NK ferry carrying art troupe arrives in S. Korea amid protests

The North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying the 140-member Samjiyon art troupe arrived in South Korea at 5 p.m. on Seoul’s blessing to temporarily lift sanctions on the vessel. The North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 arrives in Mukho, a South Korean port, on Tuesday. (Yonhap)The ship crossed a de facto maritime border in the East Sea around 9:50 a.m., sailing at its maximum speed of 13 knots or about 24 kilometers per hour as it headed to Mukho port on the east coast, according to the Unifica

Feb. 6, 2018

N. Korea warns South, US against resumption of joint military drill

North Korea warned Tuesday that a resumption of South Korea and the United States' annual joint military exercises will throw the Korean Peninsula back into a state of confrontation."If the US and South Korea resume the large-scale joint military exercises, the situation on the Korean peninsula will again be pushed back to the grim phase of catastrophe and the provokers will have to bear all responsibilities," the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.  (Yonhap)"Even before the s

Feb. 6, 2018

NK sports, media delegation to arrive in South on Wednesday

The North Korean sports and media delegation will arrive in South Korea on Wednesday, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday. According to the Unification Ministry, the North Korean delegation comprising 280 individuals will take a western land-route to arrive at the inter-Korean checkpoint in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, at 9:30 a.m. North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-guk photographed at an airport in Beijing on Jan. 23. YonhapThe delegation will consist of four North Korean National Olympic

Feb. 6, 2018

NK’s late-night messages strategically aimed at US: experts

North Korea’s release of key notifications around midnight -- including a notification on its participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics -- is calculated to ensure the US receives its messages, South Korean experts say. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)As of Tuesday, North Korea had sent three messages within that timeframe, with the latest on late Sunday night announcing the North’s ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam’s visit to the Winter Games. The notifications last month were

Feb. 6, 2018

NK ferry carrying art troupe crosses maritime border into South

The North Korean ferry Mangyongbong-92 carrying the 140-member Samjiyon art troupe crossed a de facto maritime border in the East Sea around 9:50 a.m., sailing at its maximum speed of 13 knots or about 24 kilometers per hour as it headed to Mukho port on the east coast, according to the Unification Ministry. North Korea`s Mangyongbong-92 (Yonhap)Although South Korea’s unilateral sanctions ban North Korean vessels from entering its waters, Seoul made an exemption for Mangyongbong-92 as part of an

Feb. 6, 2018

NK gathers more troops for military parade, building hovercraft bases: analyst

　With North Korea gearing up to hold a military parade Thursday, signs have emerged that the reclusive regime is increasing the number of troops practicing for the event and building new hovercraft bases near waters close to South Korea. 　Citing a series of satellite imagery from Planet Labs, 38 North’s analyst Joseph Bermudez said that as of Monday there were about 13,000 troops practicing on training grounds at the Mirim Parade Training Facility in Pyongyang -- up from its previous assessment

Feb. 6, 2018

Seoul to provide food, fuel, power for N. Korean art troupe on ferry

The South Korean government said it would provide food, fuel and electricity for the North Korean art troupe during their stay on a ferry at the South’s Mukho port on the east coast.The Samjiyon art troupe on board the North Korean ship, Mangyongbong-92, was scheduled to arrive in Mukho around 5 p.m. on Tuesday for performances ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.“We will provide support based on the precedent of the 2002 Busan Asian Games,” an official from the South’s Unification Ministry

Feb. 6, 2018

[PyeongChang 2018] NK participation in Olympics to lay foundation for improving inter-Korean relations

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea -- North Korea's participation in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics will "lay the foundation for improving inter-Korean relations," the competition's top organizer said Tuesday.Lee Hee-beom, head of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Games, said North Korea's presence will help PyeongChang realize its vision of a "Peace Olympics.""From Day 1, the POCOG envisioned a Peace Olympics with both South Korea and North Korea participating,"

Feb. 6, 2018