North Korea may have developed a “super-EMP” weapon capable of emitting more gamma radiation than a 25-megaton nuclear weapon, a former CIA nuclear weapons analyst was quoted as saying by a U.S.-funded radio station Friday. Peter Vincent Pry told the Voice of America that a group of Russian nuclear weapons scientists approached him in 2004 to warn the U.S. that the technology to make the electroma

North Korea June 24, 2011

Through the late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung’s reconciliatory ideals, Seoul and Washington should work together on achieving a reunified, peaceful Korean Peninsula, U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens said during a recent Memorial Day ceremony. Stephens published on her weblog the speech she gave at a national park in Jindo on June 6 Memorial Day. “On this Memorial Day … we honor the memory

Foreign Affairs June 24, 2011

South Korea said Thursday it is working on establishing a state-run open source-based center to consolidate scattered information on its reclusive northern rival. The purported center, which will be fully open to government officials as well as the general public here, will gather and organize information that has already been made public by the media and international agencies, an official at the

North Korea June 23, 2011

Meth floods Yanji, Jilin province fueled by border transients: NewsweekWhile cautious not to make the case official for the sake of ties with its longstanding ally, China is becoming impatient with the increasing amount of illegal drugs flowing in from North Korea, according to a U.S. weekly magazine. Over the past decade, methamphetamine ― also known as crystal meth or ice because of its flaky cr

North Korea June 22, 2011

South Korea is likely to discuss with companies this week how to deal with North Korea’s request that Seoul promptly deal with the issue of disposing its assets in the North’s scenic mountain resort. The two Koreas had launched a joint tour project at the North’s Mount Geumgang in 1998 as a symbol of reconciliation. The tours, which had been one of impoverished Pyongyang’s main sources of income,

North Korea June 20, 2011

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan will make a congratulatory speech on the reelection of Ban Ki-moon as the U.N. secretary-general in New York on Tuesday, after which he will hold talks with U.S. officials over North Korea’s nuclear standoff, the Seoul government said. Kim left for New York on Monday, four days ahead of his scheduled meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,

Foreign Affairs June 20, 2011

South Korea is easing its previous stance that it will not resume any kind of dialogue with North Korea until Pyongyang apologizes for last year’s deadly attacks, Seoul officials said Sunday. The two Koreas, still technically at war, have had their frostiest ties in decades since the North conducted two naval attacks that killed 50 South Koreans.Since the last attack in November, Seoul has suspend

Foreign Affairs June 19, 2011

Pyongyang has been upping threats in response to the South Korean government’s move to enact laws aimed at improving human rights conditions in the North. On its website, operated for propaganda purposes, the reclusive Pyongyang regime warned “sure and clear punishment” should Seoul enact the controversial set of laws. South Korea’s right-wing Lee Myung-bak administration and the ruling party have

Foreign Affairs June 16, 2011

Nine North Koreans who crossed the tense western sea border on a small engineless vessel over the weekend for apparent defection are being questioned by South Korean officials, the Seoul government said Wednesday. The nine people, including family members, arrived on a frontline South Korean island around 6 a.m. Saturday, and are seeking asylum in the wealthier South, a government source said on c

North Korea June 15, 2011

Nearly 200 Korean college students studying abroad have applied for a Seoul internship program focusing on relations with North Korea, the Unification Ministry here said Wednesday, indicating the growing interest among youngsters in the issue. Among some 185 students who applied for the one-month summer internship program, a total of 60 students studying at colleges in the U.S., Canada, Britain, C

Foreign Affairs June 15, 2011

Chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan are to meet in Tokyo Wednesday to discuss ways to resume the suspended dialogue with North Korea over its ongoing nuclear ambitions.Before heading to Japan Tuesday, Seoul’s chief envoy Wi Sung-lac said he plans to share views with his counterpart Shinsuke Sugiyama on whether changes must be made to the existing strategy to get Pyongyang to talk with Se

Foreign Affairs June 14, 2011

The government’s controversial plan to select diplomats through a state-managed postgraduate school instead of current written exams has been shaping up this week, as a related bill has been approved by a parliamentary subcommittee.Under the bill approved by the National Assembly foreign affairs committee, up to 60 people will be entering the so-called “diplomat academy” each year to be trained as

Foreign Affairs June 14, 2011

Washington strongly supports Seoul’s strategy on resuming dialogue with Pyongyang and China shares such position, a visiting U.S. diplomat on East Asian affairs said Friday, promising continued patience in the prolonged deadlock on denuclearizing North Korea. Despite the few differences they have, the U.S., South Korea and China all note the necessity of seeing improved inter-Korean ties before mu

Foreign Affairs June 10, 2011