North Korea, which claims to be in dire need of outside food aid to feed its starving people, has some 1 million tons of rice stockpiled at its military warehouses to prepare for potential war or for release on the 100th anniversary of its founder, a ruling party lawmaker here said Thursday. Pyongyang has stored about 300,000 tons for its regular forces and another 700,000 tons for reserve forces,

North Korea April 7, 2011

South Korea’s conservative ruling party said Tuesday it will set up new policies that actively prepare for reunifying with North Korea, as the communist state suffers from deepening food shortages and political instability. Although it would not openly admit it, the conservative Lee Myung-bak government in Seoul has been increasing measures preparing for sudden collapse of the Kim Jong-il regime i

Politics April 5, 2011

Four-month program to train 1,000 young people from N. KoreaSouth Korea will open a program aimed at training young North Korean defectors to be resourceful workers after the reunification of the two Koreas, a civic group here said Tuesday.The four-month program, funded by the government, will train 1,000 young North Koreans, who are either college seniors or graduates, on topics such as social in

North Korea April 5, 2011

Seoul, Washington reluctant to resume full-scale assistanceFacing ongoing international isolation and experiencing a wobbly power transfer from its ailing leader to his young son, North Korea is escalating efforts to secure food assistance for its starving people, philanthropic groups in and out of the country said Sunday. The communist North, which relies mostly on outside aid to feed its impover

North Korea April 3, 2011

Heliport repair under way, to be completed in May: government sourceWhile cautious not to provoke too much tension as Japan continues to suffer from the aftermath of a powerful quake, South Korea is quietly carrying out projects aimed at countering the neighboring state’s continued claims over its islets of Dokdo, sources here said Thursday. Japan strengthened its claims over South Korea’s eastern

Foreign Affairs March 31, 2011

Leftist groups to hold separate demonstration at Imjingak near borderSouth Korean activists said Monday they have asked the government to approve their plan to fly anti-North Korea propaganda balloons across the border ahead of the birthday of the communist state’s late founder. It is the first time for rightist groups here to officially notify the government of the propaganda activity that has lo

North Korea March 28, 2011

South Korea will act sternly should Japan move to strengthen its claims to Seoul’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in its reviewed middle school textbooks, the Foreign Ministry here said Monday. Tokyo is currently conducting a review of its history, geography and other middle school textbooks, the result of which is expected to be unveiled this week. The renewed textbooks are believed to contain Japan

Foreign Affairs March 28, 2011

Seoul plans to send back 27 N. Koreans over weekend as 6 new asylum-seekers arriveSix North Koreans, including a grandson of the communist state’s patriotic martyr, are seeking asylum in South Korea, just days after the two rivals patched up a conflict over the repatriation of dozens of others who accidentally strayed here last month. The arrival of North Korean nationals comes at a bad time, anal

North Korea March 25, 2011