South Korean President Moon Jae-in accepted North Korea’s invitation Saturday to visit Pyongyang, on condition that the circumstances that would allow for such a visit are established. According to Seoul’s presidential office, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s invitation to Moon was conveyed by his younger sister, Kim Yo-jong, during Moon’s meeting with the North Korean delegation at Cheong Wa Dae on Saturday. Kim Yo-jong came to the South on Friday as a special envoy of the North Korean leader.

North Korea Feb. 10, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Saturday met with the North Korean delegation at the presidential office, as speculation rose about the historic talks. Led by Kim Yong-nam, the North’s nominal head of state, the delegation that arrived at Cheong Wa Dae at 11 a.m. is the highest level group to be hosted by Seoul’s presidential office.The delegation also includes Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister, who has rapidly expanding influence within the North’s power structure. Kim Yo-jong is t

North Korea Feb. 10, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Friday stressed that the PyeongChang Olympics represent an opportunity for peace at a presidential reception that brought together top officials from China, Japan and the US. South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left, front row), first lady Kim Jung-sook, North Korean ceremonial head of state Kim Yong-nam (second from right, back row) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un`s sister Kim Yo-jong (right, back row) attend the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics in

North Korea Feb. 9, 2018

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a summit Friday, but their third meeting served little more than to confirm differences between the two sides over thorny issues. From left: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)According to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom, the two leaders began with the issue of the 2015 “comfort women” agreement. “The comfort women agreement is an agreement between countries, and the internation

Foreign Affairs Feb. 9, 2018

Prosecutors on Friday requested an arrest warrant for the former chief of the National Tax Service who is suspected of supporting the state spy agency’s secret operation against the late President Kim Dae-jung under the Lee Myung-bak administration.Lee Hyun-dong was allegedly paid tens of millions of won by the National Intelligence Service around 2010 while serving as a deputy commissioner at the NTS to help track down Kim’s slush fund rumored to be stashed abroad.  Former National Tax Service

Social Affairs Feb. 9, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday met top US and Chinese officials and called for close collaboration on the North Korean nuclear issue. In the meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence Thursday evening that went on longer than scheduled, Moon said that his presence is a reaffirmation of the strength of the South Korea-US alliance, and said that Washington’s unwavering position on North Korea contributed to inter-Korean talks.  President Moon Jae-in and US Vice President Mike Pence shake hands a

North Korea Feb. 8, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Thursday urged China to lend a hand in facilitating Washington-Pyongyang talks, saying that Seoul and Beijing share the goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. In his meeting with China’s Politburo Standing Committee member Han Zheng in Seoul, Moon called for China’s support in the matter.  President Moon Jae-in meets China’s Politburo Standing Committee member Han Zheng (left) at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Thursday. Yonhap“North Korea is actively engaging in inter-Korea

North Korea Feb. 8, 2018

President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday continued a long series of summit-level talks in the run-up to the opening of the PyeongChang Olympics on Friday.Moon kicked of the day on Wednesday with a meeting with Governor General of Canada Julie Payette, and later met with Lithuania President Dalia Grybauskaite. President Moon Jae-in and Governor General of Canada Julie Payette hold summit talks at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday. YonhapIn the talks with Payette, Seoul-Ottawa relations were discussed, as well

Foreign Affairs Feb. 7, 2018

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

North Korea Feb. 7, 2018

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

North Korea Feb. 6, 2018

A local defense contractor and government defense officials have been involved in extensive corrupt dealings, incurring billions of won in additional costs in an anti-aircraft missile program, a state watchdog revealed Thursday. According to the Board of Audit and Inspection, three former and incumbent Defense Acquisition Program Administration officials gave favorable contract conditions to LIG Nex1 in return for a range of kickbacks and favors.  Defense Acquisition Program Administration in Se

Social Affairs Feb. 1, 2018

US President Donald Trump reiterated his administration’s “campaign of maximum pressure” on North Korea, casting doubt on the prospects of further talks after the PyeongChang Olympics. On matters regarding North Korea, Trump used his first State of the Union address Wednesday to highlight the growing threat posed by North Korea and highlighted the brutal nature of the regime. “No regime has oppressed its own citizens more totally or brutally than the cruel dictatorship of North Korea,” Trump sai

North Korea Jan. 31, 2018

South Korean skiers and officials will leave for North Korea on Wednesday by chartered airplane to take part in the inter-Korean training session in the North’s Masikryong Ski Resort, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said. Although the ministry initially said that the 45-strong South Korean delegation will leave from Yangyang International Airport in Gangwon Province at 10 a.m., the plane took off a about 10:43 a.m. The ministry did not elaborate on the causes of the delay. The delegation is sche

North Korea Jan. 31, 2018

A top South Korean presidential adviser on Monday said that any political plots North Korea has for the PyeongChang Olympics should be allowed to play out, adding fuel to the rising criticism against Seoul’s handling of Pyongyang’s participation in the games. President Moon Jae-in’s special adviser on unification and security Moon Chung-in said at a special lecture at the Paris School of International Affairs that Seoul stands to gain more than Pyongyang, even if the regime has ulterior motives

North Korea Jan. 30, 2018

The PyeongChang Olympics will open in 10 days, but South Korea and the US remain far apart on North Korea’s participation in the games. Since Pyongyang announced its interest in taking part in the games earlier this month, inter-Korean talks have panned out at an unusually rapid pace. Since the two sides met for the first time in about two years on Jan. 9, the two Koreas have agreed on a number of items, including hosting joint cultural events and fielding a unified women’s ice hockey team.  Veh

North Korea Jan. 29, 2018