United States Forces Korea said Wednesday it had decided to downgrade by a notch the peninsula-wide health emergency declaration to Bravo, the second level of the four stages of guidelines, citing “favorable” coronavirus conditions here. The change is effective nationwide from 4 p.m. Thursday, except for some areas in the Greater Seoul area, including Incheon and Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Travel to the Greater Seoul area still remains off-limits for personnel except for official d

Defense Sept. 23, 2020

US President Donald Trump said countries should continue to work to denuclearize North Korea, in written greetings delivered to the 2020 International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference on Monday. For the IAEA event, which opened Monday and runs through Friday in Vienna, the US leader also discussed Iran, saying it was important to make sure it commits to its nonproliferation promises and seeks no nuclear weapons.  The US was moving to sanction individuals and groups tied to

North Korea Sept. 22, 2020

North Korea and Iran have resumed long-range missile cooperation, which includes the transfer of critical parts, Reuters reported Monday, citing a senior US official who did not provide detailed evidence. The official, who was speaking of a broader US plan to sanction people and entities linked to Iran’s weapons programs, did not elaborate on when Pyongyang and Tehran first started working together, or when they stopped and began again, according to the report. North Korea and Iran have

North Korea Sept. 21, 2020

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday expressed deep regret over former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine for war dead. The shrine honors 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals. Visits there by ranking Tokyo officials have often provoked the ire of neighboring countries such as South Korea and China, which suffered from Japan’s brutal war crimes. “We express our deepest concern and regret that Abe paid a

Foreign Affairs Sept. 20, 2020

President Moon Jae-in said Saturday that the Pyongyang Joint Declaration should be fulfilled, in a message commemorating the second anniversary of the inter-Korean peace deal signed by him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 19, 2018, at their third summit that year. “The reason the deal has yet to be realized was that there were hurdles, both domestic and foreign. Nevertheless, we have an unwavering commitment to peace,” Moon wrote on Facebook, adding that the “seeds

North Korea Sept. 20, 2020

North Korea will likely celebrate its founding anniversary of the ruling Workers’ Party on Oct. 10 with “something big” potentially showcasing missiles at a military parade amid the stalled nuclear talks with the US, Ankit Panda, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Wednesday. “The North Koreans are going to come out potentially with scores of solid propellants, medium range missiles, maybe Pukguksong-2s,” he told a teleconference

North Korea Sept. 17, 2020

Only 17 percent of South Koreans said they have confidence in US President Donald Trump, down from 46 percent last year in what was the sharpest on-year decline, among 13 countries surveyed, US think tank Pew Research Center said Tuesday. The 13 countries include Japan, Canada and 10 European countries. 　 The prolonged defense cost-sharing talks, in which South Korea is under pressure to accept a dramatic hike in its contribution toward the upkeep of the 28,500 American soldiers stationed her

Foreign Affairs Sept. 16, 2020

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that the US was optimistic that it would make progress in its stalled nuclear talks with North Korea. “As for North Korea, which you mentioned, we did have hopes that we could make further progress, that Chairman Kim would go in a different direction, but I’m still optimistic,” Pompeo told the president of the Atlantic Council, a US-based think tank, in an online conversation. “There’s still lots of work going on, wor

North Korea Sept. 16, 2020

North Korea’s nuclear activity is still a serious concern and its pursuit of nuclear weapons is a clear violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told the IAEA board members Monday. Noting monitoring is limited because UN nuclear inspectors are not allowed in North Korea, the IAEA chief said Pyongyang appeared to have continued to operate nuclear facilities. UN inspectors were expelled from the Nort

North Korea Sept. 15, 2020

Defense Minister nominee Suh Wook said Monday that the ministry should consult with the public before deciding whether to grant the members of K-pop group BTS exemptions from mandatory military service. “The service should be carried out by all able-bodied men in an equitable manner,” the sitting Army chief said in a written opinion submitted to the parliamentary defense committee set to open a hearing Wednesday on his credentials as defense chief. All able-bodied men must serve

Defense Sept. 14, 2020

South Korea’s nominee for defense minister, Gen. Suh Wook said Monday that North Korea is unlikely to test a submarine-launched ballistic missile around Oct. 10, given the short preparation time between now and then, when it celebrates the anniversary of the foundation of its ruling party. “No activity involving an imminent SLBM launch is seen,” the sitting Army chief said in a written answer submitted to the parliamentary defense committee set to open a hearing Wednesday to l

Defense Sept. 14, 2020

North Korea said Monday that it was exhausting all options to curb the coronavirus outbreak while at the same time taking steps to recover from recent floods that caused extensive crop damage. “We’re are fighting on two fronts: One against the coronavirus, the other against floods,” the state newspaper said, adding that everyone helping with the recovery effort -- including the military and key party members -- was adhering to strict COVID-19 precautions. The World Health Org

North Korea Sept. 14, 2020

US President Donald Trump said Thursday on Twitter that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is in “good health” and people should not “underestimate” Kim, without elaborating. It was unclear what had prompted the remarks. Speculation over Kim’s health was reignited here on Aug. 20 when South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told the parliamentary intelligence committee Kim had delegated some of his powers to his younger sister Kim Yo-jong. The 36-year-old

North Korea Sept. 11, 2020

South Korean and US intelligence are closely looking into the possibility of North Korea test-firing a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) at a military parade in October and showcasing a new intercontinental ballistic missile around November, a local news outlet reported Friday. The North celebrates the anniversary of its ruling party on Oct. 10 and the US president is voted into office on Nov. 3. The North and the US have yet to agree on denuclearization terms and sanctions relief. &

North Korea Sept. 11, 2020

Satellite images suggest North Korea may be preparing to launch a submarine-launched ballistic missile at its Sinpo South Shipyard along its east coast, a US think tank said Wednesday. “Activity remains suggestive, but not conclusive, of preparations for an upcoming test of a Pukguksong-3 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the submersible test stand barge,” said Joseph Bermudez, senior fellow for imagery analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

North Korea Sept. 10, 2020