S. Korea calls on Russia to 'transparently explain' its dealing with NK amid suspected arms supply agreement South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday called on Russia to "transparently explain" its recent dealings with North Korea amid growing speculation of an arms supply deal at last week's bilateral summit.Sep 22, 2023
Kim Jong-un's rejection of Russia's food assistance irritates North Korean defectors North Korean leader Kim Jong-un turned down Russia’s humanitarian offer to provide wheat to help relieve the North’s reportedly acute food shortages, according to a Russian diplomat.Sep 22, 2023By Kang Hyun-kyung
N. Korea holds politburo meeting to discuss Kim-Putin summit: KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a politburo meeting with top officials to discuss the outcome of his latest summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for thorough follow-up measures, state media reported Friday.Sep 22, 2023
US watching closely for possible N. Korea-Russia arms trade: senior official The United States is closely monitoring possible arms trade between North Korea and Russia, a senior U.S. official said Thursday, after last week's summit between their leaders raised concerns of military cooperation.Sep 21, 2023
Rights experts from 17 countries demand release of North Korean escapees in China Dozens of human rights organizations and experts from 17 countries have demanded Beijing release North Korean detainees and grant them refugee status in a joint letter to Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, ahead of the Asian Games in Hangzhou.Sep 21, 2023By Jung Min-ho
US striving to stop NK's potential weapons support to Russia 'wherever we can': Blinken The United States is trying to stop North Korea's potential arms support to Russia "wherever we can," its top diplomat said Wednesday, as last week's summit between the two isolated regimes deepened concerns about their military cooperation.Sep 21, 2023
North Korean escapees tell how nuclear tests ruined their health, hometown A North Korean escapee speaks about her experience of living near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site during an event in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapResidents kept in dark about facility and devastating physical effectsBy Jung Min-hoLee Young-ran, a North Korean escapee, had been completely unaware of the nuclear test facility near her hometown in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, until the regime conducted its third nuclear weapons test there in 2013.When Lee finally realized what was happening less than 30 kilometers from where she lived, she had no idea about the potentially devastating health consequences of such experiments.“After the news, many people celebrated it, with some dancing at the 'jangmadang' (local market) … I had not known about the effects of nuclear tests on health until I came to South Korea,” Lee said during Wednesday's event held in Seoul for the 20th North Korea Freedom Week that is being held from Sunday to Saturday.Now she blames radioactive contamination in groundwater from the Punggye-ri nuclear test site for the death of her son and many other Sep 20, 2023By Jung Min-ho
N. Korea's Kim arrives in Pyongyang after Russia trip: state media A special train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Pyongyang after traveling to Russia for his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the North's state media reported Wednesday.Sep 20, 2023
US official voices concerns over N. Korean detainees in China at risk of repatriation A U.S. diplomat expressed concerns Tuesday over North Korean detainees in China who are at the risk of torture if repatriated, calling on Beijing to comply with the international principle of non-refoulement.Sep 20, 2023
Biden condemns N. Korea's defiance of UNSC resolutions, remains committed to diplomacy U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the 78th United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City on Sept. 19. AFP-YonhapU.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned North Korea's continued violation of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, but reiterated his commitment to diplomacy to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.Biden made the remarks in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly amid concerns that a recent summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to an arms deal in violation of UNSC resolutions."We condemned the DPRK's continued violation of U.N. Security Council resolution," Biden said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "But we are committed to diplomacy to bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."Seoul and Washington have criticized the recalcitrant regime in Pyongyang for its relentless violations of UNSC resolutions through its weapons tests, including the launch of two short-range ballistic missile launches just lasSep 20, 2023
