N. Korea criticizes US weapons package for Taiwan North Korea's Kim Jung-un, right, is having a toast with Li Hongzhong, a member of the Chinese Communist Party that led the Chinese delegation to North Korea to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, during a reception in Pyongyang, July 28 in this provided phto by North Korea's Central New Agency. YonhapNorth Korea warned Friday that Washington's plan to provide weapons to Taiwan reflects its "sinister intention" to deter China and will heighten regional tensions to an "ignition point of war."Last week, the United States announced its plan to provide military aid worth up to $345 million, which involves the transfer of weaponry to Taiwan from Washington's own stockpile, in what was seen as bolstering Taiwan's self-defense capabilities against China."The U.S. says in public that it abides by the principle of one China but instigates in the rear the 'independence' of Taiwan, inseparable part of China," a North Korean foreign ministry official said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, branding the moveAug 4, 2023
NK considering providing military support to Russia: US NSC A photo released by the official North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-un, right, having a toast with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a reception for the minister and his military delegation in Pyongyang, North Korea, July 27. EPA-YonhapNorth Korea is considering providing additional military support to Russia, including munitions to be used in the latter's ongoing war in Ukraine, a U.S. National Security Council (NSC) official said Thursday.John Kirby, NSC coordinator for strategic communications, said the U.S. will continue to expose and sanction efforts to assist Russia's illegal war against Ukraine."Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu recently traveled to North Korea in a bid to convince North Korea to sell munitions to Russia to support Russia's war," he told a telephonic press briefing.North Korea reported last week that the Russian defense minister visited Pyongyang to take part in events marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, celebrated in the country as Victory Day."Our information indicates Aug 4, 2023
No progress made on US soldier in N. Korea: state dept. This family photo shows a portrait of American soldier Travis King displayed at the home of his grandfather Carl Gates, Wednesday, July 19, in Kenosha, Wis. AP-Yonhap North Korea has yet to offer any substantive response to requests from United Nations Command (UNC) to confirm the safety of a U.S. service member in its custody, a state department spokesperson said Wednesday.In addition, Pyongyang remains unresponsive to such requests from the United States, according to the department spokesperson, Matthew Miller.His remark comes after a Department of Defense spokesperson said the North has responded to UNC requests to confirm the whereabouts of Pvt. Travis King, who crossed the inter-Korean border into North Korea last week."It was my understanding ... that it was a call to the U.N. Command at the demilitarized zone that came just in the last 48 hours," Miller told a daily press briefing."It was not a substantive call. It was an acknowledgement call," he added. "ThAug 3, 2023
N. Korea slams France for staging joint air drills with S. Korea F-15K fighter jets of South Korea and Rafale fighter jets of France fly over an air base in the southeastern city of Gimhae, July 25, in this file photo released by the South Korean Air Force. YonhapNorth Korea on Wednesday lambasted France for holding a combined air exercise with South Korea for the first time last week, decrying it as an "undisguised military provocation" threatening the North's security.A researcher at Pyongyang's Korea-Europe Association made the criticism in a statement released by the North's Korean Central News Agency after the two countries kicked off the two-day drills last Tuesday at an air base in the South's southeastern city of Gimhae."This is an irresponsible act of fanning up the acute tensions in the Korean Peninsula and an undisguised military provocation of threatening the security and interests of the DPRK, in support of the U.S. hostile policy towards it," Ryu Kyong-chol said in the English-language statement.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Ryu took aim at France, claiming that its dispatch of fAug 2, 2023
N. Korea slams new US human rights envoy as 'wicked' meddler in sovereign state affairs Julie Turner, nominee for U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, speaks during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., May 17, in this captured image. YonhapNorth Korea on Wednesday denounced the new U.S. special envoy for the North's human rights as a "wicked woman" who has plotted anti-Pyongyang campaigns over rights issues and meddled in the internal affairs of sovereign states.The Senate confirmed the appointment of Julie Turner, director of East Asia and the Pacific at the State Department, last week, as U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues. U.S. President Joe Biden named her as the envoy in January.Calling Turner a woman of "ambiguous origin and nationality," a spokesperson at the North's Association for Human Rights Studies said she gained "notoriety" for plotting anti-Pyongyang schemes over rights issues, while "spitting out coarse invectives" against the North in the past.She is "a person ignorant of even the concept of human rights or a human rights abuser embodying the inveterate bad habit ofAug 2, 2023
Possible weapons trade between Russia, N. Korea shows difficulties facing Moscow: Pentagon Department of Defense Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is seen answering questions during a daily press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., Aug. 1, in this captured image. YonhapThe potential weapons trade between North Korea and Russia demonstrates the dire situation Russia finds itself in amid its ongoing war against Ukraine, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday.Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder made the remark after a news report suggested that North Korea may be sending weapons to Russia."Russia maintains a relationship with North Korea," the Department of Defense spokesperson told a daily press briefing when asked about possible weapons trade between the two countries.The Financial Times earlier reported that Ukrainian troops were using North Korea rockets seized from a ship, indicating possible weapons trade between Pyongyang and Moscow."Certainly, we have seen in the past Russia looking to try to obtain munitions from countries like North Korea," Ryder added. "I don't have any updates to provide beyond what we said previously on this topic. But again, it highlights the dire sAug 2, 2023
What is life like for disabled people in North Korea? Maeng Hyo-shim, fourth from right, and Kim Myeong-hee, third from right, pose with other North Korean refugees and the co-founders of Freedom Speakers International, Casey Lartigue Jr. and Lee Eun-koo, during their visit to the State Department in Washington, D.C., July 20. Courtesy of Freedom Speakers InternationalA group of refugees discuss human rights abuses at US State DepartmentBy Jung Min-hoLife is harsh for everyone in North Korea. But for disabled people, it's even worse.People with serious disabilities are almost invisible. Even in Pyongyang, support systems for the disabled are virtually nonexistent. There are no wheelchairs or automatic doors. With few available means of movement, they are usually stuck at home.Maeng Hyo-shim, a daughter of a North Korean woman who is unable to walk, said the only thing her mother had were crutches.“Without my father's devotion and care, my mother would not survive,” she told The Korea Times in a recent interview. “After arriving here after our escape, she described this country as a 'heaven-like' one where she can have Aug 2, 2023By Jung Min-ho
N. Korea ramps up efforts to cope with heat wave A citizen in North Korea is wiping his sweat with a handkerchief in this photo captured from North Korea's Central TV, July 20. YonhapNorth Korea has ramped up efforts to prepare for a heat wave, calling measures to cope with scorching temperatures an "important" political task, state media said Tuesday.The Rodong Sinmun, the North's main newspaper, advised the elderly to refrain from doing outdoor activities as the temperature is expected to soar to 37 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country."The severe damage that extreme heat can cause to the human body should be correctly perceived," the newspaper said, also calling for residents to stay hydrated during daytime and for full-fledged preparation to treat heatstroke patients.The state media stressed that preparation for severe weather conditions, such as typhoons, heavy rain and heat waves, is an "important political task" that is relevant to achieving the country's major economic goals.In an apparent bid to boost self-reliance amid deepening economic hardships, North Korea identified 12 major economic goals for 2023 earlier thAug 1, 2023
NGO releases paper solidifying links between NK's Kim family and crimes against humanity Ahn Myeong-chul, executive director of NK Watch, speaks at a press conference in downtown Seoul, July 25. Courtesy of NK WatchBy Rachel StineNonprofit organization NK Watch held a press conference, July 25, to present its new report, titled “The Suryong Dictatorship Mechanism: Who Is Ultimately Responsible for Crimes Against Humanity.” The 239-page document solidifies the links between Kim Jong-un's regime and the brutal oppression North Korea has become infamous for.While blaming the Kim dictatorship for the North's state of affairs might seem obvious, there is a pressing need for such research. If members of the Kim family were to someday be brought to court, documentation would be necessary to find individuals guilty of specific crimes. Reports such as this one lay the groundwork for that day.NK Watch's new publication uses confidential documents, including Kim Jong-un's “Teaching and Instructions,” to build its case.“We need to focus on the North Korean people,” said Lee Kwan-hyung, one of the authors. “Schools have broken down (in North Aug 1, 2023
N. Korea frequently releases water from dam near inter-Korean border in July: Seoul Water being released from a dam in the border town of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, is seen in this July 5 photo. YonhapNorth Korea frequently released water from a dam near the inter-Korean border in July despite South Korea's request for prior notice, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday.Some of the floodgates of the Hwanggang Dam were opened to discharge water on July 20, 24 and 27, without the North notifying the South of its release plan in advance, according to a report by U.S.-based media outlet Radio Free Asia (RFA) last week."The North was found to have frequently discharged water (from the dam) in July, including on those three dates, in a bid to adjust the water level," a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity.The ministry earlier requested North Korea to give prior notice if it releases water from the Hwanggang Dam on concerns that Pyongyang's potential discharge of a large amount of water during the seasonal monsoon season could cause damage to border areas.The official said the government is closely watching the situation, as there has been no sAug 1, 2023
