S. Korea voices 'strong' regret over Pyongyang's military parade marking armistice anniv. Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesperson for the unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs, speaks during a press conference at the government complex in Seoul, July 31. YonhapSouth Korea's unification ministry expressed "strong" regret Monday over North Korea's military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement last week and urged Pyongyang to choose the "right" path for peace.With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and senior officials from China and Russia present, the North staged the military parade Thursday night, showcasing its latest weapons, such as the Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), as well as unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and strike drones."We express strong regret over how North Korea is adhering to nuclear development and an attitude of confrontation rather than seeking denuclearization and peace despite this year marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice," Koo Byoung-sam, the ministry's spokesperson, said in a press briefing.Noting that the recalcitrant regime has engaged in military provocations, including missiJul 31, 2023
ANALYSIS NK-Russia ties strengthen swiftly while China remains cautious North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a “Victory Day” ceremony in Pyongyang, July 27, in this photo carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, Friday. Shoigu read Russian President Vladimir Putin's congratulatory message during the event. YonhapKremlin's move seen as attempt to secure Pyongyang's support on Ukraine warBy Nam Hyun-wooNorth Korea is highlighting its improved relations with Russia by extensively covering Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang during the North's July 27 “Victory Day” ceremonies, marking the 70th anniversary of the Korean Armistice Agreement.At the same time, China, which has been viewed as the closest ally of North Korea, made cautious steps in the “Victory Day” ceremonies by sending delegations of relatively lower-profile officials compared to previous occasions. This move appears to be in line with Beijing's recent efforts to manage the intense rivalry with the United States. The July 29 edition of the North's propaganda wJul 30, 2023By Nam Hyun-woo
N. Korea registers 7 judokas for Asian Games North Korean judoka Kim Chol-gwang is seen in this photo from the website of the International Judo Federation. YonhapNorth Korea has registered seven judokas to compete in the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the roster showed Sunday.The North's planned participation in the Sept. 23-Oct. 8 event marks its first registration in a major international sporting event since the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games. North Korea has skipped key sporting events as it imposed strict restrictions and closed its border over the pandemic.North Korea will send three judokas for the men's division ― Chae Kwang-jin, Ri Kum-song and Kim Chol-gwang ― and four for the women's division ― Jon Su-song, Kim Won-kum, Mun Song-hui and Kim Gyong-ran, according to the roster obtained by Yonhap News Agency.All seven judokas are in their 20s, and most of them are young novices in international sporting events, with the exception of Kim Chol-gwang, who has won silver and bronze in competitions hosted by the International Judo Federation.Chae and Ri, who will respectively compete in the men's 60- and 66-kiJul 30, 2023
Satellite photos reveal NK discharged dam water without notice A dam in the Korean border county of Yeoncheon, 60 kilometers north of Seoul, discharges water in this file photo. Korea Times fileSatellite photos have detected signs of North Korea releasing water from a dam in the border area despite South Korea's request to give prior notice, a U.S.-based radio company reported Saturday.The release of water from North Korea's Hwanggang Dam has raised concerns about potential flooding in areas located south of the border every summer in recent years. The dam is located in the upper region of the Imjin River, which flows through the Korean Peninsula from the north to the south.Radio Free Asia (RFA) said satellite photos from Planet Labs, a U.S. commercial satellite imaging company, showed some of the dam's floodgates were wide open to discharge water, July 20. They also showed visible water turbulence caused by the surging water.The dam continued to discharge water Monday, and more floodgates were seen open Thursday, the media reported.But the latest water discharges appear to have been made to control the water level and were not enough to cause fJul 29, 2023
Kim Jong-un vows to develop cooperation with China to 'new high' North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un speaks with Chinese Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong during a reception held in Pyongyang, July 28 in this photo provided by North Korea's Central New Agency. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with a Chinese delegation that visited Pyongyang to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War and vowed to develop the two countries' relations to a "new high," the North's state media said Saturday.Kim hosted a reception for the Chinese officials led by Communist Party Politburo member Li Hongzhong, Friday. The Chinese delegation was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic."Reaffirmed at the talk was the stand of the parties and governments of the two countries to cope with the complicated international situation on their own initiative and steadily develop the friendship and comradely cooperation onto a new high stage," the North's KCNA news agency said.The meeting took place after Chinese and Russian officials stood shoulder to shoulder with Kim, Thursday, as they reviewed his newest nuclear-capable missiles and attack droJul 29, 2023
Senate approves nomination of special envoy for N. Korean human rights Julie Turner, nominee for U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights / YonhapThe U.S. Senate has approved the nomination of a new special envoy for North Korean human rights, congressional records showed Friday.The Senate confirmed the appointment of Julie Turner as U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights by a voice vote Thursday.The confirmation comes six months after President Joe Biden nominated the state department official to serve as new special envoy. If appointed, Turner will become the first U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights since 2017. Turner currently serves as director of East Asia and the Pacific at the state department."The human rights situation in the DPRK is one of the most protracted human rights crises in the world," Turner said during her confirmation hearing before the Senate foreign relations committee in May."As the DPRK's human rights record has deteriorated, the connection between its widespread violations and abuses, and the threat it poses to international security are clear," she has said, referring to North Korea by its officJul 28, 2023
Unification ministry to create unit supporting victims of North Korean abductions Kim Yung-ho, right, new unification minister, poses with President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday, as he officially begins his term. The ministry said that it will launch a new department dedicated to supporting the victims of abduction by North Korea. YonhapUnder new head, ministry plans to curtail inter-Korean exchangesBy Jung Min-hoUnder a new leader, the Ministry of Unification is poised to get tough on North Korea.The ministry said on Friday that it will launch a new department dedicated to supporting the victims of abduction by North Korea as part of its reform effort to focus more on the North's poor human rights record in handling inter-Korean relations.At the same time, the ministry will significantly reduce its exchanges with Pyongyang. Four units responsible for inter-Korean talks, trade and other possible joint projects will be merged under a single body, with some 80 officials expected to be relocated to other divisions or ministries.The announcement comes a month after President Yoon Suk Yeol called on the ministry not to operate like a &ldquoJul 28, 2023By Jung Min-ho
NK weapons parade sends message of defiance against S. Korea, US This photo, released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, shows an intercontinental ballistic missile during a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, July 27. YonhapFrom its latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to tactical weapons and a surveillance drone, North Korea's vaunted military parade this week highlighted its defiant work under way to break through the closer-knit South Korea-U.S. alliance, analysts said Friday.The North conducted the parade at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on Thursday night to mark the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, celebrated in the country as Victory Day, in the presence of senior Chinese and Russian officials. On the reviewing stand, leader Kim Jong-un was seen being flanked by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Li Hongzhong, a politburo member of the Chinese Communist Party ― in a grandstanding display of the three countries' solidarity at a time when Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are cementing their trilaJul 28, 2023
N. Korea suffers economic contraction for 3rd straight year in 2022: BOK report This Sept. 27, 2022 file photo shows a cargo train crossing the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge over the Amnok River from the Chinese border city of Dandong toward North Korea's border city of Sinuiju. YonhapNorth Korea's economy contracted for the third straight year in 2022 amid continued global sanctions, controls on border crossings and bad weather, a central bank report showed Friday.The country's economy is estimated to have decreased 0.2 percent last year, following a 4.5 percent contraction in 2020 and a 0.1 percent dip in 2021, according to the report from the Bank of Korea (BOK).In 2020, the North suffered the worst economic contraction since 1997, as Pyongyang closed its borders over the COVID-19 pandemic.The country also took a hit from tightened U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.The BOK's annual report is based on data from South Korean institutions specializing in North Korea, which does not publish official economic data. North Korea's foreign trade more than doubled to $1.59 billion last year from $710 million the previous year on the back of resumed Jul 28, 2023
N. Korea showcases drones, ICBMs at military parade on armistice anniv. In this photo released the next day by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, North Korean soldiers take part in a military parade, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, to mark the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, July 27. YonhapNorth Korea has staged a massive military parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the armistice of the Korean War, its state media reported Friday, displaying its latest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and drones in a show of its military might.With senior delegations from China and Russia present, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took to the reviewing stand to observe the military parade in Kim Il Sung Square late Thursday to mark Victory Day, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).He did not deliver a much-anticipated speech at the event.The Korean War, which started with an invasion by the North in 1950, ended with the armistice on July 27, 1953. But the North claimed victory in the war, celebrating the date oJul 28, 2023
