North Korea slams Pelosi's Panmunjom visit Nancy Pelosi, left, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visits the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom on Aug. 4, in this photo posted on her Facebook account. YonhapNorth Korea on Saturday condemned U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom.In a statement, Jo Yong-sam, director general of the foreign ministry's press and information department, also criticized Pelosi for talking about "strong and expanded deterrent" against threats from North Korea during her trip to South Korea earlier this week.She made a two-day visit here from Wednesday following a trip to Taiwan. She had talks with National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and a phone call with President Yoon Suk-yeol.She then visited the Joint Security Area of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).It demonstrates the "hostile policy of the current U.S. administration towards the DPRK," the North's official said in the English-language statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.Pelosi, who is "the worst destroyer of international peace and stability had incAug 6, 2022
North Korea's UN mission lambasts US over criticism of its nuke program People watch a TV screen showing a file image of North Korea's firing of projectiles, at Seoul Station, March 2, 2020. AP-YonhapNorth Korea's permanent mission to the United Nations has issued a rare press statement in response to U.S. condemnation of its nuclear program during a U.N. session, according to state media Thursday.It slammed Washington over its "anti-DPRK confrontational clamor" during the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) at the U.N. headquarters in New York. DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."Today, the mastermind that undermines the foundation of the non-proliferation regime is none other than the United States," read the English-language statement issued Wednesday and carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "It is the peak of busy blaming that the United States alleges somebody's 'nuclear threats' given the fact that it is the kingpin of nuclear proliferation.""We will never tolerate any attempt by the U.S. and its servile forces to groundlessly accuse our state Aug 4, 2022
North Korea's nuke missile progress outpacing US missile defense modernization: US expert Victor Cha, a senior vice president and Korea chair at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies / YonhapNorth Korea's nuclear missile program appears to be "unstoppable," with its progress apparently moving faster than U.S. modernization of its missile defense systems, a U.S. expert said Wednesday.Victor Cha, a senior vice president and Korea chair at the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, made the assessment during a forum here, while citing the nuclear-armed North's recent pushing for advancing its strategic weapons capabilities, including various types of missiles."I think we're currently in a situation where North Korea's nuclear missile programs really look like they're unstoppable right now," the former White House official said. Cha, who served as the director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council from 2004 to 2007, joined the forum via video links."The United States is expanding and modernizing their missiles and augmenting and supplementing their missile defense system," Cha added. "But I would argue that North Korea'Aug 3, 2022
NK slams Pelosi's Taiwan visit, backs China's position A police officer walks in front of the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai, Aug. 2. EPA-YonhapNorth Korea on Wednesday slammed U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, calling the move an "impudent interference" by Washington into another nation's internal affairs.Pyongyang's foreign ministry said the visit is "arousing serious concern of the international community," as it stated support for China's strong protest."The current situation clearly shows that the impudent interference of the U.S. in internal affairs of other countries and its intentional political and military provocations are, indeed, the root cause of harassed peace and security in the region," a spokesperson for the ministry was quoted as saying by the official Korean Central News Agency in response to its question over the issue."Taiwan is an inseparable part of China and the issue of Taiwan pertains to the internal affairs of China," the spokesperson added, according to the agency's English-language report. (Yonhap)Aug 3, 2022
Blinken reaffirms US commitment to NPT, citing threats posed by North Korea, Iran Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken makes remarks after addressing the 2022 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Aug. 1. AP-YonhapU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on Monday, citing threats posed by North Korea and Iran.The top U.S. diplomat reiterated the world faced a "critical moment" amid fears of a potential North Korean nuclear test."And so we come together at a critical moment. The DPRK continues to expand its unlawful nuclear program and continues its ongoing provocations against the region," Blinken said, addressing the 10th NPT Review Conference at the U.N. headquarters in New York."As we gather today, Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its seventh nuclear test. Iran remains on a path of nuclear escalation," he added.DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Seoul and Washington have said the North appears to have completed "all preparations" for a nuclear test and that it may be only gaugiAug 2, 2022
Two possible reasons behind recent mask-free gatherings in North Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is surrounded by war veterans in front of a monument celebrating the country's "victory" in the Korean War (1950-53) in Pyongyang, North Korea, on July 27, the 69th anniversary of the end of the war, in this photo released July 28 by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. YonhapEnough people may be immune, or many 'fever' cases could be unrelated, experts say By Jung Min-hoNorth Korea's official numbers of suspected COVID-19 cases and photos of the ruling elite in recent weeks suggest that it is clearly making progress against the coronavirus despite almost no vaccination efforts, according to experts Monday. North Korea's number of new suspected COVID-19 cases remained at zero for the third consecutive day, according to the Korean Central News Agency, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece. On Monday, it reported that no additional fever cases had been confirmed over the previous 24 hours until 6 p.m. the previous day. The total number of such cases from late April stood at 4.77 million, of which 99.99 percent had recovered, it claimed. The number Aug 1, 2022By Jung Min-ho
Upcoming combined drill to heighten inter-Korean tensions Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin inspect an honor guard before their bilateral talks at the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., Saturday (local time). Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense Expanded exercise may also irk China By Kang Seung-wooPlans to expand a combined military drill between South Korea and the United States against North Korea's growing threats are expected to bring the Korean Peninsula back to a state of confrontation, ratcheting up cross-border tensions, Pyongyang watchers said, Monday.The prediction comes as the allies seek to enhance their overall capabilities to deal with a possible all-out war on the peninsula through the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise, scheduled for Aug. 22 to Sept. 1, according to Seoul's defense ministry. In addition, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un also threatened last week to annihilate the new South Korean administration he claimed is pursuing a U.S.-led hostile policy against the North. “It is inevitable that inter-Korean confrontation will deepen as North Korea hAug 1, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea's defense minister congratulates China on its military's founding anniversary Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stand guard on Tiananmen Square, which will be used for celebrations of the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, in Beijing, June 28, 2021. EPA-YonhapNorth Korea's defense minister has sent to his Chinese counterpart a message touting the Chinese military's achievements on the occasion of the 95th anniversary of its founding, Pyongyang's state media said.Ri Yong-gil's message to Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe came as China commemorated Monday's anniversary for the inception of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA). In the message, Ri congratulated the Chinese PLA for safeguarding its country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and making strides to build a modernized army under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party with its leader Xi Jinping at its core, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."The message stressed that the Korean People's Army would closely wage strategic and tactic coordinated operations with the CPLA in order to jointly guard peace and stability in the KoreAug 1, 2022
North Korea propaganda outlet decries Yoon's NK human rights policies North Korean leader Kim Jong-un YonhapA North Korean propaganda outlet on Sunday lashed out at the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's policy measures to improve North Korea's human rights, calling them a move to foment inter-Korean confrontation.Ryomyong, the propaganda website, took issue with a series of Seoul's policy moves, including the recent appointment of Lee Shin-wha, a Korea University professor, as an ambassador on the North's rights issue.In a post under the name of an official at the National Reconciliation Council, the website said the South's "human rights farce is an unbearable insult to our people and a grave political provocation to our republic."Claiming South Korean people's lives have been worsening, the website said it is reasonable for the South to improve its own issues at home.Meanwhile, Tongil Sinbo, a North Korean weekly, has denounced the plan by the South and the United States to conduct their regular summertime training, called Ulchi Freedom Shield, from Aug. 22-Sept. 1.The weekly called the training a "demonstration for a war of invasion," saying it is an "Jul 31, 2022
North Korea claims no new fever cases amid doubts over COVID data A teacher takes the body temperature of a schoolgirl to help curb the spread of the coronavirus before entering Kim Song Ju Primary School in Central District in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Oct. 13, 2021. AP-Yonhap North Korea on Saturday reported no new fever cases for the first time since it abruptly admitted to its first domestic COVID-19 outbreak and placed its 26 million people under more draconian restrictions in May.There have been widespread outside doubts about the accuracy of North Korean statistics as its reported fatalities are too low and its daily fever cases have been plummeting too fast recently. Some experts say North Korea has likely manipulated the scale of illness and deaths to help leader Kim Jong-un maintain absolute control amid mounting economic difficulties.The North's state emergency anti-epidemic center said via state media it had found zero fever patients in the latest 24-hour period. It said its total caseload was about 4.8 million and thJul 30, 2022
