North Korea hints at possibility of easing COVID-19 curbs An employee of Pyongyang Dental Hygiene Products Factory disinfects the floor of a dining room after the state increased measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Pyongyang, May 16. According to North Korea, its fight against the disease has been impressive. AP-YonhapNorth Korea indicated Sunday that it may ease COVID-19 curbs as the country's pandemic situation has shown signs of improvement with disease transmission coming under control.Leader Kim Jong-un presided over a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and "made a positive evaluation of the pandemic situation being controlled and improved across the country," the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, without saying when the meeting took place. The Political Bureau meeting "discussed the issues of continuously stabilizing and improving the overall anti-epidemic situation while further consolidating the experiences gained in the early period of the anti-epidemic work," the KCNA said. It also "examined the issue of effectively and quickly coordinating and enforcing the anti-epidemic regulations aMay 29, 2022
North Korea reports 89,500 new fever cases A doctor from the Korean People's Army visits a pharmacy to give a man prescription medicine in Pyongyang, May 27. Health care workers in North Korea are "intensifying" COVID tests and treatments across the country, state media said, May 27, days after the impoverished country reaffirmed the epidemic was now "clearly" under control. AFP-YonhapNorth Korea's daily new suspected COVID-19 cases stayed below 100,000 for the second straight day, according to its state media Sunday.More than 89,500 people showed symptoms of fever over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters. It again gave no information on whether additional deaths were confirmed.The total number of fever cases reported in the country since late April came to 3.45 million, of which 3.26 million have recovered and around 186,110 are being treated, the KCNA reported.Meanwhile, the North's leader Kim Jong-un "guided" a politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) to discuss measureMay 29, 2022
Top diplomats of US, S. Korea, Japan vow continued efforts to end N. Korean provocations North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a ruling party politburo meeting in Pyongyang, May 21, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-YonhapThe top diplomats of South Korea, Japan and the United States pledged Friday to make efforts to end North Korea's destabilizing activities and bring the country back to negotiations.Secretary of State Antony Blinken, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi also expressed deep regret over the failed attempt to pass a new U.N. Security Council resolution on North Korea.The U.N. Security Council voted on the U.S.-proposed resolution but failed to pass it due to opposition from China and Russia, both veto-wielding permanent members of the council and close allies of Pyongyang."In spite of 13 Security Council members' support, we deeply regret that the UNSC failed to adopt a resolution in response to the DPRK's blatant and repeated violations of UNSC resolutions," the foreign ministers said in a joint statement released by the State Department."We reaffirm our commitment to further streMay 28, 2022
US issues sanctions targeting North Korean weapons of mass destruction program South Korean and U.S. missiles are displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, May 26. AP-YonhapThe United States imposed sanctions on two Russian banks, a North Korean company and a person it accused of supporting North Korea's weapons of mass destruction program, Friday, increasing the pressure on Pyongyang for its renewed ballistic missile launches.The latest American move came a day after China and Russia vetoed a U.S.-led push to impose more United Nations sanctions on the North for its ballistic missile launches, publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006.The vetoes came despite what the United States says was the sixth test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by North Korea this year and amid signs that Pyongyang is preparing to conduct its first nuclear weapon test since 2017.The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it targeted Air Koryo Trading Corp as well as Russian financial institutions the Far Eastern Bank and Bank Sputnik for contributing to procurement and revenue generationMay 28, 2022
S. Korea voices 'deep regret' over failed bid for new UN sanctions on N. Korea U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks to South Korea's Ambassador to the U.N. Cho Hyun before a United Nations Security Council meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in this May 11, file photo. Reuters-YonhapThe South Korean government expressed "deep regret" Friday about an unprecedented rejection of a proposed U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea for its latest provocation. In a statement, Seoul's foreign ministry took a thinly veiled swipe at China and Russia, two permanent members of the 15-state council, for opposing the U.S.-led push. The two exercised their veto power in the 13-2 vote during a session held in New York Thursday (local time)."(The government) expresses deep regret that the new Security Council resolution has not been adopted despite the approval of most members," its spokesperson Choi Young-sam said.He pointed out that North Korea has continued the ballistic missile launches amid the possibility of it conducting another nuclear weapon test.This marked the first time that a UNSCMay 27, 2022
UN Security Council fails to pass N. Korea resolution due to opposition from China, Russia U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield is seen speaking in a Security Council meeting held in New York, May 26, before the 15-member council voted on a U.S.-proposed resolution on North Korea in this image captured from the website of the U.N. YonhapThe U.N. Security Council (UNSC) failed to pass a resolution to impose additional sanctions on North Korea, Thursday, for its recent missile tests due to opposition from China and Russia. "With the adoption of this resolution, we can send a message to all proliferators that we will not stand for their actions that seek to undermine international peace and security," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, urging all council members to vote in favor.Thirteen members of the 15-member council voted in favor of the U.S.-proposed resolution.China and Russia, both veto power-wielding permanent members of the council and close allies of North Korea, voted against the resolution, effectively blocking its passage.Washington proposed the new sanctions resolution as the North has staged multiple missile tests since theMay 27, 2022
North Korea COVID situation 'very worrying' for mutations: experts This photo shows a general view of Ryomyong Street in Pyongyang, North Korea, May 16. On Thursday, North Korea reported more than 105,500 new fever cases. AP-Yonhap By Jung Min-hoDelta and Omicron ― the SARS-CoV-2 variants that have perpetuated the global pandemic ― were first detected in places where vaccination rates were low and new cases were surging.This is what makes the COVID-19 situation in North Korea especially concerning ― for everyone within and outside its borders ― according to medical experts, Thursday. “The environments where the Delta and Omicron variants emerged in India and South Africa, respectively, show that unvaccinated populations could fuel the formation of new variants,” Kim Sin-gon, a professor at Korea University College of Medicine, said at a seminar in Seoul on North Korea's COVID-19 situation. “This is why South Korea and the world should pay more attention to North Korea's struggle with COVID-19 … Its zero vaccine rate is deeply conceMay 26, 2022By Jung Min-ho
North Korea's state media silent about missile launches A man watches a TV at a train station in Seoul, May 25, showing a news program reporting about a North Korean missile launch with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the sea Wednesday, its neighbors said, hours after President Joe Biden wrapped up his trip to Asia where he reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to defend its allies in the face of the North's growing nuclear threat. AP-Yonhap North Korea's state media outlets remained silent Thursday about the previous day's launch of three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).As of 9 a.m., the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Korean Central Television and Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the country's ruling Workers' Party, had made no mention of the launches, which marked the North's 17th show of such force this year.The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday the North fired the suspected ICBM and twMay 26, 2022
US supports providing COVID-19 vaccine to North Korea despite missile launches: Lambert Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and South Korea / Yonhap The United States continues to support providing COVID-19 vaccines to North Korea despite the country's recent missile provocations, a senior U.S. diplomat said Wednesday.Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of state for Japan and South Korea, also reiterated that the U.S. remains open to dialogue with the North to discuss any issue."The U.S. position remains unchanged even in light of these most recent escalatory actions. We continue to support humanitarian assistance and the provision of COVID-19 related assistance," he said in a virtual press briefing, organized by the Washington Foreign Press Center."We have always viewed humanitarian assistance as a separate issue from making progress and achieving complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he added.His remarks come after North Korea launched three ballistic missiles, including an apparent intercontinental ballistiMay 26, 2022
North Korea reports no new deaths for 3rd day amid COVID-19 outbreak A sign depicting a scene of medical products being transported is displayed in an empty street, amid growing fears over the spread of COVID-19 in Pyongyang, May 23. Reuters-YonhapNorth Korea reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for the third consecutive day, Thursday, but added over 105,000 new suspected cases amid its coronavirus outbreak.Some 105,500 people showed symptoms of “fever,” but no deaths were reported over a 24-hour period until 6 p.m. the previous day, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing data from the state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters.The total number of cases since late April, in the nation with a population of 24 million, came to more than 3.17 million as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, of which more than 2.9 million have recovered and at least 271,810 are being treated, it added. The death toll remains at 68.The daily tally has been on a downward trend in recent days, with new cases under 200,000 for the fifth day in a row after reaching over 392,920, May 15.The North continued to urge people to remain vigilant in its fight agaMay 26, 2022
