End-of-war declaration will lose luster in trilateral FM talks: experts Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea's special representative for Korean peninsula peace and security affairs, speaks to reporters after arriving at an airport in Honolulu, Wednesday (local time). YonhapSeoul, Washington, Tokyo unlikely to come up with effective measures against Pyongyang's saber-rattling By Kang Seung-wooThe Moon Jae-in administration's last-ditch effort to revive its push for declaring an end to the Korean War on the occasion of upcoming trilateral foreign ministerial talks with the United States and Japan is not likely to be realized due to bad timing and the nature of the meeting, according to diplomatic observers.Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong is scheduled to hold a meeting with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts Antony Blinken and Yoshimasa Hayashi in Hawaii, Saturday (local time), during which the top diplomats are anticipated to mainly discuss how to effectively deal with North Korea's increased saber-rattling, as illustrated by its seven rounds of missile tests, in total, in January. However, Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea's top nuclear envoy, implied before his departure foFeb 11, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
South Korea, US agree on wording of declaration ending Korean War but North Korea refuses to join negotiations: Moon President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that South Korea and the United States have agreed on the wording of a declaration formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War, although North Korea has shown few signs of returning to negotiations. In a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global newswires, Moon said, however, it would be "too physically demanding" for the declaration to be reached by the end of his term in May. "An end-of-war declaration is useful since it signifies a process to promote mutual trust and a move toward denuclearization and the institutionalization of peace on the Korean Peninsula while putting an end to hostile relations," Moon said in the interview with Yonhap, AFP, AP, EFE, Kyodo, Reuters, Tass and Xinhua. "In addition, the Republic of Korea and the United States have now concurred on the wording of an end-of-war declaration to be presented to North Korea. Even China supports this declaration,Feb 10, 2022
Moon says no prerequisites for inter-Korean summit, virtual summit possible President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he is willing to hold an inter-Korean summit without prerequisites in whatever format North Korea wants amid concern Pyongyang could end its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile tests.Moon made the remark in a joint written interview with Yonhap News Agency and seven other global news wire services, warning that the Korean Peninsula may return to the "touch-and-go crisis" of five years ago if the North goes ahead with its veiled threat to scrap the moratorium on missile and nuclear weapons tests. "As long as there is willingness to engage in dialogue, whether the summit will be held face-to-face or virtual does not matter. Whatever method North Korea wants will be acceptable," Moon said in the interview with Yonhap, AFP, AP, EFE, Kyodo, Reuters, Tass and Xinhua. "Also, it is not desirable to place prerequisites for dialogue. I believe that it would be beneficial to even discuss such prerequiFeb 10, 2022
North Korea in festive mood ahead of late leader's birthday Students dance during the celebrations of the 74th founding anniversary of Korean People's Army in the plaza of the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium in North Korea, Feb. 8. The North is revving up a festive mood ahead of the 80th anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-il's birth next week, holding a series of commemorative events, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday. AP-Yonhap North Korea is revving up a festive mood ahead of the 80th anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-il's birth next week, holding a series of commemorative events, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday.Kim, father of current leader Kim Jong-un, led the reclusive regime from 1994 until his death in 2011. His birthday, which falls on Feb. 16, is marked as a major national holiday in the North.On Wednesday, the North held a national awards ceremony in Pyongyang in commemoration of the late Kim, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.It awarded 8,732 officials, workers and soldiers of mFeb 10, 2022
Satellite imagery shows 'unusual' activity at North Korea's submarine shipyard: US think tank This photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Oct. 20, shows a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) being fired in waters off the east coast the previous day. YonhapRecent satellite photos have shown "somewhat unusual" activity at a North Korean submarine shipyard, including the repositioning of a missile test barge, though its purpose remains unclear, a U.S. think tank said Tuesday.Citing the recent satellite imagery, Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, published an analysis on its recent observation of the shipyard in the eastern coastal city of Sinpo where an experimental ballistic missile submarine is docked.Sometime between Jan. 5 and Jan. 8, an infiltration mother ship in the secure boat basin at the shipyard exchanged positions with the submersible missile test stand barge that has been berthed here since about 2014, the think tank said.The infiltration mother ship is a vessel that the North previously used to deploy agents on high-speed landing craft for infiltrations into South Korea and Japan,Feb 9, 2022
North Korea 'behaves' for China during Beijing Games A session of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly is held in Pyongyang, Sunday and Monday, in this photo, provided by the Korean Central News Agency. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un's absence from the country's key parliamentary meeting ― as well as the lack of public message for South Korea or the United States ― is raising speculation that the reclusive country is refraining from its saber-rattling mainly due to the ongoing Beijing Winter Olympics.According to its state-run Korean Central News Agency, the totalitarian state held the sixth session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) in Pyongyang, Sunday and Monday without Kim's attendance. The SPA is the highest organ of power under the North Korean Constitution, although it rubber-stamps decisions of the ruling Workers' Party.The meeting came on the heels of seven missile tests, in total, in January, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile. In addition, the country has threatened to lift its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and ballistic missile tests in protest against WaFeb 8, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea denies cyberattack allegations, slams U.S. as 'hacking empire' gettyimagesbank North Korea has denied allegations it carried out a series of cryptocurrency thefts and cyberattacks on other countries, calling them a "creation" by the United States. It also denounced the U.S. as a "hacking empire and country of intelligence theft."The North made the claim in a piece posted on the country's foreign ministry website Monday, following a recent report by U.S. blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis that said North Korean hackers stole around US$400 million worth of cryptocurrency through cyberattacks in 2021. "The United States is making a fuss from the outset of the new year, widely publicizing our 'cryptocurrency theft' and 'cyber-attack' on other countries," the article said. "This is a 'creation' that could only be produced by the U.S. hardened to the marrow with the inveterate repugnance towards our country." Calling the U.S. "a state of the world's gravest cybercrimes," the North criticized Washington for "abusing the cyberspace" Feb 8, 2022
North Korea convenes key legislative meeting without Kim Jong-un North Korea convenes the 6th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly in Pyongyang, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Feb. 8. The KCNA said the two-day meeting wrapped up the previous day. Yonhap North Korea held a two-day session of its rubber-stamp legislature earlier this week to discuss budgetary and other pending issues, with the country's leader Kim Jong-un not present, according to its state media, Tuesday.The 6th session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) was held in Pyongyang, Sunday and Monday, attended by senior ruling party and Cabinet officials, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.The major event has drawn keen attention from the outside world as a potential opportunity to get a clue on the reclusive regime's policy directions, coming on the heels of a barrage of missile tests, including that of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) late last month. The KiFeb 8, 2022
US think tank identifies North Korea base likely intended for ICBMs North Korea test launches an alleged hypersonic missile, Jan. 11, in this photo provided by the North Korean government. AP-Yonhap A Washington think tank says it has identified a military base close to North Korea's border with China that is likely intended for the stationing of intercontinental ballistic missiles.The Center for Strategic and International Studies based its report on Jan. 21 satellite images of the base at Hoejung-ni, in North Korea's Chagang Province about 25 km (16 miles) from the border with China and 280 km (175 miles) northeast of Pyongyang."The Hoejung-ni missile operating base will, according to informed sources, likely house a regiment-sized unit equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles," the report said."Should operational ICBMs not become available in the near term, it is likely that intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) will be deployed," the report added, noting that North Korea tested a Hwasong-12 IRBM from Chagang ProFeb 8, 2022
Gov't launches team to support vulnerable North Korean defectors Ministry of Unification spokesperson Lee Jong-joo / YonhapThe South Korean government launched an interagency team Monday tasked with helping North Korean defectors suffering from economic and psychological difficulties after resettlement here.The nine-member team, comprising officials from different government agencies, will provide support in fields ranging from education and employment to living and psychological counseling for the defectors, the Ministry of Unification said.According to a biannual government survey conducted last year, 1,582 defectors were found to be in need of help in addition to the general welfare package provided to all defectors upon their resettlement here. Of the total, nearly half of them, or 47 percent, said they had psychological difficulties."Close cooperation among related agencies is crucial as crisis situations experienced by North Korean defectors often involve intertwined economic, social and psychological issues," ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo told a regular press briefing. "We will step up our support to make sure they can comfortably and Feb 7, 2022
