South Korea's nuke envoy holds phone talks with US, Chinese counterparts over North Korea South Korean nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk, left, speaks to reporters, with U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim, right, after their meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Aug. 30. YonhapSouth Korea's top nuclear envoy had back-to-back phone talks with his American and Chinese counterparts on Thursday, the foreign ministry said, amid rising tension over North Korea's apparent threat of nuclear and long-range weapons tests.Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, talked with his American counterpart, Sung Kim, in their latest emergency consultations, hours after the North hinted at restarting "all temporally-suspended activities" ― an apparent allusion to its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests."The two sides agreed to remain in close coordination to stably manage the situation on the Korean Peninsula, sharing the view that the peninsula's problem can be only solved through dialogue and diplomacy," the ministry said in a release. In a separate conveJan 20, 2022
North Korea set to return to brinkmanship North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Wednesday, in this photo provided by the North's Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap Pyongyang hints at resuming nuclear, ICBM testsBy Kang Seung-woo North Korea is dusting off the old playbook of provocations to capture the attention of the U.S. and gain the upper hand in future talks by hinting at lifting a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, according to diplomatic observers.Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KNCA) reported, Thursday, that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un decided to reconsider resuming “all temporarily-suspended activities” at a political bureau meeting held the previous day.“We should make more thorough preparations for a long-term confrontation with the U.S. imperialists,” it said, criticizing the U.S.' hostile policy of reaching a dangerous level.The North Korean leader declared a halt to all nuclear and ICBM tests in April 2018, while engaging in talJan 20, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Seoul monitoring Pyongyang with 'sense of tension,' stresses need for dialogue People watch a TV at Seoul Railway Station, Jan. 20, showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch broadcast during a news program. AP-Yonhap The government emphasized Thursday that dialogue and diplomacy are the only key to building peace on the Korean Peninsula in response to North Korea's thinly veiled threat to scrap a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear weapons and long-range missile tests.The North held a high-profile politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party the previous day and decided to consider restarting "all temporally-suspended" activities to brace for a "long-term confrontation" with the United States, according to Pyongyang's state media."The government is closely monitoring the North's latest moves with a sense of tension," the Ministry of Unification that handles inter-Korean affairs said in a statement. "We will thoroughly prepare for possible deterioration of the situation while closely coordinating with other countries to keep the siJan 20, 2022
Otto Warmbier's parents to get $240,300 seized from North Korea American student Otto Warmbier is escorted to the Supreme Court in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this March 16, 2016, file photo. AP-Yonhap The parents of Otto Warmbier, a U.S. student who died after being imprisoned by North Korea and released by the country in a coma in 2017, should receive $240,300 seized from a North Korean bank account, a federal judge ruled last week.The amount would be a partial payment toward the more than $501 million Fred and Cindy Warmbier of Wyoming, Ohio, were awarded in 2018 by a federal judge in Washington, D.C.The couple have claimed their college student son was tortured by North Korea after being convicted in 2016 of trying to steal a propaganda poster and imprisoned for months. The 22-year-old suffered severe brain damage and died shortly after being returned to the United States in a vegetative state in June 2017.North Korea has denied that it tortured or cruelly treated the University of Virginia student and has called itself the `Jan 20, 2022
North Korea considers resuming ICBM and nuclear tests over US 'hostile policy' North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during a politiburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Jan. 19, the North's official Korean Central New Agency reported Jan. 20. YonhapNorth Korea held a policymaking politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party presided over by leader Kim Jong-un and decided to consider restarting "all temporally-suspended" activities, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday, apparently referring to its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.The meeting took place following the North conducting four missile tests this month alone, including two of what it claims was a hypersonic missile, prompting the United States to slap new sanctions on the regime. The U.S. is leading a campaign within the U.N. Security Council to extend its own sanctions, with a closed-door council meeting on the issue scheduled Thursday.During a session held the previous day, the participants vowed preparations for a "long-term confrontation" with the U.S., saying the "hostile policy and military threat by the U.S. have reached a danger line that caJan 20, 2022
US takes North Korea's 'improving' missile programs seriously: Pentagon The United States takes very seriously the threat posed by North Korea's "improving" missile programs, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said Tuesday.However, he said the U.S. is still assessing the nature North Korea's recent missile launches, apparently to learn their exact capabilities."We will continue to take this threat and this improving program of Pyongyang's very, very seriously," he told a press briefing when asked about North's recent missile launches.North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles Monday (KST), marking its fourth missile launch since the start of the New Year.Citing photos of the launch released by North Korea, Seoul officials have said the missiles fired Monday appeared to be the KN-24, which are said to be a North Korean version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System or ATACMS that fly a complicated trajectory, making them hard to intercept."We've assessed them as ballistic missiles, and we're still running the traps on that. So I don't have more detail on that," Kirby said when asked about the nature of the missiles involved in the latest NJan 19, 2022
North Korean missile tests signal return to brinkmanship People watch a TV screen at a train station in Seoul, Jan. 17, showing a news program using a file image to report about a North Korean missile launch. AP-YonhapGrappling with pandemic difficulties and U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear ambitions, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could be reviving his 2017 playbook of nuclear and missile brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and his neighbors.North Korea's short-range missile launches Monday were its fourth round of missile tests this month and signaled a refusal to be ignored by the Biden administration, which has focused more on confronting bigger adversaries such as China and Russia.The tests could also reflect a growing urgency in its need for outside relief after its economy has decayed further under the severe sanctions and two years of pandemic border closures, according to experts.The two missiles launched Monday from near the capital, Pyongyang, followed a resumption of railroad freight traffic with China that had been suspended over pandemic concerns, in what is likely a desperate attempt to revive the moribund Jan 18, 2022
North Korea says it confirmed accuracy of tactical guided missiles in test-firing North Korea's military fires a missile from Sunan Airport in Pyongyang, Jan. 17, the North's official Korean Central New Agency reported Jan. 18. YonhapNorth Korea said Tuesday that it conducted the test-firing of a tactical guided missile a day earlier to confirm the accuracy of the weapon system that is under production.On Monday, South Korea's military said the North fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from the Sunan Airport in Pyongyang, marking its fourth show of force this month."The test-fire was aimed to selectively evaluate tactical guided missiles being produced and deployed and to verify the accuracy of the weapon system," the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the launch.Monday's test appears to have involved the North's version of the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), the KN-24, according to a photo released by state media. The missile is known to fly on a complicated trajectory to evade interception."The two tactical guided missiles launched in the western area of the DJan 18, 2022
Seoul expresses 'strong regret' over Pyongyang's continued missile launches People at Seoul Station, Monday, watch TV footage of a North Korean missile launch. North Korea fired two presumed short-range ballistic missiles, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. YonhapBy Jung Da-minThe National Security Council has expressed "strong regret" over North Korea's testing of two presumed short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM), Monday, about an hour after the latest launch was detected by the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The North's latest SRBM launch came while President Moon Jae-in was on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates. Moon is on an eight-day trip of the Middle East from Jan. 15 to 22 to visit the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.President Moon ordered the NSC to make its utmost efforts to ensure the stable management of the situation, according to the presidential office. The North's latest SRBM test marked the fifth and sixth projectiles fired off in the New Year, coming within only 13 days of three previous test events.The South's National Security Adviser Suh Hoon presided over the NSC emergency meeting, attended by Moon's chief of stafJan 17, 2022
North Korea's border opening no guarantee for vaccine offers by South Korea, US People at Seoul Station watch a TV screen showing a news report about a North Korean missile launch, Monday. AP-Yonhap By Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea's long-awaited border opening is not likely to extend to Pyongyang accepting vaccine offers from South Korea or the United States, according to diplomatic observers, Monday. Additionally, the border opening will not clear the ground for any possible progress in nuclear talks or improvement in inter-Korean ties, they added.In the wake of China's COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019, the reclusive state quickly closed its borders to prevent the spread of the disease, but the move has been dealing a heavy economic blow to the country.On Sunday, a North Korean freight train crossed the Yalu River railroad bridge from Sinuiju into China ― the first time that the North open its land border with China in two years ― and the same train is expected to return home with medical supplies and everyday necessities, probably as part of pJan 17, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
