North Korea ignores South Korea, US due to domestic issues: experts North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center in the front row, visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and his grandfather, Kim Il-sung and his father, Kim Jong-il, are enshrined, on New Year's Day, Saturday. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooDiplomatic observers said, Sunday, North Korea's domestic challenges, such as COVID-19 and poor economic conditions, had led its leader to shy away from addressing South Korea and the United States in his closely watched year-end speech, adding that this situation is expected to continue for some time.However, they added that Pyongyang made it clear that it was on course for the development of nuclear and missile programs that may negatively affect South Korea's push to declare a formal end to the Korean War.The Stalinist state wrapped up the five-day, fourth Plenary Meeting of the eighth Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, Friday, but Kim Jong-un made few references to foreign policy and relations with Seoul and Washington, contrary to expectations that he would unveil the direction of the country's international reJan 2, 2022By Kang Seung-woo
Rights watchdog rejects petition over gov't decision to penalize defector group over leafleting campaign In this December 2020 file photo, a group of defectors fly balloons containing anti-North Korea leaflets at a border village of Paju, Gyeonggi Province. YonhapThe state human rights watchdog has rejected a petition accusing the government of a human rights violation over its decision to revoke the license of an anti-North Korea group of defectors for sending propaganda leaflets across the border, sources said Sunday.The petition was filed with the National Human Rights Commission in June last year after the unification ministry decided to revoke the license of Fighters for a Free North Korea and to file a criminal complaint against its head, Park Sang-hak, for sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North.The ministry argued at the time that the leafleting campaign violated the law banning the sending of goods to the North without government permission, and endangered the safety of residents living near the border by provoking the North to threaten retaliatory action against the leafleting.The petitioner, whose identify was not made public, claimed that the ministry's decision repreJan 2, 2022
North Korean leader visits mausoleum of grandfather, father to mark new year In this photo released by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Jan. 2, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, front row, visits the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father, Kim Jong-il, are enshrined, on New Year's Day. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has visited the mausoleum of his late grandfather and father in his first reported public activity this year, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday. Kim paid tribute at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of state founder and his grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father, Kim Jong-il, are enshrined, on the occasion of the start of the new year, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a plenary session of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, which ranJan 2, 2022
North Korea focuses on economy in 2022 policy direction, skips specific messages on South Korea, US North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over a plenary session of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, during meetings which ran from Dec. 27 to 31, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap North Korean officials noted the "growing instability" of the military situation on the peninsula and emphasized the importance of boosting the country's defense capabilities at Workers' Party plenary sessions held earlier this week, according to Pyongyang's state media Saturday.The North, however, stopped short of providing the outside world with fresh clues to its key policies related to inter-Korean ties and denuclearization talks with the United States. During the five-day 4th Plenary Meeting of the party's 8th Central Committee that concluded Friday, participants described the continued development of advanced weapons systems as a "significant" achievement for 2021. Leader Kim Jong-un attended the meetingsJan 1, 2022
North Korea has final review on draft resolution for year-end party plenary In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Dec. 27. AP-YonhapNorth Korea has discussed a draft resolution expected to be adopted at the close of an ongoing key party meeting, its state media reported Friday, amid expectations the document could include its foreign policy line for the New Year.The North convened a fourth day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's 8th Central Committee on Thursday, during which participants "concluded sectional workshops and consultative sessions," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).The participants launched sectional workshops Tuesday to "map out plans according to the fighting policies set forth" by leader Kim Jong-un under his report "on the orientation of the work of the party and state in 2022." "The meeting put together constructive opinions to be added to a draft resolution and had final examination of them," it said.The KCNA did not provide details, but the resolutDec 31, 2021
North Korea's leader looks slimmer than ever In this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Dec. 29, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a plenary session of the Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Dec. 28. YonhapBy Yoon Ja-youngNorth Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, seems to be have reached his lowest weight in at least the past few years. In a photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Dec. 29, Kim was wearing a black suit with a white button-down shirt and silver tie, while attending a plenary session of the Workers' Party. The photo immediately drew attention, as there was some space between his neck and the shirt. Previously, he has rarely worn button-down shirts and even if he has, they looked very tight around the neck.Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) reported in a parliamentary audit in October that Kim had shed around 20 kilograms compared to 2019, when he weighed 140 kilograms (308 pounds). However, he seems to be even slimmer, compared to in October, when there was no space between his neck and shirt. In fact, his neck even seemed to be covering part of the Dec 30, 2021By Yoon Ja-young
North Korea discusses next year's budget at party plenary In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Dec. 28. AP-YonhapNorth Korea had high-profile discussions on key policy issues for 2022 during a year-end plenary session of the Workers' Party, with senior officials, including those in charge of inter-Korean relations and foreign affairs in attendance, according to its state media Thursday. The North convened a third day of the 4th Plenary Meeting of the party's 8th Central Committee on Wednesday, during which "sectional workshops" continued from the previous day to "map out plans according to the fighting policies set forth" by leader Kim Jong-un, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.Kim presided over the first- and second-day sessions of the plenary and made a report "on the orientation of the work of the party and state in 2022."The KCNA did not provide details, but it released photos of a workshop led by Kim Yong-chol, head of the United Front Department and the North's Foreign Minister RDec 30, 2021
Inter-Korean summit unlikely at Beijing Olympics: FM Foreign Affairs Minister Chung Eui-yong speaks during a press conference at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, Wednesday. YonhapSeoul, Washington agree on draft of end-of-war declarationBy Kang Seung-wooThe South Korean government's hopes to hold another inter-Korean summit and eventually improve its ties with North Korea on the occasion of the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics is unlikely to be realized, its foreign minister said, Wednesday.However, he added that South Korea and the United States have practically agreed on a draft version of Seoul's proposed declaration to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War. “Although the South Korean government had hoped to take advantage of the Beijing Games to gain momentum in normalizing frayed inter-Korean ties, things are virtually running counter to expectations at this moment in time,” Foreign Affairs Minister Chung Eui-yong said during a press conference at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul. In the lead-up to the Winter Olympics starting Feb. 4, the Moon Jae-in administration had sought to use the quadrennial sporting eveDec 29, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea's party plenary discusses rural development in 2nd-day session In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Dec. 27. AP-YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has presided over the second-day session of a key party plenary to discuss rural development measures, Pyongyang's state media reported Wednesday amid its drive to tackle nagging economic woes.During the meeting held Tuesday, Kim "set forth medium- and long-term development strategies and major tasks for attaining the grand goal of rural development in line with the realistic conditions and the requirement of the times," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea opened the 4th Plenary Meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's 8th Central Committee on Monday amid expectations Pyongyang could unveil its new policy directions on the economy and foreign affairs for the new year.Tuesday's meeting dealt with "rural questions" to which Kim took "important revolutionary measures," the KCNA said without elaborating on what they wDec 29, 2021
North Korea's Kim convenes key party meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presides over the plenary of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee in Pyongyang on Dec. 27, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported Dec. 28. YonhapNorth Korea has kicked off a key ruling party meeting to decide on "strategic and tactical policies," its state media said Tuesday, amid expectations the session could serve as a venue to unveil Pyongyang's major policy directions for the New Year.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presided over the plenary of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee held the previous day, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."The plenary meeting is to review the implementation of main Party and state policies for the year 2021 and discuss and decide on the strategic and tactical policies," the KCNA said. The meeting "approved the agenda items and went into the discussion of them," the report said without further elaboration, indicating that the event may continue for multiple days.The North's previous plenary meetings were held for one to four days.The meeting has drDec 28, 2021
