China should help steer North Korea toward denuclearization: Pentagon spokesman Pentagon spokesman John Kirby / AP-YonhapChina has the ability to help steer North Korea toward a diplomatic solution of its nuclear standoff, the Pentagon Press Secretary said Monday.John Kirby insisted one way for China to do so would be to faithfully implement U.N. Security Council sanctions on the North."China does have influence in Pyongyang and we all, the international community, would like to see them use that influence in a constructive way to put some bite into the sanctions that are already in place under the U.N. Security Council," the defense department press secretary said in a daily press briefing."They have influence and they should use that influence to help steer North Korea towards a diplomatic solution to this and the denuclearization of the peninsula, which, one has to assume, is also in China's interest as well," he added.His remarks follow a series of missile tests by North Korea, which prompted strong condemnations from the U.S. and many other countries.China, on the other hand, has kept mostly silent, while it has also been criticized by the U.S. and others fNov 9, 2021
Yoon says he is open to inter-Korean summit, but not 'for show' Yoon Suk Yeol delivers his speech after being chosen as presidential election candidate of the main opposition People Power Party in Seoul, Nov. 5. AP-YonhapYoon Seok-youl, the presidential nominee of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), has said he is open to meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a summit but is not interested in doing it "for show."Yoon made the remark during an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Sunday, saying a summit should be held when it is expected to lead to concrete results."I will always leave it open, but I won't do it for show," Yoon said when asked about the possibility of an inter-Korean summit in the event he is elected president on March 9."Doing something for show ahead of local elections doesn't suit me. If you're not honest, it's bound to show soon. When you can fully expect there to be actual progress, then you can have a summit," he said.Yoon, a former prosecutor general under President Moon Jae-in, accused the current administration of having "no commitment" to denuclearizing North Korea."If we, as a country directly involNov 8, 2021
North Korean troops stage artillery fire competition In this photo distributed by North Korea's official KCNA, Pak Jong Chon, left, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau, watches artillery fire competition, Nov. 6. YonhapNorth Korean mechanized troops held an artillery fire competition over the weekend as part of efforts to boost the country's defense capabilities, state media reported on SundayThe drills were conducted on Saturday, state news agency KCNA said, and come as North Korea increasingly complains over what it sees as a double standard where its military activities invite international criticism when similar exercises by South Korea and the United States usually do not.Analysts say Pyongyang is seeking to normalize its defense activities, with the aim of eventually winning international acceptance of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile arsenals, which have been sanctioned by U.N. Security Council resolutions.Much of North Korea's large conventional artillery force is deployed along the fortified border with South Korea, where they have the range to reach as far as the heavily populated capital city of Seoul. TNov 7, 2021
Four out of 10 North Koreans undernourished: FAO gettyimagesbankMore than four out of 10 North Koreans are suffering from undernourishment, a recent U.N. report showed, as the impoverished country struggles from chronic food shortages. According to the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 10.9 million people, or 42.4 percent of North Korea's total population, were estimated to have been undernourished between 2018 and 2020.The figure is up from 33.8 percent reported from 2004 to 2006.North Korea has suffered chronic food shortages that have been apparently aggravated in recent years due to typhoons, flooding and other abnormal weather conditions, according to multiple reports and sources.Though North Korea claims to be coronavirus-free, its tight border controls to stave off COVID-19 are also believed to be taking a toll on food supplies. Last week, the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, called for international cooperation to help improve the North's food situation, warning that the global food crisis is expected to worsen in the years to come due to the pandemic. (Yonhap)Nov 5, 2021
North Korea calls for thorough wintertime anti-virus measures Students wearing face mask go to the Kumsong Secondary School No. 2 in Pyongyang, North Korea, Nov. 3. AP-YonhapNorth Korea called Thursday for thorough preventive measures against COVID-19 for the winter season.The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's Workers' Party, highlighted the importance of remaining vigilant against the pandemic, saying the virus can be transmitted even through falling snow."In the winter season, it is important to be aware as ever to make thorough anti-virus measures," it said.The newspaper described virus control and prevention steps during the winter as an "important political" project to determine whether progress would be made in the first year of the North's five-year economic plan.At the country's eighth party congress in January, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un unveiled a new development scheme focusing on self-reliance amid strict border controls against the virus and global sanctions on its economy.The reclusive regime has claimed to be coronavirus-free and has so far reported no COVID-19 cases to the World Health Organization. (Yonhap)Nov 4, 2021
Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea this winter because he is from 'warm country': presidential spokeswoman Pope Francis waves during the weekly Angelus prayer in The Vatican, Oct. 31. AFP-YonhapPope Francis is unlikely to visit North Korea in the winter, although it is difficult to predict when the trip will happen, the Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson said Tuesday.President Moon Jae-in asked the pope during their meeting at the Vatican last week to visit North Korea to help foster peace on the Korean Peninsula. The pope responded that he would do so if he received an invitation from the North."Various efforts are under way, but it's difficult to predict the timing," Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee told KBS radio by phone from Europe where she was accompanying Moon. "The pope is from Argentina, which is a warm country, so my understanding is that it's difficult for him to travel in the winter." Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Park Kyung-mee / YonhapMoon made the request to the pope at a time when he is also seeking international support for a declaration that will formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.The Moon administration hopes to use such a Nov 2, 2021
Seoul to offer Pyongyang to start working on forestry cooperation gettyimagesbankThe unification ministry on Tuesday vowed efforts to push for inter-Korean cooperation in the forestry sector as agreed to in an earlier deal, after President Moon Jae-in again stated on the global stage that Seoul will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the peninsula in cooperation with Pyongyang.Moon was addressing an annual U.N. climate conference in Glasgow on Monday (local time) that brought together more than 100 world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a written message to the session.Asked if Seoul plans to make a new proposal to Pyongyang on forestry cooperation, a ministry official said implementing joint projects rolled out under a 2018 agreement would be a practical way to push for inter-Korean cooperation to cut greenhouse gas emissions.South and North Korea agreed on forestry cooperation during a summit in 2018 that included joint efforts on combating deforestation, research on seedlings and other countermeasures against natural disasters.But little progress has been made amid a stalemate in nuclear talkNov 2, 2021
Unification ministry to discuss resuming Panmunjom tours with UNC gettyimagesbankThe unification ministry said Monday it will begin discussions with the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) to resume tours to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom as South Korea began its "living with COVID-19" scheme meant to phase out coronavirus restrictions amid a rising vaccination rate.Tours to Panmunjom, or the Joint Security Area (JSA), were suspended in July after health authorities imposed the toughest virus curbs in the greater Seoul area, home to half of the country's 52 million population."We are beginning discussions with the UNC and other related organizations on the resumption of tours to Panmunjom," ministry spokesperson Lee Jong-joo said during a regular press briefing. The move is in line with South Korea's implementation of its first step to get back to normal life Monday on the back of a rising vaccination rate at over 75 percent. Under the living with COVID-19 policy, South Korea plans to lift most of the virus curbs in phases by the end of January. (Yonhap)Nov 1, 2021
North Korea accuses South Korean entertainment industry of helping Netflix A scene from Netflix's smash hit series, “Squid Game” / Courtesy of NetflixNorth Korea accused the South Korean entertainment industry on Sunday of working in favor of U.S. companies, such as Netflix, through "unfair" deals.The North's propaganda outlet, Meari, said South Korean entertainment firms have turned to Netflix to improve their margins amid a business slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.It did not mention the South Korean-made hit Netflix series "Squid Game," but the article follows recent controversy in South Korea over the way the U.S. streaming giant makes deals."Numerous South Korean works, including films and TV series, are being shown on Netflix and earning billions of dollars, but the South Korean film production companies only receive about 10 percent of their production cost," Meari said, describing the arrangement as an "unfair contract.""They are only filling the stomachs of American companies," it said.The outlet also claimed that a growing number of South Koreans are upset that their cultural works are being reduced to money-making machines for U.Oct 31, 2021
No one except for Moon rushing for talks with North Korea President Moon Jae-in presents Pope Francis with a cross made out of barbwire from the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea, during their meeting in Vatican City, Friday (local time). Courtesy of the VaticanWashington, Pyongyang may wait to see next Seoul administration's moveBy Nam Hyun-wooPresident Moon Jae-in is making a pitch for his Korean Peninsula peace initiative during his meetings with the pope and global leaders, but he is facing a limit in drawing desirable responses, as those leaders and countries are not feeling the same sense of urgency as Moon, whose presidency will end in May next year, in tackling North Korea issues.Moon met Pope Francis on Friday and asked him to visit North Korea to facilitate a peace mood in inter-Korean relations. The pope showed a positive response to the offer, saying he is willing to go if he receives an invitation from the North.“Moon told the pope that his visit to North Korea will become a momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula and Koreans are pinning high hopes on that,” presidential spokeswoman Park Kyung-mOct 31, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
