US continues to seek dialogue with North Korea: White House White House press secretary Jen Psaki speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, Aug. 30. AP-YonhapThe United States continues to seek negotiations with North Korea to discuss a range of issues related to denuclearization, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki affirmed Monday.Her remark comes after the U.N. nuclear watchdog said the North appears to have restarted its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor at Yongbyon."We continue to seek dialogue with the DPRK so we can address this reported activity and the full range of issues related to denuclearization," Psaki said at a daily press briefing at the White House.DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in an annual report to its board of governors that the Yongbyon reactor may have been in operation since July.A senior U.S. administration official on Sunday said the U.S. was aware of the IAEA report and that it highlighted the urgent need for dialogue with North Korea.Psaki reiterated the need to resume dialogue with PyAug 31, 2021
IAEA report puts pressure on Seoul's bid to restart peace initiative This satellite photo released in May by 38 North, a U.S.-based website for analysis of North Korea, shows satellite imagery of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex. YonhapIAEA says North Korea appears to have restarted nuclear reactor in YongbyonBy Kang Seung-wooA recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report indicating that North Korea has restarted its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon is likely to pour some cold water on South Korea's efforts toward the early resumption of the stalled Korean Peninsula peace process, according to diplomatic observers, Monday. “Since early July, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor,” the IAEA said in its annual report, adding that there were no indications of reactor operation from early December 2018 to the beginning of July of this year.“The new indications of the operation of the reactor and the radiochemical laboratory are deeply troubling,” the report also said. The report comes as Noh Kyu-duk, the South Korean chief nuclear envoy, flew Aug 30, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea denounces South Korea, US over joint military drill, vows to strengthen war deterrence In this Aug. 5 file photo, military vehicles are parked at U.S. military base Camp Casey in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Provine. YonhapNorth Korea slammed South Korea and the United States over their recent summertime joint military drill, vowing to strengthen "war deterrence" strong enough to counter and remove any external threats.The North's foreign ministry issued the criticism in a statement Sunday as Seoul and Washington concluded the combined military exercise last Thursday, which was held in a scaled-back manner due to the coronavirus situation and peace efforts involving North Korea."The exercise of invasive war by the U.S. and South Korea has keenly reminded us again of the need to continue to strengthen our national defense and preemptive capabilities strong enough to cope with and remove external threats," the ministry said."We will endlessly accumulate our war deterrence as we will triumph over ever-growing military threats from the U.S. and stand up to recklessly rampant hostile forces on the principle of power for power," it added. North Korea has angrily responded to the reAug 30, 2021
Yongbyon nuclear reactor appears to be in operation: IAEA report This satellite photo released by the 38 North, a U.S.-based media focusing on North Korea, in May, shows satellite imagery of North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear complex. YonhapThe U.N. nuclear watchdog has detected "deeply troubling" indications that a key nuclear reactor at North Korea's main Yongbyon complex has been in operation since July, including the release of cooling water, an annual report showed Monday.Submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors on Friday, the report covered new developments of the five megawatt reactor, from which the North obtained spent fuel rods to extract plutonium ― a fissile material used for a bomb ― in the past.The report based on satellite imagery and other sources came as Seoul and Washington push to resume dialogue with the North, following its furious reactions to the allies' recently concluded annual military exercises."Since early July 2021, there have been indications, including the discharge of cooling water, consistent with the operation of the reactor," the report reads, noting there were no indications of such aAug 30, 2021
North Korea stresses close relations with Cuba on 61st anniversary of diplomatic ties In this 2018 November file photo released by North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel hold hands at Pyongyang International Airport. YonhapNorth Korea on Sunday stressed its close relations with Cuba and expressed continued support and solidarity on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties."For the last 60-odd years, the DPRK and Cuba have strengthened and developed the fraternal and comradely relations of mutual support and close cooperation on the sacred road of joint struggle for accomplishing the socialist cause," the North's foreign ministry said on its website.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.The North also said that it is "rejoiced" over Cuba's success in the "vigorous struggle to defend and advance the cause of socialism towards victory while smashing grave challenges from within and without.""We will, in the future, too, continue to extend full support and solidarity to the Cuban people in their just struggle and move forward hand Aug 29, 2021
Seoul, Washington expected to hold in-depth talks over humanitarian aid to Pyongyang Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea's chief nuclear envoy, leaves Incheon International Airport, for the United States, Sunday, to meet officials of the State Department and the White House National Security Council. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooSouth Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk's trip to the United States is raising speculation that Seoul and Washington are expected to discuss inter-Korean humanitarian projects in a more concrete way, according to diplomatic observers, Sunday. In addition, the two sides may also share ideas on the U.S. offering partial sanctions relief, in exchange for North Korea's partial steps toward denuclearization.Noh's four-day visit to Washington, D.C. is seen as carrying extra weight, given that it follows his American counterpart Sung Kim's official trip to Seoul last week. According to the foreign ministry, Noh plans to meet representatives from the State Department, the White House National Security Council and others, to follow up on discussions held with Kim here during his trip.“The government has had a series of in-depth consultations with the Joe BAug 29, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea remains unresponsive to South Korea's hotline calls even after joint exercise wraps up North Korea did not answer liaison calls from South Korea on Friday morning, a unification ministry official said, dashing hopes Pyongyang could pick up the phone now that joint military exercises between the South and the United States are over. YonhapNorth Korea did not answer liaison calls from South Korea on Friday morning, a unification ministry official said, dashing hopes Pyongyang could pick up the phone now that joint military exercises between the South and the United States are over.The calls via the inter-Korean liaison office went unanswered at 9 a.m., the official said. North Korea also refused to respond to the military communication channels in the eastern and western border regions.The inter-Korean communication lines were restored late last month following a yearlong severance after President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to improve their chilled ties amid little progress in nuclear negotiations.For two weeks, however, the North has not answered daily phone calls in apparent protest against the joint drills.Observers earlier had raised the pAug 27, 2021
North Korea's main paper urges ideological education for youth ahead of anniversary Youths and students attend a dance party to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the late leader Kim Jong Il's first field guidance for the revolutionary armed forces at the plaza in front of April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. AP-YonhapNorth Korea's main newspaper on Friday stressed the importance of ideological education for younger generations ahead of the county's Youth Day, urging officials to look out for any "exotic elements" in their lifestyles.The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal in an editorial, referring to the youth as a generation vulnerable to capitalistic ideas and foreign culture as they have "never experienced the hardships of a revolution.""The hostile forces are obsessed over schemes to infiltrate their reactionary ideology and culture to corrupt the new generations both mentally and morally," it said.The paper called on officials to stay "sensitive in capturing the psychological changes" of the youth and warned against overlooking even the slightest "exotic elements."The North hasAug 27, 2021
North Korean propaganda outlet denounces South Korea-US military drill as 'playing with fire' North Korean soldiers in Gaepung County, North Hwanghae Province are seen from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Aug. 20. YonhapA North Korean propaganda outlet on Thursday slammed South Korea and the United States over their summertime joint military drill, calling it "a dangerous playing with fire" that heightens tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Uriminzokkiri made the criticism as the allies were set to conclude their nine-day combined military exercise Thursday, which has been held in a scaled-back manner due to the coronavirus situation and peace efforts involving North Korea."The joint military drill is evidently aimed at intentionally worsening situations on the Korean Peninsula and a dangerous playing with fire underway as part of efforts to complete the preparations for invasion of the North," the website said. The website denounced South Korea, in particular, for making a "thinly-veiled excuse" to justify its "invasion act of crime" in collusion with the outside forces by saying the drill is defensive in nature. Pyongyang haAug 26, 2021
North Korea to hold Supreme People's Assembly session next month: state media In this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, Aug. 26, North Korea holds the 16th Plenary Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang. YonhapNorth Korea will convene a meeting of its rubber-stamp legislature in Pyongyang next month to discuss adopting laws on youth education and modifications to the national economic plan, state media said Thursday.The standing committee of the Supreme People's Assembly met in Pyongyang on Tuesday and decided to convene an SPA session on Sept. 28, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.The KCNA said the session will discuss the issue of "adopting the law on developing cities and counties and the law on ensuring education of young people, the issue of modification and supplementation of the law on national economic plan, the issue of inspecting and supervising the enforcement of the law on recycling and the organizational issue."The session comes as the North has recently stressed the importance of ideological education for the youtAug 26, 2021
