North Korean leader's sister warns S. Korea-US military exercise Kim Yo-Jong / YonhapThe sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un warned Sunday that annual summertime military drills between South Korea and the United States will cloud the future of inter-Korean relations. Kim Yo-Jong issued the warning in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, just days after the North restored long-severed communication lines with the South and raised hope for a new round of detente between the two sides."I surely see the military drill, which takes place at an important turning point like this, will become an unpleasant prelude to seriously hurting the will of the leaders of the North and South seeking to take the step toward rebuilding trust again and further clouding the path lying ahead for inter-Korean relations," Kim said."Our government and military will closely watch whether South Korea will carry out their hostile war exercise once again or make a bold decision," she added. "Hope or despair? The decision is not upon us."South Korea and the U.S. are expected to hold the annual summertime joint military exercise in August, though Seoul's Aug 1, 2021
Seoul faces dilemma in upcoming joint military drill North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un presides over the first workshop of the commanders and political officers of the Korean People's Army (KPA) held in Pyongyang from July 24 to 27, in this photo released by the country's state-run Korean Central Television, Friday. YonhapJoint exercise emerges as key variable in thawing inter-Korean relationsBy Jung Da-min Whether South Korea and the United States will carry out their annual summertime joint military exercises scheduled for August could affect the development of inter-Korean relations, according to North Korea watchers, Sunday.Inter-Korean relations, which had been stalemated for some time and were exacerbated by North Korea blowing up a building housing the inter-Korean joint liaison office in Gaesong in the North in June 2020, have shown signs of a thaw with the two countries restoring communication hotlines, July 27, the 68th anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.Moon Sung-mook, a senior researcher at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said a reconciliatory mood between the KoAug 1, 2021
North Korea's food shortage to worsen in next 4 months: UN report Farmers on the Chongsan-ri Cooperative Farm in Nampho, North Korea, start planting rice for this year, May 12, 2020. APNorth Korea's food security situation is expected to deteriorate in the next four months, according to a U.N. report that cited limited humanitarian access and trade disruptions as key factors leading to the country's widening food gap. In a joint report released Friday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) forecast that the North is expected to face a food shortage of around 860,000 tons this year, equivalent to approximately 2.3 months' worth of food consumption."Concerns are mounting over the food security situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, due to strained access and the potential impact of trade limitations, which may lead to food gaps," the report on the August to November outlook said, referring to the North by its official name. North Korea was among six countries added to the list of "hunger hotspots" compared with the agencies' previous report released in March. The North has tightened border controlJul 31, 2021
North Korea's economy shrinks 4.5% in 2020 amid pandemic: BOK A bridge linking North Korea with China over Aprok River / Korea Times fileNorth Korea's economy is estimated to contract 4.5 percent on-year in 2020, marking the worst contraction since 1997, as Pyongyang closed its borders over the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea's central bank said Friday. The North's economy, which has been hit by tightened U.N. sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs, expanded 0.4 percent in 2019, but shrank 4.1 percent in 2018 and 3.5 percent in 2017, the Bank of Korea (BOK) said in a report. Last year, North Korea suffered its biggest economic contraction since 1997, when the North's economy shrank 6.5 percent amid a "arduous march," a term used by the North that describes hardships of its people during the famine in the 1990s. The North's economic contraction last year was led by "intense U.N. sanctions, deteriorating weather conditions and border lockdowns over the COVID-19 pandemic," a BOK official told reporters. The BOK's annual report is based on data from South Korean institutions specializing in North Korea, which does not publish official econoJul 30, 2021
South Korea proposes talks with North Korea about setting up video conferencing system: minister Unification Minister Lee In-young / YonhapSouth Korea has conveyed a proposal to North Korea, through a recently restored liaison hotline, to discuss ways to set up a virtual conference system for inter-Korean talks, Unification Minister Lee In-young said Friday.The proposal was made Thursday via the hotline restored Tuesday after nearly 14 months of suspension, and the North received a document containing the South's offer, he said. "Yesterday, we proposed discussing the issue of setting up the system for virtual talks through our liaison office and the North has received a document of our proposal," Lee told reporters during a press conference in Seoul."We hope North Korea will respond positively to our proposal so that we can set up a virtual conference system at an early date," he said.Lee said the government will try to complete setting up the system for virtual talks or "safe in-person talks" as soon as possible to move the stalled talks forward amid the global coronavirus pandemic."Now that the communication channels have been restored between the two Koreas, we will now discuJul 30, 2021
North Korea's trade down 73.4 percent in 2020: KOTRA A bridge linking North Korea with China over Aprok River / Korea Times fileNorth Korea's annual trade plunged a whopping 73.4 percent in 2020 from a year earlier, as the country shut down its border amid the COVID-19 pandemic, data showed Thursday.The combined amount of North Korea's trade came to US$863 million in 2020, compared with $3.24 billion tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the state-run Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)."The decrease came as both exports and imports lost ground after North Korea closed down its border amid COVID-19, coupled with the prolonged economic sanctions from the United Nations," the KOTRA said in a report.Outbound shipments came to $89 million, plunging 68 percent from $278 million posted in 2019. Imports also slid 74 percent over the period to reach $774 million, leading to a trade deficit of $684 million.The trade deficit, meanwhile, improved from the previous year as imports decreased at a faster pace.North Korea's main export products included steel, mineral oil and watch products. Among major import goods weJul 29, 2021
North Korean leader says 'kindred ties' with China will last for generations In this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, July 28. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un stressed that "kindred ties" with China will carry on generation after generation as he visited a monument symbolizing friendly relations between the two countries, state media said Thursday.On Wednesday, Kim visited the Friendship Tower in Pyongyang, which was erected to commemorate China's participation in the 1950-53 Korean War, and sent a wreath to mark the 68th anniversary of the armistice that ended the war, the Korean Central News Agency said."The noble soul and exploits of the Chinese people who aided the sacred historic struggle of the Korean people at the cost of their blood when the DPRK was undergoing the harshest and most difficult trials will remain immortal," Kim was quoted as saying."The DPRK-China friendship forged as kindred ties will be firmly carried forward generation after generation on the road for the common cause," he said, referring to the North's official name, the DemocrJul 29, 2021
'Hotline restoration between two Koreas shouldn't be overplayed' An official from South Korea's Ministry of Unification makes a call to his North Korean counterpart at the Seoul branch of the joint inter-Korean liaison office, Tuesday, after the two Koreas restored their lines of communication. Courtesy of Ministry of UnificationCheong Wa Dae denies reports on inter-Korean summit planBy Nam Hyun-wooThe restoration of communication hotlines between South and North Korea, Tuesday, has led Seoul and Washington to express optimism about a potential reconciliatory mood on the Korean Peninsula. However, experts said, the government here should not get too excited over the resumption of inter-Korean calls, noting that the North may only be reaching out to address its economic difficulties, food supplies and COVID-19 vaccinations, rather than for candid talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula“I think we have to view this as a positive sign for inter-Korean relations ― but not to get too excited about any sort of breakthrough just yet,” Harry Kazianis, senior director at the Center for the National Interest, told The Korea Times vJul 28, 2021By Nam Hyun-woo
Two Koreas in talks over summit: Reuters President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / YonhapNorth and South Korea are in talks to reopen a joint liaison office that Pyongyang demolished last year and hold a summit as part of efforts to restore relations, three South Korean government sources with knowledge of the matter said.South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have been exploring ways to improve strained ties by exchanging multiple letters since April, the sources said on condition of anonymity due to diplomatic sensitivity.The discussions signal an improvement in ties that have deteriorated in the past year after three leaders' summits in 2018 promised peace and reconciliation.Inter-Korean talks could also help restart stalled negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington aimed at dismantling the North's nuclear and missile programmes in return for sanctions relief.The issue is key for Moon, who is facing declining support in his final year in office. Moon staked his legacy on improving relations with North Korea and helped set up historic meetings between Kim and then U.S.Jul 28, 2021
US welcomes reopening of inter-Korean communication lines as 'positive step' A TV shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Moon Jae-in during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, July 27. North Korea reopened its communication channels, including a military hotline, with South Korea on Tuesday (Seoul time). AP-YonhapThe United States welcomes the reopening of direct communication lines between the two Koreas, a State Department spokesperson said Tuesday, calling it a "positive step."The remarks come after North Korea reopened its communication channels, including a military hotline, with South Korea on Tuesday (Seoul time)."The United States supports inter-Korean dialogue and engagement and welcomes today's announcement on the restoration of inter-Korean communications lines," the department spokesperson said in an email to Yonhap News Agency, asking not to be identified. "This is a positive step."Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, later echoed the sentiment, also highlighting the importance of dialogue in dealing with the reclusive North."I will also say that diplomacy and dialogJul 28, 2021
