North Korea remains silent after Seoul-Washington summit President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden hold a press conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., Friday (local time), after their summit. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea has kept quiet on the results of last week's summit between South Korea and the United States, despite Washington's publicized commitment to diplomatic engagement with Pyongyang. Diplomatic observers said, Thursday, the Kim Jong-un regime will decide on whether to accept a U.S. dialogue call in accordance with how China responds to the summit. Also, they suggested keeping close tabs on the South Korean spy agency chief's trip to the U.S.On May 21 (local time), President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden held their first in-person summit at the White House and agreed to engage diplomatically with the North to work toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They also reaffirmed their commitment to previous inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea agreements ― the Panmunjeom Declaration and Singapore Joint Statement, both signed in 2018.In addition, U.S. Secretary of State Antony BlinkenMay 27, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Gov't moving to resume inter-Korean economic cooperation President Moon Jae-in poses with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden during their summit at the White House in Washington, D.C., Friday (local time). YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooFollowing President Moon Jae-in's summit with U.S. President Joe Biden that drew Washington's support for inter-Korean cooperation, the government here is providing glimpses of what it will do in its efforts to restore inter-Korean economic cooperation. However, it remains to be seen if any moves will proceed as planned, with the U.S. still standing firm against the easing or lifting of sanctions on North Korea, according to observers.According to the joint statement made after last week's summit, the two heads of state reaffirmed their commitment to previous inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea agreements ― the Panmunjeom Declaration and Singapore Joint Statement, both signed in 2018. This is being seen among advocates for inter-Korean engagement as the Biden administration possibly offering sanctions relief to facilitate economic cooperation between the two Koreas, which has been banned in part by international and U.S.May 26, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
South Korea's intelligence chief leaves for US to coordinate policy on North Korea National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won walks toward his departure gate at Incheon International Airport, May 26. YonhapSouth Korea's intelligence chief departed for the United States on Wednesday to discuss cooperation on North Korea after their leaders held a summit and agreed to diplomatically engage with Pyongyang, sources said. National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Park Jie-won was seen leaving Inchon International Airport, west of Seoul, earlier in the day for the U.S., according to the sources. Park is expected to meet CIA Director William Burns and other officials. He could also meet with Sung Kim, the new U.S. special representative for North Korea.Park's trip followed a summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington last week. The leaders reached a set of deals, including an agreement to take a diplomatic and pragmatic approach to the North's nuclear issue.Park recently visited Tokyo and met his U.S. and Japanese counterparts to reportedly discuss three-way cooperation on the North after the Biden administratiMay 26, 2021
3 out of 4 Americans view North Korea's denuclearization as 'important' issue: survey U.S. and North Korean national flags are seen at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa island in Singapore, June 12, 2018. Three out of four Americans view denuclearization of North Korea as an "important" issue that should be resolved, a survey showed Tuesday. Reuters-YonhapThree out of 4 Americans view denuclearization of North Korea as an "important" issue that should be resolved, a survey showed Tuesday.According to the survey of 1,000 American people by the Korea Economic Institute of America, a Washington-based think tank, 75 percent said it is "very important" or "important" for the United States to reach an agreement for North Korea's denuclearization.Of those surveyed, 54 percent supported a "preliminary deal" that would "partially" dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities, while 13 percent said they do not support such a deal.The survey showed that 69 percent of the respondents supported the U.S. following the lead of South Korea in denuclearization talks with North Korea, while 61 percent said that cooperation between Seoul and Washington is important in addressing NortMay 25, 2021
US waiting to see if North Korea wants to engage in diplomacy U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a news conference with Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab following their bilateral meeting in London, May 3, 2021 during the G7 foreign ministers meeting. Blinken said on Sunday the United States is waiting to see if North Korea wants to engage in diplomacy over the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Reuters-YonhapU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday the United States is waiting to see if North Korea wants to engage in diplomacy over the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday injected fresh urgency into attempts to engage North Korea in dialogue over its nuclear weapons, with Biden saying he would meet its leader Kim Jong Un under the right conditions."We are waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage," Blinken said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program. "The ball is in their court.""The best chance we have to achieve the objective of total denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is to engage diplomaticaMay 24, 2021
Biden makes strong case for engagement, but North Korea unlikely to react soon: experts In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a closing speech at the Sixth Conference of Cell Secretaries of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 8, 2021. APU.S. President Joe Biden has demonstrated a clear commitment to engaging with North Korea by appointing a special envoy to specifically deal with North Korea issues, but whether the North will come to the table in the near future remains to be seen, U.S. experts said Friday.In a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Biden announced his appointment of Acting Assistant Secretary of State Sung Kim as "U.S. special envoy for the DPRK" to "help drive all these efforts" toward denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea.Biden described Kim as a "career diplomat with deep policy expertise.""Appointing Sung Kim as special envoy to North Korea is one pragmatic step. He is an experienced diplomat and, along with the other Biden appointments for posts that mighMay 23, 2021
US Forces Korea nominee calls joint US-South Korea exercises 'extremely important' Gen. Paul LaCamera testifies at the Senate Armed Services Hearing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, May 18. UPI-YonhapJoint field exercises between South Korean and U.S. troops are extremely important to maintain their readiness, the nominee for commander of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Tuesday, adding he will work for the resumption of field exercises if confirmed.Gen. Paul LaCamera insisted in-person training gives the combined forces an opportunity to work with each other and thus build their trust."They are extremely important to build readiness, but they are also extremely important to allow that our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen get an opportunity to work with our ROK allies and see just how good they are," the Army general said at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea's official name.South Korea and the United States regularly hold joint military drills, but their exercises have largely been computer-simulated tabletop drills since the COVID-19 pandemic began early last yearMay 20, 2021
North Korea slams Japan for seeking to revise pacifist constitution A visitor views a dramatic nationalist painting at the National New Fine Art Talents Exhibition at the Okryu Exhibition Hall in Pyongyang, North Korea, May 11. AP-YonhapNorth Korea condemned Japan on Wednesday for pushing to revise its pacifist constitution, calling the move a “declaration of war against humankind.”The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) made the criticism as Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga mentioned the need to discuss the possible revision of its war-renouncing constitution earlier this month to officially recognize its self-defense forces by the law. “Japan has made desperate efforts to turn itself, which renounced war, into a war-capable country, remaining unchanged in its wild ambition for launching reinvasion to avenge the past defeat,” KCNA said in a commentary.Calling the move “a frontal challenge to global peace and an open declaration of war against humankind,” the North said it will “bring irreversible disasters to the world.” (Yonhap)May 19, 2021
US will build on Singapore agreement with North Korea: Campbell Kurt Campbell, White House policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific / YonhapThe U.S. administration of President Joe Biden will build on a 2018 summit agreement with North Korea, White House Asia czar Kurt Campbell said Tuesday, extending overtures to Pyongyang after completing a monthslong policy review on the North."Our policy review took a careful look at everything that has been tried before. Our efforts will build on Singapore and other agreements made by previous administrations," Campbell, White House policy coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said in a written interview with Yonhap News Agency.It marks the first time a ranking U.S. official has said on the record that the Biden administration will inherit the denuclearization agreement signed in Singapore by former President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June 2018.Under the landmark agreement, Kim committed to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the two sides also agreed to establish new relations and a lasting and stable peace regime on the peninsula. Trump and Kim held a secoMay 19, 2021
Economic incentives needed for North Korean denuclearization: experts North Korea experts from South Korea and the United States participate in an online seminar, Tuesday, held by the Seoul-based think tank Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to mark the publication of a special joint report titled “The Future of Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. Alliance.” Captured from the online seminarBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea watchers from South Korea and the United States have stressed the need to provide “economic incentives” to Pyongyang to encourage the reclusive country to take actions for denuclearization, Tuesday.But they added that until steps are taken by the North, international sanctions should remain in place.The Seoul-based think tank the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) co-organized a webinar Tuesday to mark the publication of a special joint report titled “The Future of Northeast Asia and the Korea-U.S. Alliance.”Discussing the prospects of the security siMay 18, 2021
