'BTS, BLACKPINK treated like slaves,' North Korean website says BTS, on top, performs during the KIIS-FM Jingle Ball concert on Dec. 6, 2019, in Inglewood, Calif. BLACKPINK, on bottom, performs a livestream concert in collaboration with YouTube on Feb. 7. AP / Courtesy of YG EntertainmentBy Ko Dong-hwanA North Korean news website reported earlier this month that K-pop idols in South Korea were being treated like “slaves” by large companies and living a “miserable life,” raising questions about why the isolated state made such claims.North Korea's propaganda website “Arirang-Meari” on March 13 updated its “Arirang News” section with a report headlined “South Korean youth singers owned by big companies forced to live miserably,” according to NK Economy, a South Korean online news outlet that first reported the news. The report, claiming to have cited South Korean news outlets, referred to K-pop artists in general as “youth singers” and, mentioning BTS and BLACKPINK as examples, said most of them sign exclusive contracts with large companies such as SM Entertainment at early ageMar 17, 2021By Ko Dong-hwan
North Korea strongly criticizes combined exercise By Kang Seung-wooPyongyang watchers gave mixed responses to North Korea's denunciation of an ongoing combined military exercise between South Korea and the United States, Tuesday, with some saying it had toned down its usual rhetoric against the annual drill to keep possible dialogue with the U.S. alive, while others claimed it indicated a return to confrontational inter-Korean relations.Kim Yo-jong / Korea Times fileAccording to the Korean Central News Agency, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued a statement critical of the joint military exercises that were launched March 8 for an 11-day run through Thursday. She warned of no replay of inter-Korean detente and an end to a military tension-reducing agreement.“We have stressed it several times and offered ample opportunity to them, exercising patience,” said Kim, who is in charge of dealing with Seoul and Washington.“Nevertheless, they opted for War in March and Crisis in March again under the eyes of all Koreans, instead of Warmth in March … the South Korea authorities Mar 16, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea unresponsive to US calls for dialogue: White House White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a news briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, March 12, 2021. EPANorth Korea continues to remain unresponsive to U.S. calls for dialogue, a White House spokesperson said Monday.Jen Psaki also said the U.S. will continue its diplomatic efforts to denuclearize North Korea while working closely with U.S. allies in the region."I can confirm that we have reached out. We obviously have a number of channels as we always have had that we can reach out through," Psaki told a press briefing.A senior U.S. administration official earlier told Yonhap News Agency that the Biden administration has attempted to reach out to North Korea through several channels, "starting in mid-February, including in New York."Pyongyang has a diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York. The other common channel is through Sweden, which has diplomatic ties with the North."But to date we have not received any response," the White House spokeswoman told the press briefing.The White House spokeswoman pointed out that North Korea has been unresponsive to U.Mar 16, 2021
North Korean leader's sister threatens to scrap military pact over South Korea-US joint drills Kim Yo-jong / YonhapThe powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened Tuesday to scrap a military peace agreement with South Korea and break up a Workers' Party organ tasked with inter-Korean dialogue as she lambasted the South for conducting military exercises with the United States.Kim Yo-jong also warned the new U.S. administration of President Joe Biden not to engage in such hostile acts, saying it better not do things that would "keep it from getting a good night's sleep" if it wants to sleep well for the next four years.It marked North Korea's first message toward the Biden government since its January inauguration. The statement also came ahead of planned trips to South Korea by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this week."South Korea has again chosen 'March of war' and 'March of crisis' instead of 'warm March' in front of all Korean people," Kim said in a statement carried by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. "Whatever the South will do by following its master, it will be not easy that the warm spring days of three years thatMar 16, 2021
ANALYSIS Why is Pyongyang unresponsive to Biden administration? North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un delivers his closing remarks during the first short course for chief secretaries of city and county party committees of the country's ruling Workers Party of Korea, held March 6, in this photo released by the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency the following day. KCNA-YonhapBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea watchers said it is not yet the right time for North Korea to accept Washington's calls for talks, while U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has yet to draw up its North Korea policy. According to a Reuters report, Saturday (local time), which cited a senior White House official, Washington has been reaching out to Pyongyang for behind-the-scenes diplomatic talks since mid-February but the reclusive regime has remained unresponsive.The report came days before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will travel to Tokyo and Seoul for talks with their Japanese and South Korean counterparts, through which Washington is expected to draw up its North Korea policy.Hong Min, a senior researcher at the staMar 14, 2021
North Korea unresponsive to behind-the-scenes Biden administration outreach: US official Pyongyang citizens visit the Mansu Hill to pay tribute to the bronze statues of their late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on the occasion of the 79th birth anniversary of Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021. AP North Korea has not responded to behind-the-scenes diplomatic outreach since mid-February by President Joe Biden's administration, including to Pyongyang's mission to the United Nations, a senior Biden administration official told Reuters on Saturday.The disclosure of the so-far unsuccessful U.S. outreach, which has not been previously reported, raises questions about how Biden will address mounting tensions with Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.It also adds a new dimension to a visit America's top diplomat and defense secretary will make next week to South Korea and Japan, where concerns over North Korea's nuclear arsenal are expected to be high on the agenda.The senior Biden administration offiMar 14, 2021
Debating North Korea policy gettyimagesbankBy Bruce KlingnerKorea watchers are anxiously awaiting both the Biden administration finishing its North Korea policy review and Pyongyang conducting its next provocation. Impatience with the former and fear of the latter have led experts to advocate for measures buying Pyongyang's continued inertia against committing further violations of U.N. resolutions. Bruce KlingnerLow-end recommendations call for announcing U.S. eagerness to resume dialogue while counseling Kim Jong-un to refrain from nuclear or long-range missile tests. More grandiose proposals include economic, security and diplomatic benefits as a catalyst to opening negotiations, as well as abandoning denuclearization as a goal. For decades, “what does North Korea want?” has been a common lament. Pyongyang's reticence to define what would induce it to reduce its arsenals led Washington, Seoul and others to proffer perks during negotiations and even as an enticement to “improve the atmosphere” to induce Pyongyang back to the table. Over the years, the United States and the internationaMar 12, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
COVID-19 gives excuse to Seoul for scaled-down combined drill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks as he concludes a four-day workshop or “short training course” for chief secretaries of the city and county party committees, March 6. YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooWhile COVID-19 has brought suffering to the whole world, North Korea seems to have become a beneficiary of the pandemic as the combined military drill between South Korea and the United States has been downsized due to the deadly disease. On Monday, Seoul and Washington kicked off their joint military training, but the nine-day exercise is proceeding as a computer-simulated command post exercise (CPX) only with no outdoor drills after the allies decided to scale it back, citing the coronavirus. Last year they canceled both spring and summer drills.In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in China in December 2019, North Korea quickly sealed off its borders to prevent the spread of the disease, but the border closing with China has been dealing a heavy economic blow to the country. However, the pandemic is easing the North's security concerns, given that Pyongyang routinely denouncesMar 11, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Ministry finalizes guidelines on leafleting ban to clarify scope of application North Korean defectors fly balloons with anti-Pyongyang messages written on them from near the inter-Korean border in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in April 2016. YonhapThe unification ministry on Tuesday announced finalized guidelines on a legislated ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea in an effort to ensure better interpretation of the law. The amendment to the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act, set to take effect later this month, has raised concerns that it could hurt freedom of expression and undercut efforts to send information into the reclusive North.Concerns have also been raised that the law could prohibit the sending of leaflets or other items to the North from a third country, such as China, which the ministry has denied."To clarify the definition, the guidelines announced today serve to stipulate that the law applies to cases in which items are sent from South Korea to North Korea," a ministry official said."That is from the southern side of the military demarcation line to the northern side, and the law does not apply to cases in which items are sMar 9, 2021
North Korean economic officials blame themselves for lack of progress in development plans North Korea's Vice Premier Kim Deok-hun, second from left, according to Korean Central News Agency on Mar. 4, visits a construction site for a new carbon-related chemical factory. YonhapNorth Korea's official newspaper on Tuesday carried contribution pieces by officials in the Cabinet and economic sectors holding themselves accountable for the lack of progress in economic development.The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, carried a contribution piece in a newly added section written by Jo Yong-dok, department director of the Cabinet, criticizing the lack of cooperation between industries."Production was hindered by the lack of cooperation among major economic sectors, including the metal, electricity, coal and transportation industries," Jo said. "The responsibility for this lack of cooperation and connection between economic sectors lies with the Cabinet officials," he added.Other officials working in the coal and thermal power industries also contributed articles in the paper, denouncing themselves for making unrealistic decisions and carrying out tMar 9, 2021
