Kim Jong-un using 'president' as official English title State TV footage shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presiding over a party meeting, Feb. 8. YonhapBy Do Je-hae North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is now using “president” as his official title in English, instead of “chairman” as he has used in the past, according to the North's state media. The English service of the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has been using president rather than chairman since Feb. 12 a report about Kim's attendance at a Lunar New Year performance with leading members of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).Since then, the KCNA has been referring to him as the “general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).” The DPRK is North Korea's official name. “President Kim” appears in the latest English report about his visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, Wednesday, to mark the birthday of his late father, Kim Jong-il, whose body is displayed there alongside Kim Il-sung's.The change in his title followed the eighth party coFeb 18, 2021By Do Je-hae
US charges North Korean hackers in $1.3 billion theft scheme Kim Il, 27, one of three North Korean computer programmers charged with a massive hacking spree aimed at stealing more than $1.3 billion in money and cryptocurrency, is seen on a Federal Bureau of Investigation wanted notice released Feb. 17, 2021. Handout via ReutersJon Chang-hyok, 31, one of three North Korean computer programmers charged with a massive hacking spree aimed at stealing more than $1.3 billion in money and cryptocurrency, is seen on a Federal Bureau of Investigation wanted notice released Feb. 17, 2021. Handout via ReutersThe US Justice Department charged three North Korean military intelligence officials Wednesday in a campaign of cyberattacks to steal $1.3 billion in crypto and traditional currencies from banks and other targets.The first action against Pyongyang by President Joe Biden's administration took aim at what the department called "a global campaign of criminality" being waged by North Korea. The department accused the three of a wide-ranging hacking and malware operation to obtain funds for their government while avoiding punishing UN sanctions that have Feb 18, 2021
Reviving multilateral negotiations emerge as alternative to breaking deadlock on North Korea President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Joe Biden talked on the phone earlier this month and discussed Korean Peninsula issues. Korea Times fileBy Do Je-haeDuring the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump, talks on North Korea's denuclearization revolved primarily around the U.S. and North Korea. President Moon Jae-in has also put priority on mediating U.S.-North Korea talks, but the two summits between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not lead to fundamental progress on denuclearization. The lack of results during the Trump administration on North Korea and the urgency from Seoul to quickly resume peace diplomacy have resulted in renewed attention to the type of multilateral negotiating framework that was seen during in the late 1990s, such as the four-party talks with representatives from the two Koreas, the U.S. and China. Six rounds of negotiations were held in 1997 and 1998. The need for expanded talks has been highlighted particularly with the launch of the Biden administration. Two-way talks between North Korea and the U.S. are likely to remain sidelineFeb 18, 2021By Do Je-hae
Captured North Korean man crossed sea border in diving suit: Joint Chiefs of Staff A North Korean man, who was captured after crossing into South Korea, appears to have crossed the border via the sea while wearing a diving suit and a set of fins, the military said Wednesday.On Tuesday, the man was spotted moving south in the early hours inside a restricted area north of the Civilian Control Line in the eastern border town of Goseong before being captured following a three-hour manhunt.According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), he is likely to have swum across the maritime border to arrive near an observatory south of South Korean general outposts (GOPs) and passed through a drainage conduit to evade fences set up along the shore. The man was captured on the military's surveillance equipment multiple times after coming ashore but troops failed to take appropriate action and the drainage tunnel was also poorly equipped to prevent penetrations, JCS said. "We take this situation gravely and an onsite probe is under way with the ground forces command," the JCS said in a statement. "Depending on the probe results, we will come up with follow-up measures and take sternFeb 17, 2021
North Korean leader's wife makes 1st public appearance in over a year North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju attend a concert commemorating the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il on Tuesday, state media reported Wednesday. YonhapThe wife of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appeared in public for the first time in more than a year as she attended a concert commemorating the birthday of late leader Kim Jong-il, according to state media Wednesday.Ri Sol-ju was last seen in January last year when she attended a concert celebrating Lunar New Year's Day at the Samjiyon Theater in Pyongyang with leader Kim.On Tuesday, Kim and Ri watched the performance at Mansudae Art Theater commemorating the birthday of the late leader, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party.The paper released several photos of Kim and Ri smiling broadly as they enjoyed the performance with other officials.As the first lady, Ri was often seen accompanying Kim in his public activities in the past. In 2019, she was seen riding white horses up Mount Paekdu, considered one of the country's most sacred mountains, with Kim.She has also Feb 17, 2021
'North Korea attempted to steal Pfizer's COVID technology': spy agency National Intelligence Service Director Park Jie-won attends a session of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooNorth Korea has attempted to hack pharmaceutical giant Pfizer to steal its COVID-19 vaccine proprietary information, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Tuesday. “The spy agency briefed us the North tried to obtain technology involving the coronavirus vaccine and treatment by using cyberwarfare against Pfizer,” Rep. Ha Tae-keung of the main opposition People Power Party who is a member of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, said after a meeting of the committee with the NIS behind closed doors.He added the secretive state also attempted to hack into South Korean companies developing coronavirus vaccines; but did not elaborate on whether such attempts were successful.Pfizer's offices in Asia and South Korea did not make any immediate comment.The revelation comes despite the North's repeated claims it has zero cases of COVID-19, although outside experts doubt such assertions.AccordinFeb 16, 2021By Yi Whan-woo
Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, Japan hold phone talks on peninsula peace, denuclearization Korea's chief nuclear envoy Noh Kyu-duk spoke with his Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi on the phone to discuss cooperation for complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsular, Monday. Getty images bankSouth Korea's chief nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, spoke by phone with his Japanese counterpart on Monday to discuss cooperation for complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said.The talks between Noh and Takehiro Funakoshi, director-general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Tokyo's foreign ministry, came as Washington stresses the importance of trilateral cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo in addressing regional challenges, including the North Korean nuclear issue."The two sides exchanged views on ways for cooperation between South Korea and Japan, and among the South, the U.S. and Japan, to achieve progress in efforts for complete denuclearization and the establishment of enduring peace on the peninsula," the ministry said in a press release."The two sides agreed to continue close communication and cooperation regarding North KoreFeb 16, 2021By Kim Jae-heun
'Kim Jong-un wants Pope to visit North Korea' Pope Francis meets with Korean Ambassador to the Vatican Lee Baek-man in this October 2020 photo. Korea Times fileBy Do Je-hae Former Korean Ambassador to the Vatican Lee Baek-man has claimed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wanted a papal visit to his country following President Moon Jae-in's meeting with Pope Francis in October 2018.In a recent contribution to a web magazine here, Lee recounted some incidents involving North Korean officials that indicated Pyongyang's intention to increase exchanges with the Roman Catholic Church. In December 2018, a few weeks after Moon's meeting with the Pope during which an invitation to North Korea was mentioned, Kim Yong-nam, then the nominal head of state of North Korea, met with representatives of the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic organization which has provided humanitarian aid to North Korea, during their visit to Pyongyang. During the visit, the delegation met officials at North Korea's foreign ministry, according to Lee.The former envoy also said that he met with North Korean diplomats during a reception at a churchFeb 16, 2021By Do Je-hae
'Provision of Russian vaccines to North Korea viable option for better inter-Korean ties' Sputnik V vaccine / Reuters-YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooGangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon's proposal of manufacturing Russian COVID-19 vaccines in South Korea and providing them to North Korea is a feasible way to help normalize inter-Korean ties, according to Pyongyang watchers, Tuesday. However, they added that Seoul needs to come up with a creative and bold strategy to make such "vaccine diplomacy" happen, as the North is seeking to reduce dependence on its southern neighbor for humanitarian support and economic cooperation, as evidenced by its snubbing of the government's repeated calls for inter-Korean economic and public health cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon / Korea Times file“If we send vaccines from South Korea (which are made using Russian technology) ― and if Russia is a mediator in the process ― this could help improve inter-Korean relations,” Choi said in an interview with Russian state-owned news outlet Sputnik. Russia is one of the few allies of North Korea together with China. In November, South Korean biotFeb 16, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korean man captured after crossing inter-Korean border: Joint Chiefs of Staff A military checkpoint is seen in Goseong, Gangwon Province, Jan. 16. YonhapA North Korean man was caught after crossing into South Korea via the eastern part of the border, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday, amid a possibility that he could have sought to defect to the South. South Korean troops detected the man at around 4:20 a.m. through a CCTV surveillance camera as he was moving south near a military checkpoint located inside a restricted area north of the Civilian Control Line on the east coast, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).After a three-hour manhunt, the man was taken into custody around 7:20 a.m, it added. "The man is presumed to be a North Korean, and an investigation is under way in cooperation with related authorities into other details, such as how he ended up here and whether he has an intention to defect," JCS said in a statement."JCS is also checking the overall surveillance posture across the border. The North Korean military has not shown any unusual moves as of now," the statement read.It is not immediately known if he is a soldier or a cFeb 16, 2021
