Sister of North Korean leader slams South's 'idiot' authorities Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attends the congress of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang on Tuesday, state media reported Wednesday. YonhapThe influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un slammed authorities in Seoul over their tracking of a possible military parade in Pyongyang at the weekend, the North's state media reported Wednesday."The southerners are a truly weird group hard to understand," Kim Yo Jong, a key adviser to her brother, said in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency. "They are the idiot and top the world's list in misbehaviour."Her comments accompanied the end of the North's ruling party congress, a key political event at which Kim Jong Un pledged to further develop his country's nuclear capabilities and admitted mistakes over the handling of the economy.Kim Yo Jong had appeared to suffer a demotion at the meeting, not appearing on the lists of those appointed to the party central committee, after previously being an alternate member.But the issuing of a statement in her own name is an Jan 13, 2021
North Korean officials seen wearing masks at party congress after days of no-mask sessions North Korean officials who participated in the seventh day of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party on Jan. 11 in Pyongyang are seen wearing masks in these photos released by the Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday. YonhapNorth Korean officials participating in the ongoing party congress were seen wearing face masks in their latest meetings for the first time since its opening last week, raising questions over its standards on antivirus guidelines. Photos released by state media on Tuesday showed North Korean officials in blue face masks at the seventh-day session of the party congress as they were participating in consultative meetings the previous day.The delegates were seen sitting in close proximity, but most of them covered their faces with masks up to their nose. The consultative meetings on various fields, including military affairs, were held in smaller rooms than the main hall where the previous sessions had been held since the congress kicked off on Jan. 5. In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, attends tJan 12, 2021
North Korea, China have no respect for human rights: Pompeo U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits the White House on an apparent family tour in Washington, U.S. December 11, 2020. REUTERS-YonhapCountries like North Korea and China have no respect for human rights and oppose other universal values such as democracy, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday."Governments like those in China, Iran, North Korea, they don't have the respect for the universal dignity of every human being in the way that America does," the top U.S. diplomat said in a speech at Washington-based Voice of America (VOA)."Indeed, that is what America was founded upon. Those regimes are anathema to everything that our nation stands for," he added.Pompeo insisted the U.S.' job, as well as that of its state-run media such as VOA, must be to promote American values."There are oppressed people all over the globe who still turn to America for hope," he told the meeting."We, we know the government exists to serve people. They, they believe that people exist to serve government," added Pompeo, referring to the governments of China, Iran and North Korea. "And VOA's worJan 12, 2021
Xi congratulates Kim Jong-un on election as 'general secretary,' calls for stronger ties North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave to people on a street in Pyongyang, June 20, 2019. Xi was on a two-day state visit to North Korea, June 20 and 21. AP-YonhapChinese President Xi Jinping sent a message congratulating North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his election as general secretary of the ruling party and called for strong relations between the two countries, Pyongyang's media said Tuesday.Xi noted that Kim's election "fully showed the trust, support and expectation of all the WPK members and other Korean people for him," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, referring to the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. He also expressed his will to "safeguard the regional peace and stability, development and prosperity" by strengthening relations at a time of "confusion and changes."In response, the North's ruling party expressed "sincere gratitude to the CPC Central Committee for sending a wholehearted congratulatory message to the congress ahead of others," KCNA said, referring to the Communist Party of China.It stressed that the ruling WorkJan 12, 2021
North Korea invites guests to celebrations of party congress, possibly including military parade North Korean artillery rolls past during a parade for the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018. YonhapOfficials and other guests have been invited to "celebrations" arranged to mark the ongoing party congress, Pyongyang's media reported Tuesday, raising the possibility that Pyongyang might be preparing to hold a military parade.On Monday, Seoul's military officials said signs were detected that the North carried out a military parade in central Pyongyang Sunday night in time for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party, which has been under way since its opening last week. State media, however, have not reported on such an event yet, spawning speculation that it might have been a rehearsal and a military parade could take place in the days to come. North Korea has usually broadcast live or aired recorded footage of military parades later.North Korean intercontinental ballistic missile “Pukguksong-4A” is being displayed during a North Korean military parade held in Pyongyang on Oct. 10, 2020 to celebrate thJan 12, 2021
North Korean leader seeks to build party-centered regime By Kang Seung-wooThe election of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea means that he will lead with a party-centered state system that Pyongyang believes will be helpful in cementing his authority, according to experts, Monday. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been elected as general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea. / YonhapThey also said the exclusion of Kim Yo-jong, the dictator's younger sister and the de facto No. 2 in the regime, from the list of alternate members of the party's political bureau is a matter of no great importance, adding she can come to the forefront at any time. According to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Monday, the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress, held on Sunday, unanimously adopted a decision on electing Kim as the party's general secretary, the same title used by his father Kim Jong-il and his grandfather, national founder Kim Il-sung. In the previous party congress in 2016, Kim, who took power in 2011, was endorsed as party chairman from the party's firJan 11, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
Demotion of North Korean leader's sister raises questions over her status Kim Yo-jong / Korea Times fileThe demotion of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's powerful sister at an ongoing party congress is raising questions over whether it signals any change in her status in the top echelons of power.During the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the leader's younger sister, was not listed as a member nor as an alternate member of the party's politburo, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Her absence on the politburo list drew a sharp contrast with South Korean intelligence authorities' assessment that the younger Kim is "the de facto No. 2 leader" steering overall state affairs. The National Intelligence Service made the assessment during a closed-door parliamentary briefing in August, with a prediction that she would be elevated to a higher party post in the rare congress, according to lawmakers. Observers said that it is premature to determine where Kim Yo-jong stands in the top party echelons based on the recent reshuffle, given her pedigree and the great trust the leader places in hJan 11, 2021
North Korea crowns leader Kim Jong-un as party's general secretary North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the congress of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang on Sunday, state media reported Monday. YonhapNorth Korea has endorsed leader Kim Jong-un as the general secretary of the ruling Workers' Party at its ongoing congress, state media said Monday, in an apparent move to tighten his grip on power.The election took place at the sixth-day session of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, following the North's revision of party rules to reinstate the secretariat system that was scrapped in 2016, according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "The 8th Congress ... unanimously adopted a decision on electing Kim Jong-un as general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea in reflection of the unanimous will and desire of all the delegates and other Party members, all the people and service personnel of the People's Army," the report said. The general secretary title was previously held by Kim's late predecessors, his grandfather Kim Il-sung and father Kim Jong-il. Since Kim took office following his father's death Jan 11, 2021
'Pyongyang developing nuclear-powered submarine poses threat to US territories' North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, center, speaks while inspecting a newly built submarine at an unknown location in North Korea, in this undated photo provided July 23, 2019, by the country's state-run Korean Central News Agency. AP-YonhapBy Jung Da-minAmong the messages from North Korea to the outside world during the 8th ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Congress which kicked off last Tuesday, defense watchers paid attention to remarks by the country's leader Kim Jong-un on his regime's nuclear war deterrent and self-reliant defense capabilities.In particular, an article by the state-run Korean Central News Agency which reported Kim had told the congress that “the design of the country's new nuclear-powered submarine was researched and was in the stage of final examination” drew attention. This was the first time for Pyongyang to admit that it was developing a nuclear-powered submarine.Defense experts said development of such a submarine would take at least several more years and thus does not pose an imminent threat to South Korea or any other neighboring countries.Jan 10, 2021
No breakthrough ahead for nuclear talks North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the ruling party congress in Pyongyang, Saturday. / AP-YonhapDeadlock in inter-Korean ties expected to continueBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un's long-awaited Workers' Party Congress message clarifying his “steadfast will” to develop his regime's nuclear program is throwing cold water on any gleam of hope for progress in the U.S.-North denuclearization talks ― even after the leadership change in Washington ― and possible developments in inter-Korean relations, according to Pyongyang watchers, Sunday.Negotiations on North Korea's denuclearization have been stalled since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in February 2019, and as a result, inter-Korean relations have also seen little progress as well. On Saturday, Kim delivered his message, through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), regarding his country's respective bilateral ties with the United States and the South. In particular, his comments on the U.S. carried extra weight as they were the first from Kim to Jan 10, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
