Pyongyang revises party rules to highlight importance of powerful defense capabilities Members of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party participate in the fifth day of the party's eighth congress in Pyongyang on Jan. 9. YonhapNorth Korea has clarified the importance of powerful defense capabilities in containing military threats in its revised rules for the ruling Workers' Party, state media reported Sunday. The revision was adopted at the fifth-day session of the eighth party congress in Pyongyang on Saturday, a day after leader Kim Jong-un defined the United States as the country's "foremost principal enemy" and vowed to bolster its nuclear arsenal, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). "(The preface) clearly clarified that powerful defense capabilities would fundamentally contain military threats and safeguard the stability and peaceful environment of the Korean peninsula," the report said. The revision reflects the North's "unwavering stance" to establish a lasting peace on the peninsula and advance unification based on strong military power, KCNA said.Korea Central News Agency reported in July 2019 that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from righJan 10, 2021
Kim calls US 'biggest enemy,' vows to continue nuclear development North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the second day of the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Jan. 6. Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reiterated that the United States is the "biggest enemy" of his country, threatening to continue to advance his regime's nuclear capabilities, the North's state media said Saturday. Kim added that Washington's policy against Pyongyang won't change regardless of who is in the White House, saying that an end to its hostile stance will be the key to future relations between the two countries, according to the Korean Central News Agency.He made the remarks while reporting to the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party currently under way in Pyongyang, his first response to Joe Biden's election as the new U.S. president in November. They also came days before Biden's inauguration slated for Jan. 20."The report said that the key to the establishment of new North Korea-U.S. relations is the wiJan 9, 2021
South Korea in dilemma over joint military drill By Kang Seung-wooWith the need to achieve both an advancement in inter-Korean ties and recovery of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its military forces, the government here is in a quandary over how to program its springtime combined exercise with the United States.As part of efforts toward inter-Korean reconciliation, South Korea is advised to consider suspending or scaling down the annual joint exercise that North Korea denounces as a rehearsal for an invasion, but considering its plan to regain OPCON from the U.S., Seoul is also required to carry out a set of large-scale drills to verify its preparedness. On the one hand, the OPCON transfer, seen as the nation's restoration of military sovereignty, is one of the Moon Jae-in administration's major projects and it wants to take it over before the end of its term in May 2022. But on the other hand, the President also prioritizes engaging Pyongyang in his “peace efforts.” According to the Ministry of National Defense, the allies are in talks over how toJan 9, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea's leader vows to improve ties with outside world In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021. APNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the need to drastically improve his nation's ties with the outside world as he addressed a major political conference for the third consecutive day. State media said Kim also reviewed relations with rival South Korea but didn't elaborate on what steps he said he wanted to take. Observers had expected Kim to use the first congress of the ruling Workers' Party in five years to send conciliatory gestures toward Seoul and Washington as he faces deepening economic troubles at home. In his speech on the third day of the meeting Thursday, Kim ``declared the general orientation and the policy stand of our party for comprehensively expanding and developing the external relations,'' the Korean Central News Agency said Friday.Kim also examined relations with South Korea ``as required by the prevailing situation and the changed times,'' KCNA said.The congress is the party's top decision-making boJan 8, 2021
Kim vows to bolster North Korea's military at party meeting In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a ruling party congress in Pyongyang, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021. APNorth Korea leader Kim Jong Un vowed to strengthen the country's military defenses in a speech at a major ruling party meeting that provides insights into his priorities amid growing economic challenges and a U.S. presidential transition.Kim made clear his ``will to reliably protect the security of the country and people and the peaceful environment of the socialist construction by placing the state defense capabilities on a much higher level, and put forth goals for realizing it,'' the Korean Central News Agency said.The state media report Thursday on Kim's speech to the Workers' Party congress the previous day didn't elaborate. North Korea has previously underscored its need for nuclear weapons and missiles as a deterrent and a pre-emptive strike capability to cope with what it describes as American hostility. Cheong Seong-Chang, a fellow at the Wilson Center's Asia Program, said Kim's speech likely contained ``sensitive conJan 7, 2021
Kim Jong-un's admission of failure shows serious economic situation in North Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the eighth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, Tuesday, according the Korean Central News Agency, Wednesday. YonhapBy Do Je-hae North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's opening address at the eighth congress of the Workers' Party of Korea was marked by a rare public acknowledgement of mistakes in the leadership's five-year economic strategy from 2016 through 2020 amid three major disasters that hit the North ― the COVID-19 pandemic, international sanctions, and storm-related flooding and infrastructure damage.The five-year strategy was established to increase production in agriculture and light industry and normalize core industries such as coal, steel, railways, fisheries and machinery; improve the electricity supply problem through the construction of power plants and the repairing of power distribution networks; expand its trade and cooperation; and build more economic development zones and tourism projects.“The five-year strategic implementation period for national economic development ended last year, but we fell far short of theJan 6, 2021By Do Je-hae
North Korea begins party congress with leader's opening address North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gives a speech for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. YonhapNorth Korea has opened its first party congress in nearly five years, state media said Wednesday, amid expectations it will unveil its policy directions on economic development and foreign affairs for the next few years.Leader Kim Jong-un delivered an opening speech for the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang on Tuesday, admitting a failure to meet its previous five-year economic development plan and calling for self-reliance in boosting the country's strength, according to the Korean Central News Agency."The five-year economic development strategy period wrapped up last year, but the results in most areas fell extremely short of our goals," Kim said in the opening speech.Referring to "external and internal" challenges that hinder the country's development, Kim said boosting its own strength is "the most certain and the most fast" way to overcome the difficulties it is facing. The North KoreJan 6, 2021
North Korea may offer olive branch to US By Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea wants to forge a good relationship with the United States, according to a Wall Street Journal report, Thursday (local time), raising speculation that Pyongyang may return to nuclear talks with Washington.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un / YonhapThe media outlet said the reclusive state first reached out to a European Parliament Committee days ahead of the U.S. presidential election, Nov. 3, and Lukas Mandl, head of the European Parliament delegation, had a one-hour virtual meeting with the North Korean ambassador to Berlin in December. The report also said that the diplomat repeatedly stressed the North wanted to have good relations with the U.S. should the U.S. abandon its hostile policy against his country, but the North's stance was not negative, given that the North did not represent a darkening in its position on the incoming Joe Biden administration. Kim Jong-un has remained quiet on Biden's election. The denuclearization negotiations between them have been deadlocked since February 2019 when a summit between President Donald Trump and Kim ended witJan 2, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea ushers in New Year with public performance, fireworks North Korean people watch fireworks during the country's New Year's celebration at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Friday. / AP-YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooNorth Korea, plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, damage from typhoons and floods, as well as international sanctions throughout last year, began the New Year with a large-scale, crowded congratulatory event, Friday, despite its tough coronavirus restrictions. Pyongyang watchers believe the authoritarian country intended to show its regime was still holding up against the “triple whammy” and could control COVID-19 unlike other countries succumbing to the pandemic.The 50-minute show, broadcast live on state television, featured singing, dancing and fireworks, with crowds gathering at Kim Il Sung Square in the capital city. In addition, it also held a flag-hoisting ceremony at midnight when a bell rang to signal the start of the New Year. Although the North has celebrated the start of each year with such events since 2013, two years after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took power, the latest edition carried extra weight as theJan 1, 2021By Kang Seung-woo
North Korean leader sends handwritten New Year greetings to people YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un extended New Year's greetings in a short letter to the people Friday, apparently skipping his trademark address on the first day of the year ahead of a rare party congress expected to take place soon."I sincerely wish all the families across the country greater happiness and beloved people, good health. In the new year, too, I will work hard to bring earlier the new era in which the ideals and desires of our people will come true," Kim said in the letter carried by the Korean Central News Agency. "I offer thanks to the people for having invariably trusted and supported our Party even in the difficult times. Pledging once again that I will always remain faithful to the great people," he added.It was the first time for Kim to send such a letter since taking office after his father and late leader Kim Jong-il died in late 2011. It also marked the first time that a North Korean leader sent New Year Day's greetings to his people since 1995.Kim has delivered a televised speech on Jan. 1 almost every year to put forth his annual policy plans and directiJan 1, 2021
