North Korea's fury over leafleting shows it can never take mudslinging of Kim's leadership North Korean youth and students march from the Pyongyang Youth Park Open-air Theatre to Kim Il Sung Square during a protest demonstration to denounce South Korean authorities policy against North Korea and defectors from the north, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Monday, June 8, 2020. APNorth Korea's anger at propaganda leaflets flown across the border from South Korea shows how sensitive the autocratic regime is to criticism of leader Kim Jong-un, especially at a time of economic difficulties deepened by the coronavirus and sanctions.Pyongyang said earlier in the day it will cut off all phone lines with Seoul starting Tuesday noon, accusing Seoul of turning a blind eye to North Korean defectors and activists sending propaganda leaflets criticizing its leadership. Branding leafleting as a hostile act, the North also vowed to treat the South as an "enemy." "The disgusting riff-raff have committed hostile acts against the DPRK by taking advantage of the South Korean authorities' irresponsible stance and with their connivance," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, using the acronyJun 9, 2020
North Korea voices frustration over slow progress: experts A visitor carrying a South Korean flag uses binoculars to view the northern side at the Imjingak Pavilion in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 9, 2020. North Korea said Tuesday it will cut off all communication channels with South Korea as it escalates its pressure on the South for failing to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across their tense border. APNorth Korea's decision to cut off all inter-Korean communication lines appears aimed at voicing its pent-up frustration over South Korea's failure of advancing inter-Korean relations and also intended to strengthen its bargaining power in cross-border issues, experts said Tuesday.The latest hard-line move is also seen as efforts to close ranks and rally domestic support behind the Kim Jong-un regime through "South Korea bashing" as Pyongyang must be facing a double whammy of growing its anemic economy under the strain of global sanctions and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, they said.Earlier in the day, North Korea announced it will cut off all inter-Korean communications lines at noon Tuesday, including tJun 9, 2020
North Korea refuses to answer calls from South Korea after vowing to sever phone lines In this March 2, 2019, file photo, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam. APNorth Korea did not answer daily phone calls from South Korea via liaison and military hotlines on Tuesday after vowing to cut off all inter-Korean communication lines in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets sent from the South.The decision to sever all phone lines at noon Tuesday was the latest in a series of angry protests the communist nation has made since last week while blasting Seoul for failing to stop North Korean defectors from sending propaganda leaflets criticizing Pyongyang's leadership.Hours after announcing the decision, the North refused to answer a series of phone calls the South made Tuesday morning via liaison and military communication lines, officials at the unification and defense ministries said.The South tried unsuccessfully to call the North again at noon."The inter-Korean joint liaison office attempted to call North Korea at noon, but the North did not answer," the unification ministry said.ItJun 9, 2020
Kim Yo-jong emerges as N. Korea's No. 2 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim Yo-jong / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooKim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, seems to have established herself as the de facto “No. 2” in the reclusive state as she receives treatment almost equal to that of her older brother. In addition, she has officially become the leader's top person on inter-Korean affairs ― superior to the spokesman ― which helps her exert more influence in state affairs across the board.The Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the North's ruling Workers' Party, reported Sunday, that students held a mass rally in Pyongyang the previous day and read a statement issued by the younger Kim rebuking South Korea's failure to stop anti-North Korea propaganda leaflet campaigns. In the statement released Thursday, the North threatened to end a military agreement with South Korea made in 2018 unless Seoul prevents North Korean defectors and activists from flying leaflets into its country via balloons. In addition, the newspaper published contributions written by residents and sJun 8, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
S. Korea's liaison phone call to NK goes unanswered: ministry This Sep. 24, 2018, file photo shows the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong, North Korea, with the Korean unification flag hung on the exterior windows of the building. Joint Press CorpsNorth Korea did not answer a daily liaison phone call from South Korea on Monday for the first time since the opening of a joint liaison office in 2018, the unification ministry said, after Pyongyang vowed to abolish the office in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflets from the South.The lack of response deepened concerns that the North might be carrying out its threat to scrap the liaison office in protest of propaganda leaflets that defectors and other activists in the South fly across the border criticizing Pyongyang's leadership."This morning the liaison office attempted to call North Korea, but the North has not answered the call yet," the ministry's spokesperson Yoh Sang-key said at a regular press briefing. "This is the first time North Korea has not answered our calls.""We will attempt to call again this afternoon as planned," he added.Through the inter-Korean liaison office, the two Koreas hJun 8, 2020
Center opens to narrow inter-Korean cultural differences The Inter-Korean Cultural Integration Center, located in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, is aimed at helping North Korea defectors and local residents communicate through cultural activities and narrow their cultural differences. Courtesy of Ministry of UnificationBy Kang Seung-wooA center designed to promote cultural exchange between North Korean defectors and South Korean residents has been launched. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the ambitious project from the Ministry of Unification named the Inter-Korean Cultural Integration Center, originally slated to open in April, held an online opening event on May 13.The seven-story establishment, located in Gangseo-gu, southwestern Seoul, has several galleries with different themes. “I hope that North Korean defectors and local residents will be able to achieve a small unification at this center,” Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul said in a congratulatory speech.As North Korean defectors' struggle to adjust to life within South Korean society has emerged as a social issue, the ministry said it hopes the cultural center will helpJun 7, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
Leaflet campaign 'overshadows' inter-Korean dialogue efforts A group of defectors fly balloons containing anti-North Korea leaflets at a border village of Paju, Gyeonggi Province in this photo taken on April 2016. / YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooThe latest anti-North Korea leaflet campaign led by a group of defectors, May 31, is prompting speculation that it may interfere with the resumption of inter-Korean relations.While Pyongyang has been sensitive about the campaign, a series of criticisms came last week from the North Korean dictator's younger sister and closet confidant Kim Yo-jong.She threatened to scrap the cross-border military agreement signed on Sept. 19, 2018, and that corresponding measures should be taken if the South wants to prevent it from happening.This was followed by Pyongyang's inter-Korean governing body Unified Front Department (UFD) which pledged to shut down the joint liaison office, and propaganda website Uriminzokkiri publishing a criticism of President Moon Jae-in's hope for a cycle of improvement on cross-border ties and Pyongyang-Washington ties.The military agreement and joint liaison office were all part of the outcomes oJun 7, 2020By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea expresses support for China's measures in Hong Kong Riot police charge at anti-government protesters during a demonstration at Wan Chai district, on China's National Day, in Hong Kong, Oct. 1, 2019. ReutersNorth Korea's foreign minister met with the Chinese ambassador to express support for China's measures in Hong Kong, North Korea's KCNA state news agency said on Friday."The Hong Kong issue is China's internal affairs and external interference violates China's sovereignty, and North Korea will actively support the Chinese party and government to defend national sovereignty, safety and territorial integrity," KCNA cited foreign minister Ri Son Gwon as saying.Chinese Ambassador Li Jinjun expressed gratitude for North Korea's support, it said.North Korea's comments come after Beijing imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong that Western countries say could restrict freedoms in the former British colony.North Korea said on Thursday the United States was in no position to criticise China over Hong Kong or human rights when Washington threatens to "unleash dogs" to suppress anti-racism protests, a reference to a tweet by presidentJun 5, 2020
Anti-North Korea leaflet response draws backlash Main opposition United Future Party lawmakers, from left, Ji Seong-ho, Cho Tae-yong, Shin Won-sik and Suh Jung-sook, hold a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Friday, to criticize the government's plan to legislate a ban on anti-North Korea leaflet campaigns. / YonhapBy Kang Seung-wooThe South Korean government's response to stop anti-North Korea leaflets being transported to the North from the South, announced Thursday, is raising some eyebrows as the announcement came mere hours after Pyongyang made a complaint.Critics say Seoul is obeying the North Korean regime in order to keep its drive to engage with the North alive, while the North has kept quiet about its southern neighbor's protests against its repeated provocations. On Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned that if South Korean authorities continue to tolerate the propaganda leaflets created and distributed by North Korean defectors and other activist groups, the North will cancel the inter-Korean military tension-reducing agreement made during the inter-KoreanJun 5, 2020By Kang Seung-woo
North Korea threatens to scrap 2018 military agreement North Korean leader's powerful sister Kim Yo-jong is seated across from President Moon Jae-in during a lunch at Cheong Wa Dae on Feb. 11, 2018. YonhapBy Do Je-haeNorth Korea threatened to scrap the 2018 inter-Korean agreement Thursday if Seoul did not act quickly to stop anti-Pyongyang leaflets being sent over the two countries' border by defectors' groups based in South Korea.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong said in a statement published by the Korean Central News Agency that the North could consider not only scrapping the pact, but also terminating exchange projects with the South if the latter did not stop the “hostile activities.” “If the South Korean authorities fail to come up with proper measures, they will have to be fully ready to face the consequences, whether it be the abolition of the Mount Geumgang tour program, a complete removal of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex, a closure of the inter-Korean liaison office or the scrapping of the North-South military agreement,” she said in the statement. Kim Yo-jong, who serves as first viJun 4, 2020By Do Je-hae
