North Korea, US agree to resume nuke talks North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui / Korea Times fileNorth Korea and the United States agreed to resume their working-level nuclear talks this week, Pyongyang's state media reported Tuesday, citing a statement from a senior diplomat.First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui said that Washington and Pyongyang agreed to hold "preliminary contact on Oct. 4 and hold working-level negotiations on Oct. 5," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).Choe did not mention the venue for the upcoming talks."The delegates of the DPRK side are ready to enter into the DPRK-U.S. working-level negotiations," Choe said in a statement. DPRK stands for the North's official name, Democratic People's Republic of Korea."It is my expectation that the working-level negotiations would accelerate the positive development of the DPRK-U.S. relations," she added.Pyongyang recently expressed its intent to return to dialogue after a period of tensions caused by its angry reactions to the combined military exercise between Washington and Seoul in August.Seoul welcomed the proposOct 1, 2019
International lawyers' groups urge Seoul to repatriate North Korean waitresses A group of 13 North Koreans who worked at a restaurant in China before coming to South Korea in April 2016 / Korea Times fileBy Kang Seung-wooTwo international lawyers groups have called for the repatriation of 12 North Koreans who came to South Korea in 2016, accusing the government of conspiring to abduct them from China.A joint fact-finding committee of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers and the Confederation of Lawyers for Asia and the Pacific released its final report Monday on the mass defection, in which it alleges their arrival here was actually an abduction. In April 2016, 12 North Korean waitresses and a male manager who worked at a restaurant operated by the North Korean regime in China arrived in the South, something the then Park Geun-hye administration disclosed to the public in contrast to usual procedures. However, given that the incident came to light just five days ahead of the general election, speculation arose that the government was attempting to sway voters.“The South Korean government, the concerned ministries, officials and agencies shaOct 1, 2019By Kang Seung-woo
Expert proposes opening inter-Korean biomedical cluster Kim Eil-chul, executive deputy secretary general at World Taekwondo and former CEO of a healthcare IT company, gives a special lecture at Korea University in Seoul, Sept. 26.By Jung Min-hoThe recent outbreak of African swine fever in South Korea ― roughly four months after North Korea reported an outbreak of the disease near its border with China ― is a chilling reminder that infectious diseases do not respect borders.Since the outbreak was confirmed at a pig farm in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, an area near the heavily-armed border with North Korea on Sept. 17, the South Korean government has so far confirmed nine additional cases and is struggling to contain the disease.What if South Korea could help North Korea stop the epidemic in advance? What if it was a disease that can be transmitted to humans? These are the questions Kim Eil-chul, executive deputy secretary general at World Taekwondo and former CEO of a healthcare IT company, wants policymakers to think about.“The outbreak shows the importance of inter-Korean cooperation in the biomedical fields,” Kim said during a sOct 1, 2019By Jung Min-ho
North Korean ambassador urges US to come to nuke talks Kim Song, chair of the delegation of North Korea, addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 30, 2019. APNorth Korea's ambassador to the United Nations urged the United States Monday to come to denuclearization negotiations with a new proposal acceptable to Pyongyang.In an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Ambassador Kim Song said it is up to Washington to turn any future negotiations into a "window of opportunity" or "an occasion that will hasten the crisis."His remarks come as Washington and Pyongyang are expected to resume working-level talks in the coming weeks to negotiate the North's denuclearization in exchange for U.S. economic and political concessions.The negotiations have stalled since a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Vietnam in February ended without a deal due to differences over the scope of North Korea's denuclearization and sanctions relief from the U.S."The relations between the DPRK, the U.S. have made little progress so far, and the situation on the KoreaOct 1, 2019
Bolton claims North Korea will never give up nukes voluntarily Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton delivers remarks on North Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in Washington, U.S. Sept. 30, 2019. ReutersNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un will never give up his nuclear weapons voluntarily under the current circumstances, former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Monday, offering regime change in Pyongyang as a solution to consider.Bolton, who was dismissed earlier this month by President Donald Trump due to clashes over North Korea policy and other issues, made the remark at a forum in Washington as the two countries are expected to resume working-level talks on denuclearization in the coming weeks."It seems to me clear that the DPRK has not made a strategic decision to give up its nuclear weapons. In fact, I think the contrary is true," Bolton said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."I think the strategic decision that Kim Jong-un is operating through is that he will do whatever Oct 1, 2019
North Korea to Trump: Make 'bold decision' to revive diplomacy U.S. President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone in this June 30, 2019, file photo. APNorth Korea accused the United States, Friday, of failing to follow through on summit agreements between President Donald Trump and the country's leader, Kim Jong Un, but said it was placing hope in the U.S. president's ``wise option and bold decision.'' A statement from Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye Gwan circulated by North Korea's U.N. mission came days after Trump said, without elaborating, that another summit with Kim “could happen soon.” “It draws my keen interest that it is highly topical these days in the U.S. to hold another DPRK-U.S. summit,” the adviser said, using the acronym for the country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of KoreaBut he was critical of U.S. inaction since the summits. While past summits were “historic occasions” for the two leaders “to express their political will to put an end to the hostile relations between the two coSep 28, 2019
North Korea urges Trump to make bold move to revive diplomacy In this June 30, 2019, file photo, U.S. President Donald Trump, right, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone. On Friday, North Korea said it wants Trump to make a "wise option and bold decision" to produce a breakthrough in stalled nuclear diplomacy. The statement by Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye-gwan came days after Trump said another meeting with Kim "could happen soon" without elaborating. APNorth Korea said Friday it wants President Donald Trump to make a ``wise option and bold decision'' to produce a breakthrough in stalled nuclear diplomacy, in an escalation of pressure on the U.S. ahead of an expected resumption of talks. The statement by Foreign Ministry adviser Kim Kye Gwan came days after Trump said another meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ``could happen soon'' without elaborating. Kim Kye Gwan says he doubts another summit could make any breakthrough because of what he describes as prevailing opinions in Washington that North Korea must first disarm before getting major concessions and that USep 27, 2019
'South Korea, US agree on transformation in North Korea policy' U.S. special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun, left, White House acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, center, and National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien attend as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in New York, Tuesday (KST). Reuters-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulUNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK ― South Korea and the United States have agreed to push forward with a “transformational change” in their respective North Korea policies to provide the means for a breakthrough in the impasse in denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang. No joint press conference was held, or official statements released, after the ninth summit between President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump, on the sidelines of this year's United Nations General Assembly, but according to South Korean diplomats Wednesday (KST), they reached a broad consensus not to pursue a hardline approach to the nuclear disarmament of the North. In a speech at the General Assembly, Trump demanded North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to take visible steps toward complete denucleariSep 25, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Japanese PM reaffirms commitment to normalizing ties with North Korea Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks at the 74th United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly on September 24, 2019 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tuesday he is committed to normalizing relations with North Korea as he seeks a summit with Kim Jong Un.In his speech to the 74th United Nations General Assembly late Tuesday, Abe, the only world leader in Northeast Asia who has yet to meet with Kim, offered to meet the North Korean leader without preconditions."Japan's unchanging objective is to normalize relations with North Korea through comprehensively resolving the outstanding issues including the abductions, nuclear and missile issues," Abe said. "I am determined to meet with Chairman Kim Jong Un myself without attaching any conditions."Abe has previously proposed a summit with Pyongyang at the U.N.Last year, the Japanese prime minister called for the resolution of the abduction issue, which could be resolved through a "new start," or a direct meeting with Kim.The two sides have made little Sep 25, 2019
Moon proposes global peace zone at DMZ Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Roh Tae-kang and a special group of foreign students walk a trail along the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Sept, 17, during an event to mark the third inter-Korean summit a year earlier. Thirteen university students from 12 foreign countries including the United States, Britain, Italy, Vietnam and Mexico participated in the three-hour walk at the DMZ Peace Trail. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and TourismBy Do Je-hae, Kim Yoo-chul SEOUL/UNITED NATIONS ― South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested a bold plan to promote inter-Korean peace by transforming the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas into an “international peace zone” at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday (KST).“I would like to propose to the United Nations and all the member states the idea of transforming the DMZ that cuts across the midriff of the Korean Peninsula into an international peace zone,” Moon said during his speech at the United Nations. “If we designate theSep 25, 2019By Do Je-hae
