Trump to visit Seoul June 29-30 In this file photo taken on June 22, 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP-YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanU.S. President Donald Trump will make a two-day trip to South Korea from June 29-30 amid ongoing diplomatic activities surrounding North Korea's denuclearization.Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Ko Min-jung said Monday the American leader would have a summit with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on June 30. The South Korean presidential office in Seoul also said Trump would leave Korea from the United States Forces Korea's Osan Air Base in Gyeonggi Province. Trump's visit comes after he exchanged letters with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week. Both leaders praised each other's letters "excellent" and "beautiful," raising hopes the bipartisan relationship will start improving and encourage Pyongyang agree to become a nuclear-free state.In this file photo taken on Sept. 24, 2018 U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in shake hands after signing a trade agreement at a bilateJun 24, 2019By Ko Dong-hwan
Pyongyang launches election committees ahead of local elections A voter uses an ID card to register to cast their ballot at the "3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory" during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections, in Pyongyang on March 10, 2019. AFP-YonhapNorth Korea has launched election committees ahead of nationwide local elections set for next month, Pyongyang's state media reported Monday.The committees were organized in constituencies for the July 21 elections to choose new deputies for provincial, city and county assemblies, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).The North held the previous such elections in 2015, when 28,452 deputies were chosen for four-year terms.Voters queue to cast their ballots at the "3.26 Pyongyang Cable Factory" during voting for the Supreme People's Assembly elections, in Pyongyang on March 10, 2019. AFP-YonhapLocal assemblies in the North meet once or twice a year to decide their budgets and other regional issues. They also choose the heads of each province, city and county.Elections in North Korea are considered a formality. The official voter turnaround in the 2015 local elections was 99.9 percJun 24, 2019
Pompeo notes 'real possibility' of working-level talks with Pyongyang A handout photo made available by the U.S. State Department shows U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo briefing the press and taking questions about the upcoming trip prior to departing for Saudi Arabia from Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, the U.S., June 23. EPA-Yonhap U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said there may be a "very real possibility" of Washington and Pyongyang resuming their working-level nuclear talks, after their leaders have exchanged personal letters.According to the State Department, Pompeo also said in his remarks to the press on Sunday (Washington time) that the United States is prepared to engage in dialogue with the North at a "moment's notice" should the North indicate it is ready.The remarks came hours after the North's state media reported that leader Kim Jong-un had received a personal letter with "excellent and interesting content" from U.S. President Donald Trump. Earlier this month, Trump also got a letter from Kim, which he called "beautiful" and "very warm.""We have been working to lay the foundations for that since Hanoi. We think we're in a betJun 24, 2019
Kim receives 'excellent' letter from Trump: North Korea North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reads a personal letter from U.S. President Donald Trump at his office in this photo released by Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency on Sunday. YonhapSouth Korea says exchange of letter is 'positive signal'By Yi Whan-wooNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received a personal letter from U.S. President Donald Trump and was satisfied with what was written, according to Pyongyang's state media, Sunday. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim found the content of the letter to be “excellent” and lauded Trump for his “political judgment and extraordinary courage.” The KNCA also released a photo of Kim reading the letter.However, the report did not specify the date of the letter received or what Trump wrote.The letter comes after Trump told reporters early this month about a “beautiful letter” he had received from Kim ― the first since the collapse of the second Kim-Trump summit in Hanoi in late February. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.“The supreme leader said with satiJun 23, 2019By Yi Whan-woo
Kim Jong-un receives 'excellent' letter from Trump: KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has received a personal letter with "excellent" and "interesting" content from U.S. President Donald Trump, Pyongyang's state media said Sunday."After reading the letter, the Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content," the Korean Central News Agency said, referring to its leader."Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong-un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content," it added.The KCNA did not disclose when and how the letter was delivered to Kim.The letter appears to be in answer to a letter Kim sent to Trump recently in time for the anniversary of their first-ever summit in Singapore last June.Trump described Kim's letter as "beautiful" and "very warm," He also emphasized that the relationship between them remains strong and that "something will happen that's going to be very positive."The exchange of correspondence between the leaders renewed hopes for a resumption of denuclearization talks whJun 23, 2019
Agency concerned about N.K. deficiencies in tackling money laundering, terrorism financing A global agency dedicated to safeguarding the international financial system has expressed concerns over North Korea's failure to resolve "significant deficiencies" in its efforts to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism.The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a public statement at the close of its three-day plenary meeting in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, in which it called on the North to "immediately and meaningfully" address the deficiencies."The FATF remains concerned by the DPRK's failure to address the significant deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime and the serious threats they pose to the integrity of the international financial system," the agency said in the statement posted on its website.DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."The FATF urges the DPRK to immediately and meaningfully address its AML/CFT deficiencies. Further, the FATF has serious concerns with the threat posed by the DPRK's illicit activities related to the proliferation of weaJun 22, 2019
US says N. Korea is 'horrible' on human rights, religious freedom The United States said Friday it will use sanctions against North Korea for its "horrible" record on human rights and religious freedom.Sam Brownback, U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom, told reporters that the situation in North Korea is "deplorable" and cited the example of a woman who was sent to a prison camp for having a Bible."North Korea's horrible on human rights and religious freedom," he said. "They've been a Country of Particular Concern for years."The U.S. State Department on Friday released its annual report on international religious freedom, which covers the period between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018.It notes that the U.N. Commission of Inquiry in 2014 concluded there was an "almost complete denial" by the North Korean government of the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, and that in many instances, the government's violations of human rights constituted crimes against humanity.In the reporting period, North Korea released a detained American pastor in May. In December, the State Department identified three entities and three Jun 22, 2019
Trump extends existing sanctions on N. Korea for 1 year U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday extended existing sanctions on North Korea for a year, citing the "unusual and extraordinary" threat posed by its nuclear weapons.In a routine notice sent to Congress, Trump said he is renewing the "national emergency" with respect to North Korea that was first declared in Executive Order 13466 in June 2008.By law, the national emergency would be automatically terminated unless the president renews it within 90 days ahead of its anniversary date."The existence and risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula and the actions and policies of the Government of North Korea continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States," Trump wrote.The executive order, which was further expanded under Trump and previous administrations, calls for sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.The extension keeps the sanctions in place beyond June 26.The action, while routine, comes at a sensitive time as the U.S. and North KorJun 22, 2019
PHOTOS Kim, Xi reach consensus on 'important issues' through meetings: KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his wife Ri Sol-ju, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan sit at a table outside the Kumsusan Guest House in Pyongyang in this photo provided Friday by North Korea. The image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. The Korean language watermark on the image as provided by the source reads, 'KCNA,' the abbreviation for the Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talk during Xi's visit in Pyongyang, North Korea in this picture released by by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 21, 2019. KCNA via REUTERS Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have said that they reached a consensus on “important issues,” over their five summits sJun 22, 2019
Pyongyang, Beijing agree on deepening relations North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, greet the crowd before a mass gymnastic performance at the Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in Pyongyang, Thursday, during Xi's first day of a two-day trip to the North. / Xinhua-YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on deepening bilateral relations for peace on the Korean Peninsula and security in East Asia, according to the North's state media, Friday.The Korean Central Agency (KCNA) said the two leaders reached the agreement during a summit on the first day of Xi's two-day trip to the North.Xi left Pyongyang early Friday afternoon. An image posted on the mobile app of state broadcaster CCTV showed people waving to his Air China Boeing 747 on the tarmac at the airport in Pyongyang.In a separate report, China's official Xinhua News Agency said Xi “will firmly support” the North's move to resolve the nuclear issues and encouraged its focus on economic development.CCTV said Xi promised to help “as much as he can” when Kim told Xi Jun 21, 2019By Yi Whan-woo
