'I can't speak English well': Kim had butterflies in stomach before Trump summit President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un walk on a boardwalk bridge in the truce village of Panmunjeom during their April summit. Korea TimesBy Oh Young-jin North Korean leader Kim Jong-un confided in President Moon Jae-in that he was worried about his not being able to speak English well before his June 12 summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, a former aide to President Moon recently told a Korean newspaper. “I am worrying about my lack of English proficiency,” Kim was quoted by Tak Hyun-min as telling Moon during their 30-minute walk during at the April 27 summit in the truce village of Panmunjeom. Tak's revelation was made during an interview with the progressive Kyunghyang daily newspaper, published on Monday. “I can speak German well,” the North Korean leader told Moon. The Moon-Kim summit took place ahead of the Singapore summit in June. The two walked together for 30 minutes alone on a 50-meter boardwalk bridge erected on the demarcation line (MDL) that separates the two Koreas. There was a lot of speculation as to what the two leadeMay 20, 2019By Oh Young-jin
Pope Francis unlikely to visit North Korea this year Pope Francis, right, greets President Moon Jae-in for a private audience at the Vatican in this Oct. 18, 2018,photo. Yonhap fileBy Jung Da-minPope Francis is unlikely to visit North Korea this year, with the Vatican saying his scheduled overseas trips for the remainder of the year do not include any Asian countries. A possible visit to Japan, which earlier spurred expectations of a landmark visit to North Korea as part of the Pope's tour of Asian countries, is still under review, according to a Vatican official, last Friday, quoted by U.S. media outlet Voice of America.The Vatican had repeatedly said the Pope's visit to North Korea was unlikely in the near future because too many other trips were either scheduled or in the pipelines.Reports of a possible visit to North Korea emerged last October when President Moon Jae-in visited the Vatican to convey North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's wish for a possible papal visit. The Pope said then that he would seriously consider the visit once the invitation was formalized, according to Cheong Wa Dae at the time of President Moon's meeting. MooMay 19, 2019
NK sends letter to UN chief, calls US seizure of ship 'sovereignty-infringing' act This undated photo released by the U.S. Justice Dept. May 9 shows the North Korean cargo ship Wise Honest. The Trump administration said it had seized the North Korean vessel that U.S. officials say was used to transport coal in violation of international sanctions. (Yonhap)North Korea's top envoy to the United Nations sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Friday, criticizing the United States' recent seizure of a North Korean cargo ship that Washington alleged violated international sanctions, Pyongyang's state media reported Saturday.In the letter, Ambassador Kim Song called the seizure an "unlawful, outrageous and sovereignty-infringing" act, which he said indicated the U.S. was "indeed a gangster country," according to the Korean Central News Agency.The U.S. Justice Department said May 9 that it had seized the 17,061-ton Wise Honest for allegedly transferring coal and machinery while at sea, in violation of the sanctions, in the first such direct action. "Recently, the U.S. committed an unlawful and outrageous act of taking the DPRK's cargo ship to Samoa, linkMay 18, 2019
Pyongyang media says precipitation drops to lowest in over 100 years In this June 24, 2015, file photo, people walk between corn fields in South Hwanghae, North Korea. AP-YonhapNorth Korea's media reported Friday that the country's precipitation has dropped to the lowest level in more than 100 years amid worries that the ongoing drought could aggravate the impoverished state's food shortages. North Korea received 56.3 millimeters of rain or snow from January to May 15, the smallest amount since 1917, according to the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party."We expect rain to fall twice by the end of May due to low pressure in the northern area, but we don't think it will rain enough to overcome drought," the paper quoted a weather expert as saying. "Such weather conditions will likely continue into early June."It appears that the North's drought has been getting worse in recent weeks.In this June 24, 2015, file photo, farmers are dwarfed against a hill as they work in a corn field in South Hwanghae, North Korea. AP-YonhapOn Wednesday, the Korean Central News Agency reported that the country received 54.4 mm of rain or snow frMay 17, 2019
Pyongyang calls UN 'unfair organization,' vows to fight sanctions People watch a TV showing a file photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 9. AP-YonhapNorth Korea has called the United Nations an unfair organization that represents the privileges of just a few countries, saying that the sanctions imposed on Pyongyang are a violation of its sovereignty that it will try to "hit back and crush.""What cannot be tolerated is that resolutions have been adopted through the international stage, including the U.N. by legitimizing force and arbitrariness of certain countries," the North's foreign ministry said in a statement posted on its website."And such injustice has been committed in broad daylight as sanctions being imposed on victims by attackers just because they are defiant," it added. The ministry called the U.N. sanctions on its regime a "severe violation of our sovereignty," which North Korea will not tolerate.The ministry also complained that there is a great deal of "inequality" among U.N. member countries, adding that the organization is dictated by the "laMay 17, 2019
North Korea faces drought amid worsening food shortages: charity group North Korea suffers from serious droughts that led to reduced grain production and dried-up rivers, according to an American charity group that visited the country. gettyimagesbankNorth Korea is suffering from serious droughts that have led to a sharp drop in grain production and the drying of many rivers, a U.S. charity group said in a report after a trip to the impoverished communist nation.Christian Friends of Korea (CFK), a U.S.-based nonprofit organization, sent an 11-member team to North Korea from March 18-April 8 to check on the distribution of its assistance and treat hepatitis patients in medical care centers across the country. The organization posted a report on its website detailing the team's trip."Throughout our travels, we heard from many care centers that the 2018 corn crop sustained heavy losses (40-50 percent reduction) due to the drought and prolonged high temperatures last summer," the report said."While the winter was fairly mild, it also lacked in snowfall, so drought conditions are continuing into the spring planting season. Riverbeds for the most part were drMay 15, 2019
Pompeo pushes for North Korean sanctions in talks with Russia U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attend a joint news conference after their talks in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, southern Russia, Tuesday, May 14, 2019. AP-YonhapU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he emphasized the need to maintain sanctions on North Korea in talks with his Russian counterpart.Pompeo met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi to discuss cooperation on various issues, including Iran, Venezuela and North Korea.At a joint press conference after the meeting, Pompeo said the two countries agree on the goal of North Korea's denuclearization and will continue to discuss it."I underscored that we must maintain full implementation of the U.N. sanctions until the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea is achieved," he said. "Our two teams have been working very closely together on this in a very productive fashion."Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, speaks to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, during their talks in the Black Sea resort ciMay 15, 2019
US refuses to address North Korean demand for ship's return A view from the top of a two story building in Fagatogo village overlooking the Port of Pago Pago, as the North Korean cargo ship, Wise Honest, docks at the main docking section of Pago Pago Harbor, Saturday, May 11, 2019, in Pago Pago, American Samoa. AP-YonhapThe U.S. State Department said Tuesday it has no comment to make regarding North Korea's demand for the return of a U.S.-seized cargo vessel.A North Korean foreign ministry spokesperson earlier denounced the seizure of the Wise Honest as an "unlawful and outrageous act."In a statement to state media, the official said the U.S. should "ponder over the consequences its heinous act might have on the future developments and immediately return our ship."An undated surveillance image provided in a U.S. Department of Justice complaint for forfeiture released May 9, 2019 shows what is described as the North Korean vessel Wise Honest being loaded with coal in Nampo, North Korea. Reuters-YonhapKatina Adams, a spokesperson for the State Department, said she doesn't "have anything" on those remarks.U.S.-North Korea tensions have renewed fMay 15, 2019
US, North Korea in war of nerves over human rights North Korea has been extremely sensitive about the international community criticizing its human rights violations and holding leader Kim Jong-un accountable. / AP-YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooThe United States is increasingly voicing concerns about human rights abuses in North Korea as denuclearization talks remain stalled.Analysts here say the Donald Trump administration may use the human rights issue as leverage in the talks with North Korea, increasing pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime. On May 6, the U.S. Department of State took aim at North Korea's dire human rights record in a statement delivered by its spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.It said the Pyongyang regime had subjected its people to “egregious violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms” and that the U.S. remained “gravely concerned and deeply troubled” by the abuse.The choice of the word, “egregious,” is notable, according to South Korean experts, because the State Department removed it in describing the North's human rights situations when it released its annual “Country Reports oMay 12, 2019By Yi Whan-woo
Pence says US will 'stand firm' with North Korea Vice President Mike Pence talks to reporters after speaking with steelworkers at the Gerdau Ameristeel mill in St. Paul, Minn., May 9, where he promoted the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. AP-Yonhap U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said the United States will "stand firm" with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program.In an interview with Fox News aired Friday, Pence was asked about the future of denuclearization negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang following the North's renewed launching of missiles and the U.S. seizure of a North Korean vessel earlier this week."Well, look, President (Donald) Trump truly believes that Chairman Kim (Jong-un) wants to negotiate," the vice president said. "But as he said yesterday, it doesn't look like he wants to negotiate right now. So look, we're going to continue to stand firm."Trump said Thursday that the U.S. was looking at North Korea "very seriously" after its launch of short-ranges missiles the same daMay 11, 2019
