Kim Jong-un, Putin discuss how to handle US North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Thursday, before their first ever summit. AP-YonhapRussian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un exchange gifts following their talks at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky island in the far-eastern Russian port of Vladivostok on April 25. AFPArtists perform during a reception after talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at the Far Eastern Federal University campus on Russky Island in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25. APNK leader wants security guarantee for denuclearizationBy Lee Min-hyungNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un participated in his first-ever summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Thursday, that addressed denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula among other topics.In a post-summit press conference, Putin said that what Kim Jong-un wants is a security guarantee before realizing nuclear disarmament on the peninsula.Putin said a resumption of the six-party tApr 25, 2019By Lee Min-hyung
Kim, Putin begin first summit over denuclearization, economic cooperation Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un shake hands during their meeting in Vladivostok, Russia, April 25. APNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un began his first summit with President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday, with a peaceful resolution of Pyongyang's nuclear quandary expected to top the agenda.The much anticipated summit is seen as a key test of Kim's diplomatic outreach aimed at breaking a logjam in a denuclearization parley with the United States, easing sanctions pressure and catalyzing his lackluster drive for economic development.Kim and Putin met at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island in the Pacific port city, where their national flags are hoisted, security heightened and the adjacent Ajax Bay closed to fend off any suspicious approaches.In his opening remarks, Kim said that the summit with Putin will be "meaningful" for joint efforts to address Korean Peninsula issues."Now, world attention is focused on Korean Peninsula issues," he said."I believe (the summit) will be very meaningful dialApr 25, 2019
Four N. Korean diplomats executed for failed Hanoi summit? By Park Si-soo Four North Korean diplomats were executed early April in Pyongyang over responsibility for the failed summit between Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Hanoi, Vietnam, a Japanese news organization reported on Wednesday, citing sources. It is hard to verify, but rumors are spreading in Pyongyang and other regions, Asia Press reported in a Korean article. It ran detailed testimony from a source living in North Hamgyong Province that the outlet reportedly secured on April 22. “The execution took place early April in Pyongyang,” Asia Press quoted the source as saying. “A total of four people ― from the North Korean embassy in Hanoi and the foreign ministry ― were executed by firing squad in front of ranking military and foreign ministry officials.”They were charged with “selling” confidential information to the U.S. before the summit, resulting in the “fruitless” summit, the source said. The outlet said the source “feels” authorities are “deliberately spreading” rumors. “While there aApr 25, 2019
Pompeo 'absolutely' sees path to NK denuclearization In this Jan. 18 file photo, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, and Kim Yong-chol, a North Korean senior ruling party official and former intelligence chief, pose for photographs at the Dupont Circle Hotel in Washington. APU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that he "absolutely" sees a path leading to the dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons program.Pompeo made the remark in an interview with CBS News, saying there was more "nuance" in February's no-deal summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un than appeared in public."There was a lot more nuance to the conversation than just, hey, they had a position, we had a position, we walked away," the top U.S. diplomat said. "There's more there to that. We hope that we can build on that."The summit collapsed because the North Koreans asked for more sanctions relief than the United States was prepared to give for the North's offer to dismantle its main nuclear facility in Yongbyon.Kim is currently in Russia's Vladivostok, where he is due to hold his first summit with Russian PresApr 25, 2019
Kim, Putin to hold first summit over denuclearization, economic cooperation North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, surrounded by Russian officials arrive in Vladivostok, Russia, April 24. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un, right, surrounded by Russian officials arrive in Vladivostok, Russia, April 24. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to hold his first summit with President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Far East city of Vladivostok on Thursday, with a peaceful resolution of Pyongyang's nuclear quandary expected to top the agenda. The much anticipated summit will be a key test of Kim's diplomatic outreach aimed at breaking a logjam in a denuclearization parley with the United States, easing sanctions pressure and catalyzing his lackluster drive for economic development.Kim and Putin are expected to meet in the afternoon at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island in the Pacific port city, where their national flags are hoisted, security heightened and the adjacent Ajax Bay closed to fend off any suspicious approaches.Flanked by top party, military and state officials, Kim arrived by train in Vladivostok on Wednesday afternoon for his firstApr 25, 2019
Kim set to arrive in Vladivostok for summit with Putin North Korean leader Kim Jong-un waves at an undisclosed train station in North Korea on April 24, before leaving for Russia. AP North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to arrive by train in Russia's Far Eastern city of Vladivostok on Wednesday afternoon for a much anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin the following day.Accompanied by top party, military and state officials, Kim arrived at Russia's border city of Khasan in the morning on his way to Vladivostok, hours after the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on his departure for Russia earlier in the day.His entourage included two vice chairmen of the North's ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee -- Kim Phyong-Hae and O Su-yong -- and top diplomats, Ri Yong-ho and Choe Son-hui, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency.The state media did not mention whether first lady Ri Sol-ju was on board.Kim Yong-chol, one of the North's key nuclear negotiators involved in talks with the United States, was not mentioned either. It is the first time that he has not accompanied the leader on anApr 24, 2019
Kim Jong-un to meet Putin in Russia: KCNA North Korea on Tuesday confirmed that leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin. The summit would come at a crucial moment for tenuous diplomacy meant to rid the North of its nuclear arsenal, following a recent North Korean weapons test that likely signals Kim's growing frustration with deadlocked negotiations with Washington.The North's state-run Korean Central News Agency released a terse, two-sentence statement that announced Kim ``will soon pay a visit to the Russian Federation,'' and that he and Putin ``will have talks.'' A date for the meeting was not immediately released, and it wasn't clear if Kim would fly or take his armored train. There are some indications that the meeting will be held in the far-eastern port of Vladivostok, not too far from Russia's border with the North. The Kremlin said in a brief statement last week that Kim will visit Russia ``in the second half of April,'' but gave no further details.Russia is interested in gaining broader access to North Korea's mineral resources, including rare metals. Pyongyang covets Russia'Apr 23, 2019
'North Korea's tactical weapon test does not involve ballistic missile' A mock North Korean Scud-B missile, left, and South Korean missiles are displayed at the Korea War Memorial in Seoul, April 18. North Korea said April 18 it had test-fired a new type of "tactical guided weapon" the day before, its first such test in nearly half a year. AP-YonhapBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea's recent test launch of its new tactical weapon wasn't of a ballistic missile but was believed to be a “weapon for ground combat,” military analysts said Sunday.They said the weapon test announced by North Korea on April 18 did not appear to involve a ballistic missile given that there were no alarming announcements from the United States, Japan or Seoul.Rather, they speculated that the test could have involved “anything” from a small anti-tank missile to relatively routine artillery as the test of ballistic missiles or surface-to-ship missiles would have been detected by radar.Shin Jong-woo, a senior analyst at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said the U.S. and Japan showed a relatively muted response to the test, indicating that the test was noApr 21, 2019
Will third US-NK summit be possible? People watch a TV news program reporting about North Korea with file footage of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, April 13, 2019. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in is finding it more difficult to play the role of “facilitator” in the North Korea denuclearization talks after the failed Washington-Pyongyang summit in Hanoi.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is interested in holding another summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Upon consultations with Trump, Moon may send a special envoy to Pyongyang soon for what would be his fourth meeting with Kim. This time, the key point is how Moon mediates narrowing the differences between the U.S. and the North over the definition of “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” according to experts.In Hanoi, the United States and North Korea misunderstood each other's definition of “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” and the end-state of the nuclear discussions.“While Seoul and Washington agree on the preferred end state oApr 21, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
Moon to deliver Trump messages to Kim Jong-un In this file photo taken last June 12, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sign documents as U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the North Korean leader's sister Kim Yo-jong look on at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island in Singapore. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in plans to deliver “messages” from U.S. President Donald Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un once a fourth inter-Korean summit happens, a senior presidential aide said Sunday.“Yes, President Moon Jae-in has messages given by U.S. President Donald Trump, which he plans to deliver directly to North Korean leader Kim at a proper time when the leaders of the two Koreas meet again,” the Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters at the presidential office's press center.“If a fourth inter-Korean summit happens, it's been widely expected President Moon also plans to share with North Korean leader Kim key observations and other background information (regarding the denuclearization talks) discussed at a recent U.S.-South Korea summit in Washington, D.C.&rdqApr 21, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
