North Korea wants Pompeo removed from nuclear talks: KCNA In this April 10 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang. APNorth Korea on Thursday demanded the removal of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo from stalled nuclear talks between Pyongyang and Washington, accusing him of derailing discussions."I am afraid that, if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled," Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the Department of American Affairs at North Korea's Foreign Affairs Ministry said, according to the official KCNA news agency."Therefore, even in the case of possible resumption of the dialogue with the US, I wish our dialogue counterpart would be not Pompeo but... (another) person who is more careful and mature in communicating with us." (AFP)Apr 18, 2019
Pyongyang media blasts South Korea-US joint military drills South Korean Aegis destroyer, the King Sejong the Great, joins a South Korea-U.S. joint military drill on Nov. 12, 2017. Courtesy of Republic of Korea NavyNorth Korean propaganda outlets slammed recent joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States on Thursday, accusing Seoul of having no intent to implement the military agreement it has signed with Pyongyang. Uriminzokkiri, one of the North's propaganda websites, denounced the South's military as "belligerent war maniacs who are instilling a war spirit," referring to a recent landing drill by the South Korean military and another involving U.S. Marines from the Pacific Command. It also said that the drills are stirring up "grave concern and anger," and amount to "reckless and rash moves aimed at destroying peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and heightening the mood for a fight and risks of war." The commentary added that all of this demonstrates that Seoul has no intention of keeping the military agreement it signed with Pyongyang in September last year, and that Seoul's decision to scale back joint exercises Apr 18, 2019
PHOTOS North Korea says it test-fired new tactical guided weapon North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday gave field guidance to Unit 1017 of the air and anti-aircraft force of the Korean People's Army, according to the Korean Central News Agency, Wednesday. YonhapNorth Korea said Thursday that it had test-fired a new type of ``tactical guided weapon,'' its first such test in nearly half a year, and a possible sign of its displeasure with deadlocked nuclear talks with the United States. The test, which didn't appear to be of a banned mid- or long-range ballistic missile that could scuttle negotiations, allows Pyongyang to show its people it is pushing ahead with weapons development while also reassuring domestic military officials worried that diplomacy with Washington signals weakness. The North's leader, Kim Jong Un, observed the unspecified weapon being fired Wednesday by the Academy of Defense Science, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency said. Kim was reported to have said ``the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People's Army.''The AssociatApr 18, 2019
Moon seeks to send envoy to North Korea next week A man reads a newspaper showing photos, from left of U.S. President Donald Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Seoul, South Korea, April 11. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in wants to send a special envoy to North Korea sometime next week for talks on holding another summit with its leader Kim Jong-un, Cheong Wa Dae sources said Wednesday.“Details about sending an envoy will be discussed at a National Security Office (NSO) meeting scheduled for Thursday at Cheong Wa Dae,” a presidential aide told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. “The initial plan is to send an envoy next week depending on North Korea's reaction.”Potential candidates include the country's spy chief Suh Hoon, former presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok and presidential NSO chief Chung Eui-yong, according to Cheong Wa Dae sources. President Moon left Chung at home while he visits three Central Asian countries. But the official said it hadn't been decided yet who the envoy would be.On a related note, Unification Minister Kim YeApr 17, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
North Korean leader visits military unit for first time in 5 months North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visits the Unit 1017 of the Air and Anti-aircraft Force of the Korean People's Army on Tuesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency. YonhapNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made a surprise visit to an air force unit and reviewed a flight exercise, the official news agency reported Wednesday, in his first public inspection of military activities in five months.During the visit to the Unit 1017 of the Air and Anti-aircraft Force of the Korean People's Army on Tuesday, Kim ordered pilots to "take off and perform difficult and complicated air combat actions," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. "Noting that while passing by the unit he abruptly dropped in at the unit in order to learn about the flight drill of a pursuit assault plane group, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un said it is important to make a sudden inspection of the regular readiness of unit as a fight of the air and anti-aircraft field is waged without previous notice," KCNA said.Kim also expressed "great satisfaction over the excellent readiness to carry out any combat task irrespApr 17, 2019
Pyongyang media urges Seoul to reject outside interference 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 bilateral meeting in New York, a day before the start of the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly. AFP-YonhapA North Korean propaganda outlet urged South Korea on Tuesday to reject outside interference with inter-Korean issues, saying that none other than the two Koreas can be the main players in resolving cross-border issues.It was the latest in a series of calls that North Korean media outlets have been making to urge the South to deal with inter-Korean issues independently of the United States, since leader Kim Jong-un said last week that Seoul should play a more active role in moving inter-Korean cooperation by voicing its own opinions."There is no right or cause for outside forces to intervene in North-South relations. Issues linked to North-South relations should be resolved independently by the owner, our own people," Meari, a North Korean propaganda outlet, said Tuesday.President Moon Jae-iApr 16, 2019
'Russia preparing summit with Pyongyang' A communal worker disassembles a billboard of acting President and Presidential candidate Petro Poroshenko, left, pictured face to face with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, April 15, 2019. The run-off vote of the Presidential elections will take place in Ukraine on 21 April 2019. EPA-YonhapA senior Russian diplomat has confirmed that preparations are underway for a summit between President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a top Seoul official has said.South Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told reporters on Monday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Titov, reiterated the Kremlin's earlier announcement that Moscow has long been preparing for the first summit between the two leaders.Cho and Titov held the 7th session of their countries' high-level strategic diplomatic dialogue in Moscow to discuss a range of bilateral issues, including ongoing peace efforts on the divided peninsula. Before their meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that there have been preparations for what would be the first summit between PuApr 16, 2019
Kim Jong-un may meet Putin next week: Yonhap North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may hold his first-ever summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week when Putin travels to the Far East on his way to an international conference in China, sources said Monday."Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to make a trip to the Far East region around April 24," a source told Yonhap News Agency. "Chances are fairly high that a summit between Russia and North Korea could take place around that time."Putin is likely to make a trip to the Far East region bordering the northeastern part of North Korea after attending a forum on China's "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure drive to be held in Beijing on April 26-27, the source added.Another source said that a summit between Putin and Kim could take place before or after the Beijing forum, adding that there have been signals that North Koreans are making preparations for a summit.Moscow has yet to confirm when the summit talks place, but Russia's Tass news agency reported in early March, citing a Kremlin spokesperson, that Moscow and Pyongyang are discussing Kim's trip to Russia throuApr 15, 2019
Moon may send special envoy to North Korea soon President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with his aides after wrapping up his U.S. visit and returning to Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyonggi Province, April 12. / YonhapChung Eui-yong, Suh Hoon touted as possible candidatesBy Yi Whan-wooSpeculation is growing that President Moon Jae-in may send a special envoy to North Korea soon to arrange talks between Pyongyang and Washington.Cheong Wa Dae officials and analysts said Sunday Moon is seriously considering sending an envoy to Pyongyang following talks last week with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.This is to find a breakthrough amid a tug-of-war between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump over methods of denuclearization.Over the weekend, the two leaders indicated they remain open to a possible third summit, even after their second meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, ended without an agreement in late February.“Given the current circumstances, sending a special envoy at the earliest possible date will be crucial,” said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies. “Otherwise the U.S.-NorApr 14, 2019By Yi Whan-woo
Putin sends congratulatory letter to North Korea leader North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with an official after being-re-elected as chairman of the North's state affairs commission. / YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooRussian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his re-election as chairman of the North’s state affairs commission, the country’s highest position.According to a Kremlin press release, Sunday, Putin sent a congratulatory letter after Kim was re-elected during a session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly.“I am confident that your activities in this top state position will continue to facilitate friendly and neighborly relations between our countries and peoples and will help strengthen peace and security on the Korean Peninsula,” Putin wrote."I would like to reaffirm our readiness for joint work on topical matters of the bilateral and regional agenda. I sincerely wish you success, sound health and prosperity.”The message came amid speculation that a summit between Kim and Putin is imminent.Putin has invited Kim to Russia, according to the Kremlin.On AApr 14, 2019By Yi Whan-woo
