Kim Jong-un awarded new title of 'supreme representative' of the people North Korean leader Kim Jong-un acquired the new title of "supreme representative of all the Korean people" during the regime's major personnel reshuffle last week, according to Pyongyang's state media, in a possible sign of more authority being given to the young leader.Referring to the re-election of Kim as the chairman of the State Affairs Commission, the communist state's highest seat of power, during a key parliamentary session, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Friday described the position as the "post of the supreme representative of all the Korean people and the supreme leader of the Republic."The KCNA and the North's Korean Central TV have since repeatedly called him this in dispatches on the parliamentary session as well as a national rally in Pyongyang to celebrate the re-election the following day.Previously, the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) was known as the nominal head of state representing Pyongyang, with the chairman of the State Affairs Commission only referred to as the "supreme leader" of the republic.Analysts say the neApr 14, 2019
Trump says 3rd summit with Kim Jong-un would be 'good' U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that a third summit with Kim Jong-un would be "good," after the North Korean leader expressed openness to another meeting.Trump's tweet came in response to Kim's speech to the North's parliament on Friday, during which he said he would be willing to hold a third summit if the U.S. comes with the "right attitude" and "right method."The North Korean leader also said his relationship with Trump remains excellent and that he will wait until the end of the year for the U.S. to make a courageous decision regarding their negotiations to dismantle the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for sanctions relief."I agree with Kim Jong Un of North Korea that our personal relationship remains very good, perhaps the term excellent would be even more accurate, and that a third Summit would be good in that we fully understand where we each stand," Trump wrote on Twitter."North Korea has tremendous potential for extraordinary growth, economic success and riches under the leadership of Chairman Kim. I look forward to the day, which could be soon, when NuApr 14, 2019
North Korean defectors show support for Adrian Hong A member of Fighters for Free North, a Seoul-based human rights group focused on North Korea-related issues, tries to put up leaflets blasting North Korea's Kim Jong-un over the alleged murder of his half-brother Kim Jong-nam, at the North Korean embassy in Madrid, Spain, April 4. In late February, a group of 10 allegedly led by Adrian Hong, a longtime human rights activist, raided the embassy, according to the Spanish National High Court. Courtesy of Fighters for Free NorthBy Jung Da-minNorth Korean defectors may feel a sense of camaraderie toward Adrian Hong, who is a key suspect in the investigation of a recent raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain.On March 26, Spain's National High Court removed a secrecy order on the raid which happened Feb. 22, naming Hong as the leader of a group of ten that also involved South Korean citizen Woo Ran Lee and U.S. national Sam Ryu.Just few hours after the court revealed the news of the raid, Free Joseon, a political organization opposing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's regime, claimed responsibility.Defectors based in Seoul say they do noApr 14, 2019
US lawmakers ask Trump to facilitate inter-Korean economic projects Two U.S. lawmakers have sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking his support for cross-border economic projects between South and North Korea.The Democrats -- Reps. Andy Kim of New Jersey and Ro Khanna of California -- sent the letter on Thursday as Trump met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House.Moon's visit was seen as an effort to revive nuclear disarmament talks between Washington and Pyongyang following the collapse of Trump's second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in February."As the U.S.-North Korea contacts continue ... we believe there are steps you can take to support our ally South Korea in their own diplomatic process with North Korea, in particular, their efforts to strengthen cross-border business ties between their two countries," the lawmakers wrote in the letter."As a businessman yourself, you are aware of the power that business has in creating bonds between people, interconnecting economies by promoting mutual benefit, and reducing the potential for conflict," the letter read.Moon's push to expand inter-Korean economic cooperApr 13, 2019
Kim Jong-un: 'Open to another summit with Trump' North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks at the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang in this April 10, 2019, file photo provided by North Korea. APNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he is open to having a third summit with U.S. President Donald Trump if the United States could offer acceptable terms for an agreement by the end of the year. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Saturday that Kim said this during a session of the North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, adding he also said his relations with Trump still remain excellent.“If the U.S. proposes holding a third North Korea-U.S. summit with the right attitude and right method, we have a willingness to do it one more time,” Kim was quoted as saying. “I will not hesitate at all in signing an agreement only if it is written in a way that meets the interests of the DPRK and the U.S., and is fair, mutually acceptable, and this will entirely depend upon with what attitude and calculus the U.S. would come up with.”Kim said that the Apr 13, 2019
US signals openness to smaller 'nuke deal' President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his wife Kim Jung-sook in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, early April 12. AP-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in's “urgent plea” to U.S. President Donald Trump to support limited and minor sanctions relief that affects the lives of North Korean citizens is bringing results as Trump signaled he remains open to an incremental deal with North Korea.“We are discussing certain humanitarian things right now and I am okay with that, to be honest, and you have to be okay with that. South Korea is doing certain things to help out with food and various things with North Korea,” Trump told reporters at the start of a bilateral meeting with President Moon in the Oval Office, early on April 12 (KST).U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met recently with the head of the U.N. food agency and discussed possible ways for providing relevant assistance. Pyongyang is running short on food and oil reserves that wouldn't last for a year, reports said. North KApr 12, 2019By Kim Yoo-chul
NK leader reelected as chairman of State Affairs Commission In this April 10 photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends the 4th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, North Korae. APNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been reelected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, the communist state's highest decision-making body, in a key parliamentary meeting, state media reported Friday.North Korea's Prime Minister Pak Pong-ju has also been replaced with Kim Jae-ryong, a senior member of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, according to the media. The decisions were made during the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly held on Thursday, which drew keen attention as it would determine the new makeup of the country's leadership. (Yonhap)Apr 12, 2019
Trump floats idea of third US-NK summit President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump shake hands in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington, Thursday (local time). APThe leaders of South Korea and the United States agreed Thursday to continue their dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, highlighting the importance of the so-called top-down approach in ridding North Korea of its nuclear weapons."The two leaders shared a view that the top-down approach is critical to the Korean Peninsula peace process," Chung Eui-yong, the top security adviser to South Korean President Moon Jae-in, said of Moon's summit with U.S. President Donald Trump."In this regard, President Trump said the door for dialogue with Chairman Kim is always open," the South Korean official told a press briefing.The Moon-Trump summit came after Trump's second summit with Kim in Hanoi ended without a nuclear deal, also prompting an apparent stall in U.S.-North Korea talks on ending the North's nuclear ambition.Moon insisted the Hanoi summit was part of a long process to reach a greater deal."The situation on the Korean Peninsula Apr 12, 2019
Negative signs seen for nuclear talks From left are North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump. Yonhap-Korea Times fileBy Jung Da-minWhile President Moon Jae-in was visiting Washington with a mission to maintain the momentum of talks between the U.S. and North Korea, there are few signs the two will narrow their differences over denuclearization.A day ahead of the summit between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told U.S. lawmakers that the United Nations sanctions on North Korea should remain in place, although he would be a bit more flexible if substantial progress is made during negotiations.On the same day, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un told members of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee that there was a need to more vigorously advance socialist construction “under the uplifted banner of self-reliance,” so as to deal a telling blow to the hostile forces imposing sanctions.Pompeo was speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing while Kim was presiding over theApr 11, 2019
Skepticism prevails over North Korea economic projects President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un speak in private during their first summit held at the truce village of Panmunjeom, April 27, 2018. By Jung Da-minWhile some have been hopeful about the resumption of inter-Korean projects after the South Korea-U.S. summit slated for April 11, many remain skeptical on the issue.After the breakdown of the U.S.-North Korea summit in Hanoi in late February, the discussions on inter-Korean economic cooperation as well as the denuclearization negotiations have seen little progress.But shares of the inter-Korean projects had been on the rise again recently, with expectations that President Moon would present a “small deal” to U.S. President Donald Trump, partial sanctions relief and gradual or step-by-step denuclearization of North Korea.International relations experts, however, remain skeptical that Moon's small-deal approach will bring any substantial results while the Trump administration is sticking with its “all-or-nothing” strategy. Ko Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean Studies Apr 10, 2019
