US: North Korean nuke work 'inconsistent' with disarmament In this Sept. 25, 2018 file photo, Gen. Robert Abrams, looks to the dais as he testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington. Abrams told a congressional panel that North Korean production of nuclear weapons materials and missiles is “inconsistent with” its broad pledge to denuclearize. APNorth Korea's work on nuclear weapons and missiles is ``inconsistent'' with its stated intent to move toward nuclear disarmament on the Korean Peninsula, the commander of American and allied forces in South Korea said Wednesday. Army Gen. Robert Abrams, in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, also said he has seen ``little to no change'' in North Korea's broader military capabilities, citing its typical pace of winter troop exercises. Asked by Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, the panel's ranking Republican, where there has been any recent change in the North's production of nuclear weapons and material and missiles, Abrams said, ``Their activity that we've observed is inconsistent with denuclearization.'' Abrams offered to provide detailsMar 28, 2019
FBI possibly involved in North Korean embassy raid A general view of North Korea's embassy in Madrid, Spain, seen in this March 13, 2019 photo. AP-YonhapBy Jung Da-min Free Joseon, which claimed responsibility for a recent raid on the North Korea Embassy in Madrid, Spain, said it shared some related information with the FBI, in a statement Tuesday.This indicates possible ties between the political group vowing to overthrow North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime and the U.S. agency.In March 2017, the group, then called Cheollima Civil Defense, was in the spotlight for its first online video featuring Kim Han-sol, the son of Kim Jong-nam who had been assassinated in Malaysia.The latest claim also supports allegations that U.S. authorities were involved in the rescue of Kim Han-sol and are currently protecting him.There are cautious predictions that the incident may have negatively affected the ongoing denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S.“The organization shared certain information of enormous potential value with the FBI in the United States, under mutually agreed terms of confidentiality,” FreMar 27, 2019
Mysterious anti-Pyongyang group claims responsibility for raid on NK embassy in Spain A mysterious anti-North Korea group has claimed it carried out last month's raid on North Korea's Embassy in Spain and shared some information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. A mysterious anti-North Korea group has claimed it carried out last month's raid on North Korea's Embassy in Spain and shared some information with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.On Feb. 22, a group of unidentified intruders broke into the North Korean Embassy in the Spanish capital, tied embassy staff up, searched the compound and ran away with computers and documents about four hours later, according to news reports.Spain has issued two international arrest warrants for members of the group, according to reports.On Tuesday, Free Joseon, a mysterious organization calling itself a provisional government representing North Korean people, claimed responsibility. Previously known as Cheollima Civil Defense, the group has widely been reported to be providing protection for Kim Han-sol, the son of Kim Jong-nam, the assassinated half brother of NorthMar 27, 2019
US vows to keep sanctions on N. Korea until denuclearization The United States vowed Tuesday to keep sanctions on North Korea short of the complete dismantlement of its nuclear weapons program.The State Department made the affirmation amid questions about President Donald Trump's commitment to sanctions after his withdrawal of additional punitive measures against North Korea last week."The point here is that our position hasn't changed in the least in that the international community will continue to implement the United Nations Security Council resolutions to underscore to North Korea that the only way to achieve the security and development that it seeks is to forsake its weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery," department deputy spokesperson Robert Palladino said at a press briefing."That remains our policy, and that remains what we are pursuing."The U.N. resolutions impose serious limitations on North Korea's external trade in a bid to starve the regime of resources to develop its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program.At last month's summit in Vietnam, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly asked Trump to removMar 27, 2019
German lawmakers visiting North Korea This photo released by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows Sigmar Gabriel, second on the left, former minister for foreign affairs of Germany, in a meeting with North Korea's Ri Su-yong, center on the right, chairman of the North's Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, in Pyongyang, Monday. KCNA-YonhapBy Jung Da-minGermany's federal lawmakers are visiting North Korea to spur exchanges between the North and the international community. A delegation of members of Germany's Social-Democratic Party, led by Sigmar Gabriel, former chairman of the party and the country's former minister for foreign affairs, arrived in Pyongyang, Monday, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.The German politicians were greeted by Ri Su-yong, chairman of North Korea's Foreign Affairs Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly. During their meeting, the former leader of Germany's Social-Democratic Party presented a gift for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the KCNA said, without giving further details on the meeting or the gift. In Mar 26, 2019
Summit: 3rd time could be charm, if it happens Protesters wearing masks of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stand during a rally demanding the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peace treaty near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, March 21. APBy Oh Young-jinAgain, it is hard to predict the future of the Korean Peninsula after the no-deal summit in Hanoi between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un late last month. So far, the two adversaries have tried to exercise restraint, being careful not to provoke each other, in an attempt not to lose their dialogue momentum. But the Hanoi summit shows, if anything, the fundamental differences in their stances on how to get the North's denuclearization and the U.S.'s compensation going. The U.S. wants a “big deal” for the North to be completely disarmed at once, while the North wants the U.S. to ease sanctions in return for partial action. One fear is a return to the tension before the PyeongChang Olympics in February 2018, when evidence showed the U.S. was seriously contemplating a preemptive strike for a potential firMar 26, 2019By Oh Young-jin
Will there be third North Korea-US Summit? It may look like reporter Andy Salmon and author Michael Breen squaring off with each other, drawing looks of concern from the other participants. True, we parted our ways without lunch as in the Hanoi summit, the subject of the Times' roundtable, but the conversation was conducted in quite a civilized manner with no punches thrown at but pulled from each other. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Andrew SalmonThere had been widespread expectations and high hopes, but in the event, the highly anticipated” and “historic” second summit, held in Hanoi between North Korean and the United States, crashed and burned.For most of us in Hanoi ― sipping the excellent Vietnamese coffee and enjoying the ease of covering a summit in which there were only two players, and no delegations to chase around town to try to doorstop ― it was a shock outcome. Things had looked so good. There had been grins and mutual back pats between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump. The chemistry between the delegations looked excellent. Kim had even made a minor bit ofMar 26, 2019
North Korea: Is Trump failing? The Korea Times roundtable to tackle the aftermath of the no-deal Hanoi summit between North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and the U.S.’s Donald Trump is under way at the Times conference room, March 14. From right are Prof. Hwang Jae-ho, director of the Global Security Cooperation Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies; Asia Times correspondent Andrew Salmon; Michael Breen, author of “The New Koreans;” Michael Hay of HMP Law, who ran North Korea’s only foreign law firm; and The Korea Times digital managing editor Oh Young-jin. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulBy Michael BreenWhen U.S. President Donald Trump was on his way to Hanoi last month to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a second time, experts said he would have to come away with an agreement of sorts. If he did not he would, in diplomatic terms, have failed.Well, Mr. Trump went home with nothing. May we say then that he failed? Is his North Korea policy in tatters? The truth is ― as with so much to do with the mercurial American president, and of course with the opaqueocracy that is North KMar 26, 2019
Trump was open to easing sanctions at Hanoi summit: NK official U.S. President Donald Trump listens in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington, March 25. APU.S. President Donald Trump was open to easing sanctions on North Korea at last month's summit with Kim Jong-un, but was thwarted by his top aides, according to a senior Pyongyang official.Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui made the remarks at a press conference in the North Korean capital on March 15, which was widely reported on for her threat to abandon denuclearization negotiations with the U.S.Yonhap News Agency obtained a copy of her opening remarks.According to the text, Choe said Trump was "flexible" about reaching a deal at the Feb. 27-28 summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, which ultimately collapsed without any accord."When we tabled a realistic proposal, President Trump was of the flexible position that a deal could be possible if it contained a reference to the fact that sanctions removal would be reversible in the event that North Korea resumed nuclear activities," she said.The vice foreign minister continued that a "meaningful outcome" was not reached because U.S. SeMar 26, 2019
Seoul hopeful about inter-Korean projects Kim Chang-su, center, deputy chief of the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaesong in North Korea, heads to Gaeseong along with other South Korean officials at the border transit office in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Joint Press CorpsBy Jung Da-minSouth Korea expressed hope that planned inter-Korean projects will proceed smoothly after some North Korean officials at the inter-Korean liaison office in the North's Gaeseong went back to work Monday.A meeting between the representatives of the liaison office from the two Koreas was held and the office will operate normally, according to the unification ministry.North Korean officials were quoted by the ministry as saying they came to work “as usual.”On March 22, North Korea withdrew its staff from the inter-Korean liaison office saying the measure reflected “instructions from a superior authority,” without giving further details.While the North Korean side has yet to explain the withdrawal and partial return of officials at the liaison office, Seoul remained hopeful about keeping the momentum for talks. &Mar 25, 2019
