North Korea bashes US for 'pressure' on human rights A North Korean state propaganda outlet has criticized the United States for its "extreme pressure" over its human rights issues throughout the year. YonhapA North Korean state propaganda outlet slammed the United States on Saturday for its "extreme pressure" over its human rights issues throughout the year, calling for mutual respect.In an article carried by Uriminjokkiri, the North said the U.S. has made "fusses regarding human rights issues against us throughout 2018," citing such events as the U.N. passage of the rights resolution and Washington's designation of the North as a violator of religious freedom.Claiming that "such explicit interventions into the domestic politics aim to collapse our regime," the propaganda website said Washington is nothing but "binding itself to the past" while vowing to have in-depth dialogue with Pyongyang to create new relations and to establish a permanent peace regime."Now is time to eliminate obstacles that stand in our way and take goodwill measures while boldly discarding wrongful prejudices and practices and building mutual respect and trust,Dec 29, 2018
2018 summits challenge N. Koreans' view toward Seoul North Koreans learned about the three summits between President and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un this year through media coverage. YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooFor North Koreans, a series of summits between leaders of the two Koreas this year certainly challenged and reshaped what they previously thought of the South.No leaders of the two Koreas met each other more than once in their lifetime, until North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met President Moon Jae-in three times this year ― in April, May, and September.Kim even became the first North Korean leader to cross the border, when he met Moon on the South Korean side of Panmunjeom during their April meeting.While two late presidents ― Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun ― visited Pyongyang during their terms, Moon's third summit was seen unique because he gave a live speech before 150,000 citizens.Most importantly, the reclusive state allowed media coverage of the Moon-Kim summits, giving the people a chance to see the two leaders smiling, hugging and pledging commitment for peace, denuclearization, and reunification of the Korean Peninsula.All thDec 28, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
Government confirms basic facts on N. Korea leadership at last Kim Yo-jong walks in front of President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the Moon-Kim summit in Pyongyang i in September. / Korea Times fileBy Yi Whan-wooLack of access to North Korea means it often takes years for Seoul to confirm simple facts concerning the leadership, such as dates of birth or the reshuffle of top officials.The Ministry of Unification only confirmed this week that Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, was born in 1988. It did not specify exactly when she was born. She emerged rapidly on the political scene after her brother took power in December 2011, but the ministry had estimated her year of birth as 1987, 1988 or 1989.In its 2019 edition of the encyclopedia on key North Korean figures, the ministry also confirmed Han Kwang-sang, a military official who was rumored to have been purged, serves as Kim Jong-un's treasurer.“We've taken various sources into account before coming up with the latest encyclopedia,” a ministry official said. “Regarding Kim Yo-jong, we can assure everyone that she is 3Dec 28, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
'North Korea is everything Jesus dreamt of' A screen capture of an article titled "North Korea is what Jesus dreamt of” posted on the pro-Pyongyang website Jajusibo, Tuesday. It refers to the North by its own name, “Joseon.”By Kim Hyun-binA pro-North Korea website named “Jajusibo” has been under fire for spreading articles praising the totalitarian regime by linking it with Jesus Christ over the Christmas holiday.A Korean-American correspondent of the media, Lee In-sook, wrote the two-part article titled “Jesus' dream has become a reality in North Korea” on Christmas Day on Tuesday and Wednesday.“What Jesus dreamed of is a society where food is provided for all, a society full of brotherly and sisterly love where people share food when there are limited resources,” Lee wrote. “North Korea has a system where people have no worries about their survival. It has achieved a family-like society where people do not need to be selfish.”Jajusibo is a successor of “Jajuminbo,” which was ordered to halt publication by the South Korean Supreme Court in 2015 for Dec 27, 2018By Kim Hyun-bin
Seoul to send Tamiflu drug to NK in January Attendees from the South Korean side arrive by train in Gaeseong, a border town of North Korea, to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for rail and road connection across border between the two Koreas, Dec. 26, 2018. Xinhua-YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulSouth Korea will send flu medication to North Korea, aiming to complete the delivery of packages by the end of January next year, an official at the Ministry of Unification said, Thursday.“At the request of North Korea, South Korea will send flu medication and Tamiflu packages to North Korea to help the latter combat influenza. The goods will be transported via trucks led by South Korean officials,” an official at the ministry said.The last time South Korea sent Tamiflu packages to its impoverished neighbor was December 2009 when then President Lee Myung-bak sent aid to combat the outbreak of H1N1 flu in North Korea with “no condition” in order to try and limit the spread of the disease. At that time, the South provided North Korea with 400,000 doses of Tamiflu and Relenza Rotadisk for 100,000 more, plus approximatDec 27, 2018By Kim Yoo-chul
Think tank: 2019 to be 'watershed' year for peace on Korean Peninsula The year of 2019 will likely mark a "watershed" year for ongoing diplomacy for denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, according to a South Korean state think tank. Joint Press CorpsA South Korean state think tank anticipated Thursday that 2019 will likely mark a "watershed" year for ongoing diplomacy for denuclearization and lasting peace on the peninsula, saying efforts by relevant countries will intensify, whether fruitful or not.The Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), affiliated with the foreign ministry, predicted continued talks between Washington and Pyongyang in the new year to move beyond their decadeslong enmity, though a dramatic turnaround in their relations may not be easy.The institute published its annual forecast for world politics in the new year, touching on peace efforts on the peninsula, inter-Korean exchanges, geopolitics in Northeast Asia, internal politics in Pyongyang and other issues."2019 will be a watershed to determine whether there will be a significant headway in efforts for denuclearization and peace on tDec 27, 2018
N. Korea faces humanitarian challenges because of sanctions: Pyongyang official The Tower of the Juche Idea dominates the skyline along the bank of Taedong river behind a guide in Pyongyang, North Korea, Dec. 19. APHealth situations in North Korea are "extremely worrying" as multilayered global sanctions on its regime are taking a toll on the country's medical supplies, a North Korean Red Cross official has said.Ri Ho-rim, secretary general of North Korea's Red Cross, made the remarks carried in a statement recently issued by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on its website."The health situation is extremely worrying. The impact of sanctions on basic medicines is severe," he said. "For example, the lack of vaccines, antiviral medicines, rapid testing kits, personal protective equipment for health workers and hand sanitizer were major factors in an influenza outbreak earlier this year."According to an IFRC estimate, around 10.3 million people in the North are suffering from food insecurity, malnutrition and a lack of access to basic services.Recurrent natural disasters such as a heat wave, a typhoon, floods and landslidesDec 27, 2018
Koreas determined to push for joint railway project Participants from the two Koreas hold hands together during a groundbreaking ceremony to link roads and railways between the two Koreas at Panmun Station in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong, Wednesday. The inter-Korean project was resumed recently following an exemption of sanctions granted for the project by the United Nations Security Council aiming to boost exchanges between the two Koreas under an inter-Korean agreement. Courtesy of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and TransportActual construction hinges on progress of denuclearization By Kim Yoo-chulThe two Koreas held a rather symbolic groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday with the aim of early resumption of road and railway links across the heavily fortified border separating the North and South.A special train carrying a delegation of 100 officials from South Korea including Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, lawmakers and other road and railway officials returned to Seoul Station around 3:10 p.m. after crossing the military demarcation line (MDL).The two-hour ceremony was held at Dec 26, 2018By Kim Yoo-chul
Two Koreas hold ceremony for inter-Korean railway and road project The two Koreas will hold a groundbreaking ceremony, Wednesday, in Gaeseong, North Korea, for a project aimed at modernizing and connecting roads and railways across the Demilitarized Zone. Joint Press CorpsSouth and North Korea were set to hold a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for an inter-Korean project to modernize and reconnect roads and railways across their heavily armed border.A special train carrying some 100 South Korean participants left for Panmun Station in the North's border town of Kaesong, where the event will be held at around 10 a.m.Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, parliamentary leaders, and other road and railway officials and experts are among them."The groundbreaking ceremony is meaningful in that it demonstrates the Koreas' willingness to actively cooperate on the modernization and connection project of their railways and roads going forward," the ministry said in a press release Monday.Officials from the United Nations and neighboring countries, including Russia, China and Mongolia, will also attend the event thatDec 26, 2018
Korea to hold ceremony for joint railway Wednesday The two Koreas will hold a groundbreaking ceremony, Wednesday, in Gaeseong, North Korea, for a project aimed at modernizing and connecting roads and railways across the Demilitarized Zone. / Joint Press CorpsTrump says he looks forward to next summit with KimBy Yi Whan-wooThe two Koreas will jointly hold a groundbreaking ceremony, Wednesday, for a project aimed at modernizing and connecting roads and railways across the Demilitarized Zone.The ceremony will be made possible as the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), despite economic sanctions against the North, has granted sanctions exemptions for the preliminary steps of the joint railway project.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday the UNSC, after approving a feasibility study in November, also granted exemptions for the groundbreaking ceremony.“We've consulted the council's Sanctions Committee on North Korea, Monday, and settled all relevant issues to proceed with the groundbreaking ceremony,” the ministry said. “This means we can go ahead with the ceremony on Wednesday as scheduled.”The project is paDec 25, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
