UN grants sanctions exemption for inter-Korean railway survey In this photo provided by South Korea's Defense Ministry on Thursday, a South Korean soldier, right, and North Korean soldier, left, shake hands as they meet to open a road connecting the two sides across the demilitarized zone in a project to excavate Korean War remains near the military demarcation line inside the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, South Korea. Courtesy of South Korea's Defense MinistryThe United Nations Security Council on Friday granted a sanctions exemption to enable the two Koreas to conduct a survey on reconnecting railways across their border, a diplomatic source said.The exemption was approved by consensus by the council's North Korea sanctions committee, paving the way for the survey and a groundbreaking ceremony before the end of the year.South Korea requested an exemption for deliveries of fuel and other material needed to conduct the survey in the North. Pyongyang is under heavy U.N. sanctions, including capped imports of refined petroleum, for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.As part of efforts to denuclearize the regime, South Korea has Nov 24, 2018
Koreas discuss modernizing Panmunjeom cables By Yi Whan-wooThe two Koreas had a working-level dialogue on modernizing underground cables in the border village of Panmunjeom, Friday.“The two sides discussed ways to replace copper cables with fiber-optic ones,” an official at the Ministry of Unification said.Chung Chang-rim, a director at the Ministry of Science and ICT, led the five-member South Korean delegation for the meeting at the liaison office in the inter-Korean industrial park in Gaeseong, North Korea.Ri Yong-min, a senior official on communication affairs, led the Pyongyang delegates.The meeting came in line with Pyongyang's offer, Nov. 15, to hold talks on modernizing the communication network at Panmunjeom, according to the unification ministry.There are about 30 communication lines ― including phone and fax ― across Panmunjeom. They are used for daily communications, inter-Korean talks, air traffic issues, maritime issues and joint economic cooperation.An analyst said Pyongyang was believed to have made the offer as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seeks to boost the country's economy through advanced sciNov 23, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
NK sanctions set to be exempted for railway inspection By Kim Bo-eunThe U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea are set to be exempted to enable inspections of North Korean railways to take place.The government requested the exemptions to the UNSC Sanctions Committee on North Korea earlier this week, and a process is underway on the matter, according to the foreign ministry.While the ministry declined to comment on details, it is likely the government has requested an exemption on Resolution 2397, which bans the entry of petroleum into North Korea.This was seen to be the resolution that prevented the U.N. Command (UNC) from granting approval for the plan to inspect the North's railways, because it involves a South Korean train carrying personnel and supplies including oil going to the North.For the exemption to be approved, a consensus needs to be reached among 15 UNSC member states taking part in the sanctions committee on North Korea. Key states such as China and Russia are in support of granting exemptions. The U.S. up until recently had been against the idea, but at a recent meeting with South Korea expressed its &ldquoNov 23, 2018By Kim Bo-eun
North Korea blasts US again for sticking to sanctions North Korea accused the United States on Friday of an "inhumane act" of imposing sanctions even on school supplies and toys for children in the communist nation, the latest in a series of criticism seen as a call for easing such restrictions amid stalled denuclearization talks.Uriminjokkiri, the North's external propaganda website, said that the U.S. has completely blocked the North's trade and economic exchanges with the rest of the world with reckless sanctions, and even committed such an "inhumane act" of making school supplies and toys subject to sanctions.The article was about the North's efforts to guarantee the rights of children to mark the 29th anniversary of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, but it highlighted the point that U.S. sanctions are affecting children in the country.State media outlets of the North have been repeatedly criticizing the U.S. for keeping sanctions, as American officials said they have no intention of relaxing them before the communist nation gives up its nuclear programs.On Thursday, Uriminjokkiri blasted the U.S. for imposing sanctionNov 23, 2018
IAEA calls on North Korea to re-admit nuclear inspectors The flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency flies in front of its headquarters in Vienna, May 28, 2015. ReutersThe head of the U.N.'s atomic watchdog has called on North Korea to allow inspectors back in to monitor its nuclear program. Speaking at a board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency Thursday, Director General Yukiya Amano noted that Pyongyang had in September talked about denuclearization measures including the ``permanent dismantlement of the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon'' _ a reactor where it produces plutonium. Amano said there has been activity observed at Yongbyon, but ``without access the agency cannot confirm the nature and purpose of these activities.'' At a news conference later Thursday, he said he couldn't elaborate on when exactly the activity was observed. IAEA inspectors were expelled from North Korea in 2009 but Amano said the agency continues to prepare for their possible re-admittance. ``The agency continues to enhance its readiness to play an essential role in verifying (North Korea's) nuclear program if a poliNov 23, 2018
Koreas to connect road inside heavily fortified DMZ A South Korean, right, and a North Korean shake hands as the two Koreas start building a road inside the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Thursday. YonhapThe Koreas will connect a three-kilometer tactical road across the Military Demarcation Line inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Thursday to support a joint project to excavate Korean War remains at a notorious battle site.The road will be established at Arrowhead Ridge, or Hill 281, in Cheorwon, 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul ― a site that the two sides have designated for the project to retrieve war remains from April to October next year.The Koreas' first road connection in 14 years came amid a flurry of bilateral efforts to build trust and reduce military tensions with the ultimate goal of a lasting peace regime on the divided peninsula. They built their first such cross-border road on the west coast in 2003 and the second on the east coast the following year.The joint road construction by the two Koreas at Arrowhead Ridge, where several key battles were fought in 1952-53 during the Korean War. The two sideNov 22, 2018
North Korea boosts ideological education amid sanctions North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un inspected the Taegwan Glass Factory in North Pyongan Province, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Sunday. KCNA-YonhapBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea is strengthening ideological education, particularly for workers and students, in a move to promote the country's new economic strategy declared last April. Rodong Sinmun, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, on Thursday carried a front-page editorial emphasizing the three revolutions― ideological, technical and cultural ― saying the socialistic ethics toward collective work, in particular, should be strengthened to implement the country's five-year strategic economic plans."Our party initiated a new strategic route to concentrate our efforts on building a socialist economy last April," the editorial said, referring to the party plenum where North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un declared a new strategic line on the economy. "Every department and unit should carry out the three-revolution movement in close relation with the great march of building the economy."Rodong Sinmun has recently beenNov 22, 2018
South Korea, US plan biweekly 'working group' consultations on North Korea U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, second from left, accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, left, and South Korea's Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, second from right, accompanied by South Korea's Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon, right, meet together at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, Japan, Sunday, July 8, 2018. YonhapSouth Korea and the United States will hold bilateral "working group" consultations on North Korea as often as possible, either through face-to-face talks or videoconferencing, officials said Thursday.The allies launched the working group for more systemic and frequent discussions on ways to deal with Pyongyang amid concerns about a possible mismatch of progress in denuclearization talks and inter-Korean cooperation.The U.S. wants the two things to proceed in tandem, while South Korea says an improvement in its relations with North Korea will help move forward denuclearization."We plan to hold a working group session twice a month if possible," a government official told reporters on the customaNov 22, 2018
Pompeo holds out hope for 2nd North Korean summit U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media in the briefing room at the Department of State, on November 20, 2018 in Washington, DC. Pompeo met with Turkish Foreign Minister Meylut Cavusglu after President Trump released a statement signaling that the United States will stand by Saudi Arabia after the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. AFP-YonhapU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that he continues to hope for a second meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un early next year.Pompeo was scheduled to meet a senior North Korean official in New York earlier this month to plan the second summit and discuss details of the North's commitment to dismantle its nuclear weapons program.The meeting was abruptly postponed a day before it was supposed to take place, with the U.S. attributing it to scheduling problems.People watch a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Railway SNov 22, 2018
South Korea, US to scale back military drill next spring: Mattis In this file photo taken on August 28, 2018, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis holds a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. - Peace talks aimed at ending the war in Yemen have been set for early December in Sweden, between Huthi rebels and the UN-recognized government, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on November 21, 2018. AFP-YonhapSouth Korea and the United States will scale back a joint military exercise next spring to facilitate negotiations over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Wednesday.Mattis told reporters at the Pentagon that the Foal Eagle exercise will be "reduced in scope," the AFP reported.It will be the fifth joint exercise to be adjusted as a concession to the North following its promise to dismantle its nuclear and ballistic missile programs."Foal Eagle is being reorganized a bit to keep it at a level that will not be harmful to diplomacy," the news agency quoted Mattis as saying.U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed at their historic Singapore summit in June to work toward Nov 22, 2018
