North Korea condemns Japan for rejecting Seoul's compensation ruling over forced labor North Korea's official news agency has denounced Japan's rejection of a recent South Korean court ruling ordering a Japanese firm to compensate forced labor victims as "impudent and shameless."The North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary sent Tuesday that Japan has again showed its impudence and shamelessness by vowing to take a tough countermeasure against South Korea's court ruling and take the case to the International Court of Justice. "Japan is just going so preposterously that its conduct cannot be described with even such expressions as impudence and shamelessness. The international community is greatly astonished by it. Japan has no reason to protest against that judgment," the English-language KCNA commentary said.South Korea's Supreme Court ruled late last month that a Japanese steel firm should compensate four Koreans mobilized into forced labor during the 1910-45 colonial rule, rejecting Japanese claims that all colonial-era compensation claims were settled under a 1965 treaty signed by the two countries when they normalized diplomatic relationsNov 14, 2018
Trump says North Korean missile sites are 'nothing new' U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a ceremonial lighting of the Diya for the holiday of Diwali in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, Tuesday. EPAU.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized what he called inaccurate media reports that said North Korea had not declared more than a dozen missile bases."We fully know about the sites being discussed, nothing new - and nothing happening out of the normal," Trump wrote in a post on Twitter, referring to a report on Monday in the New York Times. "I will be the first to let you know if things go bad!"Pyongyang halted missile and nuclear bomb testing earlier this year but U.S. and South Korean negotiators have yet to elicit from North Korea a concrete declaration of the size or scope of its weapons program or a promise to stop deploying its existing arsenal.The New York Times published a report on Monday that mentioned the findings of a think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noting that 16 hidden bases had not been discussed in talks between North Korea and the United States. ()The Nov 14, 2018
Signs of rebellion? North Korea urges officials to closely monitor public sentiment Participants cheer as they take part in a parade marking the 70th anniversary of North Korea's founding day in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Sept. 9, 2018. APThe official mouthpiece of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday urged its officials to pay closer attention to public sentiment.The Rodong Sinmun said in a front-page editorial that the ruling party's officials should respect their subordinates and ordinary people, particularly in times of adversity and hardship. "(Officials) should always fulfill the ethics of mixing with the people and sharing both joy and sorrow with them. There should never be a specialization of oneself, formality, influence peddling, bureaucracy and a desire for privilege and special favor," the newspaper argued.It also urged an all-out fight against "non-socialist and anti-socialist acts," saying that the bourgeois ideological culture and unusual trends are dangerous toxins that eat into the socialist system from the inside.The official newspaper's emphasis on the "management of public sentiment" drew attention amid stalled negotiations with the UnNov 13, 2018
US analysts locate secret North Korean missile sites In this June 12, 2018, file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at the conclusion of their meetings at the Capella resort on Sentosa Island in Singapore. U.S. analysts say they have located more than half of an estimated 20 secret North Korean missile development facilities. The findings come as the Trump administration’s denuclearization talks with the North appear to have stalled. And they highlight the challenge the U.S. faces in ensuring that North Korea complies with any eventual agreement that covers its nuclear and missile programs. APU.S. analysts said Monday they have located 13 secret North Korean missile development sites, underscoring the challenge that the Trump administration faces in trying to reach its promised broad arms control agreement with Pyongyang. The administration has said it is hopeful about eventually reaching an agreement with North Korea. President Donald Trump declared after his historic summit in June that with President Kim Jong-un there was ``no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea.Nov 13, 2018
North Korea takes swipe at Japan over 'denial of past sins' North Korea's Rodong Sinmun lambasted Japan on Sunday for its "denial of past sins" committed against wartime forced labor victims."The Korean people will definitely exact an apology and compensation from Japan for its past sins," the North's official newspaper said, referring to Japan's recent protest over the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling on Oct. 30 to order a Japanese steelmaker to compensate four South Koreans for wartime forced labor and unpaid work.The top court upheld an appeals court ruling in 2013, which ordered Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (NSSM) to pay each plaintiff 100 million won ($87,720) in compensation.The newspaper called Japanese politicians' objections to the ruling, "Yet another fuss that shows their shameless nature to escape responsibility for past sins."The ruling is "the reflection of South Korea's public sentiment to get paid for the unforgivable past sins committed by Japan," it said.Tokyo has decided to change the term for wartime forced laborers to a "laborer from the former Joseon Peninsula," NHK reported Sunday. Joseon is the name for tNov 11, 2018
Top officials of US, China discuss North Korea Top officials of the United States and China met in Washington on Friday to discuss their bilateral relationship and efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.In a press conference following the talks, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he urged China's cooperation on sanctions enforcement to help achieve the denuclearization of North Korea."I expressed in our meeting today the importance of remaining united in pursuit of a final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea as agreed to by Chairman Kim in Singapore," he said, referring to the historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June."This means maintaining pressure through the continued strict enforcement of all U.N. Security Council (sanctions) resolutions," Pompeo said, adding that China's cooperation "will help achieve meaningful breakthroughs on this important denuclearization issue."The U.S. and China have been at odds over sanctions policy, with Washington insisting that the sanctions remain on until North Korea fully dismantles its nuclear program and BeijNov 10, 2018
Unification minister to visit US at critical time Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon answers a lawmaker's question at a meeting to discuss the ministry's budget plan for next year, at the National Assembly, Thursday. / YonhapBy Kim Bo-eunUnification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon will visit the U.S. next week, to discuss inter-Korean affairs with key government officials and members of the Congress there.Cho will visit New York and Washington, D.C., Nov. 13 to 17, according to the ministry, Friday.The minister will attend the Korea Global Forum on Nov. 15 to deliver a keynote speech there.“In addition, the plan is to meet with government officials and members of Congress to discuss inter-Korean relations and means to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry said in a statement.Morever, Cho will visit The Korea Society, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and speak with experts there.“The minister will also meet with Korean-Americans there to share with them the government's policy toward North Korea and enhance their understanding and cooperation toward the issue of inter-Korean relations andNov 9, 2018By Kim Bo-eun
NK media condemn SK-US working group, joint military drill North Korea's external propaganda media on Friday lashed out at recent decisions by South Korea and the United States to launch a working group on the North's denuclearization and resume a joint marine drill.Uriminzokkiri, a website run by Pyongyang, said that the working group plan underlines a "wicked U.S. intent" to hinder and destroy inter-Korean cooperation projects."The U.S. is about to set up an organ to directly monitor and control inter-Korean relations. It's an arrogant act. There are no grounds for the U.S. to intervene in the affairs between South and North Korea," said the website in a commentary. Seoul and Washington agreed last week to launch a joint working group for frequent and systemic discussions on denuclearization, a peace regime and sanctions on the North.On Monday, the allies resumed the Korea Marine Exercise Program (KMEP), which involves some 500 troops, including U.S. marines from Okinawa, Japan, and military equipment, such as amphibious assault vehicles.The Pyongyang website went on to warn that the public's anti-American sentiment will only further Nov 9, 2018
No further dismantlement at NK missile site: 38 North In this Oct. 23, 2018, photo, a tour guide gestures as she explains about a beach where people can see South Korea on the distant horizon at the Mount Kumgang resort area in North Korea. APNorth Korea's key missile site has not been dismantled further since August, a U.S. website monitoring the regime said Thursday.North Korea has pledged to dismantle a missile engine testing site and a launch pad in Dongchang-ri as part of its stated commitment to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.38 North said satellite imagery from Oct. 31 indicates there has been no additional dismantlement activity since August."Components that were previously removed remain stacked on the ground at both locations," 38 North said in an article posted on its website.Meanwhile, the imagery shows new equipment, possibly for ventilation, installed on the roof of a fuel and oxidizer storage bunker at the site."While the new equipment seems to have been installed between June and July 2018, previous imagery until late October had insufficient detail to distinguish between partial roof demolition and new equipment instNov 9, 2018
High-ranking defector cancels event appearance over 'threatening letter' A progressive university students' group posted a screenshot of their email to Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016, on Facebook Tuesday. Captured from @univjinbo's Facebook accountBy Jung Da-minThae Yong-ho. Korea Times fileThae Yong-ho, a high-ranking North Korean defector who has backed sanctions on North Korea, called off attending a public event early this week after receiving a threatening letter from an online community for progressive students. The letter warned him to stop “activities hindering reunification” of the two Koreas or the community's members will move to “arrest” him. Such criticism is not unusual for Thae, who fled to Seoul in August 2016 while serving in the United Kingdom as North Korea's deputy ambassador. He has been a target of harsh words from progressive activists who support the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea-friendly policies. But it is the first time he has canceled an appearance following criticism. The community posted the letter's full text on its Facebook account Tuesday,Nov 8, 2018
