Unification minister set to head to US next month Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon speaks at a dinner reception in Pyongyang last week, held as part of an event commemorating the 11th anniversary of the 10.4 Declaration reached between leaders of the Koreas in 2007. / Joint Press CorpsBy Kim Bo-eunUnification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon plans to visit Washington, D.C., next month to persuade high-profile U.S. officials about Seoul's engagement-centric policy toward North Korea and to brief them about the latest developments on the nuclear disarmament talks, the ministry said, Tuesday. Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said specifics of the minister's trip have yet to be fixed, but added the minister may travel to the U.S. to speak at the Korea Global Forum, an event that will be held Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C.During his visit, the minister is scheduled to meet with key U.S. officials to share with them the South's updated North Korean policies and the country's stance to push forward and improve inter-Korean relations.“He may elaborate about how better inter-Korean ties will help enhance progress on the North's denuclearizatiOct 9, 2018By Kim Bo-eun
North Korea's denuclearization will take over 10 years: former US energy secretary North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the U.S. Secretary of State raise their glasses during Mike Pompeo's recent visit to Pyongyang. Pompeo said the North would allow outside nuclear inspectors. YonhapBy Oh Young-jin Put the ongoing beehive of activities for North Korea's denuclearization together and it would look as if a resolution were within immediate reach.But one expert warns that this is nothing but an illusion and it may take 10 years or more to defang the North's nuclear capability because of a lack of mutual trust. "It would be more a decadal timeframe than an annual timeframe," Ernest J. Moniz, a former U.S. energy secretary, recently told The Korea Times. "We start off and will have for a long time a situation where there is lack of trust on both sides ... we can't just wake up one morning and say now we trust."The North's leader Kim Jong-un is said to be offering denuclearization within two years, which U.S. President Donald Trump seems happy going after to appeal to American voters in the coming midterm elections. Moniz, a nuclear physicist, worked for U.S. President BarOct 9, 2018
VIDEO North Korean leader invites the Pope to Pyongyang Pope Francis greets faithful at the end of his meeting with youths attending the Synod, at the Vatican, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. AP-YonhapBy Oh Young-jin North Korean leader Kim Jong-unNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un will invite Pope Francis to the communist nation's capital Pyongyang, promising a “fervent welcome” during the papal visit, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.In a briefing, presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said Kim's invitation would be delivered to the Pope when President Moon Jae-in visits Vatican City.Moon is expected to visit the Vatican on Oct. 17-18, part of a nine-day European tour starting Oct. 13. “President Moon suggested that Chairman Kim meet the Pope, pointing out that he is very much interested in peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim told reporters. “Kim promised Moon he would give a fervent welcome to the Pope if he visited Pyongyang.” It is yet to be confirmed whether the Pope will accept Kim's invitation. The Pope, who visited South Korea in 2014, prayed for peace before the June 12 summit between Kim and U.S. President DonOct 9, 2018
BREAKING North Korean leader invites Pope Francis to Pyongyang North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently invited Pope Francis to visit Pyongyang, the South Korean presidential office said Tuesday."Chairman Kim said he will 'ardently welcome the pope if he visits Pyongyang'," Kim Eui-kyeom, spokesman for Cheong Wa Dae, said during a press briefing to announce President Moon Jae-in's plan to visit Europe next week, which would include a stop at the Vatican on Oct. 17 and 18.Moon will deliver this message from the Pyongyang leader when he meets with the pope, according to the spokesman.During the meeting, the president will seek the pope's blessing and support for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and discuss ways for future cooperation with the Vatican, Kim said. (Yonhap)Oct 9, 2018
Pompeo hails 'significant' North Korea progress; experts skeptical U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday hailed "significant progress" in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the weekend and said the sides were "pretty close" to agreeing details for a second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.However, experts questioned what Pompeo had achieved on Sunday on his fourth visit to Pyongyang this year. They said the North Korean leader appeared simply to be repackaging and dragging out past pledges.Pompeo told reporters Kim had said he was ready to allow international inspectors into North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear testing site and the Sohae missile engine test facility as soon as the two sides agreed on logistics.However, Pompeo declined to say whether there had been any forward movement on North Korea's offer to allow inspectors to visit its Yongbyon site, which produces fuel for nuclear weapons. North Korea has said an inspection of that site would be allowed if the United States took "corresponding measures," of which there has been no sign.In May, North Korea blew up tunnels at Punggye-ri and called this proof of its comOct 9, 2018
2nd NK-US summit may take place before US mid-term election By Lee Min-hyungWith Washington and Pyongyang agreeing to hold a second U.S.-North Korea summit at the earliest date possible, expectations are that it will take place sometime before the U.S. mid-term election which falls Nov. 6.In a meeting with President Moon Jae-in late Sunday at Cheong Wa Dae, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at a summit that “should be held as soon as possible,” according to a written brief issued by Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan. But there was no mention of a specific time or even location for the second summit. Political analysts in Seoul argue the second Washington-Pyongyang summit may take place earlier than expected in consideration of Pompeo's agreement with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un about holding it “as soon as possible.”“My view is that leaders from the two countries can meet in the very near future, possibly before the U.S. election, as Pompeo is likely to have had an in-depth discussion with Kim on the timelinOct 8, 2018By Lee Min-hyung
Kim Jong-un expresses belief in 'good program' for 2nd summit with Trump: KCNA North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has expressed his belief that a "good program" will be arranged "sooner or later" for his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, the North's state media said Monday.Kim voiced his optimism as he said goodbye to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who made a one-day trip to Pyongyang on Sunday to keep denuclearization talks going and also to discuss a second summit between Kim and Trump following their first historic talks in June, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)."Expressing the belief that the dialogue and negotiations between the DPRK and the U.S. based on the deep confidence between the top leaders of the two countries would continue to develop favorably in the future, too, and a good program for the 2nd DPRK-U.S. summit talks would be provided sooner or later, the Supreme Leader said good-bye to the U.S. secretary of State," the KCNA said in English. DPRK is the acronym for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.The KCNA said that Kim also expressed "will" and "conviction" to make progress oOct 8, 2018
US agrees with NK to hold second summit soon U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, talks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their meeting in Pyongyang, Sunday (KST). Screengrab of Pompeo's TwitterPompeo says he had 'productive conversation' with Kim By Kim Yoo-chulU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed “progress” in discussions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, Sunday (KST), saying the two had a “productive conversation” in taking steps toward denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.“I don't have much to add. I would certainly tell you in private about our conversation. But we had a good productive conversation. As President Trump said there are many steps along the way and we took one of them today with another step forward. This is I think a good outcome for all of us,” Pompeo told President Moon Jae-in at Cheong Wa Dae late Sunday.Pompeo said Kim had agreed to hold a second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump “as early as possible,” adding working-level discussions between the two countries to set a date and location would take place soon.Oct 7, 2018By Kim Yoo-chul
Inter-Korean Assembly summit challenges ruling party Rep. Lee Hae-chan, left, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and the co-head of a delegation to Pyongyang for an inter-Korean event to celebrate the anniversary of a 2007 summit, listens as the North's Kim Yong-dae, vice chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly speaks during a gathering of political figures from the two Koreas at the Koryo Hotel, Pyongyang, Friday. / YonhapBy Park Ji-won, Joint Press CorpsAs a first-ever inter-Korean legislative summit is being discussed amid the growing mood of rapprochement on the peninsula, the ruling party must persuade the opposition parties to participate. Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Hae-chan, who led a South Korean delegation to Pyongyang from Oct. 4 to 6 with Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, said Friday after meeting his counterparts that “the inter-Korean legislative summit will likely occur this year even though the opposition parties are against it. There is no big difference between the two Koreas on holding this event.”Lee added that, “We talked with vice chairman Oct 7, 2018By Park Ji-won
North Korean media attacks South's conservative party North Korean media have accused South Korea's main opposition party of hampering peace efforts. YonhapBy Jung Da-minNorth Korean media used South Korean news reports, Sunday, in attacks on the South's conservative Liberty Korea Party, saying the party is ruining itself and being isolated from peace efforts.The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling Workers' Party, citied South Korea's media reports to attack the South's main opposition party, saying it is on the track to “destruction.”“According to Edaily, the party is doing everything it can for survival with 'reform' and 'new faces,' but its situation isn't improving,” Rodong said.In another article, Rodong criticized conservative lawmakers for refusing to ratify the Panmunjeom Declaration, which was signed by President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on April 27.North Korean media has been mentioning the Liberty Korea Party more often this year, according to North Korean media tracker KCNA Watch website. The number of articles mentioning the party has increased to 4179 (as of OcOct 7, 2018
