Kim Il Sung Univ. to establish exchange with Berlin Free Univ. By Kim Jae-heunNorth Korea's Kim Il Sung University has signed an agreement with the Free University of Berlin on cooperation and education exchange programs in the humanities and sociology, the German school announced, Monday. It said it had exchanged documents with the university in Pyongyang last Thursday.It is rare for the North Korean university to form an official cooperative relationship with an institute from a country that is not a socialist state.Kim Il Sung University President Thae Hyong-chol and the head of the Institute of Korean Studies at Berlin Free University, Lee Eun-jeong, attended the ceremony.“The Free University of Berlin has long been making educational exchanges with Kim Il Sung University, which brought us to establish an official relationship to cooperate at this stage,” Lee said during her speech at the ceremony. “We can now conduct more research in the fields that have not been much studied in North Korea.”The two schools will carry out joint research in the humanities and sociology. Also, the German language department at Kim Il SOct 2, 2018By Kim Jae-heun
'North Korea won't push for end-of-war declaration if US doesn't want it': KCNA North Korea will not hope for an end-of-war declaration if the United States does not want it, adding that the issue should not be used as a "bargaining chip" in denuclearization talks, the country's state media said Tuesday."Now that the DPRK and the U.S. are aspiring after the establishment of new relations true to the spirit of the June 12 DPRK-U.S. joint statement, it is quite right to put an end to the belligerent relations between them," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English commentary. "But, if the U.S. doesn't want the end of war, the DPRK will also not particularly hope for it," it added, using the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.The KCNA said that formally ending the 1950-53 Korean War will meet the "interests" of all countries hoping for peace on the Korea Peninsula. It added such a declaration should not be used as either a "gift" or a "bargaining chip" in the denuclearization talks. U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their historic summit in Singapore in June in which tOct 2, 2018
77% of US citizens support diplomatic ties with North Korea after denuclearization: poll Nearly 80 percent of Americans support establishing diplomatic ties with North Korea should the regime abandon its nuclear weapons program, a survey showed Monday.According to the poll commissioned by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, 77 percent of Americans are in favor of such a concession, along with providing economic and humanitarian aid to the North at 54 percent.In other concessions, a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea received 54 percent of support, while less than a majority (44 percent) were in favor of canceling joint military exercises between South Korea and the U.S., and 18 percent backed a complete withdrawal of the 28,500 troops.The survey, conducted among 2,046 adults in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., from July 12-31, also found that the majority of the American public (77 percent) support tightening economic sanctions on the North in the event that it does not denuclearize.Less popular options to respond to the North keeping its nuclear weapons were conducting air strikes on the nuclear facilities (37 percent) and striking a deal withOct 2, 2018
North Korea pushes forest restoration This photo, provided by Green Korea in May shows a bare mountain near North Korea's border city of Gaesong. Courtesy of Green Korea (Korea Times file)By Jung Da-minNorth Korea is going all out to restore its forests. The Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) publication Rodong Sinmun Sunday pointed out some “under-performing” areas, calling for officials to achieve substantial results.In an editorial titled “It is necessary to be a thorough enforcer of the party policy to innovate forest restoration projects,” the newspaper took Mundok County in South Pyongan Province as an exemplary region that is successfully executing the party's reforestation plan. Other regions were accused of performing poorly.Workers in Koksan County in North Hwanghae Province, Ryonggang County and Nyongwon County in South Pyongyang Province and Sinwon County in South Hwanghae Province have been publicly reprimanded for being “irresponsible” in building proper infrastructure and planting and looking after trees.“The cause of the deficiencies in the units pointed out above is bOct 1, 2018
A gift from Kim Jong-un: Pungsan dogs Songkang and Gomi. / Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Park Si-soo North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presented South Korean President Moon Jae-in with two well-bred Pungsan dogs to mark the leaders' latest meeting in Pyongyang last month, the presidential office said Sunday. The animals, named Songkang and Gomi, recently cleared quarantine and are living at the presidential residence, according to Cheong Wa Dae. The dogs were born in 2017. Moon already owns a Pungsan dog named Maru, so he will have three pets that can trace their lineage to the North.Songkang.Gomi.The Pungsan breed originated in a mountainous region of the North. The dogs, bred to hunt tigers and other wild animals, are agile, clever and ferocious toward beasts, but friendly and loyal to their human masters. They have thick fur, mostly white or light yellow, a wide chest, thick neck and strong legs.Their average height when fully grown ranges from 55-60 centimeters, and their average weight stands at around 20-30 kilograms. Along with Jindo dogs, from the southern island of Jindo in South Korea, the breed is one of the two mOct 1, 2018
Kim Jong-un reaffirms 'steadfast' relations with China North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reaffirmed his "steadfast stand" Monday to deepen relations with China in his message to Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the occasion of China's 69th founding anniversary, the North's state media said.Kim also expressed his will to further advance Pyongyang-Beijing relations based on their traditionally close ties that have been built for decades, according to the Korean Central News Agency."It noted that it is the steadfast stand of the WPK and the DPRK government to develop the traditional DPRK-China relations of friendship on a new stage," the KCNA said in English, referring to Kim's message to Xi. "Noting that he values the ties and affection forged through three meetings with Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un expressed the will to strive together to further deepen the DPRK-China friendship, (the) precious legacy left by the leaders of the elder generation of the two countries, in keeping with the requirement of the new era," it added. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The WPK refers to the North's ruling partOct 1, 2018
S. Korea seizes Russian ship suspected of violating US sanctions on NK By Yi Whan-wooSouth Korean authorities have seized a Russian-flagged ship and its crew in Busan on suspicion they are violating U.S. sanctions on North Korea, according to Russia's TASS news agency.The seizure came after concern about the Seoul's lax enforcement of international economic sanctions on North Korea amid improving inter-Korean relations. It is still uncertain whether the seizure was an independent decision by South Korea or a request from the U.S. According to the report, Saturday, Busan port authorities have been holding the cargo ship Sevastopol, owned by the Russia-based Gudzon shipping company, and 12 crew members since Friday.The ship arrived in Busan on Aug. 14 for maintenance. It was scheduled to leave last weekend. The Russian consulate in Busan has been informed.Citing International Transport Workers' Federation official Pyotr Osichansky, the news agency said U.S. sanctions may have been behind the seizure of the ship.On its expanded North Korea-related sanctions list, the U.S. Department of Treasury recently added Gudzon and another Russian shipping company andSep 30, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
Trump says he 'fell in love' with Kim Jong-un By Park Si-soo U.S. President Donald Trump says he “fell in love” with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, yet another positive signal to revive the stalled denuclearization talks between the two nations. Trump made the comment at a televised rally in Wheeling, West Virginia, Saturday (local time.) “I was really being tough and so was he,” Trump said of his talks with Kim over his nuclear weapons program. “And we would go back and forth. And then we fell in love. No, really. He wrote me beautiful letters. They were great letters. And then we fell in love.”The U.S. leader was probably speaking about a series of letters he has exchanged with Kim since their first summit in Singapore in June. At that meeting, Kim agreed to a vaguely worded joint statement to “work towards the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” while Trump committed to “provide security guarantees” and take moves toward normalizing relations.During his speech at the United Nations last week, Trump raised hopes that a second meeting with Kim could oSep 30, 2018
PHOTOS North Korea says 'Peace possible, but only if US ends hostility' North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho addresses the 73rd United Nations General Assembly on September 29, 2018, at the United Nations in New York. AFPCalling for more trust, North Korea's foreign minister urged the United States on Saturday to keep moving past what he called seven decades of entrenched hostility if Washington wants to restart stalled negotiations meant to rid Pyongyang of its nuclear bombs. Boiling the rivals' diplomatic standoff down to the North's deepening feeling of mistrust, Ri Yong Ho sought to lay out a vision of peace on the troubled Korean Peninsula _ provided the North gets what it wants from the United States.Ri, standing at a podium at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said North Korea is ready to implement the points that his leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to in June during a summit in Singapore.But his comments were infused with what came across as impatience at the slow pace of progress in a process the world hopes will cause Pyongyang to abandon an arsenal of nuclear-tipped missiles that aims to accuratelSep 30, 2018
South Korean FM meets Vatican, Latvian diplomats for Pyongyang denuclearization South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha speaks during the UN Security Council in NYC, Sept. 27. YonhapLatvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, left, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with StatesSouth Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with the top diplomats of the Vatican and Latvia in New York to seek their support for the denuclearization of North Korea, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday. Kang, who is attending the 73rd United Nations General Assembly, met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States, in New York on Friday (local time) and expressed gratitude for Pope Francis' messages regarding peace of the Korean Peninsula. Pope Francis has so far released nine messages on the Korean Peninsula, including a message expressing support for the inter-Korean summit. Kang and Gallagher also talked about the 3rd inter-Korean summit held in Pyongyang last week. Gallagher said the South Korean government's will to lead North Korea's denuclearization process and make progress in inteSep 29, 2018
