Expectations high for North Korea-US big deal Pompeo's NK visit next month seen crucialBy Kim Bo-eunWashington and Pyongyang are moving quickly to find common ground in their denuclearization negotiations after South Korean President Moon Jae-in's landmark visit to Pyongyang last week.Top officials of the two countries met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Wednesday (local time), to discuss a roadmap for the North's nuclear disarmament.U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo posted on Twitter about his meeting with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho in New York.He stated he had a “very positive meeting with Ri to discuss the upcoming summit and next steps toward denuclearization of North Korea.”“Much work remains, but we will continue to move forward,” he said.In a statement, the U.S. State Department said Pompeo accepted North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's invitation to visit Pyongyang next month.It said his visit would take place to make further progress on the implementation of the commitments from the Singapore summit between the leaders of the U.S. and North Korea, and prepare for a seconSep 27, 2018By Kim Bo-eun
North Korea goes all out to boost tourism The Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourist district is seen in this May file photo. KCNA-YonhapBy Jung Da-minNorth Korea is stepping up its tourism push. The Workers' Party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun on Thursday highlighted the country's tourism to mark World Tourism Day on Sept. 27.Saying that North Korea has entered a new stage of development in tourism, the paper in its editorial touted such sites as the Masikryong Ski Resort and coastal tourist districts ― the Songdowon sea bathing resort in Wonsan, Kangwon Province, the Majon sea bathing resort in Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province, and the Ryongsupo sea bathing resort in South Hwanghae Province.In particular, the paper highlighted ongoing construction at the Wonsan-Kalma coastal tourism zone in Kangwon Province. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has been stressing its completion by Oct. 10, 2019, the foundation anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).Kim visited the site in late August, about three months after his previous visit. He spoke about the project in his New Year speech.The country's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCSep 27, 2018
Trump: Obama was ready for war with North Korea U.S. President Donald Trump and his predecessor Barack Obama / APBy Jung Min-hoU.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that his predecessor Barack Obama was ready to start a war with North Korea, telling reporters that, if it weren't for him, millions of people would have been killed.“If I wasn't elected, you would be in a war,” Trump was quoted as saying in New York by local media.“President Obama essentially said the same thing. He was ready to go to war. You would have had a war and you would have lost millions, not thousands.”The comment came as Trump talked about his administration's efforts to denuclearize North Korea. He said he deserves more credit for lowering the risk of the regime's nuclear threat.“You know how close he (Obama) was to pressing the trigger for war? Millions of people. With me, nobody is talking about that … We have a very good relationship,” Trump said.Since their first summit in Singapore in June, Washington and Pyongyang have been engaged in denuclearization talks. On the same day, the U.S. State Department saSep 27, 2018By Jung Min-ho
'No big differences with UNC over inter-Korean military pact': Defense Ministry South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un show the Pyongyang Peace Agreement after they signed it at Paekhwawon in Pyongyang, Sept. 19, during their third summit. Korea Times fileSouth Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo heads to Cabinet Council at Seoul Government Complex, Thursday. YonhapSouth Korea's defense ministry said Thursday that there are no big differences with the U.N. Command (UNC) over the military part of the recent inter-Korean summit agreement aimed at reducing tensions and preventing accidental clashes.Speculation has continued that the UNC, the enforcer of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, appears uncomfortable with the fast pace of the inter-Korean peace drive given that there has been no tangible progress in Pyongyang's denuclearization.The speculation was further reinforced after Gen. Robert Abrams, the nominee for UNC commander, told a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that "all activities" regarding the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) are "under the purview of the UNC."The inter-Korean military agreement inclSep 27, 2018
`Trump can be breakthrough in denuke talks' U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago state in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., April 6, 2017. Korea Times fileBy Jane HanThe mood is picking up again as a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected soon, but despite what Trump sees as ``tremendous progress,'' denuclearization may not be so realistic, says a prominent North Korean expert. But there is a way to make it happen, Dr. Han Park, professor emeritus of international affairs at the University of Georgia and founding director of the Center for the Study of Global Issues, said in an interview with The Korea Times. ``It's Trump's abnormality,'' he said. ``His unconventional and unpredictable nature.''Park, who has served as an unofficial negotiator between the Washington and Pyongyang during past U.S. administrations, stressed that North Korea will not provide what the U.S. wants and the U.S. will not provide what North Korea wants. ``The U.S. will never give North Korea a peace treaty or diplomatic normalization without denuclearization,'Sep 27, 2018
'We're not playing the time game': Trump U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS-YonhapPresident Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his work to settle a nuclear deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, saying he has given up nothing but his time during a June summit yet stands on the cusp of denuclearizing the North.In a wide-ranging news conference on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Trump told reporters that despite tough U.S. sanctions against the North staying in place, he believes that Kim wants to get a deal done because of their close ties.“We have a very good relationship. He likes me, I like him, we get along,'' Trump said. ``He wants to make a deal and I'd like to make a deal.” He wouldn't put a timeframe, however, on when the two leaders might settle the standoff. ``We're not playing the time game,'' he said. It has lasted for decades, flummoxed a long line of U.S. and South Korean presidents and had many fearing war last year during a series of increasingSep 27, 2018
VIDEO Moon defends Pyongyang from nuclear-concerned UN President Moon Jae-in speaks to the UN General Assembly on Sept. 26 (local time). / YonhapNorth Korea is sincerely moving down the path of complete denuclearization and its acceptance and inclusion by the international community will help further accelerate the process, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Wednesday."North Korea on April 20 officially terminated its nuclear development policy, and has been focusing all its efforts on economic development," Moon said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York."North Korea has come out of its long isolation on its own to stand before the world again," Moon said."Now, it is time for the international community to respond to North Korea's new choice and efforts," he added, devoting more than half of his rare address to the world body.Moon's call for international support for efforts to denuclearize the North came after his trip to the communist state last week for his third and latest meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in which Kim reportedly expressed his willingness to completely rid his country of Sep 27, 2018
Pompeo to visit Pyonyang in October to prep 2nd summit U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference on several topics at the New York Hilton Midtown hotel on the sidelines of the 73rd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, New York, USA, 24 September 2018. The General Debate of the 73rd session begins on 25 September 2018. EPA-YonhapU.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to North Korea next month to set up a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the State Department said Wednesday.The trip was announced after a meeting between Pompeo and North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho in New York earlier in the day."Secretary Pompeo accepted Chairman Kim's invitation to travel to Pyongyang next month to make further progress on the implementation of the commitments from the U.S.-DPRK Singapore summit, including the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK, and to prepare for a second summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim," department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement, referring to North Korea by its formSep 26, 2018
Seoul the venue for second Kim-Trump summit? By Park Si-sooWill U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un get together again? If yes, where? With positive signals for a second summit coming from all angles, a guessing game on a venue has begun. As is the case with Singapore that hosted the historic first Trump-Kim summit on June 12, the location of the second meeting will have the honor of being inscribed in history books for hosting one of the groundbreaking political events of the post-World War II era. Another perk would be a lifted international profile, which would make it easier for the location ― a city or a country ― to host big international events or attract tourists. Against this backdrop, Japanese newspaper Yomiuri raises the possibility that Seoul or Panmunjeom could host the second Trump-Kim summit. Citing diplomatic experts there, the newspaper predicted on Wednesday that the summit would take place in October ― before the U.S. mid-term elections on Nov. 6 ― and the location would be either Seoul or Panmunjeom. But it did not rule out the possibility of other places hosting the meeting. AnotSep 26, 2018
Trump touts 'bold, new push for peace' with North Korea in UN speech U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018. A sound of sudden, loud and unexpected laughter was directed at Trump as he addressed global leaders at the United Nations, and it was witnessed by an audience of tens of millions viewing immediate clips online of a humiliating moment for Donald Trump. The laughter followed Trump's boasts that "in less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country." / APU.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday touted his administration's efforts to achieve peace through negotiations to dismantle North Korea's nuclear weapons program.Speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Trump said his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June was "highly productive."The two leaders agreed that it was in both countries' interest to pursue denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, he said."With support from many countries here today, we have engaged with North Korea to Sep 26, 2018
