Magician says tricks go well with Korean leaders North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, third from right, participates in a magic show performed by South Korean magician Choi Hyun-woo, center, during a banquet at Mokran House in Pyongyang on Sept. 18. 2018. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Jung Da-minMagician Choi Hyun-woo, who went to Pyongyang as part of the South Korean delegation for the three-day inter-Korean summit, presented a magic show to the leaders of the two Koreas Tuesday night at Mokran (Magnolia) House. "I was nervous at the moment," The Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted Choi as saying. He said he was bit worried as he heard North Korean leader Kim Jong-un likes magic and he did not want to let him down.During dinner on Tuesday, Choi performed card tricks that engaged the leaders and their wives. Choi turned a set of cards into a large card that showed the Unification Flag. Korea Times file"The first theme was telepathy, that is, to communicate telepathically," Choi said.For example, if President Moon Jae-in chose a card in his mind, Kim had to guess what card that was."It went well with President Moon and Chairman Kim, as well as withSep 21, 2018
INTERVIEW One man's journey back to North Korea as a filmmaker Joon Bai tells the story of his journey back to North Korea, where he was born, during an interview with The Korea Times on Sept 13. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulKorean-American achieves dream of screening his film made in North Korea in the SouthBy Jung Da-minAspects of Joon Bai's life may resonate with many ethnic Koreans living overseas, in the United States in particular. Born in 1937 in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province in North Korea, he fled to South Korea during the 1950-1953 Korean War, immigrated to the United States and became a businessman.Bai, however, stands out in that he has returned to his birthplace to produce and shoot a film. It all began with one day in 1997 while he was driving in San Francisco, California, where he now lives.“I remember that day so vividly,” Joon Bai said in an interview on Sept. 13 at The Korea Times office, Seoul. “I was driving home from work and turned on the radio and they were saying that hundreds of thousands of people died of starvation in North Korea. I just could not shake that story and it would stay with me fSep 21, 2018
US, South Korean defense chiefs talk after Pyongyang summit South Korean defense chief Song Young-moo, right, North Korea's chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland Ri Son-gwon, left, and officials from two Koreas talk on the second day of the third inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at Paekhwawon, Sept. 19. Joint Press CorpsU.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks, left, and U.S. Defense Secretary James MattisThe defense chiefs of South Korea and the United States on Friday held telephone talks to share the outcome of this week's inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, Seoul's defense ministry said.During the talks, Defense Minister Song Young-moo explained to his U.S. counterpart James Mattis the results of the summit, including the bilateral military agreement on halting all hostile acts, and Seoul's efforts for denuclearization and a lasting peace on the peninsula."As the two countries' defense chiefs expressed expectations that the inter-Korean summit would help foster the conditions for amicable denuclearization dialogue between the North Sep 21, 2018
Rapper Zico impressed by North Korean audience (From left) Hip-hop artist Zico, vocalist Ali, magician Choi Hyun-woo and vocalist Ailee, who are members of the South Korean cultural delegation to the third inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, chat while visiting Okryu Children's Hospital in Pyongyang, Sept. 18. Joint Press CorpsArriving from North Korea where he performed on the sidelines of the historic three-day inter-Korean summit, rapper Zico has said he was impressed by North Korean audiences who musically responded to his hip hop performance.Zico was part of the cultural delegation accompanying President Moon Jae-in in his visit for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Tuesday through Thursday.Zico performed his 2017 hit song "Artist," a funky hip hop song filled with witty rap lines, during the dinner party thrown by Kim on the first day, along with his K-pop mates, Ailee and Ali.Zico quoted First Lady Kim Jung-sook as calling him "the hottest person of the South Korean delegation" as she introduced him to Kim's wife, Ri Sol-ju, at the beginning of the thSep 21, 2018
72% South Koreans support inter-Korean summit outcome: poll The moment South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook are greeted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang on Sept. 18 ahead of their third inter-Korean summit is broadcast live at Seoul Station. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chulSeven out of 10 South Koreans expressed support for the outcome of President Moon Jae-in's latest summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a poll showed Friday.In the survey on 501 adults conducted by pollster Realmeter, 71.6 percent of the respondents are supportive of the results of the third inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, while 22.1 percent gave a negative assessment.President Moon visited Pyongyang from Tuesday to Thursday for his third summit with Kim, followed by summit talks in April and May.Kim agreed to "permanently" dismantle a key missile testing site under the observation of international experts. He also expressed the country's readiness to close its nuclear complex in Yongbyon, depending on corresponding actions by Washington.The poll showed that 93.5 percSep 21, 2018
'No inter-Korean success without US-North Korea success': UN chief United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gestures during a press conference leading into next week's General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters in New York, New York, USA, 20 September 2018. EPA-YonhapSecretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday that negotiations between the two Koreas won't be successful unless there is simultaneous success in U.S.-North Korean negotiations to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. The U.N. chief told a news conference that the results of this week's summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “were positive,” but progress is also essential between Washington and Pyongyang. “It is clear for me that there will not be success in inter-Korean negotiations if simultaneously there is not success in the American-North Korea…negotiations to achieve the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in the context of regional security,” Guterres said. While the leaders of the two Koreas have been building ties, diplomacSep 21, 2018
US dismisses North Korea's conditional offer to dismantle nuclear site State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert speaks during a briefing at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2017. Korea Times fileThe United States on Thursday dismissed North Korea's conditional offer to dismantle a key nuclear site, saying denuclearization must come before concessions.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed a willingness in this week's joint summit agreement with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to permanently shut down the nuclear facilities in Yongbyon if the U.S. took "corresponding measures."Asked if the U.S. was prepared to comply, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the U.S. position has not changed."I think I'd just go back to what I've said about that very issue before, and that nothing can happen in the absence of denuclearization," she said during a regular press briefing. "Denuclearization has to come first."Kim also committed to permanently dismantle a missile testing site in front of international inspectors but stopped short of naming particular groups or countries, including the U.S.There appeared to be a discrepanSep 21, 2018
Foreign reporters unhappy with 'zero' invitations to Pyongyang Journalists, including those from outside South Korea, attend to covering the third inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 18-20 at the Main Press Center in Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Joint Press CorpsBy Jung Da-minForeign reporters based in Seoul are upset that they were not invited to Pyongyang to cover the three-day inter-Korean summit from Tuesday to Thursday.Chad O'Carroll in Pyongyang during his reporting trip to cover North Korea's Sept. 9 foundation day celebrations. Courtesy of NK News“Foreign media should be there because it is an international event surrounding the biggest foreign policy concern of the U.S.,” NK News managing director Chad O'Carroll told The Korea Times, Wednesday.He has made five times of trips to the North since 2010.“South Korean media were welcomed en masse to Singapore and hundreds of South Korean journalists went, because that issue was as much of concern to Seoul as the inter-Korean summit is to foreigners,” he said.Although a journaliSep 20, 2018
S. Korean leader gives first speech to NK citizens South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un wave to the crowd as the South's first lady Kim Jung-sook and the North's first lady Ri Sol-ju applaud before watching the North's “Glorious Country” performance at the May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, Wednesday. Moon gave the first ever speech by a South Korean leader to North Koreans urging cooperation to end hostility, and seek peace and prosperity. / Joint Press CorpsBy Park Ji-won, Joint Press CorpsSEOUL/PYONGYANG _ President Moon Jae-in gave a speech to North Korean citizens _ the first ever by a South Korean leader _ calling for the people's efforts to end 70 years of hostility and seek a new path toward peace and prosperity, at the close of a choreographed mass-performance in Pyongyang late Wednesday. Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, along with their wives, watched the large-scale group gymnastics and artistic propaganda performances at the May Day Stadium on the second day of Moon's three-day summit trip to the North. After watching the performance, Moon said “we two leaders declarSep 20, 2018By Park Ji-won
Kim Jong-un sends 2 tons of pine mushrooms to Moon Two tons of pine mushrooms were sent to South Korea by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday, last day of the three-day summit between Kim and his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang. Joint Press CorpsNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a vast amount of expensive pine mushrooms to South Korea as a gift for President Moon Jae-in, Moon's top press secretary said Thursday.The special gift arrived in South Korea earlier in the day, well before Moon returned from the North after his three-day trip there, according to Yoon Young-chan."While the president and his wife continued to stay in the North, Chairman Kim Jong-un's gift arrived here. Two tons of pine mushrooms arrived at Seoul Air Base early this morning," he told a press briefing.Moon has instructed his office Cheong Wa Dae to equally share the mushrooms among all separated families here that have yet to be reunited with their loved ones in the North."I hope the mushrooms, with the scent of North Korea intact, may offer some condolence," Moon was quoted as saying.The divided Koreas resumed their joint eventsSep 20, 2018
