Moon vows to persuade Pyongyang amid standoff President Moon Jae-in speaks during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. Moon will fly to Pyongyang today for a three-day trip, which will include multiple meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. YonhapBy Kim Yoo-chulPresident Moon Jae-in said Monday he will try to persuade Pyongyang to advance peace and denuclearization processes during his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.“Achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula isn't an issue for South Korea to handle alone. The top priority at the upcoming summit will be what specific steps should be taken to find common ground between the North and the U.S. We have to reconcile the North's demand to end hostile relations with the United States and how the latter can offer a security guarantee as a condition for denuclearization,” Moon said in a weekly meeting with his top secretaries at Cheong Wa Dae.“I plan to have a thorough and open discussion with Kim Jong-un. I will try to persuade Kim to advance the nuclear disarmament talks with the United States Sep 17, 2018By Kim Yoo-chul
Rapper Zico, R&B singer Ailee to visit Pyongyang Woo Ji-ho, better known by his stage name Zico, is a rapper and singer-songwriter leading the boy band Block B. He has been included in President Moon Jae-in's official entourage to the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang. Moon's office announced on Sunday the 52-member delegation for the summit on Tuesday to Thursday that includes government officials, politicians, business leaders and representatives from various social segments. / YonhapBy Kang Aa-youngThe South Korean artists' delegation to Pyongyang in April included veteran Korean singers such as Cho Yong-pil and Lee Sun-hee as well as surprise K-pop stars such as Red Velvet and Girls' Generation's Seohyun. But hip-hop and R&B? How North Korean audiences will respond to these genres was the question that popped into the publics mind when the government announced Sunday the members of the presidential entourage for the third inter-Korean summit which included rapper Zico and R&B singer Ailee. Experts are divided over their joining the cultural delegation. “I can see the government is trying to add some cultural dSep 17, 2018
Seoul indicates summit could make progress on separated families South Korea's presidential office on Monday expressed optimism that this week's inter-Korean summit will result in substantial progress in addressing the issue of families separated by the Korean War.President Moon Jae-in plans to embark on a three-day trip to Pyongyang on Tuesday for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un."There will be separate in-depth discussions on ways to resolve the pain of separated families," Moon's Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok told reporters during a briefing on the summit's agenda and key events."I expect we can deliver a good news because the North is also very positive."He said that discussions are under way between two Koreas on the establishment of a permanent meeting facility, more frequent reunions, locating all registered separate relatives and video meetings.South and North Korea held family reunions last month at Mount Kumgang on the North's east coast in the latest reconciliatory measure since Moon and Kim held their first summit meeting in April. The reunions were the first since October 2015.South Korea's Red Cross chief Park KyunSep 17, 2018
Ruling party chief vows to make inter-Korean summit success Ruling party chief Lee Han-chan said Monday he will try to help this week's summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un make progress in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula."After all, the most pressing point of interest is how to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Lee said during a meeting of Democratic Party leaders on the eve of Moon's trip to Pyongyang. "I will travel together (with Moon) and make my best efforts to help the talks to produce good results."Noting that Moon is expected to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump after this week's inter-Korean summit, Lee also said he looks forward earnestly to this week's meeting producing a "significant turning point in bringing about an era of peace and co-existence" on the divided peninsula.Moon is scheduled to fly to Pyongyang on Tuesday for a three-day visit. It will be the third time he has met with the North's leader and follows their first summit on April 27 and a second meeting on May 27. Both talks took place at the border village of Panmunjom.This week's talks take placSep 17, 2018
NK media highlight April summit agreement ahead of Moon's visit North Korea's state media emphasized peace and prosperity between the two Koreas Monday, calling for efforts to build on the achievements they have made since the historic summit meeting in April."The north and the south should actively open the new history of peace, prosperity and reunification by gathering power and wisdom and cherishing the achievements made on the way toward implementing the Panmunjom Declaration," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, said one day before South Korean President Moon Jae-in embarks on a three-day visit to Pyongyang for his third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un."Talks and cooperative projects have been under way on various fronts as part of efforts to carrying out the Panmunjom Declaration and in the process, pleasure for all the people have increased as they have been conductive to reconciliation, unity and peace and prosperity," it added.The leaders held their summit talks in April and May, both at the truce village of Panmunjom.At the April summit Moon and Kim agreed to work toward the complete denuclSep 17, 2018
Moon to arrive in Pyongyang at 10 am Tuesday Presidential chief of staff Lim Jong-seok speaks during a media conference at the press center in Seoul, Monday, ahead of the intern-Korean summit scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. YonhapDenuclearization put on agenda for Moon-Kim talksBy Kim Bo-eunLeaders of the two Koreas may reach an agreement on easing military tension at their summit that begins Tuesday, presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok said Monday.Easing military tension is among the three main items on the agenda for the third meeting between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Im said in a media briefing on the summit at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul. Im is also chief of the summit preparation committee.Moon will head for Pyongyang for a three-day summit, departing from Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, at 8:40 a.m. Tuesday and arriving at Sunan International Airport in Pyongyang at around 10:00 a.m.The preparation committee chief said the North Korean leader may greet Moon at the airport, as an official welcoming event is scheduled to take place there.The leadeSep 17, 2018By Kim Bo-eun
South Korea's tycoons to go to Pyongyang From the left are Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, LG Group CEO Koo Kwang-mo and Hyundai Motor Group Vice President of Kim Yong-hwan, among business leaders who will visit North Korea. Yonhap.South Korea's advance team arrives in Pyongyang SundayBy Yi Whan-wooTop executives from the country's top four conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, will accompany President Moon Jae-in to Pyongyang for possible talks on inter-Korean business cooperation.This bodes well for a planned third summit between Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but at the same time could trigger disputes about the effectiveness of their visit as sanctions against North Korea remain intact.Presidential chief of staff Lim Jong-seok said Lee, Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Kim Yong-hwan, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and LG Group CEO Koo Kwang-mo will join the 200-member Seoul delegation that will leave for Pyongyang, Tuesday.Lim said the group will also include Hyun Jeong-eun, the chairwoman of Hyundai GroupSep 16, 2018By Yi Whan-woo
Samsung, Hyundai, SK, LG leaders to join Moon's Pyongyang visit South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit Pyongyang this week, along with several conglomerate leaders, his office announced Sunday.Cheong Wa Dae said Moon's entourage will be composed of 52 government officials, politicians, business leaders and selected representatives from various other fields.They include Lee Jae-Yong, vice chairman of Samsung Group; SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won; Kim Yong-hwan, vice president of Hyundai Motor Group; and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. (Yonhap)Sep 16, 2018
North Korea raps Japan for remarks on end-of-war declaration North Korea's state-controlled media criticized Japan's top diplomat Sunday for his negative view on declaring an end to the Korean War anytime soon.The criticism is seen to reflect Pyongyang's yearning for security assurances associated with such a declaration.The two Koreas plan to hold another round of summit talks next week in the North's capital. And the end-of-war declaration will apparently be among the key agenda items, along with Pyongyang's denuclearization.Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono, however, said publicly such a declaration is premature amid no progress in efforts to denuclearize North Korea."In conclusion, the nonsense of Kono clearly shows Japan's wicked intention to hide the wretched situation that it has been completely marginalized from the surrounding structure and to poke into the regional issue by inciting the confrontation atmosphere," Pyongyang's official news agency KCNA said in an English-language commentary.It added, "The trend of the times is dialogue and peace, which no one can deny and go against them."It is the "firm stand and will of North KoreaSep 16, 2018
South Korean officials visit North Korea for summit preparations A group of more than 90 South Koreans began a trip Sunday to North Korea to make preparations, largely logistical, for the upcoming inter-Korean summit.President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to travel to Pyongyang from Tuesday till Thursday for what would be his third meeting with the North's leader Kim Jong-un.The advance team of 93 government officials, technology-related staff and reporters, crossed the border on 19 buses.It's led by Suh Ho, presidential secretary for unification policy. "The South-North summit talks, for which all people long, are just three days away. The advance team will make sure it's well-prepared," he told reporters just before departure at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) office in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.Moon, meanwhile, plans to use the direct flight route over the Yellow Sea for his first trip to Pyongyang as the South's president. The North's media carried a series of reports on the upcoming summit."Regarding the historic Pyongyang summit, expectations and interest are running unprecedentedly high in South Korea," claimed the Rodong Sep 16, 2018
