Spelling disaster: Yonhap miscalls Trump's security adviser John Bolton's name 'Michael Bolton' Captured from the Yonhap News Agency websiteBy Park Si-soo South Korea's news agency Yonhap has become an online laughing stock after it misspelled White House national security adviser John Bolton's name as American rock balladeer “Michael Bolton” in an English article published Thursday.The embarrassing mistake was found in the lead sentence of the story published at 2:04 p.m. under the headline “Moon's top security adviser to hold talks with U.S. counterpart on N. Korea trip.” It was corrected soon after, but too late to avoid nimble readers who later shared it on social media. A foreign reader ridiculed the mistake, saying “How Am I Supposed to Live Without Nukes,” a parody of Michael Bolton's hit song “How am I Supposed to Live Without You.”Several Korean readers wrote: “Shame is mine.” White House national security adviser John Bolton, left, and American rock balladeer Michael Bolton.Sep 7, 2018
Moon may get red-carpet welcome in Pyongyang South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il inspect the honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony held in Pyongyang in this Oct. 2, 2007, file photo. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonPresident Moon Jae-in is expected to receive a red-carpet welcome after arriving in Pyongyang for the third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Sept. 18.It marks the third time for a South Korean President to visit Pyongyang following Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who both met with Kim Jong-un's father and predecessor Kim Jong-il. Moon has met Kim Jong-un two times at the truce village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone.Previously, Kim Jong-un expressed his willingness to welcome Moon when he met with him at the second inter-Korean summit on May 26, saying he would treat Moon and his wife well if they make it to Pyongyang in the autumn.It is largely expected the North will do its best to show courtesy to Moon as the North's leader has done for the South's leaders in the past.There are a few possible scenarios for North Korea to pay courtesy based on preSep 6, 2018
Careless whispers? President Moon Jae-in's special envoy and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, left, whispers to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeBy Oh Young-jinIf one photo is worth a thousand words, this should easily qualify. Presidential envoy Chung Eui-yong is captured whispering to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is leaning toward him. Kim has a big smile on his face. This marks the closest the two Koreans could get so far. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un politely receives President Moon Jae-in's letter from Moon's special envoy Chung Eui-yong.Reflecting the amicable mood of the meeting, Chung, the top security advisor to President Moon Jae-in, talked during a post-visit summit briefing of Kim's frustrations about the lack of trust by the United States in the North's commitment to denuclearization.“North Korean leader Kim is frustrated for the lack of corresponding moves by the United States to the North's preemptive steps,” Chung said. The North's moves include the destruction of a nuclear test site.The South Korean delegation holds a meetinSep 6, 2018
Moon, Kim to meet Sept. 18-20 South Korean presidential envoy Chung Eui-yong gives a briefing Thursday about his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Wednesday. YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanSouth and North Korea have agreed to hold their next inter-Korean summit on Sept. 18-20 in Pyongyang.President Moon Jae-in's National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong made the announcement Thursday after a South Korean delegation met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Wednesday. He said Kim had renewed his commitment to making the Korean Peninsula nuclear weapons-free at the meeting. Chung, Director of the National Intelligence Service Suh Hoon and three other members of the delegation returned late Wednesday after a 12-hour stay in Pyongyang. They delivered a letter from President Moon to Kim. The North also hosted a dinner reception for the delegation.Moon and Kim have held two meetings, with the seminal April meeting leading to the historic summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore two months later.The North's state-run media said Thursday that Kim renewed his commitmenSep 6, 2018
BREAKING Moon, Kim to meet Sept. 18-20 South Korean presidential envoy Chung Eui-yong gives a briefing Thursday about his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang on Wednesday. YonhapBy Ko Dong-hwanSouth and North Korea agreed to hold their next inter-Korean summit on Sept. 18-20 in Pyongyang.President Moon Jae-in's National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has renewed his commitment to making the Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons in his recent meeting with a South Korean delegation that visited Pyongyang.Chung and Director of the National Intelligence Service Suh Hoon came back after a 12-hour stay in Pyongyang late Wednesday.They had a meeting with Kim and delivered President Moon's letter to him. Moon and Kim held two meetings already with the seminal April meeting that led to the summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore two months later.Now the U.S.-North Korean effort to make a deal over Pyongyang's denuclearization has hit an impasse with Moon stepping in to try and play honest broker.Sep 6, 2018
Ex-US envoy calls for humanitarian aid to North Korea Secretary of State John Kerry, left, and State Department special envoy Robert King, center, listen as North Korean human rights activist Shin Dong-hyuk delivers remarks during an event on human rights in North Korea at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014 in New York. Korea Times fileIn this photo released by China's Xinhua news agency, Robert King, left, U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, and U.S. citizen Eddie Jun, right, prepare to leave Pyongyang, North Korea, on Saturday May 28, 2011. The American held by North Korea for a half year reportedly for proselytizing is returning to the United States, brought out by the U.S. envoy who negotiated his release. Korea Times fileA former U.S. envoy for North Korean human rights issues said Wednesday that humanitarian aid to the impoverished country should continue despite the threat of its nuclear weapons program.Robert King, who served as the State Department envoy from 2009 to 2017, issued the appeal in a commentary for the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, where he is currentlSep 6, 2018
Briefing on envoy's trip to North Korea due 10:40 am By Oh Young-jinA South Korean delegation met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their one-day visit to Pyongyang Wednesday. The photos released by Cheong Wa Dae after their return late on the day showed the meeting proceeded amicably. In many of them, the North Korean leader was captured with a big smile on his face. Speculation is that the southern team has gained what they went for regarding the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and Kim and perhaps a breakthrough to the Pyongyang-Washington impasse over the first's nuclear disarmament. The presidential office will give a briefing about the special envoy's trip this morning. President Moon Jae-in's special envoy and National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, left, whispers to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Courtesy of Cheong Wa DaeNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un politely receives President Moon Jae-in's letter from Moon's special envoy Chung Eui-yong.The South Korean delegation holds a meeting with the North's Kim.The South Korean delegation poses with the North's Kim after their meeting.Sep 6, 2018
N. Korea reiterates call to declare end to Korean War By Lee Min-hyung North Korea has repeated a call for the South and the United States to walk on similiar paths to speed up the declaration of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, the regime’s foreign ministry said Tuesday. “The first step to build trust between Pyongyang and Washington is to declare the end to the war, as this will help establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim Yong-guk, head of Pyongyang’s Disarmament and Peace Institute of its foreign ministry, stated on the institute’s homepage. He urged the U.S. to sign the declaration as soon as possible, as this will make smooth progress in the ongoing denuclearization dialogue between both sides. “If both sides have the political willingness, it is reasonable for them to end the technical state of war on the peninsula first,” the regime said. The demand came a day before a five-member South Korean special envoy made their way to Pyongyang Wednesday to discuss timelines and agenda for the upcoming inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in andSep 5, 2018
Xi's absence in Pyongyang complicates denuke dialogue Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, speaks to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Dalian in northeastern China’s Liaoning Province, in this May 7 file photo. / AP-YonhapBy Lee Min-hyung With Chinese President Xi Jinping’s reported Pyongyang visit this month canceled, expectations for smooth progress of North Korea’s denuclearization has been brought back to square one. On Tuesday, North Korean media outlets reported China’s No. 3-ranked official, Li Zhanshu, will make a Pyongyang visit on Saturday as a special envoy of Xi. Xi’s non-attendance dampens erstwhile expectations that his visit may have served as a breakthrough to end the ongoing deadlock for denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. “Li will pay a visit to North Korea to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its founding,” the regime’s Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said. “He will lead China’s special delegation by visiting North Korea on Saturday,” it said without elaborating how long the envoys will stay in the regime. LastSep 5, 2018
North Korea trumpets self-reliant economy before Sept. 9 foundation day North Korean scientists wave the national flag during a military parade in Pyongyang's Kim Il-sung Square on September 9, 2013, to mark the 65th anniversary of the country's founding. AP-Yonhap.By Jung Da-minNorth Korea has pushed its achievements and highlighted the festive mood in the country four days before its Sept. 9 foundation day celebration.The ruling Workers' Party of Korea mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday reported on the country's internal and external politics, economic and educational performance and the various events to mark foundation day.In particular, the newspaper devoted two-thirds of its Wednesday edition ― four pages ― to highlighting the country's self-reliant economy and the greatness of its education systems, revealing national policy directions to strengthen the country's socialist economy.Kim Jong-un's visit to the bier of Ju Kyu-chang, who was a key figure in the country's missile and nuclear weapons development, was covered on the front page, but there were no other reports on the country's military policy.In April, Kim vowed to abolish the dual miliSep 5, 2018
