Gov't in dilemma over North Korea restaurant defectors Twelve North Korean restaurant workers and their manager arrive at Incheon International Airport on April 8, 2016. / Korea Times fileBy Park Ji-wonThe South Korean government has been caught in a dilemma dealing with the former workers of a North Korean restaurant in China who allegedly defected to the South in 2016, following a series of new testimonies from them that the group defection was orchestrated by the South's spy agency. South Korean activist lawyers and the U.N. special rapporteur have been urging the government to start a fact-finding process, while the Moon Jae-in administration, amid the mood of reconciliation between the two Koreas, is maintaining the position that they defected to the South voluntarily.Ho Kang-il, the manager of the restaurant in the Chinese port city of Ningbo, told the Yonhap News Agency Sunday that he was threatened by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) to defect together with other workers there, or otherwise it would inform the North that he had been cooperative with the NIS.“They threatened that unless I come to the South wJul 15, 2018
NK table tennis players in S. Korea North Korean table tennis players and delegates arrive at Incheon International Airport, Sunday, to participate in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Platinum Korea Open. The North's 16 athletes and South Korean players will form a unified team for the competition that continues from July 17 to 22, and will return home the next day. Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwonJul 15, 2018
UN allows sanctions exception for military hotline recovery By Kim RahnThe United Nations has temporarily allowed South Korea's provision of fuel and vehicles for North Korea as an exception to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, because the materials would be used for recovering military communication lines between the two Koreas, a Japanese media company reported, Saturday. Citing a source at the UNSC, the Kyodo News said the U.N. sanctions committee decided to accept the exception for Seoul to offer the materials to Pyongyang.According to the report, the South Korean government asked the committee to allow it to send 51 items on the sanctions list including gasoline, optical cables, buses and trucks, which would be used for communication line recovery work, to the North. And the committee concluded sending the supplies would be an exception to the sanctions.The UNSC resolutions ban exporting fuel and other materials that can be used for military purposes, but allows exceptions in case of humanitarian purposes. It is said none of the 15 UNSC members objected to the committee's decision.In an earlier summit in April between SoutJul 15, 2018
NK, US hold general-level war remains talks By Kim Bo-eunNorth Korea and the U.S. held general-level talks on repatriating the remains of U.S. soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War, at the truce village of Panmunjeom, Sunday.The talks about war remains were rescheduled to be held Sunday, after the North did not show up at an earlier-set colonel-level meeting last Thursday. It instead proposed the same day to the United Nations Command (UNC) to hold general-level talks on Sunday.It is the first general-level meeting between North Korea and the U.S. in nine years since the last one in March 2009.Michael Minihan, chief of staff for the UNC and U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), led the U.S delegation, according to South Korean government sources. From the North, a general, who was believed to be from the Korean People's Army, attended.Talks on repatriating war remains to the U.S. came more than a month after the agreement was reached between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump at their June 12 summit in Singapore.The USFK sent 100 wooden cases to Panmunjeom last month in which to send the remains first Jul 15, 2018
North Korea leader asks to protect forest in border region North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks to his aides during his visit last week to a farm in Samjiyon County, where a township is being built. He stressed that the project should not lead to forests being destroyed. / Korean Central News AgencyBy Yi Whan-wooSpeculation is growing that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is making a priority of forestation in rebuilding the economy, after he visited Samjiyon County in the border region.The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on July 10 that Kim visited the county in Ryanggang Province, where a town is being built.He said the project should be divided into the areas of education, dwelling houses, modern streets, industry, sports and cultural education, commercial service and tourism.He also stressed that the project should not lead to the destruction of forests in the region and cited the need for “a good design of forestation and tree planting.”His instruction appears to be in line with inter-Korean cooperation on forestry.This is the not the first time that Kim has emphasized environmental protection.In February 2015, KJul 15, 2018
N. Korean national treasure N. Korean national treasure: Potongmun, North Korea's National Treasure No. 2, is in downtown Pyongyang. This western gate of the walled city of Pyongyang was built during the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo (37 B.C.-668 A.D.). It later underwent renovations and then was rebuilt in 1473 during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). / Joint Press CorpsJul 15, 2018
Pyongyang distorts S. Korea's image By Yi Whan-wooNorth Korea is distorting facts about South Korea in lectures to which people are mobilized to learn about the South amid a thaw between the sides, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.Some sources speculated the move may be a step toward attributing possible economic developments to leader Kim Jong-un, because the two Koreas are working toward many collaborative projects. These range from combating deforestation to linking roads across the Demilitarized Zone.“South Korea is described as a disease-ridden, backward country in a July 3 lecture,” a source said last week. The source also said the lecture described South Korean society as something “controlled by money where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, robbers frequently kill for money, and even parents and their children will fight and kill each other for a few dollars."“After a long absence of slander directed at South Korea, it seems these recent lectures have come about in response to recent cooperation between the South and North, built on the regime's concern that peopleJul 15, 2018
US, North Korea hold talks on war dead repatriation The United States and North Korea held general-level talks for the first time in more than nine years on Sunday to discuss the details of an agreement to repatriate the remains of American troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War.The meeting had originally been scheduled to take place Thursday, but the North called it off at the last minute, citing a lack of preparations. The North then suggested holding general-level talks with the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) on Sunday, and the U.S. agreed.Sunday's talks began around 10 a.m. at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. Maj. Gen. Michael Minihan, chief of staff for the UNC, led the U.S. side and the North's delegation included a two-star general, sources said. Further details were not immediately available.Earlier, three U.S. Forces Korea vehicles arrived at the Tongil Bridge near the border around 8:20 a.m. before putting U.N. flags on them and heading to Panmunjom. It was unclear whether the talks would conclude Sunday or be extended for another day.Recovering and repatriating the remains of U.S. troops killed during the warJul 15, 2018
N. Korea pushes to maintain friendship with Cuba By Yi Whan-wooNorth Korea is apparently trying to maintain friendship with Cuba after Miguel Diaz-Canel was selected as the new president of the Caribbean island nation in April.Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on July 10 that Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un had his verbal message delivered to Diaz-Canel through Ri Su-yong.Ri, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of the North Korean Workers' Party, visited Cuba from July 3 to 9.Ri, also the North's former foreign minister, was the highest ranking official to visit after Diaz-Canel was selected as president to succeed Raul Castro.The Cuban leader expressed deep thanks and asked Ri to convey his “most heartfelt greetings" to Kim, according to the KCNA.Ri and Diaz-Canel discussed “further developing the traditional ties between the two parties and two countries” in a friendly atmosphere.Ri also briefed Diaz-Canel on “economic and social objectives” adopted at the third Plenary Meeting of the seventh Central Committee of the Worker's Party in April.The two countries became allies during thJul 15, 2018
N. Korea campaigns against anti-socialism after Singapore summit By Yi Whan-wooNorth Korea is cracking down on “anti-socialist culture,” on the border with China, forcing karaoke rooms and other establishments featuring foreign content to shut down, according to sources familiar with Pyongyang.The measure comes after the historic summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump in Singapore, June 12, following Kim's two separate summits with President Moon Jae-in.The summits fueled speculation that the impoverished Kim regime's diplomacy could lead to a more open society.“All state-run karaoke rooms have been shut down recently while authorities were strongly cracking down on private karaoke rooms,” a source told Radio Free Asia.It said the crackdown led secret karaoke rooms to operate underground.Another source said people are perplexed by the sudden control over karaoke culture as well as foreign music and dance.“North Korean residents have been expecting a big change since the North-South and North-U.S. summits,” it said. “Residents are disappointed by the tightened controlJul 15, 2018
