Kim Jong-un says 'will for denuclearization remains consistent and fixed' North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un during a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. / TASSNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he was committed to denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the official KCNA news agency reported Friday."Kim Jong-un said that the DPRK's will for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed," KCNA reported after their meeting in Pyongyang on Thursday.Kim hoped US-North Korean relations and denuclearization of the peninsula "will be solved on a stage-by-stage basis" and "he hoped that the solution of the issues will progress through effective and constructive dialogue and negotiation," the report by the North Korean news agency said.North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shake hands during a meeting. / TASSLavrov's visit came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official held talks on planning a historic summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore.The key task ahJun 1, 2018
North Korean delegation to meet Trump with Kim Jong-un's letter U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist to the crowd as he arrives at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston, Texas on May 31, 2018. / AFPU.S. President Donald Trump said a North Korean delegation in New York is expected to bring him a letter from leader Kim Jong-un on Friday.Trump told reporters Thursday before leaving for Texas that meetings to prepare for his potential summit with Kim have been "very positive." The two sides are pushing for a June 12 summit in Singapore to discuss dismantling North Korea's nuclear weapons program."I believe they'll be coming down to Washington on Friday and a letter is going to be delivered to me from Kim Jong-un," he said. "So I look forward to seeing what's in the letter, but it's very important to them."Trump canceled the meeting in an open letter to Kim last week, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" from the regime. Soon after he put it back on track.Asked what he thinks the letter will say, Trump said he doesn't know, but "I think it will be very positive."Kim Yong-chol, a senior North Korean official known as a close aide Jun 1, 2018
North Korea should take bold step or things may get tragic: Pompeo The United States and North Korea have made "real progress" toward a fruitful summit between their leaders on dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.Pompeo held two days of meetings with a senior North Korean official in New York as both sides push to salvage a June 12 summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un."Through these series of meetings, I'm confident we're moving in the right direction," he said at a news conference, also mentioning parallel talks in Korea and Singapore. But the top U.S. diplomat was unable to say if it will be known by Friday whether the summit will happen. Trump called it off last week, citing "open hostility" from the regime, and then put it back on track."We've made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions," the secretary of state said. "The conditions are putting President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un in a place where we think there could be real progress made by the two of them meeting."Trump said hours earlier that he Jun 1, 2018
Moscow invites Kim Jong-un to visit North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang, Thursday. / AFPRussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia, Moscow said, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official."Come to Russia, we'll be very happy to see you," Lavrov told Kim in remarks released by the Russian foreign ministry.Lavrov passed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, saying he wished him success in the "major undertakings that have been initiated on the Korean peninsula", the ministry said in a statement.Lavrov was the first Russian official to be received by Kim, Russian news agencies said. "It was the first official meeting with him face to face," TASS quoted a source in the minister's delegation as saying.The Russian foreign ministry also released pictures of the two men shaking hands and smiling.Russia's top diplomat arrived in Pyongyang earlier Thursday, ahead of a landmark summit between Kim and US President Donald TMay 31, 2018
Two Koreas may hold joint event to mark June 15 Declaration By Park Ji-wonThe two Koreas may hold a joint event to commemorate the June 15 joint declaration between the two made in 2000 by the heads of both governments. Participation of the leaders and their unification chiefs is likely dependant on the outcome of the Kim-Trump summit on June 12.According to media reports, the South Korean government is planning to suggest to the North during a high-level meeting on June 1 that the two Koreas’ unification chiefs, the South’s Cho Myoung-gyon and North’s Ri Sun-kwon, participate in the joint event on June 15. The two are planning to attend the high-level meeting.“The South Korean government will actively engage in the June 15 joint event as it was written in the Panmunjeom Declaration and plans to finalize the list of members who would join the event through high-ranking talks between the two Koreas which are slated for June 1,” unification ministry officials said.KTV quoted Oh Kyung-sub, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, as saying, “There will be no reason for the North to refuse May 31, 2018
North Korea nuclear talks get underway This handout photograph obtained courtesy of the U.S. Department of State shows Kim Yong-chol (R), vice chairman of North Korea, during his dinner meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) in New York, Thursday (local time). / AFP / AFPA senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.Kim Yong-chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's closest aides, landed midafternoon Wednesday on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane taxi down the tarmac before the North's delegation disembarked at JFK International Airport.During his unusual visit, Kim Yong-chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled from Washington to see him. The two planned a ``day full of meetings'' Thursday, the White House said. Their talks will be aimed at determining wMay 31, 2018
Three places shortlisted for NK-US summit By Kim RahnShangri-La Hotel in Singapore, which is one of the candidate venues for the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slated for June 12. / YonhapThree places seem to be on the shortlist for the historic summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slated for June 12 in Singapore. Officials from the two nations, including North Korea's Kim Chang-son, chief secretary of the National Defense Commission Secretariat, and Joe Hagin, White House deputy chief of staff for operations, have been visiting several hotels and locations in Singapore since Wednesday in search of places that can provide the best security and convenience for the summit and accommodation for the two leaders.The American advance team led by Hagin visited the Shangri-La Hotel on Wednesday afternoon, according to Singaporean local media.The Shangri-La has always been the top candidate, as the luxury hotel has hosted many international conferences and thus has accumulated knowhow on security and meeting operations. The hotel was eaMay 31, 2018
Russia's top diplomat in Pyongyang to discuss security issues Russia's top diplomat arrived in North Korea on Thursday, the North's state media reported, amid a flurry of diplomacy under way between the North and the United States for a summit.The Korean Central News Agency reported the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang at the invitation of North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.Lavrov is the first Russian foreign minister to visit North Korea in nine years. His visit comes as the North is preparing for an unprecedented summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, which will likely take place in Singapore on June 12.Russia's foreign ministry earlier announced the two ministers will have bilateral talks to discuss issues of mutual concern and other developments unfolding around the Korean Peninsula.Lavrov is likely to hear from Ri on the outcome of a surprise second inter-Korean summit held last week between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.During the summit that followed their first meeting ever in April, Kim reaffirmed his willingness to denuclearize and hold a summit with TrumMay 31, 2018
South Korea approves Buddhist monk's visit to North Korea South Korea on Thursday approved a visit next month by a Buddhist monk to North Korea, the first such decision on civilian exchanges since the Moon Jae-in government took office last year.Seoul's unification ministry sand that Monk Cheondam, a senior official of the World Peace Foundation, a civic group headquartered in Seoul, will embark on a five-day trip to Pyongyang on Saturday. It said the monk had applied for the visit with an invitation from the North.Ven. Cheondam will visit the North via China and plans to meet with North Korea's leading Buddhists to discuss issues related to the restoration of a temple on Mount Kumgang, the ministry said.The travel approval came as the two Koreas are seeking to enhance bilateral ties that had been strained amid Pyongyang's provocations.President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held summits on April 27 and May 26, and agreed to enhance cooperation, reduce military tensions and seek the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and a peace treaty. (Yonhap)May 31, 2018
Top North Korean official, Pompeo meet to discuss summit North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol arrives at a hotel in New York, Thursday (local time). / Reuters A senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York on Wednesday as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.Kim Yong-chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's closest aides, landed midafternoon on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane taxi down the tarmac before the North's delegation disembarked at JFK International Airport.During his unusual visit, Kim Yong-chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled from Washington to see him. The two planned a ``day full of meetings'' Thursday, the White House said. Their talks will be aimed at determining whether a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later canceled by Trump, can be restored, U.S. officialMay 31, 2018
