Regional governments reach out to North Korea for ties By Kang Seung-woo, Lee Suh-yoonRegional governments are seeking to re-establish ties with North Korea amid the reconciliatory mood following the historic inter-Korean summit. There were also exchanges following the inter-Korean summit in 2000. But that was a period of detente between the two Koreas. Increasing military tension on the peninsula starting in 2010 brought a variety of exchange programs to a halt. The new round of exchanges will be restricted to areas such as culture, sports and medical aid to avoid violating international sanctions that are still in place.Seoul, for example, is trying to revive a regional football tournament between Gyeongseong, Seoul's original name, and Pyongyang. This competition ended with the Korean War.The city government said it is currently consulting with the Ministry of Unification on this plan.Gyeonggi Province also said it will resume its medical aid project for the disadvantaged in North Korea this year. The program provides medication for those with tuberculosis and malnutrition.This was suspended from the former Lee Myung-bak administratioMay 8, 2018
'Kim willing to hold dialogue with Japan' By Lee Min-hyungNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his willingness to have a dialogue with Japan to resolve decades-long bones of contention between the two nations, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in an interview with Japanese local media, Tuesday.“Dialogue between Pyongyang and Tokyo should be resumed, as possibly normalized bilateral relations between the two countries will help bring peace and stability to Northeast Asia,” President Moon told Yomiuri Shimbun.The interview was released a day before Moon's visit to Tokyo for the trilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Moon's remarks were largely based on his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un late last month.In particular, Moon delivered Kim's intention and willingness for normalizing Pyongyang-Tokyo relations.“I told Kim about Abe's intention to proceed with the normalization of relations with the North by settling the past problems between both sides. Kim clearly said he was ready to have a dialogue with Japan anytime.”If Pyongyang May 8, 2018
Center for North Korean refugees opens in UK By Park Ji-wonA community center helping North Korean refugees has opened in the United Kingdom, according to Connect North Korea, an organization operating the center, and a Voice of America (VOA) report, Tuesday.It is known to be the first support organization dedicated to North Korean escapees outside of South Korea.The center, located in New Malden, a suburb of southwest London, opened to improve the livelihoods of North Korean refugees. New Malden has one of the largest Korean communities in Europe.“Connect North Korea will provide basic life support for North Korean refugees in the U.K.,” Park Ji-hyun, a staff member of the organization, was quoted as saying by the VOA.The center was designed as a hub for refugees to share information about living in the country.“As there is currently no dedicated space for North Koreans in the U.K., a center will be a useful place for support for North Koreans for integration,” Michael Glendinning, founder and director of the organization, was quoted as saying by Radio Free Asia.The organization plans to put a high prioMay 8, 2018
North Korea seeks to open new flight route over South Korea: ministry North Korea is seeking to open a new international flight route via South Korean airspace in an apparent move to expand its diplomatic outreach and exchanges with the outside world, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.Pyongyang recently made the proposal to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to create the flight route to a third country, which links the flight information regions (FIRs) in Pyongyang and the South Korean western port city of Incheon. The FIR, assigned to an ICAO member, is a specific region in which basic air traffic services are provided for the safe and efficient passage of flights. "The issue of establishing a new flight route that the North has raised through the ICAO is being reviewed by (Seoul's) Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk told reporters.The North's proposal comes amid its diplomatic drive that appears aimed at easing the effects of sanctions and improving ties with the outside world to cultivate an image of a "normal" state, analysts noted.Meanwhile, the ministry spokesman said that "complMay 8, 2018
Kim Jong-un visiting China: reports By Park Si-soo, Oh Young-jinNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un is visiting the Chinese city of Dalian to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, according to reports.If the reports are true, Kim seems to be involved in last-minute diplomatic coordination with Xi before his historic summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has said the date and place for the summit with Kim are set, saying “stay tuned.”The Chinese foreign ministry remained silent over the rumors. South Korea’s foreign ministry hinted at Kim visiting China, but did not specify.A foreign ministry official told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that the ministry “keeps an eye on what’s happening.” The official said he has “nothing to share, with nothing officially announced yet in Beijing.”South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency first reported on “a high-ranking North Korean official visiting Dalian” on Monday. Citing multiple anonymous sources, the news wire said the official flew in a private plane and arrived at Dalian airport on Monday amid heavy security.YoMay 8, 2018
Moon calls for improved ties between Japan, North Korea South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed efforts to help Japan improve its ties with North Korea, calling it a key to denuclearizing the North and enhancing peace and stability in the countries' shared region."Japan can play a very important role for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. It is partly in that the normalization of North Korea-Japan relations may be a necessary part of a security guarantee for North Korea and that close cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan may be necessary for complete denuclearization (of the Korean Peninsula)," Moon said in an interview with Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun published Tuesday."Should the North-Japan relations be normalized, it will greatly contribute to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the Northeast Asian region," he added, according to a full script of his interview released by the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae.Moon's first exclusive interview with a Japanese newspaper came ahead of his trip to Tokyo on Wednesday for a three-way summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese PrMay 8, 2018
Let's help North Korea become 'normal state' Moon advised to serve as mentor for Kim Jong-unBy Kim Jae-kyoungThe historic inter-Korean summit has created a silver lining for the nuclear standoff on the Korean Peninsula.In order to ensure success for the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit and bring the isolated country to the outside, President Moon Jae-in and his administration should play three key roles, namely “mentor, facilitator and cooperator.”The issue here is that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his regime have a lack of experience and skills in communicating with the outside world. Pyongyang has relied only on nuclear brinkmanship over the past decades.First, Moon needs to mentor Kim to help the North become a member of the international community. “The South is the key to helping the North navigate its way toward becoming a normal state,” Katharine Moon, a professor of Political Science and the Wasserman Chair of Asian Studies at Wellesley College, told The Korea Times.“The South would be the guide and advocate to help the North understand various mechanisms of international life and leMay 7, 2018
Singapore likely venue for Trump-Kim summit: sources By Yi Whan-wooSingapore has emerged as the most likely venue for the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to multiple diplomatic sources, Monday.The sources said the historic summit will likely take place between June 9 and 15, after Trump attends the G-7 Summit slated for June 8 to 9 in Quebec, Canada.This suggests the White House is losing interest in the truce village of Panmunjeom, although Trump proposed both the Peace House and Freedom House as possible venues for the summit.The Peace House and Freedom House are conference buildings located on the southern side of Panmunjeom.On April 30, Trump tweeted “Numerous countries are being considered for the meeting but would Peace House / Freedom House, on the border of North and South Korea, be a more Representative, Important and Lasting site than a third party country? Just asking!”During a joint press conference with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, also on April 30, Trump said, “We're looking at various countries, including Singapore. And we are alsMay 7, 2018
S. Koreans see different side of Kim Jong-un North Korean leader Kim Jong-un stands in front of the Peace House to announce the Panmunjom Declaration after his summit with President Moon Jae-in at the demilitarized zone, April 27. / Joint press corpsBy Park Ji-wonA growing number of South Koreans, especially young people, are changing their thoughts about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after seeing a different side of him at the inter-Korean summit on April 27.Office worker Jeong Ye-ji, 30, said she started to rethink the North's chief after watching the summit live on television. Jeong used to consider Kim crazy. However, she now thinks Kim is sly like a fox.“I changed my mind after seeing him acting in a political manner and being polite to President Moon,” Jeong said.A media survey conducted by KBS also supports the polished image of Kim: More than 80 percent of 1,077 people in the poll altered their perceptions of Kim in a positive direction after the summit. It said those over the age of 40 especially changed their minds.“I thought Kim was a young person with a sense of humor when I saw him spontaneouslyMay 7, 2018
South Koreans give Kim Jong-un star treatment North Korean leader Kim Jong-un adjusts his glasses during a joint news conference with host President Moon Jae-in during the April 27 inter-Korean summit at the Panmunjeon truce village. / YonhapBy Oh Young-jinFew would blame North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, if he (tries to) jump for joy. This is not because he might win a Nobel Peace Prize (his father was upset when Kim Dae-jung won it alone after the 2000 inter-Korean summit) but because he is very popular among an overwhelming number of South Koreans, yes, the people of his “enemy state,” which the North has vowed to unify on its terms. Up to 80 percent held a positive view of Kim after the April 27 inter-Korean summit. Considering Kim had frequently threatened the South with his nuclear weapons a short few months ago, the poll result was a shockDiscredited as he is, Hong Joon-pyo, leader of the main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party, rued, “If the number holds, Kim could be elected as the next president of the Republic of Korea.” Following the summit, President Moon Jae-in's approval rating jumpMay 7, 2018
