N. Korean leader shifts gear to economy North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, presides over the third plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Seventh Central Committee, April 21. He vowed to put his priority on the country’s economy while suspending nuclear tests after simultaneously pursuing economic development and nuclear program for years. / YonhapBy Yi Whan-wooThe summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed the latter's “sincerity and commitment” to economic development, experts say.Skepticism had remained on whether Kim would really give up nuclear weapons, even though he vowed to focus on the economy when he announced a suspension of nuclear and ballistic missile tests during a plenary meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee on April 20.In a joint declaration from the April 27 summit, the two leaders agreed on the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” and a “nuclear-free” peninsula.”The agreement came after U.S.-led economic sanctions against the Kim regime over its nuclear programApr 29, 2018
Gov't to review measures for inter-Korean economic projects South Korea's transportation ministry said Sunday it is reviewing a set of measures to prepare a potentially full-fledged implementation of cross-border economic projects.Last Friday, at the historic inter-Korean summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the two Koreas agreed to push forward a slew of economic projects agreed upon by late South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2007 for balanced growth and joint prosperity on the Korean Peninsula."We are working on reviews of studies done in the past, and a task force may be set up to iron out follow-up measures (to the summit)," said an official at the transportation ministry.As part of their initial steps, Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to connect cross-border roads and railways, and upgrade the existing infrastructure. The plan includes taking practical steps to utilize the Gyeongui railway, which links Shinuiju, a city on the Korean Peninsula's border with China, and Seoul.Talks on infrastructure could not only potentially lead to an inter-Korean raiApr 29, 2018
Moon to Kim: 'Japan wants to normalize ties with North Korea' By Park Si-sooSouth Korean President Moon Jae-in relayed Japan’s hopes of normalizing ties with North Korea during his talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday.Kim’s reaction was unknown.On top of this, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his gratitude to President Moon for addressing at last week’s inter-Korean summit the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North, the presidential office said.Moon and Abe had telephone talks earlier in the day to discuss the result of Friday’s summit."President Moon talked about North Korea's abduction of Japanese people and the relations between Japan and North Korea during his summit with Chairman Kim Jong-un," Abe told reporters after the phone conversation. "I thank President Moon for his sincere effort." He did not give details of what was discussed between the Korean leaders. Abe said he would try to ensure the coming U.S.-North Korea summit makes progress in resolving the issue.Abe also said he and Moon agreed that the two countries will work together to have North Apr 29, 2018
Kim Jong-un promises to 'dismantle nuclear test site in May in full view of experts, journalists' By Park Si-sooNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promised to dismantle a “northern” nuclear test site in May in full view of experts and journalists from South Korea and the United States, Cheong Wa Dae said on Sunday. Kim made the promise during talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday, the president’s top press secretary Yoon Young-chan said. Kim said the site is still “usable” and “there are two more shafts that are bigger than the one (to be dismantled) which are sturdy,” according to Yoon.Kim did not specify the location of the site to be dismantled, but given the North’s past announcement, it is believed to be in Gilju, North Hamgyong Province. On April 21, Kim declared the shutdown of the Gilju site, along with a freeze on missile and nuclear tests.Many experts have claimed that the Gilju site collapsed under the stress of nuclear explosions. But Kim denied this.“Some say that we are terminating facilities that are not functioning, but you will see that they are in good condition,” Yoon quoted Kim as sApr 29, 2018
No formal request about Trump-Kim summit: Singapore PM Singapore has not received any "formal" request to host an eagerly awaited meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the city-state's prime minister said Saturday.Trump said Friday that the list of potential sites for the meeting had been narrowed to two, without saying where. Some reports have said that Singapore, a stable and prosperous financial hub in Southeast Asia, is one of the potential locations.The meeting, expected in the coming weeks, follows a dizzying detente in recent months between the nuclear-armed North and its neighbor, which resulted in Friday's historic summit between Kim and the South's President Moon Jae-in.The leaders agreed to pursue a permanent peace treaty and the complete denuclearization of their divided peninsula.Speaking at a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong dampened speculation about the city-state potentially hosting the Trump-Kim talks."As for the venue, we've also read the same reports as you in the newspapers about the possible places where a US-North Korea meeting cApr 29, 2018
Trump-Kim summit to take place in 'three or four weeks' U.S. President Donald Trump has told his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in that it was good news for the world that the leaders of the two Koreas reaffirmed the goal of complete denuclearization during their summit on Friday, Moon's office said on Sunday.During a phone call late Saturday, Moon and Trump agreed on the need for an early summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which Trump said would take place over the next three to four weeks.Moon and Trump also exchanged views on two to three possible locations for the Kim-Trump summit, Moon's office said. (REUTERS)Apr 29, 2018
North Korea 'prepared' to make roadmap for denuclearization: Pompeo New US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had a "good conversation" with North Korea's Kim Jong Un during his visit to Pyongyang, adding Kim was "prepared to... lay out a map that would help us achieve" denuclearization.Pompeo made the remarks in an exclusive interview with ABC News, extracts of which were released Saturday ahead of its broadcast on Sunday.Pompeo, who is currently in the Middle East on his first trip as Washington's chief diplomat, described Kim as "very well prepared" during their secret meeting, which took place over Easter weekend to set the groundwork for a historic summit meeting with US President Donald Trump."We had an extensive conversation on the hardest issues that face our two countries," he said. "I had a clear mission statement from President Trump. When I left Kim Jong Un understood the mission exactly as I described it today."Trump, meanwhile, addressed the topic of the planned summit at a campaign-style rally in the town of Washington, Michigan."If we would have said where we are today from three or four months -- months ago, do you remember what Apr 29, 2018
Trump on North Korea: 'Things are going very well' South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump / YonhapBy Jung Min-hoU.S. President Donald Trump said "things are going very well" with resolving North Korea issues Saturday after having a phone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in."Just had a long and very good talk with President Moon of South Korea. Things are going very well, time and location of meeting with North Korea is being set," he wrote on Twitter after speaking with Moon who just had the historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un the previous day.In a joint declaration, Moon and Kim affirmed the common goals of making the Korean Peninsula "nuclear free" and seeking a formal end to the Korean War (1950-53).Trump supported their decision, saying "KOREAN WAR TO END!" on Twitter.Trump and Kim are expected to meet in late May.Apr 29, 2018
Young North Korean defectors struggle to adapt to South Korean schools The number of North Korean defectors attending South Korea's elementary and secondary schools stood at 2,538 as of April 2017, marking a 270 percent increase from 687 in 2007, figures from the education ministry showed Saturday.Of the total, 1,027 defector students, or 40.5 percent, were attending elementary schools, while 785 students, or 30.9 percent, were enrolled in middle schools and 726 students, or 28.6 percent, in high schools, the figures showed. The remaining 226 students were enrolled in alternative educational facilities.Despite the growth in numbers, however, Ministry of Education officials say many defector students have difficulties at South Korean schools due to disparities in language and culture.For instance, the drop-out rate for North Korean defector students fell to 2 percent last year from 10.8 percent in 2007 but still remained higher than the national average of less than 1 percent, they noted.The drop-out rate for defector students attending high schools was the highest at 4.3 percent, followed by 1.8 percent at middle schools and 1 percent at elementary schoApr 28, 2018
Pompeo says Kim is serious about denuclearization talks New U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday he senses North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "serious" about the upcoming talks with the United States over its denuclearization.He met with Kim in his secret visit to Pyongyang from March 30-April 1 to prepare for a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in May or early June."I did get a sense that he was serious," he was quoted as saying in a news conference in Brussels, when asked if he thinks Kim is serious about denuclearization.He made the remarks hours after the leaders of the two Koreas agreed in a summit to seek "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and work toward a formal end of the Korean War within this year.Pompeo praised it as a "historic meeting" and credited Trump's maximum pressure for Pyongyang coming to talks."Let there be no doubt, we would not be where we are today without President Trump's maximum pressure campaign and the work that has been done all around the world to apply pressure to North Korea," Pompeo said.He reaffirmed the U.S. stance that it would seek a complete removal of tApr 28, 2018
