Trump wants to eliminate all North Korea's weapons of mass destruction In his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, United States President Donald Trump is aiming to eliminate the country's arsenal of chemical and biological weapons as well as nuclear ones, the top American envoy to Japan said Thursday."We had broad-ranging discussions on the topic and it extended beyond denuclearization to the topics of chemical and biological weapons as well," U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty told a telephone conference with Asian reporters following the two-day summit between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida."President's intention is to see all of these weapons of mass destruction eliminated from the Korean Peninsula and the strategy remains the same in terms of complete, verifiable and irreversible aspects of denuclearization," he said.His remarks hint that removing chemical and biological weapons may also be under discussion in ongoing preparations between Washington and Pyongyang for the Trump-Kim summit slated for May or early June.Asked about a U.S. time line for North Korean denuclearization, Apr 19, 2018
North Korea's ruling party to make 'important decisions' this week North Korea's ruling Workers' Party's central committee will hold a plenary session this week to make decisions on key policy issues needed in time of an "important historic period," the communist state said Thursday.The meeting will be convened Friday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said."The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea made a decision to convene the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the WPK on April 20 in order to discuss and decide the policy issues of a new stage in line with the demand of the important historic period of the developing Korean revolution," it said.The report did not specify policy issues, but the committee meeting comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between its leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, which will be held next Friday. (Yonhap)Apr 19, 2018
Trump says 'will cancel meeting with Kim Jong-un if unlikely to be fruitful' Summary of U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on Korea during a joint press conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Palm Beach, Florida, Wednesday (local time). - Trump vows to do everything possible to make his meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “worldwide success.”- “We hope to see the day when the whole Korean peninsula can live together in safety, prosperity and peace.”- “It will be a great day for them and a great day for the world.”- Trump vows not to repeat mistakes of past administrations, continue maximum pressure campaign against North Korea.- “As I’ve said before, there is a bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearization in a complete and verifiable and irreversible way.”- Trump says he hopes to have a successful meeting with Kim, but he’ll cancel if he doesn’t think it will be successful.- Trump also said he will “respectfully leave” the meeting after it starts if he feels it won't be fruitful.- Trump says the U.S. is &Apr 19, 2018
Talks underway to officially end Korean War US, NK holding high-level discussionsBy Kim RahnSouth and North Korea as well as the United States will discuss signing peace treaties to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War during next week's inter-Korean summit and the following one between Washington and Pyongyang, a senior Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday. The official said Seoul is reviewing with the U.S. the possibility of changing the current armistice agreement into a peace treaty as a means to ensure permanent peace here. The two Koreas remain technically at war as the Korean War ended only with the armistice agreement.His remark came several hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said the two Koreas are negotiating whether they can end the seven decades of hostilities, and expressed his support for it. The summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is slated for April 27. The meeting between Kim and Trump is expected in late May or early June.“We are devising and discussing various ways to develop the security situation surrounding the peninsula into a permanent peace rApr 18, 2018
CIA Director Pompeo met with Kim Jong-un In this April 12, 2018, photo CIA Director Mike Pompeo testifies on his nomination to be the next secretary of state on Capitol Hill in Washington. Two U.S. officials say Pompeo recently traveled to North Korea to meet with leader Kim Jong Un. Pompeo’s trip to the isolated communist nation came in advance of a potential summit between Kim and President Donald Trump. The officials spoke anonymously about Pompeo’s trip because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly. / APCIA Director Mike Pompeo recently traveled to North Korea to meet with leader Kim Jong-un, two officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.The highly unusual, secret visit comes as the enemy nations prepare for a meeting between President Donald Trump and Kim within the next couple of months.The officials spoke about Pompeo's trip on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it publicly.The Washington Post, which first reported Pompeo's meeting with Kim, said it took place over Easter weekend — just over two weeks ago, shortly after the CIA chief was nominated to beApr 18, 2018
Peace treaty with N. Korea possible following denuclearization South Korea and the United States may seek to sign a peace treaty with North Korea when and if the communist state completely gives up its nuclear ambitions, Seoul's top security adviser said Wednesday.Chung Eui-yong, head of the presidential National Security Office, said the allies are considering various ways to reward the North following its denuclearization.Seoul and Washington are holding "in-depth discussions on various ways to successfully hold the South-North Korea summit and the North Korea-U.S. summit that will be held shortly thereafter," Chung told reporters."For instance, we are discussing how we could remove the (security) concerns held by North Korea. We have also held in-depth discussions on how we could guarantee the North's bright future should the North make the right decision," he added.South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet next Friday for what will be a third inter-Korean summit. U.S. President Donald Trump has agreed to meet Kim in May or early June.Chung's remarks came shortly after the U.S. president said thoseApr 18, 2018
South Korea seeking end to armistice, establish permanent peace South Korea is seeking to end an armistice left by the 1950-53 Korean War and build a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul's unification ministry said Wednesday.U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday extended his "blessing" to the Koreas, which appear to be discussing a peace treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War when their leaders meet for a summit next Friday."The two Koreas discussed the issue of ending the armistice at a summit in October 2007," Baik Tae-hyun, a ministry spokesman, told a press briefing. "The government is making efforts to declare an end to the war and set up a permanent peace regime."A joint declaration adopted after the 2007 summit stipulated that South and North Korea both recognize the need to end the current armistice regime and build a permanent peace regime."The South and the North have also agreed to work together to advance the matter of having the leaders of the three or four parties directly concerned to convene on the Peninsula and declare an end to the war," the declaration says.President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Apr 18, 2018
US top diplomat met with Kim Jong-un in North Korea: report Mike Pompeo, the new United States secretary of state nominee, met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on his secret visit to the North a few weeks ago, a U.S. report said Wednesday.Pompeo, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, made the trip as an envoy of President Donald Trump over the Easter weekend to discuss the planned Trump-Kim summit, following his nomination as the new secretary of state, The Washington Post reported, citing sources with knowledge of the trip.It was the highest-level meeting between Washington and Pyongyang since 2000 when the then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met with Kim Jong-il, the late leader of North Korea, according to the report.The report comes as Trump alluded to his direct communication line with Kim during his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Tuesday (U.S. time).He said the U.S. is having direct talks at "extremely" high levels with North Korea.Trump also referred to the two Koreas' potential summit agenda to end the decades-old armistice, saying that "They do have my blessing Apr 18, 2018
Trump: Koreas have 'my blessing' to end war U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday offered his "blessing" to the Koreas to end their decades-long war.Trump appeared to speak to reports the two Koreas could discuss a peace treaty to formally end the 1953-53 Korean War when their leaders meet for a summit next week."They do have my blessing to discuss the end to the war," he said at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "People don't realize the Korean War has not ended. It's going on right now. And they are discussing an end to the war. So, subject to a deal, they would certainly have my blessing. And they do have my blessing to discuss that."South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet on April 27 to talk about denuclearizing the North and bringing peace to the peninsula.The two sides have technically been at war since the three-year conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.Trump said five different locations are being looked at for his own meeting with Kim. But the U.S. is not among them, he indicated by shaking his head in reApr 18, 2018
Seoul seeks Moon-Kim joint press conference after April 27 summit By Kim RahnSeoul is seeking to broadcast the upcoming inter-Korean summit as well as a joint press conference between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un live, a top presidential aide said Tuesday. A hotline between the two leaders is likely to be set up around Friday, and they may be able to have their first phone call early next week, he said.Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok, who is leading the government's inter-Korean summit preparation committee, said officials from the North and the South would discuss the broadcasting issue at a working-level meeting on protocol, security and media coverage, today.“We want to broadcast the historic moment live,” Im said in a media briefing 10 days before the summit scheduled for April 27. “We also hope to have a joint press conference after the summit, but we may have to discuss it with the North Koreans up until the last moment.”One of the top issues will be how Kim will cross the military demarcation line (MDL), because of the symbolic meaning, as it will be the first time for a North KorApr 17, 2018
