PHOTOS Take a closer look at Pyongyang People walk past the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang on Sunday.By Park Si-sooSeveral rare “behind-the-scenes” photos of North Korea's capital were revealed on Friday.They were taken by South Korean pool reporters who recently traveled to Pyongyang to cover the South Korean art troupe's historic concerts there. All photos were provided by the Joint Press Corps.An entrance ceremony at Dongheung elementary school in Pyongyang on Monday.In front of the Okryu-gwan restaurant in Pyongyang on Monday.The Pyongyang Grand Theater on Monday.Near the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang.People walk past the Okryu-gwan restaurant in Pyongyang on Monday.A guest room at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang.A road leading to Moran Hill in Pyongyang on Monday.South Korean musicians check news articles of their visit to North Korean using an internet-connected laptop at the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang on Monday.Pyongyang's Sunan International Airport on Saturday.A coffee shop at Sunan International Airport.A photography store at Sunan International Airport.A ticket for the South Korean art troupe's concert at Ryugyong Apr 6, 2018
2 Koreas meet to prepare for summit By Kim RahnThe two Koreas began working-level discussions Thursday on protocol, security and media coverage details for the upcoming summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. According to Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of Unification, five officials from the presidential office and the spy agency took part in the meeting at the Peace House, a building on the South Korean side of the truce village of Panmunjeom.“The officials talked with their North Korean counterparts on what working-level staff have to prepare,” a ministry official said.The meeting was agreed to at a high-level meeting, March 29, when the two countries set the summit date for April 27. It was initially scheduled for Wednesday, but the North requested it be delayed by a day.Kim Sang-gyun, deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, led the South Korean officials, along with senior Cheong Wa Dae official Yun Kun-young. In March, the two visited Pyongyang and met Kim Jong-un as Moon's special envoys.The three other officials were presidential secretary for protocol Apr 5, 2018
North Korean woman executed for ax murder ... Can bad economy be blamed? By Park Si-soo A North Korean woman was recently executed for killing her friend with an ax over a small amount of money, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported on Wednesday.The tragedy reflected the deepening economic trouble facing North Korean people amid international sanctions on the isolated country over its nuclear and missile programs, it said. Citing sources in the North, RFA said the incident happened at a border village in Hoeryong, North Hamgyung Province. The date and exact location are unknown. The woman, in her 20s, killed her friend in a fit of anger during an altercation over a small amount of money. She was caught, convicted of homicide and recently shot to death. Further details are unknown. A source told RFA that many villagers sympathized with the woman, expressing their distress over the bad economy. Some vented frustration over the regime's poor management of the economy, RFA said. Apr 4, 2018
PHOTOS Art troupe returns home after 'unbelievable' shows in North Korea Korean musicians pose at Incheon International Airport, Wednesday. / YonhapSouth Korean musical and taekwondo delegations returned home early Wednesday after performances in Pyongyang, the latest in inter-Korean exchanges since the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.The art troupe and taekwondo team, led by Do Jong-whan, minister of culture, tourism and sports, arrived at Incheon International Airport at 3:40 a.m.On Tuesday, musicians from the South and the North's Samjiyon Orchestra staged a joint concert titled "We Are One" at the fully packed 12,000-seat Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium in Pyongyang.The 160-member South Korean art group, including pop legend Cho Yong-pil and K-pop act Red Velvet, held a concert Sunday as well, which was attended by the North's leader Kim Jong-un and his wife, Ri Sol-ju.North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Wendy, a member of K-pop girl band Red Velvet after the South Korean art troupe's first concert at the at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, Sunday. / Joint Press Corps"Thanks to all the support, we managed to endApr 4, 2018
South and North perform together in Pyongyang South and North Korean performers sing “Our Wish” together at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang, Tuesday. / Joint Press CorpsBy Kwon Mee-yooSouth Korean singers appeared on stage with North Korean performers, singing popular songs from the two Koreas at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium in Pyongyang, Tuesday. Titled "Spring Comes," a South Korean troupe of performers presented a concert at the East Pyongyang Grand Theater, Sunday. The concert only featured South Korean musicians, but artists from the two Koreas performed together Tuesday. South Korean artists rehearsed with the Samjiyon Orchestra from the North for over six hours Monday.The Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium, the second venue, is much larger than the 1,500-seat East Pyongyang Grand Theater and houses approximately 12,000 guests. The concert was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. (Pyongyang time), but brought forward to 3 p.m. upon the South Korean troupe's request.South Korean singer Seohyun co-hosted the concert with Choi Hyo-seong from the North's Korean Central Television. Two white-and-bApr 3, 2018
Korean rock star performs in Pyongyang By Jhoo Dong-chanKorean singer-songwriter Kang San-ae sings his iconic debut song, “Ra-gu-you,” during the inter-Korea music festival at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. / YonhapKorean singer-songwriter Kang San-ae performed at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre in Pyongyang, North Korea, Sunday. The 55-year-old Korean rockstar, who has been often likened to a Korean Bob Dylan, with his iconic debut song wishing for peace on the Korean Peninsula, said it was “very emotional” to perform in Pyongyang.“I was once invited to perform on Mount Kumgang in 2006, but it is a totally different experience to sing a song in the capital of North Korea,” Kang said.“Back in 2006, I was excited to introduce Korean music to North Korean people. The situation is now totally different. Politics are shifting. Everything is so sensitive, and we are here in Pyongyang.”Kang made his debut with his album, “Ra-gu-you,” in 1992, gaining a sensational reception in music circles. With his parents who were also “diApr 3, 2018
Google most used search engine in North Korea: data Google is the most used Internet search engine in North Korea, with usage of software systems designed to search for information on the World Wide Web being very much limited in the country, Radio Free Asia reported Tuesday.Citing statistics from the Irish web analytics company StatCounter, the U.S.-funded broadcaster said the U.S. search engine topped the list of search engines used in the North from March last year to March this year with an overwhelming 92.44 percent utilization.A Chinese search engine, Baidu, came next with 2.2 percent, followed by the United States' Bing with 1.7 percent and the Russian Yandex Ru with 1.61 percent.The statistics are based on data provided to StatCounter by the search engine companies, the RFA said.The report said Google has retained its position as the most used search engine in the North, but experts have pointed out that those who use Google or other search engines are very much limited. They included North Korean leader Kim Jon-un, his family and confidantes or those who are involved in inter-Korean affairs and international business. (YonhapApr 3, 2018
Seoul to have working-level talks with North Korea on Wednesday South Korea will send a seven-member delegation to this week's working-level talks to discuss protocol and security for an inter-Korean summit in late April, government officials said Tuesday.The government informed the North of the composition of the delegation, led by Cho Han-ki, a presidential secretary on protocol, which will be dispatched for Wednesday's talks, according to Seoul's unification ministry.The two Koreas will hold working-level talks on the southern side of the border truce village of Panmunjom Wednesday to prepare for the April 27 summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.The South's delegation will also include Shin Yong-wook, a senior presidential security officer, and Kwun Hyuk-ki, director of the press center at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, as the talks will deal with security and news release as well.The summit, the first since 2007, will be held at the Peace House on the southern side of Panmunjom. Kim is set to become North Korea's first ruler to cross the tense inter-Korean border for talks.A ministry official said tApr 3, 2018
South Korean art troupe to hold 2nd concert in Pyongyang South Korean musicians will hold their second and last performance in Pyongyang on Tuesday, this time jointly with North Korean artists, amid thawing tension on the Korean Peninsula.The 160-member troupe will start the two-hour-long concert titled "Spring Comes" at 3:30 p.m. (South Korean time), about an hour earlier than originally planned, at the 12,000-seat Ryugyong Jong Ju Yong Gymnasium.The group, including celebrated Korean pop singers, arrived in Pyongyang on Saturday. They held a concert on Sunday, becoming the first South Korean artistic group to perform in the isolated country in more than a decade. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife and aides attended the event.Who will emcee the concert, as well as the playlist of music to be performed, remain unknown. There could be changes to the repertoire up until the last minute, according to Seoul officials.During the first performance, 11 Korean acts were in the lineup: Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, Choi Jin-hee, Yoon Do-hyun, Baek Ji-young, Red Velvet, Jungin, Seohyun, Ali, Kang San-eh and Kim Kwang-min. They performed 26 pApr 3, 2018
Trump worried over Seoul's leniency with Pyongyang Threatening to hold up FTA aims to take lead in upcoming talksBy Kim Jae-kyoungU.S. President Donald Trump is aiming to gain leverage in orchestrating talks with North Korea by tying a renegotiated trade deal with South Korea to Pyongyang's denuclearization, analysts said Monday.They said that Trump is concerned that President Moon Jae-in and his administration will be too lenient with the reclusive regime and that Seoul will take the lead in talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Moon and Trump are scheduled to meet Kim, April 27 and in May, respectively.“I expect Trump is concerned, like a lot of people, that South Korea is setting its expectations for a North Korea deal too high,” William Brown, adjunct professor at Georgetown School of Foreign Service, told The Korea Times.He pointed out that one of the larger dangers of the summits is that Kim will try to use them to drive wedges.“I don't think that will happen, but Trump wants to make sure Seoul does not cave in on maximum pressure,” he said.“No sunshine yet. So, it's a message to Moon as he pApr 2, 2018
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