North - South Korea

[angelburst29]

A break-in at the North Korean embassy in Spain last month was "a grave terrorist attack", a representative from North Korea's foreign ministry said on Sunday in the North's first official comment on the incident.

North Korea says embassy raid in Spain was a 'grave terrorist attack'
The foreign ministry representative also called for an investigation and said North Korea was closely watching rumors that the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and an anti-North Korea group were behind the raid.

However, North Korea stopped short of blaming Washington directly for the raid and asked Spanish authorities to conduct the investigation in a responsible manner.

A mysterious dissident group accused of breaking into the North’s embassy in Madrid last month said on Thursday it was temporarily suspending operations. That came after a Spanish judge issued international arrest warrants for two suspects Spanish authorities say fled to the United States.

The group has claimed the United States betrayed its trust after members approached the FBI.

KCNA said an armed group assaulted its embassy in Spain and bound, beat and tortured embassy staff and stole communication equipment.

“An illegal intrusion into and occupation of a diplomatic mission and act of theft are a grave breach of state sovereignty and a flagrant violation of international law, and this kind of act should never be tolerated over the globe,” the North’s foreign ministry representative said.

Trump says additional sanctions on North Korea not necessary

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he decided not to put additional sanctions on North Korea last week because he wanted to maintain a good relationship with leader Kim Jong Un and because the North Korean people were already "suffering greatly."

South Korea's Moon to meet Trump over stalled North Korea talks

Senior South Korean officials, including President Moon Jae-in, are launching a series of meetings with U.S. counterparts in a bid to jumpstart stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea and mend fraying ties in their alliance.

Trump to meet with South Korea's Moon on April 11 at White House

U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House on April 11 to discuss the latest developments regarding North Korea and bilateral issues, the White House said in a statement on Thursday.

 

[angelburst29]

North Korea's Pyongyang marathon may be among the most complicated to enter but an easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula has made it a stage to highlight the power of sport amid growing interest for the race.

Athletics: 'Surreal' Pyongyang marathon in spotlight as tensions ease April 7, 2019

Participants take part in the 30th Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon in Pyongyang, North Korea, in this photo released on April 7, 2019 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA via REUTERS

Athletes can only register through one operator, Koryo Tours, for a chance to run through the capital of the reclusive state in the Mangyongdae Prize International Marathon, as the race is officially known.

But close to 1,000 foreigners — several hundred more than last year — signed up in the sixth year foreign runners are allowed to compete on Sunday, according to officials, as tensions between North Korea and South Korea have eased since 2018.

Among those running were two Olympians — retired Swiss freestyle skier Mirjam Jaeger and British snowboarder Aimee Fuller — who are part of a documentary produced by the Olympic Channel on the Pyongyang marathon and the pair’s experience of the local sports culture.

The Olympic Channel is a media operation of the International Olympic Committee and the documentary is set to air in September.

“The start (in Kim Il Sung Stadium) was very busy, the stadium completely full,” Fuller, who took part in the 2014 and 2018 winter Olympics, told Reuters in a telephone interview from the North Korean capital.

“It felt as if we were on a world stage competition. That was completely surreal. It was like the Olympics in an Olympic stadium.”

Large crowds also lined the street at the start of this world athletics body IAAF-accredited bronze label road race with women wearing traditional costumes ready at refreshment stations.

“Around mile 13 it definitely started to thin out. Having that unique opportunity to move from Pyongyang out into the countryside was really surreal.”

 

[angelburst29]

In one of the biggest leadership shake-ups in years, North Korea named a new nominal head of state and a new premier, and gave leader Kim Jong Un a new title, state media reported on Friday, moves analysts said solidify Kim's grip on power.

Kim Jong Un consolidates power as North Korea shuffles leadership

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is elected as Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly (SPA) in Pyongyang April 11, 2019 photo released on April 12, 2019 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

In an expected move, Kim Jong Un was re-elected as chairman of the State Affairs Commission at a session of North Korea’s rubber-stamp legislature that took place on Thursday, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

For the first time, however, state media referred to Kim as “supreme representative of all the Korean people.” That title was approved by special decree in February, according to the Associated Press, but has not been used publicly until Friday. It’s unclear whether the changes will be codified in the constitution, but analysts said the shake-up shows Kim has fully come into his own, eight years after he inherited rule from his father, Kim Jong Il.

“The transition and power consolidation of the Kim Jong Un regime is complete,” said Michael Madden, a nonresident North Korea leadership expert with the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. “This is probably the largest party-government shake-up in many years,” he said.

Slideshow (3 Images)
Kim Jong Un consolidates power as North Korea shuffles leadership

North Korea's new nominal head of state guided Kim Jong Un from the beginning

North Korea's new nominal head of state is a long-time loyalist with deep ties to the ruling Kim family and whose fortunes have closely followed the rise of leader Kim Jong Un, analysts said.

China's Xi congratulates North Korea leader Kim for re-election: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent his congratulations to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following his re-election as chairman of the State Affairs Commission, China's official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

Trump says he is discussing potential further meetings with North Korea's Kim

U.S. President Donald Trump said he and South Korean President Moon Jae-in will discuss North Korea during their White House meeting on Thursday, including potential additional summits with the North's leader, Kim Jong Un.

South Korea's Moon to seek inter-Korean summit soon to facilitate nuclear talks
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will seek to hold another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at an early date as part of diplomatic efforts to convince the North to abandon its nuclear weapons program, Moon's national security adviser said on Thursday.

 

[angelburst29]

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is willing to go anywhere to meet Kim Jong Un for a fourth summit, he said Monday, hailing the North Korean leader’s willingness to salvage high-stakes talks with the United States.

April 15, 2019 - South Korea’s Moon Jae-in seeks fourth summit with Kim Jong Un
South Korea’s Moon Jae-in seeks fourth summit with Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, hosts South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Samjiyon guesthouse near Mount Paektu, the spiritual birthplace of the Korean nation, in this September 20, 2018 photo. (Korean Central News Agency via KNS/AFP)

Kim said Friday he was open to a third meeting with US President Donald Trump if Washington offered “mutually acceptable terms” after their second summit in Hanoi broke down in part over Pyongyang’s demands for immediate sanctions relief.

Moon, who brokered the talks between Washington and Pyongyang, welcomed Kim’s “firm commitment for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula” and called for what would be his fourth meeting with the North’s leader.

“As soon as North Korea is ready, I hope the two Koreas will be able to sit down together, regardless of venue and form,” Moon told a meeting with his top aides.

“I will spare no effort to ensure that the upcoming inter-Korean summit becomes a stepping stone for an even bigger opportunity and a more significant outcome.”

The remarks come after Moon’s brief summit with Trump at the White House last week as he tries to reignite the stalled diplomacy.

Trump, Pompeo brush aside Kim's deadline for nuclear talks flexibility April 15, 2019
U.S. President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday brushed aside North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's demand for Washington to show more flexibility in nuclear talks by year-end, with Pompeo saying Kim should keep his promise to give up his nuclear weapons before then.

South Korea's Moon pushes for summit with North Korea's Kim despite nuclear standoff April 15, 2019
South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Monday he will pursue "in earnest" another summit with Kim Jong Un despite the North Korean leader's recent criticism of Seoul's self-proclaimed role as a mediator in stalled nuclear talks.

April 15, 2019 - Kremlin: No full clarity on date, place of Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong-un
Kremlin: No full clarity on date, place of Putin’s meeting with Kim Jong-un

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov © Mikhail Metzel/TASS

No final decision has been made on the date and place of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"I can confirm that preparations for the meeting are underway, we have been talking about it for quite a while," he pointed out. "As soon as there is full clarity on the date and place of the meeting, we will inform you," he added. "We can’t provide any specific information at the moment," the Russian presidential spokesman noted.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said earlier, citing sources in Moscow, that Kim Jong-un might visit Russia next week. According to the agency, the Russia-North Korea summit is likely to be held in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok. Yonhap pointed out that on April 26-27, Putin is expected to attend the One Belt One Road forum in China. The agency’s sources believe that the Russian president’s meeting with Kim Jong-un will take place shortly before the event.

 

[angelburst29]

March 2, 2019 - Mystery surrounds break-in at N.Korea embassy in Spain
Mystery surrounds break-in at N.Korea embassy in Spain

Ten men burst into the embassy on February 22 brandishing fake handguns, according to sources close to the enquiry cited by Spanish media.

April 16, 2019 - Spanish court returns stolen material to North Korea embassy: judicial source

Material stolen by intruders from the North Korean Embassy in Madrid in February has been returned by Spanish authorities to Pyongyang's mission without a review of the contents, a Spanish judicial source said on Tuesday.

Investigators said the intruders, self-professed members of a group seeking the overthrow of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, removed computers and hard drives from the embassy before fleeing to the United States, where they handed the material to the FBI.

The Spanish judicial source said the FBI returned the material two weeks ago to the Spanish court investigating the raid. The court did not review the material before turning it over to the North Korean Embassy, in keeping with standard practice to protect diplomatic information, the source said.

Another source, familiar with the U.S. government involvement in the case, confirmed the FBI had returned the material to Spanish authorities. It was not known how the material was handled while in the United States.

A group of at least 10 people stormed into the embassy in February, restrained and physically beat some personnel and held them hostage for hours before fleeing, the Spanish court said earlier.

The anti-Kim group, which calls itself Cheolima Civil Defense, said the raid was not an attack and that it had been invited into the embassy.

Three of the intruders took an embassy official into the basement during the raid and encouraged him to defect from North Korea, according to a detailed document made public on March 26 by the Spanish court.

The document included the names of the leaders of the group, some of whom are believed to be in the United States, while others could have left for other countries. The court is seeking their extradition.

The judicial source said the investigation into the incident was almost complete, including interviews with all witnesses.

North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced the incident a “grave terrorist attack” and cited rumors that the FBI was partially behind the raid. The U.S. State Department said Washington had nothing to do with it.

U.S. diplomat for North Korea to discuss denuclearization with Russia

U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Moscow this week to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearization, the U.S. State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Biegun will meet with Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday, the department said.

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Persona non grata: North Korea is not negotiating with pigs.

Replace Pompeo with someone ‘more cautious & mature’ if you want to talk, N. Korea tells US
18 Apr, 2019

 

[Deleted member 14240]

Persona non grata: North Korea is not negotiating with pigs.

Replace Pompeo with someone ‘more cautious & mature’ if you want to talk, N. Korea tells US
18 Apr, 2019

From one pig to another... with love <3

 

[Tuatha de Danaan]

Persona non grata: North Korea is not negotiating with pigs.

Replace Pompeo with someone ‘more cautious & mature’ if you want to talk, N. Korea tells US
18 Apr, 2019

I believe a few more counties should start taking this stance. If a few more would refuse to speak to the US maybe that might block some of their rhetoric. Just a bit of wishful thinking here on my part.

 

[angelburst29]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected in Russia’s far-eastern port Vladivostok in the coming days, according to reports that have prompted excitement and concern among local residents.

19 April 2019 - Russia’s Port of Vladivostok prepares to host Kim Jong Un

Golden Horn Bay in Vladivostok will likely soon come under the scrutiny of Kim Jong Un. (Reuters)

After weeks of speculation, the Kremlin announced that Kim will visit Russia to hold his first talks with President Vladimir Putin in late April. It gave no details on a date or place, citing “security reasons.”

Russian media were quick to report preparations were underway for the summit to take place in Vladivostok, home to Moscow’s Pacific Fleet.

The port lies only about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Russia’s short border with North Korea. This proximity is no doubt important for Kim, who is rumored to travel aboard his armored train.

The 35-year-old will be following in the footsteps of his father Kim Jong Il, who met the newly elected Putin in Vladivostok in 2002.

The last meeting between Russian and North Korean heads of state was in 2011, when Kim’s father traveled by train to Siberia, where he took a boat ride on Lake Baikal and held tightly guarded talks with then president Dmitry Medvedev.

There is a chance however that fresh talks will not take place at all, as Kim pulled out of 2015 celebrations in Moscow for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II at the last minute.

April 19, 2019 - Putin-Kim meeting to facilitate North Korea’s denuclearization — Chinese Foreign Ministry
The upcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will help resolve the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear disarmament issue and preserve peace in the region, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said at a briefing on Friday.

"Russia and North Korea are China’s good neighbors and we are pleased to see that they are boosting ties at the highest level," he said in response to a question from a South Korean reporter. "We are confident that it will facilitate efforts to resolve the Korean Peninsula issue through political means and contribute to preserving peace and stability in the region," Lu Kang added.

The Chinese diplomat was hopeful that Pyongyang would continue its policy of rapprochement towards Washington, which, in his words, would help ensure North Korea’s denuclearization. "We hope that the trend of dialogue between the North Korea and the United States will continue and the two countries’ interaction will produce even more positive results," he concluded.

April 19, 2019 - U.S. arrests former Marine connected to North Korea embassy raid in Spain
U.S. authorities on Thursday arrested a former U.S. Marine who is a member of a group that allegedly raided the North Korean embassy in Madrid in February and stole electronics, according to two sources familiar with the arrest.

Christopher Ahn was arrested and is expected to be arraigned on Friday in federal court in Los Angles, according to a law enforcement official and a source close to the group.

The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment.

In April, investigators said the intruders, self-professed members of a group seeking the overthrow of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, removed computers and hard drives from the embassy before fleeing to the United States, where they handed the material to the FBI. Sources said the material had been returned by Spanish authorities to Pyongyang’s mission.

April 19, 2019 - Cheap solar panels power consumer appliance boom in North Korea

Years after they first appeared in North Korea, increasingly cheap and available solar panels are giving a boost to consumer consumption and industry as Pyongyang tries to limit the impact of tough international sanctions.

Electricity shortages have been a perennial concern for North Korea, and leader Kim Jong Un has called for greater use of renewable energy as part of his drive for self-sufficiency as sanctions have ratcheted higher in response to the country’s nuclear and missile programs.

Now ever more households, factories and businesses are equipped with solar panels, leading to a greater variety of home electronics products available in increasingly common private markets known as jangmadang, defectors and recent visitors say.

Among the hottest selling items are water purifiers, hair straighteners and electric bicycles, mostly from China but some made in North Korea or even smuggled in from South Korea.

“A few years ago, such things as water purifiers, mixers and rice cookers were only seen at some restaurants and rich households, but they are becoming commonplace, especially in cities,” said Kang Mi-jin, an economic expert who regularly speaks with North Koreans for Daily NK, a website run by defectors.

“Some would look just like an ordinary middle-class South Korean home, with a wall-hanging LED TV, multiple laptops and electric mini cars for babies.”

CONSUMER CULTURE - North Koreans started using solar panels several years ago, mostly to charge mobile phones and light their homes as a backup to the unstable, mostly hydro and coal-fired national grid.

As well as markets brimming with electronics products, there are more teahouses, computer games rooms, karaoke bars and billiard halls open longer after switching to solar from diesel generators, according to recent visitors and defectors.

Such entertainment venues are becoming more widespread, not only in cities, but also the countryside, where grid power is even less reliable. “At night, often it is only those places that have solar panels and batteries that have lights on,” a source with knowledge of the issue told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of North Korea affairs.

Use of the panels spread after they were used at a now-closed inter-Korean factory park in the North’s border city of Kaesong that opened in 2004.

Now many apartment balconies have them out in the sun during the day collecting energy so they are readily visible, the source said.

Kim Yun-soung, a research fellow at the Green Energy Strategy Institute in Seoul, said the North’s push for domestic production of solar equipment was spurred by sanctions banning imports of metal products.

“Electricity was the biggest problem but we achieved such a highly advanced, cutting-edge technology ourselves from scratch, which was once monopolized by developed nations,” the film’s narrator said, referring to the inverters.

State media has listed the central bank, schools, factories, and even ferries as entirely powered by solar panels.

“A solar panel gives you ‘free’ power once it is installed,” said Kim Young Hui, a defector and an economist at the South’s state-run Korea Development Bank.

“So the nature of the panels perfectly fits Kim Jong Un’s mantra of self-reliance - or in other words, creating something out of nothing.”

‘FREE POWER’ - Most of the panels sold in markets were brought in from China, and prices have dropped by up to 40 percent over the last few years amid a global glut and rising North Korean production, defectors and experts said.

In 2015, sources told Reuters a small 20-watt panel was sold at about $44. These days a 30-watt panel - a more widely used model - costs only about $15, Kang said.

Pyongyang does not provide data on its use of solar power, but Kang said about 55 percent of North Korean households are equipped with the panels. The ratio is higher in Pyongyang and other cities, as well as border regions where Chinese goods are widely available, she said.

“Kim Jong Un appears to be committed to economic reform,” von Hippel said. “So the increased access to energy in some ways relieves the government from having to supply its citizens with energy.”

 

[angelburst29]

Kremlin says North Korean leader Kim to meet Putin in Russia on Thursday April 23, 2019

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Thursday in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok to discuss the international standoff over Pyongyang's nuclear program, a Kremlin official said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departs for Russia by train on Wednesday: KCNA April 23, 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un departed for Russia on Wednesday morning by private train, state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said on Wednesday.

North Korea slams Bolton's 'dim-sighted' call for sign of denuclearization April 21, 2019

North Korea has criticized U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton's "nonsense" call for Pyongyang to show that it’s serious about giving up its nuclear weapons, the second time it has criticized a leading U.S. official in less than a week.

Pompeo says nothing's changed on North Korea talks: 'It'll be my team' April 20, 2019

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. diplomatic efforts will continue toward the goal of denuclearization of North Korea, a day after a North Korean official said it no longer wanted to deal with him in talks.

Ex-U.S. Marine accused in North Korean embassy raid ordered detained in L.A. April 23, 2019

A former U.S. Marine accused of stealing electronics from the North Korean embassy in Madrid in a robbery of the diplomatic compound was ordered by a federal judge in Los Angeles on Tuesday to remain in U.S. custody pending possible extradition to Spain.

South Korea to send delegation to U.S. for talks on Iran sanction waivers April 23, 2019
A South Korean delegation will head to Washington as early as this week for talks with U.S. officials after the United States announced plans to end all Iran sanction waivers, two South Korean government officials said on Tuesday.

 

[angelburst29]

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that six-party talks, which are currently stalled, were the only efficient way of addressing the de-nuclearization of the Korean peninsula, but all other efforts also merited support.

April 24, 2018 - Kremlin: Six-party talks only efficient way to tackle nuclear North Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrives at the railway station in the Russian far-eastern city of Vladivostok, Russia, April 24, 2019. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for a summit he is likely to use to seek support from Russian President Vladimir Putin while Pyongyang’s nuclear talks with Washington are in limbo.

“There are no other efficient international mechanisms at the moment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“But, on the other hand, efforts are being made by other countries. Here all efforts merit support as long as they really aim at de-nuclearisation and resolving the problem of the two Koreas,” he told reporters.

North Korea sidelines leader Kim's right-hand man for Hanoi breakdown: South Korea lawmaker

North Korea has replaced Kim Jong Un's right-hand man who steered nuclear talks with the United States, apparently blaming him for a failed summit between the two countries, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday.

North Korea's Kim arrives for summit with Russia's Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in the Russian city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for a summit he is likely to use to seek support from President Vladimir Putin while Pyongyang's nuclear talks with Washington are in limbo.

North Korean leader's train suffers hitch on arrival in Vladivostok

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's carefully choreographed visit to Russia suffered a minor glitch on Wednesday as his armored train missed the red carpet laid out for his welcome at Vladivostok station.

North Korea's Kim says to talk to Putin about nuclear standoff: TV

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Wednesday he hoped to have concrete discussions about efforts to end the nuclear standoff in the Korean peninsula when he meets Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit this week.

Putin-Kim summit sends message to U.S. but sanctions relief elusive for North Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time this week at a symbolic summit
hoping to project himself as a serious world player but likely to come away without the relief he seeks from crushing sanctions.

 

[angelburst29]

North Korea sidelines leader Kim's right-hand man for Hanoi breakdown: South Korea lawmaker

North Korea has replaced Kim Jong Un's right-hand man who steered nuclear talks with the United States, apparently blaming him for a failed summit between the two countries, a South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday

When I logged onto Yahoo earlier, this came up as a feature article from Yahoo U.K. A further search, I noticed, "The Mirror" and "Express U.K." featuring the same article. I sense, it's a propaganda piece and a spin-off from the article above? The timing of this revelation is also interesting, since North Korea's Kim Jong Un just arrived in Russia for a meeting with Putin.

April 24, 2019 - North Korea ‘executed four officials’ after failed US summit, report claims
North Korea ‘executed four officials’ after failed US summit, report claims

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump meet for the second North Korea-US summit in Hanoi in February.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the execution by firing squad of four foreign ministry officials after the failure of his Hanoi summit with Donald Trump, a report has claimed.

The officials were reportedly executed after the February talks between North Korea and the US came to an end without any deal being made.

Pyongyang had accused the four officials of selling information to Washington before the Hanoi summit, according to a Japanese news agency.

The executions, which included a diplomat from North Korea’s embassy in Hanoi, have not been verified.

Asia Press claimed its reporter spoke to a trade official who was told the rumour about the executions.

It is claimed that the executions were watched by members of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea and Korean People’s Army.

The Hanoi summit had the aim of achieving denuclearisation on the Korean Peninusla and North Korea was hoping to have its sanctions lifted.

When the talks failed, Washington insisted that dialogue with North Korea would continue and that the collapse was not a major disappointment.

Following the summit, President Trump said: “Kim is a person I’ve gotten to know very well, and respect and hopefully, and I really believe over a period of time, a lot of tremendous things will happen. “I think North Korea has a tremendous potential.”

Kim arrived in Russia on Wednesday, April 24 to discuss bilateral ties with President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea’s leader has said he was hoping for a “successful and useful” visit where he hopes to discuss the situation in the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea 'executes four officials by firing squad after ...
The Mirror
North Korea news: Four officials 'executed by firing squad ...
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1118544/north-korea-news...

 

[angelburst29]

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that this is not his last visit to Russia.

Kim Jong-un says he is happy to visit Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un © EPA-EFE/KCNA

Kim Jong-un 'kindly greeted' in Russia — North Korean media

© KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who arrived to Russia on Wednesday, was "kindly greeted" on the Russian territory, North Korea’s KCNA news agency said on Thursday.

"He was kindly greeted at Khasan Railway Station by Alexandr Kozlov, minister of Development of the Far East and Arctic of Russia, and other senior officials who came to the railway station from the capital and local areas to greet him," the agency said. "Kim Jong-un expressed thanks for it and had an amicable talk with them."

According to the agency, "Putin dispatched them [Russian officials] to the border railway station with particular attention given to his [Kim Jong-un’s] current visit."

After the North Korean leader’s private train arrived in Vladivostok, "the chief of the guard of honor of the three services of the armed forces of the Russian Federation made a welcome report" and the national anthems of the two countries were played.

When the greeting ceremony was over, "the Supreme Leader exchanged greetings with senior officials of the capital and local areas and headed for the lodging place."

North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un’s armored train arrived in Vladivostok at around 11:00 Moscow time. After a short official ceremony Kim’s limousine left the Vladivostok railway station and headed to Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) located on the Russky Island, where the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the North Korean leader will hold a summit meeting later on Thursday.

The main topics on the agenda are the peaceful resolution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula and ensuring security in Northeast Asia as a whole. The leaders are also going to discuss the state of the bilateral relations, including political, economic, cultural and humanitarian ties. The summit between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un will be their first meeting in person. Moreover, Russia is the first foreign country that the North Korean leader has visited after the national Supreme People's Assembly re-elected Kim Jong-un as the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission in early April.

According to a TASS correspondent, about 300 reporters, including from Asia-Pacific region countries, were accredited to cover the meeting. A FEFU source earlier said that two halls were prepared for the Putin-Kim talks: one for the summit itself and one for an informal meeting.

A local source, close to Russia’s rail company RZD said Kim’s train is now stationed at the Okeanskaya station on the outskirts of Vladivostok. The journey to it from the city’s main railway station takes about 30 minutes.

"Kim Jong-un armored train was taken to Okeanskaya, where it is now stationed," the source said. "It is guarded exclusively by officers of the North Korean government security agency."

Putin says Kim's visit to help find way towards Korea settlement

Russian President Vladimir Putin told North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday he expected his visit to Russia would help the two countries understand how to reach settlement over the Korean peninsula and develop bilateral ties.

North Korea's Kim says in strategic talks with Putin on Korea situation

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday that he was visiting Russia to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin about the situation on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea's Kim says he will coordinate views on peninsula issues with Putin
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday that his summit with President Vladimir Putin will help jointly assess the Korean peninsula issues and coordinate their stances.

Putin says he discussed situation on Korean peninsula with Kim, calls talks substantial

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he discussed the situation on Korean peninsula with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday.

Conversation between Putin, Kim Jong-un lasted about two hours
It is twice as long as the 50 minutes stipulated for this part of the meeting by the protocol. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had a face-to-face meeting, which lasted about two hours. The conversation was held behind closed doors in a room in facility S of the Far Eastern Federal University. The delegation members did not take part in the conversation, with just interpreters following the leaders. An expanded bilateral meeting will be held next. During the part of the conversation to which journalists were admitted Putin expressed hope that the North Korean leader’s visit to Russia will help settle the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Kim Jong-un displayed a similar attitude. The Russian state leader also welcomed North Korea’s efforts to normalize relations with South Korea and the US.

Putin and Kim end summit in Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ended their summit in Russia.

Putin says U.S. guarantees unlikely to prompt North Korea to de-nuclearize

Russian President Vladimir Putin said after holding his first face-to-face talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday that U.S. security guarantees would probably not be enough to persuade Pyongyang to shut its nuclear program.

Pompeo sees 'bumpy' North Korea talks, but hopes for several more chances

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that U.S. talks with North Korea would be "bumpy," but expressed hope there would be several more chances to discuss how to move forward to the country's denuclearization.

Putin emphasizes need to abandon rule of force to resolve situation on Korean Peninsula

© AP Photo/Lee Jin-man

The Russian President believes "it is eventually possible".

All interested parties need to abandon the rule of force on the global level and show respect for each other’s interests in order to resolve the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters following talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

First Putin-Kim summit in pictures

[IMG alt="
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Russia's President Vladimir Putin are seen during a welcome ceremony at the Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island"]https://phototass2.cdnvideo.ru/fit/816x458_7de8e174/tass/m2/en/uploads/i/20190425/1219797.jpg[/IMG]

 

[angelburst29]

April 26, 2019 - Trump welcomes Putin's statements on North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to his audience as he hosts Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday praised Russian President Vladimir Putin's comments on North Korea this week following the Russian leader's summit with Pyongyang's Kim Jong Un.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump also said China was helping with efforts aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea.


(Comment - I sense, Kim Yong Choi was dropped to the sideline - as a calculated move - to eliminate Pompeo from any further direct Peace talks? Pompeo, as prior top Director of the FBI, placed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's name on "an assassination list". Pompeo's involvement - on any level concerning North Korea - is counter productive and a source of raw antagonism.)

North Korea turns to diplomats after Kim sidelines point man in nuclear talks

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to center-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said.

The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure. He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader’s first international foray since his Hanoi meeting with Trump in February ended in disarray.

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, flanked the North Korean leader at the meeting in Vladivostok, including riding in his car, a highly unusual display of proximity.

“The Hanoi summit damaged the North’s long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame,” said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, referring to Kim Yong Chol’s demotion.

 

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has completed his visit to Russia has his armored train arrived to a rail station in Pyongyang, North Korea’s KCNA news agency reported on Saturday.

April 27, 2019 - North Korean leader returns to Pyongyang after summit with Putin — KCNA

© KCNA

Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and supreme commander of the armed forces of the DPRK, returned home by the private train at dawn on Saturday after successfully concluding his visit to the Russian Federation," the agency said.

"After getting off the train amid the enthusiastic cheering of the masses, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un received a greeting report from the head of the guard of honor of the Korean People's Army," it said.

Negotiations between Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un were held on Thursday on Russky Island in Vladivostok. The leaders thoroughly discussed the state and prospects of interstate relations and dwelled on issues linked to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in particular the denuclearization problem. The Vladivostok summit became the first face-to-face meeting between Putin and Kim Jong-un.

Iran's Zarif plans North Korea visit: Iranian state TV

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is planning to visit North Korea, Iran's state television reported on Sunday, without giving the date of the visit.

U.S. warrant issued for accused ringleader of North Korean embassy raid in Madrid

U.S. authorities are focused on Southern California in their manhunt for a one-time human rights activist accused of leading a violent takeover of North Korea's embassy in Spain, according to a federal arrest warrant unsealed on Friday.

Adrian Hong Chang is wanted by Spain in connection with the alleged embassy raid in February, but his lawyer denounced the U.S. Justice Department for seeking his arrest and extradition based on “the highly unreliable accounts of North Korean government witnesses.”

The warrant, citing information from Spanish authorities, describes Hong Chang as the mastermind of a raid by seven individuals on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid on Feb. 22 that began with Hong Chang posing as a visiting businessman.

He and six fellow intruders, armed with knives, iron bars, machetes and imitation pistols, then stormed the embassy, restrained and physically beat the charge d’affaires and several other employees and held them captive for several hours before fleeing the compound, according to the warrant.

They got away with computer equipment and a mobile phone stolen from the embassy, which Hong Chang, also known as Adrian Hong, presented days later to the FBI in New York after fleeing back to the United States, the warrant says.

A Spanish judicial court said earlier this week that the FBI later handed the material over to Spanish authorities who have since returned it to Pyongyang’s mission in Madrid.

The incident at the embassy came at a sensitive time, just days ahead of a second summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that abruptly collapsed without the two men reaching a deal on Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons program.

North Korea’s foreign ministry denounced the incident as a “grave terrorist attack” and cited rumors that the FBI was partially behind the raid. The U.S. State Department has said Washington had nothing to do with it.

Spain is seeking Hong Chang’s extradition to face charges of breaking and entering, illegal restraint, robbery, causing injuries and being a member of a criminal organization.

Similar charges are pending against an accused accomplice, Christopher Philip Ahn, 38, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested April 18 in Los Angeles on a separate warrant stemming from the same incident. He remains in U.S. custody.

Spanish authorities have described Ahn as belonging to a group that calls itself Cheollima Civil Defense and seeks the overthrow of the Kim government. The anti-Kim group, which also calls itself Free Joseon, has denied attacking the embassy in Madrid and insisted its members were invited inside.

Hong Chang, a Mexican citizen who holds permanent U.S. residency, was an activist who co-founded the non-profit human rights group Liberty in North Korea but later left that organization.

His lawyer, Lee Wolosky, who also represents Free Joseon, accused U.S. authorities of accepting at face value a false North Korean account of events.

“In due time, we expect to be able to present additional evidence that contradicts the story made up by the North Korean government,” Wolosky said.

The warrant for Hong Chang’s arrest said U.S. authorities had traced his home to a Los Angeles address and believed he remains at large somewhere within the U.S. Central District of California, an area comprising Los Angeles and adjacent counties.