North - South Korea

[angelburst29]

North Korea executes envoy in a purge after failed U.S. summit: media
North Korea executes envoy in a purge after failed U.S. summit: media

This article was just published on Reuters News site. I'm having a really hard time - believing any word of it? It doesn't make sense? The Hanoi Summit talks collapsed due to "actions of interference" by both, Bolton and Pompeo. Why would NK Kim Jong Un carry out a purge of trusted negotiators? My guess, it's a propaganda hit-piece?

Top US journalists spread fake news claiming North Korean official was 'purged' - then he shows up on TV (23 tweets @ link)

Virtually every major Western corporate media outlet and a who’s who of pundits circulated a blatantly false report that North Korean nuclear negotiators were killed and imprisoned, exposing their non-existent editorial standards on Official Enemies.

Korea, Media June 3, 2019

The corporate media’s editorial standards for reporting on Official Enemies of the US government, especially North Korea, are as low as ever. Blatantly false stories are regularly circulated by leading news outlets without any kind of accountability.

In the latest example of fake news disseminated without any hint of skepticism by America’s top journalists, virtually every major media outlet reported that a senior North Korean official named Kim Yong-chol was supposedly forced into a “labor camp,” as part of a larger deadly “purge.”

Two days later, that same official turned up alive at a public art performance, seated next to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Bloomberg kicked off the fake news frenzy on May 30 by publishing a report claiming, “North Korea executed its former top nuclear envoy to the U.S. and four other foreign ministry officials in March after a failed summit between Kim and Donald Trump.”

Bloomberg’s source for this false story was South Korea’s far-right newspaper Chosun Ilbo, which has a long history of fabricating stories about North Korea. In turn, Chosun Ilbo’s story was based on a single unidentified source.

That is to say, the fake report obediently echoed by the Western press corps was based entirely on the claims of one un-named person.

This obvious lack of evidence did not stop credulous reporters from jumping on the sensationalist propaganda. The false story was circulated by The New York Times, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The Hill, The Daily Beast, Fox News, CNBC, TIME, ABC News, The Financial Times, The Telegraph, VICE, Rolling Stone, The Independent, The Washington Times, The New York Post, HuffPost, France 24, The Japan Times, Haaretz, The Times of Israel, Democracy Now, the US government’s Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, and many more.

Twitter even went out of its way to create a shareable Moment based on the fake news.

Careful readers (only a small percentage of total readers) might have noticed that Bloomberg quietly admitted in its original report, “Previous South Korean media reports about senior North Korean officials being executed following the talks have proven false.” But this concession didn’t stop the rest of the corporate media from running with this fake story.

On June 2, the commentariat’s favorite fable fell apart: North Korea’s nuclear negotiator Kim Yong-chol showed up on state media, sitting a few seats away from Kim Jong-un at a musical performance.

The Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, and CNN quickly published new reports making light of the news — but none of these contained mea culpas or official retractions.

As of June 3, the vast majority of blatantly false reports published in dozens of outlets remain uncorrected.

The Grayzone has documented the long history of the US corporate media printing cartoonish lies about North Korea (officially known as the DPRK), especially in the form of execution stories that are quickly debunked. (The New York Times once even cited an obvious parody Twitter account as if it were the DPRK’s real state media.)

A few actual experts on Korea did raise concerns about the latest hoax. Among them was veteran reporter Tim Shorrock, who has spent decades reporting on Korea, and who joined prominent peace activists Christine Ahn and Simone Chun in questioning the bogus story.

Shorrock cautioned on May 31, “It’s important to keep tabs on this one, which if uncorroborated could turn out to be one of the biggest fiascos in journalism history.”

As usual, Shorrock was right — but he was an outlier whose critical thinking was drowned out by a mob of mainstream pundits.

Below is a list of some of the top journalists in the US corporate media and political class, including ostensible “progressives,” who spread this blatantly false story. Many of these self-styled progressives promoted the hoax in hopes of embarrassing Donald Trump for embarking on a historic peace process with the DPRK.

Journalists and activists who spread the fake news
* Chris Hayes, a media celebrity and MSNBC host who used the fake news to get in a cheap joke about Trump.

* Julia Ioffe, a prominent journalist, GQ Magazine correspondent, and so-called “Russia expert”

* Yashar Ali, a contributor to New York Magazine and the Huffington Post and liberal mini-celebrity

* Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times and an analyst for MSNBC

* Jon Cooper, the chairman of the Democratic Coalition Against Trump, which proudly boasts, “We help run #TheResistance”

* Katie Phang, a legal contributor for NBC and MSNBC

* David Roberts, a reporter for Vox

* Caroline Orr, a neoliberal “Resistance” influencer who rose to prominence by pumping up the Russiagate narrative

* Oz Katerji, a rabid pro-military intervention regime-change activist dedicated to harassing anti-imperialists online

* Josh Smith, a Reuters senior correspondent covering North and South Korea

* Vivian Salama, a White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal, who previously worked as AP’s Baghdad bureau chief

* Matt Bevan, the host and writer of ABC News Australia’s “Russia, If You’re Listening” podcast

* Kaitlan Collins, a CNN White House reporter

* Geoff Bennett, a White House correspondent for NBC News

* Andrew Desiderio, a political reporter at Politico

* David Nakamura, a Washington Post reporter

* Amy Siskind, a prominent liberal anti-Trump activist and former Wall Street executive

* Steve Silberman, a longtime writer for Wired Magazine

Rare exceptions
There were a few exceptions to the norm. Some reporters who specialize on Korea did raise concerns, pointing out South Korean media outlets have a long history of publishing false stories about the DPRK. These warnings, however, were ignored.

 

[angelburst29]

Well, apparently - the last "fake news report" didn't get much traction - so they're giving it another "go"?

Hundreds of North Korean public execution sites identified: survey June 10, 2019

FILE PHOTO: A North Korean flag flutters on top of a 160-metre tower in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong, in this picture taken from the Tae Sung freedom village near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), inside the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

North Korea conducts public executions to incite fear among the public, a rights group said on Tuesday in a report pinpointing at least 323 sites used by the government for capital punishment.

The report by the Seoul-based Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG) is the result of four years of research and interviews with more than 600 North Korean defectors living outside the country.

“Public executions are to remind people of particular policy positions that the state has,” said TJWG research director Sarah A. Son. “But the second and more powerful reason is it instills a culture of fear among ordinary people.”

Purged members of the elite have been among those executed in public, such as leader Kim Jong Un’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2013.

But the most common charges leveled against the condemned ranged from “stealing copper and livestock” to, less commonly, “anti-state” activities and illegally crossing into China, the group said.

The survey of 610 North Korean defectors living in South Korea, included 19 reports of more than 10 people being executed at the same time.

Crowds, often of hundreds of people, and sometimes a 1,000 or more, would gather. The youngest person to witness a public execution was 7 years old, the group said.

The group found that 35 reports of public executions came from one particular river bank, with executions taking place at the unidentified location every decade since 1960s. Six of the executions were by hanging and 29 by firing squad, the group said.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm any of the accounts in the report.

The group said 83 percent of a sample of 84 surveyed people had witnessed a public execution at some time, but it did not give specific data on how common such executions may be. Nor did it say if they were getting more or less frequent.

The group warned that the survey sample based on the testimony of defectors, was not necessarily representative.

For example, a disproportionate number of the respondents come from northern provinces with the greatest access to the Chinese border for people trying to defect.

Some reports of executions in North Korea have turned out to be untrue, with officials who had been reported as being executed later reappearing.

This month, there have been media reports about the execution of officials involved in nuclear talks with the United States, which collapsed in February at a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump last week appeared to cast doubt on the news reports about the executions. “I don’t know if the reports are correct,” Trump said. “They like to blame Kim Jong Un immediately.”

North Korean state media has made no comment.

 

[angelburst29]

China's President Xi to visit North Korea this week

Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit North Korea for two days from Thursday, state media in both countries reported on Monday,
making him the first Chinese leader to visit in 14 years.

“Both sides will exchange views on the (Korean) peninsula situation, and push for new progress in the political resolution of the peninsula issue,” China’s official broadcaster CCTV said in a lengthy report that led the evening news.

The invitation was made by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, state media in both countries said.

Since a failed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim in Hanoi earlier this year, Pyongyang has resumed some weapons tests and warned of “truly undesired consequences” if the United States is not more flexible.

Xi’s visit kicks off a flurry of high-level diplomatic activity around the Korean peninsula, with Trump set to visit ally South Korea after the G20 summit this month in Osaka, Japan.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s office said he and Xi would hold talks during the G20.

The visit also comes against a backdrop of mounting acrimony between Beijing and Washington over trade and other issues.

VISIT LONG EXPECTED
Kim has made four visits to China since March 2018, CCTV reported. The first, conducted largely in secret, was his first known trip abroad since he assumed power in June 2011.

Diplomats had long expected Xi to visit Pyongyang; one Western diplomat in Beijing said it was likely that the Chinese leader had a standing invitation, and had chosen to take it up with the G20 summit approaching: “It’s Xi showing Trump that China still has an important card to play - North Korea.”

This year marks the 70th year since China and North Korea established diplomatic ties, CCTV noted.

Kim and Trump held a summit last year in Singapore and one in Hanoi this year, but hopes for rapid progress toward denuclearization have faded.

The last Chinese leader to visit North Korea was Hu Jintao in 2005.

 

[angelburst29]

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in an op-ed in North Korean state newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday that China supports North Korea's "correct direction" in politically resolving issues on the Korean Peninsula.

Xi firmly backs Pyongyang's effort to solve Korea Peninsula issues: Rodong Sinmun

An image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's President Xi Jinping is displayed during a North Korean delegation's visit in Beijing, China, in this photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 30, 2019. KCNA via REUTERS

The front-page op-ed is an honor rarely granted to foreign leaders and comes a day before Xi is set to visit Pyongyang on Thursday and Friday, at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, making him the first Chinese leader to visit in 14 years.

The visit is a sorely needed show of support for Kim, whose campaign of diplomatic outreach and drive to rebuild the economy has suffered since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between North Korea’s Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump in February.

As nuclear talks between the United States and North Korea remain stalled and tensions have mounted between Beijing and Washington over trade and other issues, Xi’s visit kicks off a flurry of high-level diplomatic activity around the Korean Peninsula ahead of the G20 summit in Japan later this month.

Xi said the two Asian countries will “strengthen our strategic communication and exchanges,” adding that China will firmly support Kim’s achievements in “socialist construction” aimed at economic development and improving people’s lives, according to the newspaper.

Xi said North Korea and China would expand and develop relations in civilian sectors, including education, culture, sports, tourism, youth and rural areas.

“We will actively contribute to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region by strengthening communication and coordination with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Xi said. China will also engage with other stakeholders “by jointly expediting progress on dialogue and negotiations on the issues of the Korean peninsula,” he added.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is North Korea’s official name.

Russia, China delay U.S. push for halt to North Korea fuel imports

Russia and China on Tuesday delayed a U.S. request for a U.N. Security Council sanctions committee to demand an immediate halt to deliveries of refined petroleum to North Korea over accusations Pyongyang violated a U.N. cap, diplomats said.

 

[angelburst29]

South Korea urges North Korea summit before Trump Seoul visit, U.S. door 'wide open'

South Korea on Wednesday urged North Korea to hold another summit with its leader ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Seoul next week, while the United States said its door remained "wide open" for talks with Pyongyang.

Xi visit raises prospect of 'concrete cooperation' with North Korea

China's President Xi Jinping heads to Pyongyang this week holding out the prospect of fresh measures to support North Korea's floundering, sanctions-bound economy, the first trip in 14 years by a Chinese leader.

'I Love Thee, China': North Korea woos Xi in lavish state visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed that strengthening bilateral ties, at a time of "serious and complicated" international affairs, was good for regional peace, North Korean state media said on Friday.

Slideshow (14 Images)
'I Love Thee, China': North Korea woos Xi in lavish state visit

China's President Xi completes state visit to North Korea: China state media

China's President Xi Jinping has departed North Korea, following a two-day state visit, Chinese state media reported Friday.

North Korea has more than sanctions to overcome for foreign investment: report

A historic visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping this week may have bolstered Kim Jong Un's hopes that economic relief may be coming soon, but a new report reveals North Korea's road to international investment may be blocked by more than sanctions.

Kim, Xi agree to grow ties whatever external situation: North Korean media

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China's President Xi Jinping reached a consensus on "important issues," and agreed to build on their countries' friendly relations "whatever the international situation," North Korean state media reported.

 

[angelburst29]

North Korea's Kim says will consider letter received from Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reads a letter from U.S. President Donald Trump, in Pyongyang, North Korea in this picture released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on June 22, 2019. KCNA via REUTERS

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received a personal letter from U.S. President Donald Trump and will put serious thought into its content, North Korea's state-run news agency KCNA said.

In a report published early on Sunday in Asia, KCNA did not give details on the letter, but said Kim described it as "of excellent content". “Kim Jong Un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content,” the report said.

U.S.-North Korea talks have been stalled since a failed summit in February between Trump and the North Korean leader in Hanoi, Vietnam.

A U.S. official said on Wednesday the United States had no pre-conditions for new talks, but that progress would require meaningful and verifiable North Korean steps to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

Pompeo says hopes Trump letter to North Korean leader can restart talks

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that he hopes a letter sent by President Donald Trump to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can pave the way for new talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program.

Trump to visit South Korea as Pompeo raises hope for new North Korea talks after letter

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea this weekend after an exchange of letters with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un boosted hopes for talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear program.

Trump to visit South Korea this week for summit with Moon: Blue House

U.S. President Donald Trump will visit South Korea this week to discuss ways to revive nuclear talks with North Korea, the South's presidential Blue House said on Monday.

 

[angelburst29]

North Korea's Kim says will consider letter received from Trump

Trump’s Friendly Letter to Kim Jong-un is Another Setback For John Bolton And The War Party
Trump's Friendly Letter to Kim Jong-un is Another Setback For John Bolton And The War Party - Eurasia Future

Whilst they’ve only met twice face-to-face, DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump have become the closest of pen pals in an age where business is otherwise dominated by email and public relations have become consigned to Twitter. The almost rustic nature of the letters exchanged between the unlikely but nevertheless close friends has been characterised by Trump as tantamount to the authoring of “love letters”.

Now, DPRK media has commented on the most recent letter that Trump has sent to Kim in a highly positive manner. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pyongyang:

“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, received a personal letter from Donald Trump, President of the United States of America.
After reading the letter, the Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces said with satisfaction that the letter is of excellent content.
Appreciating the political judging faculty and extraordinary courage of President Trump, Kim Jong Un said that he would seriously contemplate the interesting content”.

The letter which was reportedly delivered to Pyongyang prior to Xi Jinping’s highly successful visit is self-evidently symptomatic of a US leader who has stated on multiple occasions that he believes that the Korean peace process will be a complete success and that under Kim Jong-un’s leadership, the DPRK has a bright future of economic openness, reform and material success.

For the DPRK’s part, whilst official media has often been highly critical of Trump aides including Mike Pompeo and John Bolton, the DPRK has been equally if not more critical of Trump’s domestic opposition including Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden. What’s more is that in castigating Trump’s domestic opponents ranging from those in the Democratic party to the New York Times and CNN, the DPRK has employed language that is remarkably similar to that used by Trump.

This itself is symptomatic and indeed emblematic of a DPRK that is highly attuned to Donald Trump’s personal characteristics. It is quite clear that this itself is a material outgrowth of the personal understanding that Kim and Trump have rapidly developed and nurtured since 2018. Unlike many world leaders, the DPRK leadership clearly understands that for Trump the personal is a prelude to the professional. In other words, one must build a level of trust only possible after one has secured a high level of personal understanding in order to them move onto deal making when working with Donald Trump.

While many world leaders in countries that nominally have a far closer relationship to the United States than does the erstwhile isolated DPRK would be grateful to have such a close and productive personal relationship with Donald Trump as does Kim Jong-un, there is another group of people who will be clearly flummoxed by the continued friendship between Trump and Kim. John Bolton and the Washington war party he represents have long been desirous for the Korean peace process to collapse. As Bolton appeared multiple times on Fox News stating that he felt that peace with Korean is impossible and that if there was to be a peace process, it would have to be humiliating and degrading for the DPRK – it goes without saying that Bolton is displeased with Trump’s pro-peace and penultimately pro-business approach to the DPRK.

As it was reported that Bolton’s personal demands at this year’s Hanoi summit were largely responsible for the summit’s abrupt ending, it becomes that much clearer that Washington’s most infamous warmonger does not share Donald Trump’s placid vision for a Korea entering a new era.

More recently it was reported that Donald Trump personally snubbed Bolton and his team in what would have been a run-up to an attack on Iran. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump told a confidant the following about Bolton and his staff:

“These people want to push us into a war, and it’s so disgusting. We don’t need any more wars”.

Donald Trump’s friendship with Kim Jong-un and his actions which helped to avert a war on Iran make it clear that whatever one might think of Trump’s personality, at his core, he wants to do deals rather than make wars.

 

[angelburst29]

Here's How DPRK Media Reported Donald Trump's North Korean Visit
Here's How DPRK Media Reported Donald Trump's North Korean Visit - Eurasia Future

“Pyongyang, July 1 (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, had a historic meeting with President of the United States of America Donald Trump at Panmunjom on Sunday afternoon at the suggestion of Trump.

The Supreme Leader of the Party, the state and the armed forces of the DPRK accepted the opinion of President Trump that he would like to meet Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un in the Demilitarized Zone during his June 29-30 visit to south Korea and went to the south side portion of Panmunjom to have a surprise meeting with him.

Kim Jong Un stepped out of the Panmun Pavilion on Sunday afternoon and had a historic meeting with Donald Trump just before the demarcation line at Panmunjom amid the worldwide attention.

In 66 years since the Armistice Agreement in 1953 there happened such an amazing event of the top leaders of the DPRK and the U.S. exchanging historic handshakes at Panmunjom, place that had been known as the symbol of division.

Kim Jong Un exchanged compliments with Trump about meeting him after about 120 days and guided him toward the north side portion of Panmunjom.

The two leaders stepped toward just before the Panmun Pavilion in the north side portion of Panmunjom where they held their hands again, leaving the historic moment of the sitting U.S. President setting his foot on the soil of the DPRK across the Military Demarcation Line for the first time in history.

They headed for the “House of Freedom” in the south side portion of Panmunjom, the venue of the talks, exchanging a pleasant chat.

President Moon Jae In greeted Kim Jong Un outside the House.

Kim Jong Un exchanged warm greetings with Moon Jae In.

Then there were a one-on-one chat and talks between the top leaders of the DPRK and the U.S.

They explained issues of easing tensions on the Korean peninsula, ending the inglorious relations between the two countries and making a dramatic turn and also issues of mutual concern and interest which become a stumbling block in solving those issues, and voiced full understanding and sympathy.

The top leaders of the two countries agreed to keep in close touch in the future, too, and resume and push forward productive dialogues for making a new breakthrough in the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and in the bilateral relations.

Kim Jong Un said that it was the good personal relations with President Trump that made such a dramatic meeting possible at just a one day’s notice, noting that the relations would continue to produce good results unpredictable by others and work as a mysterious force overcoming manifold difficulties and obstacles in the future, too.

Present at the talks from the DPRK side was Ri Yong Ho, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, member of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK and foreign minister, and from the opposite side U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo.

The top leaders of the two countries expressed great satisfaction over the results of the talks.

After the talks Kim Jong Un exchanged parting words with Trump.

Trump and Moon Jae In saw Kim Jong Un off up to the demarcation line at Panmunjom”

 

[angelburst29]

A U.S. man accused of taking part in a raid on the North Korean Embassy in Madrid was ordered freed on $1.3 million bail on Tuesday but must serve home confinement ahead of his possible extradition to Spain.

U.S. man accused of North Korean embassy theft in Madrid to be freed on bail

A combination photo of former U.S. Marine Christopher Philip Ahn allegedly shown in a still photos from a surveillance camera, standing in front of and entering the North Korea embassy in Madrid, Spain, February 22, 2019. U.S. Attorney's Office Central District of California/Handout via REUTERS

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jean Rosenbluth, at a hearing in Los Angeles, warned Christopher Ahn, 38, that family members or close friends who posted bail for him could lose their money or property and face contempt of court charges if he fled.

“I spent a lot of time reading about you and I’m confident you’re going to do the right thing,” Rosenbluth told Ahn, who had several family members in attendance at the hearing.

The judge told Ahn, who lives in Chino Hills east of Los Angeles, he was to wear an ankle monitor and remain at home except for medical appointments and church.

Spanish authorities have charged Ahn with being among at least six individuals who entered the North Korean mission on Feb. 22 in Madrid, beat some embassy personnel, held them hostage for hours and then fled.

The intruders removed computers, computer drives and a mobile phone from the embassy, according to U.S. court documents.

The charges Ahn faces in Spain include breaking and entering, robbery with violence and causing injuries, according to U.S. court documents.

At least two of the individuals charged in Spain remain at large, including Adrian Hong, a Mexican national and longtime U.S. resident and activist who is said to have led the group.

Spanish investigators identified the intruders as members of a group called Cheollima Civil Defense, or Free Joseon, that seeks the overthrow of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Underground Railroad
An attorney for Ahn has acknowledged he was part of an “underground railroad” that helped at least one person and his family flee North Korean authorities, according to U.S. court documents.

The term underground railroad most commonly refers to a network of secret routes and safe houses that African-American slaves used to seek freedom in the 19th century.

Rosenbluth mentioned concerns about an “underground railroad” at the hearing on Tuesday, as she crafted conditions of Ahn’s release - such as not contacting Hong - which she said were intended to keep him from fleeing.

Ahn was expected to be released from custody in the coming days after bail is posted, said Ciaran McEvoy, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ahn, who joined the U.S. Marines at 24 and served for six years, was not in the military at the time of the incident at the embassy.

“It’s like a huge weight has been lifted off of our shoulders knowing that he’s going to be home, he’s going to be with loved ones, we can visit with him now,” Juan Sanabria, 35, a former Marine who served with Ahn in Iraq said outside court.

U.S. agents arrested Ahn on April 18 in Los Angeles, and his attorneys have sought his release from custody since then.

Prosecutors objected to Ahn’s release, saying he is a flight risk.

U.S. wants North Korea freeze as beginning, not end, of denuclearization

The United States would hope to see a freeze in the North Korean nuclear program as the start of a process of denuclearization, the State Department said on Tuesday, ahead of fresh talks with Pyongyang supposed to take place this month.

Japan, South Korea raise stakes in dispute over forced labor

Japan and South Korea raised the stakes on Tuesday in a dispute that threatens to disrupt global supplies of smartphones and chips, with South Korea denouncing Japanese reports it had transferred a sensitive chemical to North Korea.

Japan export curbs could be prolonged, says South Korea's Moon

South Korea's president said on Wednesday Japan's export curbs on key materials used by South Korean technology firms could be prolonged and his government will sharply boost spending to help reduce their reliance on Japanese suppliers.

Japan denies imposing South Korean trade embargo at WTO

Japan denied imposing a trade embargo on South Korea on Tuesday, after a complicated diplomatic dispute that could disrupt global supplies of chips and smartphones erupted over forced labor in World War Two and banned trade with North Korea.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump offers to help ease tension in Japan-South Korea dispute (Not by sending Bolton!)
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday offered to help ease tensions in the political and economic dispute between Japan and South Korea, which threatens global supplies of memory chips and smartphones.

U.S. adviser Bolton travels to Japan, South Korea amid trade dispute

U.S. national security adviser John Bolton departed on Saturday for a trip to Japan and South Korea as the two countries are in the middle of a trade dispute.

Japanese minister admonishes South Korea's envoy as dispute escalates

Japan's foreign minister publicly admonished South Korea's ambassador on Friday in a worsening dispute over compensation for Korean forced laborers that has spilled over into their trade in high-tech materials used to make memory chips and screens.

South Korea deputy advisor Kim says Japan's export curbs violate international law
South Korea's Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-chong said on Friday that Japan has violated the WTO's principle of free trade and international law by imposing unilateral export restrictions against South Korea while diplomatic efforts have not been exhausted.

South Korean political leaders vow to work together to resolve Japan dispute

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in and leaders of the country's major political parties vowed on Thursday to work together to resolve a worsening political and economic dispute with Japan.

From beer to pens, South Koreans boycott Japanese brands as diplomatic row intensifies

As soon as supermarket manager Cho Min-hyuk got to work the day after Tokyo imposed curbs on exports to South Korea, he pulled all Japanese products off the shelves.

U.S.-South Korean military exercise to proceed: top South Korean official

A top South Korean official on Saturday said a U.S.-South Korean military exercise would go ahead as planned next month, denying Pyongyang's charges that holding it would breach an agreement made between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pompeo rejects North Korean charges on military drills

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has rejected charges from North Korea's Foreign Ministry that U.S. plans for military exercises with South Korea are in breach of agreements between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump.

South Korea rejects Japan call for arbitration over wartime labor dispute
South Korea on Friday rejected Japan's call for third-party arbitration over a court ruling last year ordering Japanese companies to pay compensation for using South Korean forced labor during World War Two.

Japan says Seoul must fix wartime labor issue that violates international law

Seoul must take swift steps to resolve a dispute over the issue of compensation for wartime forced labor, Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono told South Korea's ambassador on Friday, adding that the situation violated international law.

Factbox: Key facts and numbers to watch in Japan's July 21 upper house election

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner, the Komeito party, look set to retain a solid majority in parliament's upper house in a Sunday election, media surveys have shown.

Pacifist constitution reform at stake as Japan goes to polls

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc was forecast to win a solid majority in an upper house election on Sunday that could determine whether his dream of revising the post-war, U.S.-drafted pacifist constitution can be kept alive.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump: Positive North Korea correspondence, but no time yet for talks

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday his administration had very positive correspondence recently with North Korea, but the two sides have yet to set a time to restart talks aimed at ending Pyongyang's nuclear program.

North Korea's Kim inspects new submarine, signals possible ballistic missile development

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits a submarine factory in an undisclosed location, North Korea, in this undated picture released by North Korea's Central News Agency (KCNA) on July 23, 2019. KCNA via REUTERS

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a large, newly built submarine, state news agency KCNA reported on Tuesday, potentially signaling continued development of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) program.

Kim inspected the operational and tactical data and combat weapon systems of the submarine that was built under “his special attention”, and will be operational in the waters off the east coast, KCNA said. It said the submarine’s operational deployment was near.

“The operational capacity of a submarine is an important component in national defense of our country bounded on its east and west by sea,” Kim said.

KCNA did not describe the submarine’s weapons systems or say where and when the inspection took place, but analysts said the apparent size of the new vessel indicated it was designed to carry missiles.

North Korea has a large submarine fleet but only one known experimental submarine capable of carrying a ballistic missile.

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Amano dies aged 72

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has died, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Monday, the day he had been expected to announce he would step down early because of an illness that had visibly weakened him over the past year.

Factbox: Amano headed U.N. nuclear watchdog during turbulent period

U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Yukiya Amano has died, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Monday. He was 72.

Pirates steal cash and shoes in Korean cargo ship robbery
Pirates attacked a South Korean-flagged cargo ship in the South China Sea early on Monday, stealing thousands of dollars in cash and even the sailors' shoes, South Korean authorities said.

Two people sustained minor injuries when seven pirates boarded the CK Bluebell and made off with $13,000 and belongings including mobile phones, clothes and shoes from the 22-strong crew, officials from the oceans and fisheries ministry said.
Tougher policing has made piracy less frequent on the strategic shipping route in recent years.

The dry bulk vessel CK Bluebell had set sail from its anchorage off Singapore on Saturday afternoon, heading northeast for South Korea’s port of Incheon, Refinitiv Eikon ship tracking data showed. Korean officials said the ship was sailing normally after the robbery.

The incident took place near the Singapore Strait, a busy sea lane that runs past Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said.

Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said the incident did not take place in city-state’s waters. “The MPA was informed by the Korea Coast Guard that it took place in the South China Sea near Anambas Islands,” a spokesman said.

This month, China’s Ministry of Transport raised its security recommendation for Chinese vessels in the nearby Malacca Strait, between the Malay peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

A Chinese official declined to specify the reason for the new security level, saying only that the decision was the result of comprehensive research taking into account all factors.

Huawei secretly helped North Korea build, maintain wireless network: Washington Post (???)

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, the Chinese company put on a U.S. blacklist because of national security concerns, secretly helped North Korea build and maintain its commercial wireless network, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing sources and internal documents.

Trump: 'We will have to find out' about Huawei's relationship with North Korea

Asked about a media report that said Huawei Technologies Co Ltd [HWT.UL] had secretly built and maintained North Korea's commercial wireless network, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday, "We will have to find out."

~~~
Japan's Abe says upper house election win shows support for constitution debate

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his ruling coalition's solid win in an upper house election on Sunday showed that voters supported debate over his proposal to revise the post-war, pacifist constitution.

Takeaways from Japan poll: diplomatic challenges and diversity

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has avoided lame-duck status after his ruling bloc won a solid victory in Sunday's upper house election but the poll - with nearly record-low turnout - has dented his hopes of revising the pacifist constitution and left him facing tough diplomatic challenges.

Japan's pro-constitution reform forces fall short of two-thirds upper house majority: NHK

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling bloc won a solid majority in an upper house election on Sunday but his coalition and allies fell short of a two-thirds majority needed to begin revising the pacifist constitution, public broadcaster NHK said.

Japan not now considering sending military for U.S.-proposed maritime coalition: Suga

Japan's top government spokesman said on Tuesday that there was no change in the country's stance that it was not considering sending its Self-Defence Forces for a U.S.-proposed maritime coalition in the Middle East.

Japan's top government spokesman Suga, finance minister Aso to retain posts: Kyodo

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Finance Minister Taro Aso will likely retain their posts in a cabinet reshuffle expected in September, Kyodo news agency reported on Tuesday.

 

[angelburst29]

Japan-South Korea slanging match over tiny islands dragged again into Olympic arena

A war of words over ownership of a group of tiny islands in the sea between Japan and South Korea spilled over to the Olympics on Wednesday as Tokyo criticized Seoul's complaint over a map of Japan on the Tokyo Games website.

South Korea fails to drum up support at WTO in row with Japan
South Korea's bid to garner international support in a row with Japan by airing its case at the World Trade Organization brought no visible dividend on Wednesday, as no other countries took the floor to support either side, a Geneva trade official said.

South Korea says Japan flatly rejects meeting over trade row
South Korea's deputy trade minister Kim Seung-ho said on Wednesday he had asked a senior Japanese official for a face-to-face meeting on a trade row between Tokyo and Seoul but he had been flatly turned down.

South Korea protests Japan's 'grave' plan to drop it from smooth-trade list

South Korea protested on Wednesday against a Japanese plan to remove it from a list of countries that face minimum trade restrictions, saying it would undermine their decades-old economic and security cooperation and threaten free trade.

Russia, South Korea trade conflicting claims over alleged airspace intrusion

Russia's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday said that Moscow had not apologized for an alleged airspace violation the previous day, after South Korea said that a Russian attache had expressed "deep regret" and blamed malfunctioning equipment.

Russia denies it apologized to South Korea over alleged airspace breach: Ifax
Russia's embassy in Seoul on Wednesday denied that Moscow had formally apologized to South Korea over an alleged airspace violation during a joint air patrol with China the previous day, the Interfax news agency reported.

China's defense ministry says China-Russia joint air patrols did not enter territorial air space
China's defense ministry said on Wednesday that China and Russia carried out joint air patrols on July 23 but did not enter territorial air space of any other country.

Russia accuses N. Korea of detaining fishing boat and crew: RIA
Russia on Wednesday accused North Korea of illegally detaining one of its fishing vessels and said it would freeze talks with Pyongyang on fisheries cooperation until the issue was resolved, the RIA news agency reported.

Russian boat was illegally seized by North Korea: Russian fishing agency
Russia's state fishing agency said on Wednesday that a Russian vessel held by North Korean border guards had not been in North Korean waters when it was detained and that Pyongyang's action had been illegal, the RIA news agency reported.

 

[angelburst29]

Japan says North Korea launched short-range ballistic missiles: Kyodo
The two projectiles launched by North Korea early on Thursday were short-range ballistic missiles, a Kyodo report citing a Japanese government source said.

Japan defense minister calls North Korean projectile launch 'very regrettable': Jiji

Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said North Korea's launch of a pair of projectiles on Thursday was "very regrettable", Jiji news agency reported.

Nuclear talks in doubt as North Korea tests ballistic missiles, envoy cancels trip

North Korea test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, South Korean officials said, its first missile test since its leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to revive denuclearisation talks last month.

U.S. calls for no more North Korean 'provocations,' hopes to resume talks

The United States on Thursday urged North Korea to refrain from further provocations after the communist country test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles and said it still hoped for a resumption of working-level talks on North Korea's denuclearization.

Explainer: Competing claims make northeast Asian sea a flashpoint

The wedge of sea between Japan, Russia, and the Korean peninsula became a new flashpoint this week, with a regional airspace dispute, a seized fishing boat, and missile tests by North Korea aggravating longstanding tensions.

The patch of ocean is commonly known as the Sea of Japan, but South Korea argues it should be known by the more neutral name the East Sea.

The dispute over the name exemplifies the numerous conflicting interests in the area, which has been the scene of sometimes intense military and political brinkmanship.

The most serious encounter this week came on Tuesday when Russian and Chinese warplanes conducted their first joint long-range air patrol in the Asia-Pacific over the sea, triggering warning shots from South Korean fighter jets and a round of diplomatic protests.

Analysts say the joint patrol is likely the first of many actions by China and Russia to try to send a message that their collaboration will be an increasingly significant factor in the region.

DISPUTED AIR
Tuesday’s air patrol highlighted conflicting claims over various “air defense identification zones” (ADIZ).

An ADIZ is usually an area where countries may unilaterally demand that foreign aircraft take special steps to identify themselves, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

An ADIZ is different from a country’s airspace, which usually means the space above its territory, extending 12 nautical miles away from its coastline.

Unlike airspace, there are no international laws that govern air defense identification zones.

Russia said it does not recognize South Korea’s air defense identification zone, known as KADIZ, while China said the area where Tuesday’s patrol occurred was not territorial airspace and that all countries enjoyed freedom of movement in it.

This week makes a total of 39 cases of foreign military aircraft entering the KADIZ without identifying themselves this year, South Korea’s defense ministry said, all of them from China or Russia.

Tuesday’s incident escalated after South Korea said one Russian aircraft penetrated South Korean airspace near a tiny chain of islets claimed by both South Korea and Japan.

Russia says its aircraft were never closer than 25 km (15 miles) from the South Korean-controlled islets.

Japan claims its own ADIZ, and says it also scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Russian and Chinese aircraft.

DISPUTED ISLANDS
South Korea has for decades administered the disputed islets, which it calls Dokdo. Japan calls them Takeshima.

A war of words over their ownership spilled over to the Olympics on Wednesday as Japan criticized a South Korean complaint over a map of Japan on the Tokyo Games website, which showed the islets as a small dot, colored as Japanese territory.

Artyom Lukin, a professor at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, said the joint Russian-Chinese exercise, in “one of the most politically sensitive areas in Northeast Asia”, was unlikely to have been a coincidence.

“The message is, the Russo-Chinese ‘strategic partnership’ is now a force to be reckoned with militarily in East Asia,” he said.

The region is likely to see “more frequent and increasingly assertive” joint military actions by Russia and China, he said.

China stressed the importance of its military ties with Russia in a 2019 Defence White Paper released on Wednesday.

“The military relationship between China and Russia continues to develop at a high level, enriching the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era,” China said.

DISPUTED SEAS
On Thursday, North Korea fired two short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast, a test that South Korea criticized as unhelpful in easing tensions on the peninsula.

Also this week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a new submarine that he said would soon be operational in the “East Sea of Korea”.

On Wednesday, Russia accused North Korea of illegally detaining one of its fishing vessels and its crew in the rich fishing grounds of the sea, and said it would freeze talks with North Korea on fisheries cooperation until the issue was resolved

“This incident could be irritating for Russia, yet will hardly be a major setback for a relationship already under immense strain due to various issues such as sanctions,” said Anthony Rinna, a specialist in Korea-Russia relations at Sino-NK, a website that analyzes the region.

 

[angelburst29]

Pompeo says he expects working-level talks with North Korea in a couple weeks

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday he expects working-level talks with North Korea to take place in a couple of weeks and that the United States still sees a diplomatic way forward to settling the conflict, despite Pyongyang's missile testing.

North Korea's Kim says missile test a warning to South Korean 'warmongers'

North Korea said on Friday its latest missile launch was a warning to South Korean "warmongers" to stop importing weapons and conducting joint military drills, a message that analysts said was also aimed at the United States.

Both missiles North Korea fired flew some 600 km: South Korea military

Both of the missiles North Korea fired on Thursday flew some 600 km (373 miles), an official at South Korea's defense ministry said, citing a joint assessment of the launches with the United States.

North Korean missile launch not a threat directed at U.S, South Korea: allies say
The South Korean-U.S. military command said on Friday a North Korean missile launch the previous day was not a threat directed at South Korea or the United States and had "no impact on our defense posture".

North Korea test-fires new type of short-range ballistic missiles — media

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, archive

TOKYO, July 26, 2019 - Two projectiles, which were test fired by North Korea on Thursday, were an upgraded type of KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Friday.

North Korea conducted on Thursday morning launches of two short-range missiles off the country’s east coast and into the Sea of Japan.

The Japanese news agency reported citing data from the South Korean presidential office that after the detailed analysis of the missile launches the National Security Council drew a conclusion that the test-launched projectiles were "a new type of short-range ballistic missile."

North Korea’s Central News Agency (KCNA) announced earlier that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un "guided the power demonstration fire of a new-type tactical guided weapon Thursday."

KCNA reported that the launches of missiles were "a solemn warning to the south Korean military warmongers who are running high fever in their moves to introduce the ultramodern offensive weapons into South Korea and hold military exercise in defiance of the repeated warnings from the DPRK."

North Korea’s missile tests come less than a month following a meeting between President of the United States Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

North Korea’s new ballistic missile similar to Russia’s Iskander, reports say

© AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Earlier reports stated that the two projectiles test-fired by N.Korea on Thursday were an upgraded type of the KN-23 short-range ballistic missiles, which Pyongyang had already tested in spring.

TOKYO, July 26, 2019 - Two short-range missiles test-fired by North Korea this week are similar to Russia’s Iskander tactical missile system by their operational characteristics, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, referring to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

The ballistic missiles test-fired by Pyongyang are similar to Russia’s 9K720 Iskander system (NATO reporting name: SS-26 Stone) and are capable of flying to a range of about 600 km, the news agency said.

North Korea’s Central News Agency (KCNA) announced earlier on Friday that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un "guided the power demonstration fire of a new-type tactical guided weapon Thursday." As North Korea stated, the missile launches came in response to Seoul’s plans to deploy new weapon systems and hold military drills on the Korean Peninsula.

None of the missiles launched by North Korea reached Japan’s special economic zone in the Sea of Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated that North Korea’s new missile launches posed no direct threat to the country’s national security but pledged to keep close contact with the United States and South Korea on this issue.

 

[angelburst29]

Trump says not upset by North Korean launch of short-range missiles

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he was not upset by North Korea's launching of short-range ballistic missiles earlier this week.

Diplomats working for release of Russian ship, detained by North Korea

© Yuri Smityuk/TASS

The Russian-flagged fishing vessel has 17 crew members on board.

VLADIVOSTOK, July 24, 2019 - Russian diplomats are working to solve the problem of a Russian ship, detained by North Korea last week; they have already managed to meet with the ship’s crew, a Russian Foreign Ministry’s representative in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok told TASS on Wednesday.

"The embassy was notified [about the detention] on the same day [July 18], diplomats have been working to solve the issue from the very outset. As far as I know, they have already managed to meet with the ship’s crew," the source said.

He added that, according to his information, the vessel was detained by North Korea’s border guards. It has 17 crew members on board, two of them are citizens of South Korea.

According to media reports, the detained vessel was Russia’s Xian Hai Lin 8 seiner, owned by the Northeastern Fishing Company. The ship was detained when it was en route to a fishing zone. The ship, flying the Russian flag, was built in 2015 and has a deadweight of 180 tonnes.

Russian, Chinese top diplomats discuss situation on Korean Peninsula, in Persian Gulf
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meet with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign minister's meeting in Rio de Janeiro.

MOSCOW, July 26, 2019 - The situation on the Korean Peninsula, in the Middle East and in the Persian Gulf was in focus of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The ministers discussed ways for further strengthening bilateral cooperation and closer coordination in global affairs. They exchanged views on current international issues, including cooperation within BRICS [Brazil, Russia, India, ChinaSouth Africa], the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in the Middle East and in the Gulf region," the ministry said.

The talks were held on the sidelines of the meeting of the BRICS foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro.