North - South Korea

It seems that Donald Trump wants to borrow something from Kim Jong-un's political style amid the general thaw between the US and North Korea.

15.06.2018 - 'Don Jong-un?' Trump Admires How People Sit up at Attention When Kim Speaks
'Don Jong-un?' Trump Admires How People Sit up at Attention When Kim Speaks

Speaking to Fox and Friends on Friday, Trump called Kim a "strong head" of his country and said he admires the attention his staff seems to pay to their leader when he speaks. "Don't let anyone think different. He speaks and his people sit up at attention. I want my people to do the same," Trump said.

Later in the day, Trump was asked by reporters what he meant by the remark. "I was kidding. You don't understand sarcasm," he said.

The comments prompted media on both sides of the Atlantic to "remind" readers that Kim was not a democratically elected leader, with CNN, Vox, The Guardian, and others pointing to North Korea's human rights record, including the alleged execution of several hundred people, including top military and government officials, as reported on by South Korean think tanks and media.

Trump's comments followed remarks he made in an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier, in which Baier called Kim "a killer" and a leader who has "done some really bad things."

"Yeah, but so have a lot of other people done some really bad things. I could go through a lot of nations where a lot of bad things were done," Trump countered. "I think we have a very good relationship. We understand each other," Trump said of Kim.

In an interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos, Trump was again told that Kim was "a brutal dictator [who] runs a police state, [engages in] forced starvation, [runs] labor camps; he's assassinated members of his own family. How do you trust someone like that?"

"I can only tell you from my experience, and I've met him, I've spoken with him…I think that he really wants to do a great job for North Korea. I think he wants to de-nuke, without that, there's nothing to discuss," Trump said. "Over my lifetime I’ve done a lot of deals with a lot of people and sometimes the people you most distrust turn out to be the most honorable ones and the people that you do trust turn out to be not the honorable ones," he added.


15.06.2018 - No More Fire and Fury: Trump, Kim Took Military Option Off the Table - Analyst
No More Fire and Fury: Trump, Kim Took Military Option Off the Table – Analyst

The Singapore Summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has caught many by surprise. Speaking to Radio Sputnik, Dr. Joseph Cheng, professor of political science at the City University of Hong Kong shared his views on the meeting and explained skepticism over its potential outcomes.

Sputnik: No matter which way you look at this agreement between the United States of America and North Korea and despite much conflict being caused by President Trump's "America First" policy with global partners, this is a huge coup by the US president to achieve such concessions and agreement by a ruling North Korean leader. Just as a starter, perhaps you could just give us an overview as to your feelings to recent events.

Dr. Joseph Cheng: Well, this is a quite surprising achievement, I do agree, especially when you compare [it] with what was going on six months ago, when both leaders were talking about pushing the button, about fire and fury and so on. Now they were heading a summit. This summit apparently was successful, both leaders expressed satisfaction over the outcome and two countries have agreed to go on negotiating at the foreign minister-secretary of state level. Both sides basically reaffirmed their respective position, North Korea pressed to engage in complete denuclearization and President Donald Trump also promised to offer security guarantees to North Korea. So, the basic foundation has been laid; as expected, they cannot make further commitments with regard to exchanges of mutual state visits as well as de-conclusion of a peace agreement. These things probably need more time. And they, as expected and reasonably, did not have enough time to reach these agreements.

Sputnik: US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un swept aside decades of hostility between the nations at this historic summit at Singapore last Tuesday jointly pledging a new future of peaceful relations and one of the significant concessions that sparked criticism in Washington. Mr. Trump declared the US would halt military exercises in Korea and pledged security guarantees to Pyongyang in return for an unwavering but unspecified commitment to complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula by Mr. Kim. This has caused some concern by Japan and the senators from the Democratic Party of the US. What's your take on these particular comments after the historic meeting?

Dr. Joseph Cheng: Well, I think everyone can agree that a good beginning, a good foundation, has been made, but the outcome is still far from certain, given the fact that previous agreements did not work out. In 1994, both the United States and North Korea were ready to reach a framework agreement and the United States promised to send two light-water reactors to North Korea in exchange of its abandonment of its nuclear weapons. The agreement did not work out. There were also agreements reached during the Six-Party talks [between China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, and the United States] in the previous decade [2003-2009]. Again these agreements did not end up in any constructive foundation for denuclearization on the part of Pyongyang. So, these failures before probably generated some sense of cynicism and perhaps pessimism. But this is the only way, obviously, to go forward. I think that the most important achievement of the summit is to demonstrate to the world that military means are off the agenda, military options are far too costly, far too dangerous, risky and they are opposed not only by South Korea, but also strongly opposed by China and Russia.

So, the parties concerned have to engage in negotiations and try to reach a solution through peaceful solutions. This is too early to assess the outcome — there must be some years of negotiations ahead before North Korea completely finishes its denuclearization program. Japan, as you said, is certainly concerned. Japan has been left out so far. As you know there have already been summit meetings between the two Koreas, between China and North Korea and between the US and North Korea now. Russian Foreign Minister [Sergei Lavrov] visited Pyongyang recently and he was received by Kim Jong-un, and Japan naturally feels a bit isolated and at the same time Japan has its own agenda item, mainly the return of abducted Japanese nationals in the previous decades and so on. And Japan may like to have a piece of action in the near future, which is also highly likely.


15.06.2018 - US Forces in South Korea Not Subject to Talks with North Korea - Seoul
US Forces in South Korea Not Subject to Talks With North Korea - Seoul

The announcement by a senior official in South Korean president Moon Jae-in's office was made in the wake of the Pentagon's announcement that the US will suspend the military exercises with South Korea after the first-ever meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump.

The senior official said that the US military contingent presence in South Korea is not the subject to negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang as it is a matter of relations between South Koreans and Americans.

Donald Trump gave North Korea security assurances and indicated he would suspend military exercises with South Korea.

Recently, Pentagon spokesperson Christopher Logan said that the US Defense Department was working with the White House on options to halt military exercises with South Korea.

Earlier, South Korean President Moon Jae-in stated, that a change in military pressure on North Korea would be possible only if Pyongyang was to "carry out denuclearization steps sincerely."

On June 12 Trump and Kim met on the Singaporean island of Sentosa. Following the meeting, the leaders signed a document showing their commitment to establish new bilateral relations and build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

After the summit the Donald Trump stated, that military exercises in the region were "provocative" and might be suspended.

Pyongyang reaffirmed its commitment to the "complete denuclearization of Korean Peninsula."

In April, Kim Jong-un met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and agreed to jointly work on peacefully resolving long-standing bilateral tensions.


15.06.2018 - China May Demand That US Remove THAAD From S Korea - Analyst
China May Demand That US Remove THAAD From S Korea – Analyst

The implementation of the US-North Korea June 12 accords might require China's participation, analysts told Sputnik, suggesting that Beijing could demand that the Pentagon remove its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems deployed on the Korean Peninsula.

On June 12 North Korea clearly signaled its determination to carry out the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, therefore, at this stage, the proposal to mitigate sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is quite reasonable, Lu Chao, head of the Center for North Korean and Republic of Korea Studies at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, told Sputnik China.

"Previously, the international community imposed sanctions on the DPRK because of its nuclear tests," Lu said. "However, North Korea has already responded positively to the idea of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In this case, the UN Security Council should also reconsider sanctions against the DPRK, up to the introduction of appropriate adjustments. Of course, the UN Security Council should take a decision on a relevant discussion [on the issue]. We can say that the DPRK's efforts to conduct the denuclearization are obvious. In particular, we are talking about the dismantling of [Pyongyang's] nuclear test site in May this year."

On May 25 Pyongyang destroyed the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Site — the only known nuclear test site in the country, ahead of the June 12 Singapore Summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The demolition of the nuclear test site came as a signal of the DPRK's goodwill and readiness to go ahead with the denuclearization process.

Speaking at the UN Security Council on May 13, Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia raised the anti-DPRK sanctions issue, suggesting that the Security Council should consider steps to lift restrictions against Pyongyang.

"I think that it is only natural that we should be thinking about steps in that direction," Nebenzia told reporters. "There is progress on the track that should be reciprocal. There should be a two-way street. Of course the other side should see encouragement to go forward."

The Russian diplomat specified that earlier, Moscow and Beijing had proposed a phased plan of denuclearization of the peninsula. One of the steps envisaged the suspension of US-South Korean military drills in exchange for Pyongyang's gradual abandonment of its nuclear program.

On June 13 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises had been suspended, adding that the drills would be resumed in case Pyongyang stops negotiations over the nuclear program.

The next day, however, Pompeo clarified that the sanctions against Pyongyang would not be lifted until the "complete, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization of North Korea.

"We believe that Kim Jong Un understands the urgency… that we must do this quickly," Pompeo said.

US Can't Implement Kim-Trump Accords Without China
Speaking to Sputnik, Russian political analyst Alexander Lomanov emphasized Beijing's role in the US-North Korean talks. It is likely that the US secretary of state's upcoming visit to China will be devoted to both the outcomes of the Singapore Summit and the subsequent implementation of the Washington-Pyongyang agreement.

However, the discussion of this sensitive issue is overshadowed by the White House pledge to impose "a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China containing industrially significant technology, including those related to the 'Made in China 2025' program" on June 15 and 30, respectively

The US intention to impose political pressure and harm the Chinese economy at the same time enlisting China's support in solving the North Korean problem is a very bold and daring plan," Lomanov opined. "It may not strike a chord with Beijing, because [the Chinese] still believe that usually partners do not engage in the destruction of economic ties.

According to the analyst, the Singapore Summit looked like an attempt to "make friends and talk," rather than making some serious arrangements.

The main problem remains: the US is demanding that the DPRK take real steps in exchange for verbal promises, Lomanov pointed out. The analyst underscored that Washington had repeatedly demonstrated that its words do not always translate into actions. Thus, the absolute asymmetry of these agreements will be evident soon, he believes. He added that one should not delude oneself into believing that the DPRK will disarm under Washington's verbal guarantees.

However, according to Lomanov, China could ensure North Korea's disarmament. Still, Beijing would not do it for nothing: The analyst presumed that the Chinese leadership may demand that the US redeploy its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems outside South Korea and reduce the US military contingent on the peninsula.

In any event, given China's historic ties with North Korea Washington needs Beijing's assistance in implementing the Trump-Kim accords, Lomanov emphasized.

The US installed the THAAD complex in South Korea in 2017 under the pretext of tacking North Korea's missile threat. The move was criticized by both China and Russia, which cited serious security concerns and warned Washington against escalating tensions in the region.


15.06.2018 - DoD Chief Mattis Discusses With S Korean Counterpart Results of Singapore Summit
DoD Chief Mattis Discusses With S Korean Counterpart Results of Singapore Summit

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis discussed with South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo over the phone on Thursday the results of the Singapore summit, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

"Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis spoke with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo today from the Pentagon to discuss the results of the US-North Korea summit," the release said on Thursday.

Mattis also discussed with Song implementing US President Donald Trump’s guidance to halt US-South Korean military exercises in the region.

Moreover, the US defense secretary discussed the results of the summit with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, the Defense Department said in a separate press release.

Mattis reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad defense commitments to Japan and its determination to maintain military readiness in the region, the release said.
 
Jun 17, 2018 - Trump accidentally admits everything he’s been saying about North Korea’s nukes is a lie
Trump accidentally admits everything he’s been saying about North Korea’s nukes is a lie

On Sunday morning, President Trump explained why he agreed to halt joint military exercises with South Korea during his meeting in Singapore with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

Holding back the “war games” during the negotiations was my request because they are VERY EXPENSIVE and set a bad light during a good faith negotiation. Also, quite provocative. Can start up immediately if talks break down, which I hope will not happen!
8:48 AM - Jun 17, 2018

But Trump’s acknowledgement that talks with North Korea could “break down” conflicts with the line he’s been pushing since he returned from Singapore — that he’s already solved the problem.

On Wednesday, Trump tweeted, categorically, that “There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” He sought to reassure Americans that as a result, they could now “sleep well.”

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

Just landed - a long trip, but everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea. Meeting with Kim Jong Un was an interesting and very positive experience. North Korea has great potential for the future!
5:56 AM - Jun 13, 2018


Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

Before taking office people were assuming that we were going to War with North Korea. President Obama said that North Korea was our biggest and most dangerous problem. No longer - sleep well tonight!
6:01 AM - Jun 13, 2018

But if it truly were the case that North Korea’s nuclear threat had ended once and for all, then there would be no need to worry that talks could “break down.”

In reality, the work of trying to solve the problem posed by North Korea’s nuclear weapons has just begun. As ThinkProgress detailed, Trump’s tweets indicating otherwise represented a brazen attempt to gaslight the American public. North Korea maintains its nuclear capabilities and the agreement he signed with Kim doesn’t detail any sort of verifiable denuclearization process.


17.06.2018 - Kim: 1, Trump: 0 Say Experts as Dust Settles After Singapore Summit
Kim: 1, Trump: 0 Say Experts as Dust Settles After Singapore Summit

Promoted by both countries as the most significant historical event in modern times, the recent summit between DPRK leader Kim Jong-Un and US President Donald Trump has left observers, experts and governments scratching their heads and looking for facts behind the flash.

A document signed by both leaders and released after the June 12th summit in Singapore was notable according to observers for what it did not say and disappointing for its lack of details and concessions from the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Although both sides committed "to build a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula" bolstered by Trump promises for "security guarantees" to Pyongyang, facts to back up the frothy proclamations were almost nonexistent.

Kim offered what was termed a "firm and unwavering commitment" to completely eliminating nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula, but no timetable was offered and details surrounding how the disarmament would be verified were not made available.

Tellingly, a precise definition for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula — ostensibly including both the DPRK and South Korea — was not provided.

In the past, Pyongyang's offers to disarm included not only the demand that Seoul do the same, but also required the complete withdrawal of all US military assets from the peninsula. There is no straightforward indication that this policy has changed, according to reports.

Many suggested that the summit accomplished very little in the way of real-world results.

"The word ‘denuclearization,' [as used in the text of the official summit document] is so elusive, it does not mean anything," Funabashi pointed out.

Trump's career as a reality TV personality is said to have contributed significantly to the glitz and glamour but lack of substance surrounding the historic summit with Kim according to reports, particularly as an estimated 2,500 reporters were the primary physical audience for the made-for-TV spectacular.

Kim — reportedly awed by the technological and financial panoply on display in Singapore — at one point during the summit observed to Trump that the pomp surrounding the event could serve as the plot of "a fantasy," cited by The Guardian.

The DPRK leader and his regime are notorious both for having the world's worst human-rights record and for employing the most brutal security forces on the planet, according to the Economist.

A recent United Nations estimate counted some 120,000 DPRK citizens — including entire families — placed in labor camps for life, while uncounted numbers of children do not receive enough food and are as a result mentally deficient, according to UN reports.

Although ten UN Security Council resolutions have been declared against Kim and his unremittingly repressive regime, the Trump White House has floated the idea of the DPRK leader's attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York prior to the end of the year.

Trump went so far as to suggest that Kim could be a guest at the White House in the near future.

But for US allies the most disturbing aspect of the summit's outcome in the region could be the president's off-the-cuff avowal that Pentagon defense assets stationed in the region over decades would be removed.

The US president also suggested that ongoing long-term military training exercises in Asia between the US and its allies were "inappropriate" during the negotiations.

An enormous concession by a US president — and one apparently made without involving the input of anyone within his administration — the statement quickly raised red flags in Tokyo and Seoul, who had no prior warning of the move.

Republican politicians in Washington DC, including the influential chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Ed Royce, were taken aback, and cautiously-worded statements withholding support for Trump's remark, pending additional information, were released on Capitol Hill.

Significantly, the US military command in Seoul — reacting to South Korean alarm — sought to calm local fears by announcing that joint military exercises between the longstanding allies would continue until official orders are revised.

Observers noted that Trump's seemingly offhand remarks about the legacy military exercises between Washington and Seoul were unnecessary and potentially damaging to his cause.

"Without those [joint military exercise] comments, [Trump] could have sold the summit as a political success," commented East Asian security expert Janka Oertel with the German Marshall Fund.

"But alienating his allies in that way could do serious harm," noted Oertel, adding, "It is also a massive gift to China."


18.06.2018 - North Korea Reportedly Possesses Up to 3,000 Nuclear-Related Facilities
North Korea Reportedly Possesses Up to 3,000 Nuclear-Related Facilities

North Korea has hundreds of facilities related to missile and nuclear activity, South Korean Munhwa Ilbo newspaper reported on Monday, citing an assessment carried out by US authorities, amid the US-North Korean talks on denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

According to the Munhwa Ilbo daily newspaper, the US authorities have detected up to 3,000 nuclear-related facilities in North Korea, which could mean that the inspection of the sites and US-North Korean talks on denuclearization will take considerable time.


18.06.2018 - Seoul , Pyongyang Agree to Compete Together in 2018 Asian Games - Reports
Seoul, Pyongyang Agree to Compete Together in 2018 Asian Games - Reports

North and South Korea have agreed to form joint teams for some competitions within the upcoming Asian Games, and march together under the unification flag during the opening and closing ceremonies of the tournament, the Yonhap news agency reported on Monday.

During their Monday's talks in the truce village of Panmunjom, the representatives of the two Koreas also agreed to hold a friendly basketball game in Pyongyang on July 4, in line with the idea Kim voiced during the summit, the agency reported, citing the country's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Earlier in the day, representatives of both states held talks on the issue of jointly participating in the Asian Games and other sporting events in line with the landmark Panmunjom Peace Declaration, signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their April 27 summit.

The 2018 Asian Games will be held in the Indonesian cities of Jakarta and Palembang between August 18 and September 2.

The agreement to jointly compete in the games is the most recent episode of rapprochement between the two states. In February, the teams from North and South Korea marched together during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in South Korea's Pyeongchang and competed together in women's hockey.
 
The South Korean government has set a goal to achieve the formal end of the Korean War that took place in 1950-1953 before the end of the year, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Monday.

18.06.2018 - Seoul Hopes for Announcement of Formal End of Korean War in 2018
Seoul Hopes for Announcement of Formal End of Korean War in 2018

"The goal of our government is to strive for [a formal end of the war] this year," Kang said, as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

In April, Kim Jong-un held a historic summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and agreed to jointly work on peacefully resolving long-standing bilateral tensions.

Recently Moon Jae-in expressed hope that the US-North Korean high-level summit will pave the wave for an "era of complete denuclearization' and peace in the region, after Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un met on the Singaporean island of Sentosa and signed a document showing their commitment to establish new bilateral relations and build a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.


Mon Jun 18, 2018 - Report: US Businessman Helped Boost US-North Korea Ties Via Jared Kushner
Farsnews

A wealthy US businessman living in Singapore named Gabriel Schulze helped North Korean officials to establish informal contacts with the United States through Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and aide, according to a report.

According to The New York Times newspaper, the North Koreans went to Schulze and offered him to organize a secret communication channel with the White House via Kushner.

Schulze met Kushner and told him about this proposal. Kushner did not contact the North Koreans directly but notified then-Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Mike Pompeo, who was engaged in further negotiations. The White House, the CIA and Schulze declined to comment on the issue, the publication reported on Sunday.

The newspaper noted that more than a dozen people have contacted the US State Department over the last year, arguing that they could help establish contacts with Pyongyang. In most cases, these statements were not confirmed.

Michael J. Green, who worked in the George W. Bush administration on the North Korean issue, confirmed to the newspaper that Pyongyang often used mediators to establish relations with the United States.

As suggested by the publication, there were internal tensions within the administration over who should contact the North Koreans: the CIA or the State Department. When then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stated that he supported two or three direct lines of communication with Pyongyang, Trump publicly said that Tillerson should "save his energy". Soon thereafter, Tillerson was removed from office and was replaced by Pompeo, who continued his diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a historic summitin Singapore and committed the United States and North Korea to establishing new bilateral relations and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Trump also agreed to halt US-South Korea military exercises near the Korean peninsula and to provide security guarantees to Pyongyang, while Kim reiterated his country’s commitment to denuclearization.

The South Korean newspaper JoongAng Ilbo earlier reported, citing informed diplomatic sources that Pyongyang, during the preparation for the summit, demanded from Washington to establish diplomatic relations and abolish sanctions. At the moment, there is no formal relationship between the countries.
 
Chinese President Xi Jinping met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who is currently visiting China, the CCTV channel reported Tuesday.

19.06.2018 - China's Xi, North Korean Leader Kim Hold Meeting in Beijing
China's Xi, North Korean Leader Kim Hold Meeting in Beijing

"If both sides can gradually implement the consensus reached during the summit, then there will be major changes in the situation with the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," the North Korean leader said as quoted by the CCTV.

Meanwhile, Xi stressed that China appreciated the results of the Singapore summit, in particular, the agreement reached by Kim and Trump on denuclearization and establishment of lasting peace on the peninsula.

According to earlier media reports, Kim was expected to discuss the recent summit with US President Donald Trump, in particular, a further negotiations strategy.

At the meeting with Xi, Kim said that positive results, corresponding to the interests of both sides, were reached during his summit with Trump.
 
Thank you for this new thread @angelburst29, I have been following the events surrounding the two Koreas wit a lot of interest.

It's good to see Kim traveling the world and making friends, I hope he doesn't become too trusting of the US and keeps his eyes wide open though. It's a smarter move to build relationships with Russia and China these days.


N. Korea’s Kim Jong-un meets with China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has told North Korean leader Kim Jong-un that he hopes Pyongyang and Washington can fully implement the outcomes of last week’s nuclear summit, AP reported Tuesday. Xi told Kim that through the “concerted efforts of the relevant countries” negotiations regarding issues on the Korean Peninsula are back on track and the overall situation is moving in the direction of peace and stability, according to CCTV. The state broadcaster showed the Chinese president welcoming the North Korean leader on a visit to Beijing. The talks were held at the Great Hall of the People. Kim is expected to discuss his next steps with Chinese leaders after last week’s summit with US President Donald Trump. Kim’s two-day visit is a way for China to highlight its crucial role in US efforts to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear program.


On a lighter note, it looks like a man who has been vilified by the Western press is still more popular than Nancy Pelosi ;-)

Kim Jong-un is more popular than Nancy Pelosi among Republicans – poll

Despite once threatening to nuke the US, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has a higher favorability rating among Republicans than Nancy Pelosi, according to a new poll.

Kim has spent much of his tenure as an enemy of their nation, but US Republicans appear to hold North Korea’s supreme leader in higher esteem than the Democrats’ House of Representatives leader.

In a new poll by Ipsos and the Daily Beast, Pelosi only managed to scrape together a 17 percent approval rating among Republicans, two points less than Kim. The results come shortly after Kim and US President Donald Trump signed a joint statement which expressed a desire denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile Pelosi has been at loggerheads with Republicans over immigration policy.

he poll, which sampled views from roughly 1,000 Republicans, Democrats and independents from the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii, also suggested that a majority of Americans are against a celebrity candidate for their next president.

Just 18 percent of respondents agreed that a celebrity candidate is good for democracy, while 53 percent said that people from the world of show business are less qualified for office.

In a list that included Oprah Winfrey, James Comey, Kanye West, and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, First Lady Michelle Obama was the most popular option for the 2020 US presidential election.
 
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will pay a three-day state visit to Russia.

June 18, 2018 - South Korean president to visit Russia this week
South Korean president to visit Russia this week

South Korean President Moon Jae-in will pay a three-day state visit to Russia later this week to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Yonhap News Agency reported citing an anonymous presidential administration official.

The two presidents' meeting will be held on Thursday, shortly after the South Korean leader’s arrival in Moscow, the news agency noted. That will be Moon Jae-in’s first visit to the Russian capital since he was elected in May 2017 and the first state visit by the South Korean president to Russia since 1999.

Moon Jae-in and Putin are expected to pay special attention to North Korea’s nuclear issue during the summit. ""Russia has been making significant contribution to efforts to denuclearize North Korea while it has also played a significant role in pressuring the North, considering its economic relationship with North Korea," the news agency quotes the administration official as saying.

"Also, the visit is expected to help promote strategic cooperation between the two countries to establish peace in Northeast Asia amid positive developments in security conditions and efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula," the official added.

While in Moscow, Moon Jae-in will also meet with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and other high-ranking officials. He will also be the first South Korean president to address Russia’s State Duma (lower house of parliament).

Later on, the North Korean president will travel to Rostov-on-Don, a city in southern Russia, to attend the FIFA World Cup match between South Korea and Mexico before returning home on Saturday.


June 19, 2018 - Russia not discussing lifting North Korea sanctions at UN Security Council
Russia not discussing lifting North Korea sanctions at UN Security Council

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov believes that if the situation on the Korean Peninsula develops in a positive direction, the question on easing the sanctions may be raised.

Russia is not hashing over the lifting of sanctions against North Korea at the UN Security Council, this issue should be raised when the situation on the Korean Peninsula improves, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The issue on sanctions against North Korea is not discussed at the moment at the UN Security Council," the high-ranking diplomat said on the sidelines of the Valdai International Discussion Club. "But we believe that if the situation on the Korean Peninsula develops in a positive direction, the question on easing the sanctions may be raised."

Answering a TASS reporter’s question on a possible visit of the North Korean leader to Russia, the deputy minister recalled that Kim Jong-un "has an invitation of the Russian president to visit" the country.

In December 2017, the UN Security Council voted for a resolution on another tightening of sanctions against North Korea. It imposed more restrictions on the supplies of crude oil and oil products and required all countries should expel labor migrants within 24 months. The resolution also imposed restrictions on the supplies of industrial equipment, heavy machinery and motor vehicles to North Korea and the import of the country’s main export items. Last year, the Security Council tightened sanctions against Pyongyang three times in retaliation for its ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

US-South Korea drills
Morgulov also said that Moscow welcomed the decision to suspend military drills that was announced by the US and South Korea.

"We welcome this decision as a step in the right direction," the senior Russian diplomat noted.

On Monday, the Pentagon confirmed to TASS that the United States and South Korea had decided to suspend the Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint drills planned to be held on the Korean Peninsula in August.

Trump-Kim meeting
A historic meeting between US President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took place in Singapore on June 12. The parties signed a joint document, which particularly says that the US-North Korea summit "was an epochal event of great significance in overcoming decades of tensions and hostilities between the two countries and for the opening up of a new future."

The document adds that "President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un commit to implement the stipulations in this joint statement fully and expeditiously." According to the document, Pyongyang "commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in return for US security guarantees.

Trump said at a final press conference that the US would suspend joint military drills with South Korea.


June 17, 2018 - US puts forward 47-point list of demands to Pyongyang — Japanese top diplomat
US puts forward 47-point list of demands to Pyongyang — Japanese top diplomat

"If the demand for full denuclearization is not carried out in this form, sanctions against North Korea will not be lifted," the Japanese top diplomat said.

The United States has filed a list of 47 demands that North Korea should fulfill to achieve total elimination of its nuclear arsenal, other weapons of mass destruction and relevant infrastructure, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said in an interview aired by national broadcaster NHK on Sunday.

"The supreme leader of North Korea agreed to full denuclearization. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during his visit to Pyongyang that, according to the United States, this notion includes elimination - in the transparent and irreversible form - of the nuclear stockpile and other types of weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological ones, as well as missiles and all relevant infrastructure," he said.

"In this regard, a list of 74 demands was submitted to North Korea. If the demand for full denuclearization is not carried out in this form, sanctions against North Korea will not be lifted. I think they [North Korea] understand this," the Japanese top diplomat said.

He added that the demand includes elimination of all North Korean missiles, including those posing a threat to Japan.

According to the Japanese foreign minister, Pyongyang will fulfill its commitment for full denuclearization.

"In North Korea, a promise of the supreme leader has special significance, especially if given in a written form. The domestic announcement of full denuclearization is also important. I think that in a situation like this, North Korea will stick to its promise," he said.

When asked about security guarantees to North Korea, the minister said they are yet to be finalized.

"They can be given in the form of a document, which states that the United States will not attack North Korea, cross the 38th parallel and topple the existing regime," Kono said. "Guarantees may be given within the framework of a multilateral structure as well. This matter is yet to be discussed."

He said that the issue of reducing US military contingent in South Korea is not being discussed at the moment.

"This is ruled out unless the security situation in the region changes drastically," the minister said.

The Japanese top diplomat offered economic assistance to North Korea after relations normalize.

The historic meeting of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took place in Singapore on June 12. The talks ended with the signing of a joint document by which Pyongyang pledged to carry out denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in exchange for Washington’s security guarantees. Trump promised to pause joint military exercises with "North Korea", ( Note - mix up - it should read "South Korea") which Pyongyang had insisted on for many years. Trump said he had not discussed with Kim the presence of US troops in South Korea. Currently the US contingent there stands at 28,500 servicemen.


June 13, 2018 - Japan concerned over Trump’s plans to suspend US-South Korean drills
Japan concerned over Trump’s plans to suspend US-South Korean drills

Japan is concerned about the statement made by US President Donald Trump concerning plans to suspend the joint US-South Korean military exercises, since they play an important role in maintaining regional security Kyodo news agency quotes Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera as saying.

"The US-South Korean exercises, as well as the US military contingent in South Korea, play an important role in maintaining security in Northeast Asia," the minister said.


June 12, 2018 - Japan to cooperate with US, South Korea, China, Russia to solve North Korean issue
Japan to cooperate with US, South Korea, China, Russia to solve North Korean issue

Japan will closely cooperate with the United States and South Korea, as well as China and Russia to solve the issue of North Korean missile and nuclear programs, the country’s Prime Minister Shizno Abe said on Tuesday.

"We will do our best to solve (those issues) in cooperation with the US and South Korea, as well as China and Russia," he said when commenting the results of the meeting between the US and North Korean leaders, Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, in Singapore.

According to Abe, the recent summit has become an important step towards settlement of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un took place at the Capella hotel on Singapore's Sentosa Island. After the meeting the leaders signed an agreement, which Donald Trump called "very important" and "pretty comprehensive".
 
Thank you for this new thread @angelburst29, I have been following the events surrounding the two Koreas with a lot of interest.

It's good to see Kim traveling the world and making friends, I hope he doesn't become too trusting of the US and keeps his eyes wide open though. It's a smarter move to build relationships with Russia and China these days.


I was hoping someone would open a thread on "Trump and Rocket-Man-Kim" for a few weeks now. With the highly anticipated meeting coming up in Singapore, decided to take the plunge. Everything was pointing to it - as being "a Historic Meeting"?

I guess, it's a little to early to determine exactly "how historic the meeting was" other than, the two leaders getting together but the outcome seems to be going in the right direction, on the International scene, with meetings being scheduled to iron out differences.
 
This is the first meeting between Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un after the historic summit where the North Korean leader met with the US president in Singapore to discuss the prospects for denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and lifting the sanctions on the DPRK.

19.06.2018 - Kim Meets With Xi Amid Surprise Visit to China, Week After Singapore Summit (Video)
Kim Meets With Xi Amid Surprise Visit to China, Week After Singapore Summit

Chinese CCTV reported that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on Tuesday to discuss the results of the Singapore summit and the steps that are to follow it. Xi Jinping has reportedly praised the summit and its outcomes, specifically the idea of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as "protecting peace and stability."

The official two-day visit was not announced in advance and was made public only after reports surfaced that the North Korean leader's motorcade had been spotted on the streets of Beijing, impressing Twitter users with its significant security detail back during his previous visits to China and to Singapore summit.

The current visit to China is Kim Jong-un's third as DPRK leader, with the previous one taking place days ahead of the historic summit with the US president. Earlier in May Trump expressed the opinion that Xi Jinping could be influencing the North Korean leader.

The current visit to China is Kim Jong-un's third as DPRK leader, with the previous one taking place days ahead of the historic summit with the US president. Earlier in May Trump expressed the opinion that Xi Jinping could be influencing the North Korean leader.


20.06.2018 - N Korea's Kim Praises 'Unity" With China in Wake of Meeting Trump
N Korea's Kim Praises 'Unity' With China in Wake of Meeting Trump

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reaffirmed his country’s "friendship, unity and cooperation" with China during a visit to Beijing, already the third this year.

Kim’s two-day trip to China, which comes in the wake of his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump, is both a sign of loyalty to his main ally and an attempt to reassure Beijing that its interests will not be ignored as Pyongyang and Washington try to mend ties, Agence France Presse reported.

During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, Kim Jong-un thanked him for his "positive and sincere support and good help for the successful" summit with Trump, North Korea's official KCNA news agency wrote.

The Chinese president, for his part, heaped praise on the results of Kim’s meeting with Trump in Singapore and called on both countries to implement the agreements they reached during the summit.

Xi also pledged China’s continued “‘constructive role” in the ongoing effort to rid the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons.

Last year China said that the UN Security Council could consider easing the punitive sanctions that have seriously undermined the North Korean economy.


20.06.2018 - 'Strong Momentum' for Korean Peninsula Peace Despite Media, Democrats' Jeers
‘Strong Momentum’ for Korean Peninsula Peace Despite Media, Democrats’ Jeers

On Monday, the US cancelled “war games” with South Korea slated for August, one of the largest military exercises in the world, following US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement after his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12.

Peace activist Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CodePink and Simone Chun, a fellow at the Korea Policy Institute and a member of the Korean Peace Network, joined Radio Sputnik's Loud & Clear Tuesday to discuss the cancellation of the annual military exercise "Ulchi Freedom Guardian."

"We will stop the war games [with South Korea and its allies], which will save us a tremendous amount of money, unless and until we see the future negotiations is not going along like it should," Trump revealed to reporters following his Singapore meeting with Kim June 12. "We will be saving a tremendous amount of money. Plus, it is very provocative," he added.

While a US official who spoke with Reuters Monday said Ulchi Freedom Guardian will not take place this year, the Pentagon had said in a press release earlier that day that "planning" for the drills, originally slated for August, had been suspended, Sputnik News reported.

Benjamin's activist group, CodePink, has long called for the implementation of a "freeze-for-a-freeze" scenario. Under such an accord, the US would agree to halt drills in exchange for the suspension of nuclear development by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name, even before the Trump-Kim summit ever seemed possible.

Benjamin and Chun were in the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea during the historic meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae In and Kim on April 26 in the village of Panmunjom, where the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement that paused the Korean war was signed.

"It was wonderful being with a group of women from around the world. We were in Korea as a part of an effort that started in 2015 when we crossed from North Korea to the South. This time we couldn't go to North Korea because Donald Trump had placed a travel ban; the only country we can't travel to in the world right now is North Korea," Benjamin told Loud & Clear hosts Brian Becker and John Kiriakou.

That was after Trump had announced that he would cancel his Singapore meeting with Kim, which he later reversed. But when he announced that it would, in fact, be held, there was "tremendous delight," Benjamin said.

Chun said that the meeting between Trump and Kim was "well received… especially for many peace activists and Korean Americans," despite outcry by the US media.

"It was a very interesting experience, and everyone agrees it was short on specifics, but it was a very important first step," Chun said.

Alongside fellow activists with the Korean Peace Network, Chun visited several members of Congress following the summit. The scholar told Sputnik she was "simply amazed" by the critical appraisal of the summit by elected officials because of their opposition to "anything that Trump does."

"A lot of Democratic senators or congress members refused to give any support," Chun said, adding that she was "disappointed" by the responses.

Nonetheless, the prospect of peace between the US and the two Koreas has "very strong momentum," said Chun, seeing that a majority of South Koreans support a robust peace agreement. "I feel that we are heading to the right direction, and I hope that America [gives] more bipartisan and American media [can] take a more gentle and softer approach toward Korea," Chun said.
 
US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that many good conversations with North Korea were underway and they were going well.

03.07.2018 - Trump: 'If Not for Me, We Would Be At War With North Korea!'
Trump: 'If Not For Me, We Would Be at War With North Korea!'

Many good conversations with North Korea-it is going well! In the meantime, no Rocket Launches or Nuclear Testing in 8 months. All of Asia is thrilled. Only the Opposition Party, which includes the Fake News, is complaining. If not for me, we would now be at War with North Korea!" Trump tweeted.

Trump's tweet comes amid rumors, reported by unnamed US officials to AXIOS earlier this month, of the second round of talks between the US and the North Korean leaders that may be held in New York this September.

At the same time, the day before, the White House announced that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would be leaving for North Korea on July 5, marking his third visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Pompeo previously visited North Korea in early April and then again for a second time in early May when he was returning to the US with three Americans who'd been held hostage in the country.

The first-ever summit between a sitting American president and a North Korean leader was held on June 12, with Trump claiming that the two "have developed a very special bond."


22.06.2018 - Trump Prolongs Sanctions on North Korea for One More Year Despite Thaw With Kim
Trump Prolongs Sanctions on North Korea for One More Year Despite Thaw With Kim

US President Donald Trump has decided to prolong sanctions introduced in the wake of North Korea's missile and nuclear tests following a punitive December 2017 UN resolution restricting Pyongyang’s fuel imports and other trade. The day before, however, the US president had stressed that Kim Jong Un was complying with international demands.

The White House announced that US President Donald Trump has decided to prolong anti-North Korea sanctions for one more year as part of his "maximum pressure" policy toward the country.

In his earlier statement, Trump did not exclude the lifting of sanctions if the DPRK refused to use nuclear weapons, but the official policy of the United States is that sanctions will only be halted after "full, verifiable and irreversible" denuclearization.
 
July 6, 2018 - Second Kim-Trump Summit May Take Place in Switzerland: Reports
Second Kim-Trump Summit May Take Place in Switzerland: Reports

The second meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un may take place in Switzerland — either in Bern, Geneva or Davos, media reported Friday, citing diplomatic sources.

The reestablishment of diplomatic relations is expected to be on the agenda of the upcoming meeting between Kim and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which is to be held on July 6 or 7.

The sources told the media outlet that over the next six months Pyongyang was expected to actively engage in negotiations with Washington, Beijing, and Seoul, and that is why North Korean officials were sent to various Swiss cities to find potential venues for talks.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has stabilized within the last several months, with the North Korean leader had held two rounds of talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a top-level summit with Trump.

Trump and Kim met for the first time on June 12 in Singapore, where they issued an agreement that requires Pyongyang to denuclearize in exchange for a freeze of the US-South Korean military drills and eventual sanctions relief.
 
The North Korean table tennis team arrived on Sunday in the South to participate in an international ping-pong tournament as Korea's unified team, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the South Korean Table Tennis Association.

15.07.2018 - North, South Korean Ping-Pong Players to Form Unified Team - Reports
North, South Korean Ping-Pong Players to Form Unified Team - Reports

The North Korean delegation, which arrived at Incheon International Airport from China, comprises 16 table tennis players and nine officials, according to Yonhap.

Unified Korean teams are expected to be formed both as part of men's and women's tournaments, which will be held in the South Korean city of Daejeon on July 17-22, the news outlet added.

Earlier in July, the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the agreement on the North Korean players' participation in the tournament was reached during negotiations of the deputy sports ministers of the two countries.

The situation on the Korean Peninsula has stabilized within the last several months, with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un having held two rounds of talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and a top-level summit with US President Donald Trump.


01.07.2018 - South Korea, North Korea Resume Maritime Communication Hot Line
South Korea, North Korea Resume Maritime Communication Hot Line

South Korea and North Korea resumed the maritime communication hot line in order to prevent possible incidents, local media reported on Sunday.

On early Sunday, a South Korean Navy vessel established a contact with a North Korean patrol boat, which immediately responded to the call, the Yonhap news agency reported citing the South Korean Defense Ministry.

The decision on resumption of the communication hot line was made during the meeting between North and South Korean high-ranking military officials in late June.
 
Disgraced former South Korean president Park Geun-hye was convicted of charges including illegally receiving funds from the country's spy agency on Friday and given eight more years in prison, on top of her current term.

July, 20, 2018 - S. Korea's Ex-President Park Given Eight More Years in Prison
S. Korea's Ex-President Park Given Eight More Years in Prison - Tasnim News Agency

Park, the South's first female president, was impeached last year after huge street protests over a sprawling scandal, and was jailed for 24 years for corruption and abuse of power in April.

Friday's penalty -- issued in her absence after she refused to attend the Seoul Central District Court -- came after a separate trial for pocketing money from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and improperly intervening in 2016 in the selection of her ruling party's parliamentary candidates, AFP reported.

The Seoul Central District Court gave Park six years for taking 3.3 billion won ($2.9 million) from the spy agency, and two years for the electoral offence.

The penalties apply consecutively, meaning the 66-year-old now faces a total of 32 years in prison.

"The accused received some three billion won over three years from the three NIS chiefs. Through this crime, the accused incurred a considerable amount of loss to the state treasury," said senior judge Seong Chang-ho.

Three former NIS chiefs testified they had funneled the funds to Park on her orders, the court said.

The judge rebuked Park, who denied the charges, for being "un-cooperative" throughout the court hearing and questioning by prosecutors.

Park allegedly squandered the taxpayer money on maintaining her private house, financing a boutique where her secret confidante Choi Soon-sil -- the central figure in the corruption scandal -- had Park's clothes made and other private purposes, including massage treatment.

Choi was found to have taken advantage of her "long private ties" with Park to extort bribes worth millions of dollars from businesses including telecommunications giant Samsung and retail conglomerate Lotte. She is serving a 20-year sentence for abuse of power, bribery and meddling in state affairs. - 'Never repented' -

Earlier Friday, prosecutors asked an appeals court to extend Park's sentence for her corruption and abuse of power conviction to 30 years, arguing the original penalty was too lenient.

They also asked for her fine to be multiplied sixfold to 118.5 billion won.

"The accused has never repented or made any sincere apology before the people," prosecutors said in a statement. "And since October 2017, she has never made any appearance at court."

Park's own lawyers asked for her conviction to be overturned, saying she made no gains herself when businesses "donated" funds to foundations controlled by Choi, and that her impeachment and ouster meant she had already taken "political responsibility" for the case.

The Seoul High Court will issue its decision on August 24.


20.07.2018 - Ex-South Korean President Park Sentenced to 8 More Years in Jail
Ex-South Korean President Park Sentenced to 8 More Years in Jail

Earlier in April, the Seoul Central District Court has sentenced former South Korean President Park Geun-hye to 24 years in prison.

A South Korean court sentenced disgraced former president Park Geun-hye to eight years in prison for embezzling state funds and interference in party activities, Yonhap News Agency reports.

According to the court's decision, the former head of state was sentenced to six years in prison for receiving funds from the budget of the National Intelligence Agency of South Korea. The court added two years to her sentence for illegally participating in the nomination of candidates for elections from the ruling party during her presidency.

The court also ruled that the ex-president, who is already serving a 24-year prison term over corruption scandal which led to her impeachment, should be fined 3.3 billion won ($2.9 million), according to the Yonhap news agency.

As the penalties apply consecutively now she faces a total of 32 years in prison.

The political scandal around Park broke out in October 2016, when she was accused of having allowed her longtime friend and close associate Choi Soon-sil, who did not hold any official post, to get involved in state affairs. She was also accused of being complicit in Choi's extortion of $54.9 million from big conglomerates, including Samsung, in exchange for business favors.

The scandal led to Park's impeachment in December 2016. During the court hearings, South Korean prosecutors demanded that the former president be sentenced to 30 years in jail and asked the court to fine her $110 million.


Back-dated 08.01.2018 - S Korean Prosecutors Request Freeze of Ex-President Park's Assets - Reports
S Korean Prosecutors Request Freeze of ex-President Park's Assets - Reports

South Korean prosecutors have requested a court to freeze the assets of the country's impeached President Park Geun-hye over a bribery case involving the National Intelligence Service (NIS), local media reported Monday.

The request targets $5.62 million in assets belonging to the former president, the Yonhap news agency reported.

If the court rules the corresponding decision, Park will be reportedly forbidden from making transactions with her bank savings or property.

In November, Nam Jae-joon, the first NIS director under Park, admitted that the agency had been transferring about 50 million won ($46,500) to the president's office every month, and the prosecutors suspect that the monthly payment increased later to about 100 million won.

The political scandal around Park broke out in late October 2016, when media reported that the former president had allowed her close associate Choi Soon-sil, who did not hold any official post, to get involved in state affairs.

The scandal resulted in Park’s impeachment in December 2016 that was confirmed by the country's Constitutional Court on March 10. On March 30, Park was arrested over corruption accusations, involving 13 different cases of bribery, coercion and abuse of power. Park was charged in particular with forcing companies to sign contracts beneficial for Choi and her associates. On October 13, a Seoul court extended Park's detention for a period of six months.
 


President Donald Trump said during a speech in Granite City, Illinois, on Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is making great progress toward peace after the two leaders held their historic summit in Singapore on June 12.

27.07.2018 - Trump Says North Korea's Kim Making 'Terrific Progress' After Singapore Summit
Trump Says North Korea’s Kim Making ‘Terrific Progress’ After Singapore Summit

"Kim Jong-un is making terrific progress," Trump told supporters on Thursday. "For nine months, no nuclear tests, no rockets are going up, no missiles are going over Japan."

On June 12, Trump and Kim met in Singapore during their first official summit meeting. The two officials signed an agreement saying North Korea will denuclearize in exchange for a freeze on the US-South Korean military drills and potential sanctions relief. The White House did not specify any deadlines on carrying fulfilling the agreed on items.

However, Trump acknowledged on Thursday that no one knows what ultimately is going to happen and how things will end up.

Trump claimed that his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, was ready to go to war with North Korea. Trump added that he questioned Obama whether he ever tried to hold discussions with Kim and noted "it would be nice to speak" to the North Korean leader.

The US president added that he established very good relationship with Kim, despite media criticism at the beginning of the summit negotiations.


27.07.2018 - Trump Thanks Kim for 'Keeping His Word' Returning Remains of US Service Members
Trump Thanks Kim for 'Keeping His Word,' Returning Remains of US Service Members

US President Donald Trump said in a press briefing on Friday that he wanted to thank North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for fulfilling his promise and returning the remains of some US service members who were killed in Korea.

"I want to thank Chairman Kim for keeping his word. We have many others coming, but I want to thank Chairman Kim in front of the media for fulfilling a promise that he made to me and I’m sure that he will continue to fulfill that promise as they search and search and search," Trump told reporters.

Kim agreed at the June 12 summit with Trump in Singapore to help the United States recover remains of fallen US service members and prisoners of war.

Earlier on Friday, a US airplane carried the remains to Osan Air Base in South Korea from the North Korean port of Wonsan earlier. Media reports said there were 55 sets of remains.

A formal repatriation ceremony will be held at the base on August 1, then the remains will be transported to the US state of Hawaii for forensic identification.

Trump said that Vice President Mike Pence would be with the families of the fallen soldiers when the remains are returned to the United States.


27.07.2018 - Pyongyang 'Frustrated' Over Delay in Peace Treaty Signing to End Korean War
Pyongyang 'Frustrated' Over Delay in Peace Treaty Signing to End Korean War

South and North Korea have been legally at war since the Korean War of 1950-1953, as neither party has signed a peace treaty. The 1953 Korean armistice agreement, however, provided for the suspension of open hostilities and a fixed demarcation line with a buffer zone.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Kim Hong-gul, chairman of the Korean Council for Reconciliation and Cooperation, said that Pyongyang had expressed its disappointment over foot-dragging in signing an official declaration to end the 1950-1953 Korean War.

North Korean officials said they are frustrated about the delay and asked whether there is a valid reason for such slow progress," he said, citing Pyongyang's stance that it had made significant concessions to Seoul and expected reciprocal actions in return.

Kim also said that North Korea initially wanted a peace treaty, but "they are now asking for an end-of-war declaration" to speed up the denuclearization process on the Korean Peninsula.

During high-level talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-un, in late April, the sides pledged in the Panmunjom Declaration that they would work together through 2018 to officially end the Korean War, which was halted by the 1953 armistice agreement.

The document stipulates that Seoul and Pyongyang should achieve this through either trilateral talks between the North, South and the US, or four-party talks including China.

Earlier that month, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said that "we should put an end to the armistice that has lasted for 65 years and move toward signing a peace treaty through the declaration of the end of the war."

He was echoed by South Korean top security adviser Chung Eui-yong, who said that Seoul would potentially sign a peace treaty with North Korea if Pyongyang were to give up its nuclear weapons, formally putting an end to the Korean War.

"We are examining the possibility of replacing the Korean armistice agreement with a peace treaty," he underscored.

Pyongyang has repeatedly announced that it will no longer abide by the armistice and called for replacing it with a peace treaty, stressing that the 1953 agreement was meant to be a transitional measure.
 
On Monday, North Korean state media urged the US to drop its sanctions against the country, accusing Washington of using sanctions to “raise its negotiating power.”

06.08.2018 - North Korea Urges US to Drop Sanctions After Showing Good Faith
North Korea Urges US to Drop Sanctions After Showing Good Faith

"There have been outrageous arguments coming out of the US State Department that it won't ease sanctions until a denuclearization is completed, and reinforcing sanctions is a way to raise its negotiating power," state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun, which is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, wrote in a Monday editorial.

How could the sanctions, which were a stick the US administration had brandished as part of its hostile policy against us, promote the two countries' amity?" the newspaper added.

According to the newspaper, Pyongyang has exhibited good faith by ending nuclear weapons testing, dismantling its Punggye-ri nuclear test site and returning the remains of 200 US soldiers who died during the Korean War.

"We got back our great fallen heroes, the remains sent back today, already 200 got sent back," US president Donald Trump told a crowd of supporters during a rally in Minnesota in June.

On Monday, one of North Korea's propaganda websites, Uriminzokkiri, called the US sanctions against North Korea "anachronistic," while Maeri, another North Korean website, called for the US to build confidence in response to North Korea's recent "goodwill measures."

"It takes two to tango," the website said.

Kim Eui-kyeom, a spokesman for South Korea's presidential Blue House, also told reporters Monday that South Korea, "would want North Korea to speed up denuclearization, and the United States to show a sincere attitude toward what North Korea demands as corresponding action," Business Insider reported Monday.

North Korea's statements come just a couple days after the UN released a report, obtained by Reuters, claiming that Pyongyang has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs. In addition, South Korea is currently investigating nine cases of coal shipments from North Korea entering its ports, according to Seoul's foreign ministry and customs officials, the New York Times reported Monday. Although South Korean officials refused to identity the companies involved in the shipments, they noted that the investigation was in its final phase after the completion of forensic analysis.

The six-month UN report by independent experts monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions was submitted to the Security Council North Korea sanctions committee Friday, according to Reuters.

"[North Korea] has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018," the 149-page report said, Reuters reported Friday.

In September, the UN Security Council tightened the sanctions regime against Pyongyang over its nuclear program, limiting North Korean crude oil and petroleum imports.

The relationship between the US and North Korea improved in the last several months, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending a top-level summit with Trump in June in Singapore. However, the US has repeatedly stressed that sanctions against Pyongyang will remain in place until the communist country attains complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.


04.08.2018 - Pompeo Urges Russia, ASEAN to Maintain Pressure on North Korea
Pompeo Urges Russia, ASEAN to Maintain Pressure on North Korea

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday called for pressure to be kept up on North Korea to achieve its denuclearization and said he expected Russia to abide by UN resolutions.

"I emphasize the importance of maintaining diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK," he said.

Pompeo was speaking to reporters on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) forum in Singapore.

Pompeo said he had called on ASEAN partners and allies to strictly enforce all sanctions, including ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum destined for North Korea.

He cited media reports that claimed Russia was allowing for joint ventures with North Korean firms and granted work permits to its citizens.

"We expect the Russians and all countries to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea," he said.

The allegation was made by the Wall Street Journal, which said Russia had issued work permits to thousands of new North Korean laborers.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denied this was in violation of UN sanctions. She argued the ban did not apply to contracts finalized before the resolution was adopted.
 
The North Korean Foreign Ministry accused “high-level officials within the US administration” of “going against the intention of President Trump to advance the DPRK-US relations” in a statement Thursday. Meanwhile, the socialist state renewed calls for a permanent peace treaty so that “a mood will be created for creating trust."

09.08.2018 - North Korea Praises Trump, Slams Other US Officials for Sabotaging Peace
North Korea Praises Trump, Slams Other US Officials for Sabotaging Peace

The press statement, carried by Korea Central News Agency, laid out the position of the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official name of North Korea, on the burning question of peace on the Korean Peninsula: US President Donald Trump wants peace, but the agreement reached in Singapore in June is being sabotaged by other US state officials.

"We hoped that these goodwill measures would contribute to breaking down the high barrier of mistrust existing between the DPRK and the US and to establishing mutual trust," the statement said. "However, the US responded to our expectation by inciting international sanctions and pressure against the DPRK."

"The US is attempting to invent a pretext for increased sanctions against the DPRK by mobilizing all their servile mouthpieces and intelligence institutions to fabricate all kinds of falsehoods on our nuclear issue. They made public the ‘North Korea Sanctions and Enforcement Actions Advisory' and additional sanctions, and called for collaboration in forcing sanctions and pressure upon us even at the international meetings," the statement continues.

"Now the issue in question is that, going against the intention of President Trump to advance the DPRK-US relations, who is expressing gratitude to our goodwill measures for implementing the DPRK-US joint statement, some high-level officials within the US administration are making baseless allegations against us and making desperate attempts at intensifying the international sanctions and pressure. Expecting any result, while insulting the dialogue partner and throwing cold water over our sincere efforts for building confidence which can be seen as a precondition for implementing the DPRK-US joint statement, is indeed a foolish act that amounts to waiting to see a boiled egg hatch out."

The North Korean Foreign Ministry statement further accused the US of clinging "to the outdated acting script which the previous administrations have all tried and failed," meanwhile noting that the country remains "unchanged in our will to uphold the intentions of the top leaders of the DPRK and the US and to build trust and implement in good faith the DPRK-US joint statement step by step."

"The US should, even at this belated time, respond to our sincere efforts in a corresponding manner."

On August 3, the US Mission to the UN submitted proposals to the UN Security Council for the imposition of new sanctions against North Korea, Sputnik reported. That same day, a six-month report by independent experts monitoring the implementation of UN sanctions was submitted, which accused North Korea of violating economic sanctions placed against it by exporting textiles goods to a number of countries, among other infractions.

"[North Korea] has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018," the 149-page report, which was viewed by Reuters, said.

The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has also placed new sanctions against a North Korean firm, Korea Ungum Corporation, along with a Chinese and a Russian corporation accused of doing business with them in violation of sanctions, on August 3, Sputnik reported.

The June 12 meeting between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un secured a number of agreements, including a promise to work toward a permanent peace treaty, dependent upon the fulfillment of other parts of the agreement — most importantly, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Both sides have taken some steps in that direction, with the DPRK returning remains of US soldiers who perished in their country during the 1950 to 53 Korean War and destroying a number of nuclear weapons and long-range missile test sites; and the US and South Korea placing a moratorium on provocative military drills that rehearse bombing and invading North Korea.

Nonetheless, the US has maintained the position that economic sanctions will not be lifted until "concrete steps" have been taken by the North Korean government toward denuclearization, such as providing a complete list of its nuclear facilities. "This is all in North Korea's court," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said August 8 during a press conference in Colombia.

The United States has not recorded "a complete shutdown" of nuclear materials' production in North Korea, US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks said July 22 at an Aspen Security Forum panel, Sputnik reported. "Their production capability is still intact. Their testing capability we just saw affected a few months ago in the destruction of the Punggye-ri testing site, but production is a different question, so we haven't seen a complete shutdown of production yet."

US Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats also voiced the opinion that it is unlikely that Pyongyang will dismantle its nuclear program within a year.

However, the DPRK's ruling Korean Workers Party (KWP) shot back on Monday, writing in a Rodong Sinmun editorial, "There have been outrageous arguments coming out of the US State Department that it won't ease sanctions until a denuclearization is completed, and reinforcing sanctions is a way to raise its negotiating power… How could the sanctions, which were a stick the US administration had brandished as part of its hostile policy against us, promote the two countries' amity?"

The North Korean government has also stepped up requests for a permanent peace treaty to the Korean War in recent weeks, with KWP newspaper Rodong Sinmun writing Thursday, "If the state of military confrontation between North Korea and the US is ended through a declaration ending the war, a mood will be created for creating trust."

The North Korean government has also stepped up requests for a permanent peace treaty to the Korean War in recent weeks, with KWP newspaper Rodong Sinmun writing Thursday, "If the state of military confrontation between North Korea and the US is ended through a declaration ending the war, a mood will be created for creating trust."

While a ceasefire agreement ended active hostilities in July 1953 and established the Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea, no permanent peace treaty was ever signed between the DPRK, South Korea and the US officially ending the war. Thus, in a technical sense, a state of war continues 70 years later, which severely limits the possibility of bilateral trade, movement between the countries and other normalized international discourse.

Meanwhile, Ri traveled earlier this week to Iran, Reuters noted, where Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned him not to trust the US following Trump's unilateral withdrawal in May from the 2015 international agreement to lift sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's own nuclear program. New sanctions were placed against Iran's economy by the US on August 6.
 
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