North Korea on Tuesday demanded that the US should release a cargo ship seized on suspicions of violating UN sanctions, denouncing the seizure as an "outright denial" of the spirit of last year's first summit between leader Kim Jong-un and American President Donald Trump. "The latest US act constitutes an extension of the American method of calculation for bringing North Korea to its knees by means of 'maximum pressure' and an outright denial of the underlying spirit of the June 12 Joint Statement that has committed to establish new bilateral relations," Yonhap News Agency quoted a spokesperson for the North Foreign Ministry as saying. "The US should ponder over the consequences its heinous act might have on the future developments and immediately return our ship," the spokesperson said in a statement carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. The North also said that the time when the "US held sway over the world at its own free will is gone long ago, and it would be … [Read more...] about N. Korea demands release of cargo ship seized by US
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North Korea says weapons test involved ‘long-range’ capability
North Korea says weapons test involved 'long-range' capability SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea said Friday it had tested a long-range weapon, a claim that was likely to raise tensions on the peninsula and contradicted accounts from the South and in the US that Pyongyang had fired short-range missiles. The state-run Korean Central News Agency said leader Kim Jong Un had overseen Thursday's weapons test, the second in less than a week amid tensions with the US over their fitful drive to reach an agreement under which North Korea would give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief. "At the command post, Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un learned about a plan of the strike drill of various long-range strike means and gave an order of start of the drill," KCNA said, adding that the drill was successful. KCNA did not say what kind of weapon was fired. It avoided using the words missile, rocket or projectile. The update came amid … [Read more...] about North Korea says weapons test involved ‘long-range’ capability
North Korea fires projectiles: South’s military
North Korea fires projectiles: South's military (Agence France-Presse) - May 9, 2019 - 4:44pm SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired a number of unidentified projectiles Thursday, the South's military said, as a US envoy visited Seoul for discussions on how to break the nuclear deadlock. "North Korea fired unidentified projectiles eastward" from Sino-ri in North Pyongan province, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The launch came just days after North Korea carried out a military drill and fired multiple projectiles, with at least one believed to be a short-range missile. It was also hours after the US Special Representative on North Korea, Stephen Biegun, arrived in Seoul late Wednesday for talks with South Korean officials on the allies' approach towards Pyongyang. It is Biegun's first visit to Seoul since the Hanoi summit between US President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong Un … [Read more...] about North Korea fires projectiles: South’s military
North Korea fires short-range ‘projectiles’ into sea — Seoul
North Korea fires short-range 'projectiles' into sea — Seoul SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the … [Read more...] about North Korea fires short-range ‘projectiles’ into sea — Seoul
News N. Korea warns of ‘undesired’ outcome if no change in US nuclear stance
SEOUL - North Korea's vice foreign minister said on Tuesday the United States will face "undesired consequences" if it fails to present a new position in denuclearization talks by the end of the year, state media reported. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has set a year-end deadline for the United States to show more flexibility after his second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump failed to produce a deal to end Pyongyang's nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. But Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have brushed aside the deadline, calling for Kim to take action on his pledge to denuclearize after years of pursuing nuclear and rocket programs in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.] North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui singled out Pompeo's interview last week with CBS in which he said the United States may have to "change paths" if the negotiations break down. "Changing paths is not a privilege that only the United States has, but it could … [Read more...] about News N. Korea warns of ‘undesired’ outcome if no change in US nuclear stance