NorthKorea

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  Seoul spy agency dismisses rumors over Kim's illness: Yonhap SEOUL -- South Korea's spy agency denied speculation about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's illness and ensuing heart surgery Wednesday, adding that he is ruling the regime as usual. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) also said at a closed-door briefing to lawmakers that the North's leader has appeared in public 17 times so far this year, the fewest ever, due to his focus on domestic affairs and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. "At 2020-05-06
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  No unusual signs about N.K. leader's health: Yonhap SEOUL -- South Korea has seen no unusual signs with regard to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's heath, a government source said, after CNN reported that Kim is "in grave danger after a surgery." CNN cited an unidentified "U.S. official with direct knowledge," but offered no further details. A South Korean government source said there have been no relevant signs detected with regard to Kim's health conditions, emphasizing that Kim contin 2020-04-21
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  N. Korean version of U.S. guided missile ATACMS is ready for field operation: expert SEOUL -- Experts believe the North Korean version of a surface-to-surface guided missile called MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is combat-ready or soon to be deployed for field operation. North Korea claimed to have tested a "tactical guided" weapon on March 21. Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the test "clearly proved the characters of different flight trajectories and falling angles" as well as the acc 2020-03-26
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  N. Korea tests new multiple rocket launch system for combat deployment A picture published by Pyongyang's state media shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Pak Jong-chon, chief of the General Staff, holding binoculars during a firepower strike drill on March 9. SEOUL -- In a firepower strike drill supervised by leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea apparently tested its "super-large" multiple-launch guided rocket system again in a week. Experts believe the new system with a maximum range of about 400 kilometers (248 miles) i 2020-03-10
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  [Coronavirus] N. Korean leader expresses support for S. Korea's fight against coronavirus SEOUL -- In a personal letter to President Moon Jae-in, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his support for South Korea's campaign to contain a coronavirus epidemic, saying South Koreans would overcome it, according to Moon's office. The letter was delivered on Wednesday. Kim expressed regret over the situation and concern about Moon's health, conveying "unwavering friendship and trust" to the South Korean leader, the presidential off 2020-03-05
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  N. Korea's latest drill shows apparent technological progress in multiple launch rocket system SEOUL -- North Korea appeared to have achieved technological progress in its "super-large" multiple launch rocket system by reducing the time of continuous launch in a fire-power drill supervised by leader Kim Jong-un who has vowed to show off a new strategic weapon. A day after North Korea fired two projectiles into the sea off the east coast, North Korea's state media released pictures that showed the same vehicle used in previous launches. Two project 2020-03-03
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  [FOCUS] N. Korea delays demolition of facilities for suspended cross-border tour program A file picture shows South Korean tourists walking in a valley of Mount. Kumgang before a cross-border tour program was suspended in 2008. SEOUL -- A global health scare caused by China's deadly virus epidemic sent North Korean going deeper into self-imposed isolation and raising a border barrier to disclude non-urgent physical contact with China and South Korea. Instead, Pyongyang activated a hotline to discuss pressing issues such as the fate of a suspended cro 2020-01-31
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  Trump hints U.S. may use military force against N.K. if necessary: Yonhap WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump hinted that the United States may use military force against North Korea if necessary, after Pyongyang warned that an end-of-year deadline for the two countries' denuclearization negotiations is drawing near. Trump revived the threat of military action as negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled over how to match the North's denuclearization steps with U.S. concessions. But the U.S. president a 2019-12-04
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  N. Korea wants 'Christmas gift' instead of U.S. dialogue rhetoric A file picture on November 29 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in front of a super-large multiple rocket launch system. SEOUL -- North Korea urged the United States to select a "Christmas gift" instead of dialogue rhetoric, warning that the year-end deadline for denuclearization talks comes near. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has threatened to take a different path unless Washington comes up with a "fair" and "mutually acceptable" 2019-12-03
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  N. Korean leader rejects invitation to special summit between S. Korea and ASEAN: Yonhap SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will not attend a special summit that South Korea will host for Southeast Asian leaders next week, having turned down President Moon Jae-in's invitation to the event, Pyongyang's state media said Thursday. Moon sent a personal letter on Nov. 5 to invite Kim to the South Korea-ASEAN special summit slated for Monday and Tuesday in the southeastern port city of Busan, but North Korea could not find any reason for its 2019-11-21
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  N. Korea threatens to take unilateral action for renovation of Kumgang tourist resort A file picture shows a town of lodging houses in North Korea's Kumgang resort. SEOUL -- North Korea showed a tough stance over the renovation of a tourist resort located just north of the inter-Korean border and threatened to take unilateral action, accusing South Korea of turning a deaf dear to an ultimatum sent earlier this week, according to Pyongyang's official news agency. Seoul remained silent to an ultimatum sent on November 11, the Korean Central 2019-11-15
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  Tens of N. Korean military aircraft lined up at airport in Wonsan: 38 North SEOUL -- Satellite imagery showed tens of military aircraft being parked wingtip-to-wingtip this week at a North Korean airport in the eastern port city of Wonsan for the possible demonstration of air force capabilities such, or an air show, according to 38 North, the website of a U.S. think tank. Those line up along the taxiways and parking aprons at Kalma Airport, a dual-use civil and military airport in Wonsan, included MiG jet fighters, Il-28 bombers, Su25 s 2019-11-15
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  Kim appears to be pushing for new summit with Trump in December: spy agency , SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be pushing for a fresh summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in December, South Korea's spy agency said, predicting preparatory talks between the two sides to fine-tune the summit's agenda. Working-level talks between Pyongyang and Washington are expected to come in November or early December at the latest, the South's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Monday in a parliamentary inspection, 2019-11-04
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  S. Korea proposes official face-to-face talks with N. Korea on Kumgang tourist resort SEOUL -- In an effort to grasp the true intentions of dialogue partners, South Korea sent a proposal for official face-to-face talks in response to North Korea's demand for discussion by letter on the demolition of hotels and other facilities which have been uncared for almost ten years in a tourist resort located just north of the inter-Korean border due to a suspended cross-border tour program. On October 25, Pyongyang called for inter-Korean discussion by 2019-10-28
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  N. Korea sends proposal for discussion on demolition of facilities used for cross-border tour program SEOUL -- North Korea sent a proposal for discussion on the demolition of hotels and other facilities built by South Korea in a tourist resort located just north of the inter-Korean border, two days after its leader issued a surprise order to transform ''unpleasant-looking" facilities into a modern world-level tourist destination. In a message sent to Seoul on Friday, Pyongyang called for inter-Korean discussion by means of document exchanges to remo 2019-10-25
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  N. Korea cites 'motive force' to put denuclearization talks back on track A file picture shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un riding a white horse at Mount. Baekdu. SEOUL -- In a guarded peace gesture that followed the collapse of dialogue in Sweden, North Korea called for a "motive force" to overcome obstacles to denuclearization negotiations and advance bilateral relations in a better direction, based on what it called close and firm relations between the leaders of the two countries. Pyongyang condemned a "trite&quo 2019-10-24
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  N. Korea's Kim orders demolition and reconstruction of tourist facilities in Kumgang resort SEOUL -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the complete demolition of hotels and other facilities built by a South Korean company in a tourist resort for a cross-border tour program to transform it into a modern world-level tourist destination, criticizing a "mistaken" policy adopted by his late father to capitalize on foreign capital. During his inspection of the Mount Kumgang resort located just north of the inter-Korean border, Kim gave an ins 2019-10-23
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  Pyongyang rules out new dialogue without Washington's substantial step SEOUL -- North Korea condemned a "trite" U.S. attitude as the cause of a failed deal in nuclear talks in Sweden and refused to sit down for fresh dialogue until Washington takes a substantial step to make the complete and irreversible withdrawal of its hostile policy. At negotiations in Stockholm on October 5, the U.S. side maintained its former stand without presenting "any signs of calculation and guarantee" and sought to abuse dialogue for its do 2019-10-07
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  Trump says U.S. will talk to N. Korea soon: Yonhap WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States will be talking to North Korea soon, indicating denuclearization negotiations will go ahead as planned despite the regime's test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile earlier this week. Trump's remarks come as negotiators from the two countries are expected to meet in Sweden this weekend to resume working-level talks on denuclearizing the regime. "We'll see," 2019-10-04
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  N. Korea fires suspected SLBM ahead of nuclear talks with U.S. A picture released by Pyongyang's state media on July 23 showed leader Kim Jong-un inspecting a new submarine. SEOUL -- North Korea fired what is believed to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile, prompting South Korea to express strong concern and grasp Pyongyang's intentions over the launch which came days ahead of the planned resumption of stalled denuclearization talks with the United States. Military radars detected a ballistic missile that appe 2019-10-02