South korea

This “musical chairs” approach to governing, where someone favored one day is out the next, has resulted in senior North Korean defectors suggesting Kim lacks the absolute authority his grandfather and father had. If so, Kim clearly does not wish to give the appearance of weakness to his military by bending to external demands he end his nuclear weapons program. The selection of a hawkish new foreign minister suggests he seeks tougher negotiations after failing to gain concessions from President Donald Trump at their Hanoi summit meeting. … [Read more...] about Zumwalt: South Korea’s Leftists Have Time for Bono, Not Otto Warmbier’s Parents

Unfortunately for Trump, Kim depicts their relationship in less passionate terms. His New Year’s address doubled down on a point he’s repeated since their June meeting in Singapore: The North sees nuclear disarmament as a process it will undertake in conjunction with Washington pulling back the U.S.’s ability to use nuclear weapons and conduct large-scale military exercises on the Korean Peninsula. And although Kim called the U.S.–North Korea summit and subsequent meetings with South Korean president Moon Jae-in an “undeletable” achievement, Kim wanted the world to know that he has options: “We even might find ourselves in a situation where we have no other choice but to find a new way for defending the sovereignty of the country and the supreme interests of the state and for achieving peace and stability of the Korean peninsula,” he said. Observers read that as a threat to resume nuclear testing and/or heighten efforts to play Washington … [Read more...] about Trump Misses the Signs That North Korea’s Dictator Isn’t Really His Friend

Even armed with some historical knowledge, however, it’s hard to say how serious Kim is about his threat to call off the summit, or exactly what he’s trying to achieve. North Korea has a history of abruptly canceling or postponing meetings with other nations, but most experts say it’s unlikely that he’s actually thinking of abandoning talks with Trump. While Kim Kye-gwan’s statement is a departure from the conciliatory language Pyongyang has offered in the past few weeks, the actual threat is mild, and U.S. officials said they’re proceeding as if the summit is still on. … [Read more...] about North Korea Surprises Trump Administration by Acting Like North Korea Again

The spread of the illness is being watched around the globe, with a small number of cases appearing in other countries. South Korea confirmed its fourth case Monday. Cases also have been confirmed in Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, the U.S., Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal, France, Canada and Australia. … [Read more...] about China tightens controls in bid to combat virus

North Korea never fired a missile in late December or early January. But leader Kim Jong UnKim Jong UnActivity seen at North Korean missile research center: report South Korea and the billion mustache North Korea replaces its foreign minister: report MORE did say on New Year’s Day that Pyongyang no longer felt bound by its self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests, vowing the world would see a new strategic weapon “in the near future.” … [Read more...] about Pentagon official: ‘We don’t fully know the reasons’ North Korea didn’t fire ‘Christmas gift’