A South Korea-US summit meeting is being arranged for some time in May, before a planned meeting between the leaders of the US and North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday. Revealing that National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong met with White House national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday in the US, Cheong Wa Dae’s chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said that a Seoul-Washington summit was a key agenda item in Chung’s meeting.  President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday hinted that his country could engage North Korea in dialogue should the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits be successful. The comments came in Abe’s telephone conversation with President Moon Jae-in, Cheong Wa Dae said. “Success of the inter-Korean summit will only lead to the success of the US-North Korea summit that will follow but contribute to the normalization of relations between Japan and North Korea, and provide the opportunity to fundam

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday said that a peace treaty with North Korea will require the support of the US, and that he will work closely with Washington and Tokyo to bring about such an outcome. President Moon Jae-in (left) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. YonhapDuring a 40-minute conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that began at 4 p.m., Moon said a peace treaty between the two Koreas would require the agreement of the US, and that he would cooperate with the US as we

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday ordered government ministries to draw up measures to implement changes outlined in his proposal for a constitutional amendment, as the plan to put the bill to a referendum on June 13 fell through. “The National Assembly has rendered it impossible to hold a referendum without once reviewing the Constitution amendment bill proposed by the president,” Moon said at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting. Moon had planned to hold the referendum concurrently with the June 13 local

US intelligence officials appear to be in Pyongyang negotiating preparations for the US-North Korea summit, according to a Japanese media report. Washington is currently arranging a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The meeting, if successfully arranged, is expected to take place by early June, about a month after the inter-Korean summit, which is set for Friday. According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, a number of US officials who appear to be associated with the CIA have been in

US President Donald Trump hit back against concerns over North Korea’s recent announcement of ending its nuclear program. On Sunday evening by Korean time, Trump tweeted that the US has made no concessions, and refuted media concerns that Pyongyang appears to be gaining more from engaging the US and its allies.  US President Donald Trump. Yonhap“Sleepy Eyes Chuck Todd of Fake News NBC just stated that we have given up so much in our negotiations with North Korea, and they have given up nothing.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced that the country will suspend nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site in the northern area, state media said Saturday."From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Korean Central News Agency said."The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test," it added. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen spea

South Korea, the US and other countries seeking denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula must verify North Korea’s denuclearization before trusting the regime, experts at The Korea Herald’s “Korean Peninsula at a Crossroads” forum said. The forum, held on Thursday, brought together some of the country’s leading experts on North Korea in a discussion about the upcoming inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits. The forum was moderated by Asan Institute for Policy Studies Vice President Choi Kang, w

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hinted at his underlying hard-line stance on North Korea, warning he would boycott the planned summit with Kim Jong-un should the meeting appear unfruitful. “I hope to have a very successful meeting,” he said in a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Florida. “If I think it‘s a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we are not going to go. If the meeting, when I’m there, is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting.

The two Koreas on Wednesday agreed to live broadcast key events of the upcoming inter-Korean summit, South Korea’s presidential office said. According to Kwun Hyuk-ki, a member of South Korea’s delegation in Wednesday’s working level talks, the two sides are largely in agreement over issues concerning media coverage and protection for the two leaders. (Yonhap)“(The two Koreas) agreed to live broadcast key events and actions starting from the first hand shake in the inter-Korean talks,” Kwun said

South Korea is weighing its options in concluding a peace treaty through the upcoming summits involving North Korea, a high-level official said Wednesday.Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official, who has been closely involved in the developments surrounding inter-Korean and US-North Korea talks, said that a number of possibilities for achieving a permanent peace on the peninsula are under review. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in is set to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong-un on the South’s

Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Kim Ki-sik resigned Tuesday, once again highlighting problems in Cheong Wa Dae’s vetting process.After Kim took office, it emerged that he had donated 50 million won ($46,800) to an association of Democratic Party lawmakers near the end of his term in the parliament in 2016. The former FSS chief was also found to have gone on a number of overseas business trips funded by state-run organizations during his parliamentary term. Former Financial Supervisory Service

South Korea could send special envoys to Pyongyang ahead of the April 27 inter-Korean summit, presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok said Tuesday. Im, who serves as the chief of the inter-Korean summit preparation committee, said that National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, or National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon, could be sent if necessary. “Communication (with North Korea) is always open on the level of the NIS. If necessary, it is possible that Chung or Suh could visit Pyo

The country’s political arena is being engulfed by yet another online public opinion manipulation scandal, this time with the ruling Democratic Party in the hot seat. According to the police, a Democratic Party member identified by the surname Kim ran automated software to boost exposure of comments critical of the Moon Jae-in administration on Jan. 17. Kim, currently in custody, is a power-blogger operating under the name “Druking.” Kim openly supported President Moon in last year’s presidentia

US President Donald Trump’s personality traits show signs of instability that pose a grave danger to the world and should be kept apart from negotiations with North Korea, warns Bandy Lee.Lee, the editor of the best-selling book “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” a collection of writings by mental health professionals, warns that Trump displays numerous signs of complex psychological issues. Lee says that the tendencies Trump displays raise risks for the upcoming US-North Korea summit, which

Speculations of a possible Seoul-Washington summit are rising following Cheong Wa Dae’s confirmation of a trilateral South Korea-China-Japan summit next month. After President Moon Jae-in’s meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on Wednesday, Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said that the trilateral summit would be held early next month in Japan. President Moon Jae-in (second from right) speaks at the meeting of inter-Korean summit preparation committee on Wednesday. YonhapThe mee

A trilateral summit with South Korea, China and Japan will be held in Japan in May, Seoul’s presidential office said Wednesday. The trilateral meeting, the date of which has yet to be specified, was confirmed by Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom in a statement regarding President Moon Jae-in’s meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Seoul on Wednesday.  President Moon Jae-in (right) speaks with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono in Seoul on Wednesday. YonhapIn the statement, Kim

Seoul’s presidential office on Monday confirmed that the US and North Korea are in direct contact, saying that progress is being made on the planned summit between the two countries. “(Cheong Wa Dae) is not aware about the degree to which information is being shared, but as far as we are aware, US-North Korea contact is going well,” a high level Cheong Wa Dae official said on condition of anonymity. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. YonhapThe comment confirms US medi

The two Koreas are scrambling to prepare for the upcoming inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits. The meeting between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is scheduled for April 27. Kim’s meeting with US President Donald Trump is set for May. With the critical meetings looming closer, Seoul’s inter-Korean summit preparation committee convenes for the fourth time Thursday, when the two Koreas are set to hold a working-level meeting for the summit. President Moon Jae-in and U

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday attended a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Jeju April 3 Incident, apologizing for the violence inflicted by the state.Moon is the second incumbent president to attend the ceremony after former President Roh Moo-hyun, who attended in 2006. Citing efforts to reveal the truth about the events, Moon apologized to the victims and their families, and thanked those who have tried over the years to bring the truth to light. President Moon Jae-in gives a spee