South and North Korea agreed Thursday to hold an inter-Korean summit on April 27 at the truce village of Panmunjeom, a joint statement released by Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said. “The South and North will hold the 2018 inter-Korean summit at the Peace House at the southern side of Panmunjeom on April 27, according to the will of the leaders of both sides,” the statement read. South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon (right) and North`s Ri Son-gwon enter the conference room on Thur

The technical crew for the South Korean art troupe set to perform in North Korea departed for Pyongyang Thursday morning, tasked with preparing the stages ahead of the performances. (Yonhap)The technicians are part of a 190-member South Korean art troupe and taekwondo demonstration team, which includes K-pop artists ranging from veteran singers Cho Yong-pil and Lee Sun-hee to idols Red Velvet and Seohyun. The art troupe‘s trip to the North is part of the agreement by the two Koreas to have South

Unlike Chinese reports of a recent summit between the leaders of North Korea and China, the North’s state media have yet to mention the upcoming inter-Korean summit in April and planned US-North Korea talks for May.  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Yonhap)Confirming North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s recent trip to Beijing, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday that Kim discussed and mentioned the upcoming landmark summits with his counte

Announcing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s surprise summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday, the North’s Korea Central News Agency reported Wednesday that key issues, such as the improvement of strategic ties between the two nations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula, were discussed. “The two great leaders of (North Korea) and China and respective parties exchanged in-depth opinions on important issues including the development of ties between China and North Korea and manage

 South Korean media outlets identified Kim Jong-un as part of a high-level North Korean delegation that left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon, citing intelligence sources. 　The news came as both Koreas and the US are gearing up for an inter-Korean summit in April and a possible US-North Korea summit in May. Japanese media had previously reported a “specific train” carrying an unidentified high-ranking North Korean official arriving in China on Monday. The same train left Beijing on Tuesday afternoon

Cheong Wa Dae and government agencies on Tuesday said they were unable to confirm reports of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un‘s visit to China. Bloomberg on Tuesday reported Kim’s secret trip, citing three unnamed sources, while saying that the purpose and itinerary of his visit are not yet known.Japanese media also reported that a green train that is said to resemble one that North Korea‘s leaders had used on foreign trips has arrived in China.Despite the reports, the Seoul government has yet to

The Ministry of Unification on Monday declined to comment on reports of Korea’s global phenom Psy being a last-minute addition to the South Korean art troupe performing in Pyongyang, saying relevant details to the performances would be revealed Tuesday. “We have checked (relevant reports regarding Psy’s possible addition to the art troupe), but we do not have details regarding the matter at the moment,” said Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun at a regular press briefing. “There will be

Seoul and Pyongyang are likely to focus on finalizing details of the inter-Korean summit scheduled for April when the two sides hold high-level talks on Thursday. “A summit’s success can depend on how much progress has been made throughout its preparation process,” said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University. Cho Myoung-gyon, South Korean Unification Minister (right) and Ri Son-gwon, chairman of North Korea`s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Count

North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly, will hold a meeting on April 11, the country’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Thursday. The SPA is nominally the highest institution of state power in North Korea, but it actually rubber stamps decisions by the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.Such plenary sessions are held once or twice a year and involve daylong meetings that tackle a slew of diplomatic, political, and financial issues along with the option of a cab

Stressing the need to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issues, President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday hinted at the possibility of a trilateral summit involving the divided Koreas and the United States. “Holding a North Korea-US summit after an inter-Korean summit itself is a historical event. And depending on their outcomes, they may lead to a trilateral summit of the South, North and US,” Moon said at a meeting of Seoul‘s inter-Korean summit preparation committee, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool repo

South Korea on Tuesday agreed to send a 160-member art troupe including pop singers Lee Sun-hee, Cho Yong-pil and girl group Red Velvet to Pyongyang for two concerts planned for early April, according to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification.　The announcement is a result of working-level talks held between the two Koreas earlier in the day to hammer out details of the Pyongyang performances. 　The art troupe will hold two performances between March 31 and April 3 at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium

Seoul must obtain concrete action from Pyongyang to avoid failure of the upcoming inter-Korean summit and to play a noteworthy part in resolving tensions on the Korean Peninsula, experts say.  From left: South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Yonhap)“The United States has doubts on North Korea’s abrupt change in attitude towards denuclearization, so in order for the inter-Korean summit to be widely considered a success, South Korea must draw a clear response from

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha is expected to visit Washington next week to further discuss with US officials talks with North Korea on denuclearization, media reports said Thursday, citing diplomatic sources.  South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (Yonhap)The news comes as South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s trop security adviser Chung Eui-yong embarked on a trip to the United States to explain the outcome of his recent visit to North Korea, where he met the country’s lead

Among a crop of skillful North Korean negotiators Choe Son-hui, the country’s former Director General of Foreign Ministry’s North America Affairs is forecast to stand at the frontline of a new diplomatic tug-of-war with the United States. The then-head of the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s North American bureau, Choe Son-hui, speaks at the 2017 Moscow Nonproliferation Conference on Oct. 20, 2017. (Yonhap)Earlier this week, North Korea offered to talk with the US on denuclearization, according t

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems to have about-faced on two key issues of the South Korea-US military drill and denuclearization, but experts warn that his abrupt shift in stance may merely be the young ruler’s “subtle” diplomacy style.  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reads a letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in. (Yonhap)National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, who led a South Korean delegation of special envoys on a two-day trip to North Korea, said Tuesday that Kim had sa

With the position of the US ambassador to South Korea still vacant amid ongoing inter-Korean exchanges, analysts speculate that an official with a military background may surface as a viable candidate.  Former USFK commander Walter Sharp. (US Department of Defense)“There are talks in the diplomatic sphere that someone with a military background may fill the position,” Shin Beom-chul, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, told The Korea Herald. The post -- which has been vacant fo

A high-level North Korean Olympic delegation reiterated Pyongyang’s position against the resumption of annual South Korea-US joint military drills during its recent visit to South Korea, Seoul’s Unification Minister was quoted Thursday as saying.  A North Korean high-level delegation led by Kim Yong-chol, the head of the United Front Department. (Yonhap)Asked whether the North Korean delegation expressed any concerns about the exercises, Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said the North expres

North Korea will send a delegation including athletes to the upcoming PyeongChang Paralympic Games in South Korea, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Tuesday, which marks the reclusive nation’s first participation in the Winter Paralympics. North Korean delegation that attended the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. (Yonhap)North Korea’s decision came as a result of Tuesday’s inter-Korean working-level talks and amid Seoul’s efforts to keep the momentum of rapprochement from the Winter Olympics

A group of North Koreans, including 229 cheerleaders and 22 athletes, returned home Monday after participating in the PyeongChang Olympics.  North Korean cheerleaders stand in line at the customs, immigration and quarantine office in Paju, just south of the inter-Korean border, on Monday to return home. (Yonhap)A total of 299 North Koreans crossed the inter-Korean border at 12:38 p.m. after going through the customs, immigration and quarantine office in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on the southern s

Although Ivanka Trump may not have any plans to meet any North Koreans, someone else in her team might be gearing up for a meeting with representatives from the reclusive nation.  Allison Hooker, a National Security Council official arrives at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. (Yonhap)South Korean analysts and media have pinpointed Allison Hooker, a National Security Council official who specializes in Korean affairs as a potential key player in establishing foundations for future US-North Korea talks. H