North Korea on Wednesday abruptly postponed scheduled high level inter-Korean talks and threatened to pull-out of the summit with the US, taking issue with the ongoing South Korea-US joint military drill and “unfair” demands on denuclearization. US President Donald Trump (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right). YonhapAccording to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification, the North’s chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country Ri Son-gwon delivered a message shortly

Senegalese expats in South Korea participated in a 2.1-kilometer hike with a civic group on Sunday along a historical trail surrounding central Seoul. Senegalese expats take a commemorative photo on top of Naksan. (Foreign Ministry)The event titled “Let’s Walk Together,” or “Marchons Ensemble” in French, was jointly organized by the Korea-Senegal Commerce, Industry and Culture Association and a community of Senegalese expats. Over 70 people including expats, Senegalese Embassy staff and local un

South and North Korea are expected to hold high-level talks this week to discuss the implementation of agreements reached by their leaders last month, the South’s Ministry of Unification said Monday.“Consultations between the two Koreas are still under way. It is expected that we will have the meeting this week,” ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun told a regular press briefing.President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to halt all hostile acts against each other’s country and

US President Donald Trump announced Singapore as the location for his unprecedented meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un next month, raising speculations over why he chose the Southeast Asian city state over other symbolic venues. White House Spokesman Raj Shah said Friday that the island nation was chosen because it could ensure the security of both leaders and provide neutrality. US President Donald Trump (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right). (Yonhap)Experts also picked “

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reached a “satisfactory consensus” with a top US official, North Korean media reported Thursday, prompting speculations that the two countries may be narrowing the gap over denuclearization. According to Korean Central News Agency, Kim and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed “the acute situation of the Korean Peninsula,” and reached a satisfactory consensus on the issues discussed, without elaborating on the details.  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (c

For Choi Ki-hong, the 1950-53 Korean War that divided the peninsula in half also stripped his whole family away from him. When Choi left his hometown of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province -- a battlefield during the war and now located just south of the demilitarized zone -- as a clueless five-year-old, he didn’t realize he would never see his family again. Now 73 years old, Choi visited the Korean Red Cross’ main service center in central Seoul last week, hoping that he might be able to meet his long

With US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Pyongyang fueling hopes of the possible return of three detained US citizens, speculations about the status of South Koreans detained by the North are rising.At present, six South Korean nationals are known to be kept by the North Korean regime.According to Seoul’s Ministry of Unification, three are Christian missionaries accused of espionage and subversion against the communist nation. South Korean missionaries Kim Kuk-gi (left) and Choe Chun-gi

With the two Koreas seeking ways to resume joint economic projects after last month’s inter-Korean summit, Seoul has chosen forestry to lay the groundwork for future projects. South Korea will launch a task force specializing in research linked to inter-Korean forestation projects, according to Cheong Wa Dae, and the project is expected to be discussed with North Korea at high-level talks planned to be held within weeks. Mountains in North Korea are believed to have suffered severe deforestation

Seoul denied Wednesday that North Korea‘s capital was raised as a US-North Korea summit venue in recent talks with Washington. Earlier reports speculated that Pyongyang was a strong candidate venue for the upcoming summit. Late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung met with then North Koraen leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang for the first inter-Korean summit held in 2000. (Yonhap)“When President Moon Jae-in and President Donald Trump discussed two or three candidate venues (via phone) on April 28, P

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un seems to understand that the “inspection and verification” process is mandatory in the path leading to the North’s denuclearization, a ranking government official said Wednesday. “It is not sensible to seek a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula without going through the process of inspection and verification -- it seems the North’s leader has sufficient understanding of the matter,” a senior official from Seoul’s Ministry of Unification told reporters.  In this file pho

With a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un as close as three weeks away, assessing the most apt strategy for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is expected to be a key task lying ahead for the allies. US national security adviser John Bolton told Fox News on Sunday that the US has “very much in mind” the “Libya model” in handling the North’s nuclear program, reiterating the strategy he had floated in a previous interview shortly before taking his cu

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s wife crossed the border hours after her spouse to attend a banquet hosted by South Korea on Friday.Ri Sol-ju arrived at the Peace House in the South’s side of the truce village of Panmunjeom at 6:18 p.m., wearing a pink dress. The Peace House served as the venue for talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim earlier in the day. Although experts were expecting Ri to accompany Kim on his cross-border trip, her attendance at the ba

The leaders of the two Koreas on Friday jointly participated in special events embodying hopes for peace on the Korean Peninsula, adding to the sentiment of a thaw in inter-Korean relations.An array of ceremonies, mostly reflecting traditional Korean culture or the integration of elements of the divided Koreas, were held throughout the day. After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un crossed the border, the traditional folk tune of “Arirang” kicked off the first ceremony of the day as President Moon J

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s wife crossed the border hours after her spouse to attend a banquet hosted by South Korea on Friday.Ri Sol-ju arrived at the Peace House in the South’s side of the truce village of Panmunjeom at 6:18 p.m., wearing a pink dress. The Peace House served as the venue for talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim earlier in the day. Although experts were expecting Ri to accompany Kim on his cross-border trip, her attendance at the ba

The leaders of the two Koreas on Friday jointly participated in special events embodying hopes of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, which laced the summit with sentiment of a thaw in inter-Korean relations.An array of ceremonies, mostly reflecting the traditional Korean culture or integration of elements of the divided Koreas, were scheduled for throughout the day.  (Cheong Wa Dae)After Kim crossed the border, the traditional folk tune of “Arirang” kicked off the first ceremony of th

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un crossed the inter-Korean border early Friday, for the first sit-down meeting between the two at the truce village of Panmunjeom early Friday.With a smile on his face, Kim shook hands with South Korean President Moon after stepping out of Panmungak, a North Korean building that houses its liaison office to arrive in front of the military demarcation line. He crossed the border after shaking hands and exchanging a brief greeting with Moon. But instead of heading stra

[2018 Inter-Korean summit] All eyes on PanmunjeomWith the inter-Korean summit on Friday forecast to pave the way for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the event is being keenly watched by all those seeking to sit down at the negotiating table with North Korea. For the participants of the now-defunct six-party talks -- including the United States, China, Japan and Russia -- the meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could serve as a guide an

As the world‘s eyes descend on the truce village of Panmunjeom, the venue of Friday’s inter-Korean summit, another border town seeks to benefit from the talks. In February 2016, Seoul shuttered an industrial park jointly operated by the two Koreas in the North Korean border town of Kaesong in retaliation for the North’s nuclear test and missile launch. The incident forced more than 120 South Korean businessmen to leave behind their properties, including key facilities and raw materials. Kaesong

An itinerary outline for the upcoming inter-Korean summit has been unveiled, with the leaders of South and North Korea set to have dinner together over the course of the meeting, Seoul’s presidential office said Monday. The announcement came as the results of the third working-level talks held earlier in the day to lay the foundations for the inter-Korean summit scheduled later this week.  From left: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in (Yonhap)“The South and th

Officials from South Korea and North Korea met for the third working-level talks Monday to lay out the foundation for the inter-Korean summit scheduled later this week. The meeting kicked off at 10 a.m., and lasted for nearly four hours at the joint security area of Panmunjeom inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone, Cheong Wa Dae said. The JSA will serve as the venue for the summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slated for Friday.  Panmunj