Can We Trust the World Health Organization (WHO)?
By Richard Gale and Dr. Gary Null
Global Research, May 10, 2020
Many more questions are being raised than there are answers being discovered concerning the recent strains of coronavirus. Where and how did it originate? Was it the result of human engineering and manipulation or is it a strain that mutated naturally? What are the best tests to determine exposure and infection? Why are so many infected individuals asymptomatic? Are all elderly people equally susceptible to infection and how much do co-morbidities determine outcomes? These are just several of the important questions that still require definitive answers.
The ultimate international authority for infectious diseases is the World Health Organization (WHO). Because of its acceptance by the worlds national governments, it has been extremely successful in its mission. The WHO is the final word in determining whether the spread of a serious pathogen is ruled as a pandemic or not. For the majority of the medical community, the media and the average person, the WHO is the front line command post for medical prevention (i.e., vaccination) and treatment. Consequently its rulings are often regarded as the gold standard by which many nations design their health policies and intervening protocols to protect their citizens. On matters of global health, the WHO holds dominance.
We are currently being told by the Director General of the WHO that the solutions for curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic are self-isolation, distancing, masks, and, for those in acute stages of infection, ventilation. To date there is no drug that has been found to be universally safe and effective. Therefore, all efforts, with massive funding, are being devoted to rapidly get a coronavirus vaccine on the market. And in this effort, the WHO is a close ally and advocate in the USs federal health system, notably the CDC and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) headed by Dr. Anthony Fauci.
[WHO]
UN approves scaled down aid mission to Syria
The weakened mandate means more than 1 million Syrians could see aid deliveries halted. Russia and other UN Security Council members clashed over the terms of the aid mission.
UN aid in Syria (picture-alliance/AP Photo/H. Malla)
The UN Security Council on Friday renewed a cross-border aid operation to Syria but in a watered down form that cut the number of border crossings and halved the length of the mission.
The authorization allows humanitarian aid to enter Syria for another six months and only from two border crossings with Turkey in the northwest of the war-torn country not controlled by President Bashar Assad. Previously, assistance had been extended by a year and at four border crossings with Turkey, Iraq and Jordan.
By limiting the number crossings, more than 1 million people in northeast Syria could be cut off from humanitarian aid. The UN says 2.7 million people in the Syria's northwest Idlib province and 1.3 million in the northeast rely on assistance.
Russia and China abstained in the vote, prompting Britain and the United States to abstain in protest.
[UNUS] [Syria] [Aid]
Venezuela Wins Seat on UN Human Rights Council
October 21, 2019
October 17, 2019
ABOVE: Foreign Minister J. Arreaza, widely seen as one of Latin Americas most gifted diplomats.
As Venezuela became a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2020-2022 on Thursday with the votes of 105 countries out of 193 member States, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza characterized this election as historic.
We came to celebrate once again a victory of the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace at the U.N. We are looking at a victory that we describe as historic, Minister Arreaza said.
We have a multilateral rigorous contribution to make to the United Nations Human Rights System. We are working to prevent more violations, prevent that countries continue being blockaded, the imposition of sanctions, bombings, to prevent that the human rights of economic equality be violated around the world During the coming three years there will be Venezuela as one of its full members, Arreaza said.
The Venezuelan Diplomat denounced that his country was the victim of a brutal and fierce campaign on behalf of the United States and its allied members to prevent this election a great response.
[Venezuela] [UNUS] [Human Rights]
UN Condemns N.Korean Submarine Missile Launch
By Kim Myong-song
October 04, 2019 12:48
The UN says North Korea's latest launch of a ballistic missile from a submarine was a "violation of Security Council resolutions."
UN spokesperson Stphane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Wednesday that North Korea's missile launch was "very concerning."
The UNSC in a unanimous resolution in July 2009 banned North Korea from launching any projectile using ballistic-missile technology after Pyongyang fired long-range missiles and conducted its second nuclear test.
The Foreign Ministry of Germany, which currently chairs the UNSC, in a statement accused the North of "heightening tensions" and "contradicting North Korea's announcement seeking dialogue with the U.S."
This combination photo shows North Korea's submarine-launched missiles -- Pukkuksong-1 fired in August 2016 (left), Pukkuksong-2 in February 2017 (center) and Pukkuksong-3 on Wednesday. /Yonhap
Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was absent from the launch. The official Rodong Sinmun daily Thursday said Kim "sent a warm and fervent message of congratulation to the state researchers." It is rare for Kim to miss an event the North has touted as being "one of the historically significant events."
The daily said the test of the Pukkuksong-3, a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile, was successful.
Kim had been present at all 10 of the North's missile and artillery tests since May of last year.
[SLBM] [UNUS] [Double standards]
U.S. rejects Iran's Zarif request to visit U.N. envoy at New York hospital unless prisoner released
Humeyra Pamuk, Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United States rejected a request by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to visit Irans United Nations ambassador in a New York hospital where he is being treated for cancer, the U.S. State Department and Iranian U.N. mission said on Friday.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Zarifs request would be granted if Iran released one of several American citizens it had detained.
In July the United States imposed tight travel restrictions on Zarif before a visit that month to the United Nations, as well as on Iranian diplomats and their families living in New York, which Zarif described as basically inhuman.
[UNUS] [Legality] [Iran confrontation]
N.Korea's spat with UN
Posted : 2019-09-16 18:22
Updated : 2019-09-16 18:22
By John Burton
It might seem perverse for a country where 40 percent of the population faces the risk of going hungry that North Korea should request a reduction in the number of United Nations humanitarian aid workers there by the end of 2019.
But the intention of Pyongyang's rather unusual request might be to underscore its unhappiness over what is sees as the U.N.'s slow progress in approving sanctions exemptions for the supply of materials related to humanitarian relief.
[UNUS] [Aid weapon]
Vietnamese, DPRK trade unions boost collaboration
VNA Wednesday, August 28, 2019 - 21:33:00 Print
President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour Nguyen Dinh Khang (R) presents a keepsake to Chairman of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea Ju Yong Gil (Photo: laodong.vn)
Hanoi (VNA) - President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Nguyen Dinh Khang held talks with Chairman of the General Federation of Trade Unions of Korea (GFTUK) Ju Yong Gil in Hanoi on August 28.
At the function, Khang stressed the VGCL values its traditional friendship with the GFTUK and wants to enhance the ties in line with benefits of each side.
He recommended the two bodies exchange knowledge and experience on training trade union personnel, collective bargaining targeting the private sector, as well as on their activities in the fields suitable for the two countries cooperation like tourism, agriculture and construction.
Khang unveiled that the VGCL and GFTUK will work together to suggest suitable and meaningful activities marking the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2020.
He said he believes under the leadership of the Workers' Party of Korea and the GFTUK, the DPRKs trade union movements will achieve further success in building socialism, developing the nation, and improving local peoples living standards.
For his part, the DPRK official highlighted the long-standing ties shared between the two trade unions that have been fostered over time, noting that his current visit aims to enhance such relationship.
He also affirmed a consistent viewpoint of further expanding the ties in line with the relations shared between the two countries and their Parties.-VNA
[Vietnam] [Labour]
Russia, China seek U.N. Security Council meeting on U.S. missile developments
Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia and China have asked the United Nations Security Council to meet on Thursday over statements by U.S. officials on their plans to develop and deploy medium-range missiles, according to the request seen by Reuters.
Moscow and Beijing want to convene the 15-member council under the agenda item threats to international peace and security and have requested that U.N. disarmament affairs chief Izumi Nakamitsu brief the body.
The Pentagon said on Monday it had tested a conventionally configured cruise missile that hit its target after more than 500 km (310 miles) of flight, the first such test since the United States pulled out Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF).
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper was asked in a Fox News Channel interview on Wednesday whether the test was aimed at sending a message to China, Russia or North Korea and indicated that the main concern was China.
[INF] [Cruise missiles] [UNUS] [China confrontation]
Ethnic Korean Runs for Bolivian President
By Yoo Seog-jae
August 20, 2019 11:42
An ethnic Korean is running for the Bolivian presidency in October, a first for a Korean-born emigree in any country.
According to local media, the rightwing opposition Partido Demcrata Cristiano nominated evangelical pastor and doctor Chung Chi-hyun (49) as its presidential candidate last week.
Chung, who holds Bolivian citizenship, is the son of a Korean pastor and immigrated to the South American country in 1982, when he was 12. He graduated from San Francisco Xavier National University in Bolivia.
Chung Chi-hyun (center), a presidential candidate of Bolivia's opposition Partido Demcrata Cristiano, is escorted by bodyguards at an event in the capital of La Paz last Friday. /AFP-Yonhap
Chung told the BBC in a telephone interview that he is "suited" for the presidency since he became a Bolivian citizen 20 years ago. He added that he was motivated to run for the top office because the incumbent administration tried to turn Bolivia into a "communist system like North Korea."
Chung stands almost no chance against incumbent socialist Evo Morales, who is running for a controversial fourth term, or his popular challenger Carlos Mesa.
[Bolivia] [Diaspora] [Religion]
Pompeo warns of 'new turmoil' if U.N. arms embargo on Iran lifted in 2020
Michelle Nichols
4 Min Read
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed the international community on Tuesday to work out how to stop Iran from being unshackled to create new turmoil when a United Nations arms embargo on the country and a travel ban on the head of Irans elite Quds Force expire in October 2020.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a meeting of the UN Security Council at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., August 20, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Middle East peace and security challenges, Pompeo called for greater cooperation in the region to produce fresh thinking to solve old problems, citing problems including the Libyan and Syrian conflicts and a rift between several Gulf states and Qatar.
He also singled out Iran. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since President Donald Trumps administration last year quit an international deal to curb Irans nuclear ambitions and began to ratchet up sanctions.
Since the U.S. declared our intention to bring all Iranian oil purchases to zero in April, the Ayatollah has gone all-in on a campaign of extortion diplomacy, he said, calling out Iran for breaching caps imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal, test-firing a ballistic missile and seizing tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
[Iran confrontation] [UNUS] [Pompeo] [Renege] [Chutzpah] [Arms sales]
How Vietnam-North Korea ties can help denuclearization
Posted : 2019-08-12 16:00
Updated : 2019-08-12 17:53
Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tu says his country can help parties involved in denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula to conduct dialogue, during a recent interview with The Korea Times at his embassy in Jongno-gu, central Seoul./ Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
This is the second in a series of interviews with ASEAN ambassadors on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-South Korea relations. ED.
By YI Whan-woo
The question of whether Vietnam's Doi Moi reform initiated in 1986 could be a model for North Korea is "very presumptuous," according to Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tu.
He says the question, commonly searched on Google, should be addressed to North Korea and Vietnam can offer help only if Pyongyang requests it.
Ambassador Nguyen's view is that Vietnam and North Korea have maintained a relationship dating back to the early 1950s, even since South Korea consolidated its ties with the Southeast Asian country as a top trading partner.[Vietnam NK] [False analogy]
UN human rights report on Venezuela fundamentally flawed and disappointing
On 5 July, UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet submitted a 16-page report on the human rights situation in Venezuela. The report, which said the Venezuelan government was implicated in gross [human rights] violations, has met with both praise and frustration. Notably, former UN independent expert Alfred de Zayas found the report fundamentally flawed and disappointing.
Human rights in Venezuela
The document, which focuses on the situation of human rights in Venezuela since 2018, comes after Bachelet returned from a historic 3-day mission to the country. During the visit, she met with various Venezuelan actors, including president Nicols Maduro, opposition leader Juan Guaid, and representatives of social organisations.
The mission found that, between 2018 and 2019, the economic and social crisis deteriorated further as the Venezuelan economy collapsed. This had a serious and negative impact on the economic and social rights of Venezuelans, who reported difficulty accessing and purchasing food and basic services. It also found major concerns regarding the right to health:
[Venezuela] [Human rights] [UNUS] [Agency]
Two vessels suspected of violating UN sanctions released
Posted : 2019-07-02 17:04
Updated : 2019-07-02 19:21
Seen above is a South Korean oil tanker detained at a port in Busan for allegedly violating United Nations sanctions on North Korea. Yonhap
By Lee Min-hyung
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) decided early Tuesday (KST) to release two of the four vessels detained in South Korea for allegedly violating economic sanctions on North Korea.
According to the UNSC's committee handling affairs related to the sanctions on North Korea, vessels P. Pioneer and Lighthouse Winmore will be freed from detention, the South's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The U.N. authority made the decision after they took into consideration the ship owners' promise not to repeat the incident which went against the U.N. sanctions on the North, the ministry said. The owners submitted memoranda including such details to the U.N.
According to U.N. resolutions, any vessels, which are detained for violating sanctions on the North, can be released after their owners make official pledges not to engage in such acts again.
P. Pioneer, a South Korean oil tanker had been detained in a port in the nation's southern city of Busan since September last year. Lighthouse Winmore, a Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker, had also been detained in the southwestern coastal city of Yeosu since late November in 2017.
The two vessels are suspected of having taken part in illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers. In particular, this was the first case in which a South Korean vessel has been detained on suspicion of violating the U.N. sanctions against the North.
The U.N., however, is detaining two other stateless vessels. The Koti is suspected of engaging in an illegal ship-to-ship oil transfer, with Talent Ace detained for allegedly attempting to provide coal to the North. The former has been detained at a port in Pyeongtaek Gyeonggi Province since December 2017, and the latter is also being kept in detention at a port in the southeastern city of Gunsan.
"We expect the latest decision to set an example and help drive other U.N. member countries to thoroughly abide by the sanctions on the North," an official from the ministry said Tuesday.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [SK] [Sanctions evasion] [US dominance]
Foreign ministry, UN discuss 'low key' approach in handling NK human rights
Posted : 2019-06-17 16:52
Updated : 2019-06-17 17:30
By Lee Min-hyung
Ojea Quintana, the United Nations' special investigator on human rights in North Korea
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is likely to have asked for Ojea Quintana, the United Nations' special investigator on human rights in North Korea, to take a "toned-down" approach in handling North Korea's human rights abuses.
Quintana is on a five-day trip to Seoul from Monday as he plans to meet with ranking ministerial officials including Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho and Vice Unification Minister Suh Ho.
"His visit is intended to gather relevant data on the status quo of the North's human rights situation before the United Nations General Assembly convenes on the condition of North Korea's human rights situation in October," a foreign ministry official said.
Both ministries declined to comment on what specifically Quintana discussed with the vice ministers. But chances are that the South Korean authorities kept it low key during the meeting with the U.N. official, as Seoul does not want to provoke Pyongyang amid stalemated nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and the North.
President Moon Jae-in, who appointed himself as mediator and facilitator between the two major parties discussing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, is seeking to push for the fourth inter-Korean summit sometime before U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Seoul at the end of this month.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Propaganda] [Detente]
UN Torture Report: Demonized Assange Has Faced Psychological Torture
May 31, 2019
The UN special rapporteur on torture has blasted four nations for imposing psychological torture on Julian Assange.
A Relentless and Unrestrained Campaign of
Public Mobbing, Intimidation and Defamation
Warns of Criminalization of Journalism
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
The UN special rapporteur on torture has issued a stinging rebuke to the United States, Great Britain, Sweden and Ecuador for deliberately exposing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to years of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, which can only be described as psychological torture.
In 20 years of work with victims of war, violence and political persecution I have never seen a group of democratic States ganging up to deliberately isolate, demonise and abuse a single individual for such a long time and with so little regard for human dignity and the rule of law, Nils Melzer said in a statement published on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights website on Friday. The collective persecution of Julian Assange must end here and now!
Melzer: Collective persecution must end. (UN Photo)
The evidence is overwhelming and clear, Melzer said. Mr. Assange has been deliberately exposed, for a period of several years, to progressively severe forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the cumulative effects of which can only be described as psychological torture.
[Assange] [Torture] [UN]
People in North Korea trapped in vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption and repression UN human rights report
GENEVA (28 May 2019) People in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) are trapped in a vicious cycle, in which the failure of the State to provide for lifes basic necessities forces them to turn to rudimentary markets where they face a host of human rights violations in an uncertain legal environment, according to a new UN human rights report.
The report, published by the UN Human Rights Office on Tuesday, highlights how the public distribution system in the DPRK has been broken for over two decades and how, as people seek to eke out a living in a legally precarious parallel economy, they are exposed to arbitrary arrest, detention, and extortion
[Sanctions effect] [UNUS] [Victim]
US To Sanction Implementation Of UN Security Council Resolution
May 6, 2019
by Peter Jenkins
On May 3, the U.S. Department of State announced:
Starting May 4, assistance to expand Irans Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant beyond the existing reactor unit could be sanctionable. In addition, activities to transfer enriched uranium out of Iran in exchange for natural uranium could be sanctionable. Iran must stop all proliferation-sensitive activities, including uranium enrichment, and we will not accept actions that support the continuation of such enrichment. We will also no longer permit the storage for Iran of heavy water it has produced in excess of current limits; any such heavy water must no longer be available to Iran in any fashion.
This latest U.S. diktat amounts to a frontal assault on UN Security Council Resolution 2231 of July 20, 2015, which reads in part:
[The Security Council] Calls upon all member statesto take such actions as may be appropriate to support the implementation of the JCPOA, including by taking actions commensurate with the implementation plans set out in the JCPOA and this resolution, and by refraining from actions that undermine implementation of commitments under the JCPOA.
The Security Council adopted this resolution six days after Iran, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, and the European Union agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This agreement was designed to restrict Irans nuclear activities while International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors look systematically into whether Irans nuclear program is exclusively peaceful.
Not content with ceasing to implement the JCPOA after the United States pulled out a year ago, the Trump administration is seeking to undermine the implementation of JCPOA commitments by threatening to punish others with sanctions.
[Iran confrontation] [Iran deal] [Renege] [JCPOA] [Sanctions] [UNSC]
UN council to go over North Korea's human rights
Posted : 2019-05-01 17:18
Updated : 2019-05-01 19:26
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will go over North Korea's human rights situation starting May 6, according to diplomatic sources, Wednesday.
The examination will take place as part of the 33rd session of the working group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). It will take place from May 6 to 17 at the council's headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The UPR is held every five years. All U.N. member countries are subject to review and are given an opportunity to address their human rights situation and how they can develop it.
The council conducted previous reviews on North Korea in 2009 and 2014.
The 2019 review will be based partly on inquiries submitted online by other U.N. members, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Sweden, on the North's human rights record.
[UNUS] [Human rights]
Pope's video message for the first anniversary of Panmunjom Declaration for Peace
In a video message sent on Saturday, Pope Francis hopes that the first anniversary celebration of Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula may offer hope to all Koreans that a future based on unity, dialogue and fraternal solidarity is indeed possible.
[Panmunjom Declaration] [Rhetoric] [Pope Francis]
North Korean official meets Laotian President
Posted : 2019-03-30 12:49
Updated : 2019-03-31 10:41
Bounnhang Vorachith (second from right), general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee and president of Laos, inspects Saysettha Comprehensive Development Zone in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, March 7. Xinhua-Yonhap
A senior North Korean official met Laotian President Bounnhang Vorachith and discussed expanding ties between the two countries, Pyongyang's state-run media said Saturday.
Ri Su-yong, who is in charge of international affairs at the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), arrived in Laos, Wednesday, after spending a day in Beijing for a layover on his way to the Southeast Asian country.
"Bounnang Vorachith expressed full support for the efforts made by the WPK and the government of the DPRK for the building of a powerful socialist country and peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world," Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
North Korean ruling party senior leader Ri Su-yong, part of a visiting delegation led by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, visits the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 1. AP-Yonhap
DPRK is the acronym for North Korea's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The meeting was held Thursday.
Pundits said the visit appeared aimed at bolstering friendly ties between the WPK and its Lao counterpart, the People's Revolutionary Party. (Yonhap)
[Ri Su Yong] [Laos NK]
UN Strengthens Peacekeeping Despite U.S. Scepticism
This Friday, the UN hosts the 2019 Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference, an opportunity for politicians and diplomats to fill gaps in blue helmet missions. In this Q&A, Crisis Groups UN Director Richard Gowan previews the agenda.
Richard Gowan
UN Director
What is the point of the conference?
This is the latest edition of a series of conferences that former U.S. President Barack Obama kicked off with other leaders at the UN General Assembly in 2015. Vice President Joe Biden had chaired a trial run the previous year. The basic idea is to get senior figures together to pledge military units, or other forms of help like training, to UN Peacekeeping.
This process was the Obama administrations response to major gaps in the UNs forces revealed by crises such as the collapse of South Sudan in 2013. The president used his convening power to get other leaders to pledge high-grade units from advanced militaries that the UN was unlikely to attract otherwise.
The initiative, which included defence minister-level talks in the UK and Canada in 2016 and 2017, has worked quite well. The British sent medics to work with the UN in South Sudan, Portuguese special forces have deployed to the Central African Republic (CAR), and a number of NATO and EU members have sent air assets and intelligence specialists to Mali. Well-established UN contributors, such as Rwanda, have also upgraded the range of forces and types of units like helicopters that they offer the UN.
[UNUS]
UNSC grants sanctions exemption for inter-Korean excavation of DMZ war remains
Posted : 2019-01-28 09:56
Updated : 2019-01-28 14:38
The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has granted a sanctions exemption for an inter-Korean project to excavate Korean War remains in the Demilitarized Zone, a diplomatic source said Monday.
The UNSC made the decision last week as Seoul sought the exemption to ensure that the delivery of equipment into the communist state for the project will not be impeded by anti-Pyongyang sanctions.
The Koreas plan to carry out the project in Arrowhead Ridge, a notorious battle site of the 1950-53 Cold War conflict, from April to October under last year's bilateral military accord aimed at reducing tensions, preventing accidental clashes and building trust.
During the "working-group" meeting via videoconferencing on Jan. 17, Seoul and Washington reached a consensus over the sanctions exemption for the project.
The excavation project is a key part of the inter-Korean military accord. The accord includes a series of confidence-building and arms control measures, including disarming the Joint Security Area, withdrawing some border guard posts and setting up air, maritime and ground buffer zones. (Yonhap)
[MIA] [US dominance] [UNUS]
UN approves exemption on sanctions for humanitarian aid to North Korea
Posted on : Jan.24,2019 16:08 KST Modified on : Jan.24,2019 16:08 KST
Exemption granted to six aid groups, including UNICEF and Eugene Bell Foundation
The UN approved an exemption on sanctions for aid to North Korea from four international humanitarian groups.
The website of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea (1718 Committee) announced on Jan. 23 that requests for exemptions to sanctions on humanitarian assistance items were granted on Jan. 18 for four organizations: UNICEF, the Eugene Bell Foundation (EBF), First Steps, and Christian Friends of Korea (CFK).
The decision for the four groups brings the total number of humanitarian aid-related exemptions announced by the 1718 Committee on its web page to six. UNICEF and EBF were named for a second time each after being respectively listed in October and November of last year. CFK and the Canadian-based relief group First Steps were granted exemptions on sanctions for the first time.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Aid] [Hypocrisy]
UN exempts 4 organizations from NK sanctions, opens door for humanitarian aid
By Choi He-suk
Published : Jan 23, 2019 - 16:01
Updated : Jan 23, 2019 - 16:01
The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea has granted exemptions from the sanctions to four organizations, it was revealed Tuesday.
According to the committee, Christian Friends of Korea, the Eugene Bell Foundation, First Steps and UNICEF were given exemptions that took effect Jan. 18. Christian Friends of Korea is a US-based organization that has been providing humanitarian aid to North Korea since 1995, and First Steps is a Canada-based Christian organization that focuses on addressing child malnutrition in the North.
[Sanctions] [UNSC] [UNUS] [Aid] [US dominance]
Pope Has No Immediate Plan to Visit N.Korea
By Cho Yi-jun
January 09, 2019 13:04
Pope Francis has no plan to visit North Korea anytime soon, Voice of America quoted the Vatican as saying Monday.
"At this time pope's visit to North Korea is not foreseen," Alessandro Gisotti of the Holy See Press Office told the broadcaster.
In an e-mail to VOA in early December last year, another press officer said, "I don't see it happening in 2019 ...too many other trips on the schedule, or in the plans. And they are all easier than North Korea!"
[Pope Francis] [Vatican]
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announces resignation
Posted : 2019-01-08 09:47
Updated : 2019-01-08 15:30
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim addresses a meeting in Bali last year. He will resign in February. Yonhap
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced Monday he will step down next month, more than three years before his term is due to expire.
The decision ends Kim's six-year tenure and may give U.S. President Donald decisive influence over leadership of the global development lender.
"It has been a great honor to serve as president of this remarkable institution, full of passionate individuals dedicated to the mission of ending extreme poverty in our lifetime," Kim said in a statement.
Kim, who became president in 2012, will join an as-yet unnamed firm focusing on investments in developing countries, the bank said in a statement, and will return to the board of Partners-in-Health, which he co-founded.
Under Kim's leadership, the bank set a goal of eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 and boosted financing.
Last year, it also won approval for a $13 billion capital increase after acceding to requests from the Trump administration to curb loans to high-income countries like China.
Kim's tenure was also marked by high levels of disaffection among World Bank staff, who objected to widespread internal restructuring that Kim began.
World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva will serve as interim president when Kim leaves on Feb. 1. (AFP)
[World Bank] [Jim Yong Kim] [UNUS] [China confrontation] [Trump]
Aung San Suu Kyi gets Gwangju Human Rights Award revoked
Posted on : Dec.19,2018 16:34 KST Modified on : Dec.19,2018 16:34 KST
Hero of Myanmar democratization movement remains silent on massacre of ethnic minority
Myanmars state counselor and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi speaks at the business forum of the ASEAN Summit in Singapore on Dec. 12. (AFP)
Once revered as a symbol of the democratization movement in Asia, Aung San Suu Kyi has suffered the disgrace of having her Gwangju Human Rights Award revoked. The South Korean city of Gwangju is also considering withdrawing Aung San Suu Kyis honorary citizenship.
On Dec. 18, the May 18 Memorial Foundation withdrew the Gwangju Human Rights Award it had given to Aung San Suu Kyi, citing her indifference to the massacre of the Rohingya, a minority group in Myanmar.
Myanmars state counsellor and de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyis inhumane indifference to the human rights violations perpetrated against the Rohingya goes against the spirit of the Gwangju Human Rights Award, which espouses the values of democracy and human rights, the May 18 Memorial Foundation said.
[Aung San Suu Kyi] [Myanmar] [Human rights]
N.Korea 'Apologized to Vietnam Over Kim Jong-nam Killing'
By Ahn Jun-yong
December 12, 2018 11:45
North Korean officials informally apologized to Vietnam for using a Vietnamese woman in the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half-brother Kim Jong-nam in Kuala Lumpur last year, a senior government official here said Tuesday.
Malaysian investigators concluded that a Vietnamese and an Indonesian woman killed Kim at Kuala Lumpur International Airport by smearing him with a deadly nerve agent at the instruction of four North Korean men. The North officially denied any involvement in the assassination.
But the high-ranking official said North Korea "belatedly apologized" for the involvement of the son of a former North Korean ambassador to Vietnam in recruiting the Vietnamese assassin, Doan Thi Huong.
"The Vietnamese government and public were outraged by the involvement of a Vietnamese citizen in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam and bilateral relations chilled," the official said. "Vietnam demanded an official apology from North Korea and threatened to sever diplomatic ties."
[Vietnam] [Kim Jong Nam] [Canard]
Papal visit to North Korea still uncertain
Posted : 2018-12-10 15:14
Updated : 2018-12-10 15:15
Pope Francis stands next to a candle decorated with the faces of Syrian children suffering from war. He was delivering the Angelus noon prayer from his studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Dec. 2, 2018. AP-Yonhap
By Oh Young-jin
A guessing game is going on about whether Pope Francis will visit North Korea next year.
The latest round has been triggered by reports on the Voice of America (VOA), the U.S. government-funded international radio broadcaster, that the pope will not visit North Korea next year.
Then, Yonhap News, the South Korean government-funded news service, reported that the VOA's report could not be entirely trusted.
"The Vatican is making a hidden effort to create a consensus with North Korea about the Pope's visit next year," Yonhap quoted an unnamed source as saying over telephone. It is not clear whether the source is employed at the Vatican or is a South Korean diplomat there.
Yonhap said that in October, when President Moon Jae-in visited the Vatican, the Pope told him he would unconditionally visit the North, once Pyongyang invited him.
"I don't see it happening in 2019 ? too many other trips on the schedule, or in the plans. And they are all easier than N. Korea," VOA said, quoting an email message sent to its Korean Service.
There are no reports that the Vatican has made any official reference to the reports. Neither has the South Korean government.
Meanwhile, there appears to be a tug of war between South and North Korea regarding Kim Jong-un's promised visit to Seoul. There are some indications that Kim's visit may not occur this year, although there is the chance of a surprise announcement.
[Pope Francis]
South Korean diplomat to lead UN development agencies
Posted : 2018-12-07 10:04
Updated : 2018-12-07 15:34
Cho Tae-yul
South Korea's ambassador to the United Nations was elected this week to lead the combined executive board of three U.N. development agencies next year, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday.
Cho Tae-yul took office as the president of the executive board of the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) and U.N. Office for Project Services (UNOPS) during its special session following the election Thursday.
It is the first time since the establishment of the board in 1994 that South Korea has taken its presidency. Since 1994, Seoul has served as a member of the board multiple times and is set to be on it for the 2019-2021 period.
During his one-year term, Cho will preside over the board's regular sessions, set for January and September, and its annual gathering slated for June.
"Cho's election will serve as a good opportunity to play a role as a bridge between traditional donor states and recipients, based on South Korea's experience in transitioning from a beneficiary to a donor state," the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry added that Cho at the helm of the executive board will support efforts to enhance the efficiency of U.N. development programs in cooperation with civil society, private sectors and other U.N. agencies. (Yonhap)
[UNUS]
Miss Universe Singapore reveals pageant gown featuring Trump's handshake with Kim Jong Un
As Miss Congeniality highlighted back in 2000, beauty pageant contestants are often expected to advocate for world peace. But Miss Universe Singapore plans to bring even more attention to that theme by wearing a dress in next months pageant that features an image of President Donald Trumps handshake with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
My first impression of the costume was that it looked absolutely angelic and it truly did embody the essence of world peace, Miss Universe Singapore Zahra Khanum, 24, told Singapores The New Paper. It had a very serene and calming effect.
[Singapore summit] [ Bizarre]
Politics should remain separate from humanitarian assistance to North Korea
Posted : 2018-12-02 09:37
Updated : 2018-12-02 14:56
Bart Vermeiren / Yonhap
Politics should be kept separate from efforts for humanitarian aid, the head of the North Korean office of an international Red Cross organization has said, adding that any link between them could be "dangerous" as it could turn assistance into a "negotiation tool."
Bart Vermeiren, head of mission of the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), made the remark in a recent interview in Seoul with Yonhap News Agency, amid growing calls for waiving sanctions for humanitarian projects.
"I think that humanitarian aid should remain depoliticized. It should not actually be linked to politics because it becomes dangerous. Then humanitarian aid becomes a tool, a negotiation tool so that should not be the case," he said.
Vermeiren was in Seoul on a four-day trip to meet Red Cross colleagues and policymakers to discuss cooperation. This marked his first official trip since he was sent to Pyongyang in July last year. His term as head of the ICRC's Pyongyang office is to end in December.[Aid weapon] [IRC]
Mexico keeps persona non grata status for North Korean envoy
Posted : 2018-11-26 21:52
Updated : 2018-11-26 22:44
North Korean Ambassador to Mexico Kim Hyong-gil, who has been declared persona non grata by Mexican government as of Sep.7, 2017, speaks to the press on the following day. According to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim started his term there on June 20, 2016. Korea Times file
By Jung Da-min
Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in September last year declared North Korean Ambassador Kim Hyong-gil as persona non grata and expelled him from the country.
Ahead of the inauguration ceremony of Mexico's president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador next month, Kim's status remains unchanged.
"The position of North Korean ambassador to Mexico is still vacant," the Mexican Embassy in Seoul told Korea Times Monday. "We haven't heard about any plans to lift the measure yet."
As a North Korean delegation is heading for Mexico City to attend the presidential inauguration ceremony on Dec. 1, it is speculated that their strained diplomatic relations may improve.
The delegation is led by Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and includes Pak Thae-song, vice-chairman of the Central Committee of Workers' Party of Korea, and Vice Foreign Minister Ho Yong-bok.
Kim Hyong-gil with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in June 2016. Korea Times file
The Mexican government's decision to expel Kim Hyong-gil followed an executive order by The Mexican government's decision to expel Kim Hyong-gil followed an executive order by President Enrique Pena Nieto, in protest of North Korea conducting its sixth nuclear test on Sept. 3 last year.
Following Mexico, other countries including Peru and Spain also expelled North Korean ambassadors from their countries.
Meanwhile, the North Korean government is seeking to get diplomatic relations back on track, sending its delegation to Latin America.
According to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Saturday, the delegation to Mexico will also visit Cuba and Venezuela.
[Mexico] [US dominance]
North Korean leader sees off Cuban president after 3-day visit
Posted : 2018-11-07 09:29
Updated : 2018-11-08 12:05
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sees off Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez at Pyongyang International Airport, Tuesday. Yonhap
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has seen off Cuban President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez after his three-day visit to Pyongyang, the communist state's state media reported Wednesday.
The Cuban leader left Pyongyang by his personal plane Tuesday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. Kim and his wife, Ri Sol-ju, were at the airport to see off the president and his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza.
"After Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez and his wife got off a car, the supreme leader and his wife exchanged greetings and their inmost feelings, holding hands together," the KCNA said in an English-language article.
"Kim Jong-un said that he would look forward to meeting him again and wished him good health and happiness and continued success in his work," it added.
During his stay in the North, the Cuban leader held talks with Kim over bilateral cooperation and exchanges in various fields.
The Cuban president took office in April. Kim met him in 2015, when he traveled to Pyongyang as Cuba's first vice president. (Yonhap)
[Cuba]
North Korea
and Mongolia
By Koryo Tours
A short introduction to relations between North Korea and Mongolia.
This past week marked the 70th anniversary of North Korea-Mongolia relations. On 15 October 1948 Mongolia was the second country to recognize the newly established Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, following the Soviet Union on 12 October of the same year.
The order by which foreign states recognized the DPRK is immortalized in the first numbers of diplomatic licenses plates. For instance, the plates of cars of the Russian Embassy start with 01, while those of the Mongolian Embassy start with 02. The Peoples Republic of China, not founded until 1 October 1949, is therefore 10.
[Mongolia]
UN Mulls Taking N.Korea to Court Over Rights Abuses
By O Youn-hee, Kim Myong-song
November 07, 2018 11:50
The UN General Assembly is considering taking North Korea to the International Criminal Court for egregious human rights abuses, Voice of America reported Monday.
The report comes ahead of high-level talks between North Korea and the U.S. on Thursday, though a UN draft resolution is not expected until December.
On Tuesday, a group of former prisoners of war in North Korea and groups championing human rights in the North filed a complaint with prosecutors in Seoul against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for crimes against humanity.
At a press conference in front of Cheong Wa Dae, they said Kim has continued inflicting brutality on POWs still in the North and that he must be arrested if he enters South Korean territory for his next summit with President Moon Jae-in.
Meanwhile, U.S. broadcaster Radio Free Asia claimed that a senior member of Kims security team was purged for listening to RFA.
RFA is nominally independent but funded by Congress and sees it as its mission to advance U.S. foreign policy aims.
[Propaganda] [UNUS]
North Korea's protocols for visiting dignitaries
Posted : 2018-11-06 19:13
Updated : 2018-11-07 00:32
By Jung Da-min
North Korea has a set of protocols for visiting heads of state, shown during President Moon Jae-in's visit to the capital Pyongyang and repeated for Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited this week for the first summit between the countries in 32 years.
[Cuba]
North Korea, Cuba hold 1st summit in 32 years
Posted : 2018-11-05 14:37
Updated : 2018-11-05 15:13
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wave back to Pyongyang citizens during a car parade, Sunday. Captured from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba's Twitter account (@CubaMINREX)
By Jung Da-min
North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has received Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel with "magnificent" welcoming events, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Monday, with Kim repeatedly stressing "the strategic and comradely friendship with Cuba."
Diaz-Canel's visit to North Korea marked the first by a Cuban president since former President Fidel Castro's 1986 visit, though Diaz-Canel has traveled to North Korea before, meeting Kim Jong-un as Cuban vice president back in 2015.
According to the KCNA, Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju greeted Diaz-Canel and his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza at Pyongyang International Airport on Sunday.
Following a 21-gun salute from the Korean People's Army, Kim and Diaz-Canel reviewed the honor guards of the KPA. The two leaders also took part in a car parade through the streets of Pyongyang to arrive at the Paekhwawon State Guest House, where the Cuban delegation would stay.
During the talks at the Paekhwawon State Guest House in Sunday afternoon, Kim and Diaz-Canel demonstrated "the invincibility of the traditional fellowship, trust, friendship and solidarity of the peoples of the two countries," while discussing ways to boost exchanges in various fields including economy, culture, public health, science and technology, KCNA reported.
They also exchanged views on the "common concern" of the two countries on international politics, while reaching "a consensus of views on all issues."
North Korea is committed to boosting friendly relations with Cuba as socialist allies, while the two countries are in conflicts with the U.S.
North Korea's party mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun on Sunday published a series of articles on Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel's visit to Pyongyang, with this photo showing the third page of the paper featuring Diaz-Canel's photo on right. Yonhap
On Sunday during the North Korea-Cuba summit, a joint performance by major art troupes of North Korea ?the Samjiyon Orchestra, the Moranbong Electronic Ensemble and the Wangjaesan Art Torupe? was held and songs of messages calling socialist solidarity with "brother-like peoples of Cuba" were performed, including "July 26 March" and "Only along the Road of Socialism" to commemorate the Cuban Revolution in 1953.
After the performance, Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju also hosted a grand banquet at the Morkan House for Cuban president and his wife.
Before visiting North Korea, Diaz-Canel met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He will be heading to China, Laos and Vietnam after completing his two-day visit to Pyongyang.
[NK Cuba]
UN votes overwhelmingly to condemn US embargo on Cuba
The UN General Assembly backed a resolution for an end to US embargo on Cuba by 189-2 in a slap to Washington.
7 hours ago
The vote has given Cuba an annual stage for the last 27 years to demonstrate the isolation of the US on the embargo imposed in 1960 [Anadolu Agency]
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The United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly backed a resolution condemning the US economic embargo on Cuba after rejecting proposed US amendments criticising the communist nation on its human rights record.
Out of the 193-member body, 189 countries voted in favour of the resolution at the 27th annual General Assembly meeting, with only the US and Israel voting against. Moldova and Ukraine did not vote.
The resolutions are unenforceable, but they reflect world opinion and the vote has given Cuba an annual stage for the last 27 years to demonstrate the isolation of the US on the embargo imposed in 1960.
[Cuba] [Sanctions] [UN] [Impotence]
US calls on UN to enforce sanctions on North Korea
Posted : 2018-10-27 10:02
Updated : 2018-10-27 10:02
Tweet Follow @koreatimescokr
The United States on Friday called on the United Nations to fully comply with sanctions on North Korea until the regime gives up its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert issued the call in a statement welcoming a U.N. committee's decision to deflag and ban port entry to three vessels suspected of engaging in illicit activities with the North.
The Shang Yuan Bao, New Regent and Kum Un San 3 are accused of carrying out banned ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum to North Korean ships.
"North Korea's illicit imports of refined petroleum have substantially breached the U.N. sanctions cap on refined petroleum by making illicit transfers, and we urge that Member States immediately end all sales of refined petroleum to North Korea," the spokeswoman said. "We call on the 1718 Committee to formally recognize this breach."
[Sanctions] [Resistance] [UNUS]
UN expert says North Korea's rights abysmal despite summits
Posted : 2018-10-24 09:50
Updated : 2018-10-24 17:28
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's summits with the presidents of South Korea and the United States have not changed his country's abysmal human rights record, the U.N. independent investigator on human rights in the isolated Asian nation said Tuesday.
Speaking at a news conference, Tomas Ojea Quintana said he is ''very concerned'' that statements following Kim's meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump made no mention of human rights in North Korea.
He pointed to reports of ''systematic, widespread abuses'' of human rights and a U.N. commission of inquiry's findings in 2014 that possible crimes against humanity have been committed in North Korea.
''The human rights situation at the moment, at the moment, has not changed,'' Quintana said.
Quintana said dealing with North Korea's nuclear arsenal is extremely important for humanity, and he strongly supported rapprochement between the two Koreas and talks with the U.S. that have decreased tensions and improved prospects for peace.
But he stressed that North Korea's human rights record must not be ignored.
[UNUS] [Human rights]
Indonesia to Slash Investment in Fighter Jet Project with Korea
By Yu Yong-weon
October 22, 2018 11:02
Indonesia has decided to renegotiate joint development of a fighter jet with Korea citing straitened circumstances.
Jakarta originally pledged to shoulder 20 percent of the W8.5 trillion development cost of the KF-X fighter jet using Korean designs and technology by 2026 (US$1=W1,133).
The decision would delay the project, dealing a blow to Korea Aerospace Industries and other defense companies while complicating the retirement of Korea's aging F-4 and F-5 fighter jets.
[Indonesia] [Arms sales] [Fighters]
Diplomatic hurdles face possible papal visit
Posted : 2018-10-21 17:47
Updated : 2018-10-21 18:06
Tweet Follow @koreatimescokr
By Yi Whan-woo
Andrew Yeom Soo-jung
North Korea is one of the few countries that does not have diplomatic relations with the Vatican. And this is likely to pose a challenge for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in inviting Pope Francis to his country.
The pope said he is willing to go to Pyongyang if he is officially invited. President Moon Jae-in met him at the Vatican, Thursday, and delivered Kim's invitation.
It is an unwritten rule for both the head of state and the primate of the Catholic Church to send a formal invitation for a papal visit, according to sources familiar with the Catholic Church, Sunday.
Kim extended the invitation. But he may find it uneasy for Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, who also has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, to send another invitation.
With the Vatican's approval, Yeom has been serving as the de facto primate of the two Korea.
[Pope Francis]
'North Korea seeks to escape isolation by inviting Pope'
Posted : 2018-10-21 17:47
Updated : 2018-10-21 18:07
By Lee Min-hyung
Thae Yong-ho, former North Korean diplomat
With North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inviting Pope Francis to visit his regime, Pyongyang's failed attempts to invite a former pontiff are resurfacing here.
Last month, Kim shared his strong desire to ask the pope to visit the North in an inter-Korean summit with President Moon Jae-in. Kim said he would "ardently welcome the pope" if he accepted the offer, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Moon also delivered Kim's willingness to invite to the pope to Pyongyang during their meeting in the Vatican, Thursday (local time). The pope said he would be willing to visit North Korea if an official invitation were made.
This is not the first time the North has sought to invite a pope, according to former North Korean diplomat-turned-defector Thae Yong-ho, the writer of the book, "Cryptography from the Third-Floor Secretariat," published in May.
"In 1991, North Korea's foreign ministry formed a special taskforce to invite the pope to Pyongyang," the former North Korean Deputy Ambassador to the United Kingdom said in the book.
The North rated then-Pope John Paul II highly, as he had received an enthusiastic welcome whenever he visited other countries, according to Thae.
[Pope] [Thae Yong Ho] [Defector industry]
Pope's possible visit to North Korea fuels peace momentum
Posted : 2018-10-19 16:52
Updated : 2018-10-20 12:08
President Moon Jae-in smiles after receiving a rosary case from Pope Francis as a gift during their meeting at the Vatican Thursday. At right is first lady Kim Jung-sook. Moon and Kim are both Catholics. / Yonhap.
By Yi Whan-woo
President Moon Jae-in's vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula is expected to gain further momentum after Pope Francis accepted a handwritten letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inviting him to visit Pyongyang, according to analysts, Friday.
The letter was presented to the pope by President Moon, Thursday
If realized, this will be the first visit by a leader of the Catholic Church to the North Korea, and could speed up Pyongyang's efforts to be recognized as a "normal state" connected to the outside world. This is in line with Moon's vision, the analysts noted.
[Pope Francis]
Moon secures Popes consent for visit to North Korea
Posted on : Oct.19,2018 14:49 KST Modified on : Oct.19,2018 14:49 KST
Pope Francis staunch support for inter-Korean peace exceeds expectations
South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks with Pope Francis in Vatican City on Oct. 18. (Blue House photo pool)
Dont stop, and keep moving forward. Dont be afraid, said Pope Francis, speaking to a special believer named Timothy who visited him on Oct. 18.
Pope Francis was telling South Korean President Moon Jae-in, whose saints name is Timothy, not to stop working for peace on the Korean Peninsula. I strongly support the South Korean governments ongoing efforts to promote the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, the pope said, making clear that he stands behind Moon.
Pope Franciss staunch support for peace on the Korean Peninsula exceeded expectations. Even before the meeting, Blue House officials said they didnt expect the pope to clearly express his willingness to visit North Korea and thought the best case scenario was that he would seriously consider it. But the pope explicitly said he was willing to visit North Korea and would definitely respond if he received an invitation from the North. He also voiced his strong support for Moons plan for peace on the Korean Peninsula. For Moon, the papal response was an unexpected boon that delivered everything he had hoped and more.
[Pope Francis]
Popes visit to North Korea becomes plausible reality
Posted on : Oct.19,2018 14:47 KST Modified on : Oct.19,2018 14:47 KST
Many administrative and political hurdles remain in Pope Francis invitation to Pyongyang
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook speak with Pope Francis at the Vatican after receiving gifts of rosaries on Oct. 18. (Blue House photo pool)
Its a pleasure to meet you, said Korean Christian Federation chairman Kang Myong-chol.
Peace! replied Pope Francis, smiling brightly.
The Popes meeting with a representative of the North Korean Christian community at a 70th anniversary event for the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva on June 21 was arranged by figures from the South Korean religious community. It was Pope Francis first meeting with a North Korean since being named Pope in Mar. 2013.
[Pope Francis]
Moon says giving speech at St. Peters Basilica was like a dream
Posted on : Oct.19,2018 14:52 KST Modified on : Oct.19,2018 14:52 KST
Cardinal Pietro Parolin says audience hung onto every word of Moons post-mass speech
South Korean President Moon Jae-in gives a speech on the necessary efforts for inter-Korean peace after a special mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula officiated by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin at the Vatican on Oct. 17. (Blue House photo pool)
Panmunjom will now become a symbol of peace on the Korean Peninsula, said South Korean President Moon Jae-in during his official visit to the Vatican on Oct. 17. Moon said it felt like a dream to deliver a speech in St. Peters Basilica.
After completing a special mass for peace on the Korean Peninsula at St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican City on Wednesday, Moon had dinner at the residence of the South Korean ambassador to the Vatican with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, who had officiated the mass. During the two-hour dinner, Moon said that it felt like a dream to attend mass and then speak at St. Peters Basilica, according to Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations Yoon Young-chan.
[Moon Jae-in] [Catholicism]
Pope accepts Kim Jong-un's invitation to North Korea
Posted : 2018-10-18 17:29
Updated : 2018-10-18 23:08
President Moon Jae-in, left, shakes hands with Pope Francis before the start of their face-to-face meeting, Thursday night, in Vatican City. AP-Yonhap
By Kim Yoo-chul
VATICAN CITY Pope Francis accepted a handwritten letter from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, delivered by President Moon Jae-in, Thursday, inviting him to visit Pyongyang.
"During a meeting between President Moon Jae-in and Pope Francis held behind closed doors at the Vatican, the pope said he was waiting for an official invitation from Kim Jong-un, adding he could visit the North," chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said in a media briefing late Thursday (KST).
"The pope told President Moon that he would immediately respond to the invitation once he officially receives one," Yoon continued.
The specific timing of such a trip, if it occurs, was not mentioned, although ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Lee Hae-chan said recently that the pope "was aiming to visit North Korea next spring."
If the visit takes place, it will be the first time for a leader of the Catholic Church to step foot in the North.
"President Moon met Pope Francis for 37 minutes. The pope said the Vatican strongly supports the peacemaking process on the peninsula and told President Moon that he should move forward with the ongoing denuclearization process. He also told the President that there was no need to be afraid," Yoon said.
[Pope Francis] [Moon Jae-in]
North Korea strengthens regional ties on Workers' Party foundation anniversary
Posted : 2018-10-18 16:28
Updated : 2018-10-19 00:27
The Tumen River, where the borders of North Korea, China and Russia meet. Korea Times 2015 file
By Jung Da-min
North Korea is committed to strengthening its regional ties in Asia, especially with traditional allies such as China, Russia and Mongolia, on the 73rd anniversary of the foundation of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).
The country's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) recently published a series of articles on diplomatic and cultural events involving these countries.
This is in contrast with last year when North Korea was isolated from the international community after conducting missile and nuclear tests. In particular, North Korea-China relations had been weakened to the point where the regime's state media did not even report China's congratulatory message for the event.
On the Oct. 10 foundation anniversary this year, however, the KCNA reported that the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese Embassy in North Korea sent floral baskets to the WPK Central Committee.
[KWP]
New North Korea ambassador to 'work with U.N.' following inter-Korea summit
By
Elizabeth Shim
Ambassador Kim Song (R) presents his credentials to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday at U.N. headquarters in New York. Photo by Elizabeth Shim/UPI
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The new North Korea ambassador to the United Nations presented his credentials to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, ahead of a possible higher-level U.S.-North Korea meeting at the United Nations next week.
Ambassador Kim Song, who said he intends to "work with the U.N." on international affairs, added he conveys "warm greetings" from "supreme leader" Kim Jong Un.
"I bring warm greetings from our supreme leader Comrade Kim Jong Un, chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, chairman of the state commission of the [Democratic People's Republic of Korea]," Kim said before reporters at U.N. headquarters.
Wearing a lapel pin bearing the portrait of one of the North Korean leaders, the top Pyongyang diplomat to the United Nations also said he "conveys greetings from Comrade Kim Yong Nam," presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Guterres, who said he has been watching the third inter-Korea summit, said in a separate statement he praises the "determination and diplomacy" of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong Un.
"The commitments reflected in the joint statement include important military confidence-building measures and a commitment by [North Korea] to dismantle missile engine testing infrastructure in the presence of experts from related countries," Guterres had said in statement, adding "now it is time for concrete action."
[UN] [UNUS] [Guterres] [Kim Song]
S. Korean civic delegation to ask U.N. to end sanctions on N. Korea
2018-09-14 15:57
Normal FontLarge Font
SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- A liberal South Korean civil organization said Friday that it will send a delegation to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly to ask for international support to declare an end to the Korean War and halt sanctions on North Korea.
The South Korean branch of the All-Korean Committee for Implementation of the June 15 Joint Declaration said its delegation will deliver a letter on its plea for an end-of-war declaration and the lifting of anti-North sanctions to the U.N. during its assembly slated for Sept. 24-30 in New York.
[Sanctions] [Peace effort]
Two Koreas ask UN to circulate 'Panmunjom Declaration'
Posted : 2018-09-08 14:15
Updated : 2018-09-08 16:28
North Korea and South Korea are asking the U.N. to circulate a declaration their leaders agreed to in April that vows to remove nuclear weapons from the Korean peninsula and work toward a formal end to the Korean War.
North Korea's U.N. Mission said ambassadors of the two countries sent a letter Friday to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak requesting that they circulate the ''Panmunjom Declaration on Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula'' as an official U.N. document.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed to the declaration at a summit in the demilitarized zone in Panmunjom on April 27.
North Korea said Friday the request to circulate the document ''shows full determination'' to keep advancing North-South ties. (AP)
[Panmunjom Declaration] [Joint Korean]
Trump to chair U.N. Security Council meeting on Iran
Michelle Nichols
U.S. President Donald Trump will chair a United Nations Security Council meeting on Iran this month during the annual gathering of world leaders in New York, diplomats and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said on Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump departs the White House in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2018. REUTERS/Chris Wattie
The United States, which holds the council presidency for September, has unsuccessfully pushed the U.N. to call out Iran. Haley has regularly attacked Iran, accusing it of meddling in the wars in Syria and Yemen.
[Trump] [Iran confrontation] [UNUS] [Bizarre]
Kofi Annan Strengthened the U.N.s Dignity with the Help of Two Brazilians
By Mario Osava
RO DE JANEIRO, Aug 21 2018 (IPS) - Kofi Annans stature as a global leader grew after he finished his second term as United Nations Secretary-General in 2006. Time confirmed his excellence in defending the principles and values of multilateralism, which is currently on the decline and subject to all kinds of attacks.
Some of the crucial actions carried out by Annan, who died on Aug. 18, such as condemning the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, had the key backing of two Brazilian diplomats.
Sergio Vieira de Mello, who died in Baghdad on Aug. 19, 2003, was U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and Annans right-hand man in dealing with conflicts and rebuilding shattered nations.
During that crisis, in addition to Vieira he also had the support of another Brazilian diplomat, Jos Mauricio Bustani, in adopting a position against the invasion by the U.S.-led coalition that also included Great Britain, Australia and Poland.
Bustani had led the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) since it was created in 1997 to enforce the international convention that seeks to eradicate these weapons worldwide.
His reports were key to the U.S. governments decision to attack Iraq under George W. Bush (2001-2009), in what was known as the second Gulf War (2003-2011) after the one that took place between 1990 and 1991.
The pretext for the attack was the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction, mainly chemical weapons, in the hands of the regime of Saddam Hussein.
In 2001, Bustani was negotiating Iraqs accession to the OPCW, which would allow for inspections and would prove, according to him, the absence of such weapons in the country.
This was a challenge to the U.S. government, which exerted pressure that led to Bustanis removal from the organisation in 2002. A year later, Iraq was bombed under a justification that was never proven, which reinforced Annans condemnation of the Iraq war, which he deemed illegal.
Bustani shared his experience in the article Brazil and OPCW: Diplomacy and Defence of the Multilateral System Under Attack, published in late 2002, and continued his career, as Brazils ambassador to Britain and France, before retiring in 2015.
[UNUS] [Kofi Annan] [Jose Bustani] [OPCW] [Iraq]
UN environment chief visits Pyongyang to discuss big issues
Posted : 2018-08-23 15:27
Updated : 2018-08-23 15:29
By Jung Da-min
United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Erik Solheim. Reuters
United Nations Environment Program Executive Director Erik Solheim arrived in Pyongyang Wednesday, the (North) Korean Central News Agency reported.
He plans to discuss North Korea's deforestation and other environmental problems.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has emphasized environmental issues, including forest restoration, energy conservation and green technology.
In particular, North Korea has been conducting nationwide tree-planting projects.
[UNUS] [Symptom] [Reforestation]
Human rights chief expresses fear over possible UN 'collapse'
UN permanent-member states running 'too much of the business', Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein says.
6 hours ago
Hussein will be replaced by former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet in September [File: Denis Balibouse/Reuters]
The UN's outgoing human rights chief warned the world body's five permanent Security Council member states wield too much power and it could lead to its "collapse".
China, France, the UK, Russia and the United States are "running too much of the business" because they are able to veto resolutions put forward by other UN members, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein told reporters on Monday in Geneva, Switzerland.
"When they cooperate things can move; when they don't everything becomes stuck and the organisation in general becomes so marginal to the resolution of these sorts of horrific conflicts that we see," Hussein said.
[UNUS] [False balance]
Ruling on Kim Jong-nam assassination case delayed
Posted : 2018-08-16 15:43
Updated : 2018-08-16 15:55
Tweet Follow @koreatimescokr
(From top) Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong (C) and Indonesian Siti Aisyah (C), who were detained in connection with the death of Kim Jong-Nam, are escorted by Malaysian police officers out of the Shah Alam High Court in Shah Alam, Malaysia, 16 August 2018. Kim Jong Nam murder trial continued after Malaysia court found sufficient evidence against the two suspects. Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia were charged with murder under Section 302 of the penal code, which carries mandatory death sentence if found guilty. Both pleaded not guilty during the murder trial. Photos from EPA-Yonhap
A man believed to be North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's eldest son, Kim Jong-Nam, is surrounded by journalists upon his arrival at Beijing's capital airport, 11 February 2007. Wearing a cap, sunglasses and jeans, the man who Japanese television crew described as Kim Jong-Nam arrived at Beijing's airport from Macau in the afternoon, as six-nation talks on ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programme were underway in the Chinese capital. Kim Jong-Nam, 35, was recently reported to have been living the high life in Macau, a southern China casino haven, for most of the past three years. Korea Times file
Two Southeast Asian women on trial for the brazen assassination of the North Korean leader's half brother were told to begin their defense Thursday, extending the trial for several more months.
Indonesia's Siti Aisyah and Vietnam's Doan Thi Huong are accused of smearing VX nerve agent on Kim Jong Nam's face in an airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 13, 2017.
High Court Judge Azmi Ariffin said he was not persuaded by the defense argument that the women thought they were taking part in a prank for a hidden-camera show. He said enough evidence had been presented in the six-month trial so far to infer the women and four North Korean suspects had engaged in a ''well-planned conspiracy'' to kill Kim ''systemically.'
[Kim Jong Nam] [Assassination] [Malaysia]
South Korea reports results of investigation of North Korean coal imports to UN
Posted on : Aug.15,2018 16:14 KST Modified on : Aug.15,2018 16:14 KST
Korea Customs Service recommends prosecutors indict importers and businesses responsible
A carne unloads coal from the Jin Long docked at Pohang New Port, Pier 7, in North Gyeongsang Province on Aug. 7. Although previously suspected of importing North Korea coal, authorities have since confirmed that the ship transported Russian coal. (Hankyoreh archives)
The South Korean government reported findings to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea from its investigation into deliveries of North Korean coal to the South.
The South Korean government sent a letter to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea on Aug. 13 that contained its measures in connection with the North Korean coal matter, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs senior official said on Aug. 14. The Korea Customs Service previously referred the case to prosecutors on Aug. 10 with a recommendation to indict three individual importers and three businesses on charges of bringing a total of 35,038 tons of North Korean coal and pig iron valued at 6.6 billion won (US$5.8 million) into South Korea on seven occasions between Apr. and Oct. 2017 with the aim of profiting on the sale of the coal, which is subject to an import ban.
UNSC Resolution 2371, adopted in Aug. 2017, bans the importation and exportation of North Korean coal, iron, and iron ore. The decision barred the procurement of coal, iron, or iron ore from North Korea regardless of whether it represented the place of origin. Four vessels were identified in the investigation as having been used for the transportation of embargoed coal and iron from North Korea after the resolutions adoption: the Sky Angel (Panama), Rich Glory (Sierra Leone), Shining Rich (Belize), and Jin Long (Belize). The South Korean government imposed entry bans for all four on Aug. 11.
[Sanctions] [Coal] [US dominance] [UNUS]
Kyung Hee University students raise awareness of massacre of civilians during Vietnam War
Posted on : Aug.13,2018 17:25 KST Modified on : Aug.13,2018 17:25 KST
Korean students and Vietnamese exchange student confront inconvenient truth
On July 15-20, Kyung Hee University students Gu Bon-joon, Oh Yu-jin, Thu Binh, and Kim Min-ju (starting from the left) visited communities in Vietnam to meet survivors of a civilian massacre by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War. The above photo shows the students with Truong Thi Thu, who lost two children and her right foot during the massacre in Jan. 1969. (provided by Gu Bon-joon)
Three Kyung Hee University students and an exchange student from Vietnam have spent over a year and a half working on a team project they started in spring 2017 while taking a general education course. Even after the classs conclusion, the group members Kyung Hee students Gu Bon-joon (26), Oh Yu-jin (20), and Kim Min-ju (19) and Vietnamese exchange student Thu Binh (21) have carried on with their effort, which involves raising awareness of the massacres of civilians by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War and offering comfort to the victims.
The three of us South Korean students and Vietnamese exchange student Thu Binh thought about something meaningful we could do, and we decided to look into the Vietnam War, explained Gu.
Were writing a book based on our experiences during the project and the stories we heard from the Vietnamese victims themselves, he added.
Interested in the Vietnam War as a topic, the students were confronted in spring 2017 with the inconvenient truth of civilian massacres.[Massacres] [Vietnam]
Venezuelan president Maduro writes letter to Kim Jong-un
Posted : 2018-08-12 10:19
Updated : 2018-08-12 18:04
Tweet Follow @koreatimescokr
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a nationally televised address from the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Aug. 4, 2018. Nicolas Maduro escaped unharmed from an attempted attack of explosive drones on Saturday. Xinhua-Yonhap
North Korea unveiled Saturday that the Venezuelan president has sent a letter to the country's leader Kim Jong-un to reaffirm his commitment to cement ties with the North.
"(Leader) Kim Jong Un ... received a message of greeting from Nicolas Maduro Moros, president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, on July 27," the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported in English, 15 days after the correspondence took place.
North Korea celebrates July 27 as a war victory day, depicting the signing of the Korean War Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953, with the United States as its triumph.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his wife Ri Sol-ju, right, visit a catfish farm factory in Samchon County in South Hwanghae Province, according to North Korean daily Rodong Shimmun on Aug. 6. Yonhap
"The popular day of celebration will be an important occasion in displaying the two countries' intention to further strengthen the friendly ties between them and through the process it will promote the development, wellbeing and prosperity of the two peoples," the KCNA quoted the presidential letter as saying.
The letter said that it is also an important occasion to "demonstrate the will to continue the struggle ... to defend the sovereign right and right to self-determination of the people and consolidate the building of a multi-polar world free from the imperialists' moves for domination."
The Venezuelan president also extended a "warm greeting" to Kim and expressed "noble homage" to North Korean war heroes, according to the KCNA.
The belated release of its correspondence with Venezuela, a country that was financially sanctioned by the U.S. last year, came as North Korea is leading difficult negotiations with Washington over its nuclear weapons program and sanctions imposed by the U.S. (Yonhap)
[Venezuela NK]
Russia, China object to U.S. proposal to blacklist Russian bank at U.N.: diplomats
Reuters Staff
Russia and China on Thursday objected to a U.S. proposal to add a Russian bank, Moscow-based North Korean banker and two other entities to a U.N. Security Council blacklist, diplomats said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley walk together to a press briefing at U.N. headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., July 20, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
The list of proposed designations mirrors new sanctions announced by the U.S. Treasury last week.
The United States made the proposal to the 15-member U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, which operates by consensus.
Sponsored
Russia objected to the designations because it said the U.S. proposal was not adequately substantiated by sufficient information, diplomats said. China gave no reason for its objections.
[UNUS] [Resistance] [Sanctions]
N.Korean FM in Tehran for Talks
By Lee Yong-soo
August 08, 2018 13:20
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in Tehran for talks on Tuesday, the same day U.S. President Donald Trump imposed fresh economic sanctions on Iran after backing out of a nuclear deal.
Both North Korea and Iran face tough sanctions over their nuclear weapons development, though Iran has gone much further toward verifiable denuclearization.
The official Fars News Agency only said that Ri sat down for talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss bilateral relations and Middle-Eastern issues.
But there could be more important matters on the table. "Currently, the two countries are in the same boat as far as U.S. sanctions are concerned," a diplomatic source said. "They'll try to send a message that they won't give in to U.S. pressure while calling for further developing their long-standing friendly relationship."
Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (left) welcomes his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho in Tehran on Tuesday. /Yonhap
Pyongyang established a close relationship with Tehran by supplying arms during the Iran-Iraq War between 1980 and 1988. Since then, Pyongyang has been suspected of exchanging nuclear weapons and missile technologies with Tehran.
Pyongyang's dispatch of its chief diplomat to one of the world's largest oil-producing countries comes at a time when it has difficulties importing oil.
The UN Security Council has capped exports of refined oil products to North Korea at 500,000 barrels and crude oil to 4 million barrels a year. Pyongyang is seeking to diversify oil import sources as the international watch dragnet is closing in.
"Iran has a surplus of oil but can't sell much in the face of U.S. sanctions," a researcher with a government-funded think tank here said. "There's a likelihood that the North will discuss with Iran ways to import the Iranian oil stealthily through a third country like China."
[Iran NK][Ri Yong Ho]
ASEAN Forum Urges Mere 'Complete Denuclearization' of N.Korea
By Ahn Jun-yong
August 07, 2018 13:22
The 25th ASEAN Regional Forum in a closing chairman's statement on Aug. 4 urged North Korea to abide by its promise of "complete denuclearization."
The attending foreign ministers from 27 countries urged North Korea "to fulfill its stated commitment to complete denuclearization and its pledge to refrain from further nuclear and missile tests."
The formula leaves out the crucial element of verification, which was also left out of a statement signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un at their summit in June.
Last year's forum still used the formula "complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement" of the North's nuclear program, which the U.S. taunted until days before the summit but now seems to have abandoned.
"The Ministers reiterated their commitment to the full implementation of all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions and international efforts to bring about the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which will contribute to peace and stability in the region," the statement adds.
[ARF]
UN Report Says N.Korea Has Not Stopped Nuke Program
By Cho Yi-jun
August 06, 2018 11:19
North Korea has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continues to smuggle in petroleum products by ship-to-ship transfers, according to a recent UN Security Council report.
It adds the North is still earning hard currency by selling arms to conflict regions like Syria and Yemen.
North Korea "has not stopped its nuclear and missile programs and continued to defy Security Council resolutions through a massive increase in illicit ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, as well as through transfers of coal at sea during 2018," the report of independent experts to the UNSC said.
A tunnel explodes at North Korea's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, North Hamgyong Province on May 24.
The North's Yongbyon nuclear complex is still in operation and its 5-mW reactor is also operating, according to the six-monthly report.
It says that there were 89 illicit transfers of oil products at sea between January and May this year, involving 40 ships and 130 companies.
The UNSC has capped exports of refined petroleum products to the North at 500,000 barrels a year. "If loaded at around 90 percent, [North Korean tankers] would have delivered nearly 1.4 million barrels of refined products to North Korea, almost triple the quota," AP reported on July 19.
Meanwhile the North earned US$14 million from last October to March this year with illicit exports of coal and steel to China, India and other countries.
North Korean diplomats play a key role in evading financial sanctions by opening bank accounts in their host countries, making finance an area where sanctions implementation is weakest, according to the report.
North Korean venture firms also continue to operate in some 200 locations including Russia. North Korea is also suspected of continuing to cooperate with the pro-Russian government in Syria and the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The report singles out arms trafficker Hussein Al-Ali, who offered "a range of conventional arms, and in some cases ballistic missiles to armed groups in Yemen and Libya" that were produced in North Korea.
[UNUS] [Hypocrisy]
North Korean foreign minister to attend ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore
Posted on : Aug.2,2018 17:14 KST Modified on : Aug.2,2018 17:14 KST
Speculations abound concerning inter-Korean, North Korea-US and North Korea-Japan meetings
South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha meets with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh at Singapores EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre on Aug. 1 during the ASEAN Regional Forum. (Yonhap News)
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho is reportedly scheduled to arrive in Singapore early in the morning on Aug. 3 to attend an ASEAN Regional Forum foreign ministers meeting. Kim Chang-min, the director of the international organization bureau in North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, previously arrived in Singapore on Aug. 1.
The big question that has emerged concerning the summit is whether bilateral foreign minister meetings between South and North Korea, North Korea and the US, and North Korea and Japan will be taking place. South Korea, the US, and Japan are all hoping to have bilateral talks with North Korea during the forum to achieve progress on their own issues: discussing an end to the Korean War and implementation of the Apr. 27 Panmunjeom Declaration for South Korea, generating momentum for follow-up denuclearization talks and implementation of the June 12 Singapore Joint Declaration for the US, and finding a solution on the abductee issue for Japan.
[ARF]
Indonesian presidential envoy visits N. Korea
North Korea's titular head of state Kim Yong-nam (R) meets Puan Maharani, Indonesia's presidential envoy, in Pyongyang in this photo captured from the North's Korean Central TV on July 30, 2018. The report said Maharani, who holds the post of coordinating minister for human development and cultural affairs, came on a two-day visit a day earlier and relayed a letter from Indonesian President Joko Widodo to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap) (END)
[Indonesia]
Indonesia invites Kim Jong-un to Asian Games
Posted : 2018-07-31 15:42
Updated : 2018-07-31 18:20
A team of Indonesian officials visited North Korea this week to extend an invitation from President Joko Widodo to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to attend the Asian Games opening ceremony in Jakarta in August, Indonesia's National Police said.
Coordinating Human Development and Cultural Affairs Minister Puan Maharani was accompanied by several other Indonesian government and police representatives on the visit to Pyongyang, according to a news release issued by the National Police late on Monday.
"The main reason for us coming (to Pyongyang) is to convey an official invitation to the President of North Korea to attend the Asian Games Opening Ceremony on August 18," Maharani was quoted as saying in the release.
[Asian Games] [Indonesia]
UN diplomats: Russia and China block US on North Korea oil
Posted : 2018-07-20 09:24
Updated : 2018-07-20 16:03
In this file photo taken on July 21, 2017, a petrol pump attendant fills up a taxi with gasoline at a fuel station in Pyongyang. Russia and China on July 19, 2018, asked for more time to consider a request from the U.S. to the UN Security Council to halt all deliveries of refined oil products to North Korea, U.S. diplomats said. The U.S. asked a UN sanctions committee last week to ban further shipments after accusing North Korea of exceeding a UN cap on the fuel deliveries through illegal imports. AFP
Russia and China blocked the United States on Thursday from getting the United Nations to publicly accuse North Korea of smuggling in refined petroleum products beyond the annual quota of 500,000 barrels allowed under U.N. sanctions, diplomats said.
The Russians and Chinese, who are key suppliers of petroleum products to North Korea, said they needed more time to examine the U.S. allegations, the diplomats said.
Last week, the U.S. asked the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against North Korea to send a letter to U.N. member states and the general public saying North Korea had breached the quota. The U.S. also asked the committee to prevent ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum products, which it said is the main smuggling method used by North Korea.
The 14 other council members had until midday Thursday to object, and two diplomats said Russia put ''a hold'' on the U.S. request shortly before the noon deadline. One diplomat said China quickly supported the ''hold,'' which automatically delays action on the U.S. request for six months.
The diplomats agreed to discuss the development only if not quoted by name because they were revealing council communications that are supposed to be private.
U.S. documents sent to the sanctions committee and obtained by The Associated Press cite 89 instances between Jan. 1 and May 30 in which North Korean tankers likely delivered refined products ''illicitly procured'' via ship-to-ship transfers.
The documents say that even if each tanker delivered only one-third of its listed capacity, the total volume would be above the 500,000-barrel annual quota. The U.S. said that if loaded at around 90 percent, the tankers would have delivered nearly 1.4 million barrels of refined products to North Korea, almost triple the quota.
The U.S. said China and Russia have reported to the sanctions committee that they have continued to sell refined petroleum pro
[Oil] [Sanctions] [China NK] [Russia NK] [Defiance] [UNUS]
Vatican archbishop visits inter-Korean border
Posted : 2018-07-05 14:27
Updated : 2018-07-05 14:30
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher from the Vatican, right, visits the Roman Catholic JSA Church of Military Ordinariate of Korea construction site at the inter-Korean border village Panmunjeom, Thursday. Yonhap
The Vatican's top diplomat on Thursday voiced optimism for ongoing diplomacy to foster a lasting peace on the peninsula, saying "many good things" will be achieved despite challenges down the road.
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's secretary for relations with states, delivered a message of hope for Koreans, as he toured the Joint Security Area (JSA) close to the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
"Of course, it is a very historic period, a period of hope and the Holy Father is supporting that movement," Gallagher said in response to a question from Yonhap News Agency during the rare tour.
Archbishop Gallagher listens to a South Korean military officer before watching a video clip at JSA Visitor Center in Panmunjeom, Thursday. Yonhap
"We don't have any doubt that there will be many challenges and many difficulties ahead, but the determination that the Korean people have always shown in determining their future, I am sure with the prayers and support of Christians and other men and women in good faith around the world that many good things will be achieved in the coming months. We pray for that."
[Vatican] [US dominance]
Singapore government reveals costs of North Korea-US summit
Posted on : Jun.26,2018 17:29 KST Modified on : Jun.26,2018 17:29 KST
In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 25, the Singapore government revealed that it spent 16.3 million Singapore dollars (US$12 million) on hosting the North Korea-US summit. Without providing too many details, the ministry spokesperson said the majority of the costs were devoted to security. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had estimated costs to be around 20 million Singapore dollars (US$15 million). Although some locals expressed anger over the extravagant costs, some experts suggest the summits resulting publicity could generate up to 10 times the original costs.
[Singapore summit] [Cost] [Singapore]
Singaporeans split over bearing costs for Trump-Kim summit
Posted : 2018-06-08 16:17
Updated : 2018-06-08 16:17
By Kim Jae-kyoung
SINGAPORE ? Most Singaporeans are excited about their country playing host to the historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
But not all are happy about the city-state bearing the cost of the summit slated to be held at the Capella Hotel on Singapore's resort island of Sentosa, June 12.
Proponents believe that this is a great chance for Singapore to upgrade its international image, so the government and people are taking a strategic approach.
In other words, paying the direct costs for North Korea, such as lodging, transport and dining, can be a monetary loss in the short-term, but successful hosting the summit will bring greater value for the country.
"This kind of opportunity does not come often. I think we can afford to bear the cost and it will help leverage our international status," said a senior executive at one of the five-star hotels in Singapore on condition of anonymity.
Singaporean foreign affairs minister visit Pyongyang ahead of summit
Posted on : Jun.7,2018 16:29 KST Modified on : Jun.7,2018 16:29 KST
Smaller font size ???? ??
Vivian Balakrishnan formally invited to North Korean foreign minister
Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan (left) shakes hands with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the US State Department on June 5. (Balakrishnans Facebook page)
Singaporean Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan is visiting Pyongyang ahead of his countrys hosting of a June 12 North Korea-US summit, AFP reported on June 6.
According to the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Balakrishnan is traveling to Pyongyang on June 7 for a two-day visit at the official invitation of North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho. During his stay, Balakrishnan is reportedly planning to meet with Ri and visit Supreme Peoples Council Presidium president Kim Yong-nam.
While no specific reason was given for the visit, Balakrishnan appears likely to engage in working-level talks and -level coordination for the historic summit, preparations for which are rapidly gaining momentum.
Balakrishnan previously discussed cooperation on staging the summit in a June 14 telephone conversation with South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha; on June 5, he visited the US State Department in Washington, DC, and met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. During the meeting, Pompeo expressed thanks to Singapore for its bid to host the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
[Singapore NK]
Singapore Willing to Foot Kim Jong-un's Hotel Bills
By Kim Kyeong-pil
June 04, 2018 11:32
Singapore will foot North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's astronomical hotel bill when he stays there for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump on June 12.
The U.S. and North Korea "are believed to have settled on the Capella Hotel" on the resort island of Sentosa for their meetings, the Washington Post said on Sunday quoting sources.
The hotel sits in seclusion amid acres of wooded gardens, and the island is connected to the mainland by a single bridge, which will make it easy to provide security.
The U.S. delegation to the preparatory talks for the summit have stayed at the hotel.
North Korean delegates to the preparatory talks for a summit with the U.S. leave the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore on Sunday. /Newsis
But the daily said Trump will probably stay at the flashy Shangri-La and Kim at the colonial-era Fullerton. North Korean delegates led by Kim Chang-son, Kim Jong-un's de facto chief of staff, have also stayed at the Fullerton.
The most expensive suite at the Fullerton costs over W6.4 million a night, a huge sum for the cash-strapped North Korean regime (US$1=W1,075).
"Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen said his country was eager to pick up the bill for some of the summit costs to ensure the success of the meeting," the Washington Post reported.
"It is a cost that we're willing to bear to play a small part in this historic meeting," Ng said.
[Kim_Trump_Talks18] [Singapore]
Syria's Assad to meet Kim Jong-un: KCNA [VIDEO]
Posted : 2018-06-04 11:55
Updated : 2018-06-04 13:31
People walk near a portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hanging in a street in the Syrian capital Damascus on May 31. / AFP-Yonhap
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he plans to visit North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang's state media reported Sunday, potentially becoming the first head of state to meet Kim inside the isolated country.
I am going to visit the DPRK and meet... Kim Jong-un," Assad said, the North's state-run KCNA news agency reported, using the abbreviated version of the country's official name.
The announcement came as anticipation mounts for a historic nuclear summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12, following a whirlwind round of diplomacy.
"The world welcomes the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula brought about recently by the outstanding political calibre and wise leadership of...Kim Jong-un," KCNA cited Assad as saying during a meeting with North Korean Ambassador Mun Jong-nam on Wednesday.
The Syrian president's office refused to comment on the report when
contacted by AFP.
Pyongyang and Damascus have maintained warm ties for decades and reportedly shared a military relationship for some years, including during the ongoing Syrian civil war.
Suspicions over chemical weapons trade between Pyongyang and Damascus have been raised in the past by the UN and South Korea.
There were also widespread reports that North Korea helped Syria build a
nuclear plant that was destroyed by Israeli bombing in 2007.
Both regimes have been the target of international isolation ? Pyongyang over its banned nuclear program and Damascus for atrocities committed during the seven-year civil war.
Since coming to power in 2011, Kim has not met another head of state in North Korea. He only made his first overseas trip as leader this year, travelling to China to meet President Xi Jinping, an ally of the reclusive regime. (AFP)
[Bashar Assad] [Kim Jong Un] [Syria] [cbw]
Ecumenical delegation visits North Korea
May 7th, 2018
Meeting with HE Kim Yong Nam, President of Supreme People's Assembly of DPRK. Photo: Peter Prove/WCC
Source: WCC
A six-person international ecumenical delegation, comprised of representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) and led by WCC general secretary Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit and WCRC general secretary Rev. Dr Chris Ferguson, visited Pyongyang on 3-7 May, at the invitation of the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
This visit took place just a few days after the historic events of the Inter-Korean Summit at Panmunjom on 27 April, at which president Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea and chairman Kim Jong Un of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK jointly signed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. These extraordinary initiatives have created a new momentum for peace which the delegation strongly wishes to affirm, support and encourage.
The worldwide ecumenical movement has been engaged in promoting dialogue, peaceful co-existence and the reunification of the divided Korean people for more than 30 years, especially since the 1984 'Tozanso Consultation' convened by the WCC.
[Religion] [WCC]
Delegation of Ecumenical Organizations Leaves
Date: 08/05/2018 | Source: Rodong Sinmun (En)
The delegation of ecumenical organizations comprising representatives of the World Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches led by Olav Fykse Tveit left Pyongyang on Monday.
During the visit, the members of the delegation visited Mangyongdae, the Tower of the Juche Idea, Pyongyang Baby Home, Pyongyang Orphanage, Ryugyong General Ophthalmic Hospital, etc.
Rodong News Team
[Religion] [WCC]
Kim Yong Nam Meets Delegation of Ecumenical Organizations
Submitted by KCNA on Sat, 05/05/2018 - 09:44
Pyongyang, May 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, member of the Presidium of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and had a talk with the delegation of ecumenical organizations comprising representatives of the World Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches led by Olav Fykse Tveit that paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Friday. -0-
[Religion] [WCC]
Delegation of Ecumenical Organizations Here
Submitted by KCNA on Fri, 05/04/2018 - 17:18
Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- The delegation of ecumenical organizations comprising representatives of the World Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches led by Olav Fykse Tveit arrived here Thursday. -0-
[Religion] [WCC]
Press Statement of Permanent Mission of DPRK to UN Hits out at U.S. for Linking DPRK with Hacking Case
Submitted by KCNA on Fri, 05/04/2018 - 17:17
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Pyongyang, May 4 (KCNA) -- The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations issued a press statement on Wednesday with regard to the indecent statement the United States made relating the recent incident of hacking the database of Security Council 1718 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations to the DPRK as follows:
The US again took issue with the DPRK during discussion on the recent incident of hacking database of 1718 Sanctions Committee at the Committee's closed meeting on 30 April, 2018.
Saying "it is north Korea that has the biggest concern in the work of 1718 Sanctions Committee and owns the hacking capacity", the US and hostile forces forcibly related the DPRK to the incident, while urging upon the Committee to thoroughly probe the true state and take steps.
It is the stereotyped trick to keep up the atmosphere of sanctions and pressure against the DPRK at all costs by instigating the Security Council 1718 Sanctions Committee and it is not worthy for consideration.
The DPRK has never recognized the illegal and unlawful Security Council's "sanctions resolutions" and 1718 Sanctions Committee and is not interested in what the Sanctions Committee does.
The US and hostile forces should squarely recognize the trend of the times and make efforts to do the work helpful to detente and peace process on the Korean peninsula rather than manipulating plots with that hacking incident. -0-
[Hacking] [UNUS] [Allegation]
Biggest Foreign Aid Recipients Voted With US at UN Only 26.5% of Time
By Patrick Goodenough | May 3, 2018 | 4:20 AM EDT
In FY 2018, the administration requested more than $9 billion for the 10 biggest recipients of U.S. foreign aid. (Photo: U.S. Agency for International Development)
(CNSNews.com) The 13 biggest beneficiaries of U.S. foreign assistance in the current, previous and next fiscal years voted in line with U.S. positions at the United Nations an average of just 26.5 percent of the time in 2017.
And if Israel is excluded from the calculation, the aid beneficiaries average voting coincidence with the U.S. drops to 20.9 percent, according to data in the State Departments annual report to Congress on voting practices at the United Nations.
The recently-released report for 2017 uses different methodology this year in a bid, the department says, to get a more accurate assessment of the extent to which other countries align themselves with U.S. interests at the U.N.
The new report finds that of all 93 resolutions brought to a final plenary vote in the U.N. General Assembly, all other countries votes coincided with those of the U.S. that is, both voted yes, both voted no, or both abstained an average of 31 percent of the time.
Some countries voting decisions are predictable, given their longstanding hostility towards the United States. Iran and Syrias voting coincided with that of the U.S. only 15 percent of the time, while the scores for Venezuela and North Korea were 16 percent and for Cuba, 17 percent.
However, when it came to the 13 countries that received, or are in line to receive, the most U.S. aid in FY 2017, 2018 and 2019, all fell below the 31 percent average in 2017 with the notable exception of Israel.
[UNUS] [Aid weapon]
Syria: western nations seek to bypass Russian veto at UN
Idea is to refer chemical weapons issue to UN general assembly, where Russias security council veto would not apply
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Western nations want to end the months-long paralysis at the United Nations over Syria by referring the issue of chemical weapons use to the entire UN general assembly, where Russias security council veto would not apply.
The idea is to draw on a rarely used route first established in the cold war to transfer responsibility for aspects of the crisis to the 193-member general assembly.
[Syria] [Douma] [UNUS]
The so-called hermit kingdom
One of the standard phrases used when speaking of the DPRK (North Korea) is hermit kingdom. It is meant to portray a country entirely closed off from the world. You can neither enter nor leave, so the assumption goes, and no country or individual in their right mind would want to engage with the DPRK.
I am not quite sure of the source of this idea. To be sure, hostile countries find it impossible to spy on the DPRK, which is not a bad thing. But as for getting in and out of the country, this is quite easy to do. Any number of tour operators can get you there, and you can go to study, teach for a while, and so on.
International relations? Lets take a sample of some of the latest activities:
[Hermit Kingdom] [Cliche] [NK foreign relations]
North Korean media reports foreign minister's trip to Sweden
Posted : 2018-03-16 09:43
Updated : 2018-03-16 16:43
North Korea's foreign minister has left for Sweden to meet with his Swedish counterpart to discuss bilateral ties and issues of mutual concerns, the country's state media reported Friday.
Ri Yong-ho's trip, confirmed by the North's state news agency, comes amid speculation that the North and the United States may meet in Sweden ahead of a proposed summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a short dispatch that Ri, who left Pyongyang on Thursday, will meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Elisabeth Wallstrom to exchange views on ties and matters of mutual interests.
Sweden's foreign ministry said, "The talks will focus on Sweden's consular responsibilities as a protecting power for the United States, Canada and Australia.
"They will also address the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, which is high on the Security Council agenda," it said in a statement posted on its website.
Ri, who arrived in Stockholm on Thursday, kicked off his two-day trip, which was also joined by Choe Kang-il, a senior North Korean official in charge of American affairs.
Ri is said to have met with Sweden's foreign minister for dinner and talks.
[Ri Yong Ho] [Sweden]
The International Criminal Court moved to investigate Duterte. Now he wants out.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte addresses the troops in Manila on Dec. 20, 2017. (Bullit Marquez/AP)
By Emily Rauhala March 14 at 5:21 AM Email the author
BEIJING President Rodrigo Duterte will withdraw the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a statement released to reporters in Manila on Wednesday.
The move comes about a month after the ICC opened a preliminary examination into thousands of deaths linked to his violent campaign against suspected drug users and dealers.
A preliminary examination is used to determine if there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation in this case into charges of crimes against humanity.
[ICJ] [UNUS] [Duterte]
Letter from Kim Yong Nam, President of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK to the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement [NAM]
Pyongyang, March 2, Juche 107(2018)
Your Excellency,
I address this letter to Your Excellency, driven by the need to alert member states of the Non-Aligned Movement to the evolving serious development antithetical to the noble idea of the Movement, as the United States moves of infringing upon the sovereignty of NAM member states are now reaching the extreme and becoming ever more arrogant.
As has been known to all, the U.S. president Trump insulted African countries in unheard-of vulgar words while speaking about refugee issue in January, and issued the Executive Order, characterized by discrimination against foreigners and expulsion of immigrants, having prompted strong protests and condemnation across the world.
[NAM] [Sovereignty] [US NK policy] [Detente]
Press Statement of DPRK Permanent Mission to UN
Pyongyang, February 16 (KCNA) -- The Permanent Mission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations issued a press statement on February 12 as regards the fact that one year has passed since the DPRK Government requested the UN Secretariat to organize an international forum of legal experts for clarification of legality of the "sanctions resolutions" of the UN Security Council imposed against the DPRK.
Recalling that in January last year the DPRK proposed the UN Secretariat to organize an international forum of legal experts for clarification of legality of the "sanctions resolutions", the press statement said:
The Permanent Mission of the DPRK to the United Nations, during past one year, has constantly requested for earliest organization of the international forum of legal experts to the UN Secretariat through the meetings with the secretary-general, the under-secretary-general for Political Affairs and the under-secretary-general for Legal Affairs, and the letters of the DPRK permanent representative addressed to the secretary-general for 5 times, releases of the Permanent Mission's press statements for 4 times as well as press conferences and interviews for 5 times.
[UNSC] [Sanctions] [Double standards] [Legality] [UNUS]
Exclusive: U.N. chief plans major disarmament push but U.S. sceptical
Tom Miles
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is to launch a major push for disarmament talks covering everything from nuclear and cyber war to small arms, braving certain U.S. resistance to such bold initiatives, officials and experts told Reuters.
U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses a news conference during the 30th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and the Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia January 28, 2018. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri
Guterres aims to forestall a new nuclear arms race and get the big powers back into negotiations after two decades of stalemate, according to a Geneva-based expert familiar with the plans, who requested anonymity.
The expert said Guterres also wants to end state-led paralysis in talks on cyberwarfare and robotics by getting the private sector involved, and to start talks on use of explosives in urban areas and curbing access to conventional weapons, the biggest killer.
Chances of success are uncertain at best. But with nuclear tensions rising, Guterres may be uniquely placed to oil the wheels of negotiations given a 2009 U.N. Security Council pledge to create the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons.
[Guterres] [Nuclear disarmament] [UNUS] [Euphemism]
UN chief: North Korea-US talks 'absolutely necessary, urgent'
Posted : 2018-02-08 15:02
Updated : 2018-02-08 16:12
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Thursday dialogue between North Korea and the United States is "absolutely necessary" and "urgent" to fend off any possibility of tensions escalating into a sudden crisis on the Korean Peninsula.
He also said a negotiated solution with North Korea is possible if there is a security guarantee for the communist country and other parties involved.
"I think it's not a question of possibility. This kind of dialogue is absolutely necessary, and it's urgent because we need to quickly start to have serious discussion to avoid the kinds of misunderstanding and escalation that can all of a sudden lead to a situation that is unpredictable and very dangerous," the U.N. chief said in a radio program with the CBS broadcasting company, recorded Thursday.
"So we will do everything we can ... to press for those talks," the former Portugal prime minister said, referring to U.N. efforts to broker dialogue with North Korea.
"I hope this improvement in the inter-Korean relationship in the (upcoming) Olympic Games will contribute to facilitating the understanding of the need for serious negotiations to address the denuclearization, a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," he noted.
He touted the U.N. Security Council's series of sanctions on North Korea as something that "created an opportunity for political engagement" with North Korea.
"Those (U.N. ) sanctions are having a huge (impact) in the country. So I think if the Security Council shows the same unity, the same firmness, North Korea would understand that there's no way to have economic progress and solutions for their people if they don't come to have serious dialogue with the international community," he said, adding that therefore claims for regime change or unification by "chaotic" ways do not make sense.
[Guterres] [UNUS] [US NK negotiations]
N.Korea Asks UN to 'Stop U.S. from Provoking Nuke War'
By Lee Yong-soo
February 02, 2018 10:00
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho has asked UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres to "completely stop the U.S. from provoking a nuclear war," the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported Thursday.
Ri in a letter on Wednesday asked Guterres to put the issue on the agenda for a session of the UN Security Council. The letter comes at a time when Washington is giving increasingly serious thought to a "bloody nose" strike against the North Korean regime.
The U.S. is "seeking to intentionally aggravate the situation by introducing the strategic assets including nuclear powered aircraft carrier strike groups into the vicinity of the Korean Peninsula," Ri was quoted as saying. "The United States is openly stating that it will conduct a large-scale aggressive joint military exercise against the [North] immediately after the Winter Olympic Games."
Ri added the U.S. cannot shirk responsibility for shattering the atmosphere of improving inter-Korean relations and easing tension.
[US NK policy] [Belligerence] [UNUS]
The Genocide Conspiracy Against North Korea: An Open Letter to the International Criminal Court
Christopher Black
The American threats against North Korea continue to mount and with them the threat of the genocide of the people of North Korea by the United States of America and its allies. The meeting of the USA, Canada and other nations that attacked North Korea in 1950 held in Vancouver, Canada, on January 16, which some hoped would lead to a political solution, instead took on the character of a meeting of criminals who by their presence, agreement and actions made them parties to a conspiracy to commit genocide, a crime under the statute of the International Criminal Court and the Genocide Convention of 1948.
The threats made against North Korea are due to one single fact: the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea refuses to accept the world hegemony of the American Empire. It has nothing to do with nuclear weapons. It has become a ritual now to state that all the permanent members of the Security Council are armed with nuclear weapons, that the United States has used them on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that they have continuously threatened to use them to intimidate other nations since 1945, that Pakistan, India, and Israel have them, that NATO members in Europe have them at their disposal under US direction, that North Korea is in violation of no international law in developing them to defend themselves, to ensure their security just as all those other nations have done, that North Korea threatens no one and seeks only to have a full and final peace with the United States.
The nuclear weapon issue is a simply the pretext that the United States is using to try to solidify its tyranny over Korea, over the world.
[US NK policy] [Compellence] [War crime] [Genocide] [Hegemony] [Independence] [ICC] [UNUS]
Bring United Nations headquarters to Korea
Posted : 2018-01-01 10:43
Updated : 2018-01-01 10:48
Emanuel Pastreich
By Emanuel Pastreich
The Trump administration's decision to reduce drastically the U.S. contribution to the United Nations was generally interpreted as payback after the stunning rebuke to the American decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
However, whatever US ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley may have said, there were plenty of hints in Donald Trump's speech at the UN, and in comments by John Bolton early on in the administration, that it was the intention all along to limit drastically, or end, U.S. participation in global governance via the U.N.
This is not the first time the U.S. has disappointed the international community. It was the Congress failure to ratify the League of Nations back in 1919 that undercut the effectiveness of that first effort at global governance. Tragically, it was this lack of commitment by a rising power that made it easier for Japan and Germany to pull out later, with catastrophic consequences.
Internationalism has only been a popular theme in the U.S. since World War II. Perhaps it was inevitable that the U.S. would drift back to its isolationist roots. We should not rule out the possibility that the Trump administration intends essentially to abandon the U.N. as an institution in 2018, maybe even threaten to pull out. Such an act would not be less shocking than the decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement.
Certainly the contempt for international law and treaties suggested by the Trump administration's unilateral pulling out from the Iran nuclear deal does not bode well.
So what are the implications of American disengagement from the U.N. for South Korea, and for the peninsula as a whole? The immediate response among my Korean friends is dread. After all, Koreans see their country as a "shrimp among whales" that needs constant protection and support from the U.S.
But every crisis is an opportunity, if you have the courage to seize the moment.
No country is more deeply committed to multilateralism in trade, in diplomacy and in security than South Korea, granted that the alliance with the U.S. limits the South's ability to make good on this general sentiment among policy makers. Whether on the left or on the right, there is a remarkable consensus in South Korea concerning good relations with all its neighbors (with the notable exception of North Korea).
What if South Korea proposed that U.N. headquarters be moved from New York City to the Korean Peninsula, perhaps even to Seoul?
[Bizarre] [UNUS]
North Korea UN Security Councils Killer Resolution,15 to 0: Choking a Country into Submission
By Peter Koenig
Global Research, December 25, 2017
Pyonyangs urban skyline, competing with Manhattan and the Trump Tower?
The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) is being choked into submission if not starvation by the UN Security Council, by a vote of 15 : 0; i.e. unanimously. None of the 15 UNSC states, let alone the five permanent members, have had the guts to say no to a killer Resolution, drafted and proposed by the United States of America, a name that increasingly stands for international rogue and crime nation.
The New York Times reports on 22 December 2017:
President Trump has used just about every lever you can use, short of starving the people of North Korea to death, to change their behavior, the White House homeland security adviser, Thomas P. Bossert, said Tuesday. And so, we dont have a lot of room left here to apply pressure to change their behavior.
Two immediate questions come to mind first, who is Trump to blackmail the UNSC into punishing nations which do not bend to the empires wishes?
Yes, blackmailing, because thats exactly what is categorically part of the chief rogues international behavior. Case in point is the recent UN Resolution to nullify Trumps unilateral decision to declare Jerusalem as Israels capital, when he, the Donald, threatening he would watch closely who would vote against the US, in view of punishing those nations monetarily or with other sanctions; and second, how come Russia and China went along with this literally genocidal program of sanctions contained in this UNSC Resolution?
Both Russia and China know that Washingtons arguments against the DPRK are based on a web of lies. That everything coming out of Washington is a lie, or untruth, or omission of facts is well known around the globe. But in this case, where two ascending super-powers, Russia and China have the veto right to say NO to these illegal sanctions, it begs the question, why didnt they use their veto?
Even more so, since Russia and China are both also sanctioned by Washington for not behaving, and because Russia and China are natural allies of North Korea. Why were they going along with Washingtons blackmail? A veto could have sent a clear message to the sort of preposterous Nikki Haleys and Donald Trumps of this world, that there is no more fear of the devil, but that the power plates are clearly shifting away from Washington.
Was it out of fear that the madman could possibly press the red bottom, if provoked? Voting with the madman is certainly no reason to believe that the Mad Man will not press the nuclear bottom. Then, what kind of diplomacy is it? The fear of more sanctions directed at Russia and China?
This would be outright ridiculous, as both countries, founders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), are almost fully detached from the western dollar economy and are heading a new economy that already comprises about half of the worlds population and one third of the globes economic output. Hence, they can function fully independently from the west. There are no fears of sanctions either.
Then why?
Maybe because they, Russia and China, want to show the world that no matter how they vote, they will do what they deem correct, like in this case not adhering to the sanction, as they will not let North Koreas people, their friends and allies, suffocate to death. This would tell those nations who still do not dare contradicting the US of A Dont be afraid, we are on your side.
[US NK policy] [Sanctions] [Starvation] [UNUS] [Russia] [China] [Water down]
U.N. imposes new sanctions on North Korea over missile tests
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., votes at the Security Council to impose new sanctions on North Korea. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
By Carol Morello December 22 at 3:09 PM
The United Nations Security Council on Friday placed sanctions on North Korea for the third time this year, demanding countries repatriate North Korean guest workers within two years and further squeezing its oil imports.
The sanctions were adopted by a 15-0 vote, three weeks after Pyongyang said it had tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.
The United States sponsored the resolution, which was backed by China and Russia, but failed to get the maximum sanctions it had hoped for.
Washington wanted an estimated 93,000 North Koreans working abroad to be expelled within one year, not two, because their earnings help fund the countrys missile and nuclear weapons program. It also sought a total ban on oil imports. Instead, the resolution set caps of 4 million barrels a year on crude oil and 500,000 on refined oil products. That amounts to a roughly 90 percent cut.
[US NK policy] [UNUS] [Sanctions]
UN Official Worried About 'Accidental Conflict' in Korea
By Kim Deok-han
December 18, 2017 11:02
A senior UN official said he is "really worried about an accidental move toward conflict" on the Korean Peninsula.
Jeffrey Feltman, the UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, told CNN last week about his Dec. 5-9 visit to North Korea, where he met North Korean officials including Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.
"The lack of trust in their mind meant that they had to rely on deterrence -- meaning military deterrence -- rather than on diplomatic dialogue in the short term," he said.
He warned of a "lack of communication" and the "high risk of some kind of miscalculation." Feltman said he "reminded North Korean officials that their nuclear and missile programs are a concern not just for the United States, but for the whole global community, as reflected through UN Security Council resolutions."
During the visit, Feltman proposed resuming inter-Korean talks and suggested the North take part in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
He said North Korean officials "gave us a fair hearing," asked questions, or took notes, but he added, "I don't know if they'll accept anything that we said."
Feltman added it is unlikely that UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres will visit to Pyongyang any time soon.
[Miscalculation] [Feltman] [UNUS] [Deterrence]
UN Secretary General stresses necessity of peacefully resolving North Korean nuclear issue
Posted on : Dec.16,2017 16:38 KST Modified on : Dec.16,2017 16:38 KST
Speaking about a possible visit to North Korea during a press conference at the Japan National Press Club on Dec. 14, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was, ready to go anywhere, at any time when it is useful. (Yonhap News)
Antonio Guterres is prepared to visit NK in order to facilitate dialogue
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres stressed the importance of the Korean Peninsulas denuclearization and a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue, while hinting that he may visit the North if necessary to mediate dialogue.
I think we all want to avoid that things get out of control and that misperceptions and mishandling of situations make us sleepwalk into a war that will have devastating consequences, Guterres said during a Dec. 14 press conference at the Japan National Press Club. The UN Secretary General had arrived in Tokyo the evening before for a two-day visit to attend a forum on universal health care coverage.
Guterres mentioned a peaceful resolution to the North Korean nuclear issue no fewer than nine times during the 32-minute press conference.
Dialogue must have an objectivethe objective for us is to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to do it in a peaceful manner, he said, stressing that dialogue was essential to achieve this.
[Guterres] [Spin] [UNUS]
UN Envoy Urges Peace on N.Korean Officials
By Kim Deok-han
December 11, 2017 10:28
A senior UN envoy says North Korean officials agreed with him that "the current situation was the most tense and dangerous peace and security issue in the world today."
UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman made the remarks on returning from a trip to North Korea last Saturday.
Feltman started his visit to the North on Dec. 5.
UN Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman (center) arrives in Beijing on Saturday. /Yonhap
He said he exchanged views with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong-guk.
Feltman emphasized "the need for the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions," according to a UN secretariat statement. "He also said there can only be a diplomatic solution to the situation, achieved through a process of sincere dialogue. Time is of the essence."
The statement also quoted him as "noting the urgent need to prevent miscalculations and open channels to reduce the risks of conflict."
The statement makes no mention of what the North Koreans told him.
But Japanese media said his demand that the regime stop its nuclear weapons and missile programs fell on deaf ears.
Feltmnan did not answer questions from reporters on arrival at Beijing Airport that day.
[UNUS] [UN NK] [Inversion]
Top UN official arrives in North Korea for four-day trip
Posted on : Dec.6,2017 16:38 KST
Modified on : Dec.6,2017 16:38 KST
UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman shakes hands with an official from the North Korean Foreign Ministry following his arrival at the Sunan Airport in Pyongyang on Dec. 5. (AFP/Yonhap News)
The UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs will meet with senior members of North Korean leadership
UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, one of the organizations top figures, arrived in North Korea on Dec. 5 for a four-day visit. Analysts predicted the visit by Feltman the first by a top UN official in over six years will contribute to relieving the recurring tensions surrounding the Korean Peninsula since North Koreas launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29.
In a Dec. 4 press release, the UN said Feltman would be visiting North Korea from Dec. 5 to 8.
Mr. Feltman will discuss with DPRK officials issues of mutual interest and concern, the release said, adding that he would meet with the United Nations Country Team and members of the diplomatic corps, as well as visit UN project sites pin North Korea].
Feltman departed Beijing Capital International Airport at 3 pm on Dec. 5, traveling on an Air Koryo flight to Pyongyang with four to five other delegation members. The North Korean Central News Agency reported that the delegation headed by UN Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arrived in Pyongyang on Dec. 5, but did not provide additional details.
[UN NK] [UNUS]
Senior UN official to visit North Korea this week for 'wide-ranging' discussions
Posted : 2017-12-05 11:18
Updated : 2017-12-05 15:00
A senior United Nations official will visit North Korea this week for "wide-ranging" discussions, a spokesman said Monday amid heightened tensions over the regime's latest missile test.
Jeffrey Feltman, undersecretary general for political affairs, will travel to Pyongyang Tuesday to discuss "issues of mutual interest and concern" with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho and others, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He plans to stay for four days.
"The visit is in response to a longstanding invitation from the authorities in Pyongyang for policy dialogue with the U.N. ," he told reporters, according to multiple news reports. "It will be a wide-ranging discussion."
Feltman's visit will come a week after North Korea test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile apparently capable of striking the entire U.S. mainland.
He will meet with North Korean government officials, U.N. officials and the diplomatic corps there, the spokesman said. (Yonhap)
[UNUS]
North Korea: UN political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman visits Pyongyang
The UN's Undersecretary-General Jeffrey Feltman is leading the organization's highest-level visit to Pyongyang in more than six years. It comes amid massive war games on the peninsula and after a successful missile test.
UN Undersecretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman arrives at Beijing's international airport (picture-alliance/Kyodo/MAXPPP)
The United Nation's political affairs chief was flying into Pyongyang on Tuesday for a rare, four-day visit to North Korea. Undersecretary-General Jeffrey Feltman's trip will be the highest-level UN visit to the nation in more than six years as tensions with the US ratcheted even higher.
Feltman will discuss "issues of mutual concern" and meet with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, Vice Minister Pak Myong Guk, diplomats and UN staff in the country, a spokesman said. The UN said it was unable to say whether he would also meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
[UNUS]
UN passes resolution condemning North Korean human rights violations
Posted on : Nov.16,2017 17:51 KST Modified on : Nov.16,2017 17:51 KST
The UN Third Committee passed by consensus a new North Korean human rights resolution that was drafted by the EU and Japan on Nov. 14 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Member states denounced the government for a wide range of abuses
On Nov. 14, the UN passed a new North Korean human rights resolution denouncing the Norths human rights violations and calling for improvement. This was the 13th such UN resolution. During a meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York, the UN Third Committee, which often deals with human rights issues, adopted a new North Korean human rights resolution that had been jointly drafted by the EU and Japan and jointly sponsored by more than 60 countries without taking a vote.
This was the 13th year in a row, since 2005, that a North Korean human rights resolution passed the UN Third Committee, and it was the fourth time, after 2012, 2013 and 2016, that the resolution was passed by consensus, without requiring a vote. This is different from a unanimous vote, since individual countries can abstain from consensus. The resolution will be taken up next month by a full session of the UN General Assembly.
[UNUS]
UN committee adopts resolution criticizing chemical weapon use in Kim Jong-nam murder
Posted : 2017-11-04 18:28
Updated : 2017-11-04 18:29
The First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution that shows concern about the use of a chemical weapon in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, a U.S. -based media report said Saturday.
According to Voice of America (VOA), the U.N. committee, which discusses all topics related to disarmament and international security, adopted resolution L. 26, or "Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction," in its meeting on Friday.
The resolution supports the decision made by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on March 9 that blamed chemical weapon use in the assassination of Kim Jong-nam. Based on Malaysia government reports, the OPCW announced that the VX nerve agent was used in the fatal incident at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13.
The U.N. resolution doesn't directly mention or target the communist state, but North Korea's deputy U.N. ambassador Kim In-ryong during the meeting insisted on deleting the part that mentions the use of VX nerve agent and said that the murder case was framed with the political intention to target his country, according to VOA.
Following Kim's request, the committee voted on deleting the clause in the resolution, but only four countries voted with North Korea, while 116 nations opposed the idea.
Meanwhile, an official with South Korea's foreign ministry said the country endorsed resolution L. 26. (Yonhap)
[UNUS] [Kim Jong Nam] [VX]
Anti-money laundering body calls for countermeasures against N. Korea
Posted : 2017-11-04 18:37
Updated : 2017-11-04 18:37
A global anti-money laundering body has called on all member states to apply effective countermeasures against the ongoing and substantial money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from North Korea.
The Financial Action Task Force said it remains concerned by North Korea's failure to address the significant deficiencies in its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regime and the serious threats they pose to the integrity of the international financial system.
"The FATF urges the DPRK to immediately and meaningfully address its AML/CFT deficiencies," the Paris-based body said Friday in a statement posted on its Web site after a meeting in Buenos Aires. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The task force also said jurisdictions should take necessary measures to close existing branches, subsidiaries and representative offices of North Korean banks within their territories and terminate correspondent relationships with North Korean banks.
The latest statement came amid international pressure on North Korea to give up its missile and nuclear programs. Tensions have spiked on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's sixth and most powerful nuclear test in September and a series of ballistic missile tests.
In 2015, North Korea pledged to sincerely carry out an action plan to meet global anti-money laundering standards. (Yonhap)
[Money laundering] [UNUS] [Sanctions]
U.N. calls again for end of U.S. embargo on Cuba
Rodrigo Campos
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling for an end to the U.S. economic embargo on Cuba, with the United States voting against it after abstaining last year for the first time in 25 years.
A view of the U.S. and Cuban flags prior to the signing of agreements between the Port of Cleveland and the Cuban Maritime authorities in Havana, Cuba, October 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandre Meneghini
The 193-member General Assembly passed the resolution with 191 votes in favor. Israel, as it has done in the past, voted in line with its top ally.
The non-binding resolution urges the United States to repeal the embargo on Cuba as soon as possible. The U.N. vote can carry political weight, but only the U.S. Congress can lift the full embargo, put in place more than 50 years ago.
[Sanctions] [Cuba] [UNUS] [Cuba deal] [Renege]
UN Adds More Items to List of Banned N.Korean Products
Arirang News
October 24, 2017 09:18
A UN committee has added some 32 items to a list of goods and technologies whose sale or transfer to North Korea is prohibited.
The committee, which monitors sanctions against Pyongyang, sent the report to the UN Security Council on Monday.
The banned items include containers for transporting radioactive materials, continuous cooling systems, flash X-ray machines, seismic detection equipment, and particle accelerators.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [War crimes] [Dual use]
UNESCOs International Advisory Committee delays review of comfort women documents
Posted on : Oct.22,2017 13:30 KST Modified on : Oct.22,2017 13:30 KST
Comfort woman survivor Lee Ok-seon takes the microphone during a fundraising appeal that was held at the House of Sharing in Gwangju City in Gyeonggi Province on Oct. 11 (Hankyoreh Archive)
Lobbying efforts from Japan, organizations biggest contributor, prevent registration to world archive
The president of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) that reviews potential entries to UNESCOs Memory of the World archive asked UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova to delay the review of documents related to the comfort women for the Imperial Japanese Army, the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun reported on Oct. 20. Civic groups in South Korea, China and Japan have requested UNESCO to add these documents to the registry, but it appears that Japanese lobbying efforts are making it less likely that this will actually take place.
If we carry out the review under the current system, UNESCO will become the site of sharp conflict, said Abdulla Alraisi, the Emirati chair of the IAC, in an interview with the newspaper during which he announced his request for a delay. Alraisi said he had asked for the review of eight disputed cases to be delayed until next year including the comfort women records and a collection of posters related to the Palestinian struggle to which Israel has objected. He also said he had asked for steps to be taken so that applicants would be asked to discuss their application with related countries.
[Comfort women] [UNESCO] [Japan pressure]
Petition from Women Cross DMZ to UN Secretary General
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres United Nations, New York
Dear Mr. Secretary-General,
September 22, 2017
We are peace-loving women from over 45 countries, including the United States, Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, and Guam, and many from nations that fought in the Korean War. We are united by our belief that diplomacy is the only way to resolve the nuclear crisis and threat of war now facing the Korean Peninsula, China, Russia, Japan, and other U.S. allies and territories in the region.
In his first General Assembly address, President Trump threatened, "to totally destroy North Korea," if the United States or its allies were attacked. As the world's greatest military power, the United States is the only nation ever to use atomic bombs against a civilian population that annihilated a quarter million people in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. We call on you, as Secretary-General of the United Nations, to counsel in the strongest of terms, the President of the United States and its Ambassador to the UN, that threats to destroy another country are unacceptable and will not be tolerated by the community of nations.
[UN] [Peace effort]
Statement by RI Yong Ho, Foreign Minister of DPR Korea to General Debate of the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Before going into the main points in my debate, I feel forced to make comments on the speech uttered 4 days ago by someone called the U.S. president that rendered this sacred UN arena tainted.
Since Trump uttered such reckless and violent words provoking the supreme dignity of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at this very platform, I think it is fair enough for me to make a response in the corresponding tone.
During his 8 months in power, he has turned the White House into a noisy marketing place full of crackling sounds of abacus beads and now he has tried to tum the UN arena into a gangsters' nest where money is respected and bloodshed is the order of the day.
The absurd reality that the person like Trump, a mentally deranged person full of megalomania and complacency, the person who is chastised even by American people as "Commander in Grief', "Lyin King", "President Evil" is holding the seat of the U.S. President, and the dangerous reality that the gambler who grew old using threats, frauds and all other schemes to acquire a patch of land holds the nuclear button; these are what constitute the gravest threat to the international peace and security today.
Due to his lacking of basic common knowledge and proper sentiment, he tried to insult the supreme dignity of my country by referring it to a rocket. By doing so, however, he committed an irreversible mistake of making our rockets' visit to the entire U.S. mainland inevitable all the more.
None other than Trump himself is on a suicide mission.
In case innocent lives of the U.S. are lost because of this suicide attack, Trump will be held totally responsible
.....
Our national nuclear force is, to all intents and purposes, a war deterrent for putting an end to nuclear threat of the U.S. and for preventing its military invasion; and our ultimate goal is to establish the balance of power with the U.S
....
The U.S. had put sanctions against our country from the very first day of its foundation and the over 70-year long history of the DPRK can be said in a sense a history of struggle, persevering along the road of self-development under the harshest sanctions in the world.
Through such a prolonged and arduous struggle, now we are finally only a few steps away from the final gate of completion of the state nuclear force. It is only a forlorn hope to consider any chance that the DPRK would be shaken an inch or change its stance due to the harsher sanctions by the hostile forces.
The day will certainly come in near future when we settle all damages inflicted to our peaceful economic development and improvement of the people's livelihood and all the sufferings imposed on our innocent women, children and elderly by the heinous and barbaric sanctions against our Republic.
The DPRK already organized a national damage investigation committee to make comprehensive study of total damages inflicted on our Republic by all kinds of sanctions.
This committee will thoroughly investigate and compile all physical and moral damages imposed upon the DPRK by the U.S., its followers and also those countries that submitted to the U.S. coercion.
When this racket of sanctions and pressure reaches a critical point, thus driving the Korean peninsula into an uncontrollable situation, investigation results of this committee will have a huge effect in holding those accountable.
Mr. President,
[NK US policy] [Deterrence]
Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations
by Simon Wood, September 20, 2017
As a responsible nuclear weapons state, our republic will not use a nuclear weapon unless its sovereignty is encroached upon by an aggressive hostile force with nuclear weapons. The DPRK will faithfully fulfill its obligation for non-proliferation and strive for global denuclearization.
Kim Jong Un, May 8, 2016
Attention: Antnio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Sir,
I am writing in regard to a speech given by US President Donald Trump to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) earlier this week, in particular the following excerpt:
The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.
As Secretary-General you are sworn to uphold the principles enshrined in the United Nations charter.
Article 1:
[The Purposes of the United Nations are:] [1.] To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace.
Article 2, paragraph 4:
All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the THREAT or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.
Article 33:
The parties to any dispute, the continuance of which is likely to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security, shall, first of all, seek a solution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their own choice.
[Emphasis in bold and capitals added]
I refer you to a statement made by President Kim of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) on July 4th:
[T]he DPRK would neither put its nukes and ballistic rockets on the table of negotiations in any case nor flinch even an inch from the road of bolstering the nuclear force chosen by itself unless the U.S. hostile policy and nuclear threat to the DPRK are definitely terminated.
[Emphasis added]
As Mr. Kims statement clearly demonstrates a road forward for negotiation, as well as the perfectly reasonable pre-condition that hostile statements, actions and overall policy towards his nation cease, and given further that the US party is well aware of this position, Mr. Trumps statement at the United Nations is in clear violation of the principles of the UN charter. I further add that the DPRK has ample cause for fear of the capabilities and will of the United States after the complete destruction of Pyongyang in the early 1950s.
I am writing therefore to inquire as to the date upon which you will hold an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss punitive sanctions upon the United States for the reckless and illegal statement of its highest representative. For context, I invite you to imagine the international response to, say, Russian President Vladimir Putin making an identical statement with regard to the United Kingdom. [We would have no choice but to destroy it if we perceive a threat]. Given recent tragic history, of which you will surely be aware, threats can easily be invented via unnamed intelligence sources, amplified globally in major media organs, then later justified as intelligence failures down the road once the damage is done.
Failure to censure the United States for this threat of force against a nation which as all do has the right to defend itself from clearly stated intentions of attack will only increase the suspicion held by many world citizens that the United Nations is powerless to impede or control powerful nations.
Faithfully,
Simon Wood
Twitter: @simonwood11
[Trump] [Belligerence] [UNUS] [Legality] [UN Charter]
Moon highlights peace in UN speech
Posted : 2017-09-21 23:07
Updated : 2017-09-21 23:47
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By Kim Rahn
Not only diplomatic efforts but also pressure and sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are all aimed at preventing a war and maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday.
In a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Moon urged the U.N. 's active role in addressing the North Korea issue, saying the peninsula is the place that desperately needs the U.N. spirit to realize world peace through multilateral talks.
[Moon Jae-in] [UN] [Tragedy]
Moon faces crucial talks on N. Korea at UN
Posted : 2017-09-18 11:21
Updated : 2017-09-18 21:51
President to call for stronger international pressure on Pyongyang
By Kim Rahn
President Moon Jae-in left for New York, Monday, to hold crucial talks with foreign leaders on how to address North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.
During his five-day visit, he will deliver a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly and hold summits with other leaders. Moon will ask for their support for his North Korea policy and for the latest U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolution imposing tougher sanctions on Pyongyang.
[Moon Jae-in] [UNGA]
Head of DPRK Delegation Speaks at Asia-Pacific Regional Ministerial Conference
on Environment and Development
DPRK Minister of Land and Environment Protection Kim Kyong Jun who is leading the delegation of the ministry on September 7 made a speech at the Asia-Pacific regional ministerial conference on environment and development held in Thailand.
He said that the DPRK government has long paid deep attention to environment protection and achieved successes.
Environment protection is not an issue confined to a country and a nation, and the unity in action should be provided to make the earth a planet without contamination, he noted.
It is regrettable that the U.S. decided to withdraw from the important convention of the whole world, giving priority to its interests and extreme economic calculation, he pointed out.
The U.S. "sanctions resolutions", products of its high-handed and arbitrary practices, are wantonly violating the Korean people's right to exist and develop and have negative influence on the international cooperation in the environment field and a typical proof is that the work being done by the cooperation of the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization has not yet been promoted in the DPRK, he said.
He said it is the stand of the DPRK that the environment protection and international cooperation in this field should not become a victim of politics affected by the interests of individual countries as a global work.
[Environment] [Sanctions]
Washingtons Draft UN Security Council Resolution on North Korea
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, September 08, 2017
Region: Asia, Russia and FSU
Security Council resolutions targeting North Korea are counterproductive, achieving nothing other than heightening tensions more than already Washingtons reason for wanting them imposed, opposing engaging with its officials diplomatically.
In its current form, a draft US sponsored SC resolution on the DPRK is unacceptable to Russia and China, calling for:
an asset freeze and travel ban on Kim Jong-un and other designated DPRK officials;
designating additional WMD-related items, including specified materials, equipment, goods and technology;
designating conventional arms dual-use and munitions and related items, including specified materials, equipment, goods, and technology;
designating vessels used to transport coal, its purchase by other countries prohibited;
authorizing UN member states to interdict and inspect North Korean vessels at sea in international waters;
banning exports of crude oil, condensate, refined petroleum products and natural gas to the DPRK;
prohibiting textile exports to the country;
preventing illicit (sic) DPRK coal exports through Rajin;
banning the hiring and use of North Korean workers by other countries; and
prohibiting joint ventures and cooperative economic activities with Pyongyang, among other measures.
The resolution claimed the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsulathrough dialogue Washington opposes.
[US NK policy] [UNUS]
U.N. Security Council to vote on weakened North Korea sanctions bid
Michelle Nichols
(Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on Monday to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its largest nuclear bomb test, after the United States watered-down the text of a resolution to appease China and Russia.
A week ago, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called for the strongest possible sanctions on North Korea and had sought an oil embargo on Pyongyang.
But after negotiations in recent days, mainly among the councils veto powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France - the revised draft appears to resemble another incremental increase in sanctions on Pyongyang.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
Syria denies carrying out gas attack that killed dozens
Damascus (AFP) -
Syria on Friday denied UN accusations that it was behind a sarin gas attack in April, saying the government does not use chemical weapons against its people.
On Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators said they had evidence Syrian government forces were behind a chemical attack using sarin gas on Khan Sheikhun in April that killed dozens.
"All evidence available leads the commission to conclude that there are reasonable grounds to believe Syrian forces dropped an aerial bomb dispersing sarin in Khan Sheikhun," a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry said.
[Khan Sheikhoun] [cbw] [UNUS]
North Korea: The UN Security Council Condemns the Wrong Country. The Real Regional Menace Goes Unmentioned
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, August 30, 2017
On Tuesday, Security Council members condemn(ed) the DPRK for its outrageous actions and demands that the DPRK immediately cease all such actions, adding:
The Security Council stresses that these DPRK actions are not just a threat to the region, but to all UN member states.
Reportedly under consideration to replace Rex Tillerson as secretary of state, neocon US UN envoy Nikki Haley said
(t)he United States will not allow their lawlessness to continue.
Trump again said
all options are on the table for North Korea.
Russias UN envoy Vasily Nebenzya stressed
(t)here can be no military solution to the issues on the Korean Peninsula. We believe that all the United Nations Security Council resolutions on North Korea must specify this condition, adding:
(A)ttempts to solve problems on the Korean Peninsula through sanctions and pressure produce little effect. This way will not help us to achieve the intended result. Besides, this way envisages no possibility of entering constructive talks with North Korea.
Chinas UN envoy Liu Jieyi denounced US THAAD missiles in South Korea, saying they
severely jeopardize the regional strategic balance, undermining the strategic security interests of all regional countries, including China, adding:
China also urges countries to stop the practice of resorting to domestic legislation imposing unilateral sanctions on individuals and entities in other countries.
Council members imposed no new sanctions on the DPRK. Others imposed earlier achieved nothing but heightened tensions on the peninsula.
During Security Council sessions on North Korea, including Tuesdays, the real regional menace goes unmentioned.
[UNUS] [US NK policy]
US Pressure Keeps Palestinians Blacklisted at UN
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 1 2017 (IPS) - When Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed the appointment of former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as UNs Special Representative in Libya back in February, the proposal was shot down by US Ambassador Nikki Haley, purely because he was a Palestinian.
Credit: Institute for Palestine Studies
And speaking before the US House Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee in June, Haley went even further down the road when she indicated she would block any appointment of a Palestinian official to a senior role at the UN because Washington does not recognize Palestine as an independent state.
Suddenly, the Palestinians, for the first time, seem blacklisted and declared political outcasts in a world body where some of them held key posts in a bygone era.
Nadia Hijab, Executive Director of Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, told IPS: As the US Administration appears to be steering a breakneck course towards a nuclear war with North Korea, it is little short of remarkable that its representative at the UN can find time to continue her vendetta against the Palestinian people while Israel, a serial violator of the international law the UN was created to uphold, is able not only to sit at the UN but to serve on key committees.
[UNUS] [Palestine] [Israel]
North Korean Foreign Minister expected to give keynote address at UN General Assembly
Posted on : Aug.22,2017 18:06 KST Modified on : Aug.22,2017 18:06 KST
Experts speculate closed door meetings between US-North Korea could take place next month
North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong-ho is expected to take part in the UN General Assembly to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York next month for the second year in a row.
A source in Washington claims, Ri will represent North Korea in the upcoming General Assembly and is expected to give a keynote address.
In this years meeting, which begins on September 19, heads of state and foreign ministers from each country will take turns giving keynote speeches over the course of a week. This means Ri will likely arrive in New York around September 20.
In 2014, then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Su-yong (currently Vice Chairman of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea) gave a speech at the UN General Assembly on behalf of North Korea for the first time in 15 years. Since then, North Korea has sent foreign ministers to the annual meeting for three consecutive years. Ri Yong-ho gave a keynote address last year after being promoted to Minister of Foreign Affairs.
[Ri Yong Ho] [UN]
UN chief urges DPRK to fully implement international obligations
Source: Xinhua Published: 2017/8/17 8:03:06
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) should "fully comply with international obligations" and "engage in a credible and meaningful dialogue" in order to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters in New York, Guterres said "the Security Council was united in adopting Resolution 2371 on August 5," adding "this resolution sends an unambiguous message regarding the peace and security obligations of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
"In particular, tensions related to the Korean Peninsula are at levels not seen in decades. We remember the enormous suffering caused by the Korean War that began 67 years ago," the UN chief noted.
The secretary-general stressed that over three million people were killed in the Korean War. Many nations were directly engaged and experienced heavy losses.
"We need to heed the lessons of history, not to repeat the mistakes," he stressed.
[UNUS] [Guterres]
US stalls visa extension for N. Korean envoy
Posted : 2017-07-24 16:48
Updated : 2017-07-24 19:24
By Ko Dong-hwan
Ja Song-nam / Korea Times file
The United States government deliberately delayed extending the visa of the North Korean envoy to the United Nations, possibly out of malice toward the rogue state, according to a Japanese news report.
The U.S. government, which manages visa extension affairs for the U.N. in New York, extended Ja Song-nam's visa on July 14.
The day before, Ja complained at an unofficial meeting at the U.N. about the U.S. government having delayed extending his visa since he applied for an extension in March. His visa expired in May.
Ja told Japanese news agency Kyodo the U.S. government "didn't provide a single explanation why the process took so long." He said he saw the delay as "an act of aggression."
Ja has been North Korea's permanent representative to the U.N. since February 2014.
The U.S. government delayed extending Ja's visa because his country was disregarding the world's concerns and wielding military might, including nuclear missile tests, the news agency said.
An unidentified diplomat said it was "a message" for the unbridled military state from the U.S., whose citizen, Otto Warmbier, died after being released after being detained 17 months in the communist nation.
In April 2014, the U.S. refused to extend a visa for an Iranian envoy to the U.N. after learning that he had been involved in the Iran hostage crisis in 1979.
Fifty-two American diplomats and citizens were held hostage for 444 days, a world record for the longest hostage crisis, after supporters of the Iranian Revolution took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
[US NK policy] [UN] [Legality]
FM Meets UN Rapporteur on N.Korean Human Rights
By Kim Myong-song
July 18, 2017 12:33
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Monday met with the UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights, Toms Ojea Quintana.
"I believe this is a great opportunity for me to hear from different authorities of this new government about their approach and their policies toward the human rights situation" in the North, Quintana said.
He emphasized a "two-track approach" to improving human rights in the North, both by calling it to account and engaging in dialogue.
Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha (right) meets with Toms Ojea Quintana, the UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday.
Kang said human rights in the North are a "matter of great concern" to the new government in Seoul.
[SK NK policy] [Human rights] [Softwar] [UNUS]
Andreas Persbo Choosing a new OPCW head
by Andreas Persbo | July 11, 2017 | 4 Comments
On Thursday this week, seven candidates hoping to replace Director-General Ahmet zmc will present their candidacies to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). They have been asked by Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, the chair of the Executive Council, to focus on two pertinent questions: the priorities and future challenges of the OPCW and the management of the Secretariat itself.
[OPCW] [UNUS]
North Korea threatens follow-up measures to possible UNSC resolution
Posted on : Jul.15,2017 14:47 KST Modified on : Jul.15,2017 14:47 KST
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un takes a commemorative photo of the people who participated in the successful launch of a Hwasong-14 missiles, in front of Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, from the July 13 edition of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. (Yonhap News)
Sanctions over recent ICBM launch would be attempt to obliterate our right to autonomy and survival, N. Korean Foreign Ministry says
North Korea is threatening follow-up measures in the event of an additional United Nations Security Council (UNSCR) resolution sanctioning it for the test-launch of its Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The message on the afternoon of July 14 came in the form of a Foreign Ministry spokespersons response to questions from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Flustered by the successful test-launch of our intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong 14, the US is in a frenzy trying to drum up an unheard-up ultra-intense sanctions resolution opposing us in the UN Security Council, the spokesperson said.
Its making a real fuss about passing around the new sanctions resolution draft [at the UNSC] and talking about putting it up for a vote without any compromising, the spokesperson said.
[UNUS] [UNSC] [Hwasong-14]
UN chief appoints head of panel laying groundwork for possible war crimes probe in Syria
3 July 2017 United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres today announced the appointment of Catherine Marchi-Uhel of France as the head of the independent panel to assist in the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for most serious violations of international law in Syria.
The panel, formally known as the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to Assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Those Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in Syrian Arab Republic since March 2011, was established by the UN General Assembly in December last year.
[Syria] [UNUS]
Nikki Haley Grilled in US Congress on Americas Role in the UN and the World
By Barbara Crossette Reprint | | Print | |En espaol
Nikki Haley Grilled in US Congress on Americas Role in the UN and the World
UNITED NATIONS, Jun 29 2017 (IPS) - Five months into her stint as United States ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley faced two days of often-sharp questioning on June 27 and 28 by influential panels of the United States Congress. They demanded justification for the Trump administrations decision to slash funding to the United Nations, particularly cuts to the UN Population Fund, Unicef, UN Women and the World Food Program.
Concerns were also raised about the wisdom of reducing the US budget contributions to peacekeeping from 27 percent to 25 percent (which cannot be done unilaterally without incurring arrears) and by squeezing peacekeeping missions around the world. Haley was proud to note that funds for the mission in Haiti were being cut by $150 million, though Secretary-General Antnio Guterres just named Josette Sheeran, special envoy on cholera in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Cuts to US contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency in an era of nuclear proliferations were also questioned.
Haley also proudly told Congressional members that the US got the UN General Assembly budget committee this month to reduce the annual peacekeeping budget. In fact, the US aimed for $1 billion in cuts but agreed to about half that amount, for a total yearly budget of $7.3 billion.
Paradoxically in her testimony in Congress, Haley bemoaned the lack of equipment for peacekeeping troops (the mission in Mali desperately needs armored tanks), which could be financed through a more generous UN budget and save lives.
The tone of questions asked to Haley by Congressional members may suggest that Trumps 2018 budget will not get significant legislative support on UN-related issues, yet there remains a hard core of Republican legislators who not always clear on facts or context on how the organization works are dismissive and insulting. Among them and other groups, a strong pro-Israeli lobby continues to function and may have been strengthened by Trumps team.
[Nikki Haley] [UNUS]
N. Korea draws more attention at Shanggri-La, minister says
Posted : 2017-06-04 15:24
Updated : 2017-06-04 15:24
North Korea has been in the spotlight at the forum here of top defense officials from around the world, reflecting increased global concern about its military threats, officials here said Sunday.
"The biggest characteristics of the session this time is that more attention has been paid to the North Korean nuclear and missile issue than in the previous ones," said South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo.
The policymaker is leading Seoul's defense delegation to the 16th Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shanggri-La Dialogue (SLD), named after the hotel in this city-state used for its venue.
It's the third straight year that Han is attending the conference as South Korea's defense chief and his last.
[Shangri-La]
UN Security Council agrees to blacklist DPRK individuals, entities
Xinhua, June 3, 2017
The United Nations (UN) Security Council on Friday agreed to add more individuals and entities of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to its sanctions list in response to the country's repeated ballistic launches.
Condemning "in the strongest terms" the nuclear weapon and ballistic missile development in the face of earlier sanction resolutions, the 15-member Council imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 14 individuals, two companies, one bank and the Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People's Army.
The measure urged the DPRK to abandon its nuclear programs and cease all related activities immediately.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [Sanctions]
Ex-U.N. investigator urges action against N.K. rights violations
2017/06/02 14:36
JEJU ISLAND, June 2 (Yonhap) -- A former head of the United Nations' landmark inquiry into North Korea's human rights abuses said he will not rest contently until action is taken to make the North's rights abusers stand trial at the International Criminal Court.
Michael Kirby, a retired Australian justice who formerly headed the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI) that looked into the North's human rights violations, urged new South Korean President Moon Jae-in to open international negotiations to bring North Korean abusers to justice in an interview held on Thursday on the sidelines of the Jeju Forum.
[UNUS] [Softwar] [ICC] [Kirby]
OPCW discredits itself by dodging proper Syria chemical attack probe Moscow
Published time: 26 May, 2017 00:58 Edited time: 26 May, 2017 16:10
Russia has demanded the immediate dispatch of an independent fact-finding mission to the site of last months chemical incident in Idlib and the airbase from where the attack was allegedly launched, noting that constant delays discredit the OPCW and render its mandate irrelevant.
On May 23, the UN Security Council once again discussed the chemical attack in Idlib. Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN disarmament, chief told the Security Council that planning for the fact-finding mission to the site was already underway, but no date has yet been set, as the UN is allegedly working to confirm security assurances needed to dispatch an international team of experts.
Moscow reminded the international community that in order to draw any reliable conclusions, investigators should first visit the site of the incident and the Syrian airbase which Damascus had agreed to provide free and safe access to, both before and after the facility was bombed by 59 US Tomahawk missiles.
It looks like no one is in a hurry to go to Khan Shaykhun for verification of the details of a case as resounding as this one, Russias foreign ministry said. Moscow also questioned why investigators would refuse to visit the Shayrat Airbase, which, according to the anti-Damascus coalition, was used to launch the chemical attack.
We would like to emphasize that in early April, Damascus provided official guarantees for safe access there for the experts of the OPCW mission to establish the facts of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the ministry said in a statement.
Its really saddening that OPCW continues to delay its investigation citing unfavorable security conditions, the ministry added. All the prerequisites for organizing a visit in terms of security requirements and fulfillment of obligations under the Convention have been established.
[Khan Sheikhoun] [OPCW] [UNUS]
N. Korea secures World Health Assembly's vice presidency
Posted : 2017-05-23 11:47
Updated : 2017-05-23 19:25
North Korean Heath Minister Kang Ha-kuk has been appointed one of five new vice presidents of the WHO's World Health Assembly, a U.S. broadcaster said Tuesday.
Kang and four others from Cabo Verde, the Cook Islands, Somalia and Suriname took up the post at the Health Assembly's 70th session that kicked off Monday in Geneva for a 10-day run, Voice of America said.
They will maintain the post until the next session is held one year later.
The Health Assembly is the WHO's decision-making body, the main functions of which are to determine WHO policies, appoint the director-general and supervise financial policies.
The annual meeting is attended by delegations from all WHO member states. (Yonhap)
[WHO]
Moon seeks Pope's help for summit with N. Korean leader: report
Posted : 2017-05-23 13:55
Updated : 2017-05-23 13:59
By Lee Han-soo
President Moon Jae-in is reportedly seeking Pope Francis' help to arrange a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
According to the Joongang Ilbo, one of Korea's biggest newspapers, Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-joong, Moon's special envoy to the Vatican, plans to deliver Moon's letter to the Pope Tuesday or Wednesday.
"I will deliver President Moon's letter to the Pope during my audience, in which Moon asks the latter to help arrange an inter-Korean summit," Archbishop Kim was quoted as saying in a report published Tuesday.
IS THE UNITED NATIONS AIMING TO DESTROY NORTH KOREA?
Alexander Vorontsov
May 19, 2017
In this essay, Alexander Vorontsov shares his concerns about the United Nations imposing an economic embargo on the DPRK and the possible implications for the United Nations.
Alexander Vorontsov is Head of Korea and Mongolia Department, Institute of Oriental studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Associated Professor Oriental Studies Department, MGIMO University
As a Korea specialist who visits at annually both North and South Korea where I speak with high-ranking diplomats, among others, I have become more and more disturbed. I would like to share why with the reader.
Last February in Pyongyang, one of the highest-ranking North Korean diplomats said that they surely monitor all election statements of Donald Trump, but judge his intentions not by his words, but by his real actions, his choice of personnel etc. Based on these observations, they were preparing to the period of a very acute confrontation with the new administration immediately in the future. . At the first stage, he indicated, it was unlikely that a direct military collision would occur. But they have concluded that an unprecedentedly long and exhausting embargo is evidently inevitable. They are ready, he indicated, for any scenario and they intend to ensure the ultimate survival of their political and economical system.
[US NK policy] [UNUS] [Regime change]
UN mulls new sanction against DPRK
Xinhua, May 17, 2017
There is "ample possibility" for the UN Security Council to impose new sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to its missile launch, said council President Elbio Rosselli on Tuesday.
He made the remarks after a closed-door meeting among the 15 council members on the issue of the DPRK. The meeting was convened two days after the DPRK test fired a ballistic missile.
Rosselli, the Uruguayan ambassador to the United Nations, voiced absolute rejection of the continued nuclear tests and missile launches conducted by the DPRK, adding the council will be working on ways to resolve the threat.
There is ample possibility for the council to use sanctions to respond to the current situation without closing other options "through creative, subtle and peaceful diplomacy," Rosselli said.
[UNUS] [US NK policy] [Sanctions]
UN ignores unanimous Senate to pass anti-Israel measure
By Christopher Wallace, Ben Evansky Published May 02, 2017 Fox News
Trump: We will confront anti-Semitism, stand with Israel
A letter from President Trump backed by all 100 senators was not enough to dissuade the U.N. from passing its latest resolution criticizing Israel.
The resolution, passed Tuesday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), labeled Israel an occupying Power and called on the Jewish state to cease persistent archaeological work in East Jerusalem.
The vote, which passed 22-10 with 23 abstentions, came despite a letter signed by every U.S. senator calling for the world body to take a more balanced view of Israel.
[Israel] [UNUS]
UN expert urges halt to rising hostility on Korean Peninsula
Tuesday, 25 April 2017, 9:22 pm
Press Release: UNHCHR
UN human rights expert urges halt to rising hostility on Korean Peninsula
GENEVA (25 April 2017) An urgent appeal to lower political and military tensions on the Korean Peninsula over continued missile tests by the authorities in Pyongyang is being made by a United Nations expert, who says the war of words is already having an impact on citizens.
The recent rise in conflict rhetoric is worsening already critical human rights challenges in North Korea, says the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Toms OJEA QUINTANA.
At a time when the international community needs to come together to protect the rights of people in the DPRK, we are instead witnessing a rise in incitement to armed confrontation, he said.
Statements that feed hatred and polarization do nothing but undermine opportunities to improve the dire situation of ordinary North Koreans, the human rights expert stressed.
[UNUS]
UN Security Council unanimously adopts statement condemning N. Korea missile launch
Posted : 2017-04-21 10:40
Updated : 2017-04-21 10:40
The U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a press statement strongly condemning North Korea's latest missile launch.
"The members of the Security Council expressed their utmost concern over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's highly destabilizing behavior and flagrant and provocative defiance of the Security Council by conducting this ballistic-missile launch," the council said in the statement, referring to the April 15 launch.
The launch ended in failure as the missile blew up right after takeoff.
[Missile test] [UNUS] [Double standards]
UN chief says everything must be done to confront N. Korea threats
Posted : 2017-04-20 09:43
Updated : 2017-04-20 09:43
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Wednesday for all-out efforts to curb North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.
"We believe that it is absolutely essential that everybody is involved in order to make sure that everything is done so that the threat represented by the development in relation to missiles and in relation to nuclear capability not become a threat to the international community," Guterres told reporters.
"We fully support the efforts of all states in order to make sure that North Korea does not acquire the capacities that would become a threat not only to the region but in a wider area of the world," he said.
Guterres said that countries in the region -- China, the U.S., Japan, South Korea and Russia -- should spare no efforts to curb the North's threats. (Yonhap)
[UNUS]
Kim Jong-un, Assad Pat Each Other on the Back
By Kim Myong-song
April 12, 2017 11:55
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have exchanged congratulatory messages amid pressure from an increasingly belligerent U.S.
The official [North] Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday said Assad sent congratulatory messages to Kim on the 105th birthday of regime founder Kim Il-sung on April 15 and on the leader's own anniversary of becoming first secretary of the Workers Party on April 11 and as chairman of the Defense Commission on April 13.
It quoted Assad as saying, "The friendly two countries are... conducting a war against big powers' wild ambition to subject all countries to their expansionist and dominationist policy and deprive them out of their rights to self-determination."
Kim in turn sent a congratulatory message to Assad on the 70th anniversary of Syria's ruling Ba'ath party last Thursday, just as international outrage over his use of chemical weapons in the civil war reached boiling point.
The North has provided Syria with missile and other weapons technology since the 1970s.
"Kim and Assad seem to have reaffirmed their united front against the U.S.," said Choi Kyung-hee at Hanyang University.
[NK Syria]
N. Korea revives parliamentary diplomacy panel to improve external ties: Seoul
Posted : 2017-04-12 11:49
Updated : 2017-04-12 11:49
South Korea said Wednesday that North Korea appears to have revived a parliamentary foreign affairs commission to improve its relations with the external world on the basis of its pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles.
North Korea set up the foreign affairs commission for the first time in 19 years at its key assembly meeting Tuesday, a move seen aimed at beefing up its diplomacy amid tough international sanctions.
Former North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong was elected to lead the Supreme People's Assembly Diplomatic Commission, whose members included Ri Son-gwon, the head of North Korea's agency handling inter-Korean affairs, and Kim Kye-gwan, a vice foreign minister.
N. Korea, Syria vow close ties amid US missile attack
Posted : 2017-04-11 10:40
Updated : 2017-04-11 16:16
North Korea and Syria have reaffirmed efforts to step up relations in their recent exchanges of congratulatory messages on key anniversaries as the recent US strike at a Syrian air base alarmed the countries.
North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sent two congratulatory messages to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on the occasions of the 105th birthday of national founder Kim Il-sung and the 5th anniversary of the current leader's election to the top posts.
"The friendly two countries are celebrating this anniversary and, at the same time, conducting a war against big powers' wild ambition to subject all countries to their expansionist and dominationist policy and deprive them of their rights to self-determination," the KCNA quoted the Syrian messages as saying.
[NK Syria]
Inside the tense closed-door UN Security Council deliberations on Syria
By Richard Roth, CNN
Story highlights
Exchanges between the US and Russia behind closed doors Thursday were particularly tense
By comparison to previous action, events late last week at the UN happened at warp speed
New York (CNN)The US missile strikes in Syria Thursday night exploded just as the UN Security Council in New York concluded a closed-door debate on Syria so heated one council diplomat said "there was blood on the floor."
Nikki Haley full State of the Union interview 14:48
The Security Council -- the group of 15 countries charged with protecting international peace and security -- has seen only failures in Syria during the six years of war. Russia, backed by China, has vetoed seven different resolutions.
The years of frustration plus the new presence of US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, with a more aggressive approach, contributed to a more heated discussion Thursday night.
The evening before at the Women in the World Summit in Manhattan, Haley smiled and said, "We don't do soft power." The UN meeting just two days after the chemical attack was to determine if there could be an international resolution to condemn the Syria gas attack and potentially state demands for Syria to comply with an international investigation.
The exchanges between the US and Russia behind closed doors were particularly tense. One council diplomat described the whole atmosphere as "exceptionally poisonous."
[Russia confrontation] [UNSC] [Syria]
UN Security Council to discuss North Korean nukes on Apr. 28
Posted on : Apr.5,2017 16:51 KST Modified on : Apr.5,2017 16:51 KST
Meeting will be a follow-up measure to Apr. 6-7 summit between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is presiding over an Apr. 28 ministerial meeting of UN Security Council (UNSC) members at UN headquarters in New York to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue.
In an Apr. 3 press conference held for the USs assumption of the rotating UNSC presidency, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said a UNSC ministerial meeting on the non-proliferation issue would be held on Apr. 28, with a particular focus on North Koreas nuclear activities.[US NK policy] [UNUS] [UNSC]
[INTERVIEW] N. Korea gets more isolated by ASEAN
Posted : 2017-04-02 18:03
Updated : 2017-04-03 11:10
Amb. Lee Sang-deok
By Kim Jae-kyoung
SINGAPORE North Korea is getting more isolated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) after a series of recent provocative actions, according to a senior South Korean diplomat.
"ASEAN member states are seeing North Korea's potential threat in a new light," South Korean Ambassador to Singapore Lee Sang-deok said in a recent interview. "Although we need to continue to monitor the situation for a while, I believe that the latest developments are deepening North Korea's isolation in the ASEAN region."
UN archive on N. Korean human rights abuses to be established in Geneva
Posted on : Apr.1,2017 13:03 KST Modified on : Apr.1,2017 13:03 KST
The 34th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 27
Collected evidence to be part of international efforts to assign responsibility for rights abuses in North Korea
An archive of information and evidence on human rights abuses by the North Korean regime is to be established in Geneva, Voice of America reported on Mar. 31.
Quoting a report by the UN Office of Programme Planning, Budget and Accounts (OPPBA), VOA explained that the independent archive, to be created in accordance with a North Korean human resolution adopted by the 34th UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), will be established in physically distant Geneva for the security and total confidentiality of sensitive information.
[Human rights] [Softwar] [UNUS]
UN Security Council exceeds its authority
Statement from
Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World People
Societies for Friendship with the Asia-Pacific People
Korea-Asia Pacific Exchange
Dear Friends,
Recently the U.S. and its vassal states have fabricated the sanction resolutions in the UN Security Council, accusing the DPRKs measures for strengthening self-defensive capability as threat to world peace and security.
The right to self-defense and the right to self-determination are inviolable rights, recognized by the International Laws including UN Charter.
But, beyond its authority, the UN Security Council has begun to fabricate sanction resolutions since 1960s.
The Resolution 235, adopted on Dec. 16 in 1966 by questioning the independence declaration of the Rhodesia(Zimbabwe today) as the threat to the international peace and security, was the first resolution of the UNSC in the U.N history, instigated by the U.S.
The UNSC adopted the sanction resolution on the Rhodesia without any reasonable legal basis. Many lawyers claimed that the declaration of independence is related to the right of self-determination and is not regarded as the threat to the international peace and security. And they also claimed this was the violation of the Paragraph 7 of Article 2 of the UN Charter, which clarifies that nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any stateand they also claimed the UNSC went beyond its authority.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [Legality] [Independent states] [UN Charter]
DPRK not to attend UN conference on nuclear weapons
Xinhua, March 25, 2017
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Friday that it will not participate in the upcoming United Nations conference on negotiating a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.
"The question is whether the conference can produce a result reflective of this desire and wish (for total elimination of nuclear weapons)," said an unnamed spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry.
It is "an immediate vital requirement" for the DPRK to further bolster self-defensive capabilities with a nuclear force as a pivot given that the United States is carrying out joint military exercises with South Korea after introducing the largest-ever strategic weapons into the Korean Peninsula, the spokesman said.
But the DPRK will continue to support the idea of the non-aligned movement for the total dismantlement of nuclear weapons and the worldwide efforts for it, he said.
Last year at a UN committee meeting, the DPRK voted in favor of the resolution proposing to convene a conference on negotiations of a treaty to ban nuclear weapons.
The conference will convene its first substantive session from March 27 to March 31 at the UN headquarters.
[Nuclear disarmament] [[UNUS]
The Complete Censored ESCWA Report: Israel Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid
By Richard Falk and Virginia Tilley
Global Research, March 19, 2017
The decision by the UN Secretary General to remove this report points to the criminalization of the United Nations.
Censorship is applied by the UN body on the explicit instructions of the US government, which alongside Israel is responsible for extensive war crimes against the people of the Middle East. U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley accuses the UN of propagating anti-Israeli propaganda pointing to Prof. Richard Falk as a conspiracy theorist. (M. Ch. GR Editor)
The United States is outraged by the [ESCWA] report That such anti-Israel propaganda would come from a body whose membership nearly universally does not recognize Israel is unsurprising. That it was drafted by Richard Falk, a man who has repeatedly made biased and deeply offensive comments about Israel and espoused ridiculous conspiracy theories, including about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, is equally unsurprising. The United Nations Secretariat was right to distance itself from this report, but it must go further and withdraw the report altogether. The United States stands with our ally Israel and will continue to oppose biased and anti-Israel actions across the UN system and around the world.
[UNUS] [Israel] [Censorship]
Trump Administration Ousts U.N. Official to Protect Israel From Criticism
Glenn Greenwald
March 19 2017, 3:39 a.m.
Photo: Evan Vucci/AP
On Wednesday, a U.N. agency published a report noting that Israel has established an apartheid regime that dominates the Palestinian people as a whole. Yesterday, the author of that report, who has served as executive secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA) since 2010, Rima Khalef, resigned after the Trump administration, working in conjunction with Israel, pressured the U.N. secretary-general to demand that she withdraw the report.
Khalef, a Jordanian national who has served in multiple high government positions, refused the demand to repudiate her own report, instead choosing to resign. The report which was co-authored by the Jewish American Princeton professor and former U.N. official Richard Falk, a longtime critic of Israeli occupation has now been removed from the UNESCWA website.
[Israel] [UNUS]
UNSC unanimously condemns N. Korea's recent missile provocation
Posted : 2017-03-08 11:05
Updated : 2017-03-08 16:02
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a press statement strongly condemning North Korea's recent multiple missile launches, South Korea's foreign ministry said Wednesday.
The statement approved on Tuesday (US time) in an emergency UNSC meeting in New York expressed grave concerns over Pyongyang's "increasingly destabilization behavior" and prodded the country to comply with UNSC resolutions banning its ballistic missile launches, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and news reports.
The unanimous adoption came even as the U.S. and China, two of the five permanent UNSC members, are at odds over the deployment of the advanced American defense system THAAD in South Korea.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [Appeasement]
Malaysia rejects accusation of non-compliance with UN sanctions on DPRK
Xinhua, March 4, 2017
Malaysia said on Saturday it has fully implemented UN sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after media reports alleged it may have violated such sanctions by allowing DPRK-linked arms dealing companies in the country.
Media reported earlier this week that Glocom, a front company run by the DPRK, sold battlefield radio equipment in Malaysia, with a member of Malaysia's ruling party UMNO as its director.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Malaysia viewed with serious concern the reports that indicate Malaysia's non-compliance with sanctions on DPRK by the UN Security Council.
"Malaysia categorically rejects any such insinuation," it said.
[Malaysia] [UNUS] [US dominance]
UN chief 'strongly condemns' N. Korea's missile launch
Posted : 2017-02-14 11:40Updated : 2017-02-14 11:40
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday denounced North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch as a violation of Security Council resolutions and urged the regime to abide by its international obligations.
"The secretary-general strongly condemns the launch of another ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 12 February," Farhan Haq, deputy U.N. spokesman, said in a statement. "This action is a further troubling violation of Security Council resolutions."
[Test] [UNUS] [Double standards]
Poland to crack down on N. Korea's illegal business activities: report
Posted : 2017-02-07 11:02Updated : 2017-02-07 11:02
The Polish government plans to take legal action to prevent the North Korean Embassy in Warsaw from continuing on its alleged illegal commercial activities, a U.S.-based media said Tuesday.
Voice of America (VOA) reported that the European country's foreign ministry has sent VOA an email saying it will take additional steps to terminate the embassy's illegal activities in line with new sanctions that the U.N. Security Council imposed on the North in response to its fifth and largest nuclear test.
The North Korean embassy has allegedly carried out illegal commercial activities by leasing part of its premises to local companies to earn foreign currency.
According to VOA, the Polish government has never given permission to such activities and has notified the embassy many times that they run afoul of international laws.
Similar activities by North Korean embassies across the European Union have come to the fore, and the EU has been discussing a comprehensive measure to resolve them, the report said.
Through the adoption of Resolution 2321 adopted by the U.N. Security Council, the North's alleged illegal business practices were revealed.
The report also said Pyongyang is known to have made illegal profits through its overseas missions in four countries -- Poland, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria -- and these countries have expressed a resolve explicitly and implicitly to bring the issue to a settlement. (Yonhap)
[Poland] [Sanctions] [UNUS] [US dominance]
A New Round in the Struggle for Human Rights in the DPRK
Konstantin Asmolov
On December 19, 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted a Resolution regarding Human Rights in the DPRK. The Resolution on this subject was adopted for the twelfth year in a row; and it was recommended that the UN Security Council consider referring the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court and provide for punishment for the North Korean leader who is responsible for human rights violations, for the third consecutive year. Like last year, the Draft was prepared by Japan and the EU, and it was revised by 70 countries more than a third of the UN members.
[Human rights] [Softwar] [UNUS]
Letter to UN Secretary-General by DPRK Permanent Representative
Pyongyang, January 6 (KCNA) -- The DPRK permanent representative to the United Nations sent a letter to the UN secretary-general on Thursday to make clear viewpoints regarding the letter addressed by the under secretary-general for Political Affairs, on behalf of the former UN secretary-general.
The letter said:
I want to begin with the conclusion that the letter addressed by the under secretary-general for Political Affairs is not the answer to my question on what is the legal ground for the UN Security Council "sanctions resolutions" against the DPRK over its nuclear tests and peaceful satellite launch.
In the letters to the former UN secretary-general dated May 23 and December 5, 2016 respectively, I questioned if there is any single article in international laws which stipulates that nuclear tests and satellite and ballistic rocket launches constitute a threat to international peace and security as a legal ground for the UNSC "sanctions resolutions" against the DPRK.
However, the UN Secretariat has only mentioned Article 39 in the UN Charter without any single word in response to my questions.
[UNUS] [Legality] [Sanctions]
US Heads for Political Showdown with UN
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 27 2016 (IPS) - The United States has had a longstanding love-hate relationship with the United Nations ever since 1952 when the world body began operations in New York city on an 18-acre piece of land which housed an abattoir where cattle was being trucked daily for slaughter.
The late Republican Senator Jesse Helms, a fulltime chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a part-time UN basher, once said providing funds to the UN was like pouring money into a rat hole.
Former New York city Mayor Ed Koch used a five-letter word to describe the UN: a sewer. And one of his successors, Rudolph Giuliani, said he will not miss the UN if it decides to pack up and leave New York.
When the 193-member UN General Assembly voted some of the worlds repressive regimes as members of the Human Rights Commission (now the Human Rights Council), Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (Republican of California) hollered: The inmates have taken over the asylum. And I dont plan to give the lunatics any more American tax dollars to play with.
And now, US President-elect Donald Trump, peeved over a Security Council resolution last week chastising Israel over its continued settlements in the occupied territories, has signaled an implicit warning he will review his relationship with the United Nations.
[UNUS] [Trump]
Inside the coming war between the United States and the United Nations
By Josh Rogin December 28
For the first time in 36 years, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution critical of Israel's Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory. The United States abstained. (Reuters)
Even before Donald Trumps inauguration as president, Congress is planning to escalate the clash over the U.N. Security Councils anti-Israel resolution into a full-on conflict between the United States and the United Nations. If Trump embraces the strategy and all signals indicate he will the battle could become the Trump administrations first confrontation with a major international organization, with consequential but largely unpredictable results.
Immediately after the Obama administration abstained Friday from a vote to condemn Israeli settlements as illegal, which passed the Security Council by a vote of 14 to zero, Republicans and Democrats alike criticized both the United Nations and the U.S. government for allowing what Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) called a one-sided, biased resolution. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Senate appropriations subcommittee for the State Department and foreign operations, pledged to lead an effort to withhold the U.S. funding that makes up 22 percent of the U.N.s annual operating budget.
The U.N. has made it impossible for us to continue with business as usual, Graham told me right after the vote. Almost every Republican will feel like this is a betrayal of Israel and the only response that we have is the power of purse.
[UNUS] [Israel] [US Middle East Strategy] [Trump]
Korean Democratic Lawyers Association denounces UNSC 2321
Dear Friends,
Warm greetings of the KDLA from Pyongyang.
The resolution on sanction against the DPRK was cooked up by the UN Security Council at the instigation of the U.S. and its vassal forces, branding the nuclear warhead explosion test of the DPRK as threat and provocation.
Regarding this the director of the Department of Treaty and Law of the DPRK Foreign Ministry bitterly denounced the UNSC resolution on sanctions2321 wantonly violating the sovereignty of the DPRK as a criminal document without any legality.
The DPRKs legitimate self-defensive measure to defend its dignity and vital rights and protect genuine peace from the ever-more increasing nuclear war threat from the U.S. is the legal right of a sovereign state which does not run counter to any international law.
[UNSC2321] [Sanctions] [UNUS] [Legality]
For twelfth straight year, UN adopts resolution on North Korean human rights
Posted on : Dec.21,2016 17:45 KST
United Nations General Assembly in New York (Hankyoreh file photo)
North Koreas leadership targeted in resolution that includes first mention of overseas workers and foreigners abducted by North Korea
The United Nations General Assembly adopted a North Korean human rights resolution recommending that the Security Council consider referring the issue to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
It was the third such resolution, after previous ones in 2014 and 2015.
On Dec. 19, the General Assembly passed the resolution by consensus at a regular session at the UN headquarters in New York. The Assembly has adopted resolutions on North Korea human rights for 12 straight years since 2005.
Crimes against humanity have been committed in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea . . . by institutions under the effective control of its leadership, the resolution read, indirectly targeting leader Kim Jong-un for accusation. For the first time, the resolution also included a message of concern about possible infringements of the human rights of North Korean workers overseas and a call for immediate release of foreigners abducted to North Korea.
Ri Song-chol, a counselor to North Koreas mission to the UN, voiced objections ahead of the resolutions adoption, calling it a resolution made under US leadership for the political aim of isolating North Korea and bringing down its regime.
By Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent in New York
[UNUS] [Human rights] [Softwar]
Recycling the Playbook: UNSCR 2321 and Its Coal Caps
By Andrea Berger
16 December 2016
On November 30, UN Security Council members gathered for a familiar exercise: to pass a new resolution drafted by the United States and China to impose fresh sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear testing. It was the second such meeting in 10 months.
UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2321 introduces clarifications and qualitatively new restrictions across a range of sectors intended to close some of the loopholes in previous resolutions. Amongst other things, it prohibits the foreign flagging of North Korean ships, instructs banks to close any existing accounts they held in North Korean financial institutions, bans imports of North Korean non-ferrous metals, and forbids countries from buying statues and monuments from Pyongyang.
[Sanctions] {UNUS] [Coal] [China hope]
UN Resolution Calls for Punishing Kim Jong-un
By Kim Deok-han
December 21, 2016 12:08
The UN General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution referring North Korea's human rights abuses to the International Criminal Court and urging it to punish those responsible for violating human rights. In a full session at UN headquarters in New York, member states adopted the resolution by consensus, without a vote.
This year's resolution, the 12th, states that the abuses are committed by "institutions under the effective control of the leadership," making clear that Kim is personally responsible.
It cites detention of political prisoners in concentration camps, torture, rape and public executions among the most egregious violations. It also condemns the regime's disregard for the wellbeing of its people, who suffer chronic food shortages, while it concentrates on its weapons programs.
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[UNUS] [Hypocrisy] [Agency] [Military expenditure] [ICC] [Escalation]
Fifteen Points for the New Secretary-General
Antnio Guterres will become Secretary-General amid major geopolitical upheaval, in perhaps the most dangerous moment in decades. History is running away from the United Nations. Not only have the past few years seen an uptick in the frequency and lethality of war. But world leaders and institutions appear unable to check the currents driving that uptick. Competition between major and regional powers is escalating. Many governments struggle to meet citizens aspirations. Populism and inequality erode new and old democracies. Mass displacement and the spread and fear of terrorism, both largely by-products of new wars, generate further instability. Misinformation looks set to complicate foreign policymaking much as it skews domestic politics. The international order is in peril.
[UNUS] [Guterres]
UN General Assembly adopts N. Korea human rights resolution
The U.N. General Assembly on Monday adopted a resolution calling for referring North Korea to the International Criminal Court for human rights violations.
This was the 12th straight year that the world body has issued a resolution on the North's human rights and the third straight year that it has called for Pyongyang's referral to the ICC.
This year's resolution was drafted by Japan and the European Union and co-sponsored by over 70 countries, more than a third of the U.N. members. It passed through the General Assembly's Third Committee last month.
The resolution expressed strong concerns that the North is bent on pursuing nuclear and ballistic missile programs by using its resources despite the dire conditions of its people.
In particular, it specified that human rights violations in the North are committed by organizations effectively controlled by the "leadership."
It also voiced concerns over North Korean people sent overseas to earn foreign currency, while calling for an immediate release of foreigners abducted to the country.
[UNUS] [Human rights] [Manipulation] [ICC] [Overseas labour]
United Nations Stands Ready to Help Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Address Dire Humanitarian Situation, Deputy Secretary-General Tells Security Council
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliassons remarks to the Security Council on the situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, in New York, today:
I welcome this Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. This is a matter of great concern that demands our attention. The magnitude and scale of abuses suffered by the people of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea had been documented by the Commission of Inquiry in 2014.
The Commission noted that the violations reveal a State that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world. The Commissions recommendations were instrumental in reframing the United Nations efforts to improve the countrys human rights situation. The Commission of Inquiry concluded that crimes against humanity have been committed and rightly called for accountability.
The Security Council carried this process further last week by adopting resolution 2321 (2016). This was the first time the Council specifically requested the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to respect and ensure the welfare and inherent dignity of people in its territory. The General Assembly, in its resolutions on this issue have repeatedly encouraged the Security Council to ensure accountability, including by considering to refer the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court.
[UNUS] [Human rights] [Agency] [Hypocrisy] [Victim]
On the new UN sanction resolution on the DPRK
Konstantin Asmolov
On November 30, 2016, 82 days after the fifth nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang, the UN Security Council tightened the sanctions against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea by unanimously adopting a new resolution, No. 2321, prepared by the USA.
It is expected that the export revenues of the North will reduce by 27% or by 800 million dollars next year due to this resolution. However, in addition to the global sanctions, the USA and its allies have introduced a large-scale set of unilateral sanctions.
The US Department of the Treasury included another 7 persons and 16 companies related to the DPRK in its sanction list. According to data published on the Departments website, 16 aircraft belonging to the North Korean airlines Air Koryo have been put under sanctions
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
DPRK condemns, rejects UN sanctions resolution over nuke program
Xinhua, December 2, 2016
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday strongly condemned and rejected a resolution adopted by UN Security Council that included fresh sanctions to curb its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The DPRK rejects it "as another excess of authority and violation of the DPRK's sovereignty by the UNSC acting under instructions of the U.S.," said an unnamed spokesman for the DPRK foreign ministry in a statement carried by the state media KCNA.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
UN Security Council Tightens Curbs on N.Korean Trade
By Kim Deok-han
December 01, 2016 12:31
The 15 members of the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a new package of sanctions on North Korea on Wednesday. It took them a marathon 82 days to adopt the new resolution after the North's fifth nuclear test.
The new measures include a cap on the North's coal exports at 7.5 million tons or US$400 million in money terms.
Silver, copper, nickel and zinc are also now proscribed imports from North Korea, as are the monumental statues Pyongyang has been selling to various banana republics. The new curbs are expected to slash the North's annual exports by 27 percent from $3 billion to $2.2 billion.
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[Sanctions] [UNUS]
Aleppo: the moment of truth for the United Nations
by Anna Jaunger
On December 2, the official representative of the UN Secretary General Stefan Dyuzharrik said that during the operation of government forces to liberate Aleppo districts of militants there were released more than 30,000 peoples, including 14,000 children among them.
Thus, today the ability to begin providing large-scale humanitarian aid to the Syrian population in the liberated areas in the eastern part of Aleppo will be the moment of truth for the United Nations.
It should be mentioned that the question of the humanitarian disaster in militant-controlled eastern Aleppo has been repeatedly raised by the US State Department, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, the Foreign Ministries of Great Britain and France. There have also been lots of loud statements about the need to help ordinary Syrians.
Recently, the representatives of these countries and organizations, in particular, UN Humanitarian Official Jan Egeland, insistently demanded to permit humanitarian convoys to get into the eastern districts of Aleppo.
In addition, on December 2, British Prime Minister Theresa May, in an interview to local media said that the Syrian government and Russia deliberately prevent the delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo. After such strange statements there is a feeling that the British government lost an objective view of what is really happening in Syria, in particular in Aleppo. After all, Damascus has repeatedly stated its readiness to support the delivery of humanitarian supplies from the Western countries and the UN. However, in response to this, the West either remained silent or sought new pretexts for exacerbating the conflict. It is worth noting that neither one thing, nor the other benefits the hungry and exhausted people in Syria.
[Syria] [UNUS] [Humanitarian aid]
UN Security Council adopts resolution in response to DPRK's nuclear test
Xinhua, December 1, 2016
The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution to tighten sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the country's fifth nuclear test.
In the new resolution, the 15-nation council decided that the DPRK shall not supply, sell or transfer coal, iron and iron ore from its territory, but excluded transactions for livelihood purposes.
The council sets an upper limit on the DPRK's coal exporting, saying the total exports from the DPRK do not exceed 400.9 million U.S. dollars or 7.5 million metric tons per year, whichever is lower, starting on Jan. 1, 2017.
In addition, the Security Council bans the sale of copper, nickel, silver, zinc and statues from the DPRK, according to the resolution.
On Sept. 9, the DPRK conducted a nuclear warhead explosion test. It was Pyongyang's fifth nuclear test, which followed the previous one by eight months.
"The Chinese government firmly opposes such an act," said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Liu Jieyi.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Appeasement]
N. Korea rejects UN sanctions as 'unfair'
North Korea's mission to the United Nations rejected the latest U.N. sanctions on the communist nation as "discriminatory" and "unfair," repeating the country's long-running claims that its nuclear program is for self-defense.
"We do not recognize this discriminatory, double-standard, unilateral and unfair resolution," a North Korean diplomat said at the U.N. headquarters after the Security Council adopted Resolution 2321 with a focus on choking off the North's revenue sources to punish the regime for its fifth nuclear test in September.
"Our position is clear and consistent," the North's diplomat said. "There is a root cause for the Korean Peninsula problem ... This resolution is not designed to address the root cause."
The North has long blamed what it calls the U.S. "hostile policy" as the root cause behind its nuclear program.
"All our actions are for self-defense and are related to survival," the North's diplomat said, claiming that the country is only trying to defend itself, not threaten others.
The latest sanctions center on putting a significant cap on North Korea's exports of coal, its single biggest export item and source of hard currency, while banning exports of four additional minerals and slapping other restrictions aimed at drying up the North's revenue sources.
The measures, if fully enforced, would strip the communist nation of at least $800 million in annual revenues, a sizable sum that accounts for more than a quarter of the impoverished nation's total exports, estimated at about $3 billion. (Yonhap)
[UNUS] [Deterrence] [Double standards]
UN adopts new sanctions targeting N. Korea's coal earnings
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has passed a new resolution aimed at preventing North Korea from exploiting loopholes in past sanctions to pursue its nuclear ambitions.
The latest sanctions, which were approved at a meeting in New York City, Wednesday, mainly target Pyongyang's coal earnings.
Starting Jan. 1, they will restrict North Korea's annual exports of coal, a major source of hard currency and its single largest export item, to $400 million or 7.5 million tons, whichever is lower in value.
They also newly blacklisted 10 entities and 11 individuals, many of who are suspected of helping the Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID).
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Coal] [China NK]
New UNSC resolution to seek to cut North Koreas coal exports
Posted on : Nov.29,2016 16:17 KST
Move in response to fifth nuclear test intends to reduce current export levels by 25% of current total
A new United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution looks likely to be adopted as early as this week in response to North Koreas fifth nuclear test on Sep. 8, after discussions ended this week with a de facto agreement on a draft version.
Through adoption and implementation of the new resolution, the UNSC intends to cut North Koreas exports by over US$800 million from their current levels, or roughly 25% of its approximately US$3 billion per year.
According to accounts from various foreign media sources, the US and China, which are permanent UNSC members and the key countries in the discussions toward a new resolution, reached an agreement on Nov. 26 on a draft that would limit exports of coal - one of the Norths leading export items - to US$400,900,000 (472 billion won) or 7.5 million tons a year. The plan is to limit exports once they reach either of the two designated ceilings in terms of value or quantity. The calculation date is to fall on Jan. 1 each year.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Coal] [China NK]
Maritime Body Slams N.Korea's Surprise Missile Launches
By Cho Yi-jun
November 28, 2016 12:57
The International Maritime Organization last week expressed "grave concerns" over North Korea's repeated unannounced missile launches and urged it to comply with IMO conventions and resolutions.
The North has launched 21 ballistic missiles this year without declaring any no-fly and no-sail zones for the safety of ships and aircraft.
The IMO adopted similar statements in 1998 and 2006 but named the North in its statement for the first time this year.
"The latest IMO statement makes it clear that the North threatens navigational safety," a Foreign Ministry spokesman here said. "It sends a clear message to Pyongyang that firing missiles without warnings poses a grave threat to the safety of international navigation and that the international community isn't tolerating this."
The North submitted a document opposing the adoption of the statement, but representatives from 20 countries backed the statement, the spokesman added.
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[Missile] [UNUS]
ASEAN turns down North Korea's request for dialogue partnership: Diplomat
The Korea Herald/ANN
Kuala Lumpur | Thu, November 24, 2016 | 02:07 pm
ASEAN turns down North Korea's request for dialogue partnership: Diplomat
People watch a TV news program showing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, March (AP/Ahn Young-joon)
North Korea requested setting up a dialogue partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but the regional bloc has rejected the invitation because of the tense security situation on the Korean Peninsula, a Malaysian diplomat familiar with the matter said.
"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea [DRPK] requested it, [but] as of now I don't think it is being considered," Shahafeez Shaharis, director at the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs' ASEAN-Malaysia secretariat, told a group of South Korean journalists visiting the country on an exchange program, according to Yonhap, as reported by The Korea Herald.
[ASEAN NK] [US dominance] [Overture] [Rebuff]
UN Security Council to adopt resolution against N. Korea next week
The United Nations Security Council is expected to adopt a much-delayed resolution aimed at penalizing North Korea for its latest nuclear test next week as the U.S. and China have narrowed their differences on proposed curbs on its coal exports, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
N. Korea names new UN deputy ambassador
North Korea replaced its deputy ambassador to the United Nations from An Myong-hun to Kim In-ryong early this month, although An's term fell far short of that of his predecessors, a U.S. broadcaster, monitored here, reported Wednesday.
"The replacement is unusual as An's tenure was less than two years, compared with his predecessors' four to five years on average," the Radio Free Asia (RFA) said, citing a U.N. source. An was appointed to the post in December 2014.
Kim's relations with the North Korean U.N. Ambassador Ja Song-nam was behind the replacement, the broadcaster said.
The new deputy ambassador is known to have been a maritime affairs councilor at the British Embassy in 2011, when Ja was the ambassador there, according the broadcaster.
Park's absence at APEC will benefit North Korea
By Yi Whan-woo
Updated : 2016-11-09 18:38
Concerns are growing that South Korea is not sufficiently encouraging the international community to adopt new sanctions against North Korea following the scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye's decision to skip this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Summit.
Analysts said Wednesday that such a decision "adds to woes" over the delay at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) in passing a stronger resolution on Pyongyang in response to its fifth nuclear test.
They said the President is missing a chance to convince other heads of states to show and share Seoul's determination to press the Kim Jong-un regime harder.
The APEC summit, which will run in Lima, Peru, from Nov. 19 to 20, will be attended by U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladmir Putin and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
[Sanctions] [Park Geun-hye] [APEC]
South Korea coming to confront Vietnam War civilian massacres
Posted on : Oct.30,2016 09:00 KST
A mosaic commemorating the 1966 massacre in Binh Din Village. The mosaic depicts a scene from the massacre of civilians by South Korean troops. (provided by Ku Su-jeong)
Advocates say Korea must fully reckon with its own historical wrongs before real reconciliation can be achieved
It was in July that Ku Su-jeong, 50, received a phone call from the police. They told her that she was being sued for defamation through the publication of false information. On Aug. 23, Ku appeared before the police and was questioned for three hours.
I got the feeling that the police officer questioning me didnt know much about the issue. It was hard to even answer their questions because I couldnt figure out what they were getting at. Of course, I guess youd have to know the whole historical background to do a proper investigation, so it probably wouldnt be easy for anyone, Ku said.
I was taken aback because they seemed more interested in what I thought about the plaintiffs claim that what I said was false than in verifying that what I said was true.
Ku is the director of Amap, a social venture that arranges fair trade and fair travel between South Korea and Vietnam, and she is also a member of the board of the South Korea-Vietnam Peace Foundation, which was launched in September. Her job and title may change in the future, but the one thing that wont change is that she was the first person to bring the civilian massacres carried out by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War to the attention of the country through articles published in the Hankyoreh 21 weekly magazine in 1999, while she was studying in Vietnam.
[Vietnam] [Massacres]
66 countries join UN sanctions on N. Korea
One third of United Nations member states have submitted their implementation reports on the latest set of international sanctions adopted against North Korea, a news report said Saturday.
The Voice of America report said 66 countries have submitted their own implementation reports since the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2270 in March to punish the North for its nuclear and ballistic missile tests early this year. It cited an e-mail from the Spanish mission to the U.N., which currently chairs a U.N. panel on North Korea sanctions.
The sanctions, the toughest yet to be adopted against North Korea by the U.N., include mandatory inspections of all cargo going into and out of the North.
The panel had received implementation reports on a total of four sanctions resolutions against North Korea, and the number of reports for the latest sanctions is the second highest after Resolution 1718 designed to punish the North for its nuclear test in 2006, according to VOA.
Five countries -- Angola, Costa Rica, Burundi, Iraq and Senegal -- submitted reports for the first time.
In 2006, 94 U.N. member states submitted reports for Resolution 1718.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
Big Powers Set to Grab High Level UN Posts
By Thalif Deen Reprint |
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 18 2016 (IPS) - When Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, takes office as the new UN Secretary General on January 1, his top management team is likely to be dominated by nominees from the five big powers, namely the US, Britain, France, China and Russia (P5).
As befits tradition, the current management team of mostly Under-Secretaries-Generals (USGs) will submit their resignations providing Guterres with a clean state before he takes over.
[UN] [False balance]
Seoul, Washington to Push on N.Korean Slave Labor at UN
By Cho Yi-jun
October 17, 2016 11:06
The U.S. and South Korea are pushing to include the issue of North Korean slave laborers abroad in a human rights resolution for the UN General Assembly in December.
The UN has adopted a resolution on North Korean human rights abuses every year since 2005, but none of them mentioned the North Koreans who labor in inhuman conditions overseas but are robbed of their earnings by the regime.
"We need to publicize the human rights abuses against North Korean laborers overseas so that countries around the world may think twice before hiring them," a diplomatic source here said Sunday. "We're looking into ways with the U.S. to reflect this issue in the resolution."
Although the UN resolution is not binding, it could prompt countries to stop hiring North Korean workers since the money they earn ends up financing North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs.
A government official said, "Russia and Middle Eastern countries that hire a lot of North Korean workers are against attempts to stop North Korea's labor exports. If we turn this into an international issue through the resolution, we could at least prevent more North Korean laborers from being sent overseas.
North Koreans sent abroad labor for long hours and are employed without proper contracts, often unaware of how much they are nominally earning as most of their wages are paid straight to their North Korean slave masters.
Between 50,000 and 120,000 North Koreans toil abroad, earning the regime US$500 million to $1 billion a year.
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[Overseas Labour] [Remittances] [Sanctions] [UNUS]
UN rights resolution may include N. Korea workers
By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea, the United States and Japan will seek to address North Korea's exploitation of its workers abroad in a U.N. resolution on Pyongyang's human rights violations, diplomatic sources said Sunday.
The U.N. General Assembly has passed several resolutions denouncing Pyongyang's state-perpetrated crimes against humanity since 2005.
The allies are seeking to include the North's exploitation of hard labor in this year's resolution, which is expected to be put to a vote in December.
The European Union and Japan recently drew up the draft resolution together and plan to submit a final version to the U.N. for review after consulting details with relevant countries. The draft is likely to ask the U.N. Security Council to refer those responsible for human rights violations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.
This will be the first time for the international community to lay the legal groundwork to accuse the Kim Jong-un regime of exploiting its overseas laborers.
[Overseas Labour] [Remittances] [Sanctions] [UNUS]
Rival Syria resolutions fail to pass at UN
Xinhua, October 9, 2016
Two opposing draft resolutions: a French-Spanish version and the other by Russia, on Saturday failed to be approved by the UN Security Council in response to the current situation in Syria.
The first one, drafted by France and Spain, was vetoed by Russia, a permanent council member, while the Moscow-sponsored draft failed to gain nine votes in favor, the minimum of supporting votes required for a draft to be adopted by the 15-nation UN council, instead gaining nine votes against.
The back-to-back votes took place during an unusual Saturday emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The French draft presented to members a few days ago called for efforts to ground Russian and Syrian military planes over the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
The Russian draft offered Friday evening included many elements of the first draft, added support to references of a Sept. 9 Russia-U.S. accord and prioritized separation of armed opposition groups from the Al Nusra terrorist group but excluded the no-fly zone proposal.
Ambassador Vitaly Churkin of Russia, this month's president of the Security Council, speaking in his national capacity after it was defeated, said, "We were not expecting it to be adopted. It was just a political demonstration, if you like."
"While it wasn't implement -- while we think it could have been -- I'd like to reassure you that very complicated multilateral and bilateral work is ongoing and we do continue to hope that the situation in Syria will go back to normal and this would have a most beneficial affect on the situation in eastern Aleppo and we hope that happens as quickly as possible," he said.
It was another testy session of the council, normally a model of decorum.
"Normally I begin my statements in this Council with the words 'Thank you, Mr. President.' I cannot do that today," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, opening his remarks after the first resolution failed to be adopted.
"Because today, we have seen the fifth veto in five years on Syria from you, Mr. President, a veto that has once again stopped this Council from creating the unity needed to give the people of Syria any hope for respite from their suffering, a veto that has once again denigrated the credibility and respect of the Security Council in the eyes of the world," " Rycroft said.
"A veto that is a cynical abuse of the privileges and responsibilities of permanent membership, and I simply cannot thank you for that," the London envoy said.
"China has been concerned with the recent escalation of the situation in Syria," said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations. "We feel deeply the sufferings caused by the war to the people in Syria. China strongly condemns all terrorist activities that harm and kill innocent lives."
China abstained from the Franco-Spanish draft and voted for the Russian version.
[Syria] [UNSC]
Ban Ki-Moons Legacy in Palestine: Failure in Words and Deeds
by Ramzy Baroud
Ban Ki-Moons second term as the Secretary General of the United Nations is ending this December. He was the most ideal man for the job as far as the United States and its allies are concerned.
Of course, there will always be other Ban Ki-Moons. In fact, the man himself was a modified version of his predecessor, Kofi Annan.
The unspoken, but unmistakable rule about UN Secretary Generals is that they must come across as affable enough so as not to be the cause of international controversies, but also flexible enough to accommodate the US disproportionate influence over the United Nations, particularly the Security Council.
At the end of their terms, the success or failure of these Secretaries has been largely determined by their willingness to play by the aforementioned rule: Boutros Boutros-Ghali had his fallout with the US, as Kurt Waldheim also did. But both Annan and Ban learned their lessons well and followed the script to the end of their terms.
[UNUS] [Ban Ki-moon]
Correction Petition to UN Secretary general Ban Ki Moon
Tuesday, 27 September 2016, 11:41 am
Press Release: NZ DPRK Society
Global Women Leaders Urge Ban Ki Moon to Leave Legacy of Peace in Korea
September 27, 2016 As the end of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moons term approaches, global women peacemakers urge him to leave a legacy of peace for the Korean Peninsula by using his power to initiate a peace process to replace the 63-year old Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War with a binding peace accord.
[Peace effort]
Women Petition U.N. Leader to Seek Korean Peace Treaty
By Rick Gladstone
Sept. 27, 2016
Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations, has often expressed a wish to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Credit Justin Lane/European Pressphoto Agency
More than 130 female activists from 38 countries pressed the leader of the United Nations on Tuesday to fulfill a goal he declared after assuming the job a decade ago: a permanent peace treaty to end the Korean War.
In an open letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, a former foreign minister of South Korea whose tenure will expire at the end of the year, the women implored him to lead the process of bringing formal closure to the longest standing war before you leave your post at the United Nations.
The letter was co-sponsored by Women Cross DMZ, a group that organized a peaceful walk last year across the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea, and the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom, a prominent antiwar group that is more than 100 years old.
Mr. Ban, rumored to be contemplating a run to be president of South Korea after he leaves the United Nations, has often expressed a wish to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
[Peace effort] [Ban Ki-moon] [Peace treaty]
Women leaders urge UN chief to press for Korea peace treaty
8:45 AM Wednesday Sep 28, 2016
UNITED NATIONS (AP) " Women leaders from 38 countries urged U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday to fulfill a promise he made in 2007 to start a peace process that would turn the armistice that ended the Korean war into a peace treaty before his term ends on Dec. 31.
The Korean Peninsula remains in a technical state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. As a result, the border between North Korea and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world.
A letter signed by 132 women and 22 South Korean women's and peace organizations urged Ban to initiate the peace process, with the U.N. Security Council, and aim to conclude it by 2018, "the 70th anniversary of Korea's division into two separate states."
[Peace effort] [Ban Ki-moon]
UN Security Council adopts resolution seeking ratification of ban on nuke tests
Posted on : Sep.26,2016 15:41 KST
Members vote to adopt a resolution calling on countries including the US, China and North Korea to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, at UN headquarters in New York on Sep. 23. (AP/Yonhap News)
The CTBT needs to be ratified by 44 countries with nuclear power, but US, China and North Korea havent signed
On Sep. 23, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling on countries including the US, China and North Korea to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). This represents the final achievement in US President Barack Obamas ambition to create a nuclear-free world.
During a plenary session on Sep. 23, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the CTBT to be made law. The treaty has been in limbo since it was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Sep. 1996. Fourteen of the 15 member states on the UN Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, with only Egypt, which is a non-permanent member, abstaining.
The CTBT is a treaty that bans nuclear testing by all countries. 188 countries have signed the treaty, and 166 countries have ratified it. In order for the treaty to take effect, however, it must be signed and ratified by the 44 countries that possess nuclear power, and eight countries are still refusing to do so. The US, China, Egypt, Iran and Israel have signed but not ratified the treaty, and North Korea, India and Pakistan have neither signed nor ratified it.
[UNSC] [CTBT] [Test]
N.Korea Should Be Kicked Out of the UN
September 26, 2016 12:50
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se last week asked the UN General Assembly whether North Korea is worthy of being a member of the world body after its repeated missile and nuclear tests and human rights abuses.
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Article 1 of the UN Charter says the aim of the world body is to maintain global peace and security and to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to them.
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[SK NK policy] [UN] [Legitimacy] [Escalation]
At UN, high-ranking S. Korean official says N. Korea habitually commits crimes and says it will keep on killing
Posted on : Sep.24,2016 17:15 KST
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se delivers a keynote speech to the 71st UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22. (AP/Yonhap News)
In string of emotional comments, official didnt say whether Seoul will provide humanitarian aid for floods in North Korea
A high-ranking South Korean government official visiting New York for the UN General Assembly said on Sept. 22 that North Korea habitually commits crimes and says it will keep on killing.
What is the criminal going to think when the neighbors it victimizes say, We need to have dialogue quickly so we arent victimized again? the official asked.
The officials remarks came during a talk with correspondents from South Korean media in response to a question on whether Seoul plans to pursue dialogue alongside sanctions.
[The criminal] is going to think, I can do bad things whenever I want and then just have dialogue. If we respond with dialogue every time [North Korea] has done bad things, were rewarding bad behavior, the official continued.
Beyond the matter of the official crossing a line by likening North Korea to a killer, the episode illustrated how the Park Geun-hye administrations North Korea policy is being decided by emotional responses instead of cool-headed analysis of Pyongyangs intentions.
[SK NK policy] [UN] [Legitimacy]
N. Korean FM shrugs off UN condemnation, vowing to bolster nuclear armed forces
North Korea's top diplomat vowed to bolster the country's "national nuclear armed forces" to cope with what he calls "increased war threats from the United States," claiming the country's fifth nuclear test was part of such efforts.
Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho made the pledge during an address before the U.N. General Assembly, claiming that the Korean Peninsula has now been turned into "the world's most dangerous hotspot which can even ignite the outbreak of a nuclear war."
"The successful nuclear warhead explosion test that we have conducted recently is part of practical countermeasures to the rackets of threats and sanctions of the hostile forces, including the United States," Ri said.
"The DPRK will continue to take measures to strengthen its national nuclear armed forces in both quantity and quality in order to defend the dignity and the right to existence and safeguard the genuine peace vis-a-vis increased war threats of the U.S.," he said.
[Test] [UNUS]
S. Korea calls for UN to reconsider N. Korea membership
Yun urges action against Pyongyang's human rights violations
By Jun Ji-hye
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se questioned North Korea's qualifications as a member of the United Nations in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Thursday.
Yun said the Kim Jong-un regime is "totally ridiculing" the authority of the global body by continuing its military provocations.
[SK NK policy] [UNUS] [Legitimacy] [NK SK Competition]
S. Korea questions Pyongyang's UN membership in response to repeated provocations
South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se said Thursday that North Korea is "totally ridiculing" the authority of the United Nations by pursuing repeated military provocations in defiance of global condemnation, calling into question its qualification as a member of the world body.
In his keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly underway in New York, Yun also urged the U.N. Security Council to adopt "stronger" and "comprehensive" sanctions to punish the North for its fifth and most powerful nuclear detonation test conducted earlier this month.
"It is crystal clear that North Korea, as a serial offender, has manifestly failed to uphold its pledge to abide by the obligations in the U.N. Charter, particularly to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council," Yun said.
"Therefore, I believe that it is high time to seriously consider whether North Korea is qualified to be a peace-loving U.N. member, as many countries are already questioning," he added.
[US NK policy] [UNUS] [Legitimacy]
UN seeking to fill few existing loopholes with additional sanctions on North Korea
Posted on : Sep.13,2016 15:04 KST
Strengthened financial restrictions could target North Korea sending workers overseas, or exports of coal and iron ore
The United Nations Security Council announced in a press release on Sept. 9 that it had decided to work toward a new sanctions resolution against North Korea to follow up on Resolution No. 2270, which was adopted in March 2016, leading to speculation about what measures the new resolution might contain.
A senior South Korean government official said on Sept. 11 that there were three types of provisions that would likely be discussed: First, there are the points that were deliberated but not included in Resolution No. 2270. Second, there are areas that might be perceived as loopholes. Third, you have new provisions that people have considered including during the implementation of the sanctions over the past six months.
The most notable of the points that were deliberated but not included in Resolution No. 2270 is preventing North Korea from sending workers overseas. Experts believe that the money sent back to North Korea each year by an estimated 50,000 or 60,000 North Korean workers amounts to about US$500 million. The South Korean government believes this is one of the North Korean governments primary sources of revenue and lobbied for it to be included in Resolution No. 2270, but it did not appear in the document that was finally adopted.
[Sanctions] [Overseas labour] [UNUS]
UN Security Council Mulls Tougher Sanctions Against N.Korea
The UN Security Council in a press statement Friday condemned North Korea's fifth and biggest nuclear test and discussed a new round of sanctions.
In a rare move, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also denounced the nuclear test in a press conference prior to the UNSC meeting.
Fifty-five countries and five international organizations condemned the North only a day after its nuclear test.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at a press conference in New York on Friday. /AP-Yonhap UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at a press conference in New York on Friday. /AP-Yonhap
In an emergency meeting of all 15 member states at UN headquarters in New York, the UNSC adopted the press statement that reads, "The members of the Security Council will begin work immediately on appropriate measures under Article 41 in a Security Council resolution."
The article makes any resolution binding on member states.
The UNSC is working on a draft resolution that will be circulated among member states for review and, once adopted, go into effect immediately.
It is expected to ratchet up sanctions laid down in Resolution 2270, which was adopted in March after the North's fourth nuclear test and mandates inspections of North Korean ships, an embargo on the sale of some goods, and the freezing of its financial assets overseas.
[UNSC] [UNUS]
UN condemns DPRK ballistic missile launches
Xinhua, September 7, 2016
The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned the recent ballistic missile launches conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 6, 2016 shows a fire drill of ballistic rockets by Hwasong artillery units of the KPA Strategic Force. [Photo/Xinhua]
Photo provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 6, 2016 shows a fire drill of ballistic rockets by Hwasong artillery units of the KPA Strategic Force. [Photo/Xinhua]
On Monday, DPRK fired three ballistic missiles into eastern waters. These launches are in grave violation of the DPRK's international obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions, said the 15-nation Council in a press statement.
"The members of the Security Council deplore all Democratic People's Republic of Korea ballistic missile activities, including these launches, noting that such activities contribute to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension," it added.
The missile launches came less than two weeks after Pyongyang test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coastal town of Sinpo, where a submarine base is known to be located, on Aug. 24.
The submarine-launched ballistic missile test was conducted in an apparent show of force toward the annual U.S.-South Korea military drills, codenamed Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), which had run from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2.
[Missile] [UNSC] [UNUS] [Double standards]
UN Security Council condemns latest DPRK missile launches, notes flagrant disregard for previous statements
6 September 2016 The United Nations Security Council today condemned the ballistic missile launches conducted by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday, 5 September.
The members of the Security Council deplore all Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea ballistic missile activities, including these launches, noting that such activities contribute to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Koreas development of nuclear weapons delivery systems and increase tension, the 15-member Council said in a press statement, which noted that the launches were in grave violation of the countrys international obligations under various resolutions it has adopted.
[UNUS] [Double standards]
MINBYUN legal team files petition with UN Human Rights Council
Posted on : Sep.5,2016 16:28 KST
Lawyers from MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society hold a press conference in front of the North Korean Defector Protection Center in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, asking to interview staff from a North Korean restaurant in China who recently defected to South Korea, May 16. (by Kim Bong-kyu, staff photographer)
Still seeking access to N. Korean defectors, MINBYUN lawyers believe legal rights violated by NIS
A legal team with MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society that was organized to file a habeas corpus petition for female employees at a North Korean restaurant in China who defected to South Korea is still moving forward with the habeas corpus petition it filed with the Seoul Central District Court in May. The legal team has also lodged a petition with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), claiming that their rights as lawyers were infringed when South Koreas National Intelligence Service (NIS) refused to allow them to interview the women.
According to multiple sources with MINBYUN who spoke with the Hankyoreh on Sept. 2, MINBYUN filed a complaint involving Hon. Lee Yeong-jae (presiding over criminal division No. 32 of the Seoul Central District Court) to be recused from duty immediately after Lee heard the habeas corpus petition for the 12 female defectors on June 21, but their petition was dismissed. Since then, MINBYUN has been taking steps to file another habeas corpus petition.
[Election defection] [Abduction]
UN Security Council Denounces N.Korean Missile Launch
The UN Security Council in a press statement Friday denounced North Korea's recent missile tests in a unanimous decision.
The UNSC said the North's missile tests, including its latest submarine-launched ballistic missile test last week, were "serious violations" of international regulations.
It cited North Korea's ballistic missile tests from April to June as direct snubs of international condemnation and threatened to take stronger measures.
The press statement is the weakest of the instruments available to the UNSC but requires the endorsement of all five permanent members, which include North Korean ally China.
[SLBM] [UNSC] {UNUS] [China NK]
UN slams DPRK's latest missile launch
Xinhua, August 28, 2016
The UN Security Council "strongly condemned" the launching of a submarine-launched ballistic missile by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Aug. 23, saying that the launch is "in grave violation of" the Pyongyang's international obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions.
In a statement issued late Friday, the 15-nation UN body also strongly condemned the ballistic missile launches conducted by the DPRK on Aug. 2 and July 18, and the launching of a submarine-launched ballistic missile by the DPRK on July 9.
"These launches are in grave violation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's international obligations under United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2270 (2016)," the statement said.
The launch came after South Korea and the United States began their annual military drills on Monday.
[SLBM] [UNSC] [UNUS] [Double standards] [Hypocrisy] [US Joint military]
UN Security Council working on statement condemning Pyongyang's missile provocation
The U.N. Security Council has asked its member countries to review a draft version of a press statement condemning North Korea's latest missile provocation, diplomatic sources said Friday.
The UNSC held an emergency behind-closed-doors meeting on Wednesday (local time) at the request of South Korea, the United States and Japan to discuss counteractions against the North's test-firing of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) earlier on the same day.
The missile flew some 500 kilometers before landing in waters near Japan, demonstrating an improvement in performance from previous SLBM launches.
According to diplomatic sources, the Security Council drew up and circulated a draft statement to its member countries, which subsequently entered into the "silence procedure" during which they will review its content. If there is no objection, the statement will be adopted as it is.
[SLBM] [UNUS] [Double standards]
UN Security Council seeking to adopt statement to condemn N. Korea's SLBM launch
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is seeking to adopt a press statement to condemn North Korea's latest launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), officials said Wednesday following an emergency meeting on the issue.
Member countries of the UNSC agreed to push for the press statement after the council held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's latest SLBM launch at the request of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the officials who attended the close-door meeting said.
"There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council," Malaysia's Ambassador to the U.N. Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.
The U.S. is drafting a press statement, and the UNSC members will consider the statement, Ibrahim said.
In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denounced the SLBM launch by North Korea, saying he is very concerned with North Korea's dismissal of international calls for an attitude change.
Ban said the latest launch is a clear violation of UNSC resolutions and it hinders peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.
[SLBM] [UNUS] [Double standards]
UN Security Council seeking to adopt statement to condemn N. Korea's SLBM launch
Updated : 2016-08-25 14:32
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is seeking to adopt a press statement to condemn North Korea's latest launch of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), officials said Wednesday following an emergency meeting on the issue.
Member countries of the UNSC agreed to push for the press statement after the council held an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea's latest SLBM launch at the request of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, the officials who attended the close-door meeting said.
"There was a general sense of condemnation by most members of the council," Malaysia's Ambassador to the U.N. Ramlan Bin Ibrahim, who chaired the meeting, told reporters.
The U.S. is drafting a press statement, and the UNSC members will consider the statement, Ibrahim said.
In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denounced the SLBM launch by North Korea, saying he is very concerned with North Korea's dismissal of international calls for an attitude change.
[SLBM] [UNUS] [Double standards]
N.Korean Embassy in Uzbekistan Shut Down
North Korea shut down its embassy in Uzbekistan early this month.
Embassy staff returned to North Korea late last month, while the building in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent was sold along with the official cars and other assets.
The Uzbek government demanded the closure as part of international sanctions against North Korea in response to the North's latest nuclear test in January.
A diplomatic source in Uzbekistan said, "Diplomatic relations have not been severed, but North Korean diplomats were virtually evicted by the Uzbek government rather than voluntarily closing down the mission due to financial problems."
The Tashkent embassy was the North's sole remaining diplomatic mission in Central Asia after the embassy in Kazakhstan was shut down in 1998.
Uzbekistan is home to around 180,000 descendants of ethnic Koreans and has been a strategic post for North Korea by supplying it with cheap raw materials like cotton.
Diplomatic sources expect more countries to follow suit.
Russia is the only former Soviet-bloc nation to house a North Korean embassy. Pyongyang is trying to reopen its embassy in Kazakhstan but has met with a lukewarm response.
North Korea now has 46 embassies around the world.
[US dominance]
N. Korea diplomats threaten African news outlets
Updated : 2016-07-29 19:25
By Lee Han-soo
North Korean diplomats are threatening media outlets in Africa that exposed the country's illegal activities, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA), a broadcasting agency operated by the U.S. government, Friday.
"We will never tolerate such dirty articles criticizing our supreme leader who is our nation's destiny and future," wrote Kim Chang Ryop, the North Korean ambassador to South Africa, to the Daily Maverick, a South African newspaper.
The Daily Maverick had published an article on July 12 that said North Korean diplomats have been implicated in the smuggling of rhino horns.
On June 7, four North Korean doctors barged into the office of The Citizen, a Tanzanian daily newspaper, which had reported on illegal clinics operating inside Tanzania. The doctors made violent protests against the daily for describing their clinic as a "rouge clinic," RFA said.
[Africa NK]
ASEAN statement expresses concern for Korean peninsula situation
Posted on : Jul.28,2016 19:03 KST
Foreign ministers at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Vientiane, Laos, clasp hands for a group photo, July 26. In the front are, from left to right, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop. In the back are South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and US Secretary of State John Kerry. (Yonhap News)
THAAD and South China Sea among the pressing issues at regional forum in Laos
A chairmans statement was adopted on July 27 for a meeting of foreign ministers at the 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum. Its adoption one day after the meetings close came despite some predictions of difficulties reaching an agreement on the content. As with last years statement, the text included wording about the North Korean nuclear program, but none regarding the current controversy over plans to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system with US Forces Korea.
References to the North Korean nuclear issue and other Korean Peninsula-related matters accounted for four sentences of the 24th clause in the statement.
The Ministers expressed concerns over the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, including the nuclear test [on Jan. 6] and launches using ballistic missile technology [on Feb. 7 and July 9] by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), which are in violation of the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, the statement read.
The Ministers also highlighted . . . the need to fully comply with all relevant UNSC resolutions, including UNSC resolution 2270, it continued.
The Meeting underlined the importance of creating necessary conditions for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, which would help pave the way toward peaceful denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, it added.
On the statements wording on the North Korean nuclear issue, a senior South Korean government official said, We feel it is very good wording that reflects all the items we sought to include.
[ASEAN]
UN reportedly launching its own investigation of N. Korean group defection
Posted on : Jul.8,2016 15:47 KST
Ministry of Unification spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee speaks during a briefing on the topic of the group defection from a North Korean restaurant in China, at the government complex in Sejong, Apr. 8. (Yonhap News)
NIS is putting waitresses from restaurant in China isolated, and has refused requests to allow them to be interviewed
The UN is reportedly moving ahead with its investigation into a recent group defection of staff from a North Korean restaurant in China.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is planning to send officials to visit Pyongyang as early as the end of this month in order to interview family members of the North Korean defectors, sources say.
Following reports that the South Korean government has repeatedly refused to allow the OHCHR to meet with the defectors themselves, there are growing suspicions about why the government is keeping the defectors from any outside contact.
[Election defection]
NK likely to focus on improving external relations
By Choi Sung-jin
Now that Kim Jong-un has solidified his grip on the party and government, North Korea will focus on diplomacy, trying to improve relations with South Korea and other countries, an expert said here Thursday.
The reclusive regime included diplomatic experts in the newly created top decision-making body of the State Affairs Council and upgraded a committee for inter-Korean affairs to a state-level organization, indicating it will put priority on external relationships, including South-North ties, said Lee Kwan-se, chair professor at Kyungnam University, in an article.
Lee, a former vice minister of unification, said: "The Kim Jong-un regime, thinking it has completed realigning the internal system and securing the stability of its power base, has made clear its intention to focus on improving external relationships."
On Wednesday, the Supreme People's Assembly, the North's rubber-stamp parliament, elected Kim as chairman of a new state apparatus called the State Affairs Commission that will replace the National Defense Commission, in a move that many North Korea watchers here interpreted as reflecting the shift of focus from a military-first to a party-first policy.
The North Korea expert also noted the North's parliament upgraded the Committee for the Peaceful Unification of the Fatherland, which handles inter-Korean affairs, to a state-level organization.
[NK foreign policy]
NK seeks to break out of isolation
By Rachel Lee
North Korea is seeking to boost traditional ties with a few countries, including China and Cuba, in an apparent bid to break out of international sanctions and isolation.
The move comes as South Korea is stepping up diplomacy with countries that have maintained close relations with North Korea, asking them to implement the toughest-ever U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is apparently concerned about the South's diplomatic prowess.
According to the North's state-run Korean Central Television, Friday, Kim met with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa, who was visiting Pyongyang as a special envoy of Cuban President Raul Castro, Thursday.
[NK foreign policy]
Isolated N. Korea seeks greater ties with Cuba
By Lee Jin-a
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un underscored the need to bolster the nation's relationship with Cuba during a meeting with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa, the North's state-run news agency said Thursday.
Mesa was visiting Pyongyang as a special envoy for Cuban President Raul Castro.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the meeting marked an important occasion in developing the relationship between the two countries and their ruling parties.
"North Korea and Cuba are geographically far apart, but the two states are in cooperation to fight against imperialism," the KCNA said. It said the meeting reconfirmed the long-standing alliance between Pyongyang and Havana.
[Cuba]
Calls to Leave United Nations Get Louder in the USA
In the immediate aftermath of Brexit, the issue of its relationship with the UN has come to the fore in the United States.
Sarah Palin, once the governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate, suggested that the United States take similar steps to leave the United Nations. May UN shackles be next on the chopping block, she said.
Palin demanded the United States extricate itself from the UN, which dissolves a nation's self-determination and sovereignty. The first Republican woman nominated for the vice presidency is an influential figure. She is one of the Tea Party leaders. Her book Going Rogue has sold more than two million copies.
In 2014, Palin launched an online news network, the Sarah Palin Channel.
She has the means to influence the US public opinion.
[UNUS] [Bizarre]
Cuban special envoy in North Koreawill he meet with Kim Jong-un?
Posted on : Jun.30,2016 18:00 KST
Cuban Council of State vice president Salvador Valdes Mesa meets (North) Korean Workers Party Central Committee vice chairman Choe Ryong-hae, in Pyongyang, in a photo from the June 29 edition of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
Visit comes after high-ranking officials from both South and North Korea made trips to Cuba
A special envoy for Cuban leader Raul Castro visited Pyongyang, the Rodong Sinmun and other North Korean news outlets reported on June 29.
The visit by Council of State vice president Salvador Valdes Mesa on behalf of Castro, appears to be in response to a May 21 visit to Cuba by Korean Workers Party (KWP) Central Committee vice chairman Kim Yong-chol as a special envoy for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Valdess visit is noteworthy in two regards. First, it comes just after South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se became the first person in his post to visit Cuba for bilateral ministerial talks on June 5.
A second focus of attention is on whether Kim, who rarely receives foreign visitors, will meet with Valdess group. In Sept. 2015, Kim met in North Korea with visiting Council of State first vice president Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is expected to succeed Castro.
The situation suggests a triangular diplomatic game taking shape among South and North Korea and Cuba.
[Cuba]
North Korea responds to United Nations denunciation of its missiles
Posted on : Jun.27,2016 17:55 KST
Foreign Affairs Ministry and UN mission reiterate North Koreas standard position on denuclearization
North Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and United Nations missions issued responses to the international communitys denunciation of its Hwasong-10 medium- and long-range strategic ballistic missiles.
Previously, the UN Security Council (UNSC) released a statement to the press denouncing the launch of the missiles, which are presumed to be Musudan.
In its response, North Korea reiterated its general plans to continue taking steps to strengthen the military deterrent as long as the US nuclear threat persists. At the same time, it reaffirmed conclusions reached at its recent Korean Workers Party (KWP) congress on steps to improve relations with Washington, with references to normalizing ties with countries that respect our autonomy. In a particularly notable turn, the two sides exchanged dialogue in the form of position statements.
On June 24, North Koreas UN mission sent the US State Department a response notice stating that the continued adoption of measures to strengthen the nuclear deterrent in response to the USs nuclear threat with its strategic assets is a self-defense measure, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on June 25.
[Musudan] [UNUS] [Overture
[Interview] As UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon is toward the bottom
Posted on : Jun.20,2016 17:08 KST
Thomas Weiss, Director Emeritus of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. (by Yi Yong-in, Washington correspondent)
Experts says Ban hasnt developed UNs reputation, or expanded the organizations moral high ground
After US Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hinted that he might run for president during a visit to South Korea at the end of last month, Bans presidential ambitions has been provoking controversy even at the UN.
In order to get a scholarly assessment of Ban, whose term as UN Secretary-General will be over at the end of December, the Hankyoreh spoke with Thomas Weiss, 70, who is considered a scholarly authority on the UN.
Weiss, who is Director Emeritus of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY), sat down with the Hankyoreh on June 14 at the university, located in Manhattan.
When Weiss was asked to rank Ban among past UN Secretary-Generals, he placed Ban toward the bottom.
Theres nothing you could say is Bans legacy over the past 10 years, he added.
After completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard, Weiss received a masters degree and a doctorate from Princeton. He worked at various UN agencies and has been the Presidential Professor at CUNYs political science graduate program since 1998.
[Ban Ki-moon]
UN Special Rapporteur criticizes S. Korean government on rights to assembly
Posted on : Jun.17,2016 15:42 KST
At UN Human Rights Council, Maina Kiai says governments use of water cannons and vehicle barriers is hard to justify
During a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, Maina Kiai, UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, expressed his serious concern about how the South Korean government has been suppressing assemblies and demonstrations.
The South Korean governments use of water cannons is indiscriminate, and in some cases it is aimed at specific individuals. That would be hard to justify, Kiai said.
[Repression]
North Koreas Military Partnerships Under Threat?
By Andrea Berger
17 June 2016
The latest UN sanctions on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) have locked the two Koreas in a war for influence on far-flung battlegrounds, from the Middle East to Africa to Latin America. Seoul, however, could inadvertently minimize any future gains in the fight without careful reflection on its results to date.
Since UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2270 took effect in Marcha response to North Koreas fourth nuclear test and February satellite launchSouth Korean President Park Geun-hye and key members of her Cabinet have devoted much of their time to tightening enforcement of the international ban on military-related trade with the DPRK. In high-profile visits to Iran, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cuba, the officials have leveraged South Koreas checkbook to assert that a partnership with Seoul can be more lucrative than their existing military relationships with North Korea, and that strengthening the former requires halting the latter.
Its effort to date, however, has proven that North Koreas bilateral relationships are not simply for sale. South Koreas experiences in Iran, Ethiopia, Uganda and Cuba highlight the need for Seoul to carefully calibrate its outreach to the DPRKs partners regarding sanctions implementation, accounting for their military needs, political sensitivities and other interests.
Uganda halts military exchange with N. Korea
Uganda has told North Korea that it won't renew its military contracts with the communist nation, a government source said Thursday, carrying out its pledge to sever their military ties.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni made the pledge during a summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye last month in what was seen as a diplomatic victory for Seoul.
[US dominance]
UN Chief Took Saudis Off Blacklist Over Threat to Stop Funds
By The Associated Press
June 9, 2016, 1:34 P.M. E.D.T.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday he temporarily removed the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen from a U.N. blacklist for violating child rights because its supporters threatened to stop funding many U.N. programs.
Ban said he had to consider "the very real prospect" that millions of other children in the Palestinian territories, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen and many other places "would suffer grievously" if U.N. programs were defunded.
"This was one of the most painful and difficult decisions I have had to make," he said.
U.N. secretary-generals are always subject to pressure from the 193 member nations. But in a rare rebuke, Ban said in this case some unnamed countries had gone too far, declaring "it is unacceptable for member states to exert undue pressure."
The secretary-general was responding to what he called the "fierce reaction" to his decision, which was denounced by human rights groups. They accused the U.N. chief of caving in to Saudi Arabia and said the U.S.-backed coalition belongs on the list for its attacks on children, schools and hospitals.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS] [Saudi Arabia]
Vietnam, China Ban Blacklisted N.Korean Officials
North Korea's long-term allies Vietnam and China have banned North Korean officials blacklisted by the UN.
Flag carrier Vietnam Airlines asked travel agencies in mid-May to blacklist 16 North Korean officials subject to UN Security Council sanctions.
Vietnam has been implementing the sanctions more strictly since Washington lifted an embargo on sales of weapons to Hanoi, according to UPI.
On April 23, Hanoi expelled Choe Song-il, the deputy chief of the branch of North Koreas Tanchon Commercial Bank. The bank is suspected of laundering money earned from the North's sales of weapons overseas and financing the regime's nuclear and missile programs.
[UNUS]
Will Ban Ki-moon visit North Korea?
Updated : 2016-06-02 10:29
By Yi Whan-woo
The visit to China by senior North Korean official Ri Su-yong is fueling speculation that it could pave the way for U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to travel to Pyongyang.
Analysts said Wednesday that the U.N. chief may be able to visit North Korea during the remainder of his term if North Korea shows signs of change following Ri's China trip.
[Ban Ki-moon]
US set to oust Korean judge from WTO appellate body
By Choi Sung-jin
Updated : 2016-06-01 12:40
The United States has all but scuttled the reappointment of Chang Seung-wha, the only Korean judge in the appellate body of the WTO dispute settlement system, foreign reports say.
According to the Financial Times Tuesday, the U.S. notified World Trade Organization (WTO) member nations last week that it could not support Chang's reappointment. The WTO mediates trade disputes among member countries through its dispute settlement system, and the appellate body (AB) is like its court of appeal.
The term of office for the seven AB judges is four years and that of Judge Chang, who was appointed in 2012, ended on May 31. His reappointment requires the approval of all members of the dispute settlement body, but the U.S. opposition has made this all but impossible.
Washington's stated objection is that Chang, along with other AB members, had gone beyond interpreting the law to create it, the London-based business daily said. "The reality is that Chang has failed to back the U.S. in cases in which Washington has been found in breach of WTO rules. This is not only unsettling for the WTO, but for the U.S.'s supposed role as an anchor for the international rule of law."
[WTO] [UNUS] [Friction]
Myanmar must navigate the North Korean minefield
May 25, 2016
After the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLD) won the 2015 parliamentary elections, Myanmars future looks promising. One potential trouble spot is the new leaderships foreign policy toward the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK). As Aung San Suu Kyi discharges her duties as state counsellor and foreign minister in the government, it is hoped that she will reform Myanmars policy toward the DPRK in accordance with UNSC resolutions and international norms. However, it is of critical importance that the NLD leadership cooperates and coordinates with the military elite to produce win-win situations.
Historical background of Myanmar-DPRK relations
Myanmar-DPRK relations have had its ups and downs. Myanmar commenced consular relations with the DPRK on May 15, 1961, and later the two countries established diplomatic relations on May 16, 1975. Bilateral relations soon soured, however. In October 1983, South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan made an official visit to Myanmar accompanied by a large South Korean delegation. The morning after his arrival in Yangon, he headed to the Martyrs Mausoleum to lay a wreath. Minutes before his arrival, a powerful bomb exploded and killed 21 people, 18 of whom were visiting South Korean officials, four of them government ministers. As soon as the Myanmar government identified Pyongyang as being behind the explosion, it ordered the DPRK embassy to close and all diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours on Nov. 4, 1983. All economic and commercial ties between the two countries were terminated.
In the following years, Pyongyang made several attempts to restore bilateral ties, but Yangon showed no interest. For over a decade, there were no exchanges or visits between Myanmar and the DPRK. Myanmar and the DPRK normalized diplomatic relations on April 26, 2007, during the visit of the DPRK deputy foreign minister to Myanmar.
Ban Ki-moon one of worst UN secretary generals
By Lee Han-soo
With UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon's term ending this year, British economic weekly magazine The Economist has published a special article that claims Ban has been a colossal failure.
The magazine gave Ban credit for proposing new sustainable development goals and for holding the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in December 2015. But the magazine slammed Ban for being ineloquent, tied up in protocols and lacking flexibility.
The weekly also pointed out Ban's unprofessional mistake of calling Morocco's presence in the Western Sahara an "occupation" despite his nine-years in the office. His misuse of the word brought a severe backlash from the Moroccan government and, according to experts, provoked the Moroccan government to expel UN staff trying to maintain peace in the Western Sahara.
The magazine said Ban was only elected as UN chief because none of the Security Council's permanent members the U.S., China, Britain, France and Russia believed he would not be a problem in their spheres of interest.
[Ban-ki Moon] [UNUS]
Do you support legislation to increase accountability for U.S. dollars going to the U.N.?
Randy Forbes
In the ten year span between 2002 and 2012, funding for the United Nations nearly tripled, from roughly $15 billion to $41.5 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation. The United States, the largest contributor to the United Nations, provided approximately one-fifth of the contributions during that time, according to those same estimates.
Within the U.N., there are many distinct agencies, each with their own funding streams and their own missions. Although the U.N. is subject to audits in some cases, funding to the U.N. largely operates in a Self-Policing model where dollars are appropriated to various agencies and funds with only moderate accountability for how those dollars are used. Since it is difficult to trace the money, critics argue that U.S. funding could be tied up in activities that conflict with American interests and values. For instance, taxpayer dollars are believed to have been used in the United Nations Population Fund (UNPF), which has been linked to Chinas brutal one child policy. U.S. contributions have also been used to fund conferences, some of which (reportedly) may have become platforms to promote anti-democratic, anti-American values.
In the House of Representatives, a bill (H.R. 1034) has been introduced to require that the Office of Management and Budget provide a report to Congress each year, detailing all U.S. contributions to the U.N. and its affiliated agencies. The report requires a detailed description and purpose of each contribution, as well as the percentage of U.S. contribution to each agency compared to contributions from other sources, like other nations. This simple reform is aimed at adding a layer of accountability and transparency that many argue has been missing from the U.N. funding process.
Congressman Forbes is a cosponsor of H.R. 1034.
Question of the week: Do you support legislation to increase accountability for U.S. dollars going to the U.N.?
[UNUS] [Republican]
Switzerland and Russia join international movement to implement sanctions on North Korea
Posted on : May.21,2016 13:54 KST
So far, there have been no observable effects of UN Resolution 2270 on North Koreas economy
Switzerland introduced an ordinance for enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2270 (UNSCR 2270) imposing sanctions against North Korea for its recent nuclear and missile tests.
Meanwhile Russias central bank notified financial institutions that they should halt financial transactions with North Korea.
The moves by those two countries and other UN members to establish domestic laws for implementing UNSCR 2270 reflect the lack of time left before the deadline for submitting an enforcement report - namely within 90 days of the resolutions Mar. 2 adoption. In the case of the 2013 adoption of UNSCR 2094, just eight countries submitted reports on time.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Resolution 2270]
120 Nations Accuse US Top Court of Violating Law Over Iran
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSMAY 5, 2016, 6:04 P.M. E.D.T.
UNITED NATIONS The 120-nation Nonaligned Movement headed by Iran accused the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday of violating international law by ruling that nearly $2 billion in frozen Iranian assets can be paid to victims of attacks linked to the country.
A communique issued by the NAM's Coordinating Bureau follows an Iranian appeal to the United Nations last week to intervene with the U.S. government to prevent the loss of their funds. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the ruling an "outrageous robbery, disguised under a court order."
The NAM, comprising mainly developing countries, called the U.S. waiver of "the sovereign immunity of states and their institutions" a violation of U.S. international and treaty obligations.
[Extraterritoriality] [UNUS] [Iran]
UNSC preparing response to DPRK mission launch
Xinhua, April 30, 2016
Members of the UN Security Council are working on a statement in response to the latest test missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the council president told reporters Friday.
Liu Jieyi, the Chinese permanent representative to the United Nations who holds the rotating council presidency for April, made the remarks while briefing reporters on his month-long president of the 15-nation council.
He revealed the discussions while endorsing a multi-dimensional approach that could include UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon using his "good offices" to help resolve the crisis. He also repeated calls for all parties to refrain from aggravating actions or words.
"The Security Council so far issued two presidential press statements on the 'tests' conducted by DPRK and we are working on a third one among members of the council," he said. "It is really a volatile situation."
Published reports said the DPRK had two test missile launch failures Thursday, despite prohibitions laid down by relevant council resolutions.
"The way out is to have political negotiations of the problems that we face and for us three objectives are there: first, denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, second, peace and security of the Korean Peninsula and third, a negotiated solution," Liu said.
[Missile] [UNUS] [UNSC]
N. Korean diplomat deported from Vietnam over UN sanctions
Vietnam has virtually deported a North Korean diplomat included on a list of individuals blacklisted by the U.N. Security Council in a March sanctions resolution, political sources said Wednesday.
The measure marked Hanoi's first implementation of the council's new sanctions in response to the North's fourth nuclear test in January and its subsequent rocket launch using ballistic missile technology.
Choi Song-il, vice chief of the Hanoi branch of the North's Tanchon Commercial Bank and one of the 16 individuals on the list, returned to North Korea on a flight Saturday, the sources said. He had already been blacklisted by the United States in December last year.
Under the resolution, the members of the world body are required to freeze overseas assets of organizations and individuals subject to the new sanctions, deport them and place them under a travel ban.
It is believed that the Vietnamese government requested that Choi leave the country in consideration of its ties with the North rather than deport him, and Choi accepted the request, the sources said.
[UNUS] [US dominance] [Vietnam]
Where is your money going at the UN?
Randy Forbes
Washington, D.C., Apr 22
Heres a question for you to consider: Do you know what your taxpayer dollars are funding at the United Nations (UN)? You probably dont and you would have difficulty finding out. The reality is, the federal government doesnt even have a full grasp on exactly how the UN is using its money.
I believe it is unconscionable that the United States (and more accurately the U.S. taxpayer) is the largest contributor to the United Nations, yet we are not confident we can account for how that money is being spent. In the ten year span between 2002 and 2012, funding for the United Nations nearly tripled, from roughly $15 billion to $41.5 billion, according to the Heritage Foundation. Also according to the Heritage Foundation, on average the U.S. provided approximately one-fifth of the contributions for that time period. All of this at a time when the United States is trillions of dollars in debt.
[UNUS] [Bizarre]
UN Security Council slams DPRK submarine missile test
Xinhua, April 25, 2016
The UN Security Council on Sunday "strongly" condemned Saturday's submarine-launched ballistic missile test by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"This incident constituted yet another serious violation by the DPRK of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2270 (2016)," the Security Council said in a statement issued to the press. "The members of the Security Council emphasized that the DPRK's development and testing of new ballistic missile capabilities, even if launches are failures, is clearly prohibited by these resolutions."
The DPRK announced it has conducted a successful underwater test-fire of strategic submarine ballistic missile and the country's top leader Kim Jong Un guided the test-fire, the country's official news agency KCNA reported Sunday.
The test-fire aimed to "confirm the stability of the underwater ballistic launching system in the maximum depth of waters, flying kinetic feature under the vertical flight system of the ballistic missile powered by the newly developed high-power solid fuel engine, the reliability of the phased heat separation and the working accuracy of nuclear detonating device of the warhead."
[SLBM] [UNUS] [Double standards]
North Korean foreign minister in New York for UN climate change agreement signing
Posted on : Apr.22,2016 21:31 KST
While Ri Su-yong is in the US, no scheduled meetings with either US officials or UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong (centre, wearing eyeglasses) arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York for the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement on climate change, Apr. 20. (YTN)
North Koreas foreign minister arrived in New York on Apr. 20 to attend a signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement on climate change.
But with Washington stressing that it has no plans to meet with him, the chances of a senior-level bilateral meeting look dim.
Minister Ri Su-yong arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 2:30 pm that day, bypassing reporters and heading immediately to his accommodations in the city. Ri is reportedly scheduled to speak on Apr. 21 while attending a high-level meeting on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations headquarters. On Apr. 22, he is set to attend the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement, also at the UN building. The event is for the signing of an agreement on a new climate response system reached at the 21st Conference of the Parties session (COP21) for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris last December, which Ri also attended.
[Climate change] [US NK Negotiations]
North Korean FM has 'brief' encounter with UN chief
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong had a brief, hand-shaking encounter with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at U.N. headquarters Friday as he attended a signing ceremony for a landmark climate agreement.
Ri was the 76th representative to sign the "Paris Agreement," which was adopted in December to replace the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. After the signing at the podium of the U.N. General Assembly Hall, each participant shook hands with Ban.
A smiling Ban welcomed Ri as he took steps to leave the podium after the signing, and the two shook hands.
During the hand-shaking, Ban held Ri's right hand with both hands, while Ri put his left hand on the right arm of Ban in apparent gestures of affinity. While shaking hands, they talked to each other for some 13-14 seconds before posing for cameras.
[Climate change] [Ban Ki-moon] [Ri Su Yong]
Egypt Extends Campaign Against Dissent to Turtle Bay
From Burundi to Syria, the lone Arab member of the U.N. Security Council is sparking concerns that its working to weaken international human rights norms.
By Colum Lynch
April 19, 2016
Egypt has quietly blocked a staunch critic of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisis government from a job on a U.N. human rights panel, the latest sign of Cairos increasing willingness to flex its diplomatic muscles at Turtle Bay.
The move last month to prevent the appointment of Yemen specialist Said Boumedouha, which has not been reported previously, comes as Cairo enters the fourth month of its two-year term on the U.N. Security Council. In that time, Egypt has watered down Security Council measures designed to combat rights abuses from Burundi to the Central African Republic. During its presidency of the 15-nation council in May, Egypt plans to host a public debate on the need to fight incitement to terrorism and extremism, a move that Western diplomats suspect is aimed at securing international legitimacy for squelching free speech at home.
The behind-the-scenes diplomatic activism has fueled concern among human rights advocates and some Western governments that the Sisi regime is using its newfound powers at the U.N. to extend its crackdown on dissent beyond its own borders while weakening international human rights norms abroad
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Softwar] [Client]
N. Korea to send 30 doctors to Angola
By Lee Jin-a
North Korea says it will send more than 30 doctors to Angola.
North Korean Ambassador to the African country, Kim Hyeong-il, said in Menongue Monday, "More than 30 North Korean doctors of various specialties will come here to work under the bilateral cooperation between two countries."
"North Korean doctors will work in the new general hospital and lead the training of Angolan health experts. We are also planning to strengthen cooperation not only in the health sector, but also in energy, water, telecommunications and agriculture."
According to the "Angola Press," North Korea had sent about 180 physicians by the end of last year. Hundreds of North Korean laborers work on construction sites in the country.
The countries have maintained close relations since signing the "General Agreement" in 1977.
[NK Aid] [Africa]
The 2016 UN Panel of Experts Report: An Eye-Opening Account of Persistent Blindness
By Andrea Berger
19 April 2016
The UN Panel of Experts Established Pursuant to Resolution 1874 has been monitoring and reporting on violations of the North Korea sanctions regime since 2009, providing North Korea specialists with rare and valuable insight into the countrys illicit activities and sanctions evasion practices. The Panels reports have become more detailed over time, and they now substantiate the state of North Korea sanctions implementation using a wide variety of sources and methods. As the findings enter into the public domain, they shine an increasingly bright light on gaps in attention to and enforcement of this sanctions regime.
In the decade since the UN Security Council introduced its first sanctions on North Korea, Member States have had ample time to grasp the DPRKs threats and evasive practices, and the obligations that other countries face as a consequence. Still, a number of capitals continue to demonstrate that their internal processes are wholly inadequate to detect, report and address illicit North Korean behavior.
[UNUS] [UNSC] [Sanctions] [China hope] [Functionary]
UN calls on DPRK to exercise restraint
Xinhua, April 16, 2016
The United Nations on Friday again urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to exercise restraint after the country made a failed ballistic missile launch attempt earlier in the day.
While answering a reporter's question on the UN reaction to DPRK's missile launch, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said that "we are certainly aware of the recent report of the activity by the DPRK, which is alarming. We once again call on the DPRK to exercise restraint."
The DPRK sought to launch a ballistic missile, which is believed to be a medium-range Musudan missile, into its eastern waters early Friday, but the attempt appeared to have failed, according to Yonhap News Agency of the Republic of Korea.
In order to curb DPRK's nuclear and missile programs, the UN Security Council has adopted four resolutions, with the latest one adopted in March imposing the most severe sanctions on DPRK, including an export ban and asset freeze.
[Missile] [UNUS] [Chinese IR] [Double standards]
DPRK to sign Paris climate accord: UN
Xinhua, April 12, 2016
Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong will participate in the Paris climate agreement signing ceremony to be held later this month at the UN headquarters in New York, the UN Spokesperson's Office said Monday.
However, a reported meeting between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the foreign minister on the sidelines of the ceremony cannot be confirmed, the office said in a note.
More than 130 countries have confirmed that they will sign the Paris Agreement at the ceremony on April 22, the first day that the agreement will be open for signature, according to the UN.
Adopted by the 196 parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement sets a target of keeping the global average rise in temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and preferably below 1.5 degrees.
On the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, developed countries agreed to raise US$100 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries transform their economies.
[Climate change]
N. Korean FM to visit New York next week
Updated : 2016-04-12 12:20
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong plans to visit New York next week to attend the signing of a landmark U.N. climate agreement, a U.N. official said Monday.
The U.N. plans to hold a high-level signing ceremony on April 22 for the so-called Paris Agreement adopted in December to replace the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, and the North's Ri is scheduled to attend the ceremony, an official of the U.N. spokesman's office said.
Ri attended the Paris conference and delivered a speech there.
His visit to New York would mark his first since tensions spiked following the North's fourth nuclear test in January, its long-range rocket launch in February and the adoption of a new U.N. sanctions resolution.
He could also meet with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, but the spokesman's office said that no such meeting has been fixed.
Ri last visited New York in September for the U.N. General Assembly.
The trip could provide opportunities for Ri to hold talks with U.S. officials, though such chances are low considering the international community's ongoing efforts to increase pressure on Pyongyang. (Yonhap)
[Climate change]
DPRK denounces UN for ignoring US-ROK war games
Xinhua, April 3, 2016
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday denounced the UN Security Council for dismissing its call for convening a meeting to discuss ongoing U.S.-S.Korea joint military exercises.
The UN Security Council is "turning a blind eye to U.S. nuclear threats to the DPRK," the official KCNA news agency reported.
The DPRK presented a letter to the Security Council late March, calling for holding an urgent meeting on the U.S.-S.Korea annual joint war games code-named "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle," which, a spokesperson for the DPRK Foreign Ministry said Saturday, was ignored by the Security Council.
Pyongyang has said that the military exercises, with their large scale and aggressive nature, constitute a grave threat to the DPRK, disturb international peace and stability, and violate respect for state sovereignty.
The spokesperson also said that the DPRK will further strengthen its self-defensive deterrent "capable of frustrating U.S. nuclear threat, blackmail and provocation."
On March 7, South Korea and the United States began their joint annual war games of "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle." The "Key Resolve" exercise ended last month, but the "Foal Eagle" field training exercise is scheduled to last till April 30.
Pyongyang has repeatedly denounced the U.S.-South Korea military exercises as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [Joint US military]
What Path for the UN Security Council to Resolve the Conflict on the Korean Peninsula?
Ronda Hauben
Recently a Chinese commentator, observing the relationship between the need for a peace treaty to end the Korean War and North Koreas four nuclear tests wrote:
North Korea, in a statement after its nuclear test, has made it clear that if it could sign a peace treaty with the United States, and if the United States could stop holding joint military exercises with South Korea, it would not conduct further nuclear tests. This proved that the North Korean nuclear issue is, in essence, an issue between the United States and North Korea.(1)
The Armistice Agreement that ended the fighting of the Korean War was signed on July 27, 1953. While the Armistice Agreement provided for a cease fire, it did not end the Korean War.
The Armistice Agreement that the US and North Korea signed states that a political agreement is needed by the parties to end the war. A political conference was to be held to set the terms for an agreement among the parties to provide for a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. Such a political conference was to provide the means to settle through negotiation the questions of the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Korea, the peaceful settlement of the Korean question, etc. ( See Article IV of the Armistice Agreement.)
Though a political conference was eventually held, the parties did not succeed in drafting a treaty to end the war.
[UNUS]
U.N. says Saudi-led bombing of Yemeni market may be international crime
GENEVA/RIYADH | By Stephanie Nebehay and Angus McDowall
The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen may be responsible for "international crimes", a category that includes war crimes and crimes against humanity, the top U.N. human rights official said on Friday.
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned an air strike in Yemen this week and added that the coalition was "responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together".
[War crimes] [Saudi Arabia] [UNUS]
The Statement of the Government Spokesman of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea [on Resolution 2270]
Being taken aback by the H-bomb test of the DPRK and its successful launch of earth satellite Kwangmyongsong-4, the US and other big powers and their followers finally fabricated resolution No. 2270 calling for harsh sanctions against the DPRK by abusing the name of the UN Security Council at the dawn on Thursday.
No sooner had the resolution been adopted than Obama published a welcoming message and let State Secretary Kerry make public a statement supporting it. Riff-raffs blindly echoed their statements one after another.
Trumpeting about the efficacy of the resolution, the US published its own sanctions in which leading officials of the army and government of the DPRK are put on the list of special sanctions.
Following suit, Japan made public Abes commentary and Foreign Minister Kishidas statement in support of the resolution.
Even the Park Geun Hye group of south Korea issued a statement at midnight, describing the sanctions as the harshest and comprehensive sanctions and strong message.
Terror-stricken by the H-bomb blast and successful launch of Kwangmyongsong-4 that shook the world at the outset of this year, the US and other big powers and their followers held a confab for 57 days, cooking up the resolution on sanctions. It was, therefore, nothing surprising and new as it was predicted.
[Resolution 2270]
The Statement of the Foreign Ministry Spokesman of the Democratic Peoples Republic
of Korea [on resolution 2270]
The US fabricated another resolution on sanctions by abusing the UNSC, while finding
fault with the DPRKs H-bomb test and satellite launch.
The resolution unprecedented in its viciousness and illegality is a brigandish product which
can never be justified.
If the access to nuclear weapons is to be called into question, the US, the first country in the
world which had access to nuclear weapons and the only user of them, should be done so and
if any fault is to be found with the DPRKs access to nuclear weapons, it is imperative to pull
up the US over the hostile policy and nuclear threat toward the DPRK for which it is
responsible.
The DRPKs access to nuclear weapons is an unavoidable option for self-defense made by it
as the US, the world biggest nuclear weapons state and the only user of the nuclear weapons,
designated the dignified DPRK as an axis of evil and target of a preemptive nuclear strike
and has persistently escalated the hostile moves and nuclear threats to the DPRK by
introducing various kinds of lethal hardware for a nuclear war.
[Resolution2270]
North Korea says it will boycott UN sessions on human rights
Posted on : Mar.3,2016 17:40 KST
In response to Norths claims, S. Korean Foreign Minister calls for faithful implementation of sanctions
North Koreas Minister of Foreign Affairs announced a boycott on Mar. 1 of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussions on the Norths human rights issue.
The move by minister Ri Su-yong appears to be a protest against the issue being raised at a time when international pressure for sanctions has already been growing since North Koreas nuclear test in January.
We shall no longer participate in international sessions singling out the human rights situation of the DPRK [North Korea] for mere political attack, Yonhap News quoted Ri as saying in a speech before a senior-level session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on Mar. 1.
Ri went on to say that the US and other countries were making an issue of North Koreas human rights record because they had no other choice in the face of [North Koreas] powerful nuclear deterrent and military force.
It is none of our business if this so-called resolution is sent for a vote, and we will never, ever be bound by it, he added.
The UNHRC has adopted resolutions on North Korean human rights every year since 2003, while the UN General Assembly has adopted resolutions urging improvements to the countrys human rights conditions since 2005.
Ri also claimed that the only evidence for attacking North Korea is the testimony of defectors, and defectors are people they have paid US$5,000 or more per person to kidnap or abduct and carry off.
The money to do that is funded by the USs North Korea Human Rights Act and from Japanese and South Korean authorities, he continued.
Ri also decided not to attend a disarmament conference in Geneva, which he attended last year.
In response to Ris claims, South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se criticized the inhumane human rights conditions in North Korea and called for faithful execution of the UNSC sanctions in a keynote speech on Mar. 2, the third day of the UNHRC senior-level session.
By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer
[UNUS] [Human rights]
UN resolution leaves concerns over loopholes
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.N. Security Council's (UNSC) new sanctions on North Korea leave major concerns about loopholes that Pyongyang may exploit to pursue its nuclear ambitions, analysts said Thursday.
Winning unanimous approval from the 15-member council, Wednesday, UNSC Resolution 2270 authorizes widening the ban on international trade with North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and long-rang rocket tests in defiance of existing sanctions.
However, the resolution also stresses that it should not have "adverse humanitarian consequences" for civilians, largely in line with demands from China, and to a lesser extent, Russia.
Such conditions will enable North Korea to continue importing crude oil from China, export non-military items such as textiles, carry out small-scale trade at the Pyongyang-Beijing border and allow Russia to use its ice free sea port in Rajin. North Koreaflagship carrier, Air Koryo, also will be allowed to obtain jet fuel overseas.
"North Korea will try to drive a truck through any loophole they find," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told the Associated Press.
Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, agreed.
"The new UNSC resolution is not aimed at choking North Korea to death. China apparently wanted to leave space for the repressive regime to breathe and survive," he said.
He cited that China excluded the ban on its export of crude oil to North Korea in the original text of the UNSC resolution it jointly drafted with the United States.
[Sanctions] [China hope]
UN Security Council adopts new resolution on DPRK
China.org.cn, March 3, 2016
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution to impose a set of new and tougher sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), while calling for an early resumption of the long-stalled six-party talks.
The resolution, in response to DPRK's nuclear test on Jan. 6 and a satellite launch on Feb. 7, is aimed at curbing the country's ability to develop its nuclear and missile programs.
In a statement, the council condemned in the strongest terms the nuclear test on Jan. 6 and the satellite launch on Feb. 7, which it said used ballistic missile technology banned by previous UN resolutions. Pyongyang insisted it was a peaceful satellite launch.
[UNSC] [UNUS]
4 N. Korean officials blacklisted by UN council
By Yi Whan-woo
The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has blacklisted four senior North Korean officials in charge of nuclear and ballistic missile programs as the council is set to pass a new resolution on sanctions against the isolated state.
The four officials include Ri Man-gon, who oversees development of military technologies as a director at the ruling Workers' Party, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wednesday.
They will theoretically be barred from travelling to any member state of the U.N.
The three others are Yu Chol-u, director of the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA), Hyon Kwang-il, a senior official at NADA, and Choe Chun-sik, who headed North Korea's long-range missile program in 2013.
"A Worker's Party director is equivalent to a ministerial-level official in other countries," said An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies. "I'd say the UNSC targeted the right man to punish North Korea for pursuing military ambitions."
[UNUS] [Double standards]
UN Security Council postpones vote on N. Korea resolution until Wednesday
The U.N. Security Council postponed a vote on a new resolution expanding sanctions on North Korea until Wednesday as Russia asked for more time to review the draft resolution, officials said Tuesday.
The vote, which had been scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, has now been rescheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday as Russia, a veto-holding permanent member of the council, asked for a 24-hour review of the draft worked out between the United States and China, U.N. diplomats said.
"Last minute glitch," State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a regular briefing. "As I understand it, the United States did request a vote on the resolution today and the Russians asked for a 24-hour review period and we're in that period now."
The resolution, which significantly toughens sanctions on Pyongyang, was put together after nearly 50 days of painstaking negotiations between the U.S. and China amid Beijing's opposition to harsh measures against the communist neighbor.
[Sanctions] [UNSC] [UNUS]
UN Security Councils New Sanctions on the DPRK
By Richard Nephew
02 March 2016
Over a month ago, US Secretary of State John Kerry significantly raised expectations about the possibility of a new UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) against North Korea in response to its nuclear weapons test on January 6. In connection with his trip to China at the end of January, US officials suggested that UNSC sanctions could target North Koreas financial links, its trade links with China and its ability to import oil, indicating that these were the focus of a sanctions proposal made to China two weeks prior. At the time, observers questioned whether such significant sanctions could be secured given the necessity of Chinese agreementor at least acquiescenceat the UN Security Council. There was common acknowledgment among the experts that, if China did go along with such a UNSCR, it would suggest a change in Chinese thinking about how to handle their North Korean neighbor and client.
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [UNSC] [China NK]
UN Security Council to vote on DPRK resolution on Wednesday
China.org.cn, March 2, 2016
A UN Security Council vote on sanctions on Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been postponed until Wednesday morning at Russia's request.
The UN Security Council vote on a resolution regarding the nuclear test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, on March 7, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]
The UN Security Council vote on a resolution regarding the nuclear test of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), at the UN headquarters in New York, the United States, on March 7, 2013. [Photo/Xinhua]
Diplomats said on Tuesday that the Council originally planned to vote on the resolution on Tuesday afternoon, but Russia had asked for a procedural 24-hour review of the document.
The vote is now planned for 10 a.m. local time(1500 GMT) on Wednesday.
The United States circulated the draft resolution to the 15-nation Council last week. The resolution aims to impose new sanctions on DPRK to curb the country's nuclear program.
The DPRK conducted its fourth nuclear test in January. It has previously conducted three nuclear tests in 2006, 2009 and 2013, respectively.
Right after the DPRK's first nuclear test, the Security Council adopted a resolution to impose sanctions on the DPRK and set up a sanctions committee.
In response to nuclear tests conducted by the DPRK in 2009 and 2013, the Security Council adopted another three resolutions to strengthen various sanctions on the DPRK, which include an arms embargo, an embargo related to nuclear, ballistic missile, and a ban on the export of luxury goods.
[UNUS] [Sanctions]
UN set to vote on resolution on N. Korea this week
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Security Council could adopt a resolution this week for sanctions on North Korea for its recent provocations, a South Korean official said Monday.
The council is set to vote on the resolution at 3 p.m. on Tuesday (5:00 a.m. Korean time on Wednesday), said an official at the South Korean mission to the U.N., adding that a draft resolution was circulated among council members.
The official also said Russia and 14 other members of the council endorse the text, a move that suggest that the council can unanimously adopt the resolution.
Russia had put a last-minute hold on it, saying it needs time to review the proposed resolution that was worked out between the United States and China.
Winning Russian support is a must for the resolution's adoption as Moscow is one of the five permanent veto-wielding members of the council. The four other council members -- the U.S., China, Britain and France -- endorsed the text.
The draft resolution requires U.N. member countries to inspect all cargo going in and out of North Korea. It also bans the North's exports of coal, iron and other mineral resources, a key source of hard currency that accounts for nearly half of the country's total exports.
[UNUS] [Sanctions] [Russia]
South Korea for the first time openly questions North Koreas UN eligibility
Posted on : Feb.20,2016 15:18 KST
Strong words at UN meetings come as part of campaign of cutting all ties with the North and abandoning peaceful unification efforts
The Park Geun-hye administration is in the midst of an all-out effort to demonize North Korea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Minister Yun Byung-se has been leading the charge with a full-scale campaign to paint North Korea in outright evil terms to other United Nations member countries. Its a rhetorical campaign that features descriptions of the sovereign state as a weapons of mass destruction development organization and questions about its eligibility to be part of the UN at all.
Oh Joon, South Korean UN Ambassador
An example of this came at meetings at UN headquarters in New York on Feb. 15 and 16 by South Korean UN Ambassador Oh Joon and Deputy Ambassador Hahn Choong-hee, who both commented that questions must be raised about whether North Korea is even eligible to be a member state after violating its responsibilities upon entering the UN. This marks the first time the South Korean government has openly questioned North Koreas eligibility at an official UN setting since South and North Korea both joined the institution separately on Sept. 17, 1991
[SK NK policy] [UN_ploy]
South Korea questions North Korea's UN membership
By Kim Hyo-jin
Updated : 2016-02-19 22:09
South Korea is questioning North Korea's eligibility to be a member of the United Nations in connection with its recent provocations in breach of U.N. resolutions.
During a U.N. open discussion Monday on the U.N. charter's principles and goals, South Korea's U.N. ambassador Oh Joon questioned whether North Korea still has the right to be a U.N. member after reneging on membership obligations.
"Twenty-five years ago, the DPRK solemnly pledged to comply with the obligations of the U.N. Charter as a new member, but during the past decade, the DPRK has persistently violated all Security Council resolutions on the DPRK," Oh said.
He was referring to the North's military provocations such as its Jan. 6 nuclear test and Feb. 7 long-range rocket launch. The DPRK is the acronym of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
"This is not only a direct challenge to the authority of the Security Council, but also a contradiction to both the letter and spirit of the pledge it made. This breach of obligation by the DPRK calls into question its qualification as a member of the United Nations," Oh added.
South Korea's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Hahn Choong-hee continued questioning the North's qualifications during a meeting of the Special Committee on the Charter of the U.N. the following day.
It is the first time that South Korea has taken issue with the North's U.N. membership since the two Koreas jointly entered the international body in 1991.
[SK NK policy] [UN_ploy]
Former UN chief Ghali dies at 93
Xinhua, February 17, 2016
File photo taken on Dec. 3, 1991, shows Boutros Boutros-Ghali, appointed sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations at the UN headquarters in New York. [Xinhua/UN Photo/Milton Grant]
Egyptian former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali died on Tuesday in a hospital in Giza at the age of 93, the official MENA news agency reported.
Born in 1922, the late top diplomat led the United Nations from 1992 until 1996, becoming the first Arab to hold the post.
After returning to Egypt, Boutros-Ghali headed the state's National Council for Human Rights under former long-time President Hosni Mubarak. Ghali resigned later in 2011, the year Mubarak was ousted by a popular protest.
[Boutros Boutros-Ghali] [UNUS]
Serious Questions about North Korea Sanctions: Leaked UN Report Raises Doubts about whether Measures against Pyongyang Have Had Any Effect
06 February, 2016
Kyodo South China Morning Post
Despite multiple rounds of sanctions to penalise North Korea for undertaking its prohibited nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches, the country continues to advance its efforts, calling into question the United Nations sanctions regime, according to excerpts of a UN report.
The report also mentions a drone found on a South Korean island bearing a resemblance to Chinese-made drones and recommended expanding a ban on unmanned aerial vehicles, currently limited under previous Security Council resolutions.
The recommendation could put pressure on China, North Koreas main supporter and chief supplier of goods, which appears reluctant to step up measures for fear of heightening regional tensions. The report is to be presented to the Security Council next month.
The report argues that North Korea has been effective in evading sanctions laid out by past resolutions, the first of which was imposed nearly a decade ago, after its first nuclear test. It also calls for blacklisting several more individuals and entities and increasing dissemination of information about the various sanctions in place.
Given the stated intentions of [North Korea] there are serious questions about the efficacy of the current United Nations sanctions regime
[Sanctions] [UNUS] [Efficacy]
Spies among IAEA inspectors not confirmed nor denied
News ID: 3045256 - Mon 8 February 2016 - 14:24
Politics
TEHRAN, Feb. 08 (MNA) Irans FM Spokesperson Jaberi Ansari said on Mon. the rumor about the presence of two spies among IAEA inspectors in Iran cannot be confirmed or denied at this stage, but the matter will be pursued.
The remark was made by Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hossein Jabari Ansari in his weekly press conference on Monday. The issue of the presence of two spies among the IAEA inspectors who had recently traveled to Iran, has been raised by one of Iranian parliament members.
The issue is being pursued by the Ministry of Intelligence, but on the whole Iran has always been extra sensitive about the potential misuse of international titles for specific activities and followed up on this sensitivity with attentive care, he said.
[IAEA] [Espionage] [UNUS]
North Korean criticisms seek to pit US, South Korea, Japan against China and Russia
Posted on : Feb.2,2016 17:32 KST
Verbal attacks on the THAAD missile defense system and the Dec. 28 comfort women settlement are likely attempts to distract from the nuclear issue
THAAD TPY-2 radar range
North Korean media are continuing their verbal attacks on the US, South Korea, and Japan over the possible deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula and a recent agreement on the comfort women issue.
The denunciations could be seen as a strategic attempt to pit the three countries against itself, China, and Russia amid a push for sanctions by the international community in response to its recent fourth nuclear test. It is also said that President Park Geun-hye walked into the trap herself with her public mentioning of THAAD and of a five-party talks approach to the North Korean nuclear issue.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North Korean Workers Party, attacked the discussions of a possible THAAD deployment in several pieces over the past several days. A Jan. 31 piece in particular emphasized China and Russia as adversaries to the US, which it accused of becoming more blatant in its desires to deploy THAAD in South Choson [Korea] despite Russia and Chinas objections.
[THAAD] [Comfort women] [NK foreign policy]
UN Special Rapporteur criticizes deteriorating human rights in Korea
Posted on : Jan.30,2016 18:46 KST
Maina Kiai, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, asserted that South Koreas freedom of assembly is gradually crumbling during a press conference at the Press Center in central Seoul, Jan. 29. The press conference was held to announce the results of Kiais investigations into the state of freedom of association and assembly in South Korea. It was the first time a UN Human Rights Council rapporteur had come to South Korea to conduct an investigation. (by Kim Tae-hyeong, staff photographer)
[Repression]
Russia Plays a Winning Syria Game at the United Nations
Russian diplomacy achieved a trio of Security Council Resolutions over the last month which give Russia a decisive advantage
Alexander Mercouris
Mon, Dec 21
At the beginning of Russias intervention in Syria - in an interview for Radio Sputnik - I predicted the Russians would seek legal cover for their actions in the form of a Security Council mandate.
In the event, months of intense diplomatic activity have resulted in three separate but complimentary Security Council Resolutions, all passed in just a few weeks.
Taken together with reports of continued advances by the Syrian army, these Resolutions give Russia what is starting to look like a winning hand.
To understand this however requires looking at each of these Resolutions in detail, and then seeing how they all work together.
[UNSC] [Russia Syria]
Congress Gets Out of the I.M.F.s Way
By The Editorial Board
Dec. 22, 2015
After five years of Republican foot-dragging, members of Congress last week ratified an agreement that will increase the capital of the International Monetary Fund and give developing countries like China and India a greater say in the organization. This should strengthen the fund at a time when its expertise is needed to help revive a slowing global economy.
In 2010, the Obama administration negotiated an agreement with other countries to double the I.M.F.s capital to about $755 billion, so it could lend more money to troubled countries like Greece and Spain. The changes also gave more voting power in the funds management to China, India, Brazil and Russia while slightly reducing the clout of European countries and the United States. Chinas voting share would go up to 6 percent, from 3.8 percent, once the reforms began. The American share would be little changed at 16.5 percent.
Most nations quickly ratified the changes, but until recently Republicans in Congress refused to even vote on the reforms, which put the changes on hold. Some of those lawmakers argued that the fund did not need more money, while others said the organization was lending recklessly. Last week, however, the Obama administration and the Republican leaders agreed to include ratification of the I.M.F. reforms in the omnibus spending bill that the president signed on Friday.
The Republicans appear to have realized that their inaction was undermining Americas leadership in the world. For example, China has been so frustrated that its voting share at the I.M.F. and the World Bank are small relative to the size of its growing economy that it has begun building its own international financial organizations. Several American allies, including Britain, Germany and South Korea, have agreed to invest in one of those new Chinese initiatives, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
[IMF] [Republicans] [UNUS] [China confrontation]
UN Security Council endorses roadmap for Syria peace process
Xinhua, December 19, 2015
The unanimously-adopted resolution also calls for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria to come into effect "as soon as the representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition have begun initial steps towards a political transition under UN auspices."
The 15-nation council expressed its support for statements agreed during previous talks in Geneva, Switzerland, and Vienna, Austria, while stressing that "the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria."
It said "the only sustainable solution to the current crisis in Syria is through an inclusive and Syrian-led political process that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people."
Friday's Security Council meeting was chaired by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, as the United States holds as the council's rotating presidency for the month of December.
[Syria] [UNSC]
After Years of War in Syria, U.N. Passes Resolution on Talks
By Somini Sengupta and David E. Sanger
Dec. 18, 2015
UNITED NATIONS For the first time since the nearly five-year-old Syrian civil war began, world powers agreed on Friday at the United Nations Security Council to embrace a plan for a cease-fire and a peace process that holds the distant prospect of ending the conflict.
A resolution adopted unanimously by the Security Council reflected a monthslong effort by American and Russian officials, who have long been at odds over the future of Syria, to find common national interests to stop the killing, even if they cannot yet agree on Syrias ultimate future.
But there remain sharp disagreements to be reconciled between the American and Russian positions, and huge uncertainty about what the plan will mean on the ground. A dizzying array of armed forces have left Syria in ruins, killed 250,000 and driven four million refugees out of the country, threatening to destabilize the nations where they are seeking new homes.
[Syria] [UNSC]
U.N. Security Council approves plan for Syrian peace process
U.N. Security Council unanimously adopts Syrian peace resolution
The United Nations security council unanimously approved a Syrian peace plan on Friday, Dec. 18 in New York. (U.S. Department of State)
By Karen DeYoung December 18 at 5:03 PM ?
UNITED NATIONS The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously approved a resolution endorsing a peace process that is designed to end Syrias civil war and to allow the international community to focus its attention more fully on defeating the Islamic State.
This council is sending a clear message to all concerned that the time is now to stop the killing in Syria and to lay the groundwork for a government that the long-suffering people of that battered land can support, Secretary of State John F. Kerry said of the initiative.
The resolution gave Security Council backing to a process that begins with negotiations between the Syrian government and its opponents to establish a transitional government that will write a new constitution and hold elections, all within 18 months. It designated the United Nations to shepherd the process.
But the agreement made no mention of the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and it remains unclear to what extent the will of the international community can be imposed on him or rebel forces.
[UNSC] [Syria] [Spin]
Singapore plugs loophole in NK's arms trade
By Kim Jae-kyoung
SINGAPORE North Korea is expected to find it more difficult to smuggle arms using non-North Korean facilitators after a Singapore-based firm was convicted of aiding a shipment of arms for a blacklisted North Korean shipping firm.
This is the first-ever case in which a Singapore-registered company has been punished for supporting North Korea's arms trade. Singapore is one of the biggest trading partners for North Korea in South East Asia.
[Sanctions] [Arms sales] [Double standards] [UNUS]
Will China protect Kim Jong Un from international justice?
By Paula Hancocks, Richard Roth, Steven Jiang and James Griffiths, CNN
Updated 1322 GMT (2122 HKT) December 10, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
2014 U.N. report compared North Korean human rights abuses to those of the Nazis
Refugees say not enough has been done since, even as North Korea situation has worsened
China likely to block any attempt by the U.N. Security Council to take serious action
(CNN)The United Nations Security Council will discuss the human rights situation in North Korea on Thursday, as defectors and victims of torture complain that not enough has been done since the publication of a landmark report in 2014.
The report by a U.N. panel found human rights abuses on a scale "without parallel in the contemporary world," comparable to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, and recommended sending the case and those responsible to the International Criminal Court.
Any discussion by the Security Council will take place over the strong opposition of permanent member and veto-holder China, which has worked behind the scenes to block the debate, according to diplomatic sources.
"We have always opposed the involvement of the U.N. Security Council in a country's human rights issues," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press conference in Beijing.
[UNUS] [ICC]
Korea Elected to Head UN Human Rights Council
Korea has been elected as head of the UN Human Rights Council next year.
The council on Monday appointed Choi Kyong-lim, Korea's permanent representative to the UN Office in Geneva, as its president for a one-year term that begins January 2016. He will replace current president Joachim Rcker of Germany.
In a speech, Choi said that over the past ten years the council has accomplished a lot by establishing the framework to promote and protect human rights.
This is the first time Korea will lead an international human rights organization since the government's establishment in 1948.
[UNUS]
Muddle Over UN Chief's N.Korea Visit
There was head-scratching on Wednesday after conflicting media reports saying UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will or will not visit North Korea next week.
China's state-run Xinhua News on Wednesday morning cited an unnamed official at the official [North] Korean Central News Agency as saying that Ban arrives in Pyongyang next Tuesday for a four-day visit.
[Ban Ki-moon]
UN Secretary General likely to visit North Korea soon
Posted on : Nov.17,2015 16:44 KST
Ban Ki-moon would be making his first visit as UN chief, but has little room to seek a breakthrough while in North Korea
President Park Geun-hye and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon sign a commemorative photo of leaders at the G-20 Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 15. (AFP/Yonhap News)
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is reportedly scheduled to visit North Korea in the near future.
Bans visit would be the third to the country by a UN Secretary-General, after Kurt Waldheim in 1979 and Boutros Boutros-Ghali in 1993.
Secretary-General Ban definitely is visiting North Korea, a source familiar with the North Korea situation told the Hankyoreh on Nov. 15.
According to reports, Ban has already decided on a plan for his visit to Pyongyang. The office of the Secretary-Generals spokesperson responded to speculation about the visit with a statement that neither acknowledged nor denied the plans.
[Ban Ki-moon]
[Breaking] U.N. chief to visit North Korea on Nov. 23: Xinhua
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will visit Pyongyang on Nov. 23 for a four-day stay, Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.
But a U.N. spokesperson said Ban does not have plans to visit North Korea next week.
The Chinese news agency cited its source as Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency.
It posted on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, that the North's state agency notified a Xinhua reporter of the news.
On Monday, Yonhap News reported on the U.N. chief's plans to visit the North, but
details of when remain to be confirmed.
It would be Ban's first visit to the North and the third by a U.N. secretary general.
Attention is being drawn to whether he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, especially because the U.N. chief is from South Korea.
Ban is leaving Saturday for the East Asia Summit that begins Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
[Ban Ki-moon]
UN special rapporteur on NK human rights to make last visit to S. Korea next week
The U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights situation will visit South Korea next week on his final mission to Seoul before his mandate expires in March, the U.N. human rights agency said Tuesday.
During the Nov. 23-27 visit, Marzuki Darusman will "assess the latest changes surrounding DPRK (North Korea) and discuss ways to ensure accountability with relevant stakeholders," the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva said in a statement on its website.
It will be Darusman's last official visit to South Korea. Darusman, a former Indonesian prosecutor general, has been serving as special rapporteur since 2010. He was also a member of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the North's human rights situation that produced a landmark report last year calling for referring Pyongyang to the International Criminal Court.
"I will use my last official mission to the Republic of Korea to continue pursuing accountability for gross human rights violation in the DPRK," Darusman said in the statement. "I also hope to use the opportunity to discuss the future of this mandate with relevant partners."
While in South Korea, Darusman will meet with state officials, civil society actors, think tanks, lawyers and others. At the end of his visit, he plans to hold a press conference on Nov. 26, the statement said.
The COI report led to the adoption of a U.N. General Assembly resolution that calls for the U.N. Security Council to refer the North to the ICC for human rights violations. A similar resolution has been proposed this year, also with calls for referral to the ICC.
Darusman has repeatedly called for North Korea to allow him to visit, but Pyongyang refused. (Yonhap)
[Marzuki Darusman] [UNUS] [Softwar]
UN chief likely to meet Kim Jong-un this week
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit Pyongyang this week, Yonhap reports.
It will be his first trip as U.N. leader, after North Korea abruptly cancelled his planned visit in May for an unknown reason. It was speculation that the North cancelled the visit because of Ban's remarks that North Korea's missile launches violated Security Council resolutions.
It is not known if Ban will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
[Ban Ki-moon]
Ecumenical forum delegation convenes for first time on Korean peninsula to discuss peace, reconciliation
13 November 2015
A 12-person delegation representing churches and ecumenical bodies around the world met for an historic international ecumenical visit and meeting in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) from 23 to 30 October.
The delegation was comprised of members and observers of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Development Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula (EFK), a network of churches, national councils of churches, mission organizations and church-related development agencies, including the Korean Christian Federation (KCF) in the DPRK and the National Council of Churches in the Republic of Korea (NCCK), and moderated by the World Council of Churches (WCC). The EFK was launched at a first meeting in Hong Kong on 8 December 2006.
During the delegation visit to the DPRK, a formal full-day EFK meeting was convened in Pyongyang on 28 October, the first time an international ecumenical gathering of this nature was able to meet on Korean soil North or South with the official participation of both the KCF and NCCK.
Heading the delegation was Rev. Dr Chang Sang, WCC president for Asia and former prime minister of the Republic of Korea. Chang is a former senior advisor to the Reunification Committee of the Republic of Korea government.
[Inter Korean} [Sanctions] [Peace effort]
Reflections on a visit to Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea: Peter Prove, director of
WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
A 12-person delegation representing churches and ecumenical bodies around the world
gathered for an historic international ecumenical visit and meeting in the Democratic Peoples
Republic of Korea (DPRK), 23-30 October.
Peter Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs,
participated in the delegation. He offered the following reflections on his visit.
How do you define progress in the DPRK in light of the impact of international
sanctions?
North Korea represents a political, economic and social system that is obviously - very
different from any other country. But there is evident pride on the part of North Koreans in the
economic and social progress achieved, despite the impact of international sanctions. To North
Koreans, this progress is a sign of the Juche political ideology stressing independence, selfreliance
and creativity in practice.
What did you hear regarding the North Korean vision of reunification?
I heard repeatedly of the North Korean desire for reunification with the South, though not
following the German example - of absorption - but rather through a one country-two systems
model of confederated unity.
What are the biggest obstacles to peace?
From the North Korean perspective, the biggest obstacles to peace are the tensions generated
by the repeated joint military exercises in the vicinity of the Korean peninsula, the economic
sanctions, and other provocative measures including the repeated scattering of propaganda
leaflets by helium balloons from the South, and the international denunciation of the human
rights situation in the DPRK.
The WCC is and has always been committed to promoting the realization of human rights for all
people around the world. In such a tense and dangerous situation as that on the Korean
peninsula, it is especially important to find ways of pursuing this issue that avoid unintended and
counter-productive consequences for the people living in that context. Based on all we have
seen and heard of the current situation on the peninsula, I believe that the human rights of
people in the region could be better secured by urgent measures to reduce tensions and to
promote peace and reconciliation, than through measures that risk provoking conflict, which
could be catastrophic for the people of the region as a whole.
[Inter Korean} [Sanctions] [Peace effort] [Joint US military]
A Potential Breakthrough in Mongolias Relations With North and South Korea
Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 12 Issue: 38
March 2, 2015 04:10 PM Age: 253 days
By: Mendee Jargalsaikhany
Mongolia takes a resolutely middle road when it comes to North and South Korea. It values its long-standing relations with the North while developing its newly-declared strategic partnership with the South. Due to its geographic location, wedged between Russia and China, Mongolia is often considered a regionless state. Therefore, engaging the two Koreas is particularly important for Mongolia as it attempts to integrate itself into Northeast Asia as well as expand its foreign economic and cultural interactions beyond China. Until now, the two Koreas have been hesitant about engaging in trilateral engagements with Mongolia, while the other major powers have, heretofore, paid little attention to Ulaanbaatars constructive engagements with Seoul and Pyongyang. However, the series of diplomatic initiatives that transpired over the past year suggest that the members to the Six Party Talks on de-nuclearizing North Koreathe United States, China, Russia, Japan, and North and South Koreaare changing their attitude toward Mongolias efforts. Meanwhile, both the Republic of Korea (ROKSouth Korea) and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRKNorth Korea) are evidently beginning to seek increasing economic opportunities in and with Mongolia.
[Mongolia]
Syria and Ban Ki-moons Propaganda Props
Alexander Mezyaev | 07.11.2015 | 08:00
In accordance with a number of UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Secretary-General must submit reports on the situation in Syria every 30 days. The most recent of these reports was submitted by Ban Ki-moon on 22 October. Despite the fact that the position of UN Secretary-General is entirely neutral, it seems that the current UN Secretary-General has effectively become a lame duck.
In his report on Syria, the UN Secretary-General says that all the parties to the armed conflict are committing international crimes, primarily war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ban Ki-moon constantly refers to the deaths of civilians during military operations carried out by government forces. For example, his report to the Security Council says that: Government forces continued their aerial and ground attacks in Duma in eastern Ghutah during the reporting period, including on civilian areas, killing at least 25 civilians and injuring at least 270 more.
The report also talks about crimes committed by the so-called opposition, but in much milder terms. When referring to a number of crimes committed by opposition groups, for example, Ban Ki-moon invariably adds that they were carried out in response to actions by government forces.
The Secretary-Generals reports serve as a basis for resolutions adopted by the UN Security Council, including on the use of force. In this regard, it is essential that any information provided is accurate. The sources of information used by the UN Security-General to compile his report are therefore particularly noteworthy: The information contained herein is based on the data available to the United Nations agencies on the ground, from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and from open sources. It becomes clear when reading the text of the report that it does not specify a single source! You need to work out for yourself which information available to United Nations agencies was obtained by Ban Ki-moon from Islamic State militants and which information was taken from the Internet and newspapers.
[UNUS] [Ban Ki-moon] [Russia Syria]
The United States Doesnt Want to Reform the U.N. Security Council
But its going to have to. And its better to act now, when America is still strong.
By David Bosco
September 29, 2015
Time is slipping away for the Obama administration to mend one of the global systems key defects the composition of the United Nations Security Council. For all the rhetoric about council reform being heard this week in New York, the world is not close to rejuvenating the 15-member bodys roster. The council has the same five veto-wielding permanent members the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France that it did when it opened for business in 1946. The Obama administration might be able to unstick the process, but it needs to act fast.
In theory, every U.S. administration since 1990 has endorsed some kind of reform to Security Council membership. The Clinton administration backed permanent seats for Germany and Japan. George W. Bushs team narrowed the focus to Japan. President Barack Obama thrilled India by (vaguely) endorsing its bid for a permanent seat during a trip there in 2010.
Behind the scenes, however, U.S. diplomats have been content to watch the different factions in the U.N. General Assembly squabble. When Washington has bestirred itself, it has been to signal its opposition to any hasty moves.
Americas lethargy reflects the reality that, rhetoric aside, U.S. leaders arent convinced that council reform is in the national interest.
[UNUS] [UNSC]
History, Smoke and Mirrors: Assessing North Koreas Association for the Study of Human Rights
By Adam Cathcart | October 07, 2015
In his recent essay for Sino-NK, Martin Weiser adroitly unpacked an obscure discourse from 1980s North Korea about the shape and imperative of internal human rights protection in that country. Irrespective of whether one is prepared to believe that the existence of such a debate in print proves that North Korean policy makers ever considered an alternative approach to human rights, it is clear that progress on the ground has been painfully slow in the thirty years since the publication of the writings in question. Few in the West seem convinced that the DPRK government harbors serious intent to improve circumstances in the country, particularly toward the norms considered by the UN to constitute universal human rights, and for its part the DPRK reflexively balks at anything that looks in the least bit like supranational authority.
The appearance and subsequent promotion of the Commission of Inquiry report on North Korean human rights moved the issue forward in unprecedented, but also rather unpredictable ways. North Koreas various state responses to the COI report have been manifold. To the expected rhetorical blasts in Rodong Sinmun and verbal protestations by its diplomats in Geneva and New York, the DPRK has added physical disruption of events featuring North Korean defector testimony and videos discrediting individual defector narratives. Pyongyang has also published an extensive human rights counter-report of its own. Adam Cathcart walks through this document, emerging with a handful of insights from this most unrewarding of tasks. Christopher Green, co-editor
[Human rights] [Softwar]
InstaPoll: U.S. taxpayer dollars and the United Nations
This week, leaders from across the globe gathered in New York for the United Nations 70th annual General Debate and took turns addressing the assembly, touching on topics ranging from the chaos in Syria to the continued threat posed by ISIS and global terrorism. During the gathering, President Obama sat down with Russian President Putin for their first meeting in roughly two years. With the spotlight on the United Nations this week, some Americans are questioning the amounts of funding funneled from the United States to the United Nations.
[UNUS]
At United Nations, Pres. Park pushes nostalgia for dictatorship
Posted on : Sep.30,2015 14:57 KST
Modified on : Sep.30,2015 14:57 KST
President trumpets accomplishments of her fathers Saemaul Movement as a model for developing countries
President Park Geun-hye made a concerted effort to whitewash the legacy of her father, former President Park Chung-hee, during a recent visit to New York to attend the seventieth United Nations General Assembly and UN Sustainable Development Summit.
In addition to actively promoting South Koreas seventies-era Saemaul Movement for farming community development to developing countries, Park also praised her father as a national leader founded in trust.
Park related her own experiences with the movement while attending a special senior-level Saemaul Movement event in New York on Sept. 26.
Seeing my father the President pursuing the Saemaul Movement, I was able to experience first-hand how the factors of success create a positive feedback loop that changes countries and their people, Park said during the event.
She later mentioned the leadership of a national leader founded in trust as one of the factors of success.
Park described her father as having allowed the people to trust in their government by thoroughly eliminating corruption among officials, while dedicating himself to creating a country where both cities and farming villages could prosper through a pure passion that did not pander to political popularity.
Park also stressed the importance of government leadership as a factor in South Koreas economic transformation during a mutual dialogue for the Sustainable Development Summit on Sept. 27.
South Korea has the experience of escaping utter poverty and achieving both industrialization and democracy in the course of a single generation, she explained.
A guiding role for the state is crucial in building systems that are effective and trustworthy, and that rule is especially important during the early stages of economic growth, she added - in what can be interpreted as a legitimization of developmental dictatorship tactics.
But analysts have historically charged that the Saemaul Movement was influenced from the outside by the political goal of mobilizing support from the farming population for the Yushin system, while its adoption was characterized by typical development dictatorship tactics of national mobilization through repressive government-led controls and commands rather than incentivizing volunteering
[Park Geun-hye] [Park Chung-hee] [Yushin] [Saemaul]
Park drums up support for unification
President Park Geun-hye addresses the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday. She called for international support for unification of the two Koreas, urging the North to open its reclusive regime and scrap its nuclear weapons. / Yonhap
N. Korea urged to choose path toward openness
By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye called for international support for unification of the two Koreas in a keynote speech to the U.N. General Assembly's 70th session in New York, Tuesday.
"Just as the United Nations (U.N.) blessed the birth of Korea in 1948, I dream of a day to come soon when the entire world celebrates a unified Korea," Park said.
"Ending the seven-decades-long history of a divided Korean Peninsula -- the last remaining vestige of the Cold War -- will mark nothing less than a contribution to world peace."
"I ask all of you here at the U.N. to lend us your strength so that those doors are flung open and an air of peace can suffuse the Korean Peninsula," she said.
It was the second straight year that Park has asked the international community to support the nation's bid for unification in a speech at the U.N. General Assembly. North Korea has sensitively reacted to any comment from Park regarding unification during her presidency.
[Unification] [Park Geun-hye] [Rhetoric]
A world of problems: the United Nations at 70
Russian vetoes are putting UN security council's legitimacy at risk, says US
A world of problems: the United Nations at 70 is supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Julian Borger and Bastien Inzaurralde
Wednesday 23 September 2015 11.15 BST Last modified on Wednesday 23 September 2015 14.24 BST
The United States has warned that Russias continued blanket use of its UN veto will jeopardise the security councils long-term legitimacy and could lead the US and like-minded countries to bypass it as a decision-making body.
The warning comes as the UN reaches its 70th anniversary and the security council faces a crisis caused by its paralysis over Syria. It has failed to agree concerted action to try to stem the bloodshed, even after more than 220,000 Syrians have died and more than 11 million have been forced from their homes.
Russia has used its veto powers four times to block resolutions on Syria that Moscow sees as damaging to its ally, the regime of Bashar al-Assad. It has also forestalled common action on Ukraine where it is a party to the conflict, having annexed Crimea and pursued a covert military campaign in support of eastern separatists.
Samantha Power, the US permanent representative to the UN, said that the US and other countries had increasingly been going elsewhere to have atrocities investigated, and that a forum-shopping trend was likely to continue.
Its a Darwinian universe here. If a particular body reveals itself to be dysfunctional, then people are going to go elsewhere, Power told the Guardian. And if that happened for more than Syria and Ukraine and you started to see across the board paralysis ... it would certainly jeopardise the security councils status and credibility and its function as a go-to international security arbiter. It would definitely jeopardise that over time.
[UNUS] [Russia confrontation] [Media] [Syria] [Inversion] [Corporate power]
N.Korea Recalls Envoy to Indonesia After clat
North Korea has abruptly recalled its ambassador to Indonesia after a series of events in the Southeast Asian nation about the human rights situation in the North.
North Korean Embassy staff last week disrupted seminars organized by South Korean and Indonesian activists in Jakarta, and the South Korean Embassy requested police protection.
Another event in Bandung on Friday went ahead without a hitch because of the police presence.
The North on Saturday replaced the ambassador, Ri Jong-ryul, with An Kwang-il, sparking speculation that Ri is being held to account for the clat.
[In fact, I understand that Ri had retired shortly before this seminar, and so his replacement had nothing do with this event Tim Beal]
[Softwar] [Human rights] [Indonesia] [Marzuki Darusman]
Diplomacy of North Korea is in progress
By Wang Junsheng
China.org.cn, September 19, 2015
Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un (L) gives Miguel Daz-Canel Bermdez, head of a visiting Cuban delegation, a big hug during their meeting in Pyongyang on September 7, 2015. [Photo:youth.cn]
The meeting between Kim Jong-un, leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and a visiting Cuban delegation led by the country's number two, Miguel Daz-Canel Bermdez, on September 7, may herald a new diplomatic era in North Korea.
It is the first such event since he met Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao on July 25, 2013, who arrived in Pyongyang to attend the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the ceasefire on the Korean Peninsula .
The diplomatic charm offensive launched by the DPRK in the second half of last year has failed to achieve expected results since it was carried out on the prerequisite of trying to skirt around the deadlock in the nuclear issue in the face of the campaign by China, Russia and the United States to urge denuclearization of the peninsula.
[Cuba]
N.Korean Diplomats Cause Ruckus at Human Rights Seminar
North Korean diplomats stormed into a seminar on North Korean human rights in Jakarta on Wednesday held by South Korean and Indonesian activists.
Officials from the North Korean Embassy in Jakarta drove up to the seminar and harangued staff of the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM), an Indonesian policy advocacy organization. "Why are you holding this seminar here?" the North Koreans asked.
When the South Korean activists, from the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights, tried to show a video exposing the North's human rights abuses, the North Koreans demanded they stop the presentation and show a North Korean publicity video.
Kim Song-hak, the political attach of the embassy, told participants that the rights abuse claims are "100-percent incorrect" and pointed out that the North provides free medical services and education.
"There can be no human rights problems in North Korea," Kim said.
Kim Song-hak (right), the political attach of the North Korean Embassy in Indonesia, protests against a seminar on North Korean human rights at a university in Jakarta on Wednesday. Kim Song-hak (right), the political attach of the North Korean Embassy in Indonesia, protests against a seminar on North Korean human rights at a university in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Two North Korean diplomats also attempted to enter another seminar on Thursday attended by ASEAN officials, but were held back by organizers. The diplomats warned that hosting such events would lead to "unfortunate consequences."
An official at the South Korean Embassy in Jakarta said, "It looks like North Korea mobilized all of its embassy staff in Indonesia to obstruct this event. North Korean diplomats even sent official letters to ELSAM demanding that the seminar be canceled."
The activists are holding seminars, exhibitions and performance for North Korean Human Rights Week from Tuesday until Sunday in Indonesian cities.
[Softwar]
N. Korea Complains to Indonesia Govt Over Human Rights Symposium
Jakarta. North Korea has lodged a diplomatic protest with the Indonesian government over a South Korean symposium on human rights in the secretive dictatorship held in a Jakarta hotel on Tuesday.
North Korea's ambassador to Indonesia, Ri Jong Ryul, said he had filed a protest with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the State Palace as well as Joko Widodo's political party and even Interpol.
"Indonesia and North Korea have been very close so far, please stop such symposiums that denounce our country. We respect the dignity and sovereignty of other countries," Ri said in Jakarta on Wednesday, as quoted by Indonesian news portal Tempo.co.
[Softwar]
World Bank Chief Hints at Support for N.Korea
The president of the World Bank Group on Monday hinted the bank could offer support for North Korea if there is a "political breakthrough" in inter-Korean relations.
Jim Yong Kim made the remarks when he met Na Kyung-won, the chairwoman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, and other South Korean lawmakers in Washington.
The lawmakers were visiting for a parliamentary audit of the Korean Embassy.
[UNUS]
Kim Jong-un meets first foreign delegation in more than two years
Posted on : Sep.9,2015 17:09 KST
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches a congratulatory performance by the Moranbong Band and the Merited State Chorus of the Korean Peoples Army along with Cuban delegate Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, in this image from the Sep. 7 edition of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. To Kims right is his wife, Ri Sol-ju. (Yonhap News)
Appearance by visiting Cuban delegation also featured appearance by Moranbong Band, which some had said might be dissolved
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with a foreign delegation for the first time in two years and three months.
On Sep. 7, Kim Jong-un met with a state delegation from the Republic of Cuba that was led by Comrade Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, the first chair of Cubas State Council, and Cubas first vice president, North Koreas state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sep. 8.
This is the first time that Kim has met foreign officials visiting North Korea since his meeting with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao in July 2013.
Prior to this, there had only been four occasions when the North Korean media had covered Kim meeting foreign delegations since Kim took power in Dec. 2011 - three delegations from China, including Li Yuanchao, and one from Russia.
It is significant for Kim Jong-un to meet a foreign delegation again after so long. This can be seen as a signal that hes going to initiate diplomatic activity, beginning at home, said professor Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
[Kim Jong Un] [Foreign relations] [Cuba]
N. Korea nudges UN 'US military must leave South'
/ AFP-Yonhap
North Korea has sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council, demanding the U.S. military in South Korea must leave.
Amb. Ja Song-nam, chief of North Korea's mission to the U.N., reportedly sent the English letter last Tuesday, along with a statement that Pyongyang's foreign ministry issued the previous day on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the U.S. military stationed in South Korea, according to a media report.
In the letter, Ja said the U.S. military in South Korea is "destabilizing the divided Korean Peninsula" and demanded the military's withdrawal. He said the joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea "have become a main factor of aggravating confrontation and distrust not only between the North and the U.S. but also between the two Koreas."
[US military] [UNUS]
ITU not notified of N. Korea's bid to change standard time
A United Nations agency for telecommunications said Saturday it has not been notified of North Korea's bid to change its standard time, amid rising concerns the move may further isolate the country.
The remark came as North Korea said Friday it will push back its standard time by 30 minutes to mark the 70th anniversary of liberation from Japan's colonial rule. Accordingly, North Korea's clocks will be moved back a half-hour starting on the upcoming Aug. 15 anniversary.
Currently, the two Koreas use identical standard time, set under the colonial period.
NK diplomat steals spotlight in regional forum
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, right, enters the Putra World Trade Center to participate in the 22nd ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday. / Yonhap
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong is drawing attention over whether he will actively interact with his counterparts from countries involved in the long-stalled six-party denuclearization talks during a regional security forum in Kuala Lumpur.
During the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in the Malaysian capital, Wednesday, Ri fueled optimism for possible foreign ministerial talks between the two Koreas as he told Seoul media outlets to "be patient" on the subject.
"We have enough time and I have a lot of things to do, so please be patient," he said after having a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Putra World Trade Centre on the sidelines of the ARF.
[ARF]
Kim Jong-un Wins Indonesian Statesmanship Award
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has won an Indonesian statesmanship prize for "fighting neo-colonialism."
The Sukarno Award, named for the late Indonesian dictator, has previously been awarded to Mahatma Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi and Kim's own grandfather Kim Il-sung.
Sukarno and the elder Kim were partners in the nonaligned movement of the Cold War.
Kim Jong-un was chosen because he is believed to be "consistent in carrying out the ideals" of his grandfather "which is to fight imperialism," the Sukarno Center said.
The Jakarta Globe commented, "It is unclear how Kim Jong-un, whose saber-rattling and bellicose policies have exacerbated already strained and frosty ties with South Korea, Japan and the United States, has contributed in any way to world peace."
Kim has recently made headlines for carrying out brutal purges in the upper echelons of the military and failing to solve his country's exacerbating food crisis, but he has also introduced timid economic reforms
[Kim Jong Un] [Imperialism] [Indonesia]
Oh to head key UN body
By Yi Whan-woo
Oh Joon, Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, will assume the presidency of a key U.N. body on sustainable development, the government said Wednesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oh will be selected as the president of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for a one-year term during its session to be held in New York, Friday.
[UNUS]
N.Korea Asks Iran for Drought Relief
North Korea has asked the Iranian Red Crescent for emergency relief after the worst drought in a century, Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency reported Thursday.
North Korean Ambassador to Iran Kang Sam-hyon asked the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Seyed Amir Mohsen Ziaee, for humanitarian aid on Tuesday.
Kang said the North is suffering economic difficulties due to sanctions and the drought. "We need equipment to overcome the drought and improve the agricultural environment, he added.
Kang made the request on behalf North Korean Premier Pak Pong-ju, IRNA added.
Iran "is duty bound to render humanitarian aid to all countries," Ziaee was quoted as saying, and Iran will "spare no efforts" once it has assessed the situation.
[Aid] [Sanctions] [Drought]
'NK remains stumbling block for S. Korea-Cuba relations'
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea will remain a stumbling block in South Korea's efforts to open diplomatic relations with Cuba, according to experts Thursday.
They speculated Havana, one of Pyongyang's few remaining Cold War allies, will eventually establish ties with Seoul, as it did with Washington, Wednesday, as part of its efforts to accelerate its economic reform.
However, it remains to be seen how effectively South Korea can break into the North Korea-Cuba alliance that has lasted from the reign of their two former dictators ? Kim Il-sung and Fidel Castro, analysts said.
"North Korea will use all possible means to prevent South Korea from setting up ties with Cuba, although it will be just a matter of time for the Seoul-Havana relationship to be realized," said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
[Cuba]
NK offers condolences IS terror-hit Kuwait
By Yi Whan-woo
North Korea offered a message of condolence to Kuwait, Sunday, in the wake of a suicide bomb attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) in the relatively-secure capital of the Gulf Arab state, Friday.
Pyongyang also said it denounces any form of terrorism, a conspicuous statement considering that its military regime has long been accused by the international community of sponsoring terrorist acts.
The North's move is seen as an effort to maintain close ties with Kuwait where thousands of its people have been sent to work and earn money for the impoverished regime.
[Terrorism] [Media]
UN's N.Korean Human Rights Office Opens
A UN field office aiming to document human rights abuses in North Korea opened in Jongno in downtown Seoul on Tuesday.
The opening follows a North Korea human rights report by a UN Commission of Inquiry in February last year. The center will interview defectors about human rights abuses in the North and set up a database.
UN High Commissioner for human rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein (second from left) and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (third from left) clap at the opening of a UN field office on human rights issues in North Korea, in Jongno, Seoul on Tuesday. UN High Commissioner for human rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein (second from left) and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (third from left) clap at the opening of a UN field office on human rights issues in North Korea, in Jongno, Seoul on Tuesday.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, and Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo attended the opening.
Zeid, a member of the Jordanian royal family and former Jordanian ambassador to the U.S., said the field office will "lay the basis for future accountability." It aims to bring a change to the human rights conditions in the North through cooperation with other UN member states, state agencies, and civil societies.
"Less than 50 miles from here lies another world marked by the utmost deprivation," he said. "Millions remain trapped in the grip of a totalitarian system which not only denies their freedom but increasingly their basic survival needs."
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea and activists welcomed the office.
But some far-left groups held a protest rally, claiming that the field office will "exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula."
[Human rights] [Softwar] [UNUS]
NGOs praise UN office 'milestone'
Updated : 2015-06-24 15:59
Members of Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights at the Rescue Fund's Hunger Banquet at Neungla Bapsang on Nov. 6, 2014. / Courtesy of NKHR.
By David Keelaghan
Longstanding NGO the Citizens' Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR) has welcomed the opening of the new United Nations office in Seoul tasked with monitoring human rights abuses in North Korea. Speaking to the Korea Times, the NKHR's Michele Sonen outlined its significance.
"It's an important milestone that the U.N. office has opened. It was a key recommendation of the Commission of Inquiry's report released in 2014," she said. "North Korea has to be held accountable for its crimes against humanity. That includes past and ongoing violations, of which there are many. For the political situation to improve regarding reunification, it's really important that North Korea is held accountable."
Deputy Director of the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson shared similar sentiments.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Softwar] [US dominance] [NGO]
UN office to press N. Korea on human rights
Updated : 2015-06-23 21:48
Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, right, shakes hands with the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein during a ceremony to mark the establishment of the U.N.'s office on North Korean human rights issues in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Joint Press Corps and Yi Whan-woo
The United Nations opened an office in Seoul, Tuesday, to exclusively monitor and record North Korea's dire human rights situation.
This is the first time the U.N. has launched a field office to watch state-perpetrated human rights violations as a follow-up to the U.N. Commission of Inquiry's (COI) report released in February 2014.
"Less than 50 miles from here is another world marked by the utmost deprivation," the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said in a speech during a ceremony to mark the establishment of the U.N. presence in the Seoul Global Center Building in Jongno.
"We firmly believe this (office) will help lay the basis for future accountability," he added.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Softwar]
N.Korea in Diplomatic Offensive
Two senior North Korean officials left Pyongyang on Monday to visit their country's few remaining allies. Kang Sok-ju, the secretary for international affairs at the Workers Party, left for Cuba, and Choe Tae-bok, the chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly, went to Russia.
The official [North] Korean Central News Agency did not say why Kang and Choe are visiting Cuba and Russia, but just reporting the trips was a departure from the norm.
Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong already arrived in Beijing last Thursday en route to Africa.
Pundits believe their trips are part of attempts to break the Norths diplomatic isolation.
"It seems that the North has given up on dialogue with South Korea for the time being because it feels it has little to gain from dealing with the Park Geun-hye administration," Lee Soo-seok of the Institute for National Security Strategy said.
Prof. Nam Sung-wook of Korea University said, "Kang is visiting Cuba in a bid to strengthening ties with its ally out of concern that South Korea will establish ties with Cuba now that Washington has shown the way."
Prof. Kim Yong-hyun of Dongguk University said the regime is also trying to mend relations with Moscow after Kim Jong-un canceled a visit for the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The officials may also be asking for aid after a devastating drought in North Korea.
The U.S. and Israel Are Preemptively Discrediting The UN's Report On The Gaza War
Posted: 06/21/2015 11:10 am
WASHINGTON -- The Israeli and U.S. governments have launched a campaign to preemptively discredit a forthcoming United Nations Human Rights Council report on possible war crimes committed during last summers Gaza war.
The report, scheduled to be released by the end of June, is based on a nearly yearlong investigation into the six-week conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian political party that controls the Gaza Strip. According to the UN, Israels military incursion into Gaza, dubbed "Operation Protective Edge," left 2,256 Palestinians, including 1,563 civilians, dead. Sixty-six Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel were also killed in the fighting.
Anticipating that the report would be highly critical of Israel, U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke reminded reporters Monday that the U.S. opposed the creation of the Gaza investigation. There is, unfortunately, a long history of anti-Israeli bias in UN resolutions and mechanisms, including at the Human Rights Council, he said. The U.S. was the only member of the UN Human Rights Council to vote against establishing the commission inquiry last year.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Israel] [Double standards]
Hearing: Advancing United States Interests at the United Nations
Opening Statements
Rep. Edward R. Royce, Chairman
[full text of opening statement]
This hearing will come to order. This morning we look at the role of the United States at the United Nations with Ambassador Samantha Power.
Ambassador Power has spent nearly two years as the U.S. Permanent
Representative to the U.N. The Ambassador has approached her job with great
energy and determination, perhaps best shown during last year's Ebola crisis in West Africa. In that case, the Administration and Congress worked together to contain Ebola and save lives. Ambassador, thank you for those efforts and for joining us today.
The Ambassador's testimony comes at an important time. If a final Iran nuclear
agreement is reached, and the deadline is in two weeks, then the Security Council
will be expected to remove international sanctions, while preserving the ability to
react to Iranian cheating. And given all we know about the history of Iran's nuclear
program, cheating should be expected.
[UNUS] [Double standards] [Iran deal] [Hawks]
NK vows 'merciless' steps against UN office
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in the left photo, visits an anti-aircraft artillery unit on June 18 as part of his routine field inspections without wearing the badges of former leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. This is in contrast with the May 23 photo, right, in which he wears the badges on the chest during a visit to a military fish farm. The difference led to speculation that the young leader has launched an effort to stand on his own rather than leaning on the former leaders' legacy.
/ Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
North Korea is threatening that it will take "merciless'' measures against the planned opening of a United Nations office in Seoul to monitor human rights in the repressive state.
The U.N. will open the field office to exclusively investigate Pyongyang's state-perpetrated violations of human rights in Seoul on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Pyongyang claims this amounts to interference in the North's domestic affairs.
"If the U.N. office is set up in Seoul, we will regard it as a proclamation of battle, and punish mercilessly it by every means," said North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland.
[UNUS] [Human rights] [SK NK policy]
UN's NK human rights office to open Tuesday in Seoul
By Yi Whan-woo
The United Nations on Tuesday will open its office on North Korea human rights in downtown Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
This is the first time the U.N. will set up a field office to exclusively investigate Pyongyang's state-perpetrated violations of human rights.
Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, chief of the U.N.'s Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR), is scheduled to join the ceremony on Tuesday to celebrate the establishment of a U.N. presence at the Seoul Global Center Building in Jongno, according to diplomatic sources.
"It is rare for an OHCHR head to visit here to discuss North Korean human rights," a government source said. "It shows the growing international concern about human rights in the reclusive state."
While here, he plans to give a lecture to university students on global human rights.
Based in Geneva, the OHCHR focuses on protecting human rights around the globe.
[UNUS] [Softwar] [SK NK policy]
NK couple kidnapped by IS militants
By Kang Seung-woo
A North Korean couple has been abducted by Islamic State militants in Libya, a local media outlet reported, Sunday.
According to the Libya Observer, IS militants kidnapped a North Korean doctor and his wife last week in Al-Noufleya, eastern Sirte, when they were on their way to Tripoli after finishing their duty in Jalu Hospital. It added that the couple's driver was released later.
A source from inside the hospital indicated that the sixty-year-old North Korean doctor has been working in Jalu for years, reaffirming that the North Korean embassy is keeping a round-the-clock contact with different parties to find out the couple's whereabouts, the report added.
Yonhap News reported that there was a rumor that a North Korean doctor was kidnapped, but there is no reason for the abduction by the IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), citing a source familiar with the North African country.
Sirte is a home to deceased Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi and a stronghold to Ansar al-Sharia, another Islamist militia group.
Some 300 to 400 North Koreans reside in Libya where they were sent to earn foreign currency.
UN Chief Hopes to Visit N.Korea
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hopes to visit North Korea in the near future. In a keynote speech at the opening of this year's Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul on Tuesday. The annual conference, now in its sixth year, is hosted by the Chosun Ilbo and TV Chosun and ends Wednesday.
Ban said he would seek agreement from members of stalled six-nation nuclear talks to visit the North.
The aim is to help North Korea if it extends its hand to come into the global community, he said.
Global leaders and other key figures including President Park Geun-hye, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attend the annual Asian Leadership Conference at a hotel in Seoul on Tuesday. Global leaders and other key figures including President Park Geun-hye, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon attend the annual Asian Leadership Conference at a hotel in Seoul on Tuesday.
Ban also called for the resumption of the six-party talks, saying that an arms race is heating up on the Korean Peninsula due to Pyongyang's nuclear weapons development.
He offered to help Pyongyang build trust in the international community if it is sincerely willing to undertake reforms.
Ban was to make his first trip to the joint-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North on Thursday, but the North abruptly canceled permission on Wednesday morning.
[Ban Ki-moon]
DPRK cancels UN chief's visit to Kaesong complex
Xinhua, May 20, 2015
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has canceled its earlier approval of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's Thursday visit to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
Ban was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying in a speech for a forum in Seoul that Pyongyang "suddenly" notified him of the cancellation through diplomatic channels earlier in the morning without any explanations.
[Ban Ki-moon]
International Atomic Energy Agency Lacks Transparency, Observers and Researchers Say
Nuclear Inspection Agency Demands Transparency from Others, but Not Itself
Some Documents Accessible in U.S. and British Archives Are Locked up in Agency's Vienna Headquarters
Never Before Published Document Describes IAEA 1996 Transparency Proposal (See Sidebar)
Posted - April 24, 2015
By Toby McIntosh and William Burr
Newly Obtained Document Describes IAEA 1996 Transparency Proposal
The veil has been lifted slightly on the secret 19-year-old transparency policy at International Atomic Energy Agency.
Since the drafting of the essay for this e-book, Freedominfo.org and the National Security Archive's Nuclear Vault have obtained, from a non-Agency source, the proposal referred to in the essay that was made to the Board of Governors in 1996 for a more liberal disclosure policy.
leaked
The Board did adopt such a derestriction policy, but the policy has never been disclosed. (See the FreedomInfo.org/Nuclear Vault report on IAEA transparency.) Some observers said the policy has not been fully implemented.
[IAEA] [UNUS]
Must UN Agencies Also Fail in North Korea?
By Roberta Cohen
21 April 2015
How can the UN agencies better implement their Rights Up Front mandate in the DPRK (image: http://www.reddit.com/r/vexillology/)In 2011, a United Nations Panel of Experts found the UN system to have acquitted itself poorly in the face of widespread human rights violations in Sri Lanka. According to a 2012 Internal Review, some field staff failed in their mandates to protect people, some under-reported Government violations, and some in senior positions at headquarters suppressed reporting efforts by their field staff. Overall, these panels told the Secretary-General that the UN did not adequately invoke principles of human rightsthe foundation of the organizationbut instead, did what was necessary to avoid confrontation with the government.[1]
Are we now about to witness the same failure in North Korea? Are UN humanitarian and development organizations taking human rights principles into account? Or is attention to human rights considered a hindrance to relations with the government and to the access needed for carrying out UN programs in the DPRK?
[UNUS] [Human rights] [Softwar]
North Korea Transfers Missile Goods to Iran During Nuclear Talks
Intelligence suppressed by Obama administration
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, right, welcomes North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong, for a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014 / AP
BY: Bill Gertz
April 15, 2015 5:00 am
North Korea supplied several shipments of missile components to Iran during recent nuclear talks and the transfers appear to violate United Nations sanctions on both countries, according to U.S. intelligence officials.
Since September more than two shipments of missile parts have been monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies as they transited from North Korea to Iran, said officials familiar with intelligence reports who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Details of the arms shipments were included in President Obamas daily intelligence briefings and officials suggested information about the transfers was kept secret from the United Nations, which is in charge of monitoring sanctions violations.
[Iran NK] [Sanctions] [Double standards] [UNUS]
Vietnam War massacre survivors making their first visit to South Korea
Posted on : Mar.30,2015 16:29 KST
Modified on : Mar.30,2015 16:29 KST
Two survivors of civilian massacres in South Korean troop regions during the Vietnam War are coming to South Korea.
The visit was announced on Mar. 28 by the Peace Museum, a foundation chaired by Lee Hae-dong.
For the 70th anniversary of South Korean independence and the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War, we have invited the war victims Nguyen Tan Lan, 64, and Nguyen Thi Thanh, 55, and Ho Chi Minh City War Remnants Museum director Huynh Ngoc Van, 53, to attend the Lee Jae-gap photography exhibition One War, Two Memories, which begins on Apr. 7, the museum explained in a press release.
A total of 320,000 South Korean troops were sent to Vietnam during the war years of 1965 to 1973. Previously, only the killing of 50,000 enemy troops, including North Vietnamese soldiers and guerrillas with the National Liberation Front (Viet Cong), was reported, along with 5,000 deaths on the South Korean side.
The figures have since become the topic of questions and controversy, with allegations of over 9,000 deaths in civilian massacres since the current affairs weekly Hankyoreh 21 first printed a Sept. 1999 interview with victims from five central Vietnamese provinces where South Korean troops operated.
A Hankyoreh 21 investigation and 1980s figures from the Vietnamese politburos war crimes investigation commission calculated the number of civilians killed by the Tiger division near Nguyen Tan Lans home village of Tay Vinh at 1,004 between January and February 1966, with another 357 killed by the Blue Dragon division in Nguyen Thi Thanhs home district of Dien Ban between January and February 1968.
[Vietnam] [War crimes]
Ancient Battle On UN Security Council 'Trigger' Bogs Down Iran Nuclear Talks
Reuters
Posted: 04/01/2015 8:45 am
By Louis Charbonneau
LAUSANNE, Switzerland, April 1 (Reuters) - It is one of those concepts that is particularly odious to Russia -- an automatic trigger mechanism under which the U.N. Security Council would be forced to do something.
Now a dispute over that issue threatens to wreck marathon negotiations on a preliminary political framework for a future comprehensive deal that would end the 12-year standoff over Iran's nuclear ambitions. The other major sticking point is Tehran's demands to continue pursuing nuclear centrifuge research and development
The dispute is this. Negotiators from six world powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - and Iran are struggling to come up with plan under which Iran would curb its most sensitive nuclear activities for at least 10 years in exchange for a gradual end to United Nations, U.S. and European Union sanctions.
[UNSC] [UNUS] [Veto] [Iran]
Pak Pong Ju Sends Message of Condolences to Singaporean PM
Pyongyang, March 23 (KCNA) -- DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju Monday sent a message of condolences to Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
The message expressed the deepest condolences to the prime minister and the bereaved families upon hearing the sad news that HE Lee Kuan Yew, founder of the Republic of Singapore and a close friend of the Korean people, passed away to their sorrow.
[Lee Kuan Yew]
Shin Dong-hyuk: Finally Poised For Effective Activism
By Eric Foley | March 23, 2015
Shin Dong-hyuk in Seoul | Image: Blaine Harden
>Shin Dong-hyuk in Seoul | Image: Blaine Harden
Some human rights activists have distanced themselves from political prison camp survivor Shin Dong-hyuk following Shins recent admission that he altered key parts of his life story as published, among other places, in the phenomenally successful Escape from Camp 14. Meanwhile, others have opted to stand by him critically or uncritically, vocally or silently.
According to Eric Foley, fully embracing Shins admission can result in a more authentic kind of North Korean activism, where the co-creation of narrative brings us closer to understanding. Provided that we are willing to follow Shins lead and make a similar admission to his own. Christopher Green, Co-Editor
Shin Dong-hyuk: Finally Poised For Effective Activism
by Eric Foley*
Shin Dong-hyuk changed his very public life story.
The story Mr. Shin originally told, with Blaine Harden in the bestselling 2012 book Escape from Camp 14, detailed a Gulag childhood filled with gruesome beatings, familial executions, and a harrowing escape from a North Korean concentration camp. Following the North Korean governments 2014 release of video of Shins father repudiating his sons account, however, Shin confessed to Harden that their book did not accurately depict some of the details of his life story.
[Shin Dong-hyuk] [Defector] [Disinformation]
N.Korea Abducted Over 200,000 Foreigners
Marzuki Darusman Marzuki Darusman
North Korea abducted more than 200,000 foreign nationals including children since 1950, according to a UN report quoted by Marzuki Darusman, the UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights abuses.
Darusman called for a multifaceted strategy to shed new light on the North's bizarre abduction campaign. "Sooner or later, [North Korea] will have to answer for its actions," he added.
Speaking at a UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Darusman said the first step is to find out how many were abducted.
The UN Security Council, General Assembly, and Human Rights Council need to take consistent action, he said, while the countries concerned should involve their civic societies.
The 2014 Commission of Inquiry report says the North systematically kidnapped foreign nationals and has never sent them back.
Most of the 200,000 victims were South Koreans kidnapped during the Korean War and Korean Japanese who were repatriated to the North since 1959.
But the North also kidnapped hundreds of people in South Korea and Japan in the 1960s-1980s. And since the 1990s, people from China, Lebanon, Malaysia, Romania, Singapore and Thailand have fallen victim to the campaign.
They were kidnapped by North Korean soldiers and intelligence officers with the approval of their supreme leader, the report adds.
Meanwhile, Darusman pledged to begin a survey of some 20,000 North Korean workers working overseas in conditions of near-slavery.
[Abductees] [Marzuki Darusman] [UNUS] [Bizarre] [Media] [Heading]
N.Korean FM Arrives in Havana
Ri Su-yong
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong arrived in Havana, Cuba on Sunday, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported Monday.
KCNA did not mention the purpose of his visit, but pundits note that Ri's visit comes as South Korea is in talks with Cuba to establish diplomatic relations.
Ri left Pyongyang on Feb. 21 to visit Mongolia and attend a session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva before moving on to Belarus and Russia.
In Moscow he met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Pyongyang and Havana have maintained close ties since 1960.
The woman who faces the wrath of North Korea
After her epic escape, Park Yeon-mi devoted herself to revealing the brutal truth about North Korea but the regime is determined to discredit her and other defectors
Maryanne Vollers
Sunday 15 March 2015 18.30 GMT Last modified on Monday 16 March 2015 00.10 GMT
What does a nuclear power with the fifth largest army in the world have to fear from a pint-sized university student in a pink frock? A great deal, apparently. On 31 January 2015, a North Korean government-run website posted an 18-minute video titled The Human Rights Propaganda Puppet, Yeon-mi Park, which denounced the charismatic 21-year-old defector. It was the latest attack in a smear campaign aimed at silencing Yeon-mi, a human rights activist and outspoken critic of the worlds most repressive and secretive regime.
Attacks on prominent North Korean defectors are nothing new. These individuals regularly endure charges that they lie and exaggerate. Occasionally there are death threats. Park Sang-hak, who launches helium balloons laden with USB sticks and anti-regime leaflets into North Korean airspace, has been called human scum who will pay for his crimes in blood. Sometimes the threats go beyond mere rhetoric: in 2011, a hitman with a poison-tipped needle was intercepted in South Korea on his way to kill Park Sang-hak. In 1997 the nephew of one of Kim Jong-ils mistresses was gunned down outside Seoul; he had recently published an expose about the dictators family. But the regimes most common weapon against its critics is character assassination.
[Defector] [Propaganda] [Park Yeonmi] [Disinformation] [Ghost]
Joint Press Release on DPRK FM's Visit to Belarus
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- A joint press release on the DPRK foreign minister's visit to the Republic of Belarus was made public in Minsk on Thursday.
It said:
DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong visited the Republic of Belarus from March 9 to 11, 2015.
During his visit he made courtesy calls on Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov and First Deputy Prime Minister Vassily Matsushevski, held talks with Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei and Minister of Trade Valentin S. Chekanov and looked round major export-oriented enterprises of Belarus.
At the courtesy calls and talks, both sides discussed the issues of boosting the equally beneficial cooperation in several fields including politics and economy between the DPRK and Belarus and swapped their opinions on regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Both sides reaffirmed their will to boost the constructive and equally beneficial relations between the two countries and reached the consensus of views on positively expanding the bilateral cooperation including economy.
They expressed their intention to seek closer cooperation in the UN and other international arenas on the principles of non-interference in other's internal affairs, respect for sovereignty, equality and equal benefits.
UN human rights council on NK
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong speaks to the 28th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Tuesday. Ri insisted that the U.N. resolution on North Korea's human rights should be nullified as it was based on what he claimed was false testimony by a North Korean defector. Ri also said the U.N. should end its "double standard" on human
rights problems.
/ Yonhap
[Human rights] [UNUS]
Seoul Slams N.Korean Human Rights Abuses at UN
Cho Tae-yul Cho Tae-yul
South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on Wednesday slammed North Korea's attempts to discredit UN human rights resolutions against North Korea after a defector admitted he lied.
Cho said he felt "deep pity" for the North's efforts to deny the horrible human rights abuses in the isolated state.
He was taking aim at North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, who accused the U.S. of "politicizing" the issue of human rights and of being a "hypocrite."
[UNUS] [SK NK policy]
NK defector defends his account on Facebook
NK defector Shin Dong-hyuk
By Lee Ji-hye
North Korean gulag survivor Shin Dong-hyuk took to his personal Facebook account to state that the account of his escape was the truth.
Shin was criticized for inconsistencies portrayed in "Escape from Camp 14," the best-selling book based on the high-profile defector's story.
"The greatest horror is hiding myself and losing my soul I will not hide out of the fear of what the world says and what the North's dictator says," Shin wrote, posting photos of his ankles on his personal account.
"I will show each and every scar that I have from the torture from the prison camp, starting with the marks on my ankles that show how I was hung upside down."
Shin previously admitted that some details in the book were false including testimony regarding having watched his mother and brother be executed in Camp 14, which he later clarified as Camp 18.
Also in his original account, Shin said he had suffered torture at age 13, which was later corrected to be age 20.
Shin said, "To those who have supported me, trusted me and believed in me all this time, I am so very grateful and at the same time so very sorry to each and every single one of you."
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
S. Korean Human Rights Commission omits violations in recent report to UN
Posted on : Mar.2,2015 18:18 KST
National human rights body apparently leaving out specific cases to hide regression of human rights under past two governments
The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) deleted references to numerous potentially damaging human rights developments in a draft opinion on human rights covenant implementation recently submitted to the United Nations.
Omissions included the fact-finding investigation into the April 2014 sinking of the Sewol ferry, legal complaints against the press by the Blue House, and the disbandment of the Unified Progressive Party - all of which could make South Korea appear to be regressing on human rights issues.
The NHRCK announced on Mar. 1 that it had submitted an Information Note to the UN Human Rights Council the month before in connection with a review for the fourth national implementation report on the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A previous government report in 2011 covered implementation of the covenant between 2004 and 2010.
The UN solicits opinions from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and national human rights bodies to conduct a review before issuing final recommendations. The opinions of ostensibly independent human rights bodies like the NHRCK are seen as more objective and neutral than those from governments or civil society, which may be seen as biased.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
Seoul to urge more UN measures on NK rights
By Yi Whan-woo
South Korea is expected to ask the United Nations to take enhanced measures regarding North Korea's human rights record following approval by the U.N. General Assembly of a bill against Pyongyang in December, according to government sources, Monday.
The sources said Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul will deliver a keynote speech Tuesday at the 28th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting kicked off Monday and will run through March 27.
Cho is expected to call for increased international efforts to fight against Pyongyang's state-perpetrated violations of human rights. In December, the U.N. General Assembly adopted bill that asks the U.N. Security Council to refer North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity.
[Human rights] [Softwar] [SK NK policy] [UNUS]
DPRK Delegate Calls for Reform of UNSC
Pyongyang, March 1 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate addressed an open seminar of the UNSC on ensuring global peace and security on Feb. 23.
He referred to the fact that the UN assigned the UNSC the primary responsibility for ensuring global peace and security but its activities have been quite contrary to the principles stipulated in the UN Charter.
He said that a specified permanent member state of the UNSC tries to act like the world MP through military alliance or mutual military alliance which has nothing to do with the UN or, on some occasions, by abusing the UNSC. This is the present reality, he noted, and went on:
Highhanded and arbitrary practices by a specified permanent member state at the UNSC find their most vivid manifestation in the situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula.
Discussion on the Korean issue at the UNSC is not oriented to ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula but serves the U.S. strategic goal to violate the sovereignty and vital rights of the DPRK.
It is the policy of the U.S. administration to stamp out the idea, social system and sovereignty of the DPRK by tapping all leverages such as "nukes", "human rights", "cyber attack" and "freedom of expression."
The UNSC should be prevented from being reduced to the tool of the highhanded and arbitrary practices.
So, it is necessary to promptly reform the UNSC in all aspects.
The U.S. should drop unilateral hostile policy toward the UN member nations and sovereign states at once and stop abusing the UNSC for attaining its unreasonable purposes.
If the UNSC is to show it is sincere and serious in its stand and attitude to the issue of global peace and security, it has to take up for discussion issues such as U.S. war exercises aimed to bring down sovereign states and harsh torture by the CIA targeting the whole world.
[UNUS]
UN cites 2 credible reports of torture at U.S. facilities in Afghanistan
By John Zarocostas
McClatchy Foreign Staff February 25, 2015
GENEVA The United Nations reported Wednesday that it had uncovered two credible accounts of torture at U.S. military facilities in Afghanistan in recent years during an investigation into the treatment of detainees.
The report, which was devoted primarily to mistreatment of prisoners held in Afghan custody, said the credible and reliable accounts came from two detainees whod been held in a U.S. facility in Maydan Wardak, a province whose capital of Maidan Shar lies about 20 miles west of Kabul, and a U.S. special forces facility at Baghlan, a province that lies north of the Afghan capital.
The report quoted the prisoners as saying the mistreatment in Baghlan occurred in April 2013 and at Maydan Wardak in September 2013.
Torture as part of the U.S. war on terror has been a controversial issue. A recent report by the Senate Intelligence Committee outlined 20 cases of mistreatment of suspected terrorists held in secret CIA prisons, and U.S. soldiers have been accused of torturing Afghan prisoners, with the most notorious case being the death of Dilawar, an Afghan taxi driver who died after he was hung from the ceiling of his cell by his wrists and beaten in 2002.
But there have been few verified reports in more recent years, though Afghan authorities have accused Americans of abusing prisoners.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2015/02/25/257849/un-cites-2-credible-reports-of.html#storylink=cpy
[Torture]
Mongolian President Voices Support for Korea's Peaceful Reunification
Pyongyang, February 25 (KCNA) -- Ri Su Yong, foreign minister of the DPRK on a visit to Mongolia, met and had a talk with Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, president of Mongolia, on Feb. 24.
The president said he would make active efforts to contribute to Korea's peaceful reunification, adding the Mongolian government will maintain its consistent stand in regional and international arenas that Korea has to be reunified in a peaceful way.
He said that Marshal Kim Jong Un is paying deep attention to developing the long-standing bilateral relations provided by President Kim Il Sung and the preceding leaders of Mongolia onto a new higher stage.
Ri Su Yong also met and had a talk with Mongolian Prime Minister Chimedin Saykhanbileg on the same day.
[Unification]
NK human rights promotion
Park Yeon-mi, a North Korean defector, speaks at a conference in Geneva, Tuesday, to promote human rights in North Korea. Since escaping North Korea to China in 2007, Park has travelled the world working as a civil rights activist.
[Human rights] [Defector] [Softwar] [UNUS]
North Korea reshuffles its UN diplomatic team
Posted on : Feb.13,2014 15:58 KST
Modified on : Feb.13,2014 16:53 KST
Younger representatives being switched in, and North Koreas diplomatic activity could increase
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
North Korea recently switched out many members of its US diplomatic team, including its United Nations ambassador and the head of its Foreign Ministrys US bureau.
Diplomatic sources in New York and Washington said that UN ambassador Sin Son-ho, 65, returned home to North Korea sometime between Feb. 12 and 13. His place is to be taken shortly by Ja Song-nam, 59, a bureau director from the Foreign Ministry.
Ja served as a minister to North Koreas UN mission in 2000, acting director of the Foreign Ministrys Disarmament and Peace Institute in 2005, and ambassador to the United Kingdom from 2007 to 2011. His previous experience in New York means he is already familiar with the US and UN, but sources said that he is not thoroughly versed in US matters.
Indonesia becomes the latest battleground for North Korean human rights
Posted on : Feb.16,2015 16:25 KST
An image captured from a related article on the website of Tempo, an Indonesian newsmagazine.
North Koreas embassy in Jakarta vehemently protesting event discussing human rights abuses
Indonesia is the latest setting for a diplomatic clash between Seoul and Pyongyang over human rights in North Korea.
North Korea is strenuously objected to the holding of a North Korean human rights-themed event, with an official visiting the site from its embassy in Jakarta to read a protest statement out loud.
The event, a symposium on the topic of international coordination to improve human rights in North Korea, was organized in Jakarta on Feb. 10 by South Koreas National Human Rights Commission, in conjunction with its Indonesian counterpart and the Indonesian Academy of Sciences.
Prior to the event, the North Korean embassy sent a message of vehement protest to the Indonesian government claiming the symposium had been planned to spread negative feeling through unconfirmed rumors about North Korea, the Indonesian weekly magazine Tempo reported recently.
Tempo also reported that North Koreas ambassador to Indonesia, Ri Jong-ryul, had met with an Indonesian government official in his office and requested that Jakarta take action to prevent the staging of gatherings to oppose North Korea.
In a written response to the embassy, the Indonesian foreign ministry said, as a democratic nation, we cannot forbid an event that has already had legal permission, Tempo reported.
An unusual response followed, with a representative of the North Korean embassy visiting the event site to read aloud a statement of protest to reporters, the US service Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported.
North Koreas sensitive response was based on its determination that the international communitys ongoing focus on its human rights situation is directly targeting leader Kim Jong-un, the RFA report said.
By Son Won-je, staff reporter
[Softwar] [Human rights]
Ban Ki-moon, Kim Jong-un Exchange New Year Cards
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has responded in kind to a New Year's card from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, AP said Friday quoting a diplomat with North Korea's mission to the UN.
The exchange of good wishes comes after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the North Korean leadership to be referred to the International Criminal Court for gross human rights violations.
AP called it "an exchange that raised eyebrows."
N.Korea 'Cooperating' with Anti-Money-Laundering Body
Jang Sam-ryong, the deputy governor of North Koreas Central Bank, speaks with AP Television News during an interview in Pyongyang on Monday. /AP-Newsis Jang Sam-ryong, the deputy governor of North Korea's Central Bank, speaks with AP Television News during an interview in Pyongyang on Monday. /AP-Newsis
North Korea has taken several measures to cooperate with the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, a senior official claims.
Jang Sam-ryong, the deputy governor of North Korea's central bank, in a rare interview this week told AP Television News, which has a Pyongyang bureau, that the North has joined the body as an observer nation.
DPRK FM Sends Letters to UN Secretary-General and UNGA Session President
Pyongyang, February 4 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minster Ri Su Yong on Jan. 2 sent a letter separately to the secretary-general of the UN and the president of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly in connection with the fact that Sin Tong Hyok, a "defector from the north", recently confessed that his "testimony" was a fabrication.
The U.S. and other hostile forces let Sin take the lead in the anti-DPRK "human rights" racket even in the UN arena.
The letter said Sin confessed himself before the international community that his "testimony" was a fabrication so the basis for the "human rights resolution" on the DPRK adopted at the 69th session of the UNGA has collapsed and that it proved the utterly unjust nature of the U.S. and other hostile forces' act of bringing in Sin and the likes to the UN arena, organizing the anti-DPRK "hearing" and railroading the "human rights resolution".
[UNUS] [Kirby] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
Removed Kim cult needed for human rights UN rapporteur
Darusman: North Korean diplomats warned of 'hardliners' coming to power if UN rights resolution passed
February 3rd, 2015
Rob York
The UNs special rapporteur on human rights in North Korea said that efforts to fundamentally improve the regimes human rights environment may not be possible under its current leaderships personality cult.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Marzuki Darusman said that, while not advocating an invasion, a drastic change might nonetheless be necessary, particularly to help those trapped in the Norths political prison camps.
It would be, I think, the first order of the day to get these 80,000 to 100,000 (political prisoners) immediately released and these camps disbanded, Darusman told AP. But that can only happen if this cult leadership system is completely dismantled. And the only way to do that is if the Kim family is effectively displaced, is effectively removed from the scene, and a new leadership comes into place.
[Regime change] [UNUS] [Kirby] [Marzuki Darusman]
Time to move away from simplistic thinking on North Korea
30 January 2015
Author: Eun Jeong Soh, ANU
The UN needs a new strategy to address human rights violations in North Korea: a strategy that goes beyond a simplistic dichotomy of good versus bad and right versus wrong.
On 22 December 2014, the UN Security Council addressed human rights in North Korea for the first time. This came in response to a UN Commission of Inquiry report and a subsequent UN General Assembly Resolution recommending the Security Council refer unnamed North Korean officials to the International Criminal Court for committing crimes against humanity. China objected to placing human rights in North Korea on the agenda for ongoing debate in the Security Council and another country with veto power, Russia, concurred with Chinas position. While addressing North Koreas human rights problem in the Security Council is a significant achievement, the event also demonstrated the limitations of the UNs approach.
[Kirby] [Human rights] [UNUS] [Academic]
Pak Pong Ju Congratulates to Greek PM
Pyongyang, January 30 (KCNA) -- DPRK Premier Pak Pong Ju on Jan. 27 sent a congratulatory message to Alexis Tsipras upon his election as Greek prime minister.
The message wished the prime minister success in his work for the stability and development of Greece.
Kim Jong-un May Attend Int'l Conference in April
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to make his debut on the international stage at the Asian-African Conference in Indonesia on April 24, the Kompas news agency reported Tuesday.
Mochamad Ridwan Kamil, the mayor of Bandung, where the conference is held, told Kompas on Monday that world leaders, "including Kim Jong-un, plan to attend the 60th anniversary ceremony of the Bandung Conference."
Kamil added, "If Bandung becomes the destination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's first overseas visit, Bandung will once again go down in history."
An Asia-Africa Summit will be held in Jakarta on April 22 and 23 and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.
Only a disciplined people can build a nation: North Korean Mass Games and Third Worldism in Guyana, 1980-1992
The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 4, No. 2, January 26, 2015.
Moe Taylor
Abstract: As the 1970s drew to a close, Forbes Burnham (1923-85), Guyanas controversial leader of 21 years, received Pyongyangs assistance in importing the North Korean tradition of Mass Games, establishing them as a major facet of the nations cultural and political life during the 1980-92 period. The current study documents this episode in Guyanese history and seeks to explain why the Burnham regime prioritized such an experiment in a time of austerity and crisis, its ideological foundations, and how Guyanese interpreted and responded to Mass Games.
I argue that the Burnham regimes enthusiasm for Mass Games can in large part be explained by their adherence to a particular tradition of socialist thought which holds education and culture as the foundation of development. While such a conception of socialism has roots in the early Soviet Union and, in the case of Guyana, was greatly influenced by the North Korean model, it was also shaped by local and regional contexts.
The deep aversion of parents to their children losing class time to Mass Games training, along with ethnic division and Indo-Guyanese hostility to the Afro-Guyanese dominated government in particular, proved the central obstacles to widespread public support for the project. Despite these contradictions, Mass Games, which took on a local flavour distinct from its North Korean progenitor, did in fact resonate with those who believed in Burnhams promise of a brighter, socialist future, while also appealing to a certain widespread longing within Guyanese culture for a more disciplined society.
[Softpower]
Defector's Admission Hurts All N.Koreans
Son Jin-seok
If there is once place on Earth where reality is stranger than fiction, it is North Korea, with its hereditary rule, massive oppression and starving masses. That is why the personal accounts of North Korean defectors who risked their lives to escape to freedom have captured the imagination of the international community.
Their accounts are harrowing and their stories of survival against all the odds often heroic.
But now the confession of one defector that he invented parts of key testimony about the isolated country has cast a pall over all such accounts. The New York Times and other U.S. media are taking the matter very seriously, since the accounts of Shin Dong-hyuk, who is something of a poster boy for the human rights movement, played a key role in a UN report that recommended sending North Korean leaders to the International Criminal Court.
Shin was the subject of a book titled "Escape from Camp 14" by an American journalist, which was translated into 27 different languages. In it, Shin claims he was captured and tortured at the age of 13 when he tried to escape from the notorious Camp 14. But recently he has corrected his age at the time to 20 and now says he did not spend his entire life in Camp 14 but most of it in Camp 18, a less brutal place.
This confession need not mean that his entire story is a fabrication, and it does not change the fact that horrible human rights abuses are taking place in the North. As a U.S. State Department official put it, "It's a question of whether he was in the most gruesome or simply one that is very gruesome."
Still, for some people Shin's admission has cast doubt on the stories of other North Korean defectors, and the ramifications could become enormous. Recently, a Korean-American woman by the name of Shin Eun-mi embarked on a bizarre stage tour of South Korea telling audiences that North Korea is not nearly as bad as its reputation based on a couple of package tours she took to the North.
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Propaganda] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
U.S. Plays Down Impact of Defector's Lies
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday played down the confession of North Korean defector Shin Dong-hyuk that he invented parts of key testimony about the repressive country.
The State Department said whether or not Kim's harrowing high-profile account of growing up in the gulag is true, there is "more than ample evidence" that the human rights situation in the North is abysmal.
"The UN Commission of Inquiry report clearly found that there are ongoing, 'systematic, widespread, and gross' human rights violations in [North Korea], citing hundreds of interviews with victims and other witnesses," a departmental press officer said.
Shin is something of a poster boy for the human rights movement, making hundreds of public appearances and becoming the subject of a book titled "Escape from Camp 14" by an American journalist. He also served as a key witness in the UN probe that led to a report which recommended sending North Korean leaders to the International Criminal Court.
In the book, Shin claims he was captured while attempting to escape from the notorious Camp 14 and was tortured for it when he was 13. But he recently corrected his age at the time to 20. He now says he did not spend his entire life in Camp 14 but rather most of his prison life in Camp 18, a less brutal place. It was in Camp 18 that he informed on his mother and brother, who discussed their plan to escape.
North Korea has used Shin's admission as an excuse to shoot down the UN resolution. The official Uriminzokkiri website claims that Shins account is a fabrication from start to finish.
But the press officer said Shin's corrections "appear to be related to whether he was in one detention camp or in another. It's a question of whether he was in the most gruesome or simply one that is very gruesome."
Greg Scarlatoiu, head of the U.S.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, said there is no difference between Camp 14 or 18 as all prison camps are brutal.
Shin, who has shut himself off from outside contact, on Facebook said he told the lies because he felt unable to face certain aspects of his past. He added he would probably withdraw from public life for fear of hurting the campaign.
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
US, NK spar over defector's confessions
Yi Whan-woo
Shin Dong-hyuk
North Korea and the United States are at odds over testimony provided by a defector-turned-activist who recently admitted that there are inaccuracies in a best-selling book about his life in the regime's gulags.
Pyongyang cast doubt on the credibility of "Escape from Camp 14" which was written by American journalist Blaine Harden and published in 2012. It was based on the accounts of Shin Dong-hyuk. He is believed to be the only person born and raised in a North Korean prison camp complex before escaping to freedom.
The reclusive state also demanded that the United Nations annul its 2014 resolution against the North Korean regime for state-perpetrated violations of human rights. It said that the U.N. took Shin's "false account" into consideration when passing what it claimed was a "U.S-imposed resolution."
The U.S. stood by Shin, saying that "more than ample evidence" exists about Pyongyang's crimes against humanity.
On Tuesday, Pyongyang's Association for Human Rights Studies (AHRS) said the U.N. should annul last year's resolution that asked the U.N. Security Council to refer North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court.
The U.N General Assembly's Human Rights Committee adopted the resolution in November. The General Assembly then approved it in December.
The resolution was based on the U.N. Commission of Inquiry (COI)'s report on Pyongyang's dire human rights record. The report accused the repressive regime of running political prison camps where up to 120,000 people are thought to be detained.
"The U.N. resolution should be voided immediately, and the U.S. as well as other members of the international community should correct it," the AHRS said in a statement carried by Pyongyang's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency. "We also ask Shin to fully confess what was behind his lies. Otherwise we'll unveil every detail about his crimes."
On Jan 16, Shin confessed to Harden, the author of "Escape from Camp 14," that he altered some details about his life story.
According to Shin, he spent part of his youth at Camp 18 instead of Camp 14. He initially testified he was born at Camp 14 in 1982 and spent his entire North Korean life before fleeing for freedom in 2005.
Since then, he moved around a few countries, including the U.S. He now lives in Seoul.
Shin also admitted he was tortured at age 20, not 13, as punishment for a failed attempt to escape the gulag in 2002.
"I didn't want to tell exactly what happened in order not to relive these painful moments all over again," he told Harden.
Shin also said on a Facebook page that he did not realize that the extent to which these details mattered, and asked forgiveness.
"This report should not distract from the issue at hand, which is the DPRK's deplorable human rights situation, for which more than ample evidence exists," a U.S. Department of State official told the Yonhap News Agency on condition of anonymity in an e-mail interview, Tuesday. The official referred to North Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
"The U.N. COI report clearly found that there are ongoing, systematic, widespread, and gross' human rights violations in the DPRK, citing hundreds of interviews with victims and other witnesses."
"Escape from Camp 14," was a New York Times and international bestseller. It has been translated into 27 languages.
The book won the 2012 Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique, a French literary award.
It was also featured on "60 Minutes," an investigative news magazine program produced by CBS, a U.S. television network.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk] [Disinformation]
The Strange Tale of Yeonmi Park
A high-profile North Korean defector has harrowing stories to tell. But are they true?
By Mary Ann Jolley
December 10, 2014
When 21-year-old North Korean defector, Yeonmi Park, made her debut on the world stage in October this year with harrowing tales of life under the repressive North Korean regime and her perilous escape to freedom, she left audiences, human rights heavyweights, and journalists in tears some literally sobbing.
Wearing a pink, traditional Korean dress with its high waist and voluminous skirt, Park stood before the lectern at the One Young World Summit in Dublin and in between long pauses, wiping tears from her eyes and holding her hand to her mouth as she composed herself, she told of being brainwashed; of seeing executions; of starving; of the slither of light in her darkness when she watched the Hollywood blockbuster Titanic, and had her mind opened to the outside world where love was possible; of having to watch her mother being raped; of burying her father on her own at just 14; and of threatening to kill herself rather than allow Mongolian soldiers to send her back to North Korea. She talked about following the stars to freedom and then ended with her signature sign off, When I was crossing the Gobi desert, scared of dying, I thought nobody cares, but you have listened to my story. You have cared.
Youd have to have been inhuman not to be moved. But and youre going to hear a lot of buts was the story she told of her life in North Korea accurate? The more speeches and interviews I read, watch and hear Park give, the more I become aware of serious inconsistencies in her story that suggest it wasnt. Whether this matters is up to the reader to decide, but my concern is if someone with such a high profile twists their story to fit the narrative we have come to expect from North Korean defectors, our perspective of the country could become dangerously skewed. We need to have a full and truthful picture of life in North Korea if we are to help those living under its abysmally cruel regime and those who try to flee.
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Park Yeonmi]
North Korea: Defectors and Their Skeptics
Some skeptics are publicly doubting the horrific stories being told by North Korean defectors.
By John Power
October 29, 2014
In between sobs, Park Yeonmi gave her account of life in North Korea. Public executions, arbitrary arrests, torture and suffocating censorship were just some of the harsh realities faced by people in the darkest place in the world, the 21-year-old defector told an international audience at the Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland earlier this month.
While North Korean defectors have spoken publicly about life under the regime before, the attractive university student has arguably captured the attention of international media like no other in recent memory. Her emotional speech in Dublin received coverage in outlets such as the BBC, Al Jazeera and the Daily Mail.
But alongside outpourings of sympathy and praise, Park has also attracted a quieter but no less persistent stream of criticism from skeptics who reject her characterization of North Korea.
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Park Yeonmi]
U.S. Accused of Cooking up Conspiratorial Documents against DPRK
Pyongyang, January 20 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies released the following statement on Tuesday:
The truth behind the conspiratorial "human rights" racket kicked up by the U.S. and other hostile forces against the DPRK in the UN arena is being self-exposed.
It has been disclosed that the "report of the Commission of Inquiry" on the human rights performance in the DPRK, which served as a basis of the anti-DPRK "human rights resolution" rammed through the plenary meeting of the 69th UN General Assembly last December by hostile forces, was no more than a false document cooked up on the basis of false "testimonies" made by human scum.
As reported recently, defector from the north Sin Tong Hyok, who had come out as a primary "testifier" when working out the above-said "report of the Commission of Inquiry", confessed that he had told lies about his past and pledged not to be involved in such "human rights campaign" against the DPRK in the future.
As the DPRK had already clarified, Sin is a swindler who had appeared with false name and career and no more than a parasite who has prolonged his remaining days by noisily trumpeting about the misinformation provided by his master.
Sin had styled himself a "survivor" in the "concentration camp of political offenders" that does not exist in the DPRK, no more than a sheer lie and a fiction.
He is a heinous criminal who raped a girl under age that can never be pardoned in Europe and all other parts of the world.
He should not only admit his lies but make clear his true colors as a criminal.
If he fails to do so, the DPRK will bring to light his crimes before the whole world.
[Defector] [Disinformation] [Shin Dong-hyuk] [UNUS]
N. Korea seizes on defectors inaccuracies, but rights advocates focus on bigger picture
North Korea has seized upon recent admissions by Shin Dong-hyuk a prison-camp escapee who now says parts of his story about his life and escape from North Koreas Camp 14 were inaccurate to seek to dismiss all human rights efforts against it. (Jason Decrow/AP)
By Anna Fifield January 20 at 7:00 PM ?
SEOUL North Korea has seized upon recent admissions by Shin Dong-hyuk, the prison-camp escapee who now says parts of his harrowing tale were inaccurate, using them to try to scupper the international campaign to condemn the totalitarian states human rights abuses.
But human rights advocates say Shin is just one of hundreds of defectors from North Korea who have together painted a collective picture of brutal treatment at the hands of the regime.
Just because there are clouds, it doesnt mean there is no sun, said Kim Seung-chul, a defector who started North Korea Reform Radio to try to get information into the tightly sealed state. Maybe Shin exaggerated some details, but that doesnt change the reality that terrible human rights violations are being committed in North Korea.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
Prominent N. Korean refugee admits parts of his story arent true
Posted on : Jan.19,2015 15:42 KST
Escape from Camp 14, the 2012 book by former Washington Post reporter Blaine Harden, based on interviews with North Korean refugee Shin Dong-hyuk.
Well-known human rights activist Shin Dong-hyuk releases a statement admitting that timing and some other details were inaccurate
North Korean refugee and human rights activist Shin Dong-hyuk, who played an important role in the UN General Assemblys adoption of a resolution about North Korean human rights, admitted that there were some inaccuracies in his story, as told in the book, Escape from Camp 14, the Washington Post reported on Jan. 17.
Escape from Camp 14 was written by former Washington Post reporter Blaine Harden on the basis of interviews with Shin. The book details how Shin was born in a political prison camp in South Pyongan Province, referred to as Camp 14, and the atrocious human rights abuses that he witnessed and experienced there until he managed to escape North Korea in 2005.
Shin has admitted that many of the places and timing of events in his telling of his story were wrong, Harden told the Washington Post.
In the book, Shin had said that, after escaping the camp at the age of 13, the North Korean authorities apprehended him and tortured him. Now, however, Shin says that this actually happened when he was 20.
Shin also corrected a section of his story describing how he had reported his mother and older brothers plans to escape from Camp 14 and how they had been executed in front of him. This happened not at Camp 14 but at Camp 18, which is located nearby, Shin said.
Shin is very sorry about all this mess, Harden told the Washington Post, explaining that it had been very painful for Shin to bring to mind the things that had happened to him.
From a human rights perspective, he was still brutally tortured, Harden added.
At this point I may or may not be able to continue in my work and efforts in trying to eliminate the political prison camps and bring justice to the oppressed- the same goes for my entire fight altogether against the North Korean regime, Shin wrote on his Facebook page on Jan. 18, indicating that he may stop working as an activist for North Korean human rights.
Writing that this is probably his final post, Shin said, instead of me, you all can still fight [. . .] for the suffering North Korean people.
Shins book was gained wide recognition around the world as an important testimony about human rights violations in North Korea. The testimony also served as key evidence last year when the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to refer the North Korean authorities responsible for those violations to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
North Korean authorities have sought to repudiate Shins testimony. In Oct. 2014, the North released a video in which Shins father says that his sons story is a lie.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
North Korea calls for human rights campaign to be dropped
In this Sept. 23, 2014, photo, North Korean human rights activist Shin Dong-hyuk delivers remarks during an event on human rights in North Korea at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in New York. North Korea has seized upon recent admissions by Shin, a prison camp escapee who now says parts of his story about his life and escape from North Koreas Camp 14 were inaccurate, to seek to dismiss all human rights efforts against it. (Jason Decrow/AP)
By Anna Fifield January 20 at 1:10 AM ?
SEOUL North Korea has seized upon recent admissions by Shin Dong-hyuk, the prison camp escapee who now says parts of his harrowing tale were inaccurate, to pillory the international movement to condemn the totalitarian states human rights abuses.
Kim Jong Uns regime is seeking to capitalize on the admission and dismiss all human rights efforts against it. But human rights advocates say that Shin is just one of hundreds of defectors from North Korea who have together painted a collective picture of brutal treatment at the hands of the regime.
Now that Shin had changed his story, all data on North Koreas human rights and related reports must be nullified, and plots on human rights must be stopped, said Uriminzokkiri, a Web site with close ties to the North Korean regime that often acts as a mouthpiece for it.
Anti-republic human rights liars should feel embarrassed and repent their crimes, the Web site said Tuesday in article entitled Lies and plots are bound to be revealed.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
Video from father may have compelled N.Korea defector to change story
By Lincoln Feast and Jack Kim
Sydney/Seoul Mon Jan 19, 2015 4:26am EST
Jan 19 (Reuters) - A video message from his father, who he thought was dead, may have led to a prominent North Korean defector recanting parts of the dramatic story of his escape from a prison camp, the head of a U.N. inquiry on the state's human rights abuses said.
Shin Dong-hyuk has said he was tormented to see his father alive and speaking in the video released by the North in October.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
DPRK Will Honor Its Commitments to Anti-Money Laundering
Pyongyang, January 16 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the National Coordinating Committee of the DPRK on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism Friday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA in connection with the fact that, recently, the DPRK committed itself to implementing the action plan of "international standard" for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism:
On Jan. 15, the president of the Central Bank of the DPRK submitted the Financial Action Task Force on Anti-Money Laundering a letter in which the DPRK committed itself to implementing the action plan of "international standard" for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.
This is a manifestation of the political will of the DPRK government, prompted by its consistent stand to boost international cooperation for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.
Most of the recommendations in the action plan have long been implemented by the DPRK to suit its specific conditions as they are legal and institutional measures for incriminating and punishing money launderers and supporters of the financing of terrorism.
[Money laundering] [Terrorism]
Prominent N. Korean defector Shin Dong-hyuk admits parts of story are inaccurate
Shin Dong-hyuk, who escaped from Camp 14 in North Korea, seen here in 2009 in front of a temple in downtown Seoul. (Blaine Harden)
By Anna Fifield January 17 ?
TOKYO Shin Dong-hyuk, a North Korean prison camp survivor who has become the symbol of human rights injustices suffered in that country, has changed key parts of the story of his ordeal.
Although the most horrific details, such as being lowered by a hook over a fire, still stand, Shin has admitted that many of the places and timing of events in his telling of his story were wrong, Blaine Harden, the author of Escape from Camp 14, a best-selling book about Shins life, said Saturday.
[Defector] [Shin Dong-hyuk]
Mongolia provides livestock to N. Korea
By Kim Hyo-jin
Mongolia has provided about some 100 calves to North Korea as global aid to the isolated nation has dried up in the face of growing concerns over dire human rights situation.
China's Huanqiu Shibao daily reported Monday that a North Korean cargo plane loaded with about 100 calves flew to Pyongyang from Choibalsan Airport in eastern Mongolia on Dec. 29.
Mongolian Foreign Minister Luvsanvandan Bold told local media last Friday that, "We provided 104 calves to North Korea as part of our host role for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)." Mongolia has held the chairmanship of the organization since last year.
Bold stressed it was a "humanitarian assistance," saying, there was little chance of delivering more livestock due to the lack of a budget.
In Oct. 2013, Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj pledged to provide 10,000 livestock for free during his official visit to the reclusive nation. At that time, Tsakhia showed determination to resolve the issue of food shortages there.
[Mongolia] [Aid]
S.Korean Envoy's Speech at UN Goes Viral
A speech by South Korea's ambassador to the UN before the Security Council on Dec. 22 condemning human rights abuses in North Korea has gone viral on the Internet.
"When we first came to the Council two years ago, one of the first issues we tackled was [North Korea's] nuclear and missile issues," Oh Joon (59) told the UNSC. "Our term on the council started and ended with the North Korean issue." He added, "Millions of South Koreans still have our family members and relatives living in the North For South Koreans, people in North Korea are not 'anybodies.'"
"Even though we never hear from them, even by now, the pain of separation has become a cold fact of love, just a few hundred kilometers away from where we live, we cannot read what is described in the [Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea] report without it breaking our hearts."
He said his fervent wish as he wraps up his tenure as ambassador is for the international community to take steps to improve North Korea's human rights situation.
An edited version of the speech posted on YouTube has drawn more than 15,000 views in just four days.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [Spin] [SK NK policy]
Palestinians Set to Seek Redress in a World Court
By Jodi Rudoren
Dec. 31, 2014
JERUSALEM President Mahmoud Abbas moved on Wednesday to have the Palestinian Authority join the International Criminal Court, opening a new front in the Middle East conflict that could lead to war-crimes prosecutions of Israeli officials and that risks severe sanctions from Washington and Jerusalem.
The step is part of a strategic shift by the Palestinian leadership to pursue statehood in the international arena after decades of failed American-brokered negotiations with Israel. It came a day after the defeat of a United Nations Security Council resolution that demanded an end to Israels occupation of Palestinian territory by 2017.
[ICC] [Palestine] [Israel] [Double standards]
Seoul backs UN action on Pyongyang
Yi Whan-woo
The government said Friday that it welcomes the United Nations' adoption of a landmark resolution against North Korea for its alleged state-perpetrated violations of human rights.
"The overwhelming support for the resolution shows the will of the U.N. and international community to take firm measures toward Pyongyang's critical human rights situation," foreign ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il said in a statement.
During the U.N. General Assembly in New York Thursday, 116 countries voted for the resolution accusing North Korea of crimes against humanity. Twenty other nations voted against the resolution, while 53 abstained.
The resolution requested the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) refer North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.
[ICC] [SK NK policy]
UN Urged to Adopt N.Korea Human Rights Resolution
The UN General Assembly is expected to adopt a resolution on human rights abuses in North Korea on Thursday.
In a report to the General Assembly on Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said North Korea needs to implement bold reforms to improve human rights conditions there.
There have been reports on several executions in the North since August 2013, including leader Kim Jong-un's uncle Jang Song-taek.
Ban said the North has rejected the UN Human Rights Council's recommendation to suspend executions through its Universal Periodic Review.
He added people are denied rights to feed themselves properly and stay in good health and the human rights for children, women, and persons with disabilities are being violated.
He called on the international community to make all efforts to put an end to the North's systematic and extensive violation of human rights and call the perpetrators of crimes against humanity to account.
The UN Security Council is also highly likely to put the North's human rights abuses on its agenda for the first time this year.
The North Korean regime is reacting very sensitively to the UN's moves since it evidently knows its flagrant rights abuses to be its Achilles heel.
[Softwar] [UNUS]
North Korea asks United Nations to investigate CIA torture crimes
Pyongyang says so-called human rights issue is politically motivated and security council should look to CIA instead
Associated Press in New York
The Guardian, Tuesday 16 December 2014 07.24 GMT
It is highly unlikely the CIA report will ever make it on to the UN security councils agenda as the US has power of veto. Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
North Korea has asked the UN security council to address the CIAs harsh treatment of terror suspects instead of its own human rights situation.
North Koreas UN ambassador, Ja Song-nam, objected to the inclusion of his countrys human rights record on the security councils agenda for debate as a first step toward a possible referral to the international criminal court (ICC).
The so-called human rights issue in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is politically fabricated and, therefore, it is not at all relevant to the regional or international peace and security, Ja wrote in the letter to Chads UN ambassador, the current council president.
On the contrary, the recently revealed CIA torture crimes committed by the United States, which have been conducted worldwide in the most brutal medieval forms, are the gravest human rights violations in the world, he added, requesting that the council take up the issue with a view to establishing a thorough probe into the CIA torture crimes.
[Torture] [CIA] [UNUS] [Veto]
UN may adopt NK resolution this week
By Jun Ji-hye
The United Nations General Assembly is highly likely to pass a resolution against North Korea, Thursday, regarding allegations of human rights abuses, which will likely lead to the issue becoming an issue for the Security Council to deliberate.
The move is expected to spark strong opposition from the repressive state that has described it as a prelude for "military aggression."
Officials from the foreign affairs and unification ministries, as well as analysts, say it is highly likely that the resolution will gain the backing of the General Assembly.
The draft resolution earlier won overwhelming support from 111 member states during a vote at the Third Committee on Nov. 18.
The resolution calls for the referral of North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for state-perpetrated violations of human rights.
If passed in the assembly, the issue will then be sent to the Security Council for discussion by its 15 members over whether to pursue the issue further.
Experts say there is a strong possibility that the resolution will also be placed on the council agenda for debate as well, considering that ten nations including South Korea, the U.S. and Australia have already signed a letter calling for this to occur.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
UN official calls for prosecutions over US torture
Shanghai Daily, December 11, 2014
Senior US officials who authorized and carried out torture as part of former President George W. Bushs national security policy must be prosecuted, a top UN special investigator said yesterday.
Ben Emmerson, the UNs special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, said in addition that all CIA and other US officials who used waterboarding and other torture techniques must be prosecuted.
He said the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIAs harsh interrogation techniques at secret overseas facilities after the 9/11 terror attacks shows there was a clear policy orchestrated at a high level within the Bush administration, which allowed to commit systematic crimes and gross violations of international human rights law.
[Torture] [UNUS]
South Korean elected ICC judge
By Yi Whan-woo
Chung Chang-ho, who took part in the U.N.-assisted Khmer Rouge Tribunal, has been elected a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the government said Tuesday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Chung won 73 votes out of 104 during a ballot held at the U.N. headquarters in New York.
It added he was the only one who collected over two thirds of the valid votes cast by representatives of the 119 ICC member states to win a seat as stipulated by ICC regulations.
[ICC] [UNUS]
A New Step in Discrediting Human Rights Activities
Konstantin Asmolov
So, the next step in the promotion of human rights issues in North Korea has been taken. On November 18, 2014, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly recommended that the UN Security Council refer the matter on the situation in North Korea to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, and to explore the possibility of introducing effective and targeted sanctions against those who bear the greatest responsibility for crimes against humanity. The resolution condemns the systematic human rights violations in North Korea, reminds of the findings of the special commission of the UN Council on Human Rights, and supports the willingness of Pyongyang to cooperate with the international community in resolving the issues related to human rights.
One hundred eleven UN member states voted for the corresponding resolution, 19 countries, including Russia, Belarus, China, Cuba, and Syria, voted against. Another 55 states abstained. The Cuban delegation proposed an amendment which, instead of recommendations to transfer the case of crimes against humanity in North Korea to the International Criminal Court, recommended to apply a new approach based on cooperation, but only 40 states voted for the amendment, and it was not accepted.
The US and RK regard this event as a victory. The South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement that the UN resolution on human rights in North Korea reflects the concern of the international community over the situation in North Korea and the utmost desire to correct it.
US State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke also noted that Washington has always supported the adoption of annual resolutions on the issue, pointing to the convincingness of the recommendations and the results of a special UN commission to investigate human rights violations in North Korea.
China, however, is against. This was stated by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei. We believe that the UN Security Council is an unsuitable platform for discussion of human rights issues, he emphasized. The transfer of the case to the International Criminal Court will not help solve the problems, so China has voted against the resolution proposing this.
[Human Rights] [UNUS] [Softwar] [ICC]
ICC drops murder and rape charges against Kenyan president
Blow for courts credibility as key prosecution witness refuses to testify in Uhuru Kenyatta trial and another admits lying
Owen Bowcott, legal affairs correspondent
The Guardian, Friday 5 December 2014 14.10 GMT
Uhuru Kenyatta at the ICC in October 2014
Kenyas president, Uhuru Kenyatta, at the international criminal court in The Hague in October. Photograph: Peter de Jong/EPA
All charges against Kenyas president have been dropped by the international criminal court (ICC), highlighting the tribunals difficulties in bringing to justice the high-ranking officials it has accused of atrocities.
With a show of reluctance, the chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda,on Friday filed a notice withdrawing allegations against the president, Uhuru Kenyatta. She accused the Kenyan government of harassing and intimidating potential witnesses.
Given the state of the evidence in this case, I have no alternative but to withdraw the charges against Mr Kenyatta, the Gambian lawyer explained. I am doing so without prejudice to the possibility of bringing a new case should additional evidence become available.
He added: This is a painful moment for the men, women and children who have suffered tremendously from the horrors of the post-election violence, and who have waited, patiently, for almost seven years to see justice done.
Kenyatta had been charged with crimes against humanity including murder, rape, persecution and deportation as an indirect co-perpetrator in violence that flared after Kenyas 2007 elections, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.
The collapse of the case is a new blow to the credibility of the courts prosecution office. The office has begun nine full investigations since it was established in 2002, all of them in Africa, and has just seven suspects in custody.
[ICC]
Letter dated 24 November 2014 from the Permanent Representative of
the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to the United Nations
addressed to the Secretary-General
I have the honour to transmit herewith a statement issued by a spokesperson
for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
(DPRK) on 20 November 2014 with regard to a resolution adopted by the Third
Committee on the situation of human rights in the DPRK (see annex).
The DPRK categorically rejects the resolution, which is the product of the
political and military confrontation and plot against the DPRK and which has no
relevance to the genuine promotion and protection of human rights.
Behind the resolution, sponsored by the European Union and Japan, there
exists the hostile policy pursued by the United States for eliminating the social
system of the DPRK by means of force.
[UNUS] [Human rights]
North Korea, The UN, And War Propaganda
Christopher Black
The western propaganda machine is being pushed to its limits and could burst under the pressure as the United States and its coalition of the criminal spew out one set of lies after another against the nations and peoples who refuse to kowtow. The US sponsored resolution to refer criminal action against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the International Criminal Court based on a report by a UN Human Rights Council Commission of Inquiry is another product of this machine and one more example of the use of the United Nations organisation as a crude instrument of the American attempt to manipulate and dominate the world.
The report itself is an amazing document, not only because it is entirely contrived, but also because the crimes which the Commissioners allege take place in the DRPK are exactly the conditions that exist inside the United States itself. The hypocrisy is stunning but no one can be surprised when we learn in paragraph 31 of the report that the public hearings held by the Commission were conducted with the help of the governments of the United States, Britain, Japan and South Korea, all enemies of the DPRK, who arranged, according to the Commission itself, all the logistics, venues, interpreters, technology, security, press services and, importantly, the witnesses. Nor can we be surprised when we look at the three members of the Commission: the Australian, Michael Donald Kirby, the Serb, Sonja Biserko, and the Indonesian, Marzuki Darusman, each one of them linked to CIA front groups somewhere in their careers.
[Kirby]
Arirang folk song in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
Inscribed in 2014 (9.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Country(ies): Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
Performance of National Symphony Orchestra 2011
Arirang is a popular lyrical singing genre transmitted and recreated orally. It exists in multiple traditional forms as well as symphonic and modern arrangements. Arirang typically contains a gentle and lyrical melody, accompanied by the refrain: Arirang, arirang, arariyo, Over the Arirang hill you go. Arirang songs speak about leaving and reunion, sorrow, joy and happiness. The various categories differ according to the lyrics and melody used; the thirty-six known versions of Arirang have also undergone continuous development. Arirang is performed on various occasions among family, friends and communities, as well as on public occasions and at festivities. Children learn the songs from their parents and neighbours, in school and other settings. Professional art troupes in Pyongyang perform different forms of Arirang, while safeguarding societies play an important role in enacting, preserving and transmitting local versions. Arirang folk songs reinforce social relations, thus contributing to mutual respect and peaceful social development, and help people to express their feelings and overcome grief. They function as an important symbol of unity and occupy a place of pride in the performing arts, cinema, literature and other works of contemporary art.
[Culture]
U.S. shootings by police, prison conditions trouble U.N.
By John Zarocostas
McClatchy Foreign Staff November 28, 2014
Alessio Bruni, of Italy, Committee expert on U.S. review, and Claudio Grossman, of Chile, Chairperson of the U.N. Committee against Torture (left and right), speak during a press conference by the U.N. Committee against Torture in Geneva, Switzerland on Nov. 28, 2014. The anti-torture panel said it was deeply concerned by the high incidence of police brutality and shootings in the United States, especially against African Americans, over the harsh conditions in many prisons, and the interrogation methods used on detainees.
JOHN ZARACOSTAS McClatchy
GENEVA A U.N. anti-torture panel thats investigating the United States said Friday that it was deeply concerned by what it described as the high incidence of police brutality and shootings _ especially against African-Americans _ in the U.S., was troubled by what it called harsh conditions in many prisons and was worried about the interrogation methods used on detainees.
The experts on the United Nations panel called for declassifying evidence of torture by the U.S. in particular Guantanamo Bay detainees accounts and declassifying and promptly releasing, with minimal redactions, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligences report about the CIAs secret detention and interrogation program.
We express concern at the reported current police violence in Chicago, especially against African-American and Latino young people, and deep concern at the frequent and recurrent police shootings or fatal pursuit of unarmed black individuals, said Alessio Bruni, a member of the panel and a lead investigator in the review of U.S. compliance with the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment. The U.S. ratified the 156-member-country convention in 1994.
Bruni, an Italian, said the 10-member panel recommended that all instances of police brutality and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers are investigated promptly, effectively and impartially by an independent mechanism with no institutional or hierarchical connection between the investigators and the alleged perpetrators.
On Nov. 12-13, nearly 30 senior officials from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security, along with the attorney general of Mississippi, presented evidence and were examined by the U.N. panel. The session was part of the periodic review of U.S. compliance with the anti-torture convention. The U.S. was last reviewed in May 2006.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Double standards]
N. Korea's Arirang wins UNESCO intangible heritage status
A group of North Korean versions of the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang" has been inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list, the South Korean government said Thursday.
The inscription was made on Wednesday during the 9th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that opened in Paris on Nov. 24 for a five-day run, Seoul's Cultural Heritage Administration said.
"Arirang folk song in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)" became the first North Korean item on the Representative List of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. DPRK refers to the official name of North Korea.
"Arirang" is not just one song but a variety of local versions handed down generation after generation on the Korean Peninsula. It is often dubbed an "unofficial national anthem" of Korea because, due to its easy melody and tune, virtually all Koreans, even those living in North Korea and abroad, can sing at least part of it. Experts say there are thousands of variations of "Arirang" carrying the refrain, "Arirang, arirang, arariyo."
The new entry on the list includes six versions of "Arirang" originated from Pyongyang, South Pyongan Province, South Hwanghae Province, Kangwon Province, South Hamgyong Province and Jagang Province in North Korea.
South Korea's "Arirang" was added to the list under the title "Arirang, lyrical folk song in the Republic of Korea" in 2012.
The ongoing intergovernmental committee is also expected to decide whether to inscribe Nongak, traditional Korean music performed by farmers, on the list as early as Thursday. (Yonhap)
North Korea threatens war and another nuclear test
Posted on : Nov.24,2014 11:51 KST
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un talks with military officers, stressing operational command skills, in these photos from the Nov. 23 edition of the Rodong Sinmun newspaper. (Yonhap News)
State media mentions an unprecedented ultra-hardline counterattack against US, South Korea and Japan
Responding to the resolution about North Korean human rights abuses that was passed by the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, North Koreas National Defense Commission, the most powerful political body in the country, said on Nov. 23 that the North would embark upon an unprecedented ultra-hardline counterattack.
The human rights resolution that a hijacked UN was compelled to pass fully expresses the hostile intentions to completely annihilate the North Korean army and everything that the people hold dear, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted the National Defense Commission (NDC) as saying in a statement on Sunday.
The NDC statement did not specifically explain what it meant by an ultra-hardline counterattack.
However, the statement did mention North Koreas withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1993, hinting at the possibility of a fourth nuclear test. The UN has cause to recall the thunder that rolled 20 years ago when we made our justified nuclear declaration in order to protect the greatest interests of the country, the statement said.
[Response] [UNUS]
Human Rights and Double Standards: UN Resolution on Iran Mockery of Justice
By Dr. Ismail Salami
Global Research, November 21, 2014
The not-very-independent UN body has made a mockery of justice by soldering a resolution on the so-called human rights violations in Iran.
The farce becomes more markedly absurd when you consider the plethora of human rights abuses going unpunished in the world with the UN laying a lid of ignorance on these blatant violations.
Late Tuesday, the United Nations voted to slam Iranian human rights abuses, singling it out for executing upwards of 1,000 political opponents and prisoners in the past year.
Iran has strongly lambasted the UN resolution, saying that the UNs legal mechanisms have turned into a tool in the hands of the West.
The irony of the resolution is that the measure was initially drafted by Canada which has itself a disgracing history of human rights abuse against the aborigines in the country. Further to that, Ottawa has constantly and vehemently thrown its full-throated support behind Tel Aviv in its ruthless crimes against the people of Palestine.
[UNUS] [Human rights] [Iran] [Softwar]
DPRK rejects UN human rights resolution
Xinhua, November 20, 2014
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday strongly denounced the UN resolution on human rights in the country and indicated it might conduct a new nuclear test to counter "U.S. hostile policy" toward Pyongyang.
The Third Committee of the 69th United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution, drafted by the European Union and Japan, that recommends the Security Council refer the DPRK to the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.
China was among the countries which voted against the resolution. "We are of the view that the UN Security Council is not the right place to discuss human rights issues, and the referral of human rights issues to the International Criminal Court is not conducive to their resolution," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular press conference on Wednesday.
The resolution followed a detailed report released in February by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK. The report raised widespread concerns over abuses of human rights in the country.
The resolution is peppered with malignant accusations based on the report, which is a collection of fabrications made by "defectors" from the north, a DPRK foreign ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by the country's official news agency KCNA.
The DPRK has clarified its willingness to conduct wide-ranging cooperation in the field of human rights and is ready to actively promote dialogue and exchange on the issue, but the "hostile forces" finally chose confrontation rather than cooperation, the statement said.
Pyongyang also warned in the statement that it is compelled by U.S. hostility "not to exercise restraint any longer in conducting a new nuclear test" and that its "war deterrence will grow stronger" to cope with U.S. interventions.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
UN Moves Closer to Indicting N.Korean Rights Abusers
The UN human rights committee passed a resolution on Wednesday calling on the Security Council to refer high-ranking North Korean officials to the International Criminal Court. The decision is expected to increase international pressure on Pyongyang to address its dire human rights situation.
The non-binding recommendation, which was proposed by 60 countries including the EU, was passed 111 in favor and 19 against with 55 abstentions and is expected to be passed by the UN General Assembly next month.
North Korean delegates watch vote results during a meeting of the UN human rights committee at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. /AP-Newsis North Korean delegates watch vote results during a meeting of the UN human rights committee at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday. /AP-Newsis
The next step is the Security Council, which will consider whether to refer North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other officials to the ICC and subject them to UN-led sanctions. But since the North's long-time allies China and Russia have a veto in the Security Council, the process will probably stop there.
Still, the latest resolution is the most forceful criticism yet of North Korea's human rights abuses. South Korean Ambassador to the UN Oh Joon hailed it as "historic" since it has created the legal basis to single out those in the North responsible for human rights abuses.
Choe Myong-nam, a North Korean official in charge of UN affairs and human rights, denounced the resolution as being "full of groundless criticisms" and added the usual warning of "serious consequences" if it is passed.
Choe added the move leaves North Korea no choice but to continue with its nuclear weapons program.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [ICC]
[Editorial] Its in North Koreas own interest to improve human rights
Posted on : Nov.20,2014 11:53 KST
North Koreas deputy Director-General Choe Myong-nam (left) and Kim Song (right), a diplomat with North Koreas permanent mission to the UN, watch a screen showing voting for the United Nations General Assemblys Third Committee passed a resolution on North Korean human rights, at UN headquarters in New York, Nov. 19. (AP/Yonhap News)
The international communitys human rights pressures on North Korea reached a new level on Nov. 18 when the United Nations General Assemblys Third Committee passed a stringent resolution on the issue. The resolution is a sure bet to pass the General Assembly next month, and it also looks certain to be discussed by the Security Council.
What sets this resolution apart from past ones is its recommendation that the UNSC refer North Koreas human rights situations to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It directs the ICC to punish those most responsible for the crimes against humanity in North Korea. And one of them is the Norths leader, Kim Jong-un. China holds veto power, and it may not agree to a resolution on these terms in the UNSC. But their mere inclusion is certain to provoke a sensitive reaction from Pyongyang. Meanwhile, North Koreas deputy Director-General Choe Myong-nam hinted just before voting that his country could stage another nuclear test.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Naivet] [Agency]
DPRK Delegate Categorically Rejects "Draft Resolution" against DPRK
Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate categorically rejected the "draft resolution" (A/C.3/69/L.28.Rev.1) in its entirety submitted by the European Union and Japan at the meeting of the Third Committee of the 69th UN General Assembly held in New York on Nov. 18.
In a statement before vote he said:
The "draft resolution" constitutes a product of political and military confrontation and plot against the DPRK and has no relevance with genuine promotion and protection of human rights.
By taking sides with the United States hostile policy against the DPRK, the European Union and Japan fabricated and submitted the "draft resolution" based on the "report of the Commission of Inquiry" on the human rights situation of the DPRK, which has never been to the country at all.
We wish to make it clear once again that the "report of the Commission of Inquiry" referred to in the "draft resolution" is only based on the fabricated "testimonies" of such a handful of "defectors" as unable to specify the numbers, who committed crimes and fled the country abandoning even their beloved ones including their parents, brothers and sisters alike. As such, the "report" is no more than a compilation full of groundless political accusations and contradictions and has no qualification and credibility to be recognized as an official document of the United Nations.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
UN adopts resolution for trial of NK leader
Choe Myong-nam, left, a North Korean official in charge of U.N. affairs and human rights, confers with his delegation during a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly human rights committee, Tuesday. / AP-Yonhap
Seoul engages in balancing act
By Yi Whan-woo
The United Nations' adoption of a resolution against North Korea is forcing the government to perform a balancing act joining international condemnation against the rogue state, while keeping open the possibility of dialogue with it.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification provided a nuanced response in the wake of the U.N.'s move, Wednesday (KST), to refer the regime in North Korea and its leader Kim Jong-un to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for state-perpetrated violations of human rights.
"We expect Pyongyang to improve its dire human rights record in accordance with this year's resolution," read a statement from the foreign ministry which also welcomed the U.N. General Assembly's request to the Security Council (UNSC) to refer Kim to the ICC in The Hague, the Netherlands.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [ICC]
A Legal Precipice? The DPRK-Uganda Security Relationship
By Andrea Berger
13 November 2014
(Photo: Wiki Commons)Uganda and North Korea are two countries which few would immediately identify as natural partners. Yet on October 29, 2014, Kim Yong Nam, Chairman of the Presidium of the DPRKs Supreme Peoples Assembly, arrived in Kampala to a heros welcome. Over four days, Kim met with the Ugandan President, Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister amongst others, and had a state banquet thrown in his honor.
Kims visit comes as part of a longer African tour to the handful of countries on the continent where the DPRK still has a noteworthy foothold. Many of them are known or suspected to be long-time military customers, and bolstering ties will have been on the agenda for each stop. The reported purpose of the Uganda visit was to enhance security cooperation specifically. As noted by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, bilateral relations in this area have spanned decades. Military training and weapons transfers were facilitated by Pyongyang during the Cold War. Today, Kampala has made a conscious effort to publicly discuss the more benign nature of cooperation with Pyongyang, making sure to add that, while it has nothing to hide, Ugandas foreign relations are no ones business. Venturing close to the grey areas of sanctions-relevant activity, DPRK-Uganda cooperation nevertheless merits further scrutiny.
[Double standards]
Human Rights: When North Korea Speaks,
Part 1
November 4, 2014
Editors note:
Human rights have all too often served less as a neutral vocabulary to describe North Koreas conditions than as an instrument of power wielded by successive U.S. administrations to justify non-engagement, a policy intended to promote the isolation and eventual implosion of North Korea. In a recent departure from this approach, however, President Obama evidently reached out to North Korea and got results. The subsequent release of three U.S. citizens, Jeffrey Fowles, Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller, who had been detained in North Korea, is the first positive interaction between the United States and that country in years and in this regard a milestone for the current administration. In U.S.- North Korea relations there remain many successes yet to be achieved, but each step toward engagement is a cause for celebration, and each is an opportunity for learning. As Betsy Yoon notes in her article below, the experiences at the end of both the Clinton and Bush administrations and now this current episode demonstrate that North Korea can and will engage in dialogue and negotiations. The only way forward is to continue the efforts towards increased diplomacy.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [Softwar] [UNUS]
DPRK Human Rights Briefing at UN Challenges US Unending War Strategy
14.10.2014,
Ronda Hauben
The briefing held at the United Nations by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday, October 7 was an opportunity to hear the DPRKs response to US and EU initiatives targeting the DPRK. The US and the EU have been using the UN to try to demonize the DPRK as a perpetrator of grave human rights violations and to rally the UN Security Council to refer the DPRK to the International Criminal Court (ICC) (1)
In the past few month, the DPRK Mission to the UN has held several press conferences alerting journalists to threats to international peace and security taking place on the Korean Peninsula. This briefing, however, was not only open to the press covering the UN, but to UN member nations and also to NGOs with access to UN Headquarters in NY.
At the briefing, the DPRK presented the Report of the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies (Report) that it had published on September 13 about human rights in the DPRK.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Manipulation]
Are there Human Rights Violations in North Korea?
We have previously discussed the Report on Human Rights in North Korea. Yet, it has to be reexamined with the UN to hold a meeting in order to push an anti-Kim Jong-un agenda forward which may lead to the prosecution of DPRKs supreme leader in the International Criminal Court or in a special tribunal, similar to the one for the former Yugoslavia.
Earlier, the UN commission reported that it had accumulated enough evidence to prosecute the government of Kim Jong-un for a long list of crimes, among which one may find mass killings, kidnappings of co-citizens from South Korea and Japan, torture, slave labor, rape and forced abortions.
The DPRK, a rogue state where human rights are constantly violated, has recently become the primary subject of accusations by US human rights experts. The former head of the UN commission of inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea, Michael Kirby, has openly stated that Kim Jong-uns government must be brought to justice by the UN Security Council, as Pyongyangs statements about the absence of human rights violations should not be trusted. Even a number of reconciliation attempts that have been recently made by Pyongyang, including the release of Jeffrey Fowle , a US citizen that was being held in North Korea, was assessed by Kirby as an attempt to undertake a charm offensive and divert public attention.
[ICC] [Human rights] [Softwar] [Double standards] [UNUS]
From Ukraine to Syria: UNs Selective Defense of Human Rights
By Ulson Gunnar
Global Research, October 05, 2014
For the past several years, the United Nations has served as a platform for Syrias enemies to air allegations of human rights abuses and even attempts to use such allegations to justify military aggression against Syria itself. Tales of barrel bombs being used against civilians, the bombardment of enemy positions at the cost of civilian lives and the destruction of vital infrastructure have all been constructs in the Wests narrative against the Syrian government.
Now that the US is itself bombing Syria, killing Syrians including innocent men, women and children, as well as vital infrastructure local populations depend on for their survival, the UN has grown suddenly quiet. The Western press too seems to have reverted to its observance of the notion of collateral damage. Suddenly, the very terrorists the Syrian government has tried to warn the world about for years as it fought them in its city streets and countrysides, are now bad enough for the end of defeating them to justify the means of occasionally killing civilians, so long as they are killed with US rather than Syrian weapons.
The startling hypocrisy combines with the fact that Syrias military is operating within its territory, conducting security operations to secure its own borders and all territory within it, while the US is operating thousands of miles from its own shores, in a foreign country, with both a doubtful pretext and an even more doubtful agenda in mind as it does so.
[Double standards] [UNUS]
UN human rights rep meets N. Korean officials, talks potential visit
North Korean diplomats again request removal of ICC referral from UN resolution
October 30th, 2014
Robert Lauler
UN human rights special rapporteur on North Korea Marzuki Darusman met again with North Korean diplomats on Wednesday to discuss a possible upcoming visit to the country to examine alleged human rights abuses.
Darusman met with four North Korean diplomats on Monday and was reportedly invited to visit the country. The diplomats had requested the removal of any mention of North Korean leaders being tried by the International Criminal Court from the resolution, Darusman said.
Regarding the second meeting, Darusman said nothing had been decided about a possible trip, and that North Korea again requested the removal of any mention of an ICC referral from the resolution.
The resolution, drawn up by the European Union and Japan, is largely based on the UN Commission of Inquiry report from earlier this year detailing extensive North Korean human rights violations. The resolution in its current form states that crimes against humanity have been carried out due to policies at the highest level of the State.
It further recommends the referral of North Korea to the ICC for crimes against humanity for the upcoming UN General Assemblys Third Committee, focusing on human rights.
The resolution appears to have touched a nerve in Pyongyang, particularly concerning the culpability of the countrys leader, Kim Jong Un, in human rights abuses.
In a recent interview with Voice of America, Jong Il Hoon, head of North Koreas UN delegation in New York, said it is really hard for us to stand by while they talk that way about our supreme leadership.
Experts say there is a high probability Darusman could visit North Korea.
[Human rights] [ICC] [UNUS]
U.N. human rights report says its time to hold North Korea to account in court
By Anna Fifield October 28 ?
TOKYO The United Nations point man on North Koreas human rights violations called Tuesday for Pyongyang to be referred to the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity, saying it is time to take actions against the regime to a new level.
The damning report from Marzuki Darusman, the United Nations special rapporteur dealing with North Korea, comes six months after a U.N. commission of inquiry released a 372-page report detailing brainwashing, torture, starvation and imprisonment for crimes such as questioning the system or trying to escape it, or secret Christianity.
That report contained a litany of human rights abuses and seems to have marked a turning point for North Korea, which now appears genuinely alarmed by the prospect that leader Kim Jong Un and his cronies could be called before an international tribunal.
[ICC] [Human rights] [Softwar]
North Korea participates in human rights event by activists
N. Korea watcher says Pyongyang conducting diplomatic campaign to prevent UN resolution passage
October 23rd, 2014
Robert Lauler
North Korea has taken the unusual step of taking part in an event sponsored by human rights activists focused on the countrys human rights issues, NK News has learned.
This news comes as the UN General Assembly prepares to vote on a resolution that could potentially refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court over its poor human rights record.
A nine-member North Korean delegation took part in the event in New York, which featured remarks by Michael Kirby, the former chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) for North Korea, and testimonies from two victims of North Koreas political prison camps. The event was sponsored by Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), a human rights advocacy group, and the governments of Australia, Botswana and Panama.
The delegation of Australia sent out invitations and the DPRK asked if they could participate, but we didnt think they would actually appear, Joanna Hosaniak, deputy director general of Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), told NK News.
During the event, the North Korean delegation reportedly debated the findings and methodology with Kirby and accused the COI of manipulating witnesses and evidence while calling the reports claims of crimes against humanity groundless, a press release by NKHR said.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS]
Under pressure: NK human rights come into spotlight
The United Nations is currently taking up the issue of human rights abuses in North Korea. What's the big deal and why are some trying to refer the matter to the International Criminal Court?
In a special edition of the Asia News Weekly on Korea Times podcast, host Steve Miller talks with Joanna Hosaniak, a Seoul-based activist who helped initiate the United Nation's recent push to hold Pyongyang accountable for its human rights abuses.
Michael Kirby, a former Australian judge led the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on North Korea's alleged human rights violations. In February, they produced a 372-page report.
It detailed wide-ranging abuses, including prison camps, systematic torture, starvation and killings comparable to Nazi-era atrocities. The report's publication prompted calls among Western states and their allies for punitive action against North Korea.
[Kirby]
N.Korea 'Whitewashing Notorious Prison Camp'
North Korea is secretly moving political prisoners out of its most notorious concentration camp in Yodok, in apparent preparation for a PR exercise showing that conditions are not as bad as reported, a source claimed.
"The regime is transferring the inmates one by one during the night so that their movement can't be detected by satellites," the source said Monday.
The regime aims to show the camp to foreigners looking like little more than a collective farm, the source added. "The regime will probably send farmers to the political prison camp to do the labor there," the source said.
North Korea has recently admitted the existence of "reform through labor" camps in response to a damning UN human rights report.
The inmates of the Yodok camp are being moved to several other prison camps, the source added.
Between 35,000 and 50,000 political prisoners have been held at Yodok, in remote North Hamgyeong Province, at different times.
[Human rights] [Prisoners]
A Cause for OptimismMichael Kirby in Hong Kong
By Byul Ryan-im | October 26, 2014
Screen grab of Justice Kirby speaking at a panel discussion on "The Human Rights Situation in North Korea." | Image: UN Web TV
>Screen grab of Justice Kirby speaking at a panel discussion on The Human Rights Situation in North Korea. | Image: UN Web TV
After an initial flurry of media attention on its release in February this year, the report of the UN Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into North Korean Human Rights seemed to reach a sticking point. Its evidence for systematic, widespread and grave violations of human rights was copious but what might come of it was far from clear. Indeed there rang an ominous silence from Geneva on the subject in the last few monthswould the report be condemned to some dusty shelf of a UN backroom whilst the horrors it outlined continued? Absolutely not, according to the Honorable Michael Kirby, chair of the CoI, who spoke on October 17 at a collaborative event held by the Law Faculties of The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
[Kirby] [UNUS]
North Korea Responds to the UN Commission of Inquiry
By David Hawk
16 October 2014
DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong at the United Nations (Photo: UN/Kim Haughton)
The UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) released its highly-critical report last February, of which, the findings and recommendations were strongly endorsed by UN Member States at the March UN Human Right Council meeting. In May, and then further in September and October, the DPRK responded to the COI with: 1) a report by the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies; 2) a dramatically revised approach to a UN human rights mechanism know as the Universal Period Review (UPR); and 3) a diplomatic counter-offensive at the current UN General Assembly (GA). 38 North evaluates these three COI-provoked North Korean responses to international criticism of its human policy and practices.
1. The Report of the DPRK Association for Human Rights Studies
In mid-September, North Korea released an official report presenting its defense of the situation of human rights in the DPRKa disappointing 75-page screed stringing together almost every Workers Party of Korea (WPK) trope and clich known to readers of KCNA, North Koreas official news agency. Readers of the Study Association report will learn that Pyongyang was the center of the first ancient state in East Asia, opening up a new era of civilization; that Kim Il Sung liberated Korea from the Japanese occupation; that the US started the Korean War but in a world-startling feat the Korean people won it; that the imperialist colony of south Korea[1] is still under US occupation; that there are separated families on the Korean peninsula because North Koreans fled to the south out of fear of a US nuclear attack on the DPRK, and so on. The Report identifies the UN COI as a marionette of the US and its satellite forces, and claims that this fabricated report is based on the testimonies of human scum and terrorist riffraff who have betrayed their homeland, where people enjoy a genuine life and happiness.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [NGO] [UNUS] [Shill]
N. Korea circulates its own draft U.N. resolution on human rights
North Korea circulated its own draft resolution on the country's human rights record at the United Nations on Wednesday in an effort to counter a separate proposal aimed at punishing the regime for its rights violations, diplomatic sources said.
Officials of the North's mission to the United Nations showed the draft resolution to some 60 diplomats invited from U.N. member states during a closed-door meeting at the U.N. headquarters earlier in the day, the sources said.
In the text, the North reportedly claimed it is making a lot of efforts to improve its human rights situation, including its signing of the Optional Protocol to Convention on the Rights of the Child aimed at ending child trafficking and prostitution.
It also said in the text the issue of human rights should not be abused for political purposes.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
Japan, EU Back U.N. Resolution to Refer North Korea to Criminal Court
AP Japan Times
Oct 10, 2014
UNITED NATIONS The European Union and Japan are encouraging the U.N. Security Council to follow the recommendations of a groundbreaking inquiry into North Koreas human rights and refer the countrys situation to the International Criminal Court.
Their draft resolution for the U.N. General Assemblys human rights committee, obtained Thursday, also presses for targeted sanctions after the U.N. commission of inquiry report earlier this year was harshly critical of the impoverished, reclusive regime.
In response, North Korea has circulated a letter to diplomats saying it will submit its own draft resolution on human rights. The letter obtained Thursday says the EU-Japan resolution immediately means confrontation, and it says Pyongyangs own draft will include a mention of the countrys free education and medical systems and the recent positive measures to improve relations with South Korea.
The commission of inquirys report sharply increased international pressure on North Koreas authoritarian government over its human rights situation, and a North Korean briefing this week at the U.N. on human rights was seen as an effort to get ahead of the expected General Assembly resolution.
The EU-Japan draft resolution is nonbinding and also needs approval by the 193-member General Assembly. Even if the more powerful Security Council takes up the recommendation to refer North Koreas situation to the ICC, the effort is expected to fail because China, North Koreas most powerful ally, would likely use its veto power as a permanent council member.
[Human rights] [ICC] [UNUS] [Manipulation]
N. Korea planning to submit its own human rights resolution at UN
Posted on : Oct.11,2014 14:15 KST
Plan being prompted by EU efforts to refer North Korea to an international judicial body
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
North Korea is expressing strong opposition to the efforts by the European Union (EU) to pass a human rights resolution that would recommend that the UN Security Council bring North Korean officials guilty of human rights abuses before an international judicial body.
On Oct. 9, the North Korean mission to the UN told member states that it was planning to submit a separate resolution about its human rights issues to the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, sources say.
North Korea apparently sent a letter to the countries that share its position informing them that it was going to submit a resolution related to its human rights issues, a source in the UN said on condition of anonymity. North Korea could draft a resolution on its own or prepare a draft along with other countries that sympathize with it.
When asked what the North Korean resolution would say, the diplomatic source in the UN said it could deny that there are any human rights issues in the country, or it could criticize the resolution drafted by the EU as being politically motivated and biased against a specific country.
[Human rights] [EU] [ICC]
UN could refer N. Korean human rights abuses to International Criminal Court
Posted on : Oct.10,2014 17:24 KST
Modified on : Oct.10,2014 17:31 KST
A resolution would have a difficult time being passed in the UN, due to likely opposition from China and Russia
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
The UN General Assembly is considering a motion to recommend that the UN Security Council refer those guilty of human rights abuses in North Korea to an international judicial body.
On Oct. 8, a draft of a resolution about North Korean human rights drafted by the European Union (EU) was circulated in a closed session of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly, the Hankyoreh confirmed. While the specific content of the draft was not made public, sources say that it was based on the resolution about North Korean human rights abuses that was passed by the UN Human Rights Council in March.
At the time, the council did not directly mention the International Criminal Court, but it did recommend that the UN Security Council refer those guilty of crimes against humanity to an international judicial body for prosecution.
This is the first time that the Third Committee - which is responsible for human rights, cultural and humanitarian issues - has considered a motion to refer those guilty of human rights abuses in North Korea to the International Criminal Court. Unlike the Human Rights Council, which has around 50 member states, the Third Committee includes all of the member states of the UN, and resolutions that are passed here are automatically passed in the General Assembly.
Our goal is to have the resolution passed at the end of November, after member states have discussed it. The content of the draft could change during this process, a source at the UN said on condition of anonymity.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS] [ICC]
N. Korean foreign minister slams Security Council, stresses right to nukes
Criticism centers on UN inaction over joint U.S.-ROK drills, U.S. bombardment of Syria
September 28th, 2014
Matthew Russell Lee
NEW YORK North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong took to the floor of the United Nations General Assembly Saturday to reiterate Pyongyangs right to nuclear weapons and slam U.S. airstrikes in Syria.
Ri also blasted the UN for not addressing the Norths complaint against joint U.S.-South Korea military drills.
Those provocative joint military operations against the DPRK were forcibly conducted in March April and in August as well, Ri told a mostly empty UN General Assembly. The government of the DPRK officially referred to the Security Council the issue of suspending such war exercises.
However, Ri said the Security Council turned its back.
Regarding Syria, Ri said not a single act should be allowed in any case to encroach upon the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria under the disguise of counter-terrorism. The Security Council should no longer serve as a forum for telling lies.
On August 20 then-President of the Security Council Mark Lyall Grant told the press that China had raised the letter from the North Korean ambassador, which requested a Security Council meeting on the U.S.-ROK Ulchi Freedom Guardian Drills, to the UN.
However, Grant said there was no support for discussions on the issue. The Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises took place August 18-28.
Ri also criticized Israels military operations in the Gaza Strip this past summer, as well as U.S. support for Israel and UN inaction toward it.
The Security Council simply ignores civilian killings of the Palestinian people by Israel under the patronage of a permanent member state, but selectively takes issue with only the Syrian government in defense of the sovereignty and stability of the country, Ri said. This unjust practice cannot be tolerated.
Ri asserted DPRKs right to nuclear weapons for defense purposes.
The nuclear issue of the Korean peninsula is a matter of sovereignty and right to life of a UN member state before peace and security, he said. The decision to acquire nuclear arms was made inevitable by the hostile policy of the U.S., Ri said.
The nuclear deterrent of the DPRK is not intended to threaten or attack others. Neither is it a bargaining chip to be exchange for something else.
However, Ri said the North has and will continue to fulfill its responsibility and role as an independent UN member by steadfastly adhering to these ideals in UN activities.
Earlier in the day, Ri met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is also the former foreign minister of South Korea. Later, the UN put out a statement expressing appreciation for Ris participation in the Climate Change Summit and the General Debate. Of the latter, it was the first time the North had participated in 15 years, the statement said.
The UN did not specify the content of Ris letter.
According to the UN statement, Ban told Ri he hopes that all outstanding issues will be resolved through dialogue to improve relations on the Korean Peninsula, and also expressed concern about the humanitarian situation.
[UNUS] [Double standards]
UN chief to meet NK's top diplomat
By Yi Whan-woo
Ban Ki-moon
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong on Saturday to discuss issues on the Korean Peninsula, a U.N. source said Monday.
Developing Nations Set to Hit Back at New York City Banks
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 8 2014 (IPS) - The Group of 77, the largest single coalition of developing countries, is hitting back at New York City banks that arbitrarily cancelled the accounts of more than 70 overseas diplomatic missions, leaving ambassadors, senior and junior diplomats and non-diplomatic staff without banking facilities.
The 193-member General Assembly is expected to adopt a resolution, a copy of which was obtained by IPS, which requests Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon to review and report back within 150 days any impediments or obstacles with respect to the accounts opened by the Permanent Missions of Member and Observer States or their staff in the City of New York.
"If it is true that JP Morgan Chase is closing those accounts...I believe the United Nations should refrain from having any business with that bank and the host country should join the discriminated member states in protesting this action." -- Barbara Tavora-Jainchill
The largest number of diplomatic accounts was in one of the biggest banks in the U.S. J.P. Morgan Chase which was once housed in the U.N. secretariat as Chemical Bank and considered part of the extended U.N. family.
Relenting to pressure from the United States, the resolution does not single out Chase by name although it did so in the original draft which was revised after several rounds of closed-door negotiations since last May.
The closure of accounts was triggered by a request from the U.S. treasury, which wanted all banks to meticulously report every single transaction of over 70 blacklisted U.N. diplomatic missions, and individual diplomats perhaps as part of a monitoring system to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.
But the banks have said such an elaborate exercise is administratively expensive and cumbersome.
And as a convenient alternative, they closed down all accounts, shutting off banks from the diplomatic community in New York.
[UNUS] [Treasury] [Legality] [Dissension]
N. Korean foreign minister to speak at the UN
Posted on : Sep.1,2014 11:57 KST
Late September appearance appears to be part of an active diplomatic push by Ri Su-yong
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
North Koreas foreign minister is scheduled to give a keynote speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in late September.
According to UN sources, foreign minister Ri Su-yong, 79, is registered to deliver the speech on Sept. 30, the last day of the General Assembly period that begins on Sept. 24.
If Ri does attend and give the speech as scheduled, it would be the first US visit by a North Korean foreign minister in fifteen years. His decision to give a speech before the assembly is seen as unusual, as such duties have typically been handled by deputy ministers for the UN in the past. The only foreign ministers to deliver keynote speeches in the past were Deputy Prime Minister Kim Yong-nam in 1992, the year after North Korea joined the UN, and Paek Nam-sun in 1999.
Ris unexpected UN appearance could be an attempt at a breakthrough in relations with Washington. But the prospects for a meeting with the US or any other event appear unlikely, given the chilly state of relations right now and the fact that the North Korean foreign minister is not in charge of duties related to the Norths nuclear issues.
If North Korea and the US had wanted to hold foreign ministers talks, the ASEAN Regional Forum in mid-August would have been a much better stage than the UN General Assembly, said a diplomatic source in Washington, adding that US relations and the nuclear issue are handled in the North Korean Foreign Ministry by First Vice Minister Kim Kye-gwan and Vice Minister Ri Yong-ho, not by Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong.
Many foreign affairs observers in Washington and New York said Ris visit looked to be part of an aggressive diplomatic strategy in Pyongyang.
N. Korea's new foreign minister leaves his mark on international forum
August 13, 2014
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
SEOUL--North Korea's new foreign minister hit the diplomatic circuit in earnest at a key ASEAN conference in Myanmar, in an apparent effort to end Pyongyang's international isolation.
The one-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations' Regional Forum held Aug. 10 in Naypyidaw was one of the largest gatherings Ri Su Yong has attended since he assumed his new role in April.
The United States, China and other key countries sent representatives to the meeting.
Ri, who arrived in Naypyidaw on Aug. 9, used the occasion to criticize the United States for its hard-line stance over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. He also held a succession of bilateral meetings, a strategy apparently aimed at expanding the scope of the reclusive country's diplomacy.
DPRK FM Meets His Foreign Counterparts
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong separately met his Malaysian, Indonesian, Sri Lankan and Canadian counterparts and the minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Brunei, deputy prime minister who doubles as minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, the minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia, a vice-foreign minister of Russia and the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and discussed issues of bilateral relations on Aug. 9. He attended the ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar at the head of the DPRK delegation.
He met and had conversation with the Japanese foreign minister on Sunday.
N. Korea's FM arrives in Myanmar for security forum
North Korea's new foreign minister arrived in Myanmar on Saturday to join Asia's biggest security forum that brings together his counterparts from the five other nations involved in the long-stalled talks on ending the North's nuclear ambitions.
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong, who became the North's top diplomat in April, landed in the capital of Myanmar for the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which will be held on Sunday.
The ARF forum has been regarded as an important venue for discussion on North Korea as it involves all member countries of the six-party talks that are aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program.
Upon arrival at the airport and later at his hotel, Ri and his delegation did not take questions from reporters.
Mongolia Intermediary And Partner Of North Korea
Mongolia was the second country after the USSR to recognize the formation of the North Korean state. Naturally, the Mongolian Peoples Republic and North Korea, as organic parts of the socialist community of nations, developed multilateral cooperation between them and assisted one another. For example, immediately after the Korean War, Mongolia sheltered in more than 200 orphans from North Korea. But even after Mongolia has transitioned to democracy, Ulaanbaatar continued with its charitable actions, repeatedly providing food aid to North Korea when it experienced difficulties there.
[Mongolia] [Clich]
N.Korean FM to Tour Southeast Asia
Ri Su-yong
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong is going on a tour of ASEAN member countries, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday.
A North Korean "government delegation led by Ri left Pyongyang Saturday to visit Laos, Vietnam, Burma, Indonesia and Singapore," the KCNA added.
Ri will go to fellow communist countries Laos and Vietnam first and then attend the ASEAN Regional Forum in Burma on Aug. 10, followed by visits to Indonesia and Singapore.
Ri hopes to strengthen relations to break away from the diplomatic isolation caused by international sanctions.
Ri will bump into South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se during the ASEAN Regional Forum. At the previous ARF in Brunei in July last year, then North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun just shook hands with Yun, but they did not speak.
Ri is also expected to meet with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and talk about a reinvestigation of the Norths bizarre abduction campaign of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s.
Ri could also meet a U.S. official at the forum. Recently, the North expressed hopes of dialogue with the U.S and released interviews with two American tourists detained by the regime for proselytizing.
The need to free them could persuade the U.S. to agree to a meeting.
[ARF]
North Korea, Hamas, and Hezbollah: Arm in Arm?
By Andrea Berger
05 August 2014
North Koreas arms exports to US-designated terrorist organizations in the Middle East have made headlines twice recently. On July 23, 2014, a US district court ruled that North Korea and Iran are liable for damages because they provided material support and assistance to Hezbollah, which enabled the latters rocket attacks during the 2006 war with Israel. Only a few days later, the Daily Telegraph claimed that Hamas, looking for ways to replenish its stocksbecause of large numbers it has fired at Israel in recent weeks, is negotiating a new arms deal with North Korea.
These two developments highlight the historical, and possibly continuing, arms relationship between North Korea and non-state actors in the Middle East. A general consensus among analysts is that today, North Koreas dominant motivation for arms sales is the possible financial gaina driver which may well apply to North Koreas provision of weaponry to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Yet the picture appears to be more complex than mere economics. As Balazs Szalontai at Kookmin University has also noted, Pyongyangs relationships with non-state groups have historically tended to form part of their relationship with a state friend, in this case, Iran and Syria.[1] North Koreas desire to show they are in the same trench with friendly governments by helping their clients, may complement economic motivations for the sale. By extension, such assistance therefore also contributes to North Koreas foreign policy goals by undermining the strength of its enemies.
[Anti-colonialism] [Israel] [Solidarity]
Cracks in the North Korea Iran Axis
Elements of dissonance in the rhetoric of the Tehran-Pyongyang partnership
August 5th, 2014
Balazs Szalontai
1
Since the end of the Cold War, and particularly after 9/11, North Koreas partnership with the Islamic Republic of Iran has attracted increasing attention in the United States, Israel and South Korea, both among scholars and policymakers. In the sphere of academic research, Bruce Bechtol, Baek Seung Joo, Joseph S. Bermudez, Mark Fitzpatrick, Siegfried S. Hecker, Kenneth Katzman, Alon Levkowitz, Christina Y. Lin, Joshua Pollack, Barry Rubin and Rinn-Sup Shinn have made impressive efforts to describe and evaluate the security threats emanating from the Iranian-DPRK alliance. In the field of politics, President George W. Bushs Axis of Evil speech (January 29, 2002) instantly brought the Iranian-North Korean relationship into the international limelight, even though it provided little specific information about the nature of cooperation between Tehran and Pyongyang.
[Iran] [Acceptance] [MISCOM]
NK worker under probe in Qatar for illegal liquor selling
Qatar police apprehended a North Korean guest worker for illegal manufacture and sales of alcohols, Voice of America (VOA) quoted Gulf Times, Qatar's English daily, Friday.
Gulf Times citied multiple sources claiming that the arrested North Korean, whose name was unidentified, has been working as a translator in one company that recruits North Korean laborers in Qatar.
The Qatar daily didn't specify where the company belongs to, only hinting it works for one of the countries in Gulf Corporation Council (GCC), VOA reported.
GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to investigators, the translator faced allegations on selling fabricated liquors to North Korean and other countries' workers, and circulating drugs that were found in his car.
DPRK blasts UN's criticism of missile launches
Xinhua, July 20, 2014
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will further build up its strength to protect itself if the UN Security Council fails to perform its duty in a fair and just manner, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
All military measures taken by the Korean People's Army, including firing tactical rockets, are the exercise of its right to protect the sovereignty and security of the country against the U.S. nuclear threat, the ministry said in a statement, which slammed a note released to the press by the UN Security Council that called the DPRK's missiles launch "violation of its resolutions."
The Security Council, whose mission is to ensure global peace and security, should question the joint military drills by the United States and South Korea rather than overlook the "U.S. nuclear threat and war maneuvers," it said.
The United States staged Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises with South Korea, and conducted a joint landing exercise and a joint aerial maneuver, despite a series of peaceful proposals made by the DPRK side, according to the statement carried by the official KCNA news agency.
If the UN Security Council serves the purpose of the U.S. hostile moves against it, the DPRK is left with no option but to intensify its own efforts to protect itself, it noted.
The statement also warned the DPRK will take counter actions, including firing tactical rockets and holding other military drills on an annual and regular basis, if the United States and South Korea persist in their joint military maneuvers.
The DPRK has launched more than 90 short- and medium-range missiles and shells since Feb. 21.
The UN spokesperson's office released a note Thursday, saying these launches clearly violate the resolutions of the Security Council banning the DPRK from conducting any launch using ballistic missile technology.
[UNUS] [Missiles] [Warning] [US joint military]
UN condemns North Koreas recent missile launches
Posted on : Jul.19,2014 17:15 KST
A photo released on July 10 by the Korean Central News Agency showing the test launch of a rocket. (KCNA/Yonhap News)
Criticism is unusual, given that North Koreas recent launches were of short-range missiles
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
On July 17, the UN Security Council (UNSC) criticized North Koreas repeated short-range ballistic missile launches as a violation of the councils resolutions on North Korea.
Eugene Gasana, UN Ambassador for Rwanda, the country that is currently chairing the council, met with reporters following closed-door deliberations on Thursday. "The members of the Security Council condemned these launches . . . and urged the DPRK (North Korea) to fully comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions," the ambassador said.
The four existing UNSC resolutions about North Korea (1718, 1874, 2087, and 2094) forbid it from launching any projectile that uses ballistic missile technology.
The response made by the UNSC on Thursday took the form of a verbal statement to the press, in which the UNSC chair explains to the press what the council members discussed. Since the statement was not recorded, it is the mildest form of censure that the UNSC can give.
[UNUS] [Missiles]
N.Korean FM Makes Unscheduled Stop in Switzerland
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong reportedly spent more than a week in Switzerland without any official schedule on his return from a tour of the Middle East and Africa.
Ri had visited Ethiopia, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar after leaving Pyongyang on May 24. He arrived in Switzerland on June 20 and stayed there for more than a week, a diplomatic source in Seoul said Tuesday.
The source pointed out that Ri is a former ambassador to Switzerland, where he managed former leader Kim Jong-il's slush fund and served as a guardian for Kim Jong-un.
No North Korean media reported on his visit to Switzerland, giving rise to speculation that he was busy sorting out Kim Jong-un's numbered accounts.
N.Korea Complains to UN Over Hollywood Movie
North Korea has sent a letter of protest to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about a Hollywood comedy about an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, according to Voice of America on Wednesday.
In the letter to Ban dated June 27, North Korean Ambassador to the UN Ja Song-nam argues that film "The Interview" is an insult to Kim. The fact that the U.S. allowed such film to be made is "the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as a war action," he added.
He insisted the U.S. must bear the full responsibility for sponsoring and supporting terrorism.
Produced by Columbia Pictures, the film revolves around an American TV talk show host who visits Pyongyang for an exclusive interview with Kim and is tasked by the ICA to assassinate him.
It stars James Franco and Seth Rogan and is slated for release in the U.S. in October.
When a trailer for the film was released late last month, the North Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement threatening a "resolute and merciless response" if it is released.
The statement was attached to Ja's letter. He requested Ban to circulate the letter and statement at the UN General Assembly and Security Council meetings.
[Propaganda] [Assassination]
ICC refuses to open investigation on North Korea's crimes
Updated: 2014-06-24 AM 10:12:20 (KST)
The International Criminal Court has refused to open an probe into whether North Korea should face war crime charges for attacking the South.
The court's chief prosecutor said Monday there was "no reasonable basis to initiate an investigation" into two deadly incidents in 2010,.. an artillery attack on Yeonpyeong-do Island and the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, which together killed nearly 50 South Koreans.
Both Seoul and an international enquiry blamed the sinking of the warship on a torpedo fired by the North.
[ICC] [Cheonan] [Yeonpyeong]
Republic of Korea
The ROK is a State Party to the Rome Statute since 13 November 2002. The Court may therefore exercise jurisdiction over Rome Statute crimes occurring on the territory of ROK or by its nationals from 1 February 2003 onwards. Pursuant to Article 12(2), the territorial jurisdiction of the Court includes alleged crimes occurring on board a vessel or aircraft registered in a State Party.
On 6 December 2010, the Office announced that it had opened a preliminary examination to assess whether there was a reasonable basis to believe that two incidents that occurred in 2010 in the Yellow Sea, namely the sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, on 26 March 2010 and the shelling of South Koreas Yeonpyeong Island on 23 November 2010, could amount to war crimes.
In accordance with Article 15, the Office sought additional information on the two incidents from multiple sources, including from the Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea) and the Government of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). Up to and including 01 June 2013, theOffice has received 27 communications under Article 15 of the Rome Statute which were analysed in the course of the preliminary examination.
Considering the information provided by the ROK and the lack of information from North Korea, the Office will continue assessing whether there is a reasonable basis to believe that the alleged attacks constitute crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court following which it will make its final determination.
[ICC] [Cheonan] [Yeonpyeong]
Joint MFA-MHA Press Statement in response to media queries about the criminal charges filed against the Singapore-registered company Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Limited
In response to media queries about the criminal charges filed against the Singapore-registered company Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Limited, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs issued the following statement:
In January this year, Singapore received information that a Singapore-registered company had been implicated in the shipment of arms and related materiel bound for the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) from Cuba that was interdicted by Panama in July 2013.
The Government of Singapore immediately launched an investigation into this case. The Singapore Police Force has completed its investigation and the Public Prosecutor has filed criminal charges against Chinpo Shipping Company (Private) Limited and a Singapore citizen, Tan Hui Tin. The parties have been charged in Court for the offences on 10 June 2014. The nature of the criminal charges can be ascertained from the charge sheets, available upon request from the Attorney-Generals Chambers.
Singapore takes a serious view of our international obligations to prevent the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), their means of delivery and related materials. As a responsible member of the international community, Singapore has given full effect in our domestic legislation to the measures prescribed by United Nations Security Council resolutions and will take action against any individuals and/or companies that flout these.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
Congratulations to Syrian President
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- Supreme leader Kim Jong Un Thursday sent a congratulatory message to Bashar Al-Assad upon his re-election as president of Syria.
The message extended warm congratulations to him upon his re-election as president of Syria thanks to the support and trust of the Syrian people.
It said that the election marked an important occasion in the struggle of the Syrian people to meet all challenges of the imperialists and hostile forces and protect the sovereignty and security of the country.
The message wished the president greater success in his responsible work to build an independent, peaceful and prosperous Syria.
Data on Human Rights Abuses of U.S. and S. Korea Distributed as Official Document of UNGA and UNSC
Pyongyang, June 4 (KCNA) -- A memorandum, white paper and article on human rights abuses by the U.S. and south Korea were distributed as official document A/68/869-S/2014/321 of the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council on June 2.
The memorandum titled "We lay bare and condemn unprecedented crimes committed by the U.S. against the Korean nation" was released by the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea and the North Headquarters of the Nationwide Special Committee for Probing the Truth behind GIs' Massacres.
The white paper titled "We disclose the world's poorest human rights record in south Korea" was issued by the National Reunification Institute and the Measure Council for Human Rights in South Korea.
The article was released by KCNA under the title "Bitter confession and Poorest Human Rights Record in U.S."
[Human rights]
North to Consider UNHRC Recommendations
Jin Dong Hyeok, intern | 2014-05-07 13:08
The United Nations Human Rights Council [UNHRC] has presented North Korea with 268 recommendations to improve human rights in the country, 185 of which the North has said it will consider.
The recommendations were presented in Geneva on the 6th after a Universal Periodic Review [UPR], set to be made public at the upcoming UNHRC meeting in September.
North Koreas ambassador to the United Nations So Se Pyong later slammed the move as a work of prejudice and a misunderstanding of the Republic.
Nevertheless, the North has agreed to review 185 of the recommendations put forth and is expected to let the council know of its decision prior to the September meeting.
[Human rights] [UNUS]
Loopholes in UN Sanctions against North Korea
By Hugh Griffiths and Lawrence Dermody
06 May 2014
The latest United Nations report on North Korean sanctions has once again highlighted the role of foreign companies in cases of UN sanctions evasion. The March 2014 report by the independent Panel of Experts assigned to monitor sanctions against the DPRK on behalf of the UN noted the widespread involvement of foreign companies.
A new SIPRI study backs up the UN report and goes further, showing that foreign company involvement in North Korean sanctions violations is not new and is more than just a trendforeign companies and individuals travelling on foreign passports constitute an overwhelming majority of those identified as involved in the violation of both multilateral and unilateral sanctions dating as far back as 2004.While the majority of companies and individuals identified as involved in sanctions violations are either registered abroad or hold foreign passports, the international community continues to overwhelmingly target companies and individuals registered in North Korea. This targeting takes the form of designations by which the United Nations and the European Union together with countries such as Australia, Japan and the US order asset freezes on particular companies, as well as trade bans, and slap travel bans on named individuals traveling on North Korean passports.
[Sanctions] [Sweden] [NGO] [UNUS]
Kim Yong Nam Greets King of Netherlands
Pyongyang, April 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a message of greeting to Willem Alexander, king of the Kingdom of Netherlands, on its national day.
The message extended congratulations to the king and the people of the Netherlands and wished the country development and prosperity.
North Korea erupts with anti-gay tirade against UN Human Rights Chair
KCNA calls Kirby a "disgusting old lecher with a 40-odd-year-long career of homosexuality"
April 22nd, 2014
Hamish Macdonald
North Korean state media on Tuesday erupted with an inflammatory, anti-gay editorial targeting chairperson of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) into Human Rights in North Korea, Michael Kirby.
The Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said it was ridiculous that Kirby, a disgusting old lecher with a 40-odd-year-long career of homosexuality, should be responsible for investigating human rights.
It is ridiculous for such gay to sponsor dealing with others human rights issue, the KCNA said, suggesting Kirby had fabricated a recent UN report on human rights abuses in North Korea.
The KCNA also attempted to further discredit Kirby by citing his wish to marry his long term partner of over 40 years, Johan van Vloten. He is now over seventy, but he is still anxious to get married to his homosexual partner, the KCNA said.
Kirby served as the first openly gay judge of the High Court of Australia and was appointed as chair of the UN COI in 2013, which in March 2014 published a damning, 372 page report on human rights abuses in North Korea.
Last Thursday Kirby advised the UN Security Council to refer North Korea to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for possible prosecution of North Korean officials, including Kim Jong Un.
[Kirby]
Interview: Ebrahim Ebrahim on SA relations with North Korea
Khadija Patel
World
25 Nov 2013 10:58 (South Africa)
KHADIJA PATEL sat down for a cup of coffee and a chat about North Korea with South Africas Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-operation, Ebrahim Ebrahim.
Deputy Minister of International Relations and Co-Operation Ebrahim Ebrahim caused quite a flap recently when he visited Pyongyang. Human rights agencies pressed the South African delegation to raise human rights issues with their North Korean counterparts. Others were perplexed: is North Korea the type of company we really want to keep on the international stage?
Daily Maverick: Apart from the satisfaction of thumbing ones nose at the West, just what does South Africa hope to gain from relations with North Korea?
Ebrahim Ebrahim: We have diplomatic relations with them like we have diplomatic relations with many other countries in the world. And of course NK has a history of supporting the liberation movement in the past. And when we have diplomatic relations with a country there are obviously visits. With NK, unfortunately we have not had any high level visits. The last visit was by Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad in 2005. And they kept inviting us, their deputy minister came to see us, and I think even the South Koreans were keen that we visit NK
[South Africa]
'Mandela legacy applicable to NK'
South African Ambassador to Korea Hilton Dennis smiles during an interview with The Korea Times at the embassy in Seoul, last Monday.
/ Korea Times
By Kang Hyun-kyung
The late South African leader Nelson Mandela has left a lasting legacy that might be applicable to the Korean Peninsula as South Korea seeks to achieve unification.
On April 14, South African Ambassador to Korea Hilton Dennis said that the legacy boils down to conditioned forgiveness that oppressors will be forgiven if they repent and make full disclosure of their wrongdoings.
[South Africa]
UN Security Council Discusses N.Korean Rights Abuses
The UN Security Council met at UN Headquarters in New York on Thursday to discuss human rights violations in North Korea. This is the first time the council has discussed the matter, since permanent member China is a close ally of the North and has usually resisted drawing attention to it.
Michael Kirby, a former Australian High Court judge who led the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, briefed council during the two-hour meeting. He reportedly called on the international community should intervene under the "responsibility to protect" doctrine as the North Korean regime has failed its people.
There were reportedly calls in the meeting to bring those responsible in North Korea to justice at the International Criminal Court. But that would need an official UNSC resolution, and China is likely to exercise its veto.
The meeting also heard from North Korean defectors Shin Dong-hyuk, who was born in a concentration camp in South Pyongan Province and escaped in 2005, and Lee Hyeon-seo. Both urged the council to take the initiative in resolving the human rights issues in North Korea.
The meeting was held in the form of an informal discussion at the proposal of Australia, which is a non-permanent member, and permanent members France and the U.S. The format is chosen when member states want to discuss issues that are likely to provoke divisive views.
[Kirby] [ICC]
UN security council urged to target North Korean officials over atrocities
Inquiry head Michael Kirby says leaders should be hit with sanctions and referred to international criminal court
Agence France-Presse
theguardian.com, Friday 18 April 2014 03.00 BST
The United Nations security council should slap targeted sanctions on North Korean officials responsible for grave human rights abuses and refer them to the international criminal court (ICC), the head of a special UN inquiry said on Thursday.
The retired Australian judge Michael Kirby told an informal meeting of the security council convened by Australia, France and the United States he wanted leading members of the reclusive regime hauled before the ICC for prosecution.
"More monitoring and engagement alone cannot suffice in the face of crimes that shock the conscience of humanity," Kirby said. "Perpetrators must be held accountable, it is necessary to deter further crimes."
North Korea did not send a representative and the meeting was snubbed by China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, and Russia.
[Kirby] [ICC]
Front companies, embassies mask North Korean weapons trade - U.N
By James Pearson
SEOUL Tue Mar 11, 2014 7:34am EDT
(Reuters) - North Korea has developed sophisticated ways to circumvent U.N. sanctions, including the suspected use of its embassies to facilitate an illegal trade in weapons, a United Nations report issued on Tuesday said.
It said North Korea was also making use of more complicated financial countermeasures and techniques "pioneered by drug-trafficking organizations" that made tracking the isolated state's purchase of prohibited goods more difficult.
The report, compiled by a panel of eight U.N. experts, is part of an annual accounting of North Korea's compliance with layers of U.N. sanctions imposed in response to Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons and missile programs. The panel reports to the U.N. Security Council.
"From the incidents analyzed in the period under review, the panel has found that (North Korea) makes increasing use of multiple and tiered circumvention techniques," a summary of the 127-page report said.
[Trade] [Sanctions] [UNUS] [Arms sales]
After the COI: Four Next Steps
By David Hawk
11 April 2014
With the March 26, 2014 adoption by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) of a new resolution about the Situation of human rights in the DPRK,[1] the governments of the world have begun the process of endorsing, by a landslide majority, the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on the unparalleled human rights violations in the DPRK. Thirty governments voted yes[2] to the HRC resolution initially co-sponsored by the European Union and Japan, with only six governments voting no.[3] Eleven governments abstained on the measure.[4]
The Human Rights Council is a 47 Member State subsidiary body of the 193 Member State General Assembly. The COI had been requested by the March 2013 session of the HRC. The 400-page report[5] released to the press on February 17, 2014 and presented at the Council on March 17, relentlessly catalogues North Koreas human rights violations.[6] The COIs principle conclusion is that many of the catalogued human rights violations constitute crimes against humanity.[7]
[Human rights] [UNUS]
UN "Resolution on Human Rights" against DPRK Rejected: FM Spokesman
Pyongyang, March 31 (KCNA) -- The spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Sunday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as regards the adoption of the "resolution" against the DPRK at the UN Human Rights Council:
The 25th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council released a "report" of the "Commission of Inquiry" on the human rights situation in the DPRK and railroaded a "resolution" against it.
The DPRK has not recognized the CI grouping political swindlers, marionettes of the U.S. and the West, and totally opposes and rejects the above-said resolution, a product of the vicious hostile policy towards it.
Unable to bring down the DPRK by taking issue with it over its nuclear issue only, the U.S. and other hostile forces are making false facts in succession in a bid to intensify "human rights racket" against it to invent an excuse for interfering in its internal affairs and topple down its social system.
[Kirby] [ICC] [Iraq] [Double standards]
DPRK FM Blasts UN for Taking Issue with DPRK over Its Justifiable Rocket Launching Drills
Pyongyang, March 30 (KCNA) -- The Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Sunday issued the following statement blasting the United Nations for its illegal action of taking issue with the justifiable rocket launching drills conducted by the Korean People's Army (KPA):
The sincere efforts of the DPRK to prevent a new war and ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula are facing a grave challenge of the hostile forces.
The UN Security Council at a closed-door consultative meeting held on Mar. 28 at the urgent request of the U.S. committed an illegal provocative act of "denouncing" the DPRK's justifiable rocket launching drills for no reason.
The drills were self-defensive military drills of the KPA to cope with the grave situation created by the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK which has been pursued for the past several decades and the evermore intensified exercises for a nuclear war.
The climate for detente is being created on the Korean peninsula thanks to the proactive and peace-loving sincere efforts of the DPRK this year. Nevertheless, the U.S. kicked off the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises with south Korean puppet forces with huge aggression forces and destructive weapons involved.
[Joint US military] [UNUS] [Response]
UN Gen Assembly adopts resolution backing Ukraine's territorial integrity
Published time: March 27, 2014 15:59
Edited time: March 27, 2014 17:26
/
The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted for a resolution submitted by Ukraine denouncing the referendum in Crimea that made the Black Sea peninsula an integral part of the Russian Federation.
One hundred UN member countries voted in favor of the resolution, while 11 voted against and 58 abstained.
As well as Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe voted against the resolution.
The resolution "affirms commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders."
It also calls on UN member states to desist and refrain from actions aimed at the partial or total disruption of Ukraines national unity.
[Ukraine] [UNUS]
Algerian Leader Mocked as Kim Jong-un 'Wannabe'
/Courtesy of Le Matin /Courtesy of Le Matin
The Algerian newspaper Le Matin has upset the country's long-time president Abdelaziz Bouteflika with a doctored image that shows him looking like North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The paper printed the image after the Bouteflika (77) said he would run for office for a fourth term, the BBC reported Tuesday.
The picture shows Bouteflika with Kim's distinctive close-cut hairstyle.
Bouteflika has been in power since 1999. In 2009, he was elected for a third five-year term after abolishing the constitutional term limit. He recently announced his plan to run for a fourth term but suffered a stroke in April last year and has rarely appeared in public since then.
[Image]
UN Sanctions Committee Finds No Violation In WIPO Shipments To North Korea
Published on 24 September 2012 @ 4:20 pm
The World Intellectual Property Organization did not violate United Nations sanctions on North Korea when it shipped computers and equipment to the country as technical assistance, a UN sanctions committee has found. It did suggest that WIPO should have consulted the committee before making the shipments, but accepted WIPOs plan for review and consultation in the future.
The decision was made public by WIPO today, as it issued a press release containing a two-page letter from the committee.
[Sanctions] [ICT]
North Korea using complex web to evade arms sanctions, says UN report
Embassies, foreign shell companies and reflagged ships used in cases such as Cuban arms haul found on freighter in Panama
Reuters in Seoul
theguardian.com, Thursday 13 March 2014 04.05 GMT
North Korea has developed sophisticated ways to circumvent United Nations weapons sanctions, including the suspected use of its embassies to facilitate illegal trade, a United Nations report has found.
It said North Korea was also making use of more complicated financial countermeasures and techniques pioneered by drug- trafficking organisations that made tracking the isolated states purchase of prohibited goods more difficult.
The eight-member expert panel responsible for the report said it found a relatively complex corporate ecosystem of foreign-based firms and individuals that helped North Korea evade scrutiny of its assets as well as its financial and trade dealings.
In some of the most comprehensive evidence presented publicly against Pyongyangs embassies, the report said the missions in Cuba and Singapore were suspected of organising an illegal shipment of Cuban fighter jets and missile parts that were seized on a North Korean container ship in Panama last July.
[Arms sales] [UNUS] [Double standards]
DPRK denies role in oil tanker incident in Libya
Xinhua, March 13, 2014
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has denied responsibility for a DPRK-flagged oil tanker that was suspected of smuggling crude oil from Libya in collaboration with rebels.
The oil tanker, Morning Glory, is an Egyptian ship, which was temporarily using the DPRK flag for six months under a contract with Pyongyang, a spokesman for the Maritime Administration was quoted by the official KCNA news agency as saying.
The DPRK, upon receiving news of the incident, de-registered the ship owned by the Golden East Logistics Company of Egypt, the spokesman said Wednesday.
"The DPRK formally notified the Libyan government and the International Maritime Organization that it canceled and deleted the ship's DPRK registry and invalidated all the certificates as the ship violated the DPRK's law on the registry of ships and the contract that prohibited it from transporting contraband cargo and entering the warring, dispute-torn or natural disaster-affected areas," said the spokesman.
"Therefore, the ship has nothing to do with the DPRK at present and it has no responsibility whatsoever as regards the ship."
Rangoon Bombing Memorial to Be Unveiled in Late April
A memorial for the victims of the 1983 Rangoon bombing by North Korean agents will be unveiled in late April.
"The Rangoon provincial government gave the go-ahead for the construction of the memorial monument last Friday," a Foreign Ministry official here said Tuesday. "The unveiling can take place in late April or early May" assuming the groundwork takes about a month before the monument is transported and installed there.
The governments of the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding late last year to erect the monument near the security guard house in the Aung San National Cemetery to South Korea. But some resistance within Burma delayed the project.
In a meeting in Seoul on Feb. 27, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and his Burmese counterpart U Wunna Maung Lwin agreed to continue the project as scheduled.
Yun and the families of the victims are expected to attend the unveiling. The monument will be set on a 257.4 sq.m lot near the north gate of the cemetery, overlooking the site of the bombing.
N.Korean Tanker Ignores Libyan Warnings
A tanker bearing the North Korean flag loaded fuel at a rebel-controlled port in Libya on Saturday, apparently unfazed by threats of the Libyan government to fire on the ship.
A spokesman for the National Oil Corporation of Libya said the vessel, named Morning Glory, began loading fuel at the eastern port of Sidra.
The rebels, who are demanding greater autonomy, gained control of three major ports in eastern Libya in August last year, dealing a severe blow to the strife-torn country's oil exports. The Libyan government is furious at attempts by some rebels to export oil themselves.
In this screen grab from KBS, a tanker bearing the North Korean flag lies at anchor in the rebel-controlled port of Sidra in Libya on Saturday. In this screen grab from KBS, a tanker bearing the North Korean flag lies at anchor in the rebel-controlled port of Sidra in Libya on Saturday.
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan on Saturday threatened to shell the North Korean tanker and issued arrest warrants for the ship's crew unless they abandoned the attempt by 2 p.m., but the deadline passed without further action.
Sources said that although the tanker carries the North Korean flag, it may not be associated with the isolated country.
Human Rights in DPRK and the UN commission Part 1
This is for the third time that we turn to the subject of the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights in North Korea, under the leadership of former Justice of the High Court of Australia, Michael Kirby. On February 17, 2014, a 372-page report on human rights violations in North Korea was finally published on the website of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
As it was expected, the Commission has established the fact of crimes against humanity in the country. Based on an inspection, which lasted about a year, and based on the testimony of eighty witnesses, representatives of international organizations gathered some evidence confirming facts of the killing of people in the DPRK, as well as the facts of forced removal of people from South Korea and Japan. The completed list of crimes includes extermination, murder, enslavement, torture, imprisonment, rape, forced abortion and other forms of sexual violence, persecution on political, religious, racial and gender grounds, forced displacement, disappearances and blatant acts of inhuman organization of conscious long famine periods.
[Kirby]
Human Rights in DPRK and the UN commission Part 2
Kirby hopes that the materials of the Commission will activate the international community. Guided by their sense of justice, the committee members even wrote a three-page letter to Kim Jong-un, summarizing their investigation and pointing out that, in their opinion, the authorities are indulging in the commission of crimes. They proposed to Kim to have the situation in North Korea examined in the International Criminal Court, and thus to assist in collecting data on everyone, including perhaps Kim (officials committed crimes, in some cases, under your personal control), who may be responsible for crimes against humanity as described in this letter and the report of the commission.
Explaining the reasons for writing this letter, Kirby told reporters that such a person as the young general has a large share of responsibility. If he is in the centre of the system, he has power to change the situation. From the outside, this almost sounds nice, but in fact, it is absurd. Kim Jong-un is invited to write a denunciation on himself, or once again to show himself as a tyrant who does not want to cooperate with international justice.
[Kirby]
Demonising the DPRK
Editorial
From the day of its foundation, the DPRK (North Korea) hasnt had a moments rest from outside interference. Sabotage, invasion, mass destruction, germ warfare, nuclear threat, encirclement and crippling economic blockade have all been used in the US-led attempt to remove this impediment to regional domination. All of these efforts have failed. Naturally, the major capitalist powers subject such enemy or rogue states to an unrelieved campaign of vilification in order to enlist public opinion for aggression or at least neutralise opposition.
The latest salvo in this ongoing psychological war is the Report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to the UN General Assembly. Notable for Australians is the leading role retired High Court Justice Michael Kirby played as chairman of the commission. He has been very vocal in supporting the findings of the commission that the violations of human rights in the DPRK are crimes against humanity and that they may equate to political genocide.
Michael Kirby said that the claimed violations parallel in many ways the crimes of the Nazis before and during World War Two and that, while world leaders may not have been aware of the extent of the Nazis crimes, his report supposedly removes any such lack of certainty about the regime in the DPRK. The leaders of that country should be brought before the International Criminal Court or a special, ad hoc UN tribunal, according to Mr Kirby. Clearly, that would require regime change and, presumably, a war.
[Kirby]
Michael Kirby is whistling in the wind on North Korea
Date February 22, 2014
Nicholas Stuart
Justice Michael Kirby.
Former High Court judge Michael Kirby. Photo: Randy Larcombe
What do you do when someone you respect begins talking rubbish? It's tempting to join everybody else and suddenly examine the floor, or perhaps that spot on the ceiling. Michael Kirby's UN-sanctioned outburst against North Korea this week was one of those moments when intelligent people didn't know where to look.
It's not that Kirby's wrong. The regime in North Korea is abhorrent. The point remains, however, to find some way of changing the situation. Unfortunately the ex-High Court judge remains trapped in paper rules and theoretical legal paradigms. Compiling (yet another) report and expecting it to have any effect where everyone else before has failed displays a sense of naivete that would be touching, if it wasn't so dangerous.
After all, this was the idea seized on by the ''Coalition of the Willing'' to permit the invasion of Iraq. I suspect Kirby didn't intend to encourage war, but when he asserts ''something must be done'' it seems fair to ask ''OK, what, and will he lead the way wearing army fatigues?" Perhaps Kirby's envisaging a new blockade, starving already emaciated people and adding to the misery they already have to bear?
Or is Kirby endorsing a strategic strike of missiles to target the regime's leaders? You can't call for action and then just leave your demand hanging listlessly in the air. That's why I don't believe he's acting with integrity.
[Kirby]
North Korea's moment of truth
Date March 1, 2014 - 11:25AM
Am I talking rubbish? I asked myself. Have I sold out to the capitalist oppressors? Have I been taken in naively by human scum giving fake testimony?
These are the questions that recent media comments on the UN report on human rights violations in North Korea have presented to my mind.
There have been many media stories since the UN report first went online on February 18, 2014. But two articles struck a jarring note.
[Kirby]
North Korea: elite shame, world test
Kerry Brown 27 February 2014
A credible United Nations report on North Korea demands a humane and practical response to its people's degradation, says Kerry Brown.
The United Nations report on conditions in North Korea published on 18 February 2014 is a monument to frustration as well as concentration. In over 300 pages of forensic detail, the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) builds a compelling case against the rulers of the DPRK. The government in Pyongyang has signed many UN conventions and protocols in recent years, but it doesnt even start to observe the rights enshrined in them. In Confucian philosophy, the basic responsibility of any government which can be regarded as righteous and ethical is to look after its people. This might be regarded as paternalistic, but at least it demands of those in power a sense of obligation to those they rule. Harming your own people is categorically not right: a violation of your own codes.
The UN report, chaired by the Australian judge Michael Kirby, makes this violation abundantly clear. The testimony assembled since the commission was established on 21 March 2013 shows both that the culpability of power-holders in North Korea is massive, and - crucially - that it goes right to the top of the DPRK system. The abuses reported by refugees and other witnesses are so systematic and widespread that the idea they can occur without the central government's knowledge is untenable. This report is therefore an indictment. It is not surprising that the North Korean authorities had no confidence to engage with it during its research, and condemned it out of hand once it had appeared. For the DPRK, attack is not just the best form of defence, it is the only one.
[Kirby]
UN Report on North Korea could be about the United States or South Korea
Posted in north Korea by what's left on February 18, 2014
By Stephen Gowans
Surely one could be forgiven for thinking that when the Washington Posts Chico Harlan (February 17) described the conclusions reached by the UN Human Rights Commissions investigation into North Korea that he was really describing his own country, the United States. Harlan wrote, The report makes for devastating reading, laying out the way North Korea conducts surveillance on its citizens (see Edward Snowdens revelations about the NSAs spying on US citizensand everyone else), bans them from travel (anyone up for a visit to Cuba?), discriminates against them based on supposed ideological impurities (has the United States ever been kind to Marxist-Leninists?), tortures them (water boarding and Abu Ghraib) and sometimes banishes them to isolated prison camps, where they are held incommunicado (recently Guantanamo and other CIA torture camps around the world to which opponents of the US regime have been rendered, more distantly, the incarceration of German-, Italian- and Japanese-Americans during WWII.)
The report recommends that North Korea be referred to the International Criminal Court at The Hague, but if the charges against North Korea are true, then surely the case for referring the United States to the same court is at least as compelling. Add the United States record of extrajudicial assassination, its world-leading rate of incarceration, its illegal wars, and its support for the most vile human rights violators on the planet, among them Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain, and the case for referring US leaders to The Hague is overwhelming.
[Kirby] [Double standards] [UNUS]
Botswana severs ties with DPRK
Xinhua, February 20, 2014
The government of Botswana announced on Wednesday that it has decided to terminate diplomatic and consular relations with Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) because of "human rights violations" in the country.
A statement from Botswana's foreign ministry said the decision is informed by the recently released report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Democratic People's Republic of Korea which details systematic, widespread and grave human rights violations by DPRK authorities.
"The Government of Botswana does not wish to be associated with a Government which continues to display such total disregard for the human rights of its citizens," said the statement.
[UNUS] [US dominance]
[Editorial] A new chapter in approaching human rights in North Korea
Posted on : Feb.19,2014 15:42 KST
With the release of the 372-page human rights report on Feb. 17 by the UN Commission of Inquiry into North Korean human rights under the UN Human Rights Council, a new chapter has begun in way that the international community approaches the issue of human rights in North Korea. We hope that North Korea will acknowledge its human rights issues and accept the demands of the international community.
[Kirby] [Liberal]
DPRK refutes UN report on its human rights
Xinhua, February 22, 2014
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday "categorically" denounced a U.N. report on its human rights as "sheer fabrication" and "politically- motivated provocation."
A spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry, who responded to questions raised by the official news agency KCNA regarding the issue, said Pyongyang "categorically" rejected the "biased report, " which "is peppered with sheer lies and fabrications deliberately cooked up by hostile forces."
The spokesman refuted the "far-fetched assertions" that the human rights situation in the country should be referred to the International Criminal Court as "an extremely dangerous politically-motivated provocation aimed to bring down the DPRK's social system."
The report,published Monday by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights, listed crimes against humanity committed in the country, including murder, torture, rape, enslavement, starvation and executions.
Pyongyang described the UN report as "marionette under the clutches" of the United States and its followers."
The DPRK spokesman also accused the United States of being the worst human rights abuser, "who killed innocent people through aggression and intervention, and systematically committed illegal wire-tapping and surveillance against citizens of other countries, " and should be brought to an international human rights tribunal.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stressed Monday that " resolving human rights differences should be through constructive dialogue and cooperation based on equality and mutual respect."
[Kirby]
Will N. Korea be intimidated?
By Kang Seung-woo
Will the latest United Nations report on North Koreas human rights force the Stalinist state to take steps to tackle the issues raised?
On Monday, the U.N. Committee of Inquiry (COI) concluded that the Norths leadership is committing crimes against humanity on an unprecedented scale. It also included a recommendation that the U.N. should refer the details gathered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and have those responsible prosecuted, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Most analysts said the North can ill-afford to completely ignore the report and increasing international condemnation of its human rights violations, although chances are slim that it will change in the near future.
We view North Korean human rights from a long-term perspective. Taking cases to the ICC or another international legal body does not happen quickly. It generally takes many years, and we will certainly work towards that, said Lilian Lee, program officer at Citizens Alliance for North Korean Human Rights.
[Kirby]
UN report reveals human rights abuses in DPRK
China.org.cn, February 18, 2014
A grim array of human rights abuses, driven by "policies established at the highest level of State," have been and continue to be committed in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), according to a United Nations-mandated report released on Monday, which also calls for urgent action to address the rights situation in the country, including referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un visited a number of entertainment facilities including cinema, electronic entertainment hall and gymnasium, Korean Central News Agency reported on Sunday. [Rodong Sinmun]
In a 400-page set of linked reports and supporting documents, culled from first-hand testimony from victims and witnesses, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has documented in great detail the "unspeakable atrocities" committed in the country, says a press release from the Geneva-based body.
[UNUS] [Chinese IR] [Kirby] [Extraterritoriality]
Kim Jong-un Could Face Int'l Court for Rights Abuses, UN Warns
The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea released a final report on Monday warned the Stalinist country's leader Kim Jong-un could face an international tribunal for human rights abuses.
The warning came in a damning report on human rights abuses in the North, the result of an extensive investigation that started in March last year.
The North Korean regime committed "systematic, widespread, and grave violations of human rights," which "may amount to crimes against humanity," the report warned.
"The international community must accept its responsibility to protect the people of [North Korea] from crimes against humanity, because [North Korea] has manifestly failed to do so," it adds.
It singled out enforced disappearance of whole families to political prison camps, torture and forced abortions, and the total absence of freedom of thought and belief in the North. The commission also condemned the almost complete lack of freedom of movement for North Koreans within their country and abroad, discrimination based on birth and family, and a bizarre history of abductions of people from other countries, mainly Japan and South Korea.
Panel chairman Michael Kirby, a retired judge, said in Geneva that the "suffering and tears of the people of North Korea demand action."
Kirby has written to Kim personally to warn him of the consequences. "The commission wishes to draw your attention that it will therefore recommend that the United Nations refer the situation in [North Korea] to the International Criminal Court to render accountable all those, including possibly yourself, who may be responsible for the crimes against humanity,"
[Extraterritoriality] [UNUS] [Kirby]
North Korea human rights abuses resemble those of the Nazis, says UN inquiry
Inquiry chairman Michael Kirby writes to Kim Jong-un warning he could face trial at The Hague for crimes against humanity
UN's dossier on North Korea's rights abuses the main points
Sketches of prison abuse submitted to UN
Peter Walker
The Guardian, Tuesday 18 February 2014
Kim Jong-un at a national agriculture competition. Photograph: KCNA/Reuters
North Korea's leadership is committing systematic and appalling human rights abuses against its own citizens on a scale unparalleled in the modern world, crimes against humanity with strong resemblances to those committed by the Nazis, a United Nations inquiry has concluded.
The UN's commission on human rights in North Korea, which gathered evidence for almost a year, including often harrowing testimony at public hearings worldwide, said there was compelling evidence of torture, execution and arbitrary imprisonment, deliberate starvation and an almost complete lack of free thought and belief.
The chair of the three-strong panel set up by the UN commissioner on human rights has personally written to North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, to warn that he could face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) for his personal culpability as head of state and leader of the military.
[Kirby] [UNUS] [Extraterritoriality]
UN issues strongest ever report on human rights in North Korea
Posted on : Feb.18,2014 14:39 KST
Retired Australian judge Michael Kirby, chairperson of the commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea, makes introductory remarks at a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva, Feb. 17. The commission conducted hearings in Seoul last August. (Newsis)
Pyongyang is accused of crimes against humanity, but questionable if report will have any affect on the situation in the North
By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter
The official report on the human rights situation in North Korea, which the UN has been preparing for the past year, was released in Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb. 17. Defining the human rights violations occurring in North Korea as crimes against humanity, the report strongly recommended that the perpetrators be brought to trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
However, considering that North Korea is currently isolated from the international community, some analysts believe that the report will be limited in its ability to improve human rights in the North.
[Kirby] [UNUS] [Extraterritoriality]
UN to accuse North Korea of crimes against humanity
Rights inquiry to conclude country should face international court over alleged starvation, extermination and abduction
Peter Walker
theguardian.com, Friday 14 February 2014 17.44 GMT
Michael Kirby is chair of the United Nations commission of inquiry on human rights in North Korea
Retired Australian judge Michael Kirby is chair of the United Nations commission of inquiry on human rights in North Korea. Photograph: Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
A major UN investigation into human right abuses in North Korea is set to conclude that the country has committed crimes against humanity and should be referred to the international criminal court in the Hague, according to reported leaks of its findings.
[UNUS] [Disinformation] [Shill]
North Korea's UN envoy to be replaced
By Kang Seung-woo
North Koreas United Nations (U.N.) Ambassador Sin Son-ho will reportedly be replaced by Ja Song-nam, a former North Korean ambassador to Britain.
Sin will return home after being the Norths permanent representative to the U.N. for five years and six months, a diplomatic source was quoted as saying by local dailies.
He added that Ja, who is familiar with U.S. representatives, is a leading candidate for the position.
Ja, who also worked for the North Korean mission to the U.N., was involved in the family reunions for Korean-Americans and other issues with the United States.
However, the swap is seen as a regular exchange of personnel, given that Sin has represented the Stalinist country since 2008.
Meanwhile, the new ambassador is raising expectations that the so-called New York Channel could be re-activated.
It has facilitated talks between Pyongyang and Washington on several occasions, but since Jang Il-hoon replaced Han Song-ryol as the deputy ambassador in July last year, the Norths U.S. diplomatic channel has seen its role diminishing.
Mongolia ratifies cooperation agreement with DPRK
Feb 07,2014
ULAN BATOR, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Mongolian government ratified a cooperation agreement Friday with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the areas of industry and agriculture.
Under the agreement, Mongolia will provide livestock husbandry support to the DPRK and, in return, the DPRK will develop light industry using raw materials and resources of Mongolia, such as sheep wool and coal.
The agreement was finalized during a visit by Battulga Khaltmaa, Mongolian minister of industry and agriculture, to the DPRK last October.
Both countries hope the deal will expand reciprocal economic ties between the two countries.
Swiss residents unhappy with NK dictator's traces
By Kim Tae-gyu
The Liebefeld Steinholzi school in Koniz, near Berne, is closed on Sunday.
/ Korea Times photo by Kim Tae-gyu
BERNE, Switzerland ? On a misty Sunday morning, it took just 15 minutes to get from the center of Berne to nearby Koniz, which houses the Liebefeld Steinholzi school ? the institute where North Korean leader Kim Jong-un studied in the 1990s.
The public schools office was not accessible for outsiders as nobody answered calls with its doors being locked. But there were scores of residents who played football with their kids at the playground.
Most of them were aware that Kim once attended the school. They apparently were not happy with the fact that their country and city have something to do with the authoritarian ruler of the regime.
[Kim Jong Un] [Media]
North Korea, Genocide by Sanctions: UN Double Standards Pertaining to Sanctions and their Devastating Social Impacts
The UN Sanctions Committee Must Make its Records Public
By Carla Stea
Global Research, January 10, 2014
The terms transparency and accountability are used with greater frequency at United Nations briefings than in practically any other venue. Yet, information on the impact of sanctions on the people of the DPRK and third states affected by the sanction is confidential to the Sanctions Committee. Only the Sanctions Committee secretariat in the Department of Political Affairs is permitted access to this information. Whose political agenda is served by this secrecy, this total failure of transparency and accountability?
The United Nations Security Council has imposed multiple sets of sanctions on the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, including Resolution 1718 (October 14, 2006), Resolution 1874 (June 12, 2009), Resolution 2087 (January 22, 2013, and Resolution 2094 (March 7, 2013). It is striking that in all four resolutions imposed on the DPRK, the sanction language used to prohibit items from entering or leaving the DPRK is sufficiently broad and vague that practically any item essential for the normal, healthy functioning of society is vulnerable to proscription and exclusion of use by the DPRK: the use of the word could so excessively prevails throughout (as indicating possibility) as does the use of the vague phrase reasonable grounds to believe, which does not require a high standard of proof, or any actual demonstrable evidence, whatsoever, but relies on subjective belief which may be based upon or distorted by political bias.
[Sanctions] [UNUS]
UN Resolution Slams N.Korean Human Rights Abuses
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution condemning human rights abuses in North Korea. The UN has adopted similar resolutions every year since 2005, and this year's was passed by consensus without the need for a vote, just like last year's.
The UN expressed "very serious concern at the persistence of continuing reports of systematic, widespread and grave violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights."
The resolution calls for an immediate abolition of political prison camps and release of the inmates, and improvement of human rights conditions for defectors repatriated to North Korea.
[UNUS] [Human rights]
Head of DPRK Delegation Speaks at IMO General Assembly
Pyongyang, December 2 (KCNA) -- The head of the DPRK delegation made a speech at the 28th general assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on November 26.
He referred to the significance of the assembly and the achievements made in maritime security as well as the work of the Secretariat of the IMO for improving its work in line with the requirements and interests of its member states.
The prevailing situation requires the IMO to increase its responsibility and role for guaranteeing the security of the marine transport which plays an important role in world trade and creating clear sea environment, he said, mentioning the issues to be settled by the IMO and its member states.
World Bank chief tells NK to join up
By Yi Whan-woo
Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank, answers questions at a press conference at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Tuesday. / Yonhap
North Korea needs to join the World Bank (WB) to get economic support, said the head of the U.S.-based lending institution, Tuesday.
Right now, North Korea is not a member of the bank, said WB President Jim Yong Kim ? a Korean-American ? during a press conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul. The WB has a total of 188 member nations.
Everyone on this peninsula must understand there has to be some political breakthrough. We know there are nuclear questions and there are many issues on the table. Once there is a political opening, organizations like the WB and all of our partners are ready to move right away.
But unfortunately, until it becomes a member of the bank, it wont have time to receive support.
[World Bank] [UNUS] [Inversion] [US NK policy] [Agency]
Pyongyang joins IMSO for maritime transportation safety
North Korea joined the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO) convention last month as part of an ongoing effort contribute to the development of maritime transportation and safety, state media said Monday.
The Korean Central News Agency, citing the chief delegate to the general assembly of the International Maritime Organization said Pyongyang officially joined the convention on Oct. 15.
The delegate who attended the London meeting said Pyongyang will take steps to improve friendly relations with other members of the organization. The North's news wire service did not disclose the name of the official.
The IMSO is an international body that uses satellites to regulate the movement of ships and maritime communication. South Korea's telecom giant KT joined in 1985.
As part of its contribution, the North plans to set up and operate 25 very high frequency wireless stations along its eastern and western coasts starting next year, and actively pursue projects that can better preserve the maritime environment.
North Korean watchers, meanwhile, speculated that the North's joining of the convention is part of an ongoing effort to mend fences and improve its image within the international community. (Yonhap)
World Bank pres. says aid would come to N. Korea after political breakthrough
Posted on : Nov.25,2013 15:40 KST
Jim Yong Kim,World Bank President
Jim Yong Kim upholds Myanmar as an example of a country that is now seeing the benefits of openness
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
In reference to economic aid to North Korea, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the bank is prepared to provide rapid assistance to North Korea when a political breakthrough is made.
Kim, who is making a trip to South Korea and Japan next week, met with South Korean Washington correspondents on Nov. 24. My father fled North Korea by himself during the Korean War, and his brothers and sisters still live in the North, Kim said, so the North Korean issue is of great interest to me on a personal level.
I closely follow news reports about the humanitarian crisis in North Korea and the suffering of the North Korean people, Kim said.
When asked what kind of specific preparations the World Bank is making, Kim said, Since we are not a political organization, we cannot take part in working for a political breakthrough. But we will continue to work closely with the staff of the Korea Development Institute and other experts in South Korea to prepare for what will come after a political breakthrough is made.
Currently, we are compiling all kinds of necessary materials related to North Korea, Kim said.
[UNUS] [Aid weapon]
A new ASEAN approach to the Korean Peninsula?
November 23rd, 2013
Author: Rodolfo C. Severino, ISEAS
The chairmans statement at the ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan last month once again stressed the need to maintain peace, security and stability in the Korean Peninsula.
This included a call to encourage peaceful dialogue including creating a positive atmosphere for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks, and a reiteration of the importance of fully complying with obligations in all relevant UNSC Resolutions and commitments under the 19 September 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks [and] support for all efforts to bring about the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner. The ASEAN chairmans statement at the East Asia Summit, the day after in the same city, said much the same thing, with the addition of trust-building and humanitarian concerns.
North Korea: Entering Syrias Civil War
By Alexandre Mansourov
25 November 2013
When Kim Jong Un assumed power two years ago, foreign observers predicted North Korea would cut its losses short and disengage from Syria in the wake of the overthrow of friendly regimes in Algeria, Egypt and Libya. But this proved to be wishful thinking. On the contrary, Kim Jong Un got off the fence and has joined the Assad government to actively fight against the anti-government rebels in Syria, many of whom are affiliated with Al-Qaeda. Indeed, the DPRK says it is its duty to help a legitimate sovereign government in the fight against international terrorism in Syria.
[Syria]
DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Flays Hostile Forces' Adoption of "Human Rights Resolution" against DPRK
Pyongyang, November 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA on Wednesday in connection with the fact that an anti-DPRK "human rights resolution" was adopted at the 3rd Committee of the 68th UN General Assembly:
Those forces hostile to the DPRK, which regard it as a thorn in their flesh, railroaded such a "resolution" based on all sorts of lies and fabrications this year, too.
The DPRK bitterly condemns such a "resolution" as it did before
because the U.S. and its allies' adoption of such a "resolution" every year is the height of the politicization and selectivity of human rights and the application of double standard.
The above-said forces adopted such a "resolution" making profound confusing of right and wrong, turning their faces away from the stirring reality in which the policy of love for the people is enforced, steeped in inveterate repugnance towards the Korean style socialist system centered on the masses. This farce which has nothing to do with the protection of human rights will only stoke confrontation and distrust.
[UNUS] [Human rights]
Lecture by President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj at Kim IL Sung University, North Korea
President of Mongolia Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj visited the Kim Il Sung University on the day he concluded his State Visit to the DPRK. The Mongolian Presidentdelivered a lecture to scholars, professors and students of the University. Below is the English translation of the full text of the lecture.
Tsakhiagiin ELBEGDORJ: It Is the Human Desire to Live Free That Is an Eternal Power.
Pyongyang Kim Il Sung University
I convey my sincere greetings to the scholars, professors and students of the Kim Il Sung University.
I am delighted to have this historic opportunity to visit the Kim Il Sung University and speak about Mongolias foreign policy and the relations between Mongolia and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
Briefly, from history
Mongolia is a peace-loving, independent, open country conducting multi-pillar foreign policy. The policies of the Mongolian Statehood have centuries-long traditions. As many of you know, in the 13-14th centuries Mongols had built the greatest empire on earth. In those times, Mongol Empire crafted its policies and governed by a written law, and the law was called Ikh Zasag. Back then, Mongols promoted free trade and ran open foreign policy.
Scholars note that it was precisely in the years of the Mongol Empire that the oriental and occidental worlds, Asia and Europe were genuinely connected. The Great Mongol Empire respected the peoples freedom of faith and freedom to create. The Empire ran very active policies toward Asia, Europe and Middle East. These were the Mongol envoys, messengers and diplomats that embodied and moulded diplomatic immunity in the true sense of the word. You may have also heard that for foreign missions Mongol envoys and diplomats were given golden, silver, copper, brass and woodenGerege -plates that carried the Khaans decree affirming the immunity of the bearer of the Gerege and calling for his free passage and travel.
These were the times when Mongols strived to establish trusted relations and engage in talks with other countries with trust and confidence. I wish to note that the Great Mongol Empire never waged wars without a justifiable reason.
[Spin] [Imperialism]
Mongolian president makes unusual comments about tyranny while in N. Korea
Posted on : Nov.17,2013 11:03 KST
Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj gives a speech at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang on Oct. 31. (KCNA/Yonhap News)
North Koreans reportedly only asked Mongolian president to avoid topics of democracy and market economics
By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter
During a speech at the end of October at Kim Il-sung University in Pyongyang, North Korea, the president of Mongolia said that tyranny cannot endure forever, the Mongolian government confirmed.
Curiosity is growing about why a foreign leader visiting North Korea would have openly made a remark that could be construed as a criticism of the North Korean system of government.
The text of the speech at Kim Il-sung University was posted on the official website of Mongolian president Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj on Nov. 15.
Mongolia is a country respecting human rights and freedoms, upholding rule of law and pursuing open policies. . . Freedom enables every human to discover and realize his or her opportunities and chances for development. This leads a human society to progress and prosperity, Elbegdorj said in the speech.
No tyranny lasts for ever [sic]. It is the desire of the people to live free that is the eternal power.
In regard to the speech, the office of the Mongolian president explained that the topic of the speech had been suggested by North Korea, and the North had only advised that they refrain from using the words democracy and market economy.
The office also noted that no one had asked any questions after the speech was over and that audience members had risen and given a length round of applause as Elbegdorj left the auditorium.
The speech also expressed opposition to the death penalty and to corruption.
Americas Takeover of the United Nations
By Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
Global Research, September 05, 2012
Press TV 3 September 2012
The calls at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran for reforming the United Nations and democratizing the Security Council were not exactly new. These calls for UN reform were embodied by the conferences dictum of lasting peace through joint global governance. These demands have been made over and over again by various countries and groups throughout the years.
Nor was everyone present at the NAM gala in Tehran a friend of Iran or open to the Iranian proposals for reforming the United Nations. The visibly shaken Jeffrey Feltman, who was uncomfortably sitting with Iranian officials in Tehran alongside his new boss Ban Ki-moon, can testify to all this. Feltman is a clear symbol of how contaminated the United Nations has become by the imperialist interests of Washington.
The manipulation of the United Nations for imperialist interests, however, goes back a long way.
[UNUS]
North Koreas surprising status in the international climate change regime
November 9th, 2013
Author: Benjamin Habib, La Trobe University
North Korea is a curious case among Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It is not an active member of any specific negotiating bloc and has been a sporadic attendee at UNFCCC Conference of Parties gatherings, where its delegates are generally silent participants. Why then does North Korea engage with the international climate change regime?
Climate change impacts will necessarily and inevitably affect the economic, political and social dynamics of all the human systems that are nested within it. This observation is especially pertinent to weak states like North Korea, where climate change impacts have the capacity to multiply pre-existing political and socio-economic weaknesses. A strong case can be made that the North Korean government should be concerned about climate change vulnerability, which then leads to the question: is that vulnerability reflected in a demonstrable commitment to greenhouse gas mitigation?
[Agriculture] [Climate change]
Syrian chemical weapons and the North Korean connection
Three NK News investigations into North Korea - Syria chemical weapons cooperation
August 28, 2013
Given the swell in interest in North Korea Syria relations following recent chemical weapons usage in Syria, here are links to a number of recent stories on North Korean Syrian chemical warfare cooperation:
[cbw]
N.Korean Pilots 'Helping Syrian Gov't in Raids on Rebels'
About 15 North Korean pilots are believed to be involved in Syrian government attacks on Sunni insurgents, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sunday.
They were seen in the cockpit of Syrian military helicopters during air strikes against rebel strongholds in Aleppo in northern Syria.
Al Durar, a website linked to the rebels, claimed that the Bashar al-Assad regime asked its ally North Korea for air force personnel as it struggles with defections among its own pilots.
Citing a source in Syria, SOHR reported in June this year that a dozen North Korean officers were spotted in the Syrian government's artillery unit.
Iranian, N Korean officials to cooperate
Published: 3 Nov 2013 at 18.14
Online news:
.
Iranian and North Korean security officials agreed in August to continue to cooperate in the fields of nuclear and missile development under new President Hassan Rouhani, a Western diplomat said Saturday, quoting Iranian sources.
The agreement was reached by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a heavily armed security unit under the Iranian leadership, and a group of unnamed North Korean security officials in Tehran on Aug 3, a day before Rouhani's swearing-in.
Rouhani has been working on improving relations mainly with Western countries, even showing flexibility in negotiations over its nuclear program with the five permanent United Nations Security Council members plus Germany.
The revealed deal between the security officials of the two countries runs contrary to Rouhani's position and that may potentially be a drag on the new president's policy of seeking better ties with Western nations, the diplomat suggested.
The United States is closely monitoring the IRGC's activities including the "central role it plays in Iran's missile and nuclear programs" as well as its relations with North Korea.
Agreements on Cooperation between Governments of DPRK, Mongolia Signed
Pyongyang, October 28 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cooperation in the fields of industry and agriculture and an agreement on cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and tourism were signed here on Monday between the governments of the DPRK and Mongolia.
Present there from the DPRK side were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, Kim Jong Suk, chairwoman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Kwak Il Ryong, vice-minister of Land and Maritime Transport, Hong Kyu, DPRK ambassador to Mongolia, Jong Song Chan, vice general director of the General Bureau of Software Industry of the DPRK, and officials concerned.
Kim Jong-un to Meet Mongolian President
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to meet Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj in his first summit since he took power.
The North's official Rodong Sinmun on Monday said the Mongolian president will visit the North at the invitation of Kim Yong-nam, the North's ceremonial No. 2 leader. It would be a first visit to North Korea by a Mongllian president in nine years.
A South Korean government official speculated Kim "will probably take advantage of this opportunity to present himself as an open-minded leader in the international community and try to attract investment from Mongolia."
Mongolia is reportedly interested in investing in the development of Rajin Port to ship out underground resources like coal.
Mongolia's relations with North Korea came into the spotlight when the headquarters of an influential pro-Pyongyang association of Korean residents in Japan was bought by a Mongolian company recently. The Japanese government put the building in downtown Tokyo up for auction, suspecting that funds of a Chongryon-affiliated bank, which went bankrupt despite an injection of public funds, had been funneled into Chongryon.
It was finally auctioned off to a mysterious Mongolian firm, but the Tokyo District Court blocked the sale pending an investigation whether it is a paper company.
Indonesias Natalegawa Visits North Korea to Boost Trade
By Neil Chatterjee & Sam Kim - Oct 23, 2013 2:12 PM GMT+1300 .
Indonesias foreign minister held talks with his North Korean counterpart during a rare official visit to the secretive nation, seeking to boost trade ties and nudge the North toward abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
North Korea declared the principled stand on the issue of the Korean Peninsula when Marty Natalegawa met with Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun in Pyongyang yesterday, the Norths official Korean Central News Agency said today.
[Media]
Kim Jong-un Gets Honorary Doctorate from Malaysian 'University'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was given an honorary doctorate in economics from HELP University in Malaysia, Foreign Policy reported Wednesday.
In a letter to the magazine, HELP University vice chancellor Paul Chan said that the university conferred the honorary doctorate to "His Excellency President" as an effort to build "a bridge to reach the people."
"We had a simple ceremony in the [North Korean] embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia... I hope that using this 'soft constructive' approach we can help them and North Asia and the world to be a better place for mankind," Chan said.
The North Korean ambassador attended the ceremony on behalf of Kim.
HELP University is a private, Kuala Lumpur-based college founded in 1986.
It awarded the honorary doctorate to Kim in recognition of his "untiring efforts for the education of the country and the well-being of its people."
Chan expressed confidence that North Korea "will engage the world in many constructive ways" in the next six years. He said Kim sent a letter thanking HELP for giving him his first honorary doctorate degree from abroad.
DPRK Delegate Calls for Establishing New Int'l Information, Communication Order
Pyongyang, October 21 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate made a speech at the discussion on the agenda item concerning information-related issues at the 4th committee of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly on Oct. 17.
He said that information service is a powerful means promoting peace, security, social unity and sustainable development. Information and communication technology and means which should contribute to prosperity and civilization development common to mankind are still in the hands of some specified countries and the gap between the developed countries and developing countries is widening in the international information field, he added.
Noting that it is impossible to achieve justice and equality in the international relations as long as the present unfair international information order persists, he held attention should be paid to the following issues in the UN information service:
First, it is necessary to pay primary attention to the issue of establishing a new international information and communication order on the principles of respect for sovereignty, non-interference in other's internal affairs, impartiality and objectivity.
It is required to put an end to the high-handed practices of specified forces to quell the just voices by forcing their will and demands upon the developing countries, talking about "free spread of information".
To this end, it is important to take, first of all, measures to eliminate preponderance and imbalance in the volume of information distributed worldwide, one sidedness and selectivity in the contents of information and domination and master-servant relations in the information structure.
Why did Saudi Arabia reject a UN Security Council seat?
By Erik Voeten
October 18 at 12:24 pm
Saudi Arabia today rejected a two-year seat on the United Nations Security Council, just a day after it was elected to that seat. The officially stated reason is that:
[..] the manner, the mechanisms of action and double standards existing in the Security Council prevent it from performing its duties and assuming its responsibilities toward preserving international peace and security as required.
The failure of the Council in Syria was highlighted in particular:
Allowing the ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn them with chemical weapons in front of the entire world and without any deterrent or punishment is clear proof and evidence of the U.N. Security Councils inability to perform its duties and shoulder its responsibilities
This is all very well, but why not try to influence the council from within? After all, there are plenty of issues on the agenda that matter directly to Saudi Arabias core interests. Below I suggest a somewhat different rationale.
[Saudi Arabia] [UNSC]
South and North Korea trade barbs at UN General Assembly
Posted on : Oct.3,2013 15:00 KST
Pak Kil-yon, North Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the UN General Assembly
Accusations go back and forth over North Koreas nukes, with North claiming the need for defense against US hostility
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent in New York
The 68th session of the UN General Assembly was held in New York from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.
While the first half of keynote addresses by country delegates focused on Irans nuclear program and the civil war in Syria, the North Korean nuclear issue was a major topic of debate in the second half.
During his keynote address on Oct. 1, Pak Kil-yon, North Korean Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, made no mention of the Norths right to possess nuclear weapons. Typically, the North makes such claims in its UN addresses.
But controversy was sparked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who took the podium as the final speaker.
Netanyahu said that the North had promised to give up nuclear weapons in 2005 (with the Sept. 19 joint statement) but then carried out a nuclear test just one year later. Iran is walking in the footsteps of North Korea, Netanyahu contended.
[Chutzpah]
Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF KOREA
24th session of the Human Rights Council
Oral Update by Mr. Michael Kirby
Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rightsin the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
Geneva, 16 September 2013
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS]
United Nations says it will contact United States over spying report
UNITED NATIONS | Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:31pm EDT
(Reuters) - The United Nations said on Monday it plans to contact the United States over a report that the U.S. National Security Agency bugged its New York headquarters and warned that countries are expected to respect the world body's diplomatic inviolability.
Citing secret U.S. documents obtained by fugitive former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, Germany's Der Spiegel reported on Sunday that the United States succeeded in gaining access to the internal U.N.video conferencing system in 2012.
"We're aware of the reports and we intend to be in touch with the relevant authorities on this," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.
He said well established international law, like the 1961 Vienna Convention governing diplomatic relations, protected functions of the United Nations, diplomatic missions and other international organizations.
"Therefore member states are expected to act accordingly to protect the inviolability of diplomatic missions," Haq said.
Der Spiegel also said the European Union and the U.N.'s Vienna-based nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), were among those targeted by U.S. intelligence.
According to the documents, the NSA runs a bugging program in more than 80 embassies and consulates worldwide called "Special Collection Service".
"The surveillance is intensive and well organized and has little or nothing to do with warding off terrorists," wrote Der Spiegel.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols)
[Surveillance] [UNUS] [Legality]
North Korean prison camp survivors tell U.N. investigators of rights abuses
KIM HONG-JI/REUTERS - Shin Dong-hyuk, a former North Korean defector, attends a public hearing at Yonsei university in Seoul August 20, 2013. A U.N. panel started hearing harrowing testimony from North Korean defectors on Tuesday.
By Chico Harlan, Thursday, August 22, 5:06 AM E-mail the writer
SEOUL One by one they came, taking seats next to a United Nations flag and stating their names for the record. Some kept calm. Some wept. One, as he spoke, used his left hand to clamp his trembling right hand to the table.
They told stories about North Koreas brutal network of criminal detention and political prison camps, and their evidence was physical: burns on theirs backs, scars on their heads, bodies ravaged by torture for acts that amount to crimes only in the North. They described forced abortions, public executions, constant hunger and ghoulish mind games played by prison guards, whose permission was needed even to catch and eat the camps many rats and mice.
[Prisoners] [Evidence]
Why MyanmarNorth Korea relations have persisted in an era of reform
August 2nd, 2013
Author: Adam P MacDonald, Halifax
Since assuming power in 2011, the pseudo-civilian government of President Sein has begun to fundamentally transform Myanmars foreign relations by re-engaging with the West.
Soldiers parade during a ceremony marking Armed Forces Day at a parade ground in Naypyidaw on 27 March 2013 (Photo: AAP).
In 2012, as part of the governments attempt to strengthen ties with Washington, and to dispel any lingering concerns over Myanmars nuclear ambitions, Sein announced that relations with Pyongyang would come to an end.
But there are two recent developments which have called this announcement into question: first, the recent sanctions imposed by the US Treasury on Lieutenant General Thein Htlay, Director of Defence Industries of the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military), for conducting arms sales with North Korea; and second, the March 2013 interception of a suspicious North Korean shipment of aluminium rods (which most likely have a military application) to Myanmar.
Kim Yong Nam Pays Courtesy Call on Iranian President
Pyongyang, August 4 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, paid a courtesy call on Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday.
Kim Yong Nam conveyed greetings from supreme leader Kim Jong Un to the Iranian president.
The president expressed deep thanks for this and asked him to convey his sincere salute to Kim Jong Un.
Recollecting with deep emotion the day when he had the honor of being received by the great Generalissimo Kim Il Sung 30 years ago, he stressed that the friendly and cooperative ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the DPRK would grow stronger in the future.
The talk proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Present there from the DPRK side were Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Jo In Chol, DPRK ambassador to Iran, and from the Iranian side were Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and other officials concerned.
Kim Jong Un Meets Syrian Delegation
Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, met the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic led by Abdullah al-Ahmar, deputy general secretary of the Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, on Wednesday.
Congratulations to Kim Jong Un from Syrian President
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un, first chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, received a congratulatory message from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on July 21.
The message said he was pleased to pay warmest congratulations to His Excellency Kim Jong Un and the friendly Korean people on behalf of the Syrian people and on his own behalf on the occasion of July 27, 2013, the 60th anniversary of the victory in the Fatherland Liberation War.
He wished Kim Jong Un happiness in good health and the friendly Korean people prosperity.
Availing himself of the opportunity, he expressed his belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would steadily grow in the interests of the peoples of the two countries.
Panama Finds MiG-21 Fighter Jets in N.Korean Cargo
The Panamanian government has found all the parts of two Soviet-era MiG-21 fighter jets on a North Korean ship coming from Cuba, Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli told reporters Sunday.
The jet parts were found in containers while cargo was being unloaded from the ship, with their fuselage, wings and engines separated. Cuba earlier listed them in an inventory of the shipment, which it said was being sent for repair under a "legitimate contract."
The MiG-21 is a supersonic fighter jet manufactured in the Soviet Union in the late 1950s. It was used in about 50 countries due to its low production cost and high maneuverability.
Soviet-era weaponry found hidden on North Korean freighter
By Billy Kenber, Published: July 21 E-mail the writer
When law enforcement agents boarded a rusty, aging North Korean freighter making a rare journey down the Panama Canal last week, they had been tipped off that they would find narcotics, Panamanian officials said.
Instead, after a violent confrontation with the 35-member crew, they discovered a more unusual cargo hidden in its depths: a cache of Soviet-era weaponry concealed beneath more than 200,000 bags of Cuban brown sugar.
The freighters detention has thrown a light on the secretive deals North Korea is making, possibly in breach of United Nations sanctions, as it struggles for survival.
[Arms sales] [UNUS] [Double standards]
The North Koreans Are Better Gunrunners Than You Might Think
Posted By Elias Groll Wednesday, July 17, 2013 - 7:50 PM
In hindsight, the Chong Chon Gang probably wasn't the best ship to task with running guns through America's backyard.
With a huge North Korean flag emblazoned on its smoke stack and a history of trouble with the law, the ship was about as conspicuous a candidate as possible for carrying missile and fighter plane parts from Cuba to North Korea. If the entire episode looks fairly amateurish, well, that's because it was. That ship now sits in a Panamanian port as investigators unearth the weapons hidden beneath 10,000 metric tons of sugar.
But don't write off the North Koreans as gunrunners just yet. When it comes to eluding international arms trafficking controls, the North Koreans are some of the best in the game, according to Hugh Griffiths, an arms trafficking expert at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
[Arms sales] [Shill] [Sweden]
More Evidence of N.Korea-Cuba Arms Connection?
Another North Korean ship stopped in Cuba last year after taking a sea route similar to that of the North Korean cargo ship caught carrying weapons from Cuba in Panama earlier this week.
Last year's port call in by the O Un Chong Nyon Ho hints at a more extensive arms connection between the two Stalinist countries.
[Media] [Evidence]
DPRK demands Panama free seized ship
China.org.cn, July 18, 2013
A long, green missile-shaped object is seen inside the North Korean flagged ship "Chong Chon Gang" docked at the Manzanillo Container Terminal in Colon City July 16, 2013.[China Daily]
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Thursday urged Panama authorities to realease its ship and crewman without delay.
Panama seized the DPRK cargo ship and arrested its crew on Monday after finding undeclared missile-shaped objects onboard, a potential violation of UN sanctions against DPRK over its nuclear and missile programmes.
The ship was sailing under a legitimate deal and the initial suspicion of drugs on board was "a fiction." DPRK's Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
"This cargo is nothing but aging weapons which are to send back to Cuba after overhauling them according to a legitimate contract," the spokesman said.
"The Panamanian investigation authorities rashly attacked and detained the captain and crewmen of the ship on the plea of 'drug investigation' and searched its cargo but did not discover any drug," the spokesman commented.
[Interdiction] [UNUS]
Panama calls in UN to inspect North Korean arms ship
Security minister says Panama plans to hand over ship and its content to United Nations representatives
Reuters in Panama City
The Guardian, Wednesday 17 July 2013 22.41 BST
Panama said on Wednesday it had called in the United Nations security council to investigate a North Korean ship caught smuggling arms from Cuba, piling more pressure on Pyongyang for a possible breach of UN sanctions.
Panamanian security minister Jose Raul Mulino said his government had asked the United Nations to advise on the case and that Panama aimed to hand over the ship, the Chong Chon Gang, and its contents to UN representatives.
"It's going to be transferred to the UN security council, they will decide what to do," Mulino said in Panama City.
Panama stopped the ship last week and seized the cargo after a stand-off with the North Korean crew in which the captain tried to slit his own throat. Authorities discovered missile equipment and arms on board that Cuba said were "obsolete" Soviet-era weapons being sent to North Korea for repair.
North Korea's shadowy arms trade
Numerous seized shipments reveal dealings in missile parts and other weapons have continued despite UN sections
Associated Press in Seoul
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 18 July 2013 04.27 BST
The countries known to have traded weapons with North Korea make a long list but the revelation that Cuba sent it missile parts and weapons on a ship stopped by Panama has puzzled some analysts.
North Korea and Cuba both see the US as their enemy and Havana hosted a senior North Korean military delegation less than a month ago. But the countries are not seen as major arms trade partners. Cuba has said Panama's seizing of a ship this week only involves obsolete weaponry that Havana had sent to be repaired in North Korea.
North Korea has a long history of aggressively buying, marketing and selling arms, especially in developing countries in the Middle East, Africa and south-east Asia. Much of that business was in sales of short- and medium-range missiles, but the market for full missile systems was thought to have dried up in recent years.
Thai security forces unload a plane from North Korea that landed in Bangkok carrying missiles 13 December 2009: Thai security forces unload a plane from North Korea that landed in Bangkok carrying surface-to-air missiles and other weapons. Thai authorities said the plane had been bound for Iran. Photograph: EPA
That's partly because of international pressure and sanctions banning weapons exports that followed North Korea's three nuclear tests since 2006 and a string of long-range rocket launches. Sales may have also suffered because of the poor-quality, Soviet-type weaponry that Pyongyang has traditionally produced.
Since the 1990s, analysts say, Pyongyang has been favouring exports of conventional weapons and the equipment and components that are used in missile production assembly lines. Under UN security council sanctions North Korea cannot export heavy arms or material related to nuclear weapons or missiles.
[Arms sales]
DPRK FM Spokesman Urges Panamanian Authorities Let Apprehended Crewmen, Ship of DPRK Leave
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA on Wednesday as regards the case of the DPRK trading ship Chongchongang apprehended in Panama:
There occurred an abnormal case in which the DPRK trading ship Chongchongang was apprehended by the Panamanian investigation authorities on suspicion of "drug transport," a fiction, before passing through Panama canal after leaving Havana Port recently.
The Panamanian investigation authorities rashly attacked and detained the captain and crewmen of the ship on the plea of "drug investigation" and searched its cargo but did not discover any drug. Yet, they are justifying their violent action, taking issue with other kind of cargo aboard the ship.
This cargo is nothing but aging weapons which are to send back to Cuba after overhauling them according to a legitimate contract.
The Panamanian authorities should take a step to let the apprehended crewmen and ship leave without delay.
Panama summons U.N. experts over North Korea arms ship
Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli posted on his Twitter account Monday July 15, 2013 showing what he said officials believe is sophisticated missile equipment found in containers of sugar aboard a North Korean-flagged ship traveling from Cuba. Panamanian officials verified the tweet was authentic | /AP
By Juan O. Tamayo, Tim Johnson and Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Foreign Staff
MEXICO CITY Panama said Wednesday that it had slapped disorderly conduct charges on 35 crewmembers of a rusty North Korean freighter carrying obsolete military equipment including apparently two MiG-21 fighter jets and summoned U.N. experts to ascertain if the shipment violated U.N. resolutions.
In one of the strangest weapons-smuggling cases in years, about 100 police cadets poured through the hold of the North Korean freighter for a third straight day, pulling out some of the 10,000 tons of bagged brown sugar in a search for what Cuba said would be 240 tons of obsolete military equipment that it was sending to North Korea for repair.
Panamanian authorities discovered some of equipment on Monday hidden behind the sugar bags when they searched the vessel after receiving a tip it might be carrying illegal drugs. The ship was preparing to cross the Panama Canal on its way to the Pacific Ocean after docking in Havana.
Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/07/17/196958/panama-summons-un-experts-over.html#storylink=cpy
[Interdiction]
Cuba: DPRK ship carries obsolete weapons
China.org.cn, July 17, 2013
A cargo ship of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) seized by the Panama authorities was loaded with 240 tons of "obsolete defensive weaponry," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
A long, green missile-shaped object is seen inside the North Korean flagged ship "Chong Chon Gang" docked at the Manzanillo Container Terminal in Colon City July 16, 2013. Panama detained the North Korean-flagged ship from Cuba as it headed to the Panama Canal and said it was hiding weapons in brown sugar containers, sparking a standoff in which the ship's captain attempted to commit suicide. Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli said the undeclared weapons were detected inside the containers when Panamanian authorities stopped the ship, suspecting it was carrying drugs. [CFP]
The statement said the Panama authorities has informed Cuba of the seizure of the DPRK ship.
The ship, sailing from a Cuban port to the DPRK, mainly carried 10,000 tons of sugar, said the statment.
It also carried 240 metric tons of obsolete defensive weapons including two anti-aircraft missile complexes Volga and Pechora, nine missiles in parts and spares, two Mig-21 fighters and 15 Mig-21 fighter motors, which were sent to DPRK for repairment and would be shipped back to Cuba, according to the statement.
The weapons, all manufactured in the mid-twentieth century, were required "to maintain our defensive capacity to preserve national sovereignty," the statement said.
"The Republic of Cuba reiterates its firm and unwavering commitment with peace, disarmament, including nuclear disarmament, and respect for International Law," it said.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli said on Monday that a DPRK-flagged cargo ship suspected of carrying missile equipment in a shipment of sugar from Cuba, was seized.
[UNUS] [Legality] [Interdiction]
N.Korean Ship Caught with Missile Parts in Panama
In this image tweeted by Panamas President Ricardo Martinelli, part of a green missile-shaped object is seen in a North Korean ship docked at a container terminal in Coln, Panama on Tuesday. In this image tweeted by Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli, part of a green missile-shaped object is seen in a North Korean ship docked at a container terminal in Coln, Panama on Tuesday.
Panamanian authorities on Monday caught a North Korean ship carrying presumed missile parts.
Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli tweeted that his country interdicted a North Korean-flagged ship from Cuba because it was carrying "undeclared military cargo." He posted a picture of a green object that looks like part of a missile.
"We had suspected this ship, which was coming from Cuba and headed to North Korea, might have drugs aboard so it was brought into port for search and inspection," Martinelli said on radio. "When we started to unload the shipment of sugar we located containers that we believe to be sophisticated missile equipment."
[UNUS] [Legality] [Interdiction]
U.S. Talk about "Missile Threat from North Korea" Refuted: KCNA Commentary
Pyongyang, July 16 (KCNA) -- The U.S. Congressional Research Service in its recent report called for "cooperation" between the U.S. and its allies in establishing the U.S.-led combined MD system in the Asia-Pacific region, crying out for "bolstering deterrence and defensive capabilities to cope with missile threat from north Korea."
This is a revelation of the U.S. sinister strategic scenario to justify its arms build-up under the pretext of threat from someone, contain its potential rivals China and Russia and thus dominate the world.
The U.S. has long trumpeted about "threat" to justify its arms race and arms build-up while covering up its ulterior purpose of aggression.
[Missile defense] [Threat]
U.S. hails Panama inspection of N. Korean ship
The U.S. government voiced strong support Tuesday for Panama's move to interdict a North Korean cargo ship allegedly carrying missile system parts.
"The United States strongly supports Panama's decision to inspect the DPRK (North Korea) flagged vessel," State Department deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell said at a press briefing.
[UNUS]
North Korean ship seized in Panama Canal carried suspected missile-system components
By Billy Kenber, Wednesday, July 17, 10:25 AM E-mail the writer
An aging North Korean freighter carrying suspected missile-system components hidden beneath bags of sugar was seized in Panama last week on its return from Cuba, Panamanian officials announced Tuesday.
The Chong Chon Gang, a rusting, 14,000-metric-ton ship that carries a painted North Korean flag, was traveling through the Panama Canal last week when it was intercepted and boarded by drug enforcement agents who had received a tip that it was smuggling narcotics.
Cuba says the freighter seized in the Panama Canal was carrying its obsolete defensive weapons.
In dramatic scenes described by Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli, officers were met with violent resistance from the 35-strong crew during efforts to redirect the vessel to port and the ships captain subsequently tried to commit suicide. He is hospitalized in stable condition after slitting his throat with a knife, according to wire reports.
Martinelli, who used his Twitter account to post a photograph, taken in the ships hold, of a long green missile-shaped object, told local radio that sophisticated missile equipment had been discovered.
That is not allowed, he said. The Panama Canal is a canal of peace, not war. (sic)
[Arms sales] [UNUS] [Double standards]
Military Cooperation Between Cuba, North Korea Revealed
North Korean ship carrying Cuban missile radar highlights rogue states military cooperation
FILE - In this file photo taken , Monday, May 21, 2007, North Korean cargo ship Kang Nam I, is docked at Myanmar International Terminals Thilawar port, south of Yangon, Myanmar. An American destroyer was tailing Tuesday, June 23, 2009, a North Korean ship suspected of carrying illicit weapons destined for Myanmar as it sailed along China's coast, amid concerns the North is expected to fire short- or medium-range missiles soon off its east coast. (AP Photo, File)
BY: Bill Gertz
July 16, 2013 3:53 pm
The seizure of a covert shipment of missile parts from Cuba on a North Korean freighter is raising new fears that the two communist governments secretly are engaged in the trade of threatening ballistic missiles.
The North Korean ship seized Friday by Panamanian authorities included sophisticated Russian radar for SA-2 surface-to-air missiles and revealed for the first time military cooperation between Cuba and North Korea.
A U.S. official said authorities in Panama were continuing to unload the contraband cargo as of Tuesday afternoon. So far it appears the illicit cargo is limited to surface-to-air missile components.
According to photographs made public by the Panamanian government, one of the components photographed in the hold of the ship was identified as a vertical radar beam emitter for Russian SNR-74 tracking and guidance radar. The radar is used with SA-2 Guideline anti-aircraft missiles deployed by both communist governments in Cuba and North Korea.
[Arms sales] [Legality] [Interdiction] [UNUS] [Double standards]
DPRK Foreign Minister Speaks at Ministerial Meeting of Asian Regional Forum
Pyongyang, July 3 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, head of the DPRK delegation, made a speech at the ministerial meeting of the 20th ASEAN Regional Forum held in Darussalam of Brunei on Tuesday.
He referred to the fact that the DPRK has further reenergized the country's overall economy and achieved successes in the improvement of the people's standard of living by stepping up the building of a thriving nation under the wise leadership of the dear respected Kim Jong Un.
He reiterated the DPRK's will to bolster up its capabilities for national defence and, at the same time, exert efforts for developing the economy and improving people's standard of living for the purpose of making sustained efforts for peaceful development.
Referring to the repeated vicious cycle of confrontation and escalated tensions and the touch-and-go situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula due to the U.S., he said:
[NK US Policy]
N.Korea 'Exporting Chemical Weapons Parts to Syria'
North Korea allegedly played a decisive role in arming the Syrian regime with chemical weapons.
A diplomatic source last Friday claimed the North has transferred technologies for synthesizing chemical agents and making chemical warheads to Syria since the mid-1990s by dispatching chemical weapons experts there.
The source added North Korea has recently been seen exporting a vacuum dryer to Syria. He claimed "many pieces of evidence" show that the North "has been continuously providing after-sales services" to Syrian chemical weapons facilities.
Vacuum dryers are essential devices for the production of chemical weapons used to dry liquid chemical materials to make them into fine powder.
In November 2009, a cargo ship bound for Syria was caught at Piraeus Port in Greece carrying North Korean chemical weapons-related materials, including about 20,000 pieces of protective clothing for atomic, biological and chemical warfare.
The U.S. claims to have evidence that the regime of Syrian President Basher Al-Assad has used chemical weapons in an escalating civil war. Ben Rhodes, a deputy adviser at the White House National Security Council, on Thursday said, "The intelligence community estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from detected chemical weapons attacks in Syria to date; however, casualty data is likely incomplete."
Another diplomatic source claimed it is "most likely" that chemical weapons used by Syrian government troops were produced with North Korean technology.
[cbw] [Syria] [Propaganda]
North Korea seeking to deepen ties with far-away Uganda
By Max Fisher, Published: June 13, 2013 at 1:48 pmE-mail the writer
North Korean officials visiting Uganda have signed deals to provide police training, security hardware such as tear gas and even housing construction, according to a report by the independent news site NKNews. Although North Korea has sold martial arts training to the Ugandan police since 1988, this deal seems to mark a new level of cooperation and a rare diplomatic success for Pyongyang.
The North Korean delegation is scheduled to sign a joint communique with Ugandas international affairs minister affirming their relationship and even to visit the hometown of President Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the country since 1986. When Museveni visited South Korea in May and met with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, he used a Korean-language greeting he said he had learned personally from North Koreas founding leader, Kim Il Sung.
New UN Head in DPRK
Posted: 30/05/13 by RCO
Ghulam M. Isaczai is greeted by H.E. Pak Ui Chun, DPRK Minister for Foreign Affairs
Mr. Ghulam M. Isaczai, a native of Afghanistan arrived in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 17 May to take up his new assignment as the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for DPRK.
I am very excited to be in DPRK during these challenging times for the UN system and the people of DPRK. I believe the UN has an important role to play in DPRK, particularly in areas of humanitarian assistance and recovery from the effect of natural disasters that this country is prone to. The people of DPRK need UN assistance at this time of constrained resources for the immediate lifesaving requirements of the population while working towards longer-term development objectives.
Ghulam M. Isaczai, brings extensive experience in international development, humanitarian emergencies and post conflict recovery with the United Nations system and international NGOs in Asia and the Middle East. He has led and managed successful programmes in areas such as poverty reduction, good governance, environment management, disaster reduction as well as volunteerism and civil society engagements.
UN special rapporteur criticizes limited freedom of expression in S. Korea
Posted on : Jun.9,2013 11:09 KST
Margaret Sekaggya, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Anachronistic National Security Law and long-term sit in struggles highlighted as areas of particular concern
By Choi Yu-bin, staff reporter
A UN human rights special rapporteur expressed a variety of concerns about the human rights situation in South Korea, suggesting that the criminalization of defamation limits the activities of human rights advocates.
Margaret Sekaggya, the UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders, spent two weeks in South Korea assessing the human rights situation in the country. On June 7, shortly before she left the country, she held a press conference at the Koreana Hotel near City Hall in central Seoul to present her initial research findings and to make some recommendations. At the press conference she identified the criminal status of defamation and the National Security Law as major obstacles to defending human rights.
[NSL]
N.Korean Officers 'Helping Syrian Gov't Forces'
A dozen North Korean military officers are helping Syrian government forces as military advisors, unconfirmed reports said Tuesday.
That would put North Korea on the side of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad alongside Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah in a civil war that ignited amid the "Arab Spring" in 2011.
Rami Abdul Rahman of a group called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told the Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday, "The exact number of the officers is not known, but there are definitely 11 to 15 North Korean officers, most of whom speak Arabic."
He added that the officers were "deployed in a number of areas, including defense factories southeast of Aleppo and at regular forces' stations in the city."
UN Offices in N.Korea Struggle After Banking Sanctions
UN organizations based in Pyongyang are struggling to get the funds to run their offices after China closed down all accounts by North Korea's Foreign Trade Bank, which had served as the conduit.
According to a source in Beijing on Wednesday, the UN bodies have asked the North Korean regime to allow them to receive transfers from abroad through foreign-invested banks in North Korea rather than the Foreign Trade Bank, but the regime refused.
[Financial sanctions]
NK tried to sell bomb detonation devices to Iran
North Korea tried to sell rocket bomb detonation devices to Iran but failed, Asahi Shimbun of Japan reported Thursday, quoting a information from the United Nations.
A group monitoring situations in North Korea at the U.N. filed the report in 2008, the article said.
The report said North Korea shipped a container with two of the detonators from Nampo Port and moved the goods at Dalian in China.
The containers were heading for Bandar Abbs, a southern port in Iran when authorities of a third country received information about the shipment and found the detonators. They immediately confiscated the devices and sent the results of their investigations to the U.N.
The report indicated that North Korea ran a number of operations in Taiwan which dealt with technologies involving computer control and even tried to obtain missile technologies from Ukraine.
[Interdiction] [Arms sales] [Sanctions] [Double standards]
Congratulations to King of Netherlands
Pyongyang, May 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme Peoples Assembly of the DPRK, sent a congratulatory message to Willem Alexander on his accession to the throne of Netherlands on Monday.
Kim in the message wished the people of Netherlands the wellbeing and prosperity.
DPRK in talks with Iran for oil deals: minister
Xinhua, April 22, 2013
Iran's Oil Minister Rostam Qasemi said Sunday that Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is negotiating with Tehran over the possibility of importing oil from the Islamic republic, Press TV reported.
Qasemi made the remarks in a press conference on the sidelines of an ongoing International Oil, Gas, Refining, and Petrochemical Exhibition in Iran's capital, Tehran.
The Iranian oil minister expressed hope that an agreement would be reached between the two countries about DPRK's willingness to import Iran's crude.
Elsewhere, he said that Tehran has economic relations with many countries including Syria. The Islamic republic is sill exporting oil to Damascus despite the recent developments in the country, added Qasemi according to the report.
"We have declared to Lebanon our readiness to participate in their explorations" for crude, he further added.
[Oil]
Irans oil ministry says the country should export oil to North Korea
By Associated Press,
Published: April 20
TEHRAN, Iran Irans oil ministry says the country is considering exporting oil to North Korea as a way to improve its battered economy.
The official IRNA news agency quoted on Saturday Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi as saying talks are underway between Tehran and Pyongyang on oil exports.
An oil deal would bring the two nations deeply at odds with the U.S. and the West closer together. In September, they signed a scientific and technological cooperation agreement. A delegation from North Koreas oil ministry is currently visiting Iran.
Iranian and North Korean officials have said in the past that their nations are in one trench in the confrontation with Western powers.
But Iran has denied a U.N. report saying the two have exchanged ballistic missiles, components and technology in violation of U.N. sanctions.
[Oil]
North Korea ready to develop relations, ensure stability as a responsible nuke state
News | 15.04.2013 | 10:07
North Korea is ready to develop peaceful relations with world nations but only as a nuke state, the DPRKs nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam said on Sunday. This comes as the US, Japan, and China call for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
North Korea, which, despite tension, is getting ready to celebrate the birthday of the countrys founder Kim Il-sung, said it was ready to conduct relations based on the ideals of peace and sovereignty and contribute to security and stability in Asia, and in the whole world as a responsible nuclear-weapon state.
However, North Koreas Kim Yong-nam pointed out that not every nation is worthy their friendship, saying the countrys invincible defense forces armed with strengthening nuclear deterrence forces will unfold a total fight against the USA, acting in accordance with a wartime scenario.
We will expand in quantity our nuclear weapons capability, which is the treasure of a unified Korea... that we would never barter at any price, Kim Yong-nam stressed.
[Nuclear weapons] [NK US policy]
KAPPC Urges Foreigners in S. Korea to Take Measures for Evacuation
Pyongyang, April 9 (KCNA) -- The Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee issued the following statement on Tuesday:
The situation on the Korean Peninsula is inching close to a thermonuclear war due to the evermore undisguised hostile actions of the United States and the south Korean puppet warmongers and their moves for a war against the DPRK.
The prevailing situation is seriously affecting peace and security not only on the peninsula but in the rest of the Asia-Pacific.
The DPRK has already declared strong military counteractions to protect the dignity of the nation and the sovereignty of the country from the increasing threat of the aggressors.
The U.S. and the south Korean puppet warmongers are now watching for a chance to start a war against the DPRK after massively introducing WMDs including nuclear war hardware into south Korea.
Once a war is ignited on the peninsula, it will be an all-out war, ie a merciless sacred retaliatory war to be waged by the DPRK.
It does not want to see foreigners in south Korea fall victim to the war.
The committee informs all foreign institutions and enterprises and foreigners including tourists in Seoul and all other parts of south Korea that they are requested to take measures for shelter and evacuation in advance for their safety.
N. Korea asks foreigners to leave South
Xinhua, April 9, 2013
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday asked foreigners living in South Korea to consider evacuation, the official KCNA news agency reported.
A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee called on all foreign organizations, companies and tourists in South Korea to prepare measures for evacuation in case of war.
[Media] [Heading]
Castro Urges N.Korea to Restrain Itself
Retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro has urged North Korea to show restraint amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, AP reported Saturday. Pyongyang and Havana are two of the very few communist countries left and have been close allies for a long time.
In a column in the Communist Party daily Granma on Friday, Castro said Korean are facing "one of the most grave risks of nuclear war" since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962. "It would not be fair to forget that such a war would affect more than 70 percent of the planet's population," he added.
He also warned the U.S., saying that if a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula, the Obama administration "would be buried by a flood of images that would present him as the most sinister figure in U.S. history."
[Media] [Heading]
Reflections of Fidel: The duty to avoid a war in Korea
(Taken from (CubaDebate)
General Douglas MacArthur wanted to utilize atomic weapons against the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Not even Harry Truman allowed that.
It has been affirmed that the Peoples Republic of China lost one million valiant soldiers in order to prevent the installation of an enemy army on that countrys border with its homeland. For its part, the Soviet army provided weapons, air support, technological and economic aid.
I had the honor of meeting Kim Il Sung, a historic figure, notably courageous and revolutionary.
If war breaks out there, the peoples of both parts of the Peninsula will be terribly sacrificed, without benefit to all or either of them. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea was always friendly with Cuba, as Cuba has always been and will continue to be with her.
Now that the country has demonstrated its technical and scientific achievements, we remind her of her duties to the countries which have been her great friends, and it would be unjust to forget that such a war would particularly affect more than 70% of the population of the planet.
If a conflict of that nature should break out there, the government of Barack Obama in his second mandate would be buried in a deluge of images which would present him as the most sinister character in the history of the United States. The duty of avoiding war is also his and that of the people of the United States.
Ban Ki-moon and UN could mediate in current Korean tensions
Posted on : Apr.8,2013 15:53 KST
UN Secretary-General is expected to seek dialogue during meeting with President Obama this week
By Park Hyun and Seong Yeong-cheol, Washington and Beijing correspondents
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is showing signs of taking action to calm tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Foreign diplomatic missions continue their operations in Pyongyang
Posted on : Apr.8,2013 15:46 KSTModified on : Apr.8,2013 15:59 KST
Officials at Pyongyangs Sunan Airport check the passports of foreign travelers as they board a flight for Beijing, Apr. 6. North Korea recently asked foreign embassies to submit their plans for evacuation in case of a war. (AFP/Yonhap News)
US postpones their own ICMB test launch out of consideration over Korean tensions
By Park Byong-su and Jung E-gil, staff reporter
The foreign embassies in Pyongyang are continuing with normal operations despite having been asked by North Korea to submit evacuation plans. Following the US delay of a planned missile test-launch out of fear of provoking North Korea, the mood in Pyongyang remains as quiet and peaceful as ever, and foreign tours are continuing, reports say.
Brasil: Partidos e movimentos solidarizam-se com a Coreia Popular
Movimentos, partidos e meios de comunicao progressistas e anti-imperialistas enviaram nesta tea-feira (2) uma declarao de solidariedade e apoio embaixada da Repblica Popular e Democrtica da Coreia em Braslia.
A escalada da tenso na Pennsula Coreana, com a participao direta dos Estados Unidos, tem aumentado a presso e a preocupao com um possvel conflito internacional, apesar dos pedidos reiterados por dilogo enquanto a Coreia do Sul, apoiada pelos EUA, toma medidas belicistas.
Neste contexto, movimentos e partidos brasileiros que lutam contra o imperialismo belicista e pela manuteno da paz e da soberania das naes enviaram a seguinte declarao embaixada da Coreia Popular:
A United Nations Commission of Inquiry for North Korea
By David Hawk
01 April 2013
On March 21, 2013 the 47-member state Geneva-based Human Rights Council (HRC), a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly, adopted a resolution that establishes a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate more fully the severe human rights violations in North Korea, and to determine whether those violations amount to crimes against humanity.[1]
Commissions of Inquiry are a venerable diplomatic mechanism dating back at least to the Concert of Europe,[2] through which a delegation of eminent persons, almost always legal experts or experienced diplomats from a cross-section of the Concert powers, investigated egregious human rights violations (often massacres) usually with the particular aim of assessing accountability for large-scale atrocities. In recent years, investigative bodies known as mechanisms of inquiry, expert panels or group of experts, as well as commissions of inquiry, created by the UN Security Council, General Assembly or Human Rights Council, have been used to make prima facie determinations of grave breaches of international criminal law prior to the creation of the Ad Hoc Tribunals, such as those for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, or prior to a referral to the International Criminal Court. Presently, another CoI is documenting atrocities in Syria.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS] [NGO]
DPRK Informs UNSC of Impending Danger of Nuclear War on Korean Peninsula
Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) -- The Foreign Ministry of the DPRK released the following statement on Tuesday.
The U.S. anti-DPRK hostile acts being intensified over its satellite launch for peaceful purposes have reached the eve of nuclear war.
On Monday U.S. B-52 strategic bombers flied to the sky above south Korea by stealth again to stage a nuclear bomb dropping drill aimed at a surprise nuclear preemptive attack on the DPRK.
Their flight defying our repeated warnings clearly proves that the U.S. plan for a nuclear war has entered an uncontrollable phase of practice.
The U.S. is making desperate efforts to seek a way out from igniting a nuclear war against the DPRK, afraid that if the DPRK with nuclear weapons achieves economic prosperity through the building of a thriving nation, its hostile policy toward the DPRK will end in failure.
[response] [Joint US military]
UN Human Rights Council to establish special North Korea commission
Posted on : Mar.23,2013 14:22 KSTModified on : Mar.23,2013 14:22 KST
North Korea condemns efforts to investigate food deprivation, prison camps and other alleged violations
By Park Byong-su, staff reporter
Following the decision of the UN Human Rights Council to create a commission of inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea, it is expected that the international community will put even more pressure on Pyongyang to improve human rights in the country. North Korea expressed strong opposition, alleging that the resolution had a political agenda.
In Geneva, Switzerland, on Mar. 21, the Council unanimously adopted a resolution that establishes a commission to investigate human rights in North Korea. According to the resolution, the commission will be composed of three members and will be in operation for one year.
The probe will look into accusations of human rights abuse related to food deprivation, concentration camps, torture and inhumane treatment, arbitrary detainment, discrimination, freedom of expression, the sanctity of life, the right to movement, kidnapping of foreign nationals, and forced disappearances.
[Manipulation] [UNUS]
UN Human Rights Council's "Resolution on Human Rights" against DPRK Rejected by DPRK FM Spokesman
Pyongyang, March 22 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Friday gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA as regards the very provocative "resolution" against the DPRK adopted at a session of the UN Human Rights Council:
The 22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted a "resolution" which calls for forming a "commission of inquiry" on the basis of all sorts of false materials slandering the DPRK.
The "resolution on human rights" against the DPRK cooked up by the U.S. and its allies every year with inveterate repugnancy and hostility towards the DPRK is a political chicanery which does not deserve even a passing note.
The U.S., driven into a tight corner by a series of setbacks sustained by it in the political and military confrontation with the DPRK, is kicking up an anti-DPRK human rights campaign involving its allies in a ridiculous bid to hurt the DPRK.
South Pacific Island Admits Selling Passports to N.Koreans
The tiny South Pacific island nation of Kiribati issued passports to North Korean businessmen until 2004 as a "means of generating revenue," its president has admitted.
There had been speculation for some time that North Koreans engaged in illicit activities such as arms deals were illegally obtaining passports from small countries.
Appearing recently on Australian radio, Kiribati President Anote Tong said he was embarrassed that the passports were reportedly related to international crime. "I can assure you that we had corrected that situation in 2004 when we stopped issuing these passports," he said.
Late last year, a Japanese activist group said two agents from North Korea, Han Chol and Ju Ok-hui, used passports issued by Kiribati and the Seychelles.
They are board members of North Korea's Tongsin International Trading Corporation, an agency suspected of illegally exporting weapons to Burma and other countries, the group added.
Both Han and Ju were given passports by the Kiribati government in 1996 and by the Seychelles in 2007. The countries reportedly sold passports to foreign businessmen but abandoned the practice due to mounting worries about illicit activities.
A Foreign Ministry official in Seoul said, "Kiribati has been neutral since it won independence from the U.K. in 1979. "It would have been easier for the North Korean agents to travel with those passports rather than with North Korean ones."
UN expected to pass exceptionally tough sanctions on North Korea
Posted on : Mar.7,2013 15:58 KST
A Mar. 5 (EST) United Nations Security Council meeting at UN headquarters in New York where the council discussed tougher sanctions on North Korea in response to the nuclear test conducted in February. The sanctions are expected to be passed on Mar. 7. (Newsis)
China now providing tepid support for measures meant to freeze North Koreas ability to finance its endeavors
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has prepared a draft of a resolution for stronger sanctions against North Korea. The resolution, which is expected to be passed on Mar. 7 (EST), would ban financial transactions with North Korea that are linked to weapons of mass destruction in the international financial market and monitor illegal activity by North Korean diplomats.
Shortly after a meeting of the UNSC at the UN Headquarters in New York on Mar. 5, Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, told reporters that the resolution was tougher than before and would have significant and enhanced legal force. North Korea will be subject to some of the toughest sanctions imposed by the United Nations, Rice said, The breadth and scope of these sanctions is exceptional.
[Sanctions]
Message of Condolence to Vice President of Venezuela
Pyongyang, March 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Wednesday sent a message of condolences to Venezuelan Vice President Nicolas Maduro over the passing of President Hugo Chavez.
The message said President Chavez made great contributions to defending the sovereignty of the country and achieving the integrity of the Latin American region.
It expressed the belief that the government and people of Venezuela would overcome the sorrow and make achievements in building a prospering, new society.
UN working to elevate sanctions on North Korea
Posted on : Feb.14,2013 14:56 KST
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan answers reporters questions at a press conference after Kim presided over a UN Security Council meeting on Feb. 12 in New York. (AP/Newsis)
South Korea-led Security Council considering compulsory measures to further isolate North Korea economically
By Park Hyun, Washington correspondent in New York
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is taking steps to adopt a new resolution that would elevate existing sanctions against North Korea from recommendations to requirements. In addition, South Korea and the US are planning to impose independent, supplementary sanctions after waiting for the UNSCs decision, the Hankyoreh confirmed.
[Sanctions]
3 DPRK doctors killed in northern Nigeria
Xinhua, February 11, 2013
The three Asian doctors that were killed by unknown attackers in the northeast Nigeria's town of Potiskum are from Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Nigerian police in northeast state of Yobe confirmed on Sunday.
State commissioner for police Sanusi Rufai told Xinhua that the health workers were killed in the early hours of Sunday. According to him, the health workers were posted to the Potiskum General Hospital.
3 N.Korean Doctors Killed in Nigeria
Armed men in northeastern Nigeria have killed three North Korean doctors in the latest attack on health care workers in a country under assault by a radical Islamist sect.
Nigerian officials said Sunday that at least two of the doctors had their throats cut by unknown assailants who had entered their shared apartment overnight in the town of Potiskum, in Yobe state.
The Associated Press reported that the third physician was beheaded in the raid.
Initially, doctors at the hospital who worked with the physicians identified them as being from South Korea, while police identified the dead as being from China. Later, the chairman of the Yobe Hospital Managing Board confirmed the victims were North Korean and had lived in the state since 2005 as part of a medical program between Yobe and North Korea.
[Islamist] [NK aid]
Memorandum of DPRK FM Distributed as Official Document of UNSC
Pyongyang, January 31 (KCNA) -- The memorandum of the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK "Dissolution of the 'UN Command' is the essential requirement in defending peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia-Pacific region" was distributed as an official document S/2013/20 of the UNSC on Jan. 18.
UN Shines Spotlight on N.Korean Gulag
A UN working group has concluded that the families of two prominent North Korean defectors are being held in gulags in the North and will urge the regime to treat them humanely.
Kang Chol-hwan (left) and Shin Dong-hyuk Kang Chol-hwan (left) and Shin Dong-hyuk
The two are Kang Chol-hwan, a former staffer with the Chosun Ilbo now at the North Korea Strategy Center, and Shin Dong-hyuk, the only known person born in a North Korean prison camp who managed to escape.
The conclusion was reached by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention under the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees.
[UNUS]
Pillay urges more attention to human rights abuses in North Korea, calls for international inquiry
GENEVA (14 January) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called Monday for the international community to put much more effort into tackling the deplorable human rights situation of people in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), and said the time had come for a full-fledged international inquiry into serious crimes that had been taking place in the country for decades.
There were some initial hopes that the advent of a new leader might bring about some positive change in the human rights situation in DPRK, Pillay said. But a year after Kim Jong Un became the countrys new supreme leader, we see almost no sign of improvement.
I am also concerned that, at the international level, the spotlight is almost exclusively focused on DPRKs nuclear programme and rocket launches, she said. While these, of course, are issues of enormous importance, they should not be allowed to overshadow the deplorable human rights situation in DPRK, which in one way or another affects almost the entire population and has no parallel anywhere else in the world.
In December, the High Commissioner met with two survivors of DPRKs elaborate network of political prison camps which are believed to contain 200,000 or more people.
[UNUS]
UNSC moving to sanction NK
By Chung Min-uck
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is close to issuing sanctions to punish North Korea for its latest rocket launch, a foreign ministry official said, Friday.
Consultations on drawing-up sanctions on North Korea have made significant progress, said a foreign ministry official on condition of anonymity. The talks are almost at an end.
The official, however, didnt pin down the exact timing and details of the sanctions.
[Satellite] [UNUS]
Top UN rights official says North Koreas human rights record remains deplorable
By Associated Press,
Tuesday, January 15, 5:43 PM
GENEVA The U.N.s top human rights official said Monday that as many as 200,000 people are being held in North Korean political prison camps rife with torture, rape and slave labor, and that some of the abuses may amount to crimes against humanity.
For that reason, said Navi Pillay, the world bodys high commissioner for human rights, nations must mount an independent probe into North Koreas human rights record.
The U.N. Human Rights Council and the U.N. General Assembly, which includes all 193 member nations, have condemned North Koreas human rights record, but Pillay said stronger action is needed, including such a probe one authorized by the United Nations but performed by experts independent of the U.N. system.
Top UN rights official says North Koreas human rights record remains deplorable
[Human rights] [UNUS][Evidence]
Korea, Burma Agree on Rangoon Bombing Memorial
South Korea and Burma have agreed to build a memorial for the victims of the 1983 Rangoon bombing by North Korean agents that claimed the lives of 17 South Koreans and wounded 14.
The monument will be set up at the Aung San National Cemetery in the former Burmese capital.
The government is dispatching a team led by a Foreign Ministry official to Burma early next month. The team includes architects and landscape architects.
S. Korea to join UN Security Council amid deadlock over NK rocket
2012-12-29 16:48
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- South Korea could take a more active role in getting the United Nations Security Council to punish North Korea for its recent long-range rocket launch, diplomatic sources said Friday.
South Korea is set to serve as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation council for two years, beginning Jan. 1. The council is the U.N.'s top decision-making body that can tighten sanctions on North Korea.
2012-12-29 16:48
S. Korea to join UN Security Council amid deadlock over NK rocket
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- South Korea could take a more active role in getting the United Nations Security Council to punish North Korea for its recent long-range rocket launch, diplomatic sources said Friday.
South Korea is set to serve as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation council for two years, beginning Jan. 1. The council is the U.N.'s top decision-making body that can tighten sanctions on North Korea.
[Satellite] [UNUS]
Message to Kim Jong Un from Syrian President
Pyongyang, December 18 (KCNA) -- The dear respected Kim Jong Un, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, received a message from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad on December 17.
The Syrian president in his message said that he remembered with deep emotion Kim Jong Il on Dec. 17, the first anniversary of his demise.
[KJI_death]
UN Committee Unanimously Passes N.Korea Resolution
A key UN committee unanimously passed a resolution condemning human rights abuses in North Korea on Tuesday, the first time not even the North's sole ally China voted against it.
The Third Committee of the UN General Assembly has adopted the North Korea Human Rights Resolution every year since 2005, but it had to be put to a vote each time
[UNUS]
DPRK Rejects UN "Human Rights Resolution"
Pyongyang, November 28 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Wednesday as regards the anti-DPRK "human rights resolution" that was adopted at the third committee of the 67th UN General Assembly:
The EU and Japan played key roles in fabricating the anti-DPRK "human rights resolution". The resolution peppered with stereo-typed lies and false stories does not deserve even a passing note as it is a politically-motivated one aimed at serving the purposes of the hostile forces.
[UNUS]
Ban Ki-moon Wants to Visit N.Korea
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday he is considering his direct involvement in inter-Korean issues and a visit to Pyongyang.
"I am ready to play my part to work toward a peaceful and denuclearized Korean Peninsula, including through my own personal engagement such as a visit to North Korea when the situation seems right," Ban said as he accepted the 2012 Seoul Peace Prize.
[Ban Ki-moon]
Brotherhood Forged between Kim Il Sung and Norodom Sihanouk
Pyongyang, October 23 (KCNA) -- The government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has raised flags at half-mast at fixed places on Tuesday to mourn the death of the Great King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihanouk.
Norodom Sihanouk, called father of the Cambodian nation, was a close friend of the Korean people and a prominent international statesman, who made big contributions to developing the traditional friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Cambodia and the Non-Aligned Movement and realizing the cause of global independence.
President Kim Il Sung in his lifetime cared so much for his life with a strong sense of comradely obligation, irrespective of ideology, political view and religious belief.
Burma Willing to Cut Military Ties with N.Korea
Burma is willing to sever its military ties with North Korea, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies said Monday.
Reuters reported that Davies, who is visiting Beijing, told reporters, "I think that Burma's on the right path, that they have made a strategic decision to fundamentally alter their relationship with [North Korea] and to ultimately end these relationships with North Korea."
But he added it is "a work in process. It was a long relationship that the two countries had, and so it does take some time to work through it."
South Korea joins UN Security Council
Posted on : Oct.20,2012 11:48 KST
A meeting of the UN Security Coucil
Beats out Cambodia for temporary term that will last two years
By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter
South Korea won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Oct. 19 for the second time after holding a similar position in 1996.
South Korea was elected to a two-year term as a non-permanent member state between 2013 and 2014 at the UNSC elections held at UN headquarters in New York. Picking up this seat, South Korea is expected to have a stronger right to speak on North Korean issues that are subject to UNSCs sanctions.
In the secondary ballot, South Korea won 149 votes, 21 more than 128 (two-thirds of all votes) needed, beating Cambodia, which got 43 votes.
[UNUS]
Seoul Requests Memorial for Rangoon Bombing Victims
Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on Tuesday asked Burmese President Thein Sein and Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin to build a memorial to the victims of the Rangoon bombing in 1983.
The Burmese officials are here on a three-day state visit.
Thein Sein pledged to "consider the request positively," according to a Cheong Wa Dae official.
North Korean terrorists bombed the Aung San martyrs' mausoleum in Rangoon during then-president Chun Doo-hwan's visit. The attack left 17 dead and 14 injured.
President Lee Myung-bak became the first South Korean leader since the attack to visit Burma in May this year and paid tribute to the victims.
North Korean vice foreign minister talks economic reform at UN
Posted on : Oct.3,2012 13:13 KST
Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon left, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon before their meeting at UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 27.
Pak Kil-yon says North Korea is seeking to structure its economic structure and development methodology
By Park Byong-su, staff reporter
Speaking at the Foreign Ministers meeting of the Group of 77 on the sidelines of the 67th U.N. General Assembly, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon said that his country is improving its economic structure and development methodology.
North Koreas Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Oct. 2 that Park highlighted how the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is continuously improving and strengthening its economic structure and development methodology to suit our conditions, following the global trend toward sustainable development. The KCNA added that Park also said the North Korean government is actively encouraging international exchange and cooperation in this matter.
Korea ready to raise history issue at UN assembly: FM
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan on Monday stressed the importance of promoting "correct history" at the United Nations.
Kim said he discussed history issues in a bilateral meeting here with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi. The ministers are visiting New York to attend the 67th session of the U.N. General Assembly.
"We agreed with the need to publicize history, I mean correct history, on the U.N. stage," Kim told South Korean reporters.
South Korea is locked in bitter disputes with Japan over their shared history.
Korean people believe Japan has yet to offer an appropriate apology for its brutal colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945.
The enforced sex slavery by Japanese troops during World War II is a symbol of such atrocities. Victimized women are euphemistically called "comfort women."
Tokyo's continued claim to Dokdo, a set of Seoul-controlled volcanic outcroppings in the East Sea, is also a legacy of Japan's imperialistic past.
Japan is also embroiled in simmering territorial disputes with China.
[Japanese colonialism]
Ambassador Teleni presents Credential in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)
Fiji's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China, HE Mr Esala Teleni recently presented his credentials to the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, HE Mr Kim Yong Nam, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang City, DPRK. The Fiji Mission in Beijing is officially accredited to the DPRK.
Following the presentation of credentials, President Kim Yong Nam, warmly congratulated Ambassador Teleni on his new appointment and extended his deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Fiji for its commitment and vision in developing the Fiji and DPRK bilateral relations to new heights. President Kim further informed Ambassador Teleni that Fiji is the first country in the Oceania/Pacific region to have its Ambassador to the DPRK - an indication of goodwill to strengthen bilateral relations with the DPRK.
DPRK Delegate Calls for Adhering to Principle of Equality
Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- The principle of equality is the basic one to be strictly abided by in relations among countries.
A DPRK delegate said this when addressing the plenary meeting of the Geneva Disarmament Conference on August 21.
He went on to say:
Some countries are still trying to keep unequal relations by counting on the military superiority.
They are also enforcing the policy of nuclear blackmail in an undisguised manner, disregarding the requirements and obligations of international law. At the same time, they are putting spurs to the preparations for preempting nuclear attacks on other countries any moment.
Such acts are quite contrary to the requirements of the international community and pose grave threats to global peace and security.
Allowance of double standards will only make the international relations biased and complicated, much less contributing to the fair solution to international issues.
[Disarmament] [Double standards]
Cabinet Approves Memorandum Of Understanding Between Fiji And The Democratic Republic Of Korea
Cabinet has approved that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) be signed between Fiji and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea).
The MOU will be signed at the margin of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Meeting to be held in Tehran between the 27th to the 31st August 2012.
Cabinet based its decision on a submission by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.
Fiji's foreign policy accedes to an "open door policy" which is underpinned by Pillar 11 of the Road Map on "Enhancing Global Integration and International Relations" and based on this approach Fiji continues to openly engage with all members of the international community.
The MOU is expected to set the foundation for expansion of bilateral consultation and exchange of views to facilitate cooperation and exchange in the fields of politics, economy and culture between the two countries.
Iran Says Kim Jong-un to Attend Non-Aligned Nations Summit
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will attend an international meeting in Tehran next week.
Iran's spokesman for the Non-Aligned Movement Summit confirmed that Iran would welcome Kim on his first overseas trip since taking over the helm of the reclusive regime.
Around 40 world leaders have expressed their willingness to attend the meeting, but UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has not yet confirmed his presence, the spokesman added.
The 120-member Non-Aligned Movement was set up in 1961 at the height of the Cold War and was intended to be bloc of nations that sided neither with NATO nor the Warsaw Pact.
[NAM]
Seoul denies report on Kims 1st overseas trip
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center in the back row, poses with people living on Mudo Island where an artillery unit responsible for the Norths 2010 deadly bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island is stationed in this picture released by Korean Central News Agency, Sunday. / Yonhap
By Chung Min-uck
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade denied Wednesday allegations that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will make his first overseas visit to Iran next week.
Iranian media earlier reported that Kim will make a trip to the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Tehran slated for Aug. 26 to 31 quoting NAM spokesman Mohammad-Reza Forqani. But the foreign ministry later denied the reports after checking with its diplomatic office in Iran.
[NAM]
North Korea developing its foreign relations
Posted on : Aug.20,2012 14:23 KST
Jang Song-thaek (third from left) arrives outside Beijing airport. He waited in a VIP lounge before his flight back to North Korea, August 18. (Yonhap News)
New Pyongyang regime building ties with all its neighbors except one
By Kim Kyu-won, staff reporter
Jang Song-thaeks visit to China between Aug. 13 and 18 is being seen as the first step in the new Kim Jong-un regimes foreign policy approach.
Many are saying that the visit by the North Koreas National Defense Commission vice chairman showed the regimes openness and confidence since taking over in April, but that more time is needed to see what results will come from the economic cooperation.
U.N. Chief in the Hot Seat over Non-Aligned Summit in Iran
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 16 2012 (IPS) - When Cuba chaired the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) back in 1979, Western nations dismissed the worlds largest single political coalition as lacking legitimacy since Havana was considered a close ally of the then-Soviet Union.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has not yet declared his intention to attend or skip the summit. Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten
Taking the cue from the West, even some of the mainstream news organisations, as a matter of editorial policy, continued to cynically describe NAM as the so-called Non-Aligned Movement right through Cubas four-year chairmanship, which ended in 1983.
Still, both Cuba and NAM survived the name-calling and political vituperation, despite an organised campaign to discredit the coalition as covertly pro-Soviet.
With Iran taking over the chairmanship later this month for the first time in the history of the 120-member NAM the Western world is expected to react as negatively as it did to Cuba.
[NAM] [UNUS]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Hanoi
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Sunday arrived in Hanoi to pay an official goodwill visit to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang.
He was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Mining Industry Kang Min Chol, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kung Sok Ung and other suite members.
Assessing the DPRK Panel of Experts
By Jeffrey Lewis
Last month, the United Nations released a report on the implementation of sanctions against North Korea prepared by what Reuters described as the so-called Panel of Experts.[1]
Well, I suppose that is better than calling them the Panel of so-called Experts. But not much.
The release of the report created a minor controversy. The Panel of Experts (POE), which reports to the UN Security Councils Sanctions Committee for the DPRK, noted that North Korea appeared to have imported six transporter-erector-launchers or TELs that North Korea paraded through Pyongyang armed with a new type of ICBM.[2] Although the TELs were visually identical to a vehicle produced by Chinas Wanshan Special Vehicle Company, the report did not mention Chinas role in exporting the vehicles. Apparently the TELs exported themselves.
Rumors quickly circulated among the policy community, as noted by Mark Hibbs on my blog ArmsControlWonk.com, that China had agreed to release the report on the condition that the POE not name China as the source of the vehiclesdespite overwhelming evidence that this was the case. This was at least the second time China sought to block the publication of a Panel of Experts report. The Chinese representative refused to sign the 2011 report, permanently consigning it to the status of a draft that could not be released to the public. It promptly leaked to the Weekly Standard.
Naturally, some of my colleagues have begun to wonder whether such a panel is really worth all the fuss.
Generally, I think the answer is yes.
[UNUS]
North Korea attending Southeast Asian regional forum
Posted on : Jul.12,2012 16:46 KST Modified on : Jul.12,2012 17:13 KST
South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan (left) and his North Korean counterpart Pak Ui-chun hold a brief informal meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bali, Indonesia, 2011.
Pyongyang officials apparently seeking to reduce isolation, reliance on China
By Park Byong-su, staff reporter in Phnom Penh
Observers are taking note of North Korean foreign minister Pak Ui-chuns recent schedule of talks with ASEAN countries.
Pak, who arrived in Cambodia on July 11 for the Asian Regional Forum (ARF), is believed to have bilateral talks scheduled with six countries over the next two days. This contrasts sharply with last year, when North Koreas only talks were with China and Russia.
On Wednesday morning, Pak had talks for a little over an hour with Chinese foreign minister Yang Jiechi at Phnom Penhs Peace Palace, the site of the main ARF talks. He went on to a bilateral meeting with Myanmars foreign minister.
Sources said he was scheduled to meet for talks with the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia through Thursday.
NK's top diplomat arrives in Cambodia for ASEAN forum
PHNOM PENH/SEOUL (Yonhap) -- North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun arrived here early Wednesday to attend an annual security meeting of Southeast Asian nations and regional powers, Seoul diplomats said.
Pak's visit to the two-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum, hosted by the 10-member bloc starting Thursday, comes amid persistent tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the North's nuclear and missile programs.
UN report: North Korea violates sanctions by shipping arms, could be parading fake missiles
By Associated Press, Tuesday, July 3, 12:39 PM
UNITED NATIONS North Korea continues to violate U.N. sanctions by attempting to ship arms to Syria and Myanmar and illegally importing luxury goods, according to a long-awaited report by a U.N. experts panel.
No violations involving nuclear, chemical or biological weapons or ballistic missiles were mentioned in the 74-page report to the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions, published Friday.
The report also said new KN-08 ballistic missiles seen at an April military parade celebrating the centenary of founder Kim Il Sungs birth could be fake. The missiles were carried by a new, larger transporter that the Panel of Experts is investigating.
The Security Council imposed sanctions against North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and stepped up sanctions after its second test in 2009 to try to derail the countrys rogue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.
The panel found ample evidence that North Korea continues to defy measures in the resolutions, citing elaborate techniques used in several interceptions of banned goods.
Nevertheless, although the resolutions have not caused the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to halt its banned activities, they appear to have slowed them and made illicit transactions significantly more difficult and expensive, the report said.
A diplomat at North Koreas UN mission, who would not give his name, rejected the findings.
In principle, we dont recognize the Panel of Experts, because we reject the resolution it was founded on and have never acknowledged the groups reports, he said.
The report cited several cases of attempted shipments of arms-related material to Syria and Myanmar, including a French report about the Nov. 2010 interception of a shipment containing brass discs and copper rods used to manufacture artillery munitions and aluminum alloy tubes useable for making rockets.
A shipment headed for Syria seized in 2007 was transshipped through Dalian, China, and Port Kelang, Malaysia. It contained electrical and thermal switches and metallic alloys.
Illegally imported luxury goods included tobacco, bottles of sake, second-hand pianos and several second-hand Mercedes Benz cars, the report said. Several shipments originated in Japan and reached North Korea via Dalian, China, according to Japan.
A spokesman for the U.N. China mission had no comment.
The panels previous report in May 2011 has not been released because of objections from China, which has close ties to North Korea. The details of the new report were reported by The Associated Press in May.
[UNUS] [Double standards] [Arms sales]
Congratulations to Egyptian President
Pyongyang, June 26 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Muhammad Muhammad Morsi Isa Al Ayat upon his election as president of Egypt.
Kim in the message expressed belief that the traditional relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries would steadily grow in the future and sincerely wished him great success in his responsible work to ensure the stability of the country and achieve its economic development and prosperity.
N.Korea's Kaesong Pushes for UNESCO Heritage Status
North Korea has applied to get the southern border town of Kaesong listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to documents the UNESCO World Heritage Centre submitted to the 36th session of the World Heritage Committee in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday.
The North first applied to have Kaesong listed as a World Heritage Site last year but failed due to a lack of corroborating documents.
South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration said the International Council on Monuments and Sites, which advises UNESCO, will conduct an on-site survey of Kaesong by October. Based on its evaluation, the 37th session of the World Heritage Committee in June next year decides whether to list the city.
North Korea turning toward diplomacy
By Kim Young-jin
North Korea is moving to maintain relations with the outside world amid international scrutiny over its nuclear program and as new leader Kim Jong-un seeks to burnish his credentials.
Watchers here have taken note of a recent flurry of diplomatic trips taken by North Korean diplomats to shore up relations in China, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Some say Pyongyangs recent announcement that it does not plan to conduct a nuclear test was an apparent gesture to Washington to rekindle diplomacy.
The campaign comes at a sensitive time for Pyongyang as it works to consolidate popular support for new leader Kim Jong-un following the death of his father Kim Jong-il late last year. Observers say the North is working to buoy its economy with foreign investment and aid to convince the impoverished people of improvements to come.
In the latest effort, the Korean Central News Agency on Thursday reported on a trip to Vietnam by ruling party secretariat Kim Yong-il during which the two sides held friendly talks. This followed high-level visits to Laos, Indonesia and Singapore. Kim also visited Chinese President Hu Jintao in April.
[Overtures]
North Korea develops links
June 5, 2012 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
By Maika Bolatiki
A delegation from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) arrived yesterday to explore areas of mutual interest and development co-operation with Fiji.
The Democratic Peoples Republic is commonly known as North Korea and has its capital as Pyongyang.
The three-member delegation is headed by Kim Myong Gil, director-general of Asia and Oceanic Countries at the DPRKs Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Today they will pay a courtesy call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and meet Permanent Secretary, Saipora Mataikabara.
Ratu Inoke said Fiji had continued its efforts to maintain good relations with the international community in line with Pillar 11 of the Peoples Charter on Enhancing Global Integration and International Co-operation.
This commitment is exemplified in the Government of Fijis acceptance of the visit by DPRK, Ratu Inoke said. Both countries are members of the United Nations (UN) and the Non-Aligned Movement.
As such, it is important for us to respect each other as a global citizen and a member of the international community.
We are sovereign countries and equal under the UN Charter.
[Independent states]
Fiji to receive Korean delegation
The Republic of Fiji will receive a delegation from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on June 4, comprising Foreign Affairs officials led by the Director General Asia/Oceania Region.
The visit is a part of meetings the DPRK delegation is holding with regional officials, including from Australia and New Zealand.
The delegation will be paying courtesy calls to Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ratu Inoke Kubuabola and his Permanent Secretary Mrs Saipora Mataikabara.
North Korea visit today
June 4, 2012 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
By MAIKELI SERU
A North Korean delegation is visiting the country today, arousing interest in some diplomatic missions in Suva, notably South Korean, Japanese and American.
Fiji has had few contacts with North Korea (population about 25 million, capital Pyongyang). Instead, the Government has maintained close relations with the much economically stronger South Korea (population about 48 million, capital Seoul).
But Fiji recently joined the Non Aligned Movement, a 120-member international bloc of which North Korea is also a member. North Korea is known to have strong ties with some of the Non Aligned Movement nations, including India.
Non Aligned Movement members are also known to sometimes vote together on issues of common concern in bodies such as the United Nations.
North Korea also has close ties with China, an increasingly strong partner for Fiji following the imposition of sanctions on Fiji by Australia and New Zealand.
The North Korean visit perhaps significantly also comes soon after the Japanese bowed to Australian pressure. As a result, Tokyo did not invite Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama to last months Japan-Pacific Islands leaders summit.
[Realignment]
Talks Held between Kim Yong Nam and Indonesian President
Djakarta, May 15 (KCNA-Correspondent) -- Talks between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, president of the Republic of Indonesia, were held at the Presidential Palace in Djakarta on Tuesday.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the matter of further expanding and developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries and matters of mutual concern and discussed issues of boosting cooperation and solidarity in the international arena.
The DPRK side said that having the dear respected Kim Jong Un as the supreme leader of the Workers' Party of Korea and the state in high esteem, it celebrated the centenary of the birth of President Kim Il Sung with splendor and is energetically pushing forward the building of a thriving socialist nation.
It expressed the will to consolidate the relations between the two countries and boost the cooperation in the economic, cultural, sports, public health and various other fields.
The Indonesian side said that the two countries have developed the friendly relations on the principle of respect for sovereignty, cooperation and reciprocity, saying that the relations between the two countries have a long historic tradition.
It stressed that Indonesia would expand multi-faceted cooperation with the DPRK and cooperation in the ASEAN and the NAM.
Kim Yong Nam Sojourns in Jakarta
Pyongyang, May 14 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, Monday laid a wreath at the Cemetery of National Heroes in Jakarta.
He and his party paid silent tribute to the martyrs who laid down their precious lives in the national liberation struggle in Indonesia.
That day Kim Yong Nam visited the National Monument.
He was briefed on the fact that the monument was erected to convey the struggle of the Indonesian people for national independence down through generations and imbue the younger generation with patriotic idea.
He also heard the recorded speech made by the first President Sukarno, when proclaiming the independence of Indonesia, and saw the document on the declaration of independence signed by him.
He and his party then went up to the observation deck of the monument and enjoyed a bird's-eye view of Jakarta.
He made entries in the visitor's books.
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Jakarta
Jakarta, May 13 (KCNA correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and his party arrived in Jakarta on Sunday to pay an official good-will visit to Indonesia at the invitation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Arriving with Kim were Ri Kwang Gun, chairman of the Commission for Joint Venture and Investment, An Jong Su, minister of Light Industry, and other suite members.
They were greeted by Raden Mohammad Marty Muliana Natalegawa, minister of Foreign Affairs, the minister of Trade, officials concerned, Nasri Gustaman, Indonesian ambassador to DPRK and Ri Jong Ryul, DPRK Ambassador to Indonesia, and staff members of his embassy.
Kim and his party departed Singapore for Indonesia on that day.
[FDI] [Trade]
N. Korean, Iranian foreign ministers meet in Egypt
North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of non-aligned countries that kicked off in Egypt last Wednesday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
At the talks, the Iranian foreign minister congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on becoming supreme leader of the North's Workers' Party, the state and the army and pledged that Iran would firmly support Pyongyang in the future, the KCNA said without elaborating.
Pak also held separate talks with his counterpart of Cuba, the minister of state for foreign affairs of Angola and vice foreign ministers of Vietnam, Laos and Belarus, the agency sai
DPRK Foreign Minister Slams UN's Application of Double Standards
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- Now the UN has been abused for justifying the high-handed practices and application of double standards by a tiny handful of its member states instead of speaking for the general will of all countries, said DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun who is head of its delegation at the ministerial meeting of non-aligned countries in Egypt Wednesday.
It is pointed out in the draft final document presented to this meeting that in recent years the UNSC has kept silent or failed to take any measure concerning some issues while taking coercive measures or threatening to take as regards other matters of all a sudden, he said, and went on:
A typical example of this was the unreasonable action taken by the UNSC, again finding fault with the DPRK's launch of a scientific and technological satellite for peaceful purposes last April.
[double standards] [UNUS] [Satellite]
Kim (not that one) to Singapore and Indonesia
Andray Abrahamian | Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 | No Comments
It was reported this week by KCNA that Kim Yong Nam, the President of the Supreme Peoples Assembly, is to visit Singapore and Indonesia soon.
Kim Yong Nam has been head of the SPA since 1998, tasked with handling diplomatic relations for the DPRK. But he was also recently elevated to the Presidium of the Politburo of the Workers Party of Korea Central Committee, which probably gives him greater participation in economic decision-making as well. (Not to suggest he was an outsider before but he is now more central than ever.)
He also visited Singapore in 1985, when he was foreign minister and again in 2007 and 2009.
Singapore is a top-ten trading partner for the DPRK ranking varying according to whose guesswork you follow. In fact, a few months after Kims last trip, a trade deal was signed between the two countries.
Singapore seems like the secondary concern on this trip, however, at least according to KCNA. In the short announcement on Monday, the news agency gave a paragraph on Kim going to Indonesia then a seperate paragraph, reading: He will also visit Singapore.
Anti-DPRK 'Joint Statement' of UNSC Rebuffed
Pyongyang, May 6 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry Sunday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA as regards the fact that permanent members of the UN Security Council issued a "joint statement" pulling up the DPRK:
The permanent members of the UNSC which took part in the first preparatory meeting for the 2015 NPT Review Conference now under way in Vienna released a "joint statement" pulling up the DPRK over its launch of satellite for peaceful purposes and demanding it stop its nuclear activities and dismantle its nuclear deterrence.
[Satellite] [Nuclear energy] [Deterrence] [Double standards]
Three more NK firms added to UN sanction blacklist
Recent provocations further isolate Pyongyang economically and politically
By Park Byung-soo, staff writer
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) stated on Wednesday that it had decided to extend sanctions to three more North Korean institutions and companies, bringing the total number of sanctioned bodies from eight to eleven.
The UNSCs statement indicated that North Koreas Amroggang Development Banking Corporation, Green Pine Conglomerate and Korea Heungjin Trading Company had been selected will be subject to sanctions. The overseas assets of these entities will be frozen and financial trading with them prohibited.
[UNUS] [Sanctions] [Satellite]
UN expands sanctions on N. Korea for rocket launch
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Security Council decided Wednesday to freeze the assets abroad of three North Korean state firms reportedly involved in missile and nuclear activities.
The move is to follow up on a statement by the 15 members of the council against Pyongyang's long-range rocket launch in April.
It raises the number of North Korean entities subject to U.N. sanctions to 11.
U.N. diplomats said the three firms -- Green Pine Conglomerate, Amroggang Development Banking Corp. and Korea Heungjin Trading Company -- are "very much involved in illicit missile and nuclear programs."
[UNUS] [Satellite] [Double standards] [Sanctions]
UN Security Council Expands N.Korea Sanctions
The UN Security Council has "strongly condemned" North Korea's failed rocket launch and unanimously agreed to expand sanctions against the increasingly isolated nation.
On Friday, the council issued a brief condemnation of the rocket launch that lasted a few minutes and ended in embarrassment for Pyongyang when the missile burst into pieces and rained down over the West Sea. But the Security Council warned that it was not done addressing the matter.
Early Monday, the most powerful UN body convened and adopted what is known as a presidential statement, which has the backing of all 15 members, including North Korea's ally, China.
[UNUS] [Satellite]
China, Qatar Fill U.S. Gap in U.N. Agency Funding
Apr. 4, 2012 - 04:01PM | By PIERRE TRAN
PARIS Soon after the U.S. announced cancellation of its contribution to UNESCO on Oct. 31, China stepped up with a first-time $8 million funding for the U.N. agencys education program, while Qatar chipped in $20 million, a UNESCO diplomat said.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is seen by the Obama administration as a piece of strategic real estate to further U.S. national and security interests in the world, based on Secretary of State Hillary Clintons smart power approach.
The Chinese and Qatari contributions were seen in some circles as seizing an opportunity to increase influence after the U.S. cancellation slashed the U.N. agencys annual budget by 22 percent.
A loss of U.S. clout is the price for axing funding, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice said in March 20 testimony to a congressional subcommittee.
[UNUS] [Softpower] [Decline]
Kim Jong Un Receives Reply Message from Syrian President
Pyongyang, March 28 (KCNA) -- The dear respected Kim Jong Un on March 25 received a message from Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in reply to his message of greeting.
The message expressed thanks for sending a message warmly congratulating the Syrian people on the 49th anniversary of the glorious March 8 revolution in Syria.
It also extended thanks for encouraging the Baath Arab Socialist Party and the government in exerting efforts amid positive support by the masses.
It sincerely wished Kim Jong Un good health and happiness and the friendly Korean people greater progress and prosperity under his wise leadership.
UNHRC rules on North Korean human rights
South Korea participates in measure concerning defectors and food aid
The view of Shinuiju, North Korea, seen from Dandong, China, March19. North Korea is said to have enhanced border entry procedures afterforced repatriation of defectors became an international issue. (by ChoiSung-jin, staff writer in Dandong)
The United Nations Human rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations in North Korean without a vote at its 19th general meeting in Geneva on Thursday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade(MOFAT) stated, March 23.
The resolution was jointly proposed by 43 countries, including South Korea The resolution denounced the torture and hard labor sentencing of repatriated North Korean defectors and political prisoners and urged guarantees that humanitarian aid from the international community be carried out under appropriate monitoring. It also extended the term of North Korean human rights special rapporteur Marzuki Darusman by one year and called on Pyongyang to allow him to visit North Korea.
[UNUS] [Manipulation]
UN Chief Calls for Quiet Resolution of N.Korean Defector Issue
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday said a low-key approach would be more effective in trying to prevent China from repatriating North Korean defectors arrested there. It is sometimes better to resolve such sensitive issues "quietly and behind the scenes," Ban told Korean reporters in New York.
Ban said he has told "related countries" that he would like to see the problem resolved through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. "I conveyed my concerns and sought cooperation as best I can in my position," he said.
When asked whether China was among them, Ban said, "I will not mention specifics, as I believe you all are well aware of them."
North and South Koreans scuffle at UN meeting over defectors
Emotions running high as North Korean diplomat calls UN report fabricated
By Park Byung-soo, senior staff writer and Park Min-hee, Beijing correspondent
A scuffle broke out at a United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session between individuals believed to be from the South Korean National Assembly delegation demanding a halt to defector repatriation, and UN security personnel and North Korean representatives attempting to stop them.
The Chinese delegation expressed dismay Monday with South Korea, the US, and the European Unions raising of the defector issue at the UNHRC meeting at the UNs European headquarters in Geneva, the Communist Party newspaper Peoples Daily reported Tuesday.
The Chinese representatives reaffirmed Beijings position that the North Koreans are not refugees, but illegal immigrants who entered China for financial reasons.
[Manipulation]
Churchills Shadow in UN
Dmitriy SEDOV | 17.02.2012 | 00:00
In his time then Prime Minister of Great Britain Winston Churchill proved the fact that a gap between a public politician and a public call girl could be narrowed to minimum. Winston himself often deserted one party for another watching how the wind was blowing and trusting his own feelings. He was no less consistent in foreign policy. France will always be grateful to him for its navy destruction in 1940. Britain and France were bound by a military alliance treaty, but private interests stood above all.
On June 3 1940 a British armada under the command of Admiral Sommerville neared stealthily the Algerian port of Mers-el-Kebir and bloodshed followed. Three battleships, a lot of ships of lesser size, hundreds of sailors went to the bottom. On June 6 the Richelieu, a battleship of the French Navy, was attacked and damaged in the roadstead of Dakar. As a result the French navy ceased to exist. 130 French sailors lost lives. Why? Because France signed the capitulation in Compiegne and the ships could join the German navy. The Vichy government had no intention to turn them in to Germany, it intended to sink them in the last resort but these were details. Winston took the decision.
It must be noted the operation ran smoothly. I am very sorry, - Admiral Sommerville wired to the sinking French ships before leaving. A real gentleman.
The Russians have something to remember him for too. The Churchills Fulton speech a pile of lies about the aggressiveness of the USSR became a prologue to the Cold war that exhausted the Soviet economy.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
Norway festival shows North Korean art and music to challenge perceptions of reclusive country
(Barents Spektakel, Morten Traavik/Associated Press) - In this frame grab from a December 2011 video provided by Morten Traavik of the Barents Spektakel festival, North Korean accordion players perform Take on Me, by A-ha, in Pyongyang, North Korea. Organizers of the Barents Spektakel festival said the five North Korean accordion players provided the soundtrack Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012, as 250 Norwegian border guards formed a human canvas by holding up colored cards in shifting patterns a tradition in the reclusive communist country.
Text Size PrintE-mailReprintsBy Associated Press, Published: February 12
OSLO, Norway Its not the face of North Korea the world is used to: five young musicians adding a playful twist to one of the most popular Western pop songs of the 1980s.
On Saturday, an accordion quintet that gained unexpected YouTube fame with their cover of A-has megahit Take on Me performed the song live at an arts festival in Kirkenes, on Norways Arctic border with Russia.
For many it is a revelation that North Koreans open up and play Western pop music with such great joy, said Norwegian artist Morten Traavik, who recorded the video during a visit to the Kum Song school of music in Pyongyang in December. It has since been viewed more than 1 million times on YouTube.
The ensemble accepted his invitation to come to Norway, and their chords formed the musical backdrop Saturday as 250 Norwegian border guards holding colored flipboards tried to create a small-scale version of the giant human mosaics performed at North Korean mass games.
It was choreographed by two North Korean directors, but instead of the patriotic motifs typical to those events, the display in Kirkenes featured local images, such as polar bears and reindeer herders, Traavik said.
Its part of an art project that hes labeled The Promised Land.
My idea is to challenge our perceptions of North Koreans, which is extremely negative and stigmatized, he said. I have a lot of good friends in North Korea. Like other people, they are proud of their country and nature. They are among the friendliest people I have gotten to know.
However, he said North Koreans are marked by a siege mentality, from being cut off from the rest of the world by their own authoritarian regime.
It is important that they experience a very positive response during their visit here, he said. That they feel welcomed and taken care of.
[Image] [Inversion] [Isolation]
N. Korea sees ominous signs in Syria crisis
By Kim Young-jin
Striking linkages between Syria and North Korea are raising interest over what the ongoing crisis in the Middle Eastern nation means for the authoritarian regime in Pyongyang.
Damascus, under heavy international pressure for its withering crackdown on internal dissent, remains at the moment one of the Norths dwindling number of autocratic friends in the Arab world ? and a suspected proliferation partner ? following a year of popular uprisings.
Kim Jong Un Sends New Year's Cards to Foreign State Leaders
Pyongyang, February 6 (KCNA) -- The dear respected Kim Jong Un sent New Year's cards and messages to foreign political party and state leaders.
They included the president of China who doubles as the general secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of China, the president of Laos who double as the general secretary of the C.C., the Lao People's Revolutionary Party, the presidents of Mongolia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Turkmenistan, the king of Jordan, presidents of Uzbekistan, Iran, Vietnam and Belarus, the president and the head of state of Mali, the president of Tunisia, the chairman of the Mongolian People's Party, the general chairman of the Central Directive Council of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the general secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the general secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of Vietnam and the chairwoman of the Party for Peace and Unity of Russia.
[Kim Jong Un]
Kim Yong Nam Sends Messages to Foreign Heads of State
Pyongyang, February 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent messages to heads of state of different countries in reply to their messages expressing profound condolences over the passing of general secretary Kim Jong Il.
They included the king of Malaysia, the president of Myanmar, the sultan and the head of state of Brunei Darussalam, the presidents of Singapore, the Philippines, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Iran, the prime minister of India, the president of Greece, the former president of Switzerland, the presidents of Mozambique, Cameroon and Peru and the governor-general of Australia.
Kim in their messages expressed deep thanks to them for sending messages of condolences over the passing of Kim Jong Il.
[KJI_death]
Kim Jong Un Sends Reply Messages to Heads of Foreign State
Pyongyang, January 28 (KCNA) -- The dear respected Kim Jong Un sent messages to heads of political parties and state of different countries in reply to their messages expressing profound condolences over the demise of leader Kim Jong Il.
[KJI_death]
Kim Yong Nam Greets Myanmar President
Pyongyang, January 4 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a message of greeting to Thein Sein, president of Myanmar, on its 64th independence day.
Kim in the message heartily wished the Myanmar president greater success in his future work for independent development and prosperity of the country.
He expressed belief that the bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation would further develop in the common interests and desire of the two peoples.
UN tribute to dead N. Korean leader just 'customary': S. Korea
South Korean diplomats in New York on Friday played down the political meaning of the United Nations' formal tribute to the dead leader of North Korea amid a controversy over whether it was appropriate.
Starting a Thursday session, the U.N. General Assembly had a brief moment of silence in memory of Kim Jong-il, who died of a heart attack last week. North Korean delegates requested it.
Representatives from South Korea, the U.S., Japan and many other nations walked out of the venue in protest of such a gesture for Kim, notorious for human rights abuses and nuclear weapons ambitions.
[UNUS] [KJI_death]
Kim Jong-il: 'He was a lovely man'
Cuba declares three days of mourning for North Korean leader, while Nicaragua, Venezuela and President Mugabe loyalists express sorrow too
David Smith in Johannesburg
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 21 December 2011 14.52 GMT Article history
The death of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has led to expressions of grief in other parts of the world. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
The wailing and gnashing of teeth inside North Korea was not entirely unexpected. That the death of Kim Jong-il has plunged other parts of the world into grief may come as more of a surprise.
Communist ally Cuba has declared three days of mourning, with flags to be flown at half mast, while Nicaragua and Venezuela also expressed sorrow. The Korean Central News Agency's website carries messages of condolence from the emir of Qatar, the former president of Moldova and the "Great King and Great Queen of Cambodia".
[Media] [KJI_death] [Personalisation]
Ban pledges UN help for stability on Korean Peninsula
NEW YORK (Yonhap) -- U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Monday that the U.N. will do its best to help secure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula amid growing concerns over security conditions in the wake of the death of North Korea's leader.
"The secretary general reaffirms his commitment to peace and security on the Korean peninsula. The United Nations system will continue to help the people of the DPRK (North Korea)," said Ban's spokesman, Farhan Haq.
[KJI_death] [UNUS]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Dar-Es-Salaam
Pyongyang, December 9 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Dar-Es-Salaam on Thursday to pay an official goodwill visit to Tanzania.
His suite members included Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun.
DPRK Calls for UNIDO's Enhanced Role: Delegation Head
Pyongyang, December 5 (KCNA) -- The head of the DPRK delegation, addressing the 14th meeting of the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on Nov. 30, called for enhancing its role.
The organization should be developed more pragmatically and turned into a practical partner capable of meeting the needs of member nations in the fields of industrial development, environment and energy, he said, and went on:
The body should, first of all, more smoothly play the role as the only organization specializing in industrial development within the UN system.
It should give top priority to the cooperation urgently needed for the national economic development of developing countries and make all countries have access to the developed technologies without discrimination.
It should pay due attention to the efforts of developing countries to attain the millennium development goal and offer possible cooperation to them.
It should also work out a new industrial strategy to cope with the financial and economic crises and enhance the role as the organization for implementing cooperation in the environment and energy fields to contribute to developing the global green industry.
NK's participation in Vietnam War specified in new dossier
North Korea dispatched dozens of pilots to the Vietnam War decades ago, with its communist ally short of specialists to operate MiG-17 and MiG-21 fighter jets in battles against the United States, according to a recently released dossier.
"On 21 September 1966 an official North Korean request to be allowed to send a North Korean Air Force regiment to help defend North Vietnam against U.S air attacks was officially reviewed and approved by the Vietnamese Communist Party's Central Military Party Committee, chaired by General Vo Nguyen Giap," read the documents taken from an official Peoples Army of Vietnam (PAVN) historical publication.
DPRK-South Sudan Diplomatic Ties Established
Pyongyang, November 18 (KCNA) -- The governments of the DPRK and South Sudan established diplomatic ties at an ambassadorial level.
A joint communique on the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations was made public in Ethiopia on Nov. 16.
The communique was signed by Kim Hyok Chol and Arop Kuol Deng, ambassadors of the DPRK and South Sudan to Ethiopia, upon authorization of the governments of their countries.
The two countries agreed to open their diplomatic ties from the very day of their signature to the joint communique, on the basis of the principle of respect for sovereignty, equality, reciprocity and non-interference and in line with the April 18, 1961, Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
N.Korea Bans Nationals in Libya from Returning Home
North Korea has reportedly banned its nationals in Libya from returning home fearing they may spread news about the freedom the North African country achieved after eight-month-long pro-democracy protests.
Citing an unnamed source, Yonhap news agency said that Pyongyang ordered about 200 of its nationals in the civil-war-ravaged country to not come home out of apparent concern that they could push for a similar uprising.
The source added that he believes the North is refusing to recognize Libya's National Transitional Council as the legitimate government.
The North Korean regime has tightened control of information since the so-called "Arab Spring" began and is strictly monitoring the use of computers, cell phones and memory sticks.
[Media]
Korean War Relic Steadfastly Monitors 58-Year Truce
A group of observers, established in 1953 when a ceasefire was declared in the Korean War, still monitors the truce's validity, mainly from the peninsula's four kilometer-wide Demilitarized Zone. However, some of its attention has shifted to the disputed western maritime frontier. As a result, Sweden has sent the former head of its navy to lead its delegation at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission.
[UNUS][Sweden]
Adoption of Hangeul by Indonesian Tribe Hits Snag
The adoption of Hangeul by the Cia-Cia Tribe of Indonesia's Buton Island has hit a snag after the city of Bau-Bau has decided to sever its ties with the Hunminjeongeum Society, which was to have assisted the process. The mayor of Bau-Bau in an official letter to the Seoul Metropolitan Government in March said it was severing the relationship because there has been no cooperation for the last year.
This was apparently the result of different expectations and misunderstandings over how Hangeul was to be introduced, and complicated local administrative matters in Bau-Bau.
[Hangul] [Bizarre]
[Op-Ed] UN Debates NATO Attack on Libya at Opening of 66th Session of the General Assembly
By Ronda Hauben, Freelance Journalist
The United Nations came back alive on Friday, September 16 with denunciations of the bombing and regime change agenda being carried out against Libya by NATO.
The occasion was the Report of the Credentials Committee recommending that the seat held by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya be taken by the National Transitional Council (NTC). The Credentials Committee is a committee appointed by the President of the General Assembly. The Credentials Committee for the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly which began on September 13, 2011 and will last until September 12, 2012 consists of nine member states. They are China, Costa Rica, Egypt, Italy, Maldives, Panama, Russian Federation, Senegal and the United States. The representative from Panama presented the results of the report of the Credentials Committee to the General Assembly as a consensus report .
[Libya] [UNUS]
DPRK Birthday Celebrated at Economic Cooperation Bureau of Libya Here
Pyongyang, September 14 (KCNA) -- Muhammad Mustafa, chief of the Economic Cooperation Bureau of Libya here, Wednesday gave a reception on the 63rd birthday of the DPRK.
Present there on invitation were Kim Yong Jin, chairman of the Education Commission, Ri Chang Gun, vice department director of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned.
[Libya]
A historic moment for UN, Kyung Hee
Khang Gon, Dean of Office of International Affairs at Kyung Hee University
By Yun Suh-young
Why is this years celebration of the International Day of Peace so significant?
Because it is the 30th anniversary of the creation of the day? Yes and no.
True, this year marks the thirtieth birthday of the IDP, but there is something more than that that makes the day historic.
This is the first time the United Nations is hosting an event in conjunction with a particular university.
Revisiting the Atlantic Charter
By Dan Plesch, August 12, 2011
The world once again teeters on the brink of catastrophe, just as it did in the middle of the 20th century. Today, we face much more subtle threats such as economic instability, climate change, weapons proliferation, and food shortages -- than simply an axis of World War II adversaries. However, as with Hitler a half century ago, these issues constitute a tremendous threat to international security and world stability. They require the United States to once again broaden the purview of its foreign and military policy objectives and engage with its international partners to seek solutions.
[US global strategy]
Review: America, Hitler, and the UN
By Greg Chaffin, June 2, 2011
According to convention, the United Nations began with the signing of the UN charter in San Francisco in 1945. From that beginning, the organization evolved into a global deliberative body of nearly 200 member states. For some, the UN is incapable of managing an anarchic international system. For others, the UN represents an attempt by the major powers following World War II to maintain or expand their empires by dressing them in the guise of an international democratic order
[UNUS]
North Korea makes debut as disarmament chair, draws flak
By Stephanie Nebehay
GENEVA | Thu Aug 4, 2011 12:12pm EDT
GENEVA (Reuters) - North Korea, under fire for its own nuclear programme, took the helm of the Conference on Disarmament for the first time on Thursday to a chorus of protests and called for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
The ascension of the secretive and Stalinist state to the monthly rotating presidency of the 65-member United Nations-backed talks got the cold shoulder from other countries and drew criticism from human rights groups and dissidents.
Canada did not attend the session, having promised to boycott the chairmanship of what it called a "major proliferator of nuclear weapons.
"Allowing an international outlaw to oversee international arms control efforts is just plain wrong," Hillel Neuer, director of the Geneva-based group U.N. Watch said in a statement.
[UNUS] [Double standards] [NGO]
Korea seeks UN Security Council seat
By Park Si-soo
South Korea is seeking a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2013-14 as part of efforts to reduce tensions with nuclear-ambitioned North Korea.
The election to the council will help Seoul in its efforts to strengthen peace and security on the Korean Peninsula as well as in the East Asia region.
[UNUS] [Buildup]
S.Korea needs bolder approach to N. Korea: U.N. chief
U.N. Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon called for the South Korean government Saturday to take a bolder approach to North Korea in order to help ease cross-border tensions and move their relations forward.
I think it is desirable for South Korea to take a bolder and wide approach in its policy toward North Korea, given its political, diplomatic and national power, Ban said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency at an airport in Addis Ababa. Ban, the former South Korean foreign minister who was re-elected last month to a second term as leader of the U.N., assessed that inter-Korean relations have been strained to the worst level.
Despite the high tensions, the U.N. chief said humanitarian aid should be given to North Korea.
As for the issue of humanitarian aid, it is difficult to be resolved if it is closely linked with politics, Ban said.
Of course, I was also outraged by (North Koreas) unilateral provocations like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. But it needs to move forward by enduring the pain for the future of South and North Korea, Ban said.
Bans remarks came as South Korea was voicing reservations on food aid to North Korea, despite a decision by the European Union (EU) to provide its own emergency aid to the impoverished communist nation.
[UNUS] [Ban Ki-moon]
US sees no damage NKorea can cause as rotating chair of UN disarmament body
By Associated Press, Updated: Tuesday, July 12, 6:52 AM
WASHINGTON The U.S. has no plans to make a big deal of North Korea becoming the new head of a global disarmament body.
North Koreas four-week tenure as head of the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament begins this month. Its a rotating appointment and State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland called the news inconsequential. She said Monday that the U.S. doesnt see any damage that North Korea can cause by its role in the consensus-based organization.
.Canadian press reports say Canada plans to boycott the conference during North Koreas tenure.
[UNUS] [Client]
DPRK to Strive for Equal and Fair International Order
Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government will strive to ensure respect and strict adherence to the recognized principles of international laws and establish an equal and fair international order.
The head of the DPRK delegation clarified this stand at the 50th Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization on June 28.
[Independent states]
North Korea assumes rotating presidency of global disarmament body
By Associated Press, Saturday, July 2, 8:20 AM
GENEVA North Korea has assumed the rotating presidency of the worlds top disarmament body for four weeks.
The move provoked criticism from conservative groups who say the countrys nuclear weapons ambitions undermine its credibility for the role.
.Geneva-based group U.N. Watch said North Korea chairing the 65-nation Conference on Disarmament was asking the fox to guard the chickens.
But an official at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Geneva, where the Conference on Disarmament is based, said the move was dictated by the rules of the 32-year-old body.
Spokesman David Kennedy said as far as the United States was concerned its business as usual.
The Conference on Disarmament has been stalemated since it wrote the nuclear test ban treaty in 1996.
[UNUS] [Double standards]
N.Korea Chairs UN Arms Control Conference
North Korea has assumed the presidency of the UN arms control conference that started in Geneva on Tuesday. Although this is a mere formality, observers say it is absurd for the multilateral UN conference on arms control and disarmament to be chaired by one of the chief violators of international agreements that continues to develop nuclear weapons and missiles.
Hillel Neuer of UN Watch told Fox News on Wednesday, "It is common sense that a disarmament body should not be headed by the world's arch-villain on illegal weapons and nuclear proliferation."
[Double standards][Arms sales] [Military expenditure]
'Ban well equipped to handle potential crisis in N. Korea'
WASHINGTON (Yonhap) -- The reelected United Nations leader, Ban Ki-moon, is qualified to lead the international community's handling of a potential political crisis in North Korea, given his experience before inauguration, a U.S. expert said Wednesday.
"If there is a major succession and humanitarian crisis in North Korea in the coming years, as several Korea experts have predicted, Ban will be uniquely equipped to handle potential worst-case scenarios on the peninsula and in the border region," said Daniel Runde, director of the Project on Prosperity and Development at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS] [Takeover]
Burma-DPRK Cooperation in Military Affairs
By Robert Kelley
A great deal of media speculation has recently focused on military ties between Burma and North Korea, the two pariah dictatorships of Asia, and particularly on the possibility that Pyongyang may be assisting Burma in building a nuclear deterrent: missile delivery systems and nuclear weapons to mount on top of them. These two states have a history of limited bilateral weapons cooperation. Cooperation was interrupted in 1983, however, by the Rangoon bombing, masterminded by North Korea, which killed a number of top South Korean officials.
DPRK Delegate on Putting End to All Forms of Terrorism
Pyongyang, April 18 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will discharge its responsibility and duty to fundamentally put an end to all forms of terrorism and build a peaceful and prosperous world in the future, too.
The DPRK delegate reiterated this stand at the session of the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism of the UN General Assembly on April 11.
Terrorism is rampant in different parts of the world despite the international community's efforts against it, he said, noting that military aggression and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states and serious human rights abuses committed under the pretext of "war on terrorism" are being connived as just.
Armed invasions of sovereign states and massacres by the U.S. in different parts of the world, the Middle East in particular, are typical of state terrorism and human rights violation, he said, adding:
Every international effort against terrorism should be made in line with the objective and principle of the UN Charter and relevant international laws, and such actions as armed invasion of sovereign states under the pretext of "war on terrorism" should not be allowed in any case.
The DPRK delegation considers that the Comprehension Convention on International Terrorism, now under making, should include the ways for preventing terrorism by state army. It also reckons that the UN Special High-level Meeting on Counter-Terrorism will be helpful to correctly confirming the root cause of terrorism and taking relevant steps.
The DPRK government firmly maintains the consistent stand of opposing all forms of terrorism and any support to them.
[Terrorism]
N.Korean Doctor Couple Seriously Hurt in Libya
This screen grab from Libyan state-run TV shows a North Korean doctor couple in Mizda, 160 km south of Tripoli. /Libyan state-run TV Two North Korean doctors were seriously wounded in an air raid by coalition forces in the western Libyan city of Mizdah, state-run Libyan TV reported recently.
The news highlights how much cooperation there is between the North and Libya. Last month, a video clip showed a North Korean inscription on weapons used by leader Moammar Gadhafi's guards.
Libyan TV showed the young couple, who had worked at a hospital in Mizdah about 160 km south of the capital Tripoli, being treated on hospital beds. They are married, it added, but did not mention their names.
Lee says S. Korean troops in UAE crucial for bilateral ties
ABU DHABI (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak stressed that the role of South Korean troops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is important not only for the ties between the two sides but also for South Korea's long-term national interests.
He said that in that sense, each of the soldiers is like an "ambassador."
"The UAE is a special country (for South Korea). South Korea and the UAE can be viewed as having brotherly relations," Lee said Saturday during a visit to the base of 130 South Korean troops, mostly commandos, in Al Ain, 160 kilometers east of the capital Abu Dhabi.
It was the president's first visit to a South Korean military camp abroad since his inauguration in early 2008.
The 130-strong special forces unit, named "Ahk," which translates into "brother" in Arabic, was dispatched to the UAE in January for a two-year mission to help train local troops in anti-terrorism and parachute infiltration as well as to conduct joint drills.
South Korea has sent many troops to foreign nations to assist the U.N.'s peacekeeping operations or U.S.-led multinational forces.
[Tribute] [Imperialism]
UN probe finds NKorea violated pact
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 9, 2011; 9:39 PM
UNITED NATIONS -- An investigation by the United Nations Command in Korea says that North Korea violated its armistice agreement with the South when it shelled a South Korean island in November, according to a report circulated Wednesday by the Security Council.
The probe also found the South was justified in firing back in self-defense.
The findings of the report were ordered by the unified command of multinational military forces operating under the United Nations umbrella, and were contained in a letter that U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice sent to the Security Council.
[UNUS] [Clash] [media]
Official: Iran, NKorea are in 'one trench'
Network NewsX Profile
The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 23, 2011; 9:00 AM
TEHRAN, Iran -- North Korea's deputy foreign minister says Tehran and Pyongyang are in "one trench" in the fight against "arrogant powers."
Vice-minister Pak Kil Yon made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi. on Tuesday. The comments were posted late Tuesday on the website of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Pak is on an official visit to Iran.
Rahimi said improving ties between Tehran and Pyongyang are "a thorn in the eyes of world's arrogant powers" - a clear reference to the United States.
Iran has long refused to comment on its close relationship with North Korea.
In November, a U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that Iran has received advanced North Korean missiles capable of targeting European capitals.
N.Korea Blacks Out Egyptian Revolution
The North Korean media have been completely silent about the popular protests in Egypt that ousted President Hosni Mubarak. The KCNA news agency, North Korean Central TV, North Korean Central Broadcasting Station and the Rodong Sinmun have failed to report on the protests that began on Jan. 17.
Iran official supports NKorea nuclear programs
The Associated Press
Saturday, January 22, 2011; 4:27 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- A senior Iranian official has expressed support for North Korea's controversial nuclear activities, as long as they are restricted to energy projects.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported Saturday that Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the country is "not opposed" to North Korea using nuclear technology to generate electricity.
Both North Korea and Iran are accused of using energy projects to hide the development of nuclear weapons and are under intense international pressure to give up their nuclear programs.
The two countries are also suspected of nuclear cooperation.
North Korea conducted two nuclear tests in recent years and is believed to have produced enough weaponized plutonium for at least half a dozen bombs.
[Media] [LWR]
NZ 'misled' over status at the UN
KATE CHAPMAN Last updated 05:00 23/12/2010SharePrint Text Size Relevant offers
Politics US feared 'fiasco' at Wellington film screening MP Chris Carter cans travel after report Waitangi Tribunal: Maori petroleum interests ignored Compensation law reform recommended WikiLeaks: Family access threat over Fiji coup Clark says WikiLeaks Iraq story false NZ sheltered Saddam loyalist - cable ACC faces move toward competition The Hobbit saga: Govt 'sold out workers' rights' Action against Israel to aid trade, US ambassador claimed New Zealanders over-estimated their importance and influence in the United Nations, American diplomats believed.
A 2005 WikiLeaks cable, signed off by former charge d'affaires David Burnett, said New Zealand would maintain its opposition to permanent members on the United Nations Security Council having the right of veto.
The subject arose during discussions about whether Japan should be made a permanent member of the council. The United States, Britain, China, Russia and France are the five permanent members, with 10 other countries appointed to two-year terms.
Mr Burnett appears to have spoken to New Zealand's UN permanent representative at the time Rosemary Banks, who said New Zealand would support Japan becoming a permanent member but still did not support the veto.
"Unlike many, she [Banks] is very aware that most Kiwis do not appreciate how their government's foreign policy is diminishing New Zealand's influence in the UN despite the country's emphasis on the importance of the organisation," the cable said.
In a section headlined "take off those rose-colored glasses", it said Ms Banks admitted New Zealanders could be somewhat unrealistic in their confidence in the UN.
"[Ms] Banks added that despite the fact that New Zealanders take the UN very seriously, they do not yet see that their country has declining influence there."
[UNUS] [WikiLeaks]
NEWS
UN Security Council Meets Urgently Over Korean Tensions
The UN Security Council is holding an emergency session on Monday to discuss mounting tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Russia asked the council to meet after North Korea threatened retaliation in response to a planned South Korean artillery drill on Yeonpyeong Island, which it shelled last month, killing two civilians and two soldiers.
Russia in a draft presidential statement calls for efforts "to ensure a de-escalation of tension" between two Koreas and "resolution of all problems dividing them exclusively through peaceful diplomatic means." It also suggests that the UN immediately send special envoys to both nations "to consult on urgent measures to settle peacefully the current crisis situation in the Korean Peninsula."
[Peace efforts]
UNSC split over denouncing N. Korea
Vitaly Churkin, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to the media Saturday Dec. 18, 2010 at the Russian Mission in New York during a news conference regarding the U.N. Security Council scheduling of an emergency meeting at Russias request amid concerns over rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. (AP Yonhap)
The U.N. Security Council has failed to agree on a statement to address rising tensions on the Korean peninsula on Sunday.
After more than eight hours of closed-door consultations, Russias U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who called the emergency council meeting, told reporters, We were not successful in bridging all the bridges.
U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice also said, The gaps that remain are unlikely to be bridged.
The council was divided over whether to condemn North Korea for shelling on Yeonpyeong Island. Britain, supported by the United States and France, proposed a draft statement to deplore North Koreas attack, but China and Russia opposed any statement denouncing North Korea.
Earlier in the day, Russia circulated a draft statement calling on all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and urging U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send an envoy to Seoul and Pyongyang for a resumption of dialogue and resolution of all problems dividing them exclusively through peaceful diplomatic means.
North Koreas U.N. ambassador, Sin Son-ho, appeared at the venue, but did not answer any questions from reporters.
[Provocation] [UNUS]
UN Security Council fails to adopt statement on N.Korea
Topic: UN Security Council starts emergency meeting on Korea crisis
Churkin said discussions could resume Monday.
The UN Security Council failed to adopt a statement on North Korea on Sunday after nine-hour discussions due to diplomatic differences, Vitaly Churkin, Russia's envoy to the UN, said.
"Our draft to send the sides a seemingly evident signal [to show restraint] faced quite predictable diplomatic difficulties due to differences in understanding by a number of Security Council members of the reasons for tensions on the Korean peninsula," Churkin told journalists.
[Media]
ICC Prosecutor Explains Proceedings Over N.Korean Attack
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has said a full investigation of North Korea for sinking the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in March and shelling Yeonpyeong Island last month will depend on the outcome of a preliminary probe.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo was answering questions from about 20 countries at UN headquarters on Dec. 8 after the ICC started a preliminary review of the North Korean provocations.
[UNUS]
WikiLeaks: Singapore Lee says Myanmar 'stupid'
By ALEX KENNEDY
The Associated Press
Wednesday, December 15, 2010; 2:47 AM
SINGAPORE -- Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew called Myanmar's junta leaders "stupid" and "dense" in conversations with U.S. diplomats, according to classified documents released this week by WikiLeaks.
The Singapore leader said dealing with Myanmar's military regime was like "talking to dead people," according to a confidential U.S. briefing on a 2007 conversation between Lee and U.S. Ambassador Patricia L. Herbold and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Christensen released by WikiLeaks.
The 87-year-old Lee is known for his outspoken and blunt assessments of world affairs, but avoids publicly insulting the leadership of foreign countries. Lee was prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and remains a senior adviser to his son, current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
A cable released by Wikileaks a couple of weeks earlier quotes Lee calling North Korea's leaders "psychopathic types with a 'flabby old chap' for a leader who prances around stadiums seeking adulation." The reference to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is from a cable citing a May 2009 conversation between Lee and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.
[WikiLeaks] [Bizarre] [Inversion] [Kim Jong Il]
War Crimes Investigation of North Korea Ludicrous Beyond Words
By Stephen Gowans
December 7, 2010
The International Criminal Court has launched a preliminary investigation into allegations that North Korean forces committed war crimes when they shelled civilian areas in South Korea and allegedly sank a South Korean warship, according to The Washington Post of 7 December.
The North Koreans, it should be pointed out, didnt shell civilian areas in South Korea; they shelled a South Korean military installation on Yeonpyeong Island, only eight miles from North Korea, after artillery was fired from the island into North Koreas territorial waters. [1]
The North Koreans warned the Southwhich at the time was conducting massive military exercises with the United Statesthat it would retaliate if the South went ahead with its planned test firing from the island into its waters.
[Clash] [UNUS] [Double standards]
International court investigating North Korea
By EDITH M. LEDERER
The Associated Press
Tuesday, December 7, 2010; 8:17 PM
UNITED NATIONS -- The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Tuesday his office is starting a preliminary examination of possible war crimes by North Korea in response to complaints from South Korean students and citizens.
Luis Moreno Ocampo told reporters that "no state requested our intervention."
Moreno Ocampo's office announced Monday that he has opened a preliminary investigation into the Nov. 23 shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island and the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, but it was unclear where the complaints came from.
"We received no official communication," Moreno Ocampo stressed to reporters Tuesday. "Korean citizens sent to us communications. Students sent to us communications."
He said his office will now conduct a preliminary assessment to determine whether a full-scale investigation of possible war crimes by North Korea should be carried out.
"We have a duty to assess if the court should intervene or not," Moreno Ocampo said.
[War crimes] [UNUS]
ICC Prosecutor to Conduct Preliminary Examination into Possible N.Korean War Crimes
ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo (file photo) /AP The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says he will open a preliminary examination into allegations that North Korea committed war crimes on South Korean territory when it sank a South Korean warship in March and shelled a southern island last month.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo's office announced he would open what is known as a preliminary examination, the first step to a possible formal investigation, into whether allegations that Pyongyang sank the South Korean warship Cheonan and shelled the island of Yeonpyeong constitute war crimes under international law. Both incidents resulted in the loss of lives.
Prosecutor Moreno-Ocampo told reporters at the United Nations, where he is attending a meeting on States Parties to the court, that his office had received communications about the incidents from "citizens in different parts of the world." He said South Korea, which is a State Party to the court, did not ask for the preliminary review.
[War crimes][Clash] [UNUS]
International Criminal Court probes alleged North Korean war crimes
By John Pomfret
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 6, 2010; 7:12 PM
The International Criminal Court has launched a preliminary investigation into allegations that North Korean forces committed war crimes when they shelled civilian areas in South Korea and allegedly sank a South Korean warship, the court announced Monday.
[Media] [War crimes][UNUS]
Experts question North Korea-Iran missile link from WikiLeaks document release
By John Pomfret and Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 1, 2010; 12:19 AM
On Oct. 10, to celebrate its 65th anniversary as a one-party state, North Korea unveiled a new missile in the type of military parade that for decades has been a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. The North Koreans call the missile the Musudan.
The Musudan is now playing a starring role in reports this week prompted by WikiLeaks' release of U.S. diplomatic cables. One of the documents says that Iran has obtained 19 of the missiles from North Korea, prompting news reports suggesting that the Islamic republic can hit targets in Western Europe and deep into Russia - farther than Iran's existing missiles can strike.
WikiLeaks Cables Shed Light on N.Korea-Iran Connection
South Korean and U.S. officials discussed the future of a unified Korean Peninsula after the collapse of the North Korean regime, according to diplomatic cables unveiled on Sunday by WikiLeaks. And despite international surveillance, North Korea managed to export 19 mid-range missiles to Iran, and U.S. intelligence believes military cooperation between the two countries is far more extensive than previously thought.
WikiLeaks on Monday published some 250,000 diplomatic cables that the U.S. State Department exchanged with U.S. embassies overseas including South Korea over the last three years. They contain information that North Korea exported 19 BM-25 missiles to Iran with a range of 3,000 km, which puts the capital cities of most major West European countries and even Moscow within range.
South Korean and U.S. officials discussed the future of the South if the North Korean regime collapses and mooted offering economic incentives to China in order to calm its nerves. The U.S. government also ordered diplomatic missions abroad to gather information about UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The cables show that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told American diplomats to gather information on several high-ranking UN officials including Ban's biometric data.
Hardline Israeli Paper Laments S.Korea's Response to Attack
A newspaper in Israel has condemned South Korea's response to North Korea's attack on Yeonpyeong Island as "the model we must strenuously avoid emulating." The rightwing Jerusalem Post, in an editorial titled "As Iran Watches Korea," on Saturday said, "Both North Korea and its Mideastern associates are testing the limits of world tolerance," and claimed, "Teheran and Damascus carefully monitor every nuance of Washington's response to Pyongyang's actions."
Iran Fortifies Its Arsenal With the Aid of North Korea
Yonhap News Agency, via European Pressphoto Agency
Iran bought 19 advanced missiles from North Korea, a diplomatic cable says. The North displayed what some experts say are the same kind of missiles in an October parade.
By WILLIAM J. BROAD, JAMES GLANZ and DAVID E. SANGER
Published: November 28, 2010
.Secret American intelligence assessments have concluded that Iran has obtained a cache of advanced missiles, based on a Russian design, that are much more powerful than anything Washington has publicly conceded that Tehran has in its arsenal, diplomatic cables show.
Iran obtained 19 of the missiles from North Korea, according to a cable dated Feb. 24 of this year. The cable is a detailed, highly classified account of a meeting between top Russian officials and an American delegation led by Vann H. Van Diepen, an official with the State Departments nonproliferation division who, as a national intelligence officer several years ago, played a crucial role in the 2007 assessment of Irans nuclear capacity.
UN Security Council may consider tougher sanctions against N.Korea
"Countries such as the US, Britain and France raised deep concerns over the North's centrifuge-based nuclear facility during a meeting to review a report by the UN North Korea Sanctions Committee"
07:44 30/11/2010 RIA Novosti. Dmitriy Astakhov
The UN Security Council may consider "toughening sanctions against North Korea for its uranium enrichment facility" on Tuesday, the Seoul-based Arirang TV said citing sources in the international body.
DPRK Statement on "Cheonan" Distributed as UNSC Official Document
Pyongyang, November 15 (KCNA) -- "The warship 'Cheonan' case orchestrated by the U.S. and the Lee Myung Bak group of traitors is the hideous conspiratorial farce unprecedented in the nation's history", the first installment of the statement issued by the inspection group of the DPRK National Defence Commission to disclose the truth behind the case, was distributed as S/2010/568, an official document of the UN Security Council, on Nov. 12.
[Cheonan]
Letter dated 2 November 2010 from the Permanent Representative
of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to the United Nations
addressed to the President of the Security Council
I have the honour to transmit herewith Open Announcement No. 1 issued on
2 November 2010 by the Inspection Group of the National Defence Commission of
the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea on the truth behind the Cheonan
incident (see annex).
I should be grateful if you would have the present letter and its annex
circulated as a document of the Security Council.
(Signed) Sin Son Ho
Ambassador
Permanent Representative
S/2010/568
2 10-61855
Annex to the letter dated 2 November 2010 from the Permanent
Representative of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to the
United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
Cheonan incident fabricated by the United States and the Lee
Myung Bak group of traitors was most hideous conspiratorial
farce in the nations history
Open Announcement No. 1 issued on 2 November 2010 in Pyongyang by the
Inspection Group of the National Defence Commission of the Democratic
Peoples Republic of Korea on the truth behind the Cheonan incident
Seven months have passed since the Cheonan of the south Korean Navy sank
in the West Sea of Korea.
No sooner had the incident
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
DPRK-Brazil Signed Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation
Pyongyang, October 28 (KCNA) -- An inter-governmental agreement on the economic and technical cooperation between the DPRK and Brazil was signed in Pyongyang on Thursday.
Present at the signing ceremony were Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam and officials concerned from the DPRK side and Brazilian Ambassador to the DPRK Arnaldo Carrilho and a member of his embassy from the Brazilian side.
On hand were diplomatic envoys of different countries, embassy officials and Brazilian guests staying in the DPRK.
Ri Ryong Nam and Arnaldo Carrilho inked the agreement.
N.Korean Sculptors to Build Another African Monument
North Korean sculptors are building a monument in Chad to mark the 50th anniversary of the African country's independence, it emerged Tuesday. The craftsmen are in high demand on the continent for building heroic statuary cheap.
North Korean craftsmen in April completed the African Renaissance monument in Senegal, also to mark the 50th anniversary of the country's independence. Standing on a hill near Dakar International Airport on the Atlantic coast, the 50-m high sculpture depicts a heavy-jawed man embracing a woman and child in the attitude of marching boldly into the future. It was built by the North's Mansudae Overseas Project Group of Companies for a reported US$25 million.
Last month, North Korean sculptors completed a statue of Joshua Nkomo, the founder of Zimbabwe, but this has come in for some derision.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the main attraction of the North Koreans is their price competitiveness.
[Media]
SKorea: Libya releases South Korean pastor
The Associated Press
Sunday, October 3, 2010; 6:13 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- Libya released a South Korean Christian pastor and a businessman on Sunday who had been detained on accusations of proselytizing in the predominantly Muslim country, South Korea's Foreign Ministry said.
Efforts to seek their release had dragged on for several months amid diplomatic tensions over Libya's expulsion of a South Korean Embassy official in June for allegedly collecting information on its leader, Moammar Gadhafi, his family and other senior politicians.
The dispute was settled on Friday when Lee Sang-deuk, a lawmaker who is the brother of South Korea's president, met with Gadhafi, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said.
"There have been some diplomatic concerns in South Korea-Libya relations and lawmaker Lee's visit aimed to neatly resolve them," Kim said. "Last week's talks with Gadhafi completely finalized all lingering issues."
Kim denied Libyan allegations that the embassy official was an intelligence agent.
The pastor was arrested in June on charges of bringing Christian material into the North African country for missionary work. The other South Korean man was arrested a month later and accused of helping to finance the pastor's religious activities
[Lee Myung-bak] [Religion]
Korea, Libya End Diplomatic Dispute
Lee Sang-seuk (left) and Moammar al-Qaddafi Korea and Libya have ended a months-long diplomatic dispute that was sparked by accusations of Korean spying on Libyan leader Moammar al-Qaddafi.
The agreement came after Lee Sang-deuk, a brother(sic) of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, met with the Libyan leader in Tripoli on Thursday. A Korean official told news agencies in Seoul that Qaddafi had agreed to end the "unsavory" dispute.
The Yonhap news agency said Qaddafi has promised to work toward reopening Libya's de facto embassy in Seoul and releasing two South Koreans detained in Libya.
Korea and Libya built strong economic ties after establishing diplomatic relations in 1980. But relations soured after Libya expelled a Korean intelligence official for allegedly trying to collect information on Qaddafi, his family and key bureaucrats.
Yonhap reported at the time that the expelled man had worked for Seoul's National Intelligence Service at its embassy in Libya. Libyan authorities shadowed him for three months before arresting and expelling him. Libya subsequently detained two Koreans on charges of violating Libya's religious laws.
[Succession] [Double standards]
N.Korea Insists on Continuing Nuclear Development
North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon gives a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. /Xinhua-Yonhap North Korea has sent a clear message to the international community that it will not give up its nuclear program, following its move to make a third-generation hereditary succession official.
North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon's speech in the UN on Wednesday was clearly directed towards the United States. "As long as the U.S. nuclear aircraft carriers sail around the seas of our country, our nuclear deterrent can never be abandoned, but should be strengthened further," Pak told the General Assembly session.
[Conditionality] [Media]
North Korean statues open wounds in Zimbabwe
By ANGUS SHAW
The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 29, 2010; 1:50 PM
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The two North Korean-made statues were meant to honor a national hero but people were so offended because of Pyongyang's links to a blood-soaked chapter of Zimbabwe's history that one was taken down almost immediately and the other has not been erected.
Besides, at least one of them didn't even resemble Joshua Nkomo, a former guerrilla leader known as "Father Zimbabwe" who died in 1999 at the age of 82.
That the statues were designed and made by North Koreans is an affront to Zimbabweans who blame North Korean-trained troops loyal to President Robert Mugabe for massacring thousands of civilians as the government tried to crush an uprising led by Nkomo in the 1980s. The uprising ended when Nkomo signed a unity pact in 1987 and became a vice president.
No offense was intended by the choice of North Korea to make the statues, Godfrey Mahachi, head of the state National Museums and Monuments, told The Associated Press. He said North Korea was chosen simply because it won the bid for the work, promising favorable prices.
[Media]
Kim Jong Il Greets Raul Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Thursday sent a message of greetings to Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and president of the Council of State, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Cuba.
ASEAN Forum Fails to Blame N.Korea for Cheonan Sinking
The ASEAN Regional Forum in Hanoi adopted a chairman's statement on Saturday night, a day after the meeting ended, due to wrangling over a portion referring to the March sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan.
The forum was attended by the foreign ministers of 27 countries, including South and North Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia.
In the end the communique merely expressed support for a UN Security Council presidential statement which condemned the attack on the Cheonan but failed to pinpoint the North as the culprit.
The ARF statement says the foreign ministers "deplore" the sinking and support the UNSC statement's call for a peaceful solution.
It was another diplomatic disappointment for Seoul, which has met with a brick wall at attempt to persuade the international community to condemn North Korea for the attack
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
Kick North Korea Out Of The U.N.
Claudia Rosett, 07.16.10, 06:22 PM EDT
Don't haggle with Kim Jong Il--just get rid of him.
"Amputations without anesthesia" is the headline some news outlets have culled this week from a new Amnesty International report on "The Crumbling State of Health Care in North Korea." That title is a generous description of a North Korean system in which--apart from perks for Kim Jong Il and his cronies--whatever is now crumbling has been from the get-go consigned by state policy to the stone age.
[Sanctions] [Disinformation] [Inversion] [Victim] [Bizarre] [UNUS]
KOREAN SPYING IN TRIPOLI UPSETS LIBYA,
STRAINS TIES
Joongang Ilbo (Ser Myo-ja, Seoul, 2010/07/28) reported that officials in Seoul said
Tuesday that an intelligence agent at the Korean Embassy in Libya was
detained, questioned and deported last month. Tripoli informed Seoul on
June 15 of its decision to declare the agent persona non grata. "The
agent was collecting information on Libya's defense industry's ties with
North Korea, but the Libyan authorities had some misunderstanding," an
official said. "There appears to be a difference in their assessment and
interpretation of an intelligence activity than ours."
[Espionage]
Beleaguered U.N. Chief Under Political Microscope
Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 15 (IPS) - In South Korea, Ban Ki-moon is a prestigious brand name - like Samsung, Kia, LG and Hyundai. When the former South Korean foreign minister completes his term of office as secretary-general of the United Nations in December 2011, the Koreans expect him to be voted a second five-year term in office. In Korean culture, one Asian diplomat points out, failure is not an option.
"Anything short of a second term for Ban Ki-moon," he said, "would be the equivalent of committing political hara-kiri."
A downfall will also be construed as a monumental disaster for a country fast emerging as one of Asia's major political and economic powers, wielding immense clout in the international arena, he added.
A Second Five-Year Term for U.N. Chief?
The speculation in the corridors of the United Nations is that Ban Ki- moon could win a second five-year term in office - provided he does not antagonise or defy the five veto-wielding permanent members in the Security Council: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China. "The bottom line," says an African diplomat, "is the five big powers want a weak secretary-general, not someone who is independent and assertive." Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, a former Permanent Representative of Bangladesh who presided over a June 2001 Security Council meeting which endorsed a second five-year term for then Secretary-General Kofi Annan, thinks speculation about a second term for Ban Ki-moon is "premature". Much water will flow down the East River before that race warms up, he said. However, one point to remember well is that there is widespread concern about "the current non- transparent, non- democratic, manipulative process of electing the U.N. secretary-general. That needs to change." Chowdhury said that during Ban's leadership, the U.N. has been beleaguered by the largest ever number of demonstrations, protests and processions against the world body. These days, member- states have no qualms about rejecting panels, tribunals and special envoys proposed by the secretary-general: something rather embarrassing, given the high moral authority his office enjoys. "I believe three areas in particular have given got short shrift during Ban's tenure so far," Chowdhury said. First, the poorest countries and the most vulnerable ones who deserve topmost attention of the U.N. leader have been not only been marginalised in his "priorities" but their agenda has been downgraded in terms of his "senior management team". Second, women's substantive agenda has been allowed to be lost. A third area is Ban's colossal indifference to civil society's involvement in advancing the U.N. agenda at the people's level, said the former ambassador. Even the NGO access to the U.N. building is now the most restricted ever in the U.N.'s 65-year history. Of course, his speeches on these three areas are clear proof of his faith in the usefulness of lip service.
But during the last few months, the secretary-general has been on the defensive as his beleaguered administration - and his political leadership - have come under relentless fire.
A 50-page scathing attack on Ban's leadership by outgoing Under-Secretary-General Inga-Britt Ahlenius - whose full report was exclusively reported only on the IPS news wire - appears to have rattled the besieged administration.
But Sanbar said a quick look at the names of the New Zealand and Colombian members of the panel -both former heads of government - is enough to indicate where it is heading.
"With (Geoffrey) Palmer and (Alvaro) Uribe, there will be no need for a deal. A phone call would do," he said, indicating their close ties to the United States and the West, both predictable sympathisers of Israel.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
'Iran, N Korea share common goals'
Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:15:42 GMT
Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says Iran and North Korea are both revolutionary and independent nations trying to resist the world's "greedy" powers.
Meeting with his North Korean counterpart on the sidelines of an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference in Geneva on Wednesday, Larijani hailed staunch bilateral ties between the two nations and thanked the North for its contributions to Iran under late Korean leader Kim Il-sung, ISNA reported.
For his part, North Korean speaker Choe Thae Bok highlighted his country's full support for the Islamic Republic and the common goal of fighting US imperialism.
[Imperialism]
Statement by DPRK Ambassador SIN SON HO at a Press Conference, UN New York, 15 June 2010
Statement by H.E. Ambassador SIN SON HO,
Permanent Representative of the
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
to the United Nations
(At the Press Conference, United Nations, New York, 15 June 2010)
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for coming to todays press conference regarding the sinking of south Korean warship Cheonan which the south Korean side claimed it was torpedoed by the military of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK).
Ladies and gentlemen,
For your reference, I was invited by the Security Council yesterday to attend an informal meeting. At the request of the Security Council I briefed the Council members on our position with regard to the sinking of the south Korean warship Cheonan which occurred on March 26, 2010. I will refrain from telling you all in detail since the meeting of yesterday was informal.
At todays press conference I would like to further clarify the position of the DPRK with regard to the sinking of Cheonan.
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
Diplomatic offensive at ARF forum
July 07, 2010
Seoul wants to persuade Asias biggest security group to condemn Pyongyang for its alleged role in the March 26 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, according to South Korean officials yesterday.
During the 17th Asean Regional Forum to be held in Hanoi on July 23, Seoul officials will try to persuade other Asian countries to join its censure of the North for the sinking that killed 46 South Korean sailors. Officials quoted by Yonhap News Agency said Seoul wants the ARF to adopt a strongly worded statement reprimanding Pyongyang.
[Cheonan]
Statement by the President of the Security Council
At the 6355th meeting of the Security Council, held on 9 July 2010, in
connection with the Councils consideration of the item entitled Letter dated 4 June
2010 from the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United
Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2010/281) and other
relevant letters, the President of the Security Council made the following statement
on behalf of the Council:
The Security Council notes the letter dated 4 June 2010 from the
Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the United
Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2010/281), and
the letter dated 8 June 2010 from the Permanent Representative of the
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the United Nations
addressed to the President of the Security Council (S/2010/294).
The Security Council deplores the attack on 26 March 2010 which led
to the sinking of the ROK naval ship, the Cheonan, resulting in the tragic loss
of 46 lives.
The Security Council takes note of the responses from other relevant
parties, including from the DPRK, which has stated that it had nothing to do
with the incident.
Therefore, the Security Council condemns the attack which led to the
sinking of the Cheonan.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
UN Security Council Statement Puts Lee in a Bind
President Lee Myung-bak has to decide how to respond to North Korea's sinking of the Cheonan after the UN Security Council on Friday failed to point definitely to the North as the culprit. The main area of concern is the resumption of six-party talks on the denuclearization of North Korea.
China called for prompt resumption of the talks, and a North Korean spokesman on Saturday said the country will "make consistent efforts to conclude a peace agreement and achieve denuclearization through the six-party talks."
The United States, which had been adamant that there would be no six-party talks without resolution of the Cheonan incident, has yet to respond officially, but it cannot afford to turn a deaf ear to China's proposal of restarting the talks.
South Korean government official said there are two conditions for the resumption of the six-party talks: Pyongyang must be sincere about denuclearization and it must apologize for the torpedo attack on the Cheonan. However, the real focus seems to be the former. "As the Cheonan incident was internationally wrapped up by the UN Security Council presidential statement, the priority in inter-Korean relations will be North Korea's sincerity."
In other words, although there can be no normalization of inter-Korean relations without an apology, it is possible to resume the six-party talks. Seoul could adopt a two-track strategy employing different policies at international level and at inter-Korean level over the Cheonan sinking.
Lee seems determined to get an apology from North Korea. In a speech in late May, he said an apology and punishment of those responsible are the Norths top priorities. If the six-party talks resume without these basic steps, the political pressure for Lee would be enormous, and critics could argue that Lee traded the lives of 46 soldiers for a one-page resolution.
Resumption of the six-party talks would inevitably mitigate international pressure on North Korea, which is then even more unlikely to agree to the South's demands. If Pyongyang continues with its traditional strategy of making overtures to the U.S. while maintaining a hard line toward South Korea with the backing of China, Seouls influence would only shrink further.
This is why Lee may try for yet another "grand bargain" later this year to get an apology from the North. Whether that will ever be forthcoming remains to be seen.
[Cheonan] [UNUS] [Six Party Talks]
UN Security Council No Closer to Decision Over Cheonan
The UN Security Council has failed to come up with a response to North Korea's sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan a month since South Korea referred the torpedo attack to it.
Seoul is discussing with the U.S. and other allies how to persuade the UNSC to adopt at least a chairman's statement condemning the North's provocation. As a non-permanent member, South Korea cannot attend meetings of permanent members, but permanent members the U.S. and the U.K. which support South Korea's position, have kept meeting behind the scenes.
But China, another permanent member, continues to block any term or phrase that would point directly to its ally North Korea as the culprit.
A diplomatic source on Monday said UNSC members feel under pressure to reach some kind of decision. No regulations stipulate that cases at the UNSC are dropped unless they are handled by a certain deadline, but if discussion is delayed indefinitely due to deadlock caused by China's opposition, the Cheonan case could be put on the back burner indefinitely since the council has a heavy load of other cases.
Some government officials are talking about getting China to abstain from voting on a resolution, if it is realistically difficult to persuade all permanent members to adopt a chairman's statement. China faces criticism that a veto would amount to tacit support of North Korea's armed attack on the Cheonan.
A Foreign Ministry official said, "It's true that the situation hasn't turned out as we expected. But if we give the impression that we're pressed for time it may put us at a disadvantage in negotiations."
The government, however, does not rule out that the UNSC permanent members will suddenly reach a compromise this week since there appears to be consensus among them that they cannot afford to leave the case unsolved indefinitely.
[Cheonan] [UNSC]
North Korea urges U.N. council to back new Cheonan probe
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Wed Jun 30, 2010 7:19pm EDT
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - North Korea has asked the U.N. Security Council to support its call for a new probe into the March sinking of a South Korean warship that Seoul blames it for, saying it could cooperate on it with the South.
"We are of the view that the most reasonable way of settling this incident is that the north and south of Korea sit together to probe for the truth," North Korean U.N. Ambassador Sin Son-ho said in a letter to Mexican U.N. Ambassador Claude Heller, current president of the council. The letter, dated June 29, was obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
[Cheonan] [Evidence] [UNUS]
China Sticks with N.Korea at UN
China is apparently blocking any term or phrase in the UN Security Council that would point directly to North Korea as the culprit that sank the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in March.
The UNSC is debating how to hold the North to account for the torpedo attack. Already China finds that description too strong and wants it referred to as an "incident."
According to sources at the South Korean mission to the UN, the atmosphere at the UNSC was "tenser than expected" last Thursday, when China, which is North Korea's staunchest ally and as a permanent UNSC member has a veto, resisted any attempts to deal firmly with the North.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
KCNA Commentary Refutes Declaration of G-8 Summit
Pyongyang, July 2 (KCNA) -- The declaration adopted at the Canada G-8 summit criticized the DPRK, linking it with the "Cheonan" case.
This can not but be an unjust and arbitrary practice openly perpetrated by the G-8 against the DPRK, dancing to the tune of the United States.
The declaration pulled up the DPRK, though indirectly, referring to south Korea's "results of investigation" into the "Cheonan" case. This is an insult to the DPRK.
The results are beset with doubts and contradictions. Heads of state of G-8, however, hastily handled the case in a deliberate manner only to prove that they sought a sinister political purpose.
A touch-and-go situation is now prevailing on the Korean Peninsula.
[Cheonan] [Coverup ] [Buildup]
U.N. discussions on ship sinking stalled: sources
UNITED NATIONS, July 1 (Yonhap) -- U.N. Security Council discussions on North Korea's sinking of a South Korean warship are stalled as China still balks at naming the communist neighbor the culprit and refuses even to call the case an attack, sources said Thursday.
U.N. diplomats have been negotiating language in a document the Council plans to adopt on the March 26 sinking of the warship Cheonan, which left 46 sailors dead, after South Korea referred the case to the U.N. early last month for a rebuke of Pyongyang.
China and Russia, Pyongyang's traditional backers, have been a stumbling block to Seoul's push for a strongly worded statement aimed at condemning the North for the attack and sending a clear warning to the regime against future provocations.
The two nations have expressed reservations about the result of a multinational probe that found the North responsible.
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
N.Korean Envoys on Mission to Deny Cheonan Sinking
North Korean diplomats are apparently on a concerted mission in their host countries to deny the North's involvement in the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan.
Han Bong-ho, the North's ambassador to Laos, recently told a senior Laotian government official if Pyongyang had really intended to strike the Cheonan, it would have fired not one torpedo, as the South Korean government claims, but several.
Han also claimed that the propulsion shaft of a North Korean torpedo that the South Korean investigation team presented as evidence was either planted there by the South Korean government or had lain in the waters for many years.
Lee Gun-tae, his South Korean counterpart, gave senior Laotian officials a detailed briefing on the evidence. As one of the last remaining communist countries, Laos has traditionally close relations with the North.
During a reception for diplomats in South Africa on June 11 for the 2010 World Cup, North Korean Ambassador An Hui-jong reportedly threatened South Korean Ambassador Kim Han-soo in the toilet. An reportedly told Kim, "We're not going to put up with it if you keep going like this."
[Cheonan]
Requested Security Council Cheonan measures weaken considerably
Instead of sanctions against North Korea, the proposed statement now denounces those responsible
By Kwon Tae-ho
Contrary to the Lee Myung-bak administrations initial expectations, the U.N. Security Council measures on the Cheonan sinking currently being pursued by the administration are known to be at a rather muted level.
Speaking about the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) Cheonan discussions during a talk with Washington correspondents Wednesday (local time), a senior government official visiting the United States said that an agreement was being reached on the draft document.
We understand that China also agrees that we should present our position in the Security Council, the official said.
As the talk went on, however, the officials remarks became progressively more vague.
In the early stages, the Lee Myung-bak administration primarily used the phrase a resolution for sanctions against North Korea in referring to UNSC measures in response to the Cheonan sinking. Currently, however, it is having a difficult time inserting a passage in the presidents statement specifying that North Korea bears responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan. The government official said that the draft adopted by the UNSC would be at the level of the statement from the G-8 summit held in Canada.
The G-8 statement is not bad in a relative manner, said the government official. It states the investigation teams opinion that North Korea is responsible, and contains criticism and denunciation directed at those responsible.
However, due to objections from Russia, the G-8 summit did not specify that those responsible referred to North Korea. The UNSC, however, includes China, which is not part of the G-8 summit. In terms of scope, the UNSC draft is expected to fall short of the G-8 summit statement.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
Foreign Ministry Totally Refutes G-8 Declaration
Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA Tuesday as regards the G-8 summit declaration criticizing the DPRK over the "Cheonan" case:
We vehemently and totally refute the declaration adopted at the G-8 summit held in Canada on June 25 and 26 in which its participants pulled up the DPRK, though indirectly, referring to south Korea's "results of investigation" into the "Cheonan" case.
The "results of investigation" are arousing ever-more hot arguments not only in the international community but inside south Korea.
They are beset with so many doubts and contradictions that a committee was set up in the "National Assembly" of south Korea to investigate the case but it has not yet concluded its work.
Moreover, the south Korean side persistently turns its face away from the invariable demand for receiving the inspection group of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.
Heads of state of G-8, however, hastily handled the case in a deliberate manner only to prove that they sought a sinister political purpose.
G-8 gave its way to G-20 and is heading for a cemetery of history as it has been reduced to an evil group blindly conniving at and defending its allies, far from taking principle and truth as a standard.
[Cheonan] [Softpower] [Coverup]
G8 Leaders Condemn N.Korea
The leaders of the G8 countries issued a final communique on Saturday condemning North Korea for sinking the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan. "We deplore the attack on March 26 that caused the sinking of the Republic of Korea's naval vessel, the Cheonan, resulting in tragic loss of 46 lives," the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States said in the communique issued after a two-day summit in the Canadian resort town of Huntsville.
Stressing that a multinational investigation held North Korea responsible for the sinking, the statement added: "We condemn, in this context, the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan." It demands that North Korea refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities" against the South.
[Cheonan] [Softpower]
Muskoka Declaration:
Recovery and New Beginnings
Muskoka, Canada, June 26, 2010
* Development
* Africa
* Environmental Sustainability and Green Recovery
* Trade and Investment
* International Peace and Security
* Annex I: Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Under-Five Child Health
* Annex II: Strengthening Civilian Security Systems
1. We, the Leaders of the Group of Eight, met in Muskoka on June 25-26, 2010. Our annual summit takes place as the world begins a fragile recovery from the greatest economic crisis in generations.
34. We deplore the attack on March 26 that caused the sinking of the Republic of Koreas naval vessel, the Cheonan, resulting in tragic loss of 46 lives. Such an incident is a challenge to peace and security in the region and beyond. We express our deep sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and to the people and Government of the Republic of Korea, and call for appropriate measures to be taken against those responsible for the attack in accordance with the UN Charter and all other relevant provisions of international law. The Joint Civilian-Military Investigation Group, led by the Republic of Korea with the participation of foreign experts, concluded that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea was responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan. We condemn, in this context, the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan. We demand that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea refrain from committing any attacks or threatening hostilities against the Republic of Korea. We support the Republic of Korea in its efforts to seek accountability for the Cheonan incident, and we remain committed to cooperating closely with all international parties in the pursuit of regional peace and security.
35. We call on the international community to ensure the comprehensive enforcement of all existing UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. At the same time, we express our gravest concern that the nuclear test and missile activities carried out by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea have further generated increased tension in the region and beyond, and that there continues to exist a clear threat to international peace and security. We reaffirm support for efforts to achieve a comprehensive resolution to this threat and to implement the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six Party Talks. Recalling the importance of full and transparent implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, we strongly urge the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to act strictly in accordance with its nuclear safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as proliferation activities, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea does not, and cannot, have the status of a nuclear-weapon state in accordance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. We also urge the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to take prompt actions to address the concerns of the international community on humanitarian matters, including the abduction issue.
[Cheonan] [Softpower]
Lee to press for Cheonan support at G-20 Summit
Diplomatic pull-asides expected with Japan, Russia at Canada talks
June 26, 2010
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan are expected to ratchet up diplomatic efforts to garner international support for a UN reprimand of North Korea during this weekends G-20 Summit in Toronto.
G-8 Chiefs Condemn North Korea
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 26, 2010
HUNTSVILLE, Ontario (AP) The leaders of the worlds eight top industrial democracies on Saturday condemned North Korea over its suspected sinking of a South Korean warship.
The statement by the countries the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia was released at the end of a meeting in Canada and before a summit meeting of the Group of 20, which includes countries with fast-growing economies, like China.
On the March 30 sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, the leaders cited an independent report that found that the ship had been sunk by a North Korean torpedo. Their statement said, We condemn in this context the attack which led to the sinking of the Cheonan.
Japanese officials said the Russians were the only ones in the Group of 8 to resist tougher language condemning North Korea.
A Russian delegation official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that because Russia still did not consider the results of the commission to be final, condemning Pyongyang further could lead to negative consequences.
[Cheonan] [Softpower
G8 leaders criticize Iran, condemn Cheonan sinking
(UPDATE 1)
Topic: G20 and G8 summits in Canada
The G8 leaders
20:47 26/06/2010 REUTERS/ CHRIS WATTIE
The G8 leaders have called on Iran to respect the rule of law and freedom of speech and condemned the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan warship, for which Seoul blames North Korea, a source from one the delegations said.
The source said the comments are being included in the summit's final communique.
The source said the leaders had not included in the draft some of the harsher policies towards Tehran and Pyongyang, put forward by several G8 leaders, such as the United States.
The draft does not contain any direct allegations against North Korea over the Cheonan affair
[Cheonan] [Russia]
UNSC Urged to Properly Know about Truth of "Cheonan" Case
Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- The south Korean puppet group recently referred the "results of the investigation" into the case of warship "Cheonan" sinking unilaterally worked out to serve its purpose to the UNSC at last, turning down the DPRK's just proposal for dispatching an inspection group of its National Defence Commission to the spot of south Korea.
Rodong Sinmun Monday observes in a signed commentary in this regard:
Various data and objective reality are bringing to light as the days go by the fact that the "Cheonan" case is a conspiratorial farce orchestrated by its fabricators to achieve a sinister aim.
The story that the responsibility for the above-said case rests with the DPRK is obviously nothing but a politically motivated dastardly and vicious plot and fraud of the U.S. and south Korean puppet group, the commentary notes, and goes on:
When the "Cheonan" case broke out, the U.S. used "threat from north Korea" for strongly pressurizing Japan into yielding to Washington over the issue of transferring the U.S. forces base in Okinawa, a serious challenge to realizing its Asia-Pacific strategy for aggression, and thus forced the Hatoyama regime uncomfortable for it to step down. This met its double ends.
The U.S. is also using the case for tightening its grip on Japan and south Korea and accelerating the formation of a triangular military alliance of the U.S., Japan and south Korea. The U.S. is openly disclosing its intention to sell large quantities of weapons to south Korea, secure a pretext for moving its naval strike group to the Korean Peninsula and the West Sea of Korea, sensitive waters for China in terms of security, and delay the U.S. transfer of the "right to command the wartime operation" to south Korea slated to take place in 2012, for the present.
The U.S. required the above-said case to make its government appear strong in the run-up to the mid-term Congressional election slated for coming November or justify its "policy of strategic patience" to suffocate the DPRK's economy in a sustainable manner.
If the UNSC unjustly handles the case, taken in by lies of the U.S., sparking off a military conflict on the peninsula, the U.S. and the UNSC will be wholly accountable for its consequences.
The UNSC had better properly understand the truth of the case and the gravity of the issue and observe the principle of respect for sovereignty and impartiality.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS]
Darusman assumes new UN envoy for NK human rights
The United Nation High Commissioner for Human Rights has appointed Indonesia-born Marzuki Darusman as its new envoy to be in charge of overseeing North Koreas human rights conditions, Yonhap news agency said on Saturday.
Darusman, who will begin his new role starting from next month, is replacing Thailand's Vitit Muntarbhorn, who is completing his six-year maximum term.
Muntarbhorn had never been granted access to North Korea by its rulers during his term.
Darusman was the Attorney General of Indonesia as well as a member of the National Commission of Human Rights in Indonesia.
The South Korean foreign ministry welcomed the news, saying it hopes to closely work with him to improve North Korean human rights conditions.
The U.N. envoy position was created in 2004 and is subject to annual review, up to six years.
[Human rights] [UNUS] [Manipulation]
UN action on Cheonan faces delay
June 19, 2010
South Koreas diplomatic mission to garner the UN Security Councils official condemnation of Pyongyang for the March 26 attack on the Cheonan warship is expected to take longer than Seoul officials had hoped.
Some ambassadors of the Councils 15 member countries will spend the next week in Afghanistan for a security tour, forcing any potential discussions on the Cheonan matter to be deferred until June 27.
In addition, Russia is expected to take at least two or three weeks before officially announcing its stance on the recent inter-Korea diplomatic clash.
South Koreas Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, however, has continued Seouls efforts to draw UN censure on Pyongyang by calling his counterparts in countries including Russia and Lebanon, both of which are Security Council members, and seeking their support.
[Cheonan] [UNUS] [Double standards]
Seoul refers Cheonan case to UNSC
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff reporter
South Korea officially requested the United Nations Security Council to come up with a coordinated international action against North Korea after a multinational investigation team blamed it for the sinking of the naval warship Cheonan, Friday.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Command in Seoul said Friday that it will report to the U.N. that North Korea violated the armistice agreement.
The UNSC (sic) teamed up with the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) two weeks ago to review the findings of the investigation and determine the scope of the armistice.
[Cheonan] [Evidence] [UNUS]
N.Korea 'a Victim of a Conspiracy'
North Korea's ambassador to the UN, Sin Son-ho, flatly denied his country had any hand in the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan in March. "The investigation result is a complete fabrication from A to Z," he told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday at the UN auditorium.
It was North Korea's first public press conference following the sinking of the Cheonan. Sin read from a 20-page script for about 27 minutes. He said that when the international investigation team announced its findings of the Cheonan on May 20, the South was beginning campaigning for regional elections, and the U.S. was planning to hold strategic talks with China, so the Cheonan sinking was "fabricated" by the two governments for political purposes.
He also charged that the U.S. "mostly benefited from the incident" as it was able to extend its imperiled hold on a military base in Okinawa and cause former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama to resign over his failure to oust U.S. forces.
Sin drew attention to the "number 1" marking handwritten on the salvaged propulsion shaft of a torpedo found near the site of the sinking. He called it "suspicious" that the inscription survived extremely high temperatures during the blast.
When asked why the torpedo recovered from the scene perfectly matched a North Korean torpedo exported to other countries, Sin became evasive. "The scene of the incident is inside a disputed area following the ceasefire agreement between [North Korea] and the U.S., while South Korea and the U.S. were conducting military exercises there when the incident happened," he said. "Everything will be clear when our investigators probe the scene."
A Japanese journalist said most UN Security Council members supported the evidence South Korea presented the day before, but Sin said, "If South Korea's failed attempt to put a satellite into space is blamed on a North Korean torpedo, would you believe it?" Sin said he has yet to read a letter sent to the UN Security Council by a South Korean civic group raising suspicions about the South Korean evidence, but added that it showed how skeptical even South Koreans are about the accusation.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [Media]
DPRK UN Representative on "Cheonan" Case
Pyongyang, June 16 (KCNA) -- Sin Son Ho, permanent representative of the DPRK at the United Nations, called a press conference in New York on June 15 as regards the sinking case of the south Korean puppet navy's warship "Cheonan".
Present there were media correspondents of various countries to the UN.
Sin made an address at the conference.
Recalling, to begin with, that the DPRK informed the UNSC member nations of its stand on the case, he said:
As already known, the south Korean authorities announced on May 20 the "results of investigation" linking the case with the DPRK.
The DPRK promptly and totally rejected the "results" and repeatedly declared that it had nothing to do with the case. And it proposed sending an inspection group of its National Defence Commission to the spot to objectively verify the "results of investigation."
However, the south Korean authorities refused to accept this just demand and referred the unilaterally worked out "results of investigation" to the UNSC.
The "results of investigation" into the case were a fabrication made by the U.S. and the south Korean authorities from A to Z. That was why the "results" aroused suspicion and criticism internally and externally from the moment they were announced. Various information and objective realities brought to light with the passage of time that the case was their politically motivated fabrication.
The south Korean authorities' announcement of the "results of investigation" on May 20 was timed to coincide with their political timetable-- the visit of the U.S. secretary of State to Japan and the start of their campaign for the "elections to local self-governing bodies".
The U.S. and south Korea claimed that the "investigation" was "objective and scientific" as it was carried out by the "multinational team" involving foreign experts. But the "team" itself and its activities were very problematic.
UK was officially requested to send information about its experts involved in the "team", but nothing has been heard from it. Canada announced on May 16, four days before the announcement of the "results" that it would send its experts, but nothing has been known when they arrived in south Korea and whether they took part in the "investigation" or not.
It was also reported that Swedish experts joined the "team" only to offer technical assistance but did not participate in the job to clarify who is to blame for the case.
The south Korean authorities produced only "material evidence" favorable for deliberately linking the case with the DPRK, but concealed all what was unfavorable for such scheme under the pretext of "military secrets". Even the produced "evidence" aroused so many doubts that the case has been regarded as a puzzle in the U.S. and south Korea and the rest of the world.
Citing in detail the points in question and facts proving the false case, he further said: This being a hard reality, the south Korean authorities hid one piece of evidence after another that might deny the DPRK's involvement or strictly removed them from the list of objects to be investigated.
Referring to such problems as the gas turbine, a key evidence allegedly proving the cause of the sinking and the letter "number 1" and to the strange movement of the south Korean military which would have been well aware of the cause of the case, the representative continued:
The assertion that the DPRK was to blame for the case was a politically motivated charade orchestrated by the U.S. and south Korea from A to Z.
It was the U.S. that got the biggest share of the windfall through the said case.
The United States used the case for pressurizing Japan into yielding to it over the issue of transfer of the U.S. military base from Okinawa, a main hurdle in the way of carrying out its Asia-Pacific strategy, under the pretext of "threat from north Korea" and thus brought about the fall of the Hatoyama regime uncomfortable for it. This case thus met two ends. Hatoyama himself admitted that the case of sinking warship was a decisive factor that compelled him to meet the U.S. demand over the issue of the U.S. forces base.
Availing itself of the case, the U.S. openly disclosed its intention to accelerate the formation of the "triangular military alliance" of the U.S., Japan and south Korea and for the present to secure a pretext for selling a large quantities of weapons to south Korea and moving its aircraft carrier to the West Sea of Korea and extend the transfer of the "right to command the wartime operations" of the U.S. forces in south Korea which had been expected in 2012.
The U.S. required the case to make its administration appear strong in the run-up to the coming intermediary election and justify its policy of "strategic patience" to deplete the environment for investment in the DPRK and stifle its economy in a sustainable manner.
The immediate aim sought by south Korea was to evade the responsibility for the case of warship sinking.
It was the calculation of the south Korean authorities that they could rally the conservative camp if they published the "results of investigation" into the case of warship "Cheonan" on May 20, the day of the start of the campaign for "the elections to the local self-governing bodies" to link the case with the DPRK and hype the "national security" as the most important pending issue for the "elections". But they suffered a defeat in the "elections" as their "north wind" proved to be counter-productive.
In spreading the story about "the torpedo attack by the north" the south Korean authorities sought a foolish aim to justify their anachronistic hard-line policy towards the DPRK, shirk off the responsibility for having pushed the inter-Korean relations to the worst phase and drive a wedge in the ties between the DPRK and China whose relations have favorably developed with each passing day.
As is known to everybody, the "crucial material evidence" produced by the U.S. and the south Korean authorities is nothing but "serious doubts" and the "results of investigation" released by the "multi-national joint investigation team" were not based on a scientific basis but cooked up to serve their purpose: it was not conducted objectively but in a biased and arbitrary manner.
Precisely for this reason the DPRK promptly refuted the "results of investigation" as soon as they were announced and proposed sending an inspection group of the National Defence Commission to the spot.
Some countries are referring to the possibility to discuss the "Cheonan" issue at the "Military Armistice Commission" but the U.S. unilaterally withdrew the senior member of the "UN forces" side and posted a "general" of the south Korean puppet army in his place in 1991 though south Korea was not a signatory to the Armistice Agreement, paralyzing the function of the MAC.
The situation created on the Korean Peninsula due to the "results of investigation" published by the south Korean authorities and their reckless "follow-up countermeasures" is so grave that a war may break out any moment.
The UNSC has a shameful precedent in which it failed to prevent the Iraqi war, taken in by the lie told by the United States in February of 2003.
If the UNSC unreasonably handles this case, taken in by the U.S. lie, sparking off a clash on the peninsula, Washington and the UNSC will be wholly accountable for the ensuing consequences.
Should the aggressors dare provoke, defying the repeated warnings of the DPRK, its army and people will mercilessly react to them and make a clean sweep of them from the land of Korea and build a prosperous reunified country.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS]
N. Korea: Ship's Sinking Helped U.S.
By JOE LAURIA
UNITED NATIONSNorth Korea's ambassador to the United Nations said the U.S. and South Korea benefited politically from the sinking in March of a South Korean warship, but he stopped short of saying that either country deliberately attacked the ship.
Ambassador Sin Son Ho told a rare news conference that the U.S. persuaded Japan to keep a controversial U.S. base in Okinawa after the incident and that the release of South Korea's own investigation into the attack was timed for the beginning of South Korean elections.
[Cheonan] [Cover] [Motive] [Hatoyama]
2 Koreas Brief UN Security Council on Cheonan Sinking
The two Koreas took turns Monday briefing the UN Security Council on the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan. UNSC members expressed confidence in South Korea's findings but found North Korea's denial of involvement unconvincing.
Accompanied by international investigators, Yoon Duk-yong, the head of the investigative team, briefed a session of the UNSC for two hours and answered questions. "UNSC members asked many good questions," he told reporters afterwards. "They understood the scientific, physical cause of the sinking of the Cheonan."
The French, Austrian, Turkish, and Japanese ambassadors to the UN described the briefing given by the South Korean team as "scientific," "thoroughgoing" and "convincing." The envoys from China and Russia, which have sat on the fence so far, reportedly raised no further doubts in the session.
South Korean ambassador to the UN Park In-kook (left) and North Korea's UN ambassador Sin Son-ho leave the UN Security Council after briefing it on the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan on Monday. /Xinhua-Yonhap North Korea's UN ambassador Sin Son-ho was up next and claimed that far from sinking the ship, the North is the victim of South Korean "fabrications."
Austrian ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting called the South Korean testimony a presentation based on a thorough "investigation" but the North's briefing an "allegation."
Ambassador Claude Heller of Mexico, the current UNSC chair, in a statement said that the UNSC is "seriously concerned" about the Cheonan sinking and its consequences for the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula. He urged both Koreas to refrain from action that could heighten tensions in the region.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
More Activists Lobby UNSC Over Shipwreck
Another leftwing activist group calling itself Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea has written to UN Security Council members urging the international body to reinvestigate the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan. The group is the second to write to the council over the sinking in March, for which an international inquiry has blamed North Korea.
The group addressed letters to two permanent UNSC members -- France and the U.K. -- and nine non-permanent members -- Austria, Bosnia, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon, Mexico, Nigeria, Turkey, and Uganda.
It delivered the letters to UN headquarters alongside a Korean-American grassroots organization called "Nodutdol" based in New York, urging a "fair and objective" discussion about the sinking.
"South Korean opposition parties, numerous civic groups and civilian experts have raised doubts over the Lee Myung-bak administration's findings in the Cheonan sinking," the group claimed in the letters. "The UNSC should take action to objectively determine the cause of the sinking, given that China has proposed a joint probe by two Koreas, the U.S., and China."
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS] [Human rights]
Two versions of Cheonan blast at UN
Souths briefing lasts twice as long, Norths doesnt allow questions
June 16, 2010
South Korean Ambassador to the UN Park In-kook at UN headquarters in New York on Monday after diplomats presented to the Security Council evidence that North Korea sunk the warship Cheonan on March 26.
NEW YORK - The diplomatic battle of the two Koreas has begun at the United Nations.
Both countries Monday held briefings for the 15 members of the UN Security Council to convince them of their contrasting stances on the sinking of the Naval ship Cheonan in March.
South Korea held the first, two-hour briefing. Experts from the United States, Australia, Canada and Sweden who took part in the monthlong investigation of the sinking also attended the meeting, which took place in the UN headquarters from 3 p.m. on Monday, New York time.
All ambassadors from the 15 countries attended the event and we believe we presented logical and scientific explanations based on facts, said a senior South Korean Foreign Ministry official. The briefing went smoothly and no countries made remarks denying the results of our investigation.
Seoul has been trying to convince the council to officially condemn Pyongyang for attacking the Cheonan, killing 46 sailors, through an official resolution or a less-binding presidential statement.
North Korean Ambassador to the UN Sin Son-ho fields reporters questions after his teams separate briefing to the council. [YONHAP]
The closed briefing took 40 minutes and was followed by questions, mostly devoted to technical aspects, which lasted about 80 minutes.
None of the diplomats raised the issue of a letter from South Korean civic group Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy that questioned the veracity of South Koreas investigation. The letter to the council last week said the probe report had many loopholes and lacks convincing rationale.
The matters raised by the PSPD were never mentioned, said the Seoul official.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
UNSC to Hear Both Koreas on Cheonan Sinking
The UN Security Council started discussion on Monday afternoon about the sinking of the South Korean Navy corvette Cheonan. The UNSC expects to hear South and North Korean views about the incident.
Earlier, the North asked Mexico, the current chair of the UNSC, for an opportunity to explain its position. According to a diplomatic source, the UNSC agreed to give the North a chance before it makes its decision.
Believing that it is unlikely the UNSC can agree a firm resolution sanctioning the North due to opposition from North Korea's staunchest ally China, which has a veto as a permanent member, South Korean and the U.S. are already aiming only at a so-called chairman's statement denouncing the North. The UNSC is expected to make a decision next month.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
Activists Urge UNSC to Reinvestigate Cheonan Sinking
The civic group People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy e-mailed the UN Security Council on Friday raising doubts over the inquiry into the sinking of the Navy corvette Cheonan. It claimed further investigation is "necessary."
The leftwing group sent the e-mail three days before a group of South Korean experts briefed UNSC members Monday on their conclusion that North Korea sank the warship. "It's like getting shot in the back by our own side as we try to gather international support," said one government official.
Council members said the PSPD e-mailed a two-page letter plus a 20-page report containing suspicions about the investigation. It called on the council to make an "objective and rational decision" since the response of the Lee Myung-bak administration could trigger "serious political and diplomatic conflict."
The move is unprecedented in the history of the UNSC and has apparently stirred up some controversy among member nations. One council official checked with the South Korean delegation at the UN whether the group really exists.
The group demanded its report be considered along with the South Korean government's investigations, but the UNSC president decided not to accept the PSPD's request since the council has never reviewed materials submitted by a civic group.
After the PSPD e-mailed the council, the North Korean delegation to the UN sought to give its own explanation before the council, which has been scheduled immediately after South Korea's session.
Cheong Wa Dae and the Foreign Ministry told reporters Monday that attempts to block the government's diplomatic efforts are "extremely regrettable." A government spokesman said, "This is not a matter involving progressives or conservatives but a matter of common sense. How will the international community view South Korea?" Conservative groups issued statements condemning the PSPD.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS] [Human rights]
The PSPD's Stance on the Naval Vessel Cheonan Sinking
PSPD Issue Report IR-20100601
PSPD Center for Peace and Disarmament, June 1. 2010
written by Junghye Kwak , Huisun Kim , Taeho Lee
Contents
Article 1.` p3
The PSPD's Stance on the Final Investigation Report on the
Cheonan and the countering measures of the Lee Myung-bak
administration
Article 2. p10
Eight Questions Needing Answers on the Investigation of the
Sunken Naval Corvette Cheonan
Article 3. p21
Six Problems on the Investigation Process of the Cheonan Sinking
[Cheonan] Coverup] {human rights]
Civic group takes unresolved Cheonan issues to UN
PSPD says the government should not submit a matter to the international community if there is still no internal consensus
Members of civic organizations debate questions over the sinking of the Cheonan during panel discussion hosted by Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, May 24.
Prior to the joint civilian-military investigation teams briefing at the UN Security Council on the sinking of the Cheonan on Monday, the Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) submitted a letter to the nations of the Security Council highlighting contentious aspects of the investigations findings. The Lee Myung-bak government has slammed the move as interference in diplomacy, while the PSPD called it a justified action by a civic group.
PSPD sent the letter on June 10 via email to Mexico, which currently holds the presidency of the Security Council, and the 15 member nations. The opinion statement consisted of an official PSPD letter written in English and a 27-page attachment detailing the problems with the investigation findings.
The letter, signed by PSPD Representative Lim Jong-dae, said the final investigation results into the Cheonan sinking were not announced. It also expressed concern that the response plan announced by the Lee Myung-bak administration could cause serious political and diplomatic controversy. It also conveyed hopes that the UN Security Council would make a rational and fair decision for peace on the Korean Peninsula, taking all matters into account.
The attachment, a translation of the Cheonan Issue Report 1 and 2 released by PSPD on May 25, asks eight questions about unresolved issues in the investigation results. These included questions about insufficient explanations about the water column and cross section, and six issues regarding the investigation process.
In response to the PSPD letter, Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun said in a briefing Monday that he believed that the letter was an extremely regrettable action blocking diplomatic efforts currently being put forth by the government. He also said the government plans to resolutely deal with the issue, including having the joint investigation team faithfully brief the UN Security Council. Some government officials, however, slammed PSPD in more relentless terms, calling the move traitorous and messing things up.
In response, PSPD said it is a group qualified to convey opinions and statements to the UN Human Rights Committee and UN Economic and Social Council as an NGO in consultative status with the U.N. It said the Lee administration has claimed that the civic organizations activity seeks to divides public opinion. However, PSPD said the responsibility of the Lee administration, which has taken a matter about which no internal consensus has been reached to the international community, is even
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [Human rights]
Civic group questions Cheonan report at UN
PSPDs moves draw fire from government, conservatives
June 15, 2010
A copy of the letter and report sent to the UN Security Council. [JoongAng Ilbo]
A local civic group has submitted a letter raising suspicions about the cause of the Cheonan sinking to the UN Security Council, throwing a spanner into Seouls diplomatic efforts to draw international censure upon Pyongyang for the attack.
The move by the Peoples Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), one of South Koreas oldest and best-known civic groups, comes as Seoul diplomats grapple to gain support from China and Russia - key members of the Security Council and North Koreas allies - for an official reprimand at the United Nations level, whether by resolution or less-binding presidential statement.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [Human rights]
U.N. warns rival Koreas against escalating tension
2010-06-15 14:08
The U.N. Security Council warned South and North Korea Monday against escalating regional tension after hearing briefings by both sides on the sinking of a South Korean warship which Seoul blames on the North.
The Security Council made a "strong call to the parties to refrain from any act that could escalate tension in the region" and to preserve peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, according to its president, Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller.
North Korea, which has denied any role in the sinking, had been scheduled to speak at the Council after the South Korean briefing, but it was unclear if the session was held as scheduled. Amb. Pak Dok-hun, deputy chief of North Korea's mission at the U.N., told reporters that his mission will hold a press conference Tuesday.
"We are a victim of this incident," Park said. "We have nothing to do with this incident."
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS]
Seoul regrets NGO sending Cheonan report to UNSC
By Kang Hyun-kyung, Kim Young-jin
Staff reporters
The government expressed regret Monday over a progressive civic group's sending of a letter to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) president raising doubts over the multinational investigation team's probe into the sinking of the warship Cheonan in March.
The letter, penned by the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), is seen as potentially undermining of the investigation findings, and drew the ire of government officials.
The PSPD e-mailed the report to Mexican Ambassador Claude Heller, who holds the UNSC presidency for June, requesting he circulate it to the 15 members. It also sent the report to 15 UNSC members via e-mail.
Kim Young-sun, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said it was regrettable to hear that the NGO had sent the letter to the UNSC and its members at a time when the nation is facing a grave national security situation.
He told reporters that there is no doubt that the multinational team's investigation results are "impartial, scientific, transparent and thorough."
"We do not consider any countermeasures against the NGO. And I am not in a position to comment on the group's measure," Kim said.
"As South Korean investigators were scheduled to brief the UNSC members on the incident at the U.N. headquarters, we will keep trying to make an effective presentation."
In its report, the NGO raised eight questions regarding the international investigation team's findings over the cause of the sinking of the Cheonan in the West Sea on March 26 that killed 46 sailors.
The team, including experts from the United States, Britain, Australia and Sweden, concluded a North Korean submarine torpedoed the 1,200-ton warship.
In the report, the NGO said it was not certain if a torpedo attack caused the warship to sink, claiming "no severe injuries evident of a torpedo explosion were found on the bodies of survivors and deceased soldiers."
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [Human rights]
'UN Security Council understands probe into ship sinking'
U.N. Security Council members appeared to understand the outcome of a multinational probe that found North Korea responsible for the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship, Yonhap News reported, quoting a chief investigator as saying Monday after a briefing to the Council in New York.
The briefing at the U.N. headquarters in New York was part of Seoul's efforts to censure North Korea for the ship attack in March that killed 46 sailors. South Korea referred the case to the Council earlier this month after a five-nation investigation concluded that the communist regime attacked the warship Cheonan.
"We offered sufficient explanations," Yoon Duk-yong, a renowned scientist who headed the investigation, told reporters after the briefing. "Members of the Security Council appeared to understand a lot."
Yoon said his team also urged the Council to respond appropriately to North Korea's provocations. He declined to elaborate, but said questions from Council members focused mostly on technical matters.
North Korea, which has denied any role in the sinking, had been scheduled to speak at the Council after the South Korean briefing, but it was unclear if the session was held as scheduled. Amb. Pak Dok-hun, deputy chief of North Korea's mission at the U.N., told reporters that his mission will hold a press conference Tuesday.
"We are a victim of this incident," Park said. "We have nothing to do with this incident."
The two-hour briefing began with opening remarks by the Council's rotating president, Mexico's Claude Heller, and South Korea's U.N. ambassador Park In-kook. That was followed by the screening of a video showing North Korean torpedo parts being pulled out of the site of the sinking, and a question and answer session, officials said.
France and the United States expressed support for the investigation results and called for a strong punishment of the North. But China and Russia, the North's traditional backers, neither voiced support for the probe nor asked any questions, officials said.
The fate of South Korea's push for a rebuke of the North at the Council hinges on Beijing and Moscow. The two nations, which hold veto power at the 15-member Council, have expressed reservations about the findings of the investigation.
[Cheonan] [Evidence] [UNUS]
South, North Korea to address U.N. Security Council over ship sinking
(LEAD)
By Chang Jae-soon
SEOUL/NEW YORK, June 14 (Yonhap) -- The U.N. Security Council will allow North Korea a chance to speak this week, right after South Korean investigators give a briefing on their probe results that blame the communist regime for the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship.
Compounding South Korea's push at the Council, a left-leaning civic group in Seoul sent a letter to the Council's president and raised questions about their government's investigation into the sinking, according to a Council member nation official.
The move by People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, one of the largest civic organizations in South Korea, could complicate Seoul's efforts to punish the North, as Pyongyang could take advantage of the claim in its efforts to discredit the investigation results.
Seoul's foreign ministry expressed anger over the group's move.
"We consider it extremely regrettable as it impedes diplomatic efforts by the government," foreign ministry spokesman Kim said. "It is very important for our people to show a unanimous and united attitude at a time when the international community is dealing with the grave national security issue of the Cheonan incident."
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [UNUS] [Human rights]
NDC Spokesman Slams Reference of "Cheonan" Case to UN
Pyongyang, June 11 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the National Defence Commission of the DPRK had already officially clarified the principled stand of the army and people of the DPRK on the sinking case of the south Korean puppet navy's warship in waters of the West Sea of Korea.
He also dismissed the assertion of the south Korean group of traitors that the ship was sunk by a torpedo attack of the DPRK and the "results of investigation" faked up to support it as a sheer anti-DPRK "conspiratorial farce" and a "charade".
The political, social, academic and press circles of south Korea, favoring the principled stand of the DPRK, are growing increasingly suspicious about the "results of investigation" announced by the "joint investigation team" in which it claimed it was done on an objective and scientific basis.
There is even strong opinion that the ship was sunk by the U.S.
Not only China closely following the situation around it but also Russia which dispatched an investigation group to the spot of south Korea assert that it is difficult to find out any evidence proving that the ship was sunk by a torpedo of the DPRK
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
UNSC likely to settle for presidential statement on Cheonan
The United Nations will not completely commit to South Korea's bid to mete out full sanctions against North Korea for the sinking of a South Korean warship due to China's reluctance, Yonhap news agency said on Saturday.
"It's going to be difficult, probably impossible, to get a resolution in the U.N. Security Council," Yonhap reported, quoting Douglas H. Paal, vice president at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, as saying in organization's website.
"My judgment is China will be unable to support a resolution condemning North Korea. There could be a presidential statement as, when the five major powers in the council don't agree to support action, a statement by the president can condemn something, in this case the sinking of the ship," he said.
Even a symbolic presidential statement may not be easy to get, Paal warned.
"That requires unanimity, and China may not even be willing to support that," he said, according to Yonhap.
"South Korea needs a response for domestic political purposes, so the pressure will be high. And the U.S. will push very hard for China to accept a presidential statement. That is where the crux of the struggle will be over the next couple of months. And when that happens, everyone will need to deal with the North Korean reaction," he said.
[Cheonan] [UNUS]
N. Korea asks U.N. to help it investigate sunken ship site
BEIJING, June 9 KYODO
North Korea's permanent representative to the United Nations has requested that Pyongyang be allowed to inspect the site of the sinking of a South Korean warship to verify (sic) international investigations that found the country responsible for the incident, the North's state media said Wednesday.
[Cheonan] [Coverup] [Media]
N.Korea to Security Council: Don't Debate Warship Sinking
North Korea says it has warned the United Nations Security Council not to debate the sinking of a South Korean warship that Seoul blames on Pyongyang.
North Korea's official news agency says its UN ambassador, Sin Son-ho, wrote a letter to the Security Council president saying a debate on what it calls South Korea's "forged" investigation of the sinking would have "serious consequences" for peace on the Korean peninsula.
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
DPRK Permanent Representative Sends Message to President of UNSC
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Sin Son Ho, permanent representative of the DPRK at the UN, sent the following message to Claude Heller, president of the UNSC, on Tuesday as regards the grave situation prevailing on the Korean Peninsula:
On May 20, 2010, the United States and the south Korean authorities released the "investigation result" that forcibly linked the sinking of the south Korean warship "Cheonan" with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The DPRK straight away and totally rejected the "investigation result" and clarified its position that it has nothing to do with the incident, proposing that it will dispatch to the site of the incident its own inspection group of the National Defence Commission in order to conduct an objective evaluation on the "investigation result".
It would be very useful to remind ourselves of the ever more increasing international doubts and criticisms going beyond the internal boundary of south Korea, over the "investigation result" from the very moment of its release.
As days go by, the objective and scientific military analysis and the environment surrounding the incident reveal that the incident is a fabricated scenario, purely out of political and military purposes of the U.S.
The key to resolving the case lies in that the DPRK which is the victim takes an opportunity to verify and confirm the "investigation result" on a scientific and objective basis.
It is imperative for the United Nations Security Council not to step into the same situation as it was once misused as a tool of high handedness and hegemony of the United States by giving legitimacy over to its armed invasion into Iraq, based on a single word of lies of Powell in February 2003.
The United Nations Security Council is strictly duty bound to adhere to the principles of respect for sovereignty and impartiality of UN Member States, as enshrined in the UN Charter.
The United Nations Security Council is an organization with the securing of the global peace and security as a lifeline in its mission. If the United Nations Security Council, as an organization of such a mission, is in its genuine wish for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, where a touch and go situation has been created due to the incident of "Cheonan", it should take, first of all, measures that can lead the U.S. and south Korea to receive the inspection group of the National Defence Commission as already proposed by the DPRK, the victim, to help verify the "investigation result".
By doing so, the United Nations Security Council should give utmost priority to bringing to light the very truth of the incident, on an impartial and objective basis.
In case the unilaterally forged "investigation result" is put on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council and open to be debated without the verification of the directly victimized party, it will be more than clear that the sovereignty and security of the DPRK is infringed upon, and by then no one would dare imagine how serious its consequences would be with regard to the peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
On this occasion I would like to enclose herewith a copy of the answer by the spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry dated 4 June 2010 and kindly request you to circulate it as document of the United Nations Security Council.
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
"Cheonan" Case Dismissed as Sheer Fabrication
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegate, addressing the Geneva Disarmament Conference on June 3, said that the case of warship "Cheonan's" sinking was, to all intents and purposes, "a conspiratorial farce" and "charade" orchestrated by the south Korean authorities at the U.S prodding.
He said: The south Korean authorities have linked the above-said case with the DPRK since its very outset without any material evidence under the zealous patronage of the U.S. and finally announced the "investigation results" asserting that the warship was sunken by a "torpedo attack" of the DPRK and are now foolishly working to prod the UN Security Council into slapping even additional "sanctions" against it, crying out for "punishment" and "retaliation."
As already clarified, the DPRK has nothing to do with the above-said case, he noted, and continued:
As universally known, the DPRK is busy waging a general offensive to open the gate to a great prosperous and powerful nation in 2012.
From the viewpoint of common sense that development presupposes peace, peaceful international environment is more urgently required by the DPRK than in any other time.
Whoever has reason can have strong doubt about south Korea's assertion that the DPRK was involved in the above-said case.
Such shocking case as the sinking of the warship "Cheonan" is required only by the south Korean authorities making desperate efforts to hold in check the progress of the DPRK through a campaign against it.
Invariable is the stand of the DPRK government to build a solid peace-keeping regime in the Korean Peninsula and denuclearize it, he declared, and went on:
The earlier conclusion of a peace treaty on the peninsula still in the state of ceasefire would help build confidence necessary for the denuclearization as soon as possible.
The conclusion of the peace treaty provides the only reasonable and realistic way for realizing the denuclearization of the peninsula.
[Cheonan] [Peace Treaty]
Fidel Castro Ruz Comments on "Cheonan" Case
Pyongyang, June 9 (KCNA) -- Fidel Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban revolution, in an article titled "The Empire and the Lie" contributed to the June 4 issue of Granma expressed his view on the sinking of warship "Cheonan" of the south Korean puppet navy.
He cited the following information sources disclosing the United States' deceptive nature of the case of the warship sinking:
"The sources suspect that the attack on warship 'Cheonan' was a false flag operation orchestrated by the U.S. to make believe the attack was coming from north Korea."
"One of the U.S main purposes of increasing tension in the Korean Peninsula was to put pressure on Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama to make him change his policy on the U.S. forces base. Hatoyama has admitted that tensions over the sinking of the 'Cheonan' had a significant influence on his decision to allow the U.S. marines to stay in Okinawa."
"As the 'Cheonan' was sunk, there were four ships of the U.S. Navy in the sector, as part of the U.S.-South Korea exercise Foal Eagle. An investigation into the metal and chemical traces of the suspicious 'torpedo' shows that they are not the DPRK's."
"The presence of the USS 'Salvor,' one of the ships taking part in the Foal Eagle, so close to the Paekryong Islet during the sinking of the south Korean warship raises questions, too."
In the final analysis, the U.S. could do too easily such big job, ie, the operation to eliminate the coalition government of Hatoyama but it is paying a very dear price for what it has done, he observed.
The political leaders and the world public opinion have proof of the cynicism and absolute lack of scruples that characterize the United States' imperial policy, he stressed.
[Cheonan] [Coverup]
UN envoy given cold shoulder
Korea's freedom of expression assessed as diminished over past 2 years
By Park Si-soo
Staff reporter
Frank La Rue, a special envoy from the United Nations who inspected the nation's conditions of freedom of opinion and expression for 12 days, said Monday he got the cold shoulder from the Korean government, and a lack of cooperation from agencies here hampered his mission.
At a press conference held just hours before his departure, the envoy complained he was unable to meet any high-ranking officials of ministries related to human rights issues despite the fact that he visited the country at the invitation of the government and repeated requests for interviews in advance.
Assessing the degree of freedom of expression here, he concluded that the right to freedom of opinion and expression has markedly diminished over the last two years under the Lee Myung-bak administration.
[Human rights] [Lee Myung-bak]
Kim Yong Nam Meets WHO and RC Delegates
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, and her party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday when they paid a courtesy call on him.
He also met and conversed with Massimo Barra, chairman of the Standing Commission of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, and his party who paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on the same day.
NKorea launches telemedicine network with WHO help
By HYUNG-JIN KIM
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 6:01 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea formally launched a medical videoconference network Tuesday aimed at giving smaller, rural hospitals access to specialists in the capital Pyongyang with the help of the World Health Organization.
WHO has been providing cameras, computers and other equipment to North Korea to help the reclusive, impoverished country connect a main hospital in Pyongyang with medical facilities in 10 provinces. The system is designed to allow doctors to talk to each other to provide additional services to rural patients.
On Tuesday, North Korean health officials and visiting WHO Director-General Margaret Chan held the formal inaugural ceremony for the system at the Kim Man Yu hospital in Pyongyang, according to footage from broadcaster APTN.
"This is an excellent vision because it meets the needs of the government," Chan said.
Chan, clad in a white gown, later tested the system by talking with provincial doctors via video link.
One unidentified doctor at Jagang province, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of Pyongyang, told Chan he is satisfied with the system because it's too far for his patients to visit specialists in the capital.
She arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, becoming the U.N. agency's first chief to visit the communist country since 2001.
The North faces chronic food shortages and has relied on outside assistance to feed much of its population of 24 million since a famine is believed to have killed as many as 2 million people in the 1990s. The North also faces a shortfall of hospitals and lacks an efficient state health care system.
WHO opened its office in Pyongyang in 2001 and has coordinated the purchase of medical equipment and supplies for North Koreans. The world's health body says on its Web site that it is currently focusing on strengthening the North's health infrastructure.
On Monday, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency said the government held a reception for Chan, who arrived the same day as Red Cross and Red Crescent officials. It was not clear whether the visits were connected.
---
Associated Press writer Sangwon Yoon in Seoul contributed to this report.
WHO chief meets with NKorean health officials
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 3:58 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- The head of the World Health Organization toured a medical facility and met with North Korean health officials Tuesday during a rare trip to the reclusive country.
WHO Director-General Margaret Chan arrived in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, on Monday - becoming the U.N. agency's first chief to visit the communist country since 2001.
On Tuesday, Chan and North Korean health officials, all clad in white gowns, met and discussed projects aimed at boosting the North's medical programs, according to footage from broadcaster APTN. Details of the programs were not immediately available.
[Media]
Kim Yong Nam Meets Mongolian FM
Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and had a talk with Gombojab Zandanshatar, minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia, and his party who paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Thursday.
Kim Yong Nam Leaves Dakar
Pyongyang, April 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday left Dakar after winding up his official goodwill visit to the Republic of Senegal.
Leaving together with him were Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Myong San, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, and other suite members.
They were seen off by Sada Ndiaye, minister of Overseas Senegalese, and others concerned of Senegal and Ri Kyong Son, DPRK ambassador to Senegal.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Senegalese President
Pyongyang, April 5 (KCNA) -- Talks between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, and Abdoulaye Wade, president Senegal, were held at the Presidential Palace Sunday.
Joint Communique on Kim Yong Nam's Gambia Visit Issued
Pyongyang, April 4 (KCNA) -- A joint communique on the official goodwill visit to the Republic of Gambia by Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, was made public in Banjul on April 3.
The communique said:
Kim Yong Nam, president of the SPA Presidium of the DPRK, paid an official goodwill visit to Gambia from April 1 to 3, 2010, at the invitation of Gambian President Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh.
During the visit, talks were held between Kim Yong Nam and Yaya A.J.J. Jammeh.
At the talks, they expressed the need to further consolidate the friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Libreville
Pyongyang, March 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on Monday arrived in Libreville to pay an official goodwill visit to the Republic of Gabon.
FM Spokesman Refutes Anti-DPRK "Resolution" at UN
Pyongyang, March 29 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA on Monday as regards the adoption of an anti-DPRK "resolution" at the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council:
The 13th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council high-handedly adopted an anti-DPRK "resolution" keynote of which is to extend the term of the "special rapporteur" on human rights issue in the DPRK.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS]
UN Envoy Meets N.Korea's No.2 Leader
Lynn Pascoe, the UN undersecretary-general for political affairs, on Thursday met North Korea's no. 2 leader Kim Yong-nam in Pyongyang, the official [North] Korean Central News Agency reported.
Pascoe delivered a message and a gift from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, KCNA added.
Japan, S.Korea Unite in Demand for N.Korean Nuclear Talks
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak (right) shakes hands with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada during their meeting at the presidential office in Seoul on Feb. 11, 2010. /AFP The top diplomats of Japan and South Korea are closing ranks on their demand that North Korea return to negotiations to end its nuclear weapons programs. After a meeting in the South Korean capital, Tokyo's foreign minister also offered regrets aimed at soothing historical Korean grievances.
Ban Ki-moon hopes to make his reputation in North Korea
James Bone in New York
*
In his three years in office, Mr Ban has lived down to expectations
Ban Ki-moon got his job as United Nations Secretary-General because of one item on his curriculum vitae.
The former South Korean Foreign Minister had served as Seoul's representative to the six-party talks on the country's hermetic neighbour North Korea.
In that position, Mr Ban was well known to the foreign ministers of Russia, China and the United States three of the five UN veto powers who had to agree on the appointment and Japan, the UN's second-largest funder.
The Bush Administration, in backing him for the top UN post, knew him to be an extremely cautious diplomat who was so tongue-tied in English that he would not could not make waves.
China apparently concurred.
In his three years in office, Mr Ban has lived down to expectations.
The North Koreans normally crave direct contact with the United States, so it is intriguing that the leadership is now ready to re-engage with the UN.
An eventual visit to Pyongyang by Mr Ban who has been elsewhere in North Korea but never to the capital would be the first by a UN secretary-general since Boutros Boutros-Ghali went in 1993.
There are always unexpected pitfalls, however. Mr Boutros-Ghali's historic visit descended into something of a sexual farce when it emerged that the UN's top political officer, Britain's Sir Marrack Goulding, who was married at the time, ran off with the UN chief's much younger secretary during the trip.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
UN, China in Diplomacy to Persuade North Korea
By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
U.N. Special Envoy to North Korea Lynn Pascoe indicated that his upcoming visit to the secretive state will include discussions on the resumption of the stalled six-party denuclearization talks, saying all issues will be on the table.
[UNUS]
Kim Jong Il Greets Vietnam Communist Party Leader
Pyongyang, February 1 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il sent a congratulatory message to Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Sunday on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Vietnam.
B. Lynn Pascoe
Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
B. Lynn Pascoe of the United States assumed the post of Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs on 1 March 2007. He was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Pascoe was most recently the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, from October 2004 to February 2007. He previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department in Washington, D.C., following postings as U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia and U.S. Special Negotiator for Regional Conflicts in the former Soviet Union.
[UNUS]
N.Korea Tasked with Building African Liberty Monument
The African Renaissance Monument, a large bronze statue, is being made in the Senegalese capital of Dakar by a North Korean design company. The Mansudae Overseas Project Group of Companies is due to complete the monument by April to mark the 50th anniversary of Senegal's independence from French colonial rule.
Standing at 50 m tall, the piece will tower over the 46-m Statue of Liberty in New York. The Wall Street Journal reported the reason why a project that symbolizes Africa's march to freedom and independence was commissioned to one of the most dictatorial regime on the planet is that North Korean monumental sculptures "are big, simple and cheap."
2 UN envoys to visit North to begin talks
Tensions on peninsula ease as shells fall silent, Kaesong parley to resume
February 01, 2010
NEW YORK - Two United Nations special envoys will make a visit to North Korea this month to discuss restoring stalled dialogue between the UN and North Korea, according to a senior-ranking UN official yesterday.
Kim Won-soo, a special advisor to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, told the JoongAng Ilbo that Lynn Pascoe, under secretary general for UN political affairs, and himself will visit the North from Feb. 9 to 12.
The official added that the delegation visit aims to resume high-level talks that have been stalled since 2005 after UN envoy to North Korea Maurice Strong, under then-UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, stepped down during a controversy over his ties to the Oil-for-Food Program.
Kim said, the UN delegation will meet high-raking North Korean officials and discuss various issues concerning mostly humanitarian aid projects for the North.
U.N. political chief to visit North Korea next month
By Patrick Worsnip
Reuters
Sunday, January 31, 2010; 1:47 PM
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending his top political aide to North Korea next month for wide-ranging discussions with the reclusive communist state, the United Nations announced on Sunday.
In a statement, the world body said that Lynn Pascoe, under-secretary-general for political affairs, would visit North Korea February 9-12 to discuss "all issues of mutual interest and concern in a comprehensive manner."
Pascoe, who will travel as Ban's special envoy, is a former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia and is the most senior U.N. official in years to visit North Korea. He will also visit China, Japan and South Korea, the statement said.
10 years of DPRK-Italy Diplomatic Ties Marked
Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- A friendly meeting took place at the DPRK embassy in Rome on Jan. 20 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the DPRK and Italy.
Present on invitation were figures of the Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Senate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute for Asia of Italy. The DPRK ambassador and staff members of his embassy in Rome were on hand.
Kim Yong Nam Conveys Sympathy to Haiti President
Pyongyang, January 15 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Thursday sent a message of sympathy to Rene Preval, President of Haiti, in connection with strong earthquake that hit the country recently, claiming huge human and material losses.
Expressing deep sympathy and consolation to the president and the inhabitants of the afflicted region, Kim in the message hoped that the president and government of Haiti would eradicate the aftermath of the disaster as early as possible and bring the life of the victims to normal.
DPRK Contributes to Peace, Security, Development of Asia
Pyongyang, December 14 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will make a positive contribution to peace, security, independent development and prosperity of Asia in firm unity with its other peoples in the future, too, said the head of the delegation of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, addressing the plenary meeting of the Fourth Asian Parliamentary Assembly held in Indonesia on Dec. 8.
Extending thanks to peoples of different countries in Asia for having voiced support and solidarity with the Korean people in their efforts to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula and achieve its reunification and build a great prosperous and powerful nation, the speaker continued:
Iran 'Bought Masses (sic) of N.Korean Arms'
Iran has imported piles of North Korean-made conventional weapons, the Washington Post reported Thursday, even though both countries are under UN sanctions over their nuclear programs. Weapons also went to two Palestinian militant organizations, the Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Islamist Hamas, the paper said.
[Arms sales] [Imperialism] [UNUS] [Double standards] [Sanctions] [Legality] [Spin]
The United Nations' Role in Peace and War.
"The UN of the arms dealers - the most disreputable and yet profitable business on earth."
By Denis Halliday
Global Research, December 4, 2009
Global Research Public Lecture, Montreal, December 1, 2009
Some times the New York Times does the right thing. This morning the Editorial (December 1,
2009) condemned the Swiss referendum vote to prohibit the construction of minarets on
Mosques throughout the country. And on the Op. Ed. Page Bob Herbert quoted Eisenhower I
hate war, as only a soldier who has lived it can, as one who has seen its brutality, it
futility, its stupidity. He added, and :every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not
fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
[UNUS] [Arms sales] [Double standards]
Malaysian Embassies Help Korean Farmers
Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- Rahimi Bin Harun, Malaysian ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of his embassy did a friendship work at the DPRK-Malaysia Friendship Ponghwa Co-op Farm in Kangdong County, Pyongyang, Wednesday.
Being briefed on the immortal leadership feats performed by the peerlessly great men for the farm, they looked round the board bearing on-spot teachings given by President Kim Il Sung and the room devoted to the education in the revolutionary history, etc.
They helped farmers in threshing bean.
During break, they enjoyed an art performance at the farm and talked to its officials, deepening the friendship.
They handed aid materials to the farm.
Kim Yong Nam Congratulates Afghan President
Pyongyang, November 4 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a congratulatory message to Hamid Karzai upon his reelection as President of Afghanistan.
Extending congratulations to Karzai upon his reelection as President of Afghanistan, Kim in the message wished him success in his work.
Seoul Backs UN Resolution on N.Korean Human Rights
The South Korean government is co-sponsoring a UN resolution condemning human rights abuses in North Korea for the second year running. The Foreign Ministry on Sunday said the EU and Japan submitted a draft resolution on the North Korean human rights situation to the UN Secretariat last Friday co-sponsored by 49 nations including South Korea and the U.S.
[Human rights] [Manipulation] [UNUS]
UN Day Observed
Pyongyang, October 30 (KCNA) -- Torben Due, acting UN resident coordinator in the DPRK, arranged a reception Thursday on the occasion of the UN Day.
Present there on invitation were Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned and diplomatic envoys of various countries here.
Representatives of international organizations here were present there.
Speeches were made there.
Myanmar, North Korea Feature at Asian Summit
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: October 24, 2009
Filed at 3:49 a.m. ET
CHA-AM, Thailand (AP) -- Southeast Asian leaders, having launched the region's first human rights watchdog, called Saturday on military-ruled Myanmar to conduct free and fair elections next year but refrained from criticizing one of the world's worst human rights offenders.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, however, delivered a strong condemnation of North Korea, delegation spokesman Kazuo Kodama said.
''Japan cannot tolerate nuclear and ballistic missile development by North Korea,'' Kodama quoted the prime minister as saying. ''In order to insure peace and stability in the region, we must have comprehensive agreement. I urge you to close ranks with me.''
[Hatoyama]
Good Moon Rising?
Ian Williams | October 14, 2009
This year's General Assembly attracted more media attention than the United Nations usually attracts, at least since the feeding frenzy over the "oil for food" controversy. It was not just the recent stand-up routines of Libya's Qaddafi, Iran's Ahmadinejad, and Venezuela's Chavez that won the attention of the large press contingent. This time the organization really was dealing with substantive issues of global importance, and dealing with them rather than evading them with the traditional parade of orotundity. Disarmament and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, climate change, and a fair deal for the poor in the economic crisis were all on the agenda. It may not be coincidental that these issues are hardly calculated to warm a neocon heart.
[Ban Ki-moon] [Continuity]
U.N. chief portrayed as 'good moon rising'
A renowned online publisher of analyses on U.S. foreign policy ran a commentary on the diplomatic achievements of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, whose effectiveness was recently questioned by several Western media.
Journalist and author Ian Williams wrote in a Foreign Policy in Focus commentary titled "Good Moon Rising?" on Wednesday that Ban deserves more credit for last month's U.N. General Assembly.
The FPIF senior analyst was also optimistic about Ban's prospects of winning a second term.
"As a nominee of John Bolton, Bush's U.N. representative, Ban might be expected to face an Obama administration veto of a second term," he said.
"But this is doubtful, however, since Ban's and Obama's agendas generally seem to be in close harmony. Above all, they subscribe to the Churchillian principle that jaw-jaw is better than war-war."
[Continuity] [Ban Ki-moon]
DPRK's Will to Contribute to Attaining UN Millennium Goal Reiterated
Pyongyang, October 14 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government will boost the friendly and cooperative relations with UNESCO and all its member states and make a positive contribution to the international efforts to attain the UN millennium goal of development in the future, too, said the head of a DPRK delegation when addressing the plenary meeting of the 35th General Conference of UNESCO on October 9.
DPRK's Stand on World Peace and Security Clarified
Pyongyang, October 1 (KCNA) -- Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK who is leading the DPRK delegation, said at the plenary session of the 64th UN General Assembly on Sept. 28 that the DPRK government would fulfil all its responsibilities for defending peace and security in the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the world.
The DPRK has done all it could to achieve the peaceful reunification of the country, remove the nuclear threat and the source of war from the Korean Peninsula and bring about peace and stability, he noted, and went on to say:
Its efforts, however, have not met a response from the United States.
The U.S. has dealt with the Korean issue only from the view of its Asia strategy and does not want to see the whole Korean Peninsula denuclearized.
[NK US policy] [US NK policy] [China confrontation]
DPRK Calls for Developing South-South Cooperation
Pyongyang, October 1 (KCNA) -- It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to expand and develop the South-South cooperation. Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK who is heading its delegation, said this when addressing the foreign ministerial meeting of the group of 77 held at the UN Headquarters on Sept. 25 while the 64th UN General Assembly is in session.
He recalled that the DPRK government has paid deep attention to boosting the South-South cooperation and taken an active part in the activities of the non-aligned movement, the group of 77 and the UN system, rendering disinterested support and exerting devoted efforts.
He referred to the fact that the DPRK initiated cooperation projects in various fields including agriculture, bio-science, standardization and measurement for different developing countries in Asia and Africa, and has made governmental efforts to implement them, gaining good experience and successes in this course.
The DPRK government will as always creditably fulfil its responsibility and duty in establishing a new international economic order based on justice, equality and impartiality and further expanding and developing the South-South cooperation based on collective self-reliance, he declared.
N. Korean Delegation Heads for UN
A team of North Korean delegates are on their way to New York to attend the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, a plenum for the world's largest inter-state body, amid renewed hope for the often-stalled nuclear negotiation, prompted by the latest overtures from Kim Jong-il.
The North Korean delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Pak Kil-yon left Pyongyang on Friday to attend the 64th U.N. General Assembly, Yonhap News Agency said, citing the North's Korean Central News Agency.
In talks with a visiting Chinese envoy on Friday, Kim said his country is willing to resolve the nuclear dispute through "bilateral or multilateral talks." His remarks, reported by China's government-run Xinhua News Agency, hinted that North Korea may possibly rejoin six-party denuclearization talks it quit earlier this year.
Washington welcomed Kim's reported remarks. Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asia and Pacific affairs, said he understands Kim's remarks were in line with the U.S. position that any bilateral contact between the two countries should be held within the six-party framework. The multilateral forum aimed at ending the North's nuclear drive also involves South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
"It sounds as if North Korea is underscoring that it will accept those conditions," Campbell told reporters in Tokyo, where he visited to meet with officials of the new Yukio Hatoyama government launched earlier this week.
"If we have any initial bilateral interaction with North Korea, it will be as a means to get back to the six-party talks," he said.
Washington has said it will decide after the U.N. session whether and when to hold bilateral talks with Pyongyang. The U.S. special envoy for North Korea policy, Stephen Bosworth, has a North Korean invitation to visit Pyongyang.
[Bilateral]
Ban Ki Moon and R2P
Ian Williams | August 3, 2009
Kofi Annan's greatest achievement as UN secretary general was his deft steering of the UN General Assembly to accept the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine at the 2005 World Summit.
Rather than attempting the impossible task of rewriting the UN Charter, Annan got the assembled delegates to reinterpret it. The assembled government leaders declared that the threats to international peace and security that came under the organization's remit included crimes against humanity, even when committed by a sovereign state within its borders.
Annan's successor Ban Ki Moon is a staunch supporter of the concept of R2P.
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS] [Humanitarian interventionism] [Camouflage]
Kim Yong Nam Back Home
Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, came back home Monday after participating in the 15th NAM Summit held in Egypt.
He was greeted at the airport by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the SPA, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, the Egyptian ambassador to the DPRK and the Chinese charge d'affaires ad interim to the DPRK.
NAM Summit Supports DPRK's Efforts for Peace and Security
Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- The 15th NAM Summit, held in Egypt, expressed full support and solidarity with the DPRK striving for peace and security in the Korean Peninsula.
Especially, the member nations of the Non-Aligned Movement recognized that the "six-party talks" are needed no longer, and decided not to reflect this matter in the final document of the summit.
In this connection, the DPRK delegation expressed the conviction that the NAM would as ever extend invariable support to the just cause of the DPRK. And it reclarified the steadfast stand of the DPRK government to remain faithful to the idea of the NAM and make positive contribution to its strengthening and development in the future, too.
[NAM]
Kim Yong Nam Meets Foreign Heads of State and Governments
Pyongyang, July 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly who is attending the 15th NAM summit, Thursday met and had a talk with Muhammad Hosni Mubarak, president of Egypt.
Present there were Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and the DPRK ambassador to Egypt from the DPRK side and the secretary of Information of the Presidency of Egypt from the Egyptian side.
On the same day, Kim separately met and had talks with Madav Kumar Nepal, prime minister of Nepal, and George Yong-Boon Yeo, foreign minister of Singapore.
Kim separately met and had talks with Omar Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir, president of Sudan, Datuk Seri Mohamad Najib Bin Tun Haji Abudul Razak, prime minister of Malaysia, and Kasit Piromya, foreign minister of Thailand, Wednesday.
Financial police in Lucca became suspicious and, in cooperation with the Austrian government, tracked the relevant bank accounts back to Kim. Libero-News said investigations are now focused on how Kim is getting supplies of luxury goods from Italy and other European regions. The confiscated yachts will be put up for auction and the money already paid for them has been frozen.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Presidents of Cuba and Viet Nam
Pyongyang, July 16 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly who is attending the 15th NAM summit, Tuesday separately met and had talks with Raul Castro Ruz, President of the Council of State of Cuba, and Nguyen Minh Triet, President of Viet Nam.
The talks were held in a friendly atmosphere.
Non-Aligned States Unlikely to Take N.Korea's Side
UN condemnation of North Korea is apparently being heeded at the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Egypt.
Diplomatic sources in Washington D.C. say North Korea's protests are finding little sympathy from other members of the movement, and this was due to the U.S. government using its diplomatic weight behind the scenes.
The North is a full member of the movement. The U.S. and South Korea are not, but have been seeking support from NAM member states for UN Security Council Resolution 1874, which was passed after the North's recent nuclear test.
Cuba, Egypt and other key members of the movement, have been seeking to improve ties with the U.S. since President Barack Obama came to power. As a result, the final statement at the end of the summit on Thursday is not expected to register North Korea's protests against six-party talks on its nuclear program nor any clauses regarding the Korean Peninsula, which the Stalinist country had insisted on during previous summits.
Formed more than five decades ago during the Cold War, the NAM was designed to be a group of countries that do not consider themselves aligned with any particular superpower or bloc. North Korea joined in 1975 and has been attending each year as a regular member. South Korea has been attending since 1997 as an observer.
[Softwar] [US dominance][NAM] [UNUS]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Egypt
Pyongyang, July 14 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Sharm El Sheikh, a local city of Egypt, Monday to attend the 15th summit of non-aligned countries.
[NAM]
Kim Yong Nam Leaves for Egypt
Pyongyang, July 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Saturday left here to attend in the 15th summit of non-aligned countries to be held in Egypt.
He was seen off at the airport by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the SPA, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, the Egyptian ambassador to the DPRK and the charge d'affaires ad interim of China. [NAM
South Korea in a new Asia initiative
By Zhiqun Zhu
Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing.
While North Korea has grabbed the world's attention again in recent months, few people have noticed a new diplomatic initiative launched by South Korean President Lee Myung-bak earlier this year. If fully implemented as envisioned, the new policy, dubbed "New Asia Initiative", will not only enhance South Korea's international standing but promote peace and prosperity throughout Asia.
DPRK Delegate Reiterates Its Stand on Terrorism
Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- It is the consistent stand of the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to resolutely oppose all forms of terrorism and any support to it, declared a delegate of the DPRK addressing the meeting of the Special Committee on International Terrorism held on June 29.
Terrorism is now steadily escalating in different parts of the world despite the international efforts to combat it, seriously threatening the lives of people, stability of societies and world peace and security and, furthermore, infringement upon sovereign states and extreme human rights abuses are being justified under the pretext of "war on terrorism", he noted, and continued: The United States invaded Afghanistan and Iraq and is escalating the "anti-terror war" not only in those countries but into their neighboring countries, massacring civilians. This is typical of state-sponsored terrorism and hideous human rights abuses.
If such state-sponsored terrorism is allowed to go on, international efforts to put an end to it will never prove successful.
DPRK Delegate Calls for New International Financial and Economic Order
Pyongyang, July 5 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government will positively join in the world efforts to establish a new international financial and economic order, in the future, too, declared a delegate of the DPRK addressing the UN meeting on the international financial and economic crisis and its impact on development held on June 29.
Recalling that the worldwide financial and economic crisis that originated from the U.S. last year is adversely affecting political, economic, cultural and all other fields of many countries, he said, adding that this hardest hit developing countries and is throwing serious difficulties in the way of attaining the internationally agreed targets of development including the millennium goals for development.
It is absolutely intolerable that the aftermath of the economic slowdown spawned by the burst of the bubble of the capitalist monetary market is more directly and seriously affecting the peoples of developing countries than those of the developed countries, he said.
He expressed a positive view on the fact that the UN analyzed the worldwide financial and economic crisis and its cause and addressed in good time the important issues including the reform of the international financial system for the first time in its history.
He held that the only way of weathering the present worldwide financial and economic crisis is to do away with the outdated international economic order and establish a new international economic order whereby the sovereignty and interests of all countries are guaranteed on an equal basis.
[Independent states]
UN's Ban Ki-moon under fire for praising Burma leaders
Julian Borger, diplomatic editor guardian.co.uk, Friday 3 July 2009 19.24 BST Article history
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, faced a barrage of criticism tonight for apparently praising the Burmese junta without winning any concessions over human rights or a move towards democracy.
Ban was under pressure to produce concrete results from his two-day mission to Burma, which was criticised as providing an endorsement to the Burmese leadership just as it is staging a trial of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.
The high-stakes visit to Burma comes at a critical time for Ban, whose low-key approach to his job has been criticised as ineffectual. He came under further fire on arrival in Naypyidaw, the regime's headquarters, when he told the head of the junta, General Than Shwe: "I appreciate your commitment to moving your country forward."
"That is absolute nonsense," said Brad Adams, a Burma specialist at Human Rights Watch. "It's just what we implored him not to say, to make these diplomatic gaffes. Than Shwe has steadily moved his country backwards."
[UNUS]
Nowhere Man
Why Ban Ki-moon is the world's most dangerous Korean.
By Jacob Heilbrunn | JUNE 22, 2009
Ban Ki-moon, a general nonentity as secretary-general
For such a seemingly crucial position, the secretary-generalship of the United Nations has historically had a rather low bar for success. Kurt Waldheim? In his memoir, A Dangerous Place, Daniel Patrick Moynihan recounted that Waldheim functioned as "a post office, a somewhat antique but reasonably efficient public service run along Austro-Hungarian lines. As one sat down with him, he would be mentally sorting the mail while making small conversation." Boutros Boutros-Ghali? His arrogance and fecklessness as the Serbs laid waste to Bosnia prompted the Clinton administration to veto a second term. Kofi Annan? Brought low by his son Kojo's financial peculation in the Iraq oil-for-food scandal.
Even in this unimpressive company, though, Ban Ki-moon appears to have set the standard for failure. It's not that Ban has committed any particularly egregious mistakes in his 2 years on the job. But at a time when global leadership is urgently needed, when climate change and international terrorism and the biggest financial crisis in 60 years might seem to require someany!response, the former South Korean foreign minister has instead been trotting the globe collecting honorary degrees, issuing utterly forgettable statements, and generally frittering away any influence he might command. He has become a kind of accidental tourist, a dilettante on the international stage.
Ban's flaws were obvious dating back to his decades toiling in the South Korean foreign ministry, where he earned a telling nickname, "The Bureaucrat." Luckily for Ban, if not for the rest of the world, The Bureaucrat was exactly what the Bush administration was looking for after years of tussling with the assertively anti-American Annan. When it became Asia's turn to nominate a secretary-general, Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, made Ban's election her pet project.
[UNUS] [Ban Ki-moon]
Unique Exhibition of North Korean Paintings at the Nha Trang Sea Festival in Vietnam
Nha Trang, Vietnam, June 05, 2009 --(PR.com)-- For the first time ever North Korean paintings will be shown in Vietnam at an art exhibition during the Nha Trang Sea Festival. The festival is expected to attract large numbers of visitors from Vietnam and other Asian as well as Western countries and will be held from June 6 - 12. With more than 130 paintings it is probably the largest collection of paintings from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) ever shown in Southeast Asia.
Pyongyang Painters.com
Exclusively introducing renowned painters as well as new talents from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
Art collectors, investors, experts and everybody else interested in discovering North Korean fine arts
Independence, Basis for Strengthening Internationalism
Pyongyang, June 4 (KCNA) -- Political independence is linked with internationalism and is the basis for strengthening it.
Political independence is manifested in exercising full-fledged sovereignty and equality in external relations.
There are in the world parties and countries, big and small, and economically developed and underdeveloped nations. But, they are all equal and independent. Therefore, one should not infringe on other's sovereignty and one's sovereignty should not be disturbed by others.
Political independence is linked with internationalism and there can not be internationalism apart from independence.
Internationalism is not an abstract concept divorced from the revolution of each country but closely related with it.
Only when one makes revolution successfully in one's country, can one fully support other's revolution with experience and substantial strength and fulfill the international duty.
Political independence is also the basis for consolidating internationalism.
Internationalist unity should be voluntary and equal by nature. For this purpose, political independence should be fully ensured between countries.
There can be neither friendship nor solidarity among the nations when someone orders other countries to act this or that way, threatening their sovereignty without respecting it or meddling in their internal affairs.
The Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK have exercised full-fledged political sovereignty and equality and successfully combined political independence with internationalism in the external relations by uniting with the socialist countries, non-aligned countries and other developing countries and strengthening solidarity with the countries which are friendly with them on the principle of territorial integrity, respect of sovereignty, nonaggression, noninterference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefits.
As seen above, independence in politics is linked with true patriotism and genuine internationalism, not "nationalism" or "isolationism".
[Independent states] [NK China]
Cambodian PM offers condolences at Roh's death
By Lee Chi-dong
PHNOM PENH, May 23 (Yonhap) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Saturday offered his condolences following the death of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, who he said made large contributions to the improvement of ties between Korea and Southeast Asia.
"I don't know how to express my sadness. I express sincere, deep condolences," the prime minister told a group of South Korean reporters visiting here. "I didn't hear yet about the exact reason for his death, but I can't contain my sadness over the news."
Talks between Parliamentary Delegations of DPRK and Indonesia Held
Pyongyang, May 20 (KCNA) -- Talks between the delegation of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK and the delegation of the Parliament of Indonesia were held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday.
Present there from the DPRK side were the members of the delegation of the SPA of the DPRK headed by Chairman Choe Thae Bok and from the opposite side were the members of the delegation of the Parliament of Indonesia headed by Speaker Agung Laksono and Indonesian Ambassador to the DPRK Daulat Hotma Audison Passaribu.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the relations between the parliaments of the two countries and issues of mutual concern.
North, U.S. both will be present at upcoming forum
May 20, 2009
BANGKOK - North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun and his American counterpart, Hillary Clinton, will attend the Asean Regional Forum to be held in Thailand in July, a Thai official said yesterday.
North Korea recently confirmed that its foreign minister will attend the [forum] slated for July 17 through 23, Arthayudh Srisamoot, deputy director-general of the Thai foreign ministrys Asean bureau, told a group of South Korean reporters on a trip here.
[ARF]
Banquet Hosted by Zimbabwean VP in Honor of Kim Yong Nam
Pyongyang, May 13 (KCNA) -- Vice-President of Zimbabwe Joyce Teurai Ropa Mujuru hosted a banquet on May 12 in honor of Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, on a visit to Zimbabwe.
Present there on invitation were Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun, DPRK Ambassador to Zimbabwe An Hui Jong and other suite members.
Present there were ministers including Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, commanders of the army, the mayor of Harare and officials concerned.
The banquet proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Talks between Kim Yong Nam and Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma Held
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- Talks were held between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma, President of South Africa, at the presidential palace in Pretoria on May 10.
At the talks both sides discussed the matter of further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two counties in various domains and exchanged views on matters of mutual concern.
The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Present there were Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK, and Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, foreign minister of South Africa.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Foreign State Leaders
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, on a visit to South Africa met and had a talk with Zambian President Rupiah Bwezani Banda who paid a courtesy call on him on May 10.
The Zambian President said that he was well aware of the DPRK's support and encouragement rendered to the African people in the struggle for independence, freedom, national liberation and economic development.
Noting that the DPRK has long and fully supported the just cause of the Zambian people, he expressed the steadfast stand to steadily boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.
Kim Yong Nam also met and had a talk with Esteban Lazo Hernandez, vice-president of the Council of State of Cuba who paid a courtesy call on him on the same day.
The vice-president referred to the bilateral relations continuously developing on good terms despite the complicate international situation, adding that Cuba positively supports the principled strong stand taken by the DPRK and its efforts to achieve the peaceful reunification of the country without foreign forces' interference.
Noting that the DPRK's satellite launch is the just exercise of the right of a sovereign state, he declared that Cuba decisively rejects any sanctions against the DPRK and resolutely opposes high-handed and arbitrary practices in the international arena.
During his visit to South Africa Kim Yong Nam met with the Presidents of Namibia, Tanzania, Equatorial Guinea and Kenya, the chairman of the African Union Committee, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and the vice-president of Gabon who attended the swearing in ceremony of the South African President.
Stand on Int'l Information Activities Expressed
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- At the 31st meeting of the UN Committee on Information on May 5, the head of the DPRK delegation expressed the stand on the matter of providing practical measures to make the international information activities contribute to peace and security, sound social progress and promotion of sustained development.
He said that priority should be attached to the discussion on the ways for establishing a new and fair international information and communications order.
[Media]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Singapore
Pyongyang, May 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and his party arrived in Singapore on Wednesday.
Kim Yong Nam Leaves
Pyongyang, May 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, left here on Wednesday to visit South Africa and Zimbabwe.
He was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun and other suite members.
Talks between FMs of DPRK and Cuba Held
Pyongyang, May 6 (KCNA) -- Talks between Pak Ui Chun, foreign minister of the DPRK who is leading the government delegation on a visit to Cuba, and Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Cuban foreign minister, were held in Havana on May 4.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the delegation and the DPRK ambassador to Cuba and from the opposite side a vice-minister of Foreign Affairs and officials concerned.
At the talks both sides discussed the matter of further developing the relations of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on the international issues of mutual concern.
UN chief rejects further inquiry in Gaza
Julian Borger, diplomatic editor guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 5 May 2009 20.54 BST Article historyOne of the more striking features of today's UN inquiry into the Gaza war is the secretary general's prompt rejection of one of its key findings.
In its 11th and final recommendation, the board of inquiry said the killings and injuries that happened beyond its narrow remit, outside the walls of the UN compound in Gaza, "should be investigated as part of an impartial inquiry mandated, and adequately resourced, to investigate allegations of violations of international humanitarian law". In his covering letter, however, Ban Ki-moon, said he did not "plan any further inquiry", opting not to use the secretary general's prerogative to order his own inquiries into allegations of serious human rights abuses.
[UNUS]
DPRK FM Spokesman on Adoption of Final Document at Ministerial Meeting of Coordinating Committee of NAM
Pyongyang, May 1 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the follow answer to a question put by KCNA Friday in connection with the adoption of the final document at the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement:
The ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Committee of the NAM was held in Havana, Cuba on April 29 and 30 and the final document was adopted there.
The meeting decided not to include a Korea-related article dealing with the "six-party talks" in the final document, taking into consideration the recent situation prevailing in the Korean Peninsula.
The said article which had so far been included in the final documents of the NAM meetings was excluded this time. This fully reflects the present situation in which the "six-party talks" disappeared due to the vicious moves of the forces hostile toward the DPRK.
Kim Yong Nam to Visit South Africa and Zimbabwe
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, will soon visit South Africa to attend the inaugural ceremony of the President of the country.
He will also visit Zimbabwe.
Iranian Ambassador to DPRK Hosts Reception
Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- Morteza Moradian, Iranian ambassador to the DPRK, gave a reception at his embassy on April 21 on the occasions of the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung and General Secretary Kim Jong Il's reelection as chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK.
Kim Jong Il Sends Greetings to Syrian President
Pyongyang, April 16 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Thursday sent a message of greetings to Bashar Al-Assad, regional secretary of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party and President of Syria, on the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the independence of Syria.
The Disunited Nations
Amy L. S. Staples. The Birth of Development: How the World Bank, Food and Agriculture
Organization, and World Health Organization Have Changed the World 19451965 (New
Studies in U.S. Foreign Relations). Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 2006. xvi
+ 368 pp. Notes, bibliography, index. $55.00.
When most people think of the United Nations, the first images that come to
mind are of hands raised around the Security Council and the blue helmets and
white jeeps of the peacekeepers. For many, the United Nations is, above all, a
moral force, issuing an authoritative imprimatur to all manner of ideas, whether
upholding human rights and collective security or fighting genocide and global
warming. Whereas detractors deride the General Assembly as a debating society
for dictators, for supporters it bears the potential to make real Tennysons old
dream of a Parliament of Man, the federation of the world. Still others
imagine the United Nations is already part of some sinister plan, in which the
secretary general commands squadrons of black helicopters that will one day
swoop down and impose world government.
[UNUS]
U.N. Council May Rebuke North Korea
NEIL MacFARQUHAR
Published: April 11, 2009
UNITED NATIONS The major players on the United Nations Security Council reached a compromise Saturday to chastise North Korea for launching a rocket while avoiding tough new punishments that Russia and China had feared would drive the North away from negotiations over dismantling its nuclear program.
Text of U.N. Security Council Draft Statement on North Korea (April 11, 2009) The Council may vote as soon as Monday on the American draft of a presidential statement, a step less forceful than a resolution, that would tighten existing sanctions by singling out specific North Korean organizations and expanding the list of banned goods related to its nuclear and missile programs.
[Satellite] [Sanctions] [Double standards]
Key U.N. Powers Agree on N. Korea Statement
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 12, 2009; Page A12
UNITED NATIONS, April 11 -- The U.N. Security Council's five permanent powers and Japan reached agreement Saturday on a statement condemning North Korea's April 5 rocket launch over Japan. The text would revive a 2 1/2 -year-old threat of financial and travel sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Pyongyang's missile program.
[Satellite] [Sanctions] [Double standards]
Spokesman for DPRK Foreign Ministry Rejects Anti-DPRK "Resolution"
Pyongyang, March 30 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA on Monday as regards the adoption of an anti-DPRK "resolution" at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council:
Another anti-DPRK "resolution" peppered with lies and fabrications was adopted at the 10th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council as what happened last year.
This is a product of the plot being hatched by the EU and Japan each year to achieve a sinister political aim.
[Manipulation] [Human rights]
UN adopts resolution on the North
Grave concerns about systematic human rights abuses
March 28, 2009
The United Nations has adopted a resolution, co-sponsored by South Korea, denouncing human rights abuses in North Korea. The UNs human rights council has reappointed an investigator on the North to continue reporting on abuses there for another year.
[Manipulation]
Indonesian navy chief in S. Korea for weapons, training cooperation
Indonesia's top naval officer visited South Korea Wednesday on a three-day trip aimed at boosting weapons trade and personnel exchanges, the Navy here said Wednesday, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno, Indonesia's Navy Chief of Staff, arrived here on invitation by his South Korean counterpart Jung Ok-keun, who visited Jakarta in May last year, the Navy said in a statement.
The two met at the Jinhae naval base in southern South Korea to discuss mutual security issues and ways to boost cooperation in weapons systems, the statement said, adding Tedjo Edhy will also tour South Korean manufacturers of naval weapons during the trip.
"The visit is part of routine exchanges between the countries, who have increased their cooperation in naval training over the years," a Navy officer said.
South Korea has been pushing to export submarines to Indonesia, which could in turn provide transport aircraft.
[Arms sales] [Proliferation]
Helen Clark lands top UN job
Mitchell Hall | Wednesday March 25 2009 - 10:35am
In a few hours former Labour prime minister from 1999-2008 Helen Clark will be named the new UN Development Program chief.
Highly placed sources have told The Trans-Tasman Political Letter that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is confirming the appointment today.
The UNDP administrator job is the third highest ranking member of the United Nations after the United Nations Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General.
It will be the highest international post held by a New Zealander since former Labour prime minister Mike Moore was director-general of the World Trade Organisation.
[UNDP]
UN to Discuss Sanctions on N. Korea
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The U.N. Security Council will discuss possible sanctions on North Korea if the communist country test-fires a missile or launches a communications satellite, the U.N. chief and South Korea's top diplomat indicated, Friday.
``That's what Security Council members will discuss when and after anything happens,'' U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told a news conference at the U.N. headquarters in New York in response to a question about whether the United Nations will move to impose sanctions on Pyongyang.
``I'm concerned about North Korea's recent move to launch a satellite or long-range missile. This will threaten the peace and stability in the region,'' he said, adding the launch violates a U.N. resolution in October 2006 that prohibits North Korea from test-firing a ballistic missile or conducting nuclear experiments
[UNUS] [Double standards]
DPRK Delegate on UN Peace-keeping Operations
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegate made a speech at the session of the UN Special Committee on Peace-keeping Operations on Feb. 24.
He said:
The UN peace-keeping operation has increased in number and size as never before but regrettably, dispute and conflict are getting steadily escalated in different parts of the world, instead of being reduced. Even such practices are taking place frequently as that the peace-keeping forces and UN officials became the targets of attack.
The facts show that there are still many problems to be settled in UN peace-keeping operations.
Primary efforts should be exerted to remove the source of all frictions and conflicts, the delegate urged, saying that the root cause is just the Cold-War way of thinking and confrontation policy.
It is important to strictly adhere to the objective and principle of the UN Charter and all the principles related to the peace-keeping operation in every UN peace-keeping operation, he stressed, adding: If any peace-keeping operation is decided on in the interests of some countries and used as a lever for interference in other countries' internal affairs, such operation may, on the contrary, aggravate any dispute.
He went on to say:
It is abnormal that the "UN Command," unhampered by the UN, remains in Korea, without getting any orders or financial support from the UN, still now though over half a century has passed since the ceasefire there.
[UNUS]
Photo of Kim Il Sung Taken Together with Seyed Ali Khamenei Displayed at Iranian Embassy
Pyongyang, February 19 (KCNA) -- A function was held at the Iranian embassy in Pyongyang on Thursday to display a photograph President Kim Il Sung had taken with leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Seyed Ali Khamenei on the occasions of the 20th anniversary of their meeting and the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.
Friendly Meeting with Members of Missions of International Organizations Here Held
Pyongyang, February 5 (KCNA) -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranged a friendly gathering with members of the missions of international organizations here on Feb. 5 on the occasion of the birthday of General Secertary Kim Jong Il.
Present there on invitation were Torben Due, an acting UN resident coordinator to the DPRK, and other members of the missions of international organizations here.
On hand were officials of the Foreign Ministry including Vice-Minister Pak Kil Yon.
Speeches were made at the meeting.
Anniversary of Victory of Islamic Revolution in Iran Marked
Pyongyang, February 2 (KCNA) -- A meeting and film show took place at the Chollima Hall of Culture on Feb. 2 to mark the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in Iran.
Present there on invitation were Morteza Moradian, Iranian ambassador to the DPRK, and staff members of his embassy.
Jong Yong Su, minister of Labour, who is chairman of the DPRK-Iran Friendship Association, addressing the meeting, said that the Iranian people have registered many successes in the efforts to develop economy and improve the standard of the people's living since the victory of revolution, smashing the U.S. hostile moves against Iran.
S. Korea Seeks Ties With Syria
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South Korea is pushing ahead with establishing diplomatic ties with Syria, known as one of North Korea's staunchest allies, diplomatic sources here said Monday.
The Seoul government proposed the formalization of diplomatic relations with the Middle Eastern nation in 2005, but Syria rejected the offer, citing its relationship with North Korea, which remains technically at war with South Korea.
In 2006, the then Roh Moo-hyun administration proposed establishing a consular office to which Syria was positive.
What Is Massacre Aimed at
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- Israel is steadily escalating its brutal military attacks on Gaza Strip of Palestine, turning a deaf ear to the strong protest and condemnation of the international community.
The operation started on December 27 last year with an air raid involving more than 60 fighters and armed helicopters and it entered a ground operation on January 3.
DPRK-Singapore Inter-Governmental Agreement Inked
Pyongyang, December 3 (KCNA) -- An agreement on promoting and protecting investment between the governments of the DPRK and Singapore was signed in Singapore on Nov. 2.
Present at the signing ceremony from the DPRK side were members of the DPRK government economic delegation headed by Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam on a visit to Singapore and the DPRK ambassador to that country and from the Singaporean side Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang and officials concerned.
The agreement was inked by Ri and Lim.
That day an agreement on the bilateral cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce of the DPRK and the Singaporean Business Federation was signed.
Disbandment of "UN Command" Demanded
Pyongyang, November 3 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegate, addressing the meeting of the Fourth Committee of the 63rd UN General Assembly on Oct. 27, demanded the disbandment of the "UN Command" in south Korea.
He referred to the fact that the abuse of the sacred name of the UN is going on due to the "UN Command" in south Korea.
He held that the "UN Command" is nothing but the U.S. forces command as it is a product of the Cold War.
It is generally recognized fact that the "UN Command" has no relations with the UN as far as its administration and budget, etc. are concerned, he noted, and went on:
It cannot but be an abnormal thing that the "UN Command" is still present in south Korea beyond the control of the UN though 55 years have passed since the truce in Korea.
Nevertheless, the U.S. has persistently insisted on the continued existence of the above-said command. This is aimed to justify and perpetuate the U.S. forces' presence in south Korea and bring multinational forces to the Korean Peninsula with ease in any time in case of emergency.
Ever since its appearance the command has brought unspeakable misfortune to the Korean people and thrown hurdles in the way of reunification of Korea, hamstringing the implementation of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration which clarified the idea of "By our nation itself" and the October 4 declaration, a programme for implementing it.
The "UN Command" should be dissolved without delay as required by the resolution of the 30th UN General Assembly, he urged.
[UNUS] [Military presence]
DPRK Delegate on Reforms of UNSC
Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate, in a speech made at the plenary meeting of the 63rd UN General Assembly on November 19 which discussed the issue of reforming the UNSC, said that the UNSC's arrogation has reached a serious phase as evidenced by the fact that it is used for meeting the interests of some specified countries in many cases and issues beyond its mandate are frequently dealt with.
The UNSC should become a body responsible for substantially ensuring the international peace and security and not act a tool for justifying specified countries' moves to meet their strategic interests, he stressed.
Saying that the principle of impartiality should be thoroughly observed in the activities of the UNSC, he held that disputes should be settled mainly by parties concerned through peaceful dialogues and negotiations.
[Independent states]
What's Your First Thought About Korea?
When foreign opinion-makers think about Korea, often the first image that springs to mind is that of a divided country.
According to a survey conducted by Corea Image Communication Institute, 39.3 percent of the 117 foreign opinion leaders surveyed -- including CEOs of foreign firms, bank managers, diplomats, and professors who either reside in Korea or have visited -- said their first image of Korea was of a divided country, followed by Kimchi (18 percent), Samsung (12 percent), and North Koreas nuclear issues (6 percent).
[Image]
UN Commission Passes N.Korea Resolution
The UN Commission on Human Rights last Friday passed a resolution urging North Korea to improve its human rights record. The resolution will now likely be adopted by a full session of the UN General Assembly next month. AP reported the resolution was passed by a vote of 95 to 24 with 62 abstentions.
The resolution expressed "very serious concern" at conditions in North Korea, citing North Korea's harsh treatment of recaptured refugees, restrictions on freedom of religion and thought, and its violations of workers' rights.
It was initiated by 51 nations, including the EU and Japan. South Korea jointed them as a co-sponsor for the first time after abstaining or absenting itself in previous years with the exception of 2006.
North Korea immediately rejected the UN resolution. AP quoted deputy chief of North Korea's mission to the UN Pak Dok-hun as saying, "The resolution is a product of a political plot to forcibly change North Korea's system and ideology." He warned South Korea will pay dearly for sponsoring the resolution.
[Manipulation] [UNUS] [Decline]
Greetings to Lebanese President
Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a message of greetings to Michel Suleiman, President of the Republic of Lebanon, on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of its independence.
The message wished the President and people of Lebanon successes in their efforts to ensure the peace and stability of the country and national unity and achieve progress and prosperity of the country.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Palestinian Ambassador
Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Mohammad Shahta Zarab, Palestinian ambassador to the DPRK, on Friday when the latter paid a farewell call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
Present on the occasion was Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.
Agreement on Cooperation Signed between DPRK and Kuwait
Pyongyang, November 19 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cooperation between the Ministry of City Management of the DPRK and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development was signed here Wednesday.
Present at the signing ceremony from the DPRK side were Vice-Minister of City Management Ri Kang Hui and officials concerned and from the opposite side the delegation of the Kuwait fund led by Deputy Director General Hesham Al-Waqayan.
Kim Yong Nam Greets Cambodian King
Pyongyang, November 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, on Nov. 8 on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of its independence.
DPRK Clarifies Its Will to Contribute to Int'l Efforts for Protection and Improvement of Human Rights
Pyongyang, November 5 (KCNA) -- The government of the DPRK will as ever further strengthen and develop the Korean-style socialist system and positively contribute to the international efforts for the protection and improvement of human rights.
A delegate of the DPRK declared this when discussing the item "protection and improvement of human rights" at the meeting of the 3rd Committee of the 63rd UN General Assembly on Oct. 29.
The human rights issue is not a privileged monopoly granted to any specified country or to forces and there can be neither "judge" nor "defendant" as far as international human rights issues are concerned, he noted, and continued:
Day of United Nations Observed
Pyongyang, October 30 (KCNA) -- Jean Pierre De Margerie, acting resident coordinator of the UN to the DPRK, hosted a reception on Wednesday on the occasion of the Day of the United Nations.
Present there on invitation were Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, officials concerned and diplomatic envoys of various countries here.
Representatives of international organizations here were on hand.
Speeches were made at the reception.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Syrian Delegation
Pyongyang, October 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with a delegation of the Syrian Trade Unions Federation headed by its President Mohammed Shaban Azzooz who is president of the World Federation of Trade Unions, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Monday.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Vietnam Delegation
Pyongyang, October 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Vietnam Ministry of Public Security headed by its Minister Le Hong Anh, member of the Political Bureau of the C.C., the Communist Party of Vietnam, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Nuclear bond for North Korea and Myanmar
By Norman Robespierre
YANGON - A recent flurry of high-level contacts between North Korea and Myanmar raises new nuclear proliferation concerns between the two pariah states, one of which already possesses nuclear-weapon capabilities and the other possibly aspiring.
At least three delegations led by flag-level officers from Myanmar's army have traveled to Pyongyang in the past three months, hot on the heels of the two sides' re-establishment last year of formal diplomatic relations. According to a source familiar with the travel itineraries of Myanmar officials, Brigadier General Aung Thein Lin visited North Korea in mid-September.
Message of Sympathy to Syrian President
Pyongyang, September 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of sympathy to Syrian President Bashar Al?Assad on Sept. 29 in connection with the terrorist bomb blast that occurred in Damascus recently, killing or wounding many innocent people.
Kim in the message expressed deep sympathy and condolences to the president, the government and people of Syria and the victims and the bereaved families of the dead.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea government, which opposes all forms of terrorism and any support to it, vehemently denounces the bomb blast as a hateful terrorist act to disturb the security and stability of Syria, the message said.
Diplomatic Relations Established between DPRK and Kenya
Pyongyang, September 28 (KCNA) -- A joint communique on establishing diplomatic relations between the governments of the DPRK and the Republic of Kenya was published in New York on September 26.
According to it, the governments of the DPRK and the Republic of Kenya decided to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level from the day of signing the joint communique, in conformity with the principle and goal of the U.N. Charter, international law, the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations signed in 1961 and the Vienna convention on consular relations signed in 1963, proceeding from the desire to promote and strengthen the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries on the principles of mutual respect for equality, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs of states.
Authorized by the governments of their countries Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, from the DPRK side and Moses M. Wetangula, minister of Foreign Affairs, from the Kenyan side signed the joint communique.
Protocols Signed between Governments of DPRK and Cuba
Pyongyang, September 26 (KCNA) -- A protocol on the 27th meeting of the Inter-Governmental Economic and Scientific and Technological Consultative Committee and a protocol on the exchange of goods for 2009 were signed between the DPRK and Cuba with due ceremony here on Sept. 26.
Present there from the DPRK side were Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, and officials concerned and from the Cuban side members of the Cuban government economic delegation headed by Jose Manuel Galego Montano, Cuban ambassador to the DPRK.
They were signed by the minister and the ambassador.
Kim Il Chol Meets Delegation of VPA
Pyongyang, September 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, Wednesday met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of senior political officers of the Vietnam People's Army led by Le Van Dung, secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and head of the VPA General Political Department.
Present there were Col. General of the Korean People's Army Sim Sang Dae and Le Van Cu, Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK, and Dau Xuan Long, military attache of the embassy.
Kim Yong Nam Meets UNESCO Director-General and His Party
Pyongyang, September 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with Koitsiro Matsuura, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Friday.
On hand was Pak Kil Yon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs.
Non-Aligned Movement gives North and South equal attention
August 01, 2008
Member countries of the Non-Aligned Movement that convened in Iran for an annual conference chose a closing statement that buttressed concerns of both Seoul and Pyongyang. Seoul diplomats have been working hard to have their position equally reflected in the statement along with that of Pyongyang, after diplomatic embarrassments at the Asean Regional Forum in Singapore last week.
NAM, a group of 118 countries that seeks to look out for the interests of developing countries, had an annual conference in Tehran last week and released the statement on Wednesday night.
It said that NAM member countries support all inter-Korean joint declarations as well as other agreements signed in the six-party talks seeking to denuclearize the North.
Iranian President on Relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) -- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President, met and had a friendly talk in Tehran on July 29 with the DPRK delegation headed by Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun to the conference of foreign ministers of non-aligned countries.
Saying that Iran and the DPRK are countries fighting against the U.S. imperialists, the Iranian president sincerely hoped that the Korean people would achieve greater success in the anti-U.S. struggle.
He expressed the belief that the relations between the two countries would grow stronger in the future, too.
Talks Held between DPRK and Iranian Foreign Ministers
Pyongyang, July 30 (KCNA) -- Talks between Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun who is heading the DPRK delegation to the Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Non-Aligned Countries and Manouchehr Mottaki, foreign minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, were held in Tehran on July 28.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the delegation and the DPRK ambassador to Iran and from the Iranian side officials concerned of the Foreign Ministry.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the relations between the two countries and a series of matters of common concern.
North seeking diplomatic support
July 30, 2008
Pyongyang is poised to take its months-long demand that Seoul respect the principles of last Octobers inter-Korean joint declaration to the international community.
North Korea, which managed to present its position during the Asean Regional Forum in Singapore last week, is now pushing the agenda at the annual meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement being held this week in Iran. NAM, with 118 member countries, is an international organization of nations considering themselves not formally aligned with or against a major power bloc.
Pyongyangs move is likely to put Seoul in a politically delicate position; it has to prove it supports the inter-Korean declaration and that the North, not the South, does not.
{NAM]
Korea's Reunification Supported
Pyongyang, July 29 (KCNA) -- Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the C.C., the Communist Party of Vietnam, met and had a friendly talk with a DPRK delegation led by Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun on a visit to Vietnam at the building of the Party Central Committee on July 26.
The general secretary stated that it is the steadfast stand of the Vietnamese party and government to value and further develop the friendly relations between the two countries provided by President Kim Il Sung and President Ho Chi Minh.
Koreas in Diplomatic Showdown in Tehran
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South and North Korea are in for another bout of diplomatic maneuvering at this week's international conference in Teheran, following a showdown at a regional security forum in Singapore last week.
At issue is the Oct. 4 Summit Declaration signed under the previous, liberal South Korean government, which the conservative Lee Myung-bak administration is reluctant to inherit. North Korea has urged the Lee government to ``honor'' the agreements made at the summit between former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang last year.
outh Korea is a guest to the NAM, a group of states considering themselves not formally aligned with any major power bloc, while North Korea is a full member.
[NAM]
Lees N. Korea policy criticized at ASEAN Regional Forum
Foreign ministers support continuation of inter-Korean dialogue and implementation of summit agreement
Foreign affairs and security experts who are working on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum in Singapore, a stage for multilateral diplomacy, have pointed out that the administration of President Lee Myung-bak needs to reshape its policy on North Korea by clarifying that it will implement two summit accords with the North, the June 15 Joint Declaration and the October 4 Summit Declaration.
Providing evidence that the international community has raised the issue of the North Korean policy by the South Korean government, the experts cited a statement issued by foreign ministers of 27 nations participating in the regional security forum that expressed strong support for continued development of inter-Korean dialogue based on the October 4 Summit Declaration.
[SN NK policy]
South, North Korea tie ARF in a diplomatic knot
July 26, 2008
A bizarre diplomatic twist took place yesterday that mirrors the turbulent nature of inter-Korean relations.
It began Thursday when Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo, who is also chairman of the Asean Regional Forum, released a statement in Singapore.
In a diplomatic blow to South Korea, Yeo said the Souths recent dealings with the North leave room for improvement.
ARF members expressed strong support for continued development of inter-Korean dialogue based on the [Oct. 4] declaration, Yeo said in a statement.
The North has long argued that the Lee Myung-bak administration has ignored the declaration, which was reached by President Roh Moo-hyun, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il last year.
South Korea, meanwhile, tried to convince the nations represented at ARF to press Pyongyang to answer questions surrounding the recent killing of a South Korean tourist in the North.
During the annual forum, foreign ministers from 10 Asean member nations and 17 other countries expressed concern over the recent shooting, saying they hope the incident would be resolved expeditiously.
And then came the twist.
Unhappy Seoul officials yesterday asked Singapore to delete the part of the statement that called on the South to honor the Oct. 4 declaration.
Seoul agreed, in turn, that the sentence that mentions the shooting at Mount Kumgang should also be deleted.
The ARF host country has the right to revise the chairmans statement.
[KR_summit07]
Singaporean President on Relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- Singaporean President S. R. Nathan met and had a friendly talk with the visiting DPRK delegation headed by Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun at the presidential palace on Wednesday.
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is a heritage of President Kim Il Sung, the Singaporean President said, hoping that the Korean people would brilliantly celebrate its 60th birthday.
Expressing his pleasure over the favorably developing relations between Singapore and the DPRK, he declared that he would do his best to develop the bilateral relations.
North Korea signs on to peace pact
Every step we take to encourage North Korea to abide by international norms is a step in the right direction.
July 25, 2008
SINGAPORE ? North Korea signed a non-aggression pact with Southeast Asia yesterday in what officials and analysts said was a sign it wants to be seen as a more responsible international player.
Congratulations to First President of Nepal
Pyongyang, July 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a congratulatory message to Ram Baran Yadav upon his election as the first President of the Republic of Nepal.
In the message Kim expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Nepal would continue to develop on good terms and sincerely wished him great success in his noble work for the political stability and prosperity of the country.
Talks between DPRK and Singaporean Foreign Ministers Held
Pyongyang, July 23 (KCNA) -- Talks were held between Pak Ui Chun, foreign minister who is heading the DPRK delegation on a visit to Singapore, and George Yong|Boon Yeo, foreign minister of Singapore, in Singapore on July 22.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the delegation and the DPRK ambassador to Singapore and from the Singaporean side the second permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry and officials concerned of Singapore.
At the talks, both sides exchanged views on boosting the relations between the two countries and a series of matters of mutual concern.
Kim Yong Nam Receives Credentials from Egyptian Ambassador to DPRK
Pyongyang, July 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, received credentials from Ismail Abdelrahman Ghoneim Hussein, Egyptian ambassador to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
On hand were Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and staff members of the Egyptian embassy here.
After receiving the credentials, Kim had a talk with the ambassador.
Ban Urges NK to Improve Human Rights
President Lee Myung-bak, right, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon before their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday. Ban Arrived in South Korea, Thursday for a five day visit. / Yonhap
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged North Korea Friday to address its human rights situation, calling it ``unacceptable.''
``I think that North Korea should also take necessary steps to improve their human rights situation,'' Ban, who is on a visit to his homeland for the first time since taking office at the United Nations 18 months ago, said in a press conference in Seoul.
``There are still many areas where human rights are not properly protected, and even abused,'' said Ban, who served as South Korean foreign minister between 2004 and 2006. ``This is an unacceptable situation.''
Choe Thae Bok Meets Vietnamese Delegation
Pyongyang, June 27 (KCNA) -- Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Parliamentary Group led by its Chairman Ksor Phuoc who is also chairman of the National Council of the Vietnamese National Assembly, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Friday.
Present there were Kim Wan Su, chairman of the Korea-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group, and Le Van Cu, Vietnamese ambassador to the DPRK.
Message of Greetings to 11th Ordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government of AU
Pyongyang, June 30 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of greetings to the 11th ordinary session of the assembly of heads of state and government of the AU in connection with its opening in Egypt.
Kim in the message extended on behalf of the DPRK government warm congratulations and salute to all heads of state and government and delegates participating in the session, noting that the AU has achieved great successes in its work to achieve peace, stability and socio-economic development of the continent and boost the unity and cooperation among its member states while rapidly raising its position and role.
The message extended full support and solidarity to the efforts of the African governments and people to build an independent, peaceful and prosperous continent, reiterating the will of the DPRK government and people to steadily boost the traditional friendly and cooperative relations with the AU and its member states.
Expressing belief that this session will mark an important occasion in achieving lasting peace and security in Africa and promoting the politico- economic integration of the continent, the message sincerely hoped that the African people would make shining success in line with their desire and wishes.
Talks between DPRK and Vietnamese Delegations
Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- Talks were held between the delegations of the Korea-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group and the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Parliamentary Group at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the Korea-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentary Group led by its Chairman Kim Wan Su and from the opposite side members of the Vietnam-Korea Friendship Parliamentary Group led by its Chairman Ksor Phuoc who is also chairman of the National Council of the Vietnamese National Assembly and Vietnamese Ambassador Le Van Cu to the DPRK.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on further developing the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parliaments and a series of matters of mutual concern.
Agreement Signed between DPRK and Laos
Pyongyang, June 20 (KCNA) -- An agreement on the formation of the joint information committee between the Information Committee of the DPRK and the Ministry of Information and Culture of Laos was signed in Vientiane on Wednesday.
Attending at the signing ceremony were the members of the delegation of the Information Committee of the DPRK headed by its Chairman Kang Nung Su who is minister of Culture and the DPRK ambassador to Laos from the DPRK side and Mounkeo Oraboun, minister of Information and Culture, and officials concerned from the Lao side.
The agreement was inked by Kang Nung Su and Mounkeo Oraboun
Greetings to President of Philippines
Pyongyang, June 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on June 3 on the occasion of the 110th independence anniversary of the country.
Kim in the message sincerely wished the president greater success in her work for political stability and economic progress of the country.
Saying that it is the consistent stand of the DPRK government to give importance and positively develop the relations with Philippines and other Asian countries which are geographically close to the DPRK, he expressed belief that the DPRK-Philippine friendly and cooperative relations developing on good terms at present would grow stronger by their joint efforts.
North Korea says it's opposed to terrorism
The Associated Press
Tuesday, June 10, 2008; 2:58 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea has reiterated its opposition to terrorism and nuclear proliferation in an apparent attempt to bolster its bid for removal from a U.S. blacklist.
The North's Foreign Ministry says in a statement released Tuesday that the country "will firmly maintain its consistent stand of opposing all forms of terrorism."
The ministry also says the North will take part in international efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into terrorists' hands.
Greetings to Swedish King
Pyongyang, June 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a message of greetings to Carl Gustaf, King of Sweden, on the occasion of its national day.
Kim in the message sincerely wished the king good health and happiness and the Swedish people prosperity.
Kim Jong Il Sends Congratulatory Message to Raul Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, June 3 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Tuesday sent together with Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, a congratulatory message to Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, President of the Council of State and President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba on the latter's 77th birthday.
The message says:
We extend warm congratulations and comradely salute to you on your 77th birthday.
Availing ourselves of this opportunity, we express the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the peoples of the two countries based on the revolutionary principle will continue to grow stronger and sincerely wish you good health and happiness as well as greater success in your responsible work for protecting the socialist gains and promoting the well-being of the people.
S. Koreas role in a balanced foreign policy
[Editorial]
President Lee Myung-bak goes to China for a summit meeting with Chinese leader Hu Jintao today. It is part of his plan to get the framework for relations with the "four powers" (the United States, Russia, Japan and China) up and running early in his government.
According to Blue House officials, the two countries plan to agree on elevating bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership." The official explanation is that a strategic partnership with China means that Seoul and Beijing are going to cooperate closely on peninsular, regional and global issues. If so, that means that relations are rising to a level of "global management" that excludes only military affairs. There is no reason this in itself should be considered something negative. The question, though, is whether that can be harmonized with the "strategic alliance" Seoul and Washington have declared. At a time when it would be hard for the national interests of the United States and China to always be in agreement, tilting excessively to one side would mean cooperation with the other could easily hurt the cooperation. If there is going to be a higher-level of relations with China, see, there needs to be a sustained desire to achieve balance in diplomacy. Countries like China and Russia suspect that since Lees inauguration, Korea is leaning towards the old triangular Cold War-style alliance starring Korea, Japan and the United States. This summit meeting needs to be a time for washing away those concerns.
Korea, 22 Arab States Look to Enhanced Ties
[Special]
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, fourth from left, poses with dignitaries from Arabian countries during the Korea-Arab Societys inaugural conference at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Monday. They include Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, third from left, and President Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti, fifth from left. / Yonhap
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
About 200 high-profile figures from the political, business and cultural circles of 22 Arab states gathered in Seoul, Monday, to attend a conference to prepare for the landmark establishment of the Korea-Arab Society (KAS).
KAS aims to enhance public understanding of Islamic culture and foster human networks, as well as to explore joint business and investment opportunities in South Korea and the Middle East, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT), which hosted the conference. The society is a non-profit organization that is to be officially launched on June 30.
[Islam]
DPRK Foreign Ministry Hails Agreement to Settle Political Crisis in Lebanon
Pyongyang, May 25 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Ministry of Foreign Affairs Saturday gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA in connection with the agreement reached to settle the dispute in Lebanon:
Some days before, an agreement was reached to settle the dispute among various forces in Lebanon through the mediation of the League of Arab States and Qatar, thus making it possible to defuse the political crisis in Lebanon.
The DPRK hails the important agreement reached to settle the political crisis in Lebanon thanks to the positive efforts of the Arab League and various Arab countries.
This agreement proves that the Arab people are quite capable of settling their problems by themselves.
The DPRK government will as ever positively support the just measures and efforts of the Arab countries and people to settle the Mideast issue.
Plan on Cultural Exchange between DPRK and Ethiopia Inked
Pyongyang, May 22 (KCNA) -- A 2008-2010 plan on cultural exchange between the DPRK government and the Ethiopian government was signed in Addis Ababa on May 16.
The plan was inked by DPRK Ambassador to Ethiopia Ri Song Mok and the minister of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia authorized by the governments of the two countries.
Rodong Sinmun Calls for Heightened Vigilance against "Liberty" and "Democracy" Touted by Imperialists
Pyongyang, May 22 (KCNA) -- The world progressive people should not be taken in by "liberty and democracy" of aggressive nature much publicized by the imperialists but wage a dynamic struggle for genuine freedom and democracy.
Rodong Sinmun today urges this in a signed article.
It is sheer hypocrisy for the imperialists to claim that a capitalist society is a "free world" allegedly giving people all sorts of freedom, the article notes, and goes on:
This is nothing but a foolish attempt to keep mankind from longing for socialism and create illusion about capitalism among people in a bid to westernize the world.
The imperialists' loudmouthed "liberty and democracy" is a slogan for aggression and interference to realize their ambition for world domination.
Kim Yong Nam Greets Eritrean President
Pyongyang, May 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Issaias Afewerki, President of Eritrea, on May 23 on the occasion of its independence day.
Kim in the message expressed the belief that the bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation would grow stronger in the common interests of the two peoples and sincerely wished the president and people of Eritrea greater success in their future work.
Taking the First Footsteps on the 21st Century Silk Road
There is something I always stress when meeting people from the Middle East as a diplomat -- the fact that exchange has been taking place between the Korean peninsula and the Middle East via the Silk Road since a thousand years ago. Considering the knowledge of geography and the means of transportation back then, this sort of exchange is simply amazing.
This trade lasted until the early Chosun Dynasty, then
The launch of the Korea-Arab Society is both a move toward the formation of a new partnership between Korea and the Middle East, as well as a move to instill a proper awareness of the region in our society. Now, Korea and the Arab world have embarked on a long journey on the 21st Century Silk Road to meet an old friend. Through this opportunity, it is our hope that a new interest will take off in Korea in getting to know the Arab world properly.
The column was contributed by Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan
[Islam]
Reception Given by Singaporean FM
Pyongyang, May 14 (KCNA) -- Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo on a visit to the DPRK hosted a reception at Yanggakdo International Hotel on Tuesday.
Present on invitation were Minister Pak Ui Chun and Vice-Minister Kim Yong Il of Foreign Affairs and officials concerned of the DPRK.
Speeches were made there.
Week of DPRK-Iran Friendship Observed
Pyongyang, May 13 (KCNA) -- A meeting and a film show were held at the Chollima House of Culture on Tuesday on the occasion of the week of the DPRK-Iran friendship.
Present there on invitation were Morteza Moradian, Iranian ambassador to the DPRK, and his embassy officials.
Morteza Moradian said that the friendly relations between the two countries are further developing under the deep care of the leaders of the two countries with each passing day.
Iran and the DPRK always stand together on the anti-imperialist front, he said, adding that his country extends full support to the Korean people in the efforts to build a great prosperous powerful nation and achieve the reunification of the country.
DPRK, Singapore Cooperate
Pyongyang, May 12 (KCNA) -- An agreement on the cooperation between the foreign ministries of the DPRK and Singapore was signed at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Monday.
Present there from the DPRK side were Minister Pak Ui Chun and Vice-Minister Kim Yong Il and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from the opposite side Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo and his party.
The agreement was inked by Pak Ui Chun and George Yong-Boon Yeo.
Firm Adherence to Stand of National Independence Called for
Pyongyang, May 12 (KCNA) -- The present era calls for settling all issues from an independent and patriotic stand while giving overriding importance to the country and the nation.
Rodong Sinmun Monday says this in a signed article.
Such practices as putting foreign forces above the nation and regarding cooperation with foreign forces more important than that with fellow countrymen are being reported from south Korea quite contrary to the trend of the times, the article notes, and goes on:
The Koreans have not yet established national sovereignty throughout Korea due to the U.S. colonial enslavement policy toward south Korea and its moves to keep south Korea as its military base and the sycophantic and traitorous politics and the policy of depending on outside forces pursued by the successive south Korean ruling forces, its lackeys.
In order to establish national sovereignty throughout Korea and fully exalt the dignity and honor of the nation it is necessary for it to hold high the banner of national independence.
[Independent states]
DPRK FM Meets Singaporean FM
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, met and had a talk with George Yong-Boon Yeo, Singaporean foreign minister, and his party who paid a courtesy call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Saturday.
Message of Sympathy to Chairman of Myanmar State Peace and Development Council
Pyongyang, May 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a message of sympathy to General Than Shwe, chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council, in connection with tropical storm that hit the country, claiming big casualties and material losses.
Kim in the message expressed deep consolation and sympathy to him and, through him, to the victims, hoping that he and the Myanmar government would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster as early as possible.
DPRK's Will to Boost Regional Cooperation Expressed
Pyongyang, May 5 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government will further boost cooperation with regional countries in achieving the millennium development objective through its efforts for the development of the national economy and the improvement of the standard of people's living in the future, too.
The head of the DPRK delegation declared this stand when addressing the 64th general meeting of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific held in Thailand from April 23 to 30.
Referring to the achievements made by the commission last year, he said that if the Asia-Pacific region is to steadily maintain its position as a region propelling the world economic development in conformity with the present changed circumstances, it is necessary to decide on more concrete strategy and plan and take practical measures for promoting the sustained economic and social development.
DPRK's Determination to Build Great Prosperous Powerful Nation Manifested
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea will frustrate any enemy provocations and surely build a great prosperous powerful nation, in which the people will lead a happy life with nothing to desire more in the world, as all its people are single-mindedly united around General Secretary Kim Jong Il and it has powerful defence capability provided by dint of the Songun politics.
Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly who is leading its delegation, said this when addressing the plenary session of the 118th Conference of the IPU held in South Africa on April 14.
He went on:
The DPRK is waging a dynamic drive after singling it out as its main tasks to build an economic power and bring about a substantial turn in improving the people's standard of living in hearty response to the people's living-first policy this year marking its 60th birthday.
Syrian Party School Delegation Here
Pyongyang, April 21 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the school of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party led by Riad Youness, deputy of the director of the school, arrived here on Monday.
SPA Delegation Leaves to Participate in IPU Conference
Pyongyang, April 10 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK headed by its Chairman Choe Thae Bok left here today to participate in the 118th Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union to be held in South Africa.
It was seen off at the airport by Choe Yong Rim, secretary general of the Presidium of the SPA, and Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.
DPRK Delegation Leaves for 12th Meeting of UNCTAD
Pyongyang, April 17 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Ri Myong San, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, left here today to participate in the 12th meeting of the UN Conference on Trade and Development to be held in Accra, Ghana.
Agreement Signed between DPRK and Mexico
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- An agreement on educational and cultural cooperation between the governments of the DPRK and Mexico was inked in Mexico on April 14.
Present at the signing ceremony were a delegation of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries led by its Acting Chairman Mun Jae Chol and DPRK Ambassador to Mexico So Jae Myong from the DPRK side and Alberto Fierro Garza, general director for Culture of the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other officials concerned from the Mexican side.
DPRK Permanent Representative at UN Appointed
Pyongyang, April 7 (KCNA) -- Sin Son Ho was appointed as the DPRK permanent representative at the United Nations, according to a decree of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
Kim Yong Nam Flies back
Pyongyang, April 1 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, returned home on Tuesday by special plane after wrapping up his official goodwill visit to Namibia, Angola, Democratic Congo and Uganda.
Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, and other suite members flew back together with him.
They were greeted at the airport by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the SPA of the DPRK, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Myong San, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, Ri Pong Hun, vice-minister of Public Health, and Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK.
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Kampala
Kampala, March 27 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Kampala on March 27 to pay an official goodwill visit to Uganda.
NKorea Rejects UN Rights Resolution
The Associated Press
Saturday, March 29, 2008; 6:54 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea on Saturday rejected a recent U.N. resolution condemning its human rights abuses as a U.S.-led political plot, warning the U.S., the European Union and Japan of "unpredictable consequences" for leading the move.
The North's Foreign Ministry issued the harsh warning, labeling the resolution _ passed at the U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday _ as a "politically motivated document" that is "full of sheer lies and fabrications."
[Manipulation]
U.N. Renews North Korea Rights Investigator's Mandate
By REUTERS
Published: March 27, 2008
Filed at 2:05 p.m. ET
GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Council on Thursday renewed the one-year mandate of its investigator for North Korea, overcoming objections from countries including China and Russia which wanted the post abolished.
The 47 member-state body adopted a resolution presented by Japan and the European Union in a vote of 22 countries in favor and seven against, with 18 abstentions. South Korea, which had abstained in previous years, voted in favor.
[Manipulation] [Double standards] [USUN]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Kinshasa
Kinshasa, March 26 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived here on Wednesday to pay an official goodwill visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and others.
Kim Yong Nam and his party were greeted at the airport by Godefroid Mayobo Mpwene Ngantien, minister in charge of the prime minister's Office, Marcelin Chisambo, special advisor to the president on political and foreign affairs, and officials concerned.
Kim Yong Nam was presented with a bunch of flowers by a child.
He announced an arrival statement.
Joint Document on Kim Yong Nam's Angolan Visit Signed
Luanda, March 25 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Joint document on official good-will visit to Angola by Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, were signed in Luanda on Tuesday.
Present there from the DPRK side were Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and DPRK Ambassador to Angola Ri Won Son and from the Angolan side were Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo De Miranda, Minister of Foreign Trade Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, Minister of Health Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Pedro Canga, Minister of Science and Technology Joao Baptista Ngandagina and Angolan Ambassador to the DPRK Joao Manuel Bernardo.
Pak Ui Chun and Joao Bernardo De Miranda signed the joint document.
Yang Hyong Sop Meets Brazilian Delegation
Pyongyang, March 26 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with a delegation of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry headed by Undersecretary General Roberto Jaguaribe at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday.
Talks between President of DPRK SPA Presidium and President of Angola
Luanda, March 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Talks were held between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, President of the Republic of Angola, at the presidential palace on Monday.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries as required by the new century and matters of mutual concern.
The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Present there were Pak Ui Chun, minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, and Ri Won Son, DPRK ambassador to Angola.
On hand were Joao Bernardo De Miranda, foreign minister, Carlos@Fonseca, diplomatic advisor to the president, and Joao Manuel Bernardo, Angolan ambassador to the DPRK.
DPRK-Namibia Joint Communique Released
Windhoek, March 23 (KCNA Correspondent) -- A joint communique on the official goodwill visit to Namibia paid by Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, was issued in Windhoek on March 23.
According to it, Kim Yong Nam paid an official goodwill visit to Namibia from March 20 to 23 at the invitation of Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba.
During the visit, Kim Yong Nam had talks with the Namibian president and met and had a conversation with the first Namibian president Sam Nujoma.
Yong Nam Arrives in Luanda
Luanda, March 23 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Luanda on March 23 to pay an official goodwill visit to the Republic of Angola.
He was accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and others.
Kim Yong Nam and his party were greeted at the airport by Angola's Foreign Minister Joao Bernardo De Miranda, Minister of Foreign Trade Joaquim Icuma Muafumba, Minister of Health Anastacio Ruben Sicatu, officials concerned and DPRK Ambassador to Angola Ri Won Son.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Former President of Namibia
Windhoek, March 22 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met Sam Nujoma, former president of Namibia, who paid a courtesy call on him on Saturday.
Sam Nujoma said that he was grateful for the positive support and encouragement given by the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government to the struggle of the Namibian people for national liberation and the building of a new society, true to the high intention of President Kim Il Sung.
NK Ties With Africa
Pyongyang Seeks to Export More Arms, Workers
South Korean officials are paying attention to North Korea's move to intensify diplomatic activities in Africa. Kim Yong-nam, the second-highest ranking official in the North, is now on an 11-day visit to four African countries, leading a 24-member delegation. Press reports said that Kim originally planned to visit three countries ? Namibia, Angola and Uganda. But he added the Democratic Republic of Congo to his itinerary.
N. Korea, Namibia reach deals
North Korea agreed Friday to cooperate in health and medicine with Namibia while reaching a preliminary deal on "diplomatic negotiations" with the world's fifth-largest uranium producer, Pyongyang's official media reported.
[Media]
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Windhoek
Windhoek, March 20 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Windhoek on Thursday to pay an official goodwill visit to Namibia.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and other suite members arrived there together with Kim.
Kim and his party were greeted at the airport by Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia, Nahas Angula, prime minister, Libertina Amasila, deputy prime minister, Marco Hausiku, foreign minister, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, minister of Trade and Industry, Richad Kamwi, minister of Health and Social Service, and other members of the government, Leonard Nambahu, Namibian ambassador to the DPRK, the commander of armed forces, the inspector general of police, figures from all walks of life, diplomatic envoys of different countries and representatives of international organizations in Namibia.
A welcome function took place at the airport.
Citizens of Windhoek welcomed Kim and his entourage at the airport, waving flags of the two countries and dancing to the tunes of folk songs.
Agreement and MOU Signed between DPRK and Namibia
Windhoek, March 20 (KCNA Correspondent) -- An inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the fields of public health and traditional medicine between the DPRK and Namibia and a MOU on diplomatic negotiations between the two foreign ministries were signed here on Thursday.
Present at the signing ceremony from the DPRK side were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Pak Ui Chun, foreign minister, Ri Ryong Nam, minister of Foreign Trade, Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, and An Hui Jong, DPRK ambassador to Namibia.
Present from the Namibian side were Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia, Marco Hausiku, foreign minister, Charles D. N. P. Namoloh, minister of Defence, Immanuel Ngatjizeko, minister of Trade and Industry, Richad Kamwi, minister of Health and Social Service, Joel Kaapanda, minister of Construction, Transport and Tele-Communications, Nangolo Mbumba, minister of Education, John Mutorwa, minister of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, and Leonard Nambahu, Namibian ambassador to the DPRK.
Choe Chang Sik and Richad Kamwi signed the agreement and Pak Ui Chun and Marco Hausiku inked the MOU.
WPK Delegation to Visit India and Iran
Pyongyang, March 20 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea led by Vice Department Director of its Central Committee Ri Yong Su left here today to participate in the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of India and the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
The delegation will also visit Iran.
North Korea's No. 2 on African Tour
By REUTERS
Published: March 20, 2008
Filed at 4:39 p.m. ET
Skip to next paragraph WINDHOEK (Reuters) - North Korea's number two leader on Thursday started a three-country African tour in Namibia, a leading uranium producer with longstanding ties to the reclusive communist state.
Kim Yong-nam, president of the presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, will officially open Namibia's new North Korean-built presidential residence and discuss trade and political relations, Namibian officials said
[Media]
N.Korean Envoy to UN Recalled
North Koreas Ambassador to the UN Pak Gil-yon will be replaced in April, it emerged on Wednesday. A South Korean government official said, "I understand that Ambassador Pak will return to North Korea soon. It doesn't seem likely that he is leaving his post for health reasons."
Pak (65) has worked in the international arena for 12 years, serving two terms, from 1991 to 1996 and from 2001 until this year. He spoke for North Korea at the UN during the first North Korean nuclear crisis in 1993, during the second nuclear crisis in 2002, and in 2006 when North Korean conducted a nuclear test. He was also deeply involved in talks with the U.S.
One of the people mentioned as his possible replacement is Shin Seon-ho, former deputy chief of the North Korean mission to the UN.
DPRK Delegate Calls on UNSC to Give Developing Countries Representation
Pyongyang, March 7 (KCNA) -- The United Nations Security Council should be reformed in such a way as to give full representation to the developing countries which make up a majority of the UN member states and ensure the impartiality of its activities.
A DPRK delegate said this in his speech at the meeting of the Special Committee on the UN Charter and on Increasing the Role of the Organization opened in New York on Feb. 27.
The principles of respect for sovereignty, equality and non-interference in internal affairs laid down in the UN Charter are still wantonly violated in the international relations and the UNSC's breach of the authority of the UN General Assembly, in particular, is arousing concern among the member states, he noted, referring to a series of issues related to this.
[Imperialism]
DPRK Delegate Calls for Substantial Measures against Terrorism
Pyongyang, March 4 (KCNA) -- The DPRK delegate, addressing the meeting of the special committee on international terrorism that opened in New York on Feb. 25, noted that it is impossible to guarantee not only the peace and security of the world but elementary rights of the human beings unless the state-sponsored terrorism is eradicated, calling on the UN to take substantial measures to combat terrorism.
He said:
The U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq and the Israeli occupation of Arab territories have caused a vicious cycle of terrorism and horrible bloodshed as they are typical state-sponsored terrorism. These actions are spawning serious issues as they are designed to overthrow legitimate governments, but what is graver is that they are most hideous human rights abuses as they cause mass killings of civilians and a sharp increase in the number of refugees.
He expressed the expectation that the UN-sponsored high-level meeting on terrorism would have a package discussion on the issue of terrorism and contribute to seeking more effective ways of combating it.
Noting that the DPRK has maintained its avowed stand of opposing all forms of terrorist actions and any form of supporting it, he said that the government of the DPRK would positively contribute to the efforts of the international community to root out terrorism and build a peaceful and stable world in the future, too.
Kim Jong Il Sends Congratulatory Message to Raul Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, February 26 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Monday sent a congratulatory message to Raul Castro Ruz, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba.
The message said:
We extend warm congratulations to you in the name of the Workers' Party of Korea, the government and people of the DPRK on your election as president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba at the first session of the 7th National Assembly of People's Power.
The above-said heavy responsibilities entrusted to you are an expression of the deep trust and high expectation of respected Fidel Castro and the Cuban party and people for you.
Believing that the comradely and militant friendly and cooperative relations between the peoples of the two countries provided by President Kim Il Sung and Fidel Castro would steadily grow stronger in the course of carrying out the common cause of socialism, the message sincerely wished him success in his responsible work.
FM Spokesman Interviewed
Pyongyang, February 23 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA Saturday as regards the intention expressed by Fidel Castro Ruz, supreme Leader of the Cuban revolution, to resign from some of his duties:
Fidel Castro has recently expressed his intention to resign from such duties as president of the Council of State and supreme commander of the armed forces of Cuba. He was operated and treated for acute intestinal bleeding in July 2006 but he has not been fully recovered.
He forged particularly comradely relations with President Kim Il Sung, the great leader of the Korean people, and has since made many contributions to the development of the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Cuba in the past period.
Korea Denies Entry to Thais Most
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Korea denied entry to the country to Thai nationals the most last year. Of 86,358 Thais who sought to come to Korea last year, 6,767 were refused entry, according to the Korea Immigration Service.
Following Thais were Chinese with 3,481, Mongolians, 1,667 and Bangladeshis, 834.
Immigration officials said that most of the entries were refused due to concerns about illegal residency.
Rodong Sinmun on DPRK's Avowed Foreign Policy Tenet
Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- It is the consistent stand and foreign policy of the DPRK to establish and develop relations of friendship, cooperation and good neighborliness with all countries that respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and are friendly towards it, says Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed article.
Independence, peace and friendship are the idea of the consistent foreign policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK, the article says, and goes on:
The present times are the era of independence. What people want is independence, not subjugation, peace, not war, and friendship, not confrontation.
Each country has the right to defend its independence and, at the same time, an obligation to respect the independence of other countries. Only when countries support and unite with each other on the principle of full independence, equality, mutual respect and non-interference in other's internal affairs can the relations of friendship and cooperation be genuine and strong.
[Independent states]
Rodong Sinmun on Foreign Policy of DPRK
Pyongyang, January 7 (KCNA) -- It is the invariable stand of the Workers' Party of Korea and the government of the DPRK to consistently embody the idea of the foreign policy -- independence, peace and friendship, observes Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article.
Independence, peace and friendship represent the basic idea of the foreign policy of the WPK and the government of the DPRK, the article notes, and goes on:
The idea of their independent foreign policy most fully meets the intrinsic wishes of the human beings to live and develop independently.
Without an independent stand, people cannot properly advance the revolution and construction and achieve final victory.
The DPRK never allows anyone to infringe upon its sovereignty, meddle in its internal affairs, dominate and control it. It is opposed to any act of violating the sovereignty of any other country.
It estimates and handles anything arising in the relations with other countries and all other issues with independence as a yardstick and resolutely struggles against the infringement upon independence.
The above-said idea of the peace-loving foreign policy represents the desire of the people to live in a peaceful world free from war.
People can successfully promote national prosperity and the building of an independent new society only in a peaceful environment.
Peace cannot be achieved by the effort of an individual country and people alone.
Mankind's desire for peace can come true only when the peace-loving progressive people get united and wage a dynamic struggle for defending peace from war.
The above-mentioned idea of the foreign policy presupposes boosting the friendly and cooperative ties with all countries and people of the world.
It is the avowed foreign policy of the DPRK to develop the friendly and cooperative relations with all the countries of the world advocating independence.
The DPRK will make every effort to establish sound international relations and order as a member of the international community.
[Independent states]
Rodong Sinmun on Trend of Times toward Global Independence
Pyongyang, December 27 (KCNA) -- There may be turns and twists in the way of the advance of history but the main direction of the development of history can never change and no force on earth can stem the trend of the world toward independence.
Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
It goes on:
This year the world progressive countries and people have waged a worldwide vigorous struggle against the imperialists' military intervention and war, domination and subjugation and for global independence under the banner of independence against imperialism.
What drew public attention in the international arena this year was that the movement of the developing countries has been noticeably intensified to resolutely counter the unilateral high-handed and arbitrary practices of the imperialists contrary to the trend of the times by their concerted efforts.
[Independent States]
Kim Yong Nam Sends Message of Condolences to Pakistani President
Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of condolences to Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan, on Friday over the sudden demise of Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan.
In the message Kim expressed deep condolences to the Pakistani president and, through him, to the bereaved family members.
Rodong Sinmun on Idea of Foreign Policy of WPK and DPRK Government
Pyongyang, November 26 (KCNA) -- Independence, peace and friendship are the idea of the foreign policy of the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government. It is the most just idea as it helps strengthen the international solidarity and make a positive contribution to the cause of global independence. Rodong Sinmun Monday says this in a signed article.
The WPK and the DPRK government have firmly upheld and consistently adhered to the idea of independence, peace and friendship, thus dealing a heavy blow at the imperialist forces keen to maintain their outdated international order, the article says, and goes on:
Maritime Security and Protection of Sea Environment Called for
Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) -- The head of the DPRK delegation, addressing the 25th general assembly of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on November 20, called for ensuring the maritime security and protecting the sea environment.
He recalled that the IMO adopted new favorable conventions and regulations and amended the existing ones in the field of overall maritime work including maritime security and protection of sea environment and has taken proper measures to implement them, thus consistently pursuing its goal to ensure safe navigation in clean oceans and boost its efficiency.
Kim Jong-il 'Accepts Invitation to Vietnam'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il told the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nong Duc Manh, who was on a visit to Pyongyang in mid-October, that he wants to visit Hanoi next year, Japans Kyodo news agency reported Saturday.
Kyodo quoted a senior Vietnamese official who was in the meeting as saying Kim "is seriously considering a visit to Vietnam." The official said Kim, who has an aversion to flying, will go via the trans-Chinese railway. "North Korean officials asked us to keep everything, including Chairman Kim's itinerary, secret if his visit to Vietnam materializes at all, and to announce his visit only after his departure for Vietnam," he added.
MOU Signed between Pyongyang and Jakarta
Pyongyang, November 10 (KCNA) -- A memorandum of understanding on establishing the sister city relations between Pyongyang of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Jakarta of the Republic of Indonesia was signed in Jakarta on Thursday.
The MOU was inked by Vice-Chairman of the Pyongyang City People's Committee Kim Jong Sik and the mayor of Jakarta.
Inter-Sector Talks Held between DPRK and Vietnam
Hanoi, October 27 (KCNA-Correspondent) -- Inter-sector talks between the DPRK and Vietnam took place in Hanoi on Oct. 27.
The talks were separately held between Minister of Agriculture Ri Kyong Sik and Cao Duc Phat, minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and between Acting Chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Mun Jae Chol and Hoang Tuan Anh, minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on boosting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in different fields as desired by the two peoples and issues of mutual concern.
The talks proceeded in a friendship atmosphere.
Premier of DPRK Cabinet Returns
Pyongyang, November 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Il, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, Wednesday returned home by special plane after winding up his official goodwill visit to Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos.
Rim Kyong Man, minister of Foreign Trade, Ri Kyong Sik, minister of Agriculture, Mun Jae Chol, acting chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, and Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, also flew back home.
They were greeted at the airport by Ro Tu Chol, vice-premier, Kang Nung Su, minister of Culture, Choe Su Hon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ku Pon Thae, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, and diplomatic envoys of Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos here.
DPRK to Make Positive Contribution to Worldwide Protection and Promotion of Human Rights
Pyongyang, November 7 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will more firmly defend the advantageous socialist system of Korean style which legally and practically guarantees the people's enjoyment of human rights on the basis of the man-centered Juche idea and make a positive contribution to protecting and promoting human rights worldwide. A DPRK delegate said this when addressing the meeting of the Third Committee handling social, human rights and humanitarian issues of the 62nd UN General Assembly on October 31.
There go on the international arena at present unceasing acts of taking the lives of innocent people and violating the rights and basic freedom of people quite contrary to the trend of the times towards peace and stability, he noted, and continued:
In order to protect and promote human rights it is necessary to put an end to aggression against sovereign states and interference in their internal affairs and the application of the double standards and selectivity in dealing with human rights issues and eradicate national chauvinism prevalent in the developed countries.
Two Koreas seeking UN approval on deal
October 19, 2007 North and South Korea are seeking an endorsement and support from the United Nations for the outcome of their inter-Korean summit held earlier this month, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
The two Koreas have submitted to the United Nations a joint resolution calling for international support for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula and also for the agreements South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il reached at their summit held Oct. 2-4, according to ministry officials.
Kim Jong Il Sees Nong Duc Manh Off
Pyongyang, October 18 (KCNA) -- Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, left here Thursday by a special plane after successfully winding up his official goodwill visit to the DPRK at the invitation of Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.
Kim Jong Il saw Nong Duc Manh off at the airport.
Tete-a-Tete Talks Held between Kim Jong Il and Nong Duc Manh
Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- Tete-a-tete talks were held between Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission, and Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in Pyongyang Wednesday.
The talks proceeded in a comradely, sincere and friendly atmosphere.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Foreign Delegation
Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met with a delegation of the International Kim Il Sung Foundation headed by Chairman Johnny Hon, who is chairman of the Global Group of Britain, and had a friendly talk with it at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday.
Present there were Kwak Pom Gi, vice-premier of the Cabinet, Kim Yong Jin, minister of Education, Rim Hoe Song, vice-chairman of the Korean Social Scientists Society, and officials concerned.
International Kim Il Sung Foundation Established
Pyongyang, October 17 (KCNA) -- The International Kim Il Sung Foundation was established with due ceremony at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday.
Present there were Vice-President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Yang Hyong Sop, Vice-Premier of the DPRK Cabinet Kwak Pom Gi, Minister of Education Kim Yong Jin, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Ryong Nam, President of Koryo Bank Pak Yong Chil, Vice-Chairman of the Korean Social Scientists Society Rim Hoe Song and officials concerned.
Also present were members of the delegation of the International Kim Il Sung Foundation headed by Chairman Johnny Hon, who is chairman of the Global Group of Britain.
Kim Jong Il Greets Nong Duc Manh
Pyongyang, October 16 (KCNA) -- Nong Duc Manh, Secretary General of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, arrived in Pyongyang by a special plane on Oct. 16 to pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK at the invitation of Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission.
Kim Jong Il greeted Nong Duc Manh at the Pyongyang Airport.
Thousands of Pyongyangites turned out to the airport with flags of the two countries and flowers in their hands to greet the envoys of Vietnam.
Present at the airport were Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, Kim Yong Il, premier of the Cabinet, Kim Il Chol, minister of the People's Armed Forces, Kim Jong Gak, first vice director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the SPA Presidium, Kim Ki Nam, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, Kang Sok Ju, first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, leading officials of the party and power organs, ministries and national institutions and Ma Chol Su, DPRK ambassador to Vietnam.
North Korean PM to Visit Cambodia In November
By REUTERS
Published: October 16, 2007
Filed at 7:46 a.m. ET
Skip to next paragraph
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia said on Tuesday that North Korean Prime Minister Kim Jong Il [sic; should be Kim Yong Il's] would pay an official visit at the start of next month, cementing Pyongyang's relationship with a rare friend in southeast Asia.
During his November 1 to November 4 trip, Kim will meet Prime Minister Hun Sen and former king Norodom Sihanouk, who formed a close personal relationship with North Korean founding father Kim Il-sung at the height of the Cold War.
Sihanouk, whose playboy reputation and royal credentials did not appear to clash with Kim's austere and rigidly communist outlook, still has a palace in Pyongyang and his personal bodyguards are all North Korean agents.
A Cambodian government statement gave few other details of Kim Yong Il's visit.
Vietnam said earlier this month he would visit Hanoi, but did not say when or why. In March, Hanoi hosted talks aimed at normalizing relations between communist North Korea and Japan.
Rodong Sinmun on Basic Idea of DPRK's Foreign Policy
Pyongyang, October 13 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will carry on the revolution and construction in Korean style under the uplifted banner of independence and make a positive contribution to accelerating the global cause of independence, boosting solidarity and cooperation with the world progressives advocating independence. Rodong Sinmun today declares this in a signed article.
It goes on:
Independence is the avowed basic idea of the foreign policy of the DPRK.
[Independent states]
Chairman of SPA Leaves for Italy and Syria
Pyongyang, October 13 (KCNA) -- Chairman of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Choe Thae Bok and his party left here on Saturday to visit Italy and Syria.
FM of DPRK Meets New Thai Ambassador
Pyongyang, October 11 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun met and had a talk with new Thai Ambassador e.p. to the DPRK Rathakit Manathat who paid a courtesy call on him on Thursday.
On hand were officials concerned and Thai embassy officials.
General Secretary of C.C., CPV to Pay Official Goodwill Visit to DPRK
Pyongyang, October 9 (KCNA) -- At the invitation of Kim Jong Il, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK, Nong Duc Manh, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will pay an official goodwill visit to the DPRK in the near future.
DPRK Calls for Building Just and Equal World
Pyongyang, October 6 (KCNA) -- The DPRK will make positive efforts to build a just and equal world in the idea of independence, peace and friendship in the future, too.
Choe Su Hon, head of the DPRK delegation who is vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, declared this in his speech made at the plenary meeting of the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly on Oct. 2.
Referring to the principled and just and fair stance of the DPRK toward the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula and its sincere endeavor to settle the nuclear issue, he noted that the DPRK has no other option but to boost capability for self-defense in every way by enforcing the Songun policy in order to defend the sovereignty and the dignity of the nation from the threat of the preemptive nuclear attack and the harsh economic sanctions of the U.S.
DPRK Delegation Leaves for Denmark
Pyongyang, September 29 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the State Maritime Supervision Bureau of the DPRK led by Its Vice-Director Jon Ki Chol left here today to participate in the 83rd meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization to be held in Denmark.
Diplomatic Ties Established between DPRK and Dominica
Pyongyang, September 27 (KCNA) -- A joint communique on establishing diplomatic ties between the governments of the DPRK and the Dominican Republic was made public in New York on Sept. 24.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Officials of Syrian Political Party
Pyongyang, September 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with Saaeed Eleia Dawood, director of the Organizational Department of the Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, and his party at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
On hand were officials concerned and the Syrian charge d'affaires ad interim here.
Saaeed Eleia Dawood said that the friendly and cooperative ties between Syria and the DPRK provided by President Hafez Al-Assad and President Kim Il Sung, who are always remembered, are growing stronger under the deep care of President Bashar Al-Assad and Kim Jong Il.
U.N. Chief's Dealings With U.S. Draw Fire
Ban Sees Himself as a Pragmatist, but Some Critics Say He Is Too Pro-American
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, September 24, 2007; Page A14
UNITED NATIONS -- When U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon first approached President Bush at the White House in January to muster support for a U.N. climate-change initiative, the president's response was cool: An impatient Bush reminded Ban that he did not want to restrain U.S. industries, and that past accords unfairly exempted major polluters such as China and India. "He was not that favorably inclined," Ban conceded in an interview last week.
But Ban kept at it, cajoling Bush in phone calls and meetings, urging him to at least attend a dinner with other world leaders to discuss the issue. Finally, Bush relented. "I'll be there, I'll be there," he reassured Ban in a phone conversation earlier this month. The dinner will be held Monday. [Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
Talks Held between WPK and Syrian Political Party
Pyongyang, September 21 (KCNA) -- Talks were held between Choe Thae Bok, secretary of the C.C., the Workers' Party of Korea, and Saaeed Eleia Dawood, director of the Organizational Department of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, on September 21.
Present at the talks were officials concerned from the DPRK side and the director's party and the Syrian charge d'affaires ad interim here from the Syrian side.
At the talks both sides informed each other of activities of their parties and exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly and cooperative ties between the two parties and a series of issues of bilateral interest.
The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Diplomatic Ties at Ambassadorial Level Established between DPRK and United Arab Emirates
Pyongyang, September 20 (KCNA) -- A joint communique on the establishment of diplomatic ties between the governments of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates was made public in New York on September 17.
According to it, the governments of the two countries decided to establish diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level effective from the date of signing the joint communique, out of their desire to promote the mutual interests of their peoples and strengthen friendship and cooperation, on the basis of the principles and purpose of the United Nations Charter, especially the international law and treaties on the promotion of international peace and security, equality among nations, national sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and noninterference in the internal affairs of other countries and in conformity with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations dated April 18, 1961.
Visits
Pyongyang, September 20 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Choe Su Hon, vice-foreign minister, left here today to participate in the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly.
Saaeed Eleia Dawood, director of the Organizational Department of of the Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, and his party arrived here on the same day.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Delegation of Myanmar
Pyongyang, September 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Foreign Ministry of Myanmar led by Vice-Minister U Kyaw Thu at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Monday.
Kim Jong Il Congratulates Syrian President
Pyongyang, September 10 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Monday sent a congratulatory message to Bashar Al-Assad, regional secretary of the Baath Arab Socialist Party and President of Syria, on his 42nd birthday.
The message said: Today the Syrian people under your leadership are striving hard to defend the sovereignty and dignity of the country and build a modern society, meeting all challenges and overcoming difficulties, and making a positive contribution to the fair and comprehensive settlement of the Mideast issue.
Pleased to note that the excellent friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries are steadily growing stronger even under the complicated international situation, the message wished him good health and happiness and greater success in his responsible work.
Message of Sympathy to Algerian President
Pyongyang, September 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Saturday sent a message of sympathy to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in connection with the suicide bombing attack in Algeria that claimed dozens of casualties.
In the message Kim extended deep sympathy and condolences to the Algerian president and, through him, to the victims and the bereaved families and reiterated the firm support and solidarity of the DPRK with the national reconciliation policy of the Algerian president and government for stability and unity of the country.
Foreign Delegations Arrive
Pyongyang, September 8 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the China Association for International Friendly Contact led by Vice-President Shen Weiping arrived here today by air to mark the 59th anniversary of the DPRK.
On the same day a Qatar delegation of Al-Jazeera Satellite Television led by its Director General Wadah Khanfar came here.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Vietnamese Delegation
Pyongyang, September 7 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly talk with the delegation of the Central Committee of the Fatherland Front of Vietnam led by its President Pham The Duyet at the Mansudae Assembly Hall today.
Present there were Kim Wan Su, director of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland, officials concerned and the Vietnamese charge d'affaires ad interim here.
Promotion of Human Rights and Diversity of Culture Called for
Teheran, September 4 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government and people will fulfill their responsibility and obligation to promote human rights and diversity of culture in the future, too and thus make a positive contribution to advancing the noble cause of the Non-Aligned Movement.
Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, head of the DPRK delegation, said this when addressing the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on human rights and diversity of culture on September 3.
Noting that the reality requires the member states of the NAM to get awakened and unite to reject the Western-style view on value detrimental to the independent development in the field of social culture including human rights and positively encourage and develop the diversity of culture, tradition and custom peculiar to each nation and state, he referred to the issues which require special attention.
He said:
Member states of the NAM should get united to stand firm against the politicization and selectivity of human rights and the application of double standards in dealing with them and disallow any attempt to use the "human rights protection" as a political lever for interfering in other country's internal affairs and trifling with the destiny of other nations. [Independent states]
Iranian President on Need to Develop Relations with DPRK
Pyongyang, September 5 (KCNA) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had talks with the DPRK delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun participating in the ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement on human rights and cultural diversity at the Tehran International Conference Center on Monday.
He said that it is the steadfast stand of the Iranian government to develop the relations with the DPRK.
Greetings to Turkish President
Pyongyang, September 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Abdullah Gul on his election as President of Turkey on August 31.
Expressing the belief that the bilateral friendly relations would further develop on good terms, Kim in the message wished him success in his work for progress and prosperity of the country.
Visits
Pyongyang, September 1 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun left Pyongyang Saturday to participate in the ministerial meeting of the non-aligned movement on human rights and cultural diversity to be held in Tehran and to visit Iran. A friendship delegation of North Hwanghae Province led by Chairman of North Hwanghae Provincial People's Committee Ri Sang Gwan also left Pyongyang today to visit Mongolia.
Arriving here on the same day was a delegation of the International Cultural and Educational Foundation of Nepal led by President Ek Nath Dhakal and a delegation of Loxley Pacific Company Limited of Thailand led by Jingjai Hanchanlash, executive vice-president of the Loxley Public Company Limited of Thailand, to participate in the 22nd meeting of the North|East Asia Telephone and Telecommunications Co. LTD Directors' Board.
[ICT]
Greetings to Malaysian King
Pyongyang, August 31 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a message of greetings to Malaysian King A1|Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni A1|Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al|Muktafi Billah Shah on the occasion of the 50th national day of Malaysia.
Kim in his message expressed his belief that the good relations of friendship and cooperation between the DPRK and Malaysia would grow stronger in the future.
Rodong Sinmun Observes 47th Anniversary of Opening of Diplomatic Ties between DPRK and Cuba
Pyongyang, August 29 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article carried on the occasion of the 47th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and Cuba says that the people of the DPRK send friendly greetings to the fraternal Cuban people and wish them greater success in their drive for building socialism.
Pak Ui Chun Meets Foreign Ambassadors
Pyongyang, August 27 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun Monday separately met and conversed with new German Ambassador to the DPRK Thomas Schafer who paid a courtesy call on him and Vietnamese Ambassador to the DPRK Phan Trong Thai who paid a farewell call on him.
Seoul names new chief of mission to U.N
Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chon was named Tuesday as the chief of South Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York, the Foreign Ministry said.
A graduate of the Columbia University in New York, the 48-year-old Kim led the country's negotiations with the United States for a free trade agreement that were concluded earlier in the year.
Ban Meets N.Korea Envoy Over Summit
United nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon invited North Korea's Ambassador to the UN Pak Gil-yon to his office in New York on Tuesday, two weeks ahead of the second inter-Korean summit. The two discussed the summit and international aid to North Korea, which is suffering from recent flood damage.
[Ban Ki-moon]
Iranian First Vice-President on Friendly Ties with DPRK
Teheran, August 9 (KCNA) -- The traditional friendly relations between Iran and the DPRK are developing under the deep care of the leaders of the two countries. The Iranian people remember the Korean people who sincerely helped them in the hard period after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Davudi said this Thursday when meeting and having a talk with the government economic delegation of the DPRK led by Minister of Foreign Trade Rim Kyong Man on a visit to Iran.
The Iranian government attaches great importance to boosting the friendly ties based on justice with such anti-imperialist, anti-U.S. and revolutionary countries as the DPRK, he noted, adding that Iran hopes that the cooperation in various fields including economy would further expand and develop in the future, too, to be commensurate with a high level of political relations that exist between the two countries.
DPRK Government Will Strive for Peace
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, who is leading a DPRK delegation to the ministerial meeting of the 14th ASEAN regional forum, said at the meeting that the DPRK government will continue to closely cooperate with the member states of the forum including ASEAN countries for the peace on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the region in the idea of its external policy for independence, peace and friendship in the future, too. It is indispensable for the ASEAN regional forum to thoroughly keep the essential principles of respect of sovereignty, non-interference in other's internal affairs, peaceful co-existence and ban on the use of force in order to fulfill its mission as a unique forum for political dialogue in the region, Pak said, and continued:
One of the main instable factors present in Asia is none other than Japan.
The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is, in essence, the issue directly connected with the end of the U.S. hostile policy toward the DPRK and removal of nuclear threat to it.
Recalling the adoption of the Feb. 13 agreement, Pak reaffirmed the DPRK government's firm will to honor its commitments under the agreement.
Visits
Pyongyang, August 4 (KCNA) -- A government economic delegation of the DPRK led by Minister of Foreign Trade Rim Kyong Man left here today to visit Iran and Syria. A delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea led by Cha Yong Myong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the WPK, also left here today to visit Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Half Centenary of Meeting between Kim Il Sung and Ho Chi Minh Observed
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- A photo exhibition and film show took place at the People's Palace of Culture Thursday to commemorate the half centenary of the meeting between President Kim Il Sung and Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh.
Speeches were made there.
The participants in the functions looked round the photos showing Kim Il Sung meeting Vietnamese leaders including Ho Chi Minh and conducting external activities and photos dealing with the life and activities of Ho Chi Minh.
Then they watched the Korean documentary film "The great leader Comrade Kim Il Sung meets heads of state and prominent figures of foreign countries" Part 1.
Present there were Acting Chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Mun Jae Chol
Talks Held between Kim Yong Nam and Singaporean President
Singapore, August 1 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, had talks with Singaporean President S. R. Nathan at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday.
Recalling that the DPRK was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Singapore, the Singaporean president said his country was grateful for this.
He stated that Singapore was deeply interested in boosting the relations with the DPRK, stressing that the two countries should maintain independence and tighten the bilateral ties as non-aligned countries.
The two sides at the talks exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly relations between the two countries and matters of mutual concern.
Present there were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun, DPRK Ambassador to Singapore Ji Jae Suk, Second Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Foreign Ministry Bilahari Kausikan and other officials concerned.
Kim Yong Nam arrived in Singapore that day.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Goh Chok Tong
Singapore, August 1 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a warm conversation with Goh Chok Tong, senior minister of Singapore, who paid a courtesy call on him on August 1.
Present there were Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ji Jae Suk, DPRK ambassador to Singapore.
Also present there were Bilahari Kausikan, second permanent secretary of the Singaporean foreign ministry, and officials concerned.
Kim Yong Nam Returns Home
Pyongyang, August 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, returned home Thursday after winding up his official goodwill visits to Mongolia, Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Singapore.
Also coming back home with him were Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ri Myong San, vice-minister of Foreign Trade.
They were greeted at the airport by Vice-President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly Yang Hyong Sop, Minister of Foreign Trade Rim Kyong Man, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Su Hon, and diplomatic envoys of Egypt, Russia, Mongolia and China here.
They left Singapore Thursday.
North Korea's new foreign minister debuts in regional security forum
The Associated Press
Published: July 31, 2007
MANILA, Philippines: North Korean diplomats have a well-earned reputation as glum technocrats who spout the reclusive communist country's official line and little else.
Its new face to the world isn't any more likely to stray from policy and hasn't been any more forthcoming about North Korea's inner workings. But in his first appearance on an international stage, new Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun is showing that he knows how to smile and even recognizes a good photo opportunity.
The 74-year-old Pak, making his first overseas trip since becoming North Korea's top diplomat in May, is in Manila to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia's largest security grouping. His visit comes amid renewed optimism that his country will eventually abandon its nuclear weapons program in return for economic aid and other political concessions.
Foreign Minister George Yeo to visit North Korea next year
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 01 August 2007 2117 hrs
MANILA: Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea next year when Singapore chairs ASEAN and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
North Korea, a participant of the ARF, has extended the invitation during a bilateral meeting between Mr Yeo and his North Korean counterpart, Pak Ui-Chun, on the sidelines of the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila.
Talks between Kim Yong Nam and Ethiopian PM Held
Addis Ababa, July 30 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, held talks with Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa on July 30.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly relations between the two countries and issues of mutual concern.
Talks between DPRK Foreign Minister and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Held
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) -- Talks between DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun and Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto Gatmaitan Romulo were held at the International Conference Center in Manila on July 29.
Present there from the DPRK side were members of the DPRK delegation and from the Philippine side the deputy-secretary of Foreign Affairs and other officials concerned and the Philippine ambassador to the DPRK.
On the same day the DPRK foreign minister paid a courtesy call on Speaker of the House of Representatives Jose de Venecia and was feted by the Philippine secretary of Foreign Affairs.
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa, July 27 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, arrived in Addis Ababa on July 27 to pay an official goodwill visit to Ethiopia.
Arriving here together with him were Choe Chang Sik, minister of Public Health, Kim Hyong Jun, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Ri Myong San, vice-minister of Foreign Trade, and other suite members.
He published a statement upon his arrival.
Kim Yong Nam and his party were greeted at the airport by Asfaw Dingamo, minister of Water Resources, and others, DPRK Ambassador to Ethiopia O Ul Rok and his embassy officials.
Prior to it, he and his party left Cairo by plane.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Ethiopian President
Addis Ababa, July 27 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, paid a courtesy call on Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President of Ethiopia, on July 27.
Present there were Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun, Vice-Minister of Foreign Trade Ri Myong San and DPRK Ambassador to Ethiopia O Ul Rok.
Also present there were Minister of Water Resources Asfaw Dingamo, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nega Tsegaye and other officials concerned.
Kim had a friendly talk with the Ethiopian president.
NK Minister Attends ASEAN Forum
Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, left, raises hand with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chin during their bilateral meeting in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, July 29, 2007. Pak is in the country to attend the 14th ASEAN regional forum, Asia's largest security forum, on Aug. 2. / AP-Yonhap
SEOUL _ North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chun left for Manila Saturday to attend an Asian regional forum, the country's media reported, amid international efforts to dismantle the communist country's nuclear weapons program.
Foreign ministers and other top diplomats from 27 countries are scheduled to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Asia's largest security forum, that opens in the Philippine capital on August 2.
Talks between Kim Yong Nam and Algerian President Held
Algiers, July 25 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Talks between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of Algeria, were held at the Presidential Palace on July 25.
At the talks both sides informed each other of their countries' situation and exchanged views on the issue of boosting the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries in various fields and issues of mutual concern.
The talks proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Kim Yong Nam Arrives in Algiers
Algiers, July 24 (KCNA Correspondent) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, arrived in Algiers on July 24 to pay an official goodwill visit to Algeria.
The president and his party were greeted at the airport by the president of the Council of the Nation of Algeria, others and officials concerned and the DPRK ambassador to Algeria and staff members of the DPRK embassy.
Kim Yong Nam Leaves for Foreign Countries
Pyongyang, July 20 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, today left Pyongyang by a special plane to pay official good-will visits to Mongolia, Algeria and Ethiopia.
Leaving together with him were Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, Minister of Public Health Choe Chang Sik and other suite members.
UN's Ban Meets with Bush
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon held talks with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House Tuesday.
In a joint news conference after the meeting, Ban said he appreciated the U.S. government's "initiative and flexibility in promoting development" of the North Korean nuclear issue.
"I'm encouraged and I welcome the recent development of the situation," Ban said. "I hope that the parties concerned, including (North Korea), will take necessary measures to implement this joint statement to realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as soon as possible."
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
Diplomatic Relations between DPRK and Montenegro Established
Pyongyang, July 18 (KCNA) -- The DPRK and the Republic of Montenegro agreed to establish diplomatic ties at ambassadorial level on July 16 on the basis of the UN Charter and the principles of the universally recognized international law.
The report on establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries was made public here on July 17.
The opening of diplomatic ties will provide favorable conditions for boosting the bilateral ties in political, economic, cultural and various other fields on the principles of respecting each other's independence, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and equality.
It is time for Ban Ki-moon to speak up and speak out
After six months in the job, the UN secretary general should be taking the lead, but his record so far is underwhelming
Jonathan Steele
Friday July 13, 2007
The Guardian
The United Nations has long had a public relations problem. Its detractors are loud and passionate, its supporters low-key and reasonable. Around the world the numbers of people who wish the organisation well far exceed those who see it as a nuisance, yet they barely make their voices heard. As a result, the UN is always on the defensive.
Never more than now, six months after Ban Ki-moon's installation as the eighth secretary general. Foreign minister in the South Korean government which sent troops to Iraq after the US invasion, he was the Bush administration's favourite among the five contestants for the job. His country is totally dependent on the US for its defence. He had little experience of the UN or large parts of the world. He was described as a cautious, even faceless bureaucrat, and a man of little vision.
[Ban Ki-moon]
Kim Yong Nam to Visit Mongolia, Algeria and Ethiopia
Pyongyang, July 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, will soon pay an official good-will visit to Mongolia at the invitation of its President Nambariin Enkhbayar.
He will also make similar visits to Algeria and Ethiopia.
Great King of Cambodia Sends Big Floral Basket to DPRK Embassy
Pyongyang, July 10 (KCNA) -- Norodom Sihanouk, Great King of Cambodia, sent a big floral basket to the DPRK embassy in Phnom Penh on the occasion of the 13th anniversary of demise of President Kim Il Sung.
Written on the ribbon of the floral basket were letters "Highest tribute to HE Generalissimo Kim Il Sung, president of the DPRK. Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia".
A delegation of the Ministry of the Royal Palace of the Cambodian government led by Kong Sam Ol, deputy prime minister in charge of the Royal Palace, on July 6 visited the DPRK embassy and laid the floral basket before the portrait of Kim Il Sung and paid homage, authorized by the great king.
Ban Ki-Moon's Role of UN Secretary General
[Part 2] Impact of press on actions of the UN head
Ronda Hauben (netizen2)
Published 2007-07-04 12:26 (KST)
June 30, 2007 marks the first six months that Ban Ki-moon has held the position as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The following two-part article is an effort to look at the role of Secretary General and some of the challenges he faces.
You can find part 1 of this article here.
How has the role of the press affected the actions of the new Secretary General? There is an important example that has developed which helps to demonstrate the impact that the press has had on Ban Ki-moon.
In the interview with Hankyoreh before he took office,(1) Ban described how he would act to support a solution to the problem of relations between North Korea and the Northeast Asia region, and the disarmament of the Korean peninsula.
On January 19, 2007, just a few weeks after Ban became Secretary General, there were news reports of a breakthrough in negotiations between the Christopher Hill for the U.S. and Kim Kye-gwan for North Korea.(2) The International Herald Tribune reported (3):
"The movement toward a possible breakthrough came during the talks in Berlin between Hill and Kim, Chosun Ilbo reported, citing unidentified officials in Seoul and Beijing."
Timed, it appeared, to coincide with the breakthrough, however, was the publication in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) of an article "United Nations Dictator's Program" by Melanie Kirkpatrick. A similar article was published by Fox News. These articles alleged that North Korea was manipulating funds from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in North Korea. These press accounts reported that UNDP funds were being used by Kim Jong-il, for whatever he wanted, including "his weapons program." (4) No proof was provided for this accusation. The articles included other unsupported allegations.
While most of the press reports in the U.S. just repeated or exaggerated the original allegations, a few Korean publications provided a different perspective. The Korean newspaper Voice of the People pointed out that the allegations of UNDP mismanagement appeared just as the North Korean and U.S. representatives had had productive negotiations in Berlin.(5) The Voice of the People asked why the U.S. Mission to the U.N. was raising these issues "at this time."
"Despite the totally unfounded allegation by the hawks," the editors write, "it has a political effect for freezing (the) bilateral relationship between Washington and Pyongyang."(6)
Ban Ki-moon's response to the WSJ and Fox news articles was to call immediately for an audit of all UN programs. The audit was to start with an audit of all programs in North Korea. A few days later the call for an audit of all UN programs was dropped. The audit was to be of North Korea's UNDP program.(7)
[UNDP] [Toolkit] [Ban Ki-moon]
Ban Ki-Moon's Role of UN Secretary General
[Part 1] Ronda Hauben asks if there is a guiding vision in the organization
Ronda Hauben (netizen2)
Published 2007-06-30 16:43 (KST)
June 30, 2007 marks the first six months that Ban Ki-moon has held the position as Secretary-General of the United Nations. The following two-part article is an effort to look at the role of Secretary General and some of the challenges he faces.
Introduction
Ban Ki-moon's nomination by the Security Council to be the 8th Secretary General of the United Nations was sent to the General Assembly on Oct. 13, 2006. Ban succeeded in winning the nomination after a difficult and contested campaign.(1) But his trial by fire was only just beginning. Ban had succeeded in winning the votes of China and of the U.S. His achievement winning the votes of these two nations, who are permanent members of the Security Council, was seen by a number of commentators as the critical step needed to win the nomination for Secretary General.(2)
[Ban Ki-moon] [UN]
Philippine FM Feted
Pyongyang, June 20 (KCNA) -- The government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea hosted a reception for the visiting Philippine secretary of Foreign Affairs and his entourage at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Tuesday.
Rodong Sinmun Calls for Boosting South-South Cooperation
Pyongyang, June 22 (KCNA) -- South-South cooperation provides a sure guarantee for achieving national prosperity and economic progress.
Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
If the developing countries pool their efforts to stand on their own feet without depending on the developed countries, they can certainly achieve national prosperity and economic progress, the article notes, and goes on:
It is the most correct way of solving any problem to develop the South-South cooperation on the principle of collective self-reliance. [Juche] [Globalisation]
Top NKorea official holds talks in Tehran
Thu May 10, 1:20 PM ET
TEHRAN (AFP) -
Iran's Vice President Parviz Davoudi said there was "no limit" to expanding ties with Pyongyang after holding talks with North Korea's Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il.
"Tehran sees no limit in expanding ties and cooperation with Pyongyang," Davoudi was quoted as saying by the student ISNA news agency.
N.Korea Slams U.S., Japan, S.Korea
By JIM GOMEZ
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 24, 2007; 6:29 AM
MANILA, Philippines -- Reclusive North Korea accused the U.S., Japan and South Korea of being Asia's biggest security threats and pledged to give up its nuclear weapons if they dismantle missiles aimed at it, according to a North Korean document seen Thursday.
North Korea painted a bleak picture of Asia's security in the defense paper it presented to the ASEAN Regional Forum in a closed meeting, but welcomed six-way talks aimed at denuclearizing the Korean peninsula as a crucial first step toward peace.
"The denuclearization of the Korean peninsula is in essence not the question of unilateral disbandment of the (North Korean) nuclear program only," said the report, seen by The Associated Press.
It said the denuclearization also depended on the removal "of more than one thousand nuclear weapons deployed in and around North Korea under the U.S. nuclear umbrella and termination of the U.S. hostile policy toward (North Korea) and its nuclear threat as well."
[Denuclearisation] [NK US policy]
Nicaragua Re-Establishes N. Korea Ties
The Associated Press
Thursday, May 17, 2007; 8:45 PM
MANAGUA, Nicaragua -- The leftist administration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has re-established formal diplomatic relations with North Korea and rejected criticism of the Asian country's nuclear weapons program, the government said Thursday.
Relations between the two countries had been suspended since 1990, when Violeta Barrios de Chamorro defeated Ortega in presidential elections and ended 11 years of rule by Ortega's Sandinista Front. As a former Marxist revolutionary and socialist president, Ortega fought a 10-year war with the U.S.-backed Contra rebels.
But Ortega returned to office in January, and on Wednesday he revived relations when he received the credentials of North Korean Ambassador Jae Myong So, the Ministry of Communication said.
"It isn't right, it isn't fair" that some countries "that arm themselves then want to prohibit others from arming themselves in self-defense," Ortega said in an apparent reference to the United States.
[Double standards]
N.Korea and Burma Resume Diplomatic Ties
North Korea and Burma agreed Thursday to restore diplomatic relations after a break of 24 years. Burma severed ties with North Korea in 1983, accusing Pyongyang of a deadly bomb attack at Aung San Cemetery in a failed assassination attempt on South Korea's then President Chun Doo-hwan.
Following a meeting with North Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Yong-il on Thursday, Burma's Deputy Foreign Minister Kyaw Thu said, "This morning we signed an agreement to restore diplomatic ties," AP and other foreign news services reported. No further details of the agreement were given.
A North Korean delegation led by Kim has been on a three-day visit to Burma since Wednesday. The delegation is also expected to meet with Burma's military leaders.
The two nations have over the past few years worked to restore diplomatic relations through routine talks at regional meetings, and Burma has reportedly been purchasing weapons from North Korea, AP said. Both countries have been branded "outposts of tyranny" by the U.S.
Quoting diplomatic experts, AFP said, "The two nations may have felt drawn together in recent years due to a shared perception they have a common foe in the U.S. and the West more broadly. There is an arms embargo on the Burmese military, so maybe the Burmese military is looking for (North Korean) arms systems using Burmese resources - like rice."
Joint Communique on Reestablishment of Diplomatic Relations between DPRK and Union of Myanmar Released
Pyongyang, April 26 (KCNA) -- A Joint communique on the reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the DPRK and the Union of Myanmar was released in Yangon on April 26.
According to the joint communique, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the government of the Union of Myanmar, desirous of developing friendly relations and bilateral cooperation between the two countries and peoples, based on the principles of respect for each other's sovereignty, non-interference in their internal affairs, and equality and mutual benefit, as well as the norms of international law and the objectives and principles of the United Nations Charter, have agreed to reestablish the diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level in accordance with the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18th April 1961.
Myanmar, North Korea Re-Establish Ties
The Associated Press
Thursday, April 26, 2007; 4:26 AM
YANGON, Myanmar -- Myanmar and North Korea, two of Asia's most repressive regimes, signed an agreement Thursday to resume diplomatic ties during a visit to Myanmar by the North Korean vice foreign minister, an official said.
Myanmar severed diplomatic relations with North Korea in 1983, following a fatal bombing blamed on North Korean commandos during a visit to Yangon by former South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan.
The two countries have been quietly working to normalize relations for the past few years. The two governments routinely meet at regional meetings, and Myanmar has reportedly bought weapons from North Korea.
Myanmar's deputy foreign minister, Kyaw Thu, told reporters the agreement to restore ties was signed Thursday morning on the second day of the three-day visit by North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il, whose trip had been cloaked in secrecy.
It is now up to Pyongyang whether it will open diplomatic offices in Myanmar, Kyan Thu said. [Terrorism]
DPRK Foreign Ministry Delegation Leaves
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the DPRK Foreign Ministry led by Vice-Minister Kim Yong Il left here on April 19 to visit Asian countries.
It was seen off at the airport by officials concerned and diplomatic envoys of Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Iran.
North Korea, Myanmar Mull Resuming Ties: Report
By REUTERS
Published: April 8, 2007
Filed at 0:22 a.m. ET
Skip to next paragraph
TOKYO (Reuters) - A senior North Korean Foreign Ministry official is expected to visit Myanmar late this month to discuss resumption of diplomatic ties, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported, citing diplomatic sources in Yangon.
The sources said the official would visit Myanmar's new administrative capital, Nay Pyi Taw, around April 24.
The official was believed to be Vice Foreign Minister Kim Yong Il, who has been involved in normalization talks with Myanmar, Kyodo said.
The two reclusive governments have been at odds since North Korean agents said to have direct links with current leader Kim Jong-il carried out a bomb attack on a South Korean government delegation to Yangon in 1983.
More than 20 people were killed and at least twice that number wounded in the attack. The agents were said to have been targeting then South Korean President Chun Doo Hwan during an official visit to Yangon. [Terrorism]
Congratulations to Regional Secretary of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party
Pyongyang, April 6 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il Friday sent a congratulatory message to Bashar al|Assad, regional secretary of Syria's Baath Arab Socialist Party, on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
The message says:
I extend warm congratulations to you and, through you, to the leadership and all the members of the Baath Arab Socialist Party on the occasion of its 60th anniversary.
DPRK Women's Delegation Leaves for Venezuela
Pyongyang, March 29 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Korean Democratic Women's Union led by Vice-chairperson of its central committee Kim Kyong Ok left here today to participate in the 14th Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation to be held in Venezuela.
It was seen off at Pyongyang Railway Station by officials concerned and the staff members of the Cuban embassy here.
DPRK Foreign Ministry Hails Establishment of Unified National Government of Palestine
Pyongyang, March 22 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to the question put by KCNA on Mar. 22 as regards the establishment of the unified national government in Palestine.
Some days ago, the unified national government was set up according to an agreement between the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement and the Palestine National Liberation Movement.
UN Secretary-General Ban "Bound to Fail" - Report
Although UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is aggressively trying to resolve international disputes and reform the United Nations, he is likely to fail, according to the March 5 edition of U.S. magazine Newsweek.
The analytic article "Bound to Fail" by Sebastian Mallaby, a director with a U.S. think-tank, says that Ban's efforts are "mission impossible" and that "everything about the United Nations conspires against him."
Newsweek attributes Ban's likely failure to the election process and his career. Although Ban ascended to the top position of the UN after 36 years of diplomacy work, "his selection was the result of backroom deals rather than a merit-based contest."
As a diplomat of South Korea caught between superpower nations, Ban was "consensual" and "a listener" rather than a "charismatic statesman," Newsweek says. The article adds that "no U.N. chief executive would be likely to succeed at the United Nations as it is today, for the secretary-general is less the leader of the international system than its prisoner."
[Ban Ki-moon] [UNUS]
Bound to Fail
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has taken on 'mission impossible.' Everything about The United Nations conspires against him.
By Sebastian Mallaby
Newsweek International
March 5, 2007 issue - On a celebrated Thursday in April 1953, the first secretary-general of the United Nations greeted his successor as he arrived at New York's Idlewild airport, now JFK. You are about to inherit "the most impossible job in the world," he told him. Half a century on, that warning still overshadows the heirs to the U.N. throne. Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean diplomat who stepped into the job in January, jokes that he has taken on "Mission: Impossible." This is the humor of the gallows.
When he suggested that, lacking Security Council authorization, the U.S. invasion of Iraq was "illegal," he unleashed a firestorm of recriminations from the Bush administration. And yet, by the end of his tenure, developing countries tended to view Annan as the stooge of Washington.
The U.N. secretary-general, no matter how skilled, is caught between big powers that refuse to make the institution fair and small powers that refuse to make it more efficient.
Challenges and Proposals for U.N. Reformer
Ban Ki-moon and basic methods to handle the G77 and the U.S.
[Analysis]
Jae Young Lee (ohmyjoshua)
Published 2007-02-20 16:16 (KST)
In the face of the long-held criticism of the U.N.'s ineffectiveness and lack of capability as the world guardian, Ban Ki-moon, as the new Secretary General of the U.N., stepped into the position on Jan. 1, 2007 on which great political pressure is imposed to reform the U.N. Could he successfully deal with obstacles ahead in undertaking the U.N. reform from now on?
As for the reform, there is wide concern about his leadership, as he seems to have fallen short of aggressively fulfilling the expected reform. He was described as "the kind of a person, more secretary than general" and "pretty faceless and no much charisma"(1) The greatest challenges facing Ban are: the volatile conflict between the developing countries and the western developed countries and the United States' unilateralist behaviors that placed its own interest above those of the U.N. They have had a tendency of leading the U.N. operation into disruption. [Ban Ki-moon]
N. Korea Official Meets Iran Delegation
The Associated Press
Friday, January 19, 2007; 5:37 AM
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea's No. 2 leader met with a high-level Iranian delegation Friday, highlighting the good relations between the two countries, both facing international outcries regarding their nuclear programs.
Kim Yong Nam had a "friendly talk" with Iran's Vice Foreign Minister Mahdi Safari, the North's official Korean Central News Agency reported, without giving any details of their discussions. The two countries also signed a three-year agreement on unspecified cultural and scientific exchanges at a separate ceremony, KCNA said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Delegation Arrives
Pyongyang, January 18 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Iranian foreign ministry headed by its Vice-Minister Mahdi Safari arrived here Thursday by air.
Rodong Sinmun on WPK's Foreign Policy Idea
Pyongyang, January 17 (KCNA) -- The stand and will of the Workers' Party of Korea and the Government of the DPRK to consistently adhere to the foreign policy idea of independence, peace and friendship are invariable and unshakable as declared in the joint New Year editorial, says Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a signed article. Stating that the idea of independence, peace and friendship is the steadfast foreign policy idea of the WPK and the DPRK Government, the author of the article says:
The WPK firmly maintains independence in external relations. The DPRK never allows anyone to encroach upon its sovereignty or interfere in its internal affairs and to rule and control it, but strongly opposes the violation of the sovereignty of other countries.
UN Chief Pledges to Work Together With Bush on Global Issues
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.S. President George W. Bush said Tuesday that they have agreed to work together to address conflicts and other global issues, including North Korea, the Middle East and Somalia.
In his first meeting with Bush at the White House since taking the helm of the United Nations, Ban said that he had a ``very good, very useful meeting with the president, in which he stressed the value of a strong partnership between the world body and the U.S.
Ban said he hopes to work very closely with the U.S. government, including Bush, to achieve the common objectives of achieving peace, security, freedom and democracy.
[Collusion]
U.N. KNOWN QUANTITY
Don't Ban Your Instincts, Ban Ki-moon
By John R. Bolton
Sunday, January 14, 2007; Page B01
Ban Ki-moon, the new U.N. secretary general, has done some unusual things to kick off his tenure. At the recent annual dinner of the U.N. Correspondents Association in New York, for instance, he entertained the guests briefly by singing, to the tune originally written for Santa Claus, his own arrangement: "Ban Ki-moon is coming to town."
On Tuesday, Ban is coming to this town, his first visit since assuming office on Jan. 1. The former South Korean foreign minister has already made it clear that he intends to be a different kind of "SG" from his predecessor. The United States backed Ban for his new post, largely with such a change in mind. Nonetheless, his first few days in office have already raised some questions. The struggle is underway to determine what sort of leader Ban will be: Will the status quo of the U.N. system overwhelm him, or will he follow his instincts and those of his supporters, including Washington?
John R. Bolton, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, served as U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations from August 2005 to December 2006.
Invariable Foreign Policy of DPRK
Pyongyang, January 12 (KCNA) -- The joint New Year editorial of Rodong Sinmun, Joson Inmingun and Chongnyon Jonwi clarified that the Workers' Party of Korea and the DPRK government will hold fast to the idea of independence, peace and friendship. Over the last years the DPRK, with independence as its life and soul, has viewed and decided all issues in an independent way and formulated and implemented its policies on its own way in accordance with its faith and discretion no matter what others say.
The Korean-style socialist system established by the popular masses, under which they are shaping policies in accordance with their will and interests is the fruit of the independent politics, the Songun-based politics.
It is the key principle of the DPRK government in its external activities to develop the friendly and cooperative relations with the world people who love peace and advocate independence.
Indonesian Presidents Greeting to Kim Jong-il
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has sent a New Year's greeting to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, wishing him good health and better ties between the two countries, the North's media said over the weekend.
``I sincerely hope the governments and peoples of the two countries will maintain a closer friendly relationship, the (North) Korean News Agency (KNCA) quoted a New Year greeting from the Indonesian president to Kim as saying.
President Yudhoyono also wished Kim good health in the New Year, the KCNA quoted the message as saying.
Yudhoyono indefinitely postponed his planned visit to Pyongyang in mid-July, following the test-firing of multiple missiles by the Kims regime a week earlier that generated strong international condemnation.
The U.N. under new Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Scholars discuss reform, peacekeeping, future of organization under new helm
Choi Young-jin, Permanent Representative of South Korea to the U.N (right) and Edward Luck, professor in the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University.
The first-ever Korean U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, started his five-year tenure on January 1. In late December, the Hankyoreh arranged a discussion between Choi Young-jin, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, and Edward Luck, professor in the School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University. The two discussed the changing face of the U.N. under Ban Ki-moon's leadership.
Luck: Well, I think there is a strategic problem now in the world generally, in that there is an enormous imbalance of power. And when you have one superpower, one dominant power, that makes it very hard to design multilateral decision making to work right, and so many countries have worried that the U.S. is somehow controlling everything
Envoy to Attend Inauguration in Nicaragua
President Roh Moo-hyun plans to dispatch a special envoy to Nicaragua to attend the inauguration of new Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega next week.
Korea and Nicaragua established diplomatic ties in 1962, but relations were nearly severed following a 1979 revolution by the Sandinistas.
The two countries normalized the ties after a coalition of anti-Sandinista parties, led by Violeta Chamorro, won the 1990 presidential election.
U.N. chief reaffirms priority agendas, says Hussein execution was Iraq's choice to make
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon began his first work day on Tuesday with a reaffirmed commitment to address the Sudan crisis and North Korea and a call to respect the rule of law in the wake of Saddam Hussein's execution
He said Hussein's execution was a choice for Iraq to make. "The issue of capital punishment is for each and every member state to decide," he said when asked if the deposed leader should have been executed.
Ex-South Korean Foreign Minister Takes Helm of UN
New UN Chief Names Chief of Staff, Spokesperson
Korean Career diplomat Ban Ki-moon took the helm of the United Nations on New Year's Day as the world body's eighth secretary-general. He appointed a new chief aide and spokesperson in one of several personnel changes expected in the coming days.
Yang Hyong Sop Meets Indonesian Ambassador
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, had a talk with Daulat Hotma Audison Passaribu, new Indonesian ambassador to the DPRK, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Tuesday when the latter paid a courtesy call on him.
Talks between Security Organs of DPRK and Syria Held
Pyongyang, December 14 (KCNA) -- Talks between a delegation of the Ministry of People's Security of the DPRK and a delegation of the Ministry of Interior of Syria were held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Thursday. Present there from the DPRK side were members of the delegation of the Ministry of People's Security headed by Vice-Minister Sin Il Nam and from the Syrian side members of the delegation of the Ministry of Interior headed by Vice-Minister Ibrahim Faiz Mousli and Syrian Charge d'Affaires a.i. here Muhammad Adib Al Hani.
At the talks the two sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the exchange and cooperation between the security organs of the two countries and a series of matters of mutual concern.
Ban Takes Oath as UN Secretary-General
The new UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took the oath of office at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday, swearing to conduct himself solely in the interests of the global body. In the oath administered by UN General Assembly President Sheikha Haya Al Khalifa, the new UN chief vowed to take no instructions from any government or other authority. I, Ban Ki-moon, solemnly swear, to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience, the functions entrusted to me as secretary-general of the United Nations," he said in the oath.
Incoming U.N. Chief Ban Pledges to Restore Trust
By Colum Lynch
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 15, 2006; Page A27
UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 14 -- South Korean diplomat Ban Ki Moon was sworn in Thursday as the United Nations' eighth secretary general in a ritualistic General Assembly ceremony as the United States and other countries praised Kofi Annan's 10-year stewardship of the world's premier political institution.
Ban's remarks constituted an implicit rebuke of Annan, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate whose legacy was tarnished by his mismanagement of the agency's $64 billion oil-for-food program in Iraq. But Annan, who sat expressionless through much of the ceremony, received a rousing standing ovation and eulogistic tributes from representatives of Asian, African, European and Latin American countries.
Ban sought to counter speculation that he is too discreet and cautious to confront the world's tyrants or stand up to the big powers [US dominance]
DPRK's Greatest Jubilees to Be Commemorated in Oceanian Region
Pyongyang, November 24 (KCNA) -- An Oceanian regional preparatory committee for commemorating the Day of the Sun and February holiday in 2007 was inaugurated with due ceremony in Australia on Nov. 17. Present at the ceremony were personages of the Oceanian Solidarity Committee for Peace and Reunification of Korea, the Australia-DPRK Association for Friendship and Cultural Exchange and the New Zealand-DPRK Society.
Rodong Sinmun on Irresistible Trend of Global Independence
Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- The trend of the times towards global independence can never be stemmed no matter how frantically the reactionaries of history may challenge, says Rodong Sinmun today in a signed article. The imperialists have made desperate efforts in the international arena this year to hold in check the onward movement of history but they could not arrest the struggle of the people for independence and peace and their moves to divert the trend of history have met only failure and frustration, the article notes, and goes on:
The dynamic struggle of the people for independence, progress and peace against the imperialists' military intervention and war moves has been under way worldwide.
[Independent states]
DPRK Stand to Contribute to Peace and Security in Asia Clarified
Tehran, November 15 (KCNA) -- The parliamentarians representing the voices of the Asian people, aware of the sense of responsibility as the master of the continent, should thoroughly reject the moves of the hegemonic forces to stamp out the history, culture and tradition of Asia, place the common denominators above their differences and demonstrate the united strength of the region in one voice in the international arena under the slogan of solidarity, peace and justice of Asia. Choe Thae Bok, chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, who is leading the delegation of the DPRK to the 7th Assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace held in Iran, declared this in a speech at its plenary meeting on Nov. 13. He said:
The struggle of the Korean people to achieve the reunification and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is now facing a grave challenge.
The Bush administration, in particular, openly listed the DPRK as part of an "axis of evil" and a target of preemptive nuclear attack and has since escalated the threat and pressure upon the DPRK such as staging nuclear war exercises and imposing financial sanctions against it, bringing to light an attempt to bring down its social system.
Under the extremely tense situation where the supreme interests and security of the DPRK were seriously threatened it successfully conducted on Oct. 9 an underground nuclear test under secure conditions as an exercise of its sovereign right to self-defence to cope with the U.S. nuclear threat, sanctions and pressure.
The DPRK will surely force the Bush administration to own its historic responsibility for having torpedoed the process of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.
It remains unchanged in its stand to peacefully realize the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and negotiation though it was compelled to conduct the nuclear test by the U.S.
As the DPRK has already clarified, its nuclear weapons are war deterrent for self-defence to cope with the U.S. nuclear threat and sanctions which have reached an extreme phase and it will feel no need to keep even a single nuke if the U.S. ceases its nuclear threat and sanctions against the DPRK in a verifiable and trustworthy manner.
[Denuclearisation]
Adoption of Anti-DPRK "Human Rights Resolution" at UN Assailed
Pyongyang, November 20 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Monday as regards the adoption of a "human rights resolution" against the DPRK at the third committee of the UN General Assembly: The anti-DPRK "human rights resolution," a product of the collusion and tie-up among hostile forces including the U.S. and the EU was railroaded through a meeting of the third committee of the 61st UN General Assembly on Nov. 17.
The resolution fabricated by hostile forces, toeing the U.S. line, is full of sheer lies that can convince no one as was the case with the similar one adopted last year.
Apec 'concern' at N Korea threat
President Bush is keen to win China's support over North Korea
Asia-Pacific leaders have expressed "strong concern" over North Korea's nuclear weapons test, calling it a clear threat to regional security.
In a statement read out at the end of the Vietnam summit, the leaders urged Pyongyang to honour commitments not to pursue the development of atomic bombs.
US President George W Bush has been seeking support at the summit for UN sanctions against North Korea.
He is trying to persuade Chinese and Russian leaders to take a tougher line.
N.K. reacts to U.N. resolution
From news reports
North Korea on Saturday criticized South Korea for supporting a U.N. draft resolution on its human rights record, saying Seoul's decision was "a criminal act that creates another obstacle to inter-Korean relations."
APEC Leaders Call for N. Koreas Denuclearization
By Ryu Jin
Korea Times Correspondent
APEC leaders wrapping up summit: Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies pose for a photograph wearing traditional Vietnamese ao dai clothes at the end of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Sunday (Nov. 19). South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, left in the back row, and other leaders called for the dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear program.
HANOI, Vietnam _ Leaders from 21 Asian and Pacific Rim countries called for an early dismantlement of North Koreas nuclear program at an international forum here on Sunday.
Economic Forum Urges N. Korea to Act
Asia Summit Concludes With Verbal Agreement to Push Pyongyang on Vows to End Nuclear Ambitions
By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 19, 2006; 11:42 AM
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Nov. 19 -- President Bush arrived in this bustling business center Sunday after achieving only mixed results in convincing nations attending a summit of Pacific Rim nations to intensify pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons.
The countries meeting at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Hanoi concluded their two-day conference by agreeing to an oral statement urging North Korea to follow through on its previous pledges to dismantle its weapons and nuclear program.
UN Committee Passes N.Korea Rights Resolution
Seoul Unlikely to Get Tough on N.Korea Human Rights
A United Nations General Assembly committee on Friday passed a resolution calling on North Korea to respect human rights, a day later than originally expected. That leaves the way clear for ratification in the General Assembly next month, but a UN official said it is customary to accept resolutions passed in committee. North Korean Deputy UN Ambassador Kim Chang-guk was at the committee meeting on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, former Czech president Vaclav Havel and former Norwegian prime minister Kjell Magne Bondevik held a press conference at UN headquarters urging the Security Council to intervene in the North Korean human rights situation. They recently released a report on the issue.
UN Resolution Demanding Lift of Anti-Cuba Sanctions Hailed
Pyongyang, November 15 (KCNA) -- A resolution demanding the U.S. lift economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba was adopted by an overwhelming majority approval of 183 member nations at the recent 61st session of the UN General Assembly. This is an expression of the international solidarity with Cuba. The U.S. anti-Cuba sanctions deserve such severe punishment by the world for its injustice and brigandish nature, says Rodong Sinmun Wednesday in a signed commentary.
The commentary goes on:
A pro-U.S. Batista dictatorial regime collapsed and a revolution triumphed in Cuba in January 1959. The U.S. has gone so mean as to pursue the vicious anti-Cuba policy of economic blockade since 1962.
Extraterritorial, unilateral and unjust measures are intolerable in the international relations. [Sanctions]
Congratulations to President-Designate of Nicaragua
Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Friday sent a congratulatory message to Daniel Ortega Saavedra who was elected president of Nicaragua. Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow strong in line with the desire and interests of the two peoples, the message wished the president-designate success in his responsible work for the country's stability and prosperity.
Indonesian President on Ties with DPRK
Pyongyang, November 10 (KCNA) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono referred to the ties with the DPRK when receiving credentials from the DPRK ambassador to Indonesia on Nov. 7. Noting that the relations between the two countries are traditional and solid ones and steadily developing on good terms as desired by the two peoples, the President expressed belief that these ties would grow stronger in the future, too.
Delegation of DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Leaves for Iran
Pyongyang, November 9 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK led by its Chairman Choe Thae Bok left here on Thursday to participate in the 7th meeting of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace to be held in Iran. After participating in the meeting, the delegation will pay an official visit to Iran.
It was seen off at the airport by Kang Nung Su, vice-chairman of the SPA, and Jalaleddin Namini Mianji, Iranian ambassador e. p. to the DPRK.
'Young Ban Chose Burgers Over Rice'
US House Mother Shares 'Happy Moments' With Ban
By Jane Han
Staff Reporter
Ban Ki-moon poses with his wife Yoo Soon-taek, left, Ban's homestay mother Libba Patterson, second from right, and Libba's daughter Maribeth Marionaccio at the Patterson house in Novato, Calif., last September./ Yonhap
The pale-faced, reserved boy gazed through the car window on a warm July afternoon in San Francisco. He uttered few words and flashed shy smiles, but when asked what he wanted for dinner, it was a sure thing _ he wanted hamburger, not rice.
Eighteen-year-old Ban Kimoon, the next secretary-general of the United Nations, was already developing an international appetite suitable for a world-traveling diplomat.
[Ban Ki-moon]
Respect for Sovereignty Called for
Pyongyang, October 29 (KCNA) -- What is most important for establishing a fair international order is to respect the sovereignty of every country and establish equal relations among countries. It is a fundamental requirement for building a new fair international order to abide by the principle of respect for sovereignty. Rodong Sinmun Sunday says this in a by-lined article.
It goes on:
Without having sovereignty guaranteed, it is impossible to ensure the independent development of a country and nation nor is it possible to preserve and consolidate world peace and security. Nobody has the right to infringe upon the sovereignty of other country and nation. For this reason, the principle of respect for sovereignty constitutes a universally accepted norm governing the international relations to be observed by all countries.
[Independent states] [Imperialism]
DPRK's Readiness to Boost Ties of Cooperation with International Community Reiterated
Pyongyang, October 10 (KCNA) -- It is essential to create necessary international environment and conditions and take substantial measures as early as possible in order to eradicate poverty and promote development, the main task for attaining the millennium goal of development. A representative of the DPRK said this on October 3 when addressing the meeting of the Second Committee of the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly.
He said:
The developed countries should, to begin with, honor their promises officially made to help the developing countries in their development and set a specific timetable to fulfill them in conformity with their actual conditions. It is also necessary for them to take practical steps to settle the issue of foreign debts of the developing and less developed countries. [NK policy]
Security Council Approves South Korean as U.N. Chief
By WARREN HOGE and CHOE SANG-HUN
Published: October 10, 2006
UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 9 - The Security Council on Monday officially nominated Ban Ki-moon, the foreign minister of South Korea, to become the next secretary general of the United Nations, essentially assuring him the post.
While Mr. Ban said it was an honor for him and his country, he noted that North Korea's announcement of a nuclear test cast a shadow on his nomination.
"This should be a moment of joy, but instead I stand here with a very heavy heart," Mr. Ban said in a news conference in Seoul. "Despite the concerted warning from the international community, North Korea has gone ahead with a nuclear test."
Kenzo Oshima, the ambassador of Japan, the Council president, announced that Mr. Ban had been approved by all 15 members by acclamation. His nomination had been assured after he won four informal polls of the Council's members over the summer, leading to the withdrawal last week of the six other candidates.
South Korean Won't Need to Wait Long, or Look Far, for First Crisis as U.N. Chief
By CHOE SANG-HUN and MARTIN FACKLER
Published: October 9, 2006
SEOUL, South Korea, Monday, Oct. 9 - Ban Ki-moon, the soft-spoken South Korean foreign minister, has spent much of his 35-year career steering his country between its biggest ally, the United States, and its biggest threat, North Korea.
Now, with his formal selection as United Nations secretary general by the Security Council expected Monday in New York, North Korea says it has conducted a nuclear test, ensuring that Mr. Ban will face an early and difficult challenge in his new job.
[Ban Ki-moon]
New and Fair International Financial and Monetary System Called for
Pyongyang, October 6 (KCNA) -- To establish a new and fair international financial and monetary system is one of the essential requirements for the non-aligned and other developing countries to get rid of the imperialists' domination and subjugation, says Rodong Sinmun Friday in a signed article. The establishment of the new system is also important for those non-aligned and other developing countries to achieve self-supporting in economy, the article says, calling on the countries to work hard to establish the new and fair international financial and monetary system to successfully build self-supporting national economy.
The article goes on:
The new system is also necessary to check the imperialists' arbitrary practice in the financial and monetary field. It is impossible for the non-aligned and other developing countries to check the imperialists' arbitrary practice in the field as long as the unfair and old system remains in force.
There may be big and small countries, more developed and less developed countries and countries with longer history and shorter history in the world. But there can never be a country of higher and lower position and a nation dominating others and a nation dominated by it. It is the common task of all countries and nations aspiring after independence to bring down the unfair and old financial and monetary system and establish a new fair international system in the field.
[Finance] [NK Strategy]
Despair at UN over selection of 'faceless' Ban Ki-moon as general secretary
Officials 'glum' over choice to succeed Kofi Annan
Staff believe US pushed for weakest candidate
Ewen MacAskill and Ed Pilkington in New York, and Jon Watts in Beijing
Saturday October 7, 2006
The Guardian
Senior officials at the United Nations expressed despair yesterday at the prospect of Kofi Annan being succeeded as secretary general by Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean foreign minister.
"The mood among staff is glum," one of the officials said. "We are not very excited about the outcome." With morale low at the UN after five years dominated by divisions, deadlock and corruption, they are sceptical about Mr Ban's ability to turn the organisation round or provide the strong, inspirational leadership they had been hoping for.
Another official, who has met Mr Ban several times, said: "He is pretty faceless and does not have much charisma. Kofi, for all his problems, is a man of considerable dignity, political insight and wide international experience."
Officials, who requested anonymity on the grounds that they would be working for Mr Ban, portray him as more secretary than general, happier with the minutiae of administrative detail than broad strategy, and a man given to platitudes.
Prof Kennedy believes Mr Ban has the benefit in his new job of enjoying the backing of both the US, with its tendency to push for intervention, and China, which is reluctant to interfere in the internal affairs of member states. "If anyone is going to try to bridge the gap between them then it would be somebody like this guy whom they both trust partly because he is not dramatic."
The Times reported last week that South Korea, as part of a campaign to help Mr Ban, had pledged millions of dollars in aid to countries with seats on the security council, from an $18m (9.6m) education grant to Tanzania to the gift of a grand piano to Peru.
Mr Park described the accusations as unfounded and claimed it was based on a misunderstanding: South Korea has been gradually increasing its aid programme.
But one UN official said sarcastically that it had just been "an accident of history" that South Korea's largesse to Africa coincided with the secretary general's selection.
He added that two Asian ministers had been sufficiently concerned about it to have raised the issue with him earlier this year. [Ban Ki-moon]
FM Hints at More Aggressive Take on N.Korean Rights
Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday he will have to make a decision what stance to take on North Korea's human rights abuses if he is elected as UN secretary-general, as seems likely. [Manipulation] {Ban Ki-moon]
Ban's Improving UN Chances Bring Out Detractors
Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon remains the front-runner for the next UN secretary-general after three straw polls in the Security Council, but a leading British newspaper alleges that may not be because he is the best man for the job.
The Times said Friday the Korean government "has pledged millions of dollars in aid and offered other incentives to members of the United Nations Security Council to secure its candidate as the next UN secretary-general." Under the sardonic headline, "Millions of dollars and a piano may put Korean in UN's top job" and the subtitle "Aid campaign is crucial in race to succeed Kofi Annan," the day's top story in the paper's online edition broadly hints that the Korean government may be using means other than Ban's impeccable credentials to ensure he gets the job.
As examples of "aid diplomacy," the newspaper cites Korea's tripling of its aid budget for African countries to US$100 million in February, the tens of thousands of pounds it contributed to sponsoring this year's African Union summit in the Gambia in July, and its donation of $180 million for an education program in Tanzania, a temporary member of the UN Security Council.
[Aid weapon] [Ban Ki-moon]
Talks between DPRK SPA and Parliamentary Delegation of Indonesia
Talks between the delegation of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and the parliamentary delegation of Indonesia were held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on September 12.
Both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the relations between the two parliaments at a time when the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Indonesia are favorably developing in different domains and on a series of issues of mutual concern.
Present from the DPRK side were Kim Wan Su, chairman
Protocol on Cooperation between DPRK and Mongolian Foreign Ministries
A protocol on cooperation between the foreign ministries of the DPRK and Mongolia was signed in Pyongyang on September 12.
Present at the signing ceremony from the DPRK side were Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials concerned and from the Mongolian side were members of the delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headed by S. Khurelbaatar and Mongolian ambassador to the DPRK Janchivdorjyn Lomvo.
South Korean Favored to Win Top Job at U.N.
By WARREN HOGE
Published: September 29, 2006
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 28 - Ban Ki-moon, the South Korean foreign minister, moved significantly closer on Thursday to becoming the successor to Kofi Annan as United Nations secretary general by maintaining a wide lead over six other candidates in the Security Council's third informal poll.
A fourth and more definitive informal poll is scheduled for Monday, and Mr. Ban, with 13 favorable votes from the 15 Council members, goes into that poll as the only candidate with the 9 votes required for approval.
On Monday, the ballots of the five permanent members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, will be colored different than the others, a way of determining whether any nation with veto power has exercised it. Barring a veto, Mr. Ban's election in a subsequent formal vote appears assured.
Mr. Ban has a master's degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, was assigned twice to the South Korean Embassy in Washington and is a former director general of American affairs for South Korea's Foreign Ministry.
He has the firm backing of the Bush administration and is known as an ally of Washington. If he gets the job, that part of his political makeup will be closely monitored at the United Nations, where tensions between the United States and the developing world have been on the rise.
N. Korea's Deputy Envoy to UN to Be Replaced
North Korea's deputy envoy to the United Nations is expected to be replaced soon by an expert on arms reduction, the Yonhap News Agency reported yesterday.
In a New York dispatch, Yonhap said Han Song-ryol, deputy head of North Korea's U.N. mission, is expected to step down next month.
Kim Myong-kil, a researcher from an institute of the North's Foreign Ministry on arms reduction and peace, was expected to take the post, it said, quoting diplomatic sources in New York.
Is Regional Integration Impossible Dream?
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
[Issue Today]
President Roh Moo-hyun delivers a speech at the opening session of the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Helsinki, Finland, on Sept. 10. Roh presented his vision for an EUlike regional integration of Northeast Asia in international forums, including the ASEM summit. At right are Chinese President Hu Jin-tao, top, and Shintaro Abe, bottom, who is expected to become Japan's next prime minister.
/ Korea Times
When President Roh Moo-hyun met President George W. Bush in a summit on Sept. 14 in Washington, many eyes were on the bilateral issues between South Korea and the United States, including ways to deal with the North Korean nuclear program.
Officials, however, said the two leaders also spent a considerable portion of their two-hour meeting on another significant issue: the future of Northeast Asia.
Since his inauguration in early 2003, Roh has given priority to peace and prosperity in the Northeast Asian region, including the Korean Peninsula, as well as to his reform campaign at home.
He has often set forth his ideas for regional integration during such multilateral forums as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the ASEAN+3, attended by Southeast Asian nations and China, Japan and South Korea.
However, as not a few experts pointed out, regional integration in Northeast Asia seems to be an all but impossible dream, at least at the moment.
``South Korea does not want to play an independent role of balancer between China and Japan but rather tries to play a constructive role supported by the United States. That's what Roh tried to reassure Bush of,'' he added.
Peaceful Solution to Nuclear Issue on Korean Peninsula Supported by NAM Summit
Pyongyang, September 19 (KCNA) -- The 14th NAM summit held in Havana on Sept. 15 and 16 expressed full support to the Korean people in their just cause of achieving the independent and peaceful reunification of the country and their efforts to seek a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The final document adopted at the summit said:
Noting the importance of guaranteeing a durable peace and security in the Korean Peninsula for the sake of the common prosperity of the Korean people as well as the peace and security of Northeast Asia and the rest of the world, heads of state and government expressed the hope that the Korean Peninsula would be reunified through the genuine aspirations and concerted efforts of the Korean peoples themselves in a way as is stated in the North-South Joint Declaration issued at historic North-South summit talks held in Pyongyang on 15th June 2000.
Kim Yong Nam Calls for NAM's Increased Role
Havana, September 16 (KCNA) -- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) should put up collective actions against the arbitrary and high-handed practices of a specified country and take more practical measures to establish a new and fair international order. Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, said this on Sept. 16 at the 14th NAM summit now under way in Havana.
New ideas' failing to stir North Korea
September 18, 2006 ? The latest call from the U.S. and South Korean presidents for North Korea to return to the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks was speedily rejected by the communist nation's head of state over the weekend.
Kim Yong-nam, the second-ranking man in Pyongyang's official hierarchy, told the Non-Aligned Movement summit meeting in Havana on Saturday that North Korea would not return to the talks until Washington removes its sanctions against his country.
Mr. Kim said sternly, "There is absolutely no justification to urge North Korea to go back to negotiations unconditionally. Our country will never return to negotiations under U.S. sanctions."
He also reiterated the North's long-time argument that it needed nuclear weapons for self-defense. "We had no choice but to possess nuclear arms to deter [the United States]," he said. [Media] [NAM]
N.Korea Insists no Deal Until U.S. Lifts Sanctions
The head of North Korea's parliament has repeated Pyongyang will not return to six-party talks on its nuclear program unless the U.S. lifts sanctions against it. The remarks were made by Kim Yong-nam, the president of North Korea's Supreme People's Assembly, on Friday during the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, which brought together Washington's bitterest critics in Havana, Cuba. Kim also blasted the U.S. as a threat to world peace. [NAM]
Seoul, Jakarta to Promote Ties in Arms Industry
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Military procurement officials from South Korea and Indonesia will discuss in Jakarta today ways of expanding cooperation in the weapons industry, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Monday.
During the three-day talks, the 13th of their kind since 1991, the two sides will focus on South Korea's participation in the Southeast Asian country's arms buildup project for a new submarine fleet, basic trainer aircraft and armored vehicles, the agency said in a press release.
[Proliferation] [Military balance]
North Koreas No. 2 leader rips U.S.
Kim cites high-handed acts and unilateralism at Havana summit
Updated: 8:05 p.m. ET Sept. 16, 2006
HAVANA - North Koreas No. 2 leader blamed the lack of world peace on the United States at the Nonaligned Summit on Saturday, saying its failure to respect the sovereignty of other nations has destroyed the international order.
Parliament leader Kim Yong Nam said desires for peace by the 118 countries in the Nonaligned Movement were confronted with grave challenges owing to the high-handed acts and unilateralism of the superpower, which denies countries and nations the independent choice of development.
The resulting imbalance in global politics constitutes grave threats to world peace and security, he said.
[NAM]
Talks between DPRK SPA and Parliamentary Delegation of Indonesia
Talks between the delegation of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly and the parliamentary delegation of Indonesia were held at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on September 12.
Both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the relations between the two parliaments at a time when the friendly and cooperative relations between the DPRK and Indonesia are favorably developing in different domains and on a series of issues of mutual concern.
Kim Yong Nam Leaves for Cuba
Pyongyang, September 13 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday left here to participate in the 14th summit of non-aligned countries slated to be held in Cuba. He was seen off at the airport by Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the SPA, Kung Sok Ung, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Andrei Karlov, Russian ambassador to the DPRK, Liu Xiaoming, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and Enrique Montoto Cruz, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Cuban embassy here.
[NAM]
Developing Nations Summit Gathers U.S. Foes in Cuba
By REUTERS
Published: September 10, 2006
Filed at 2:01 a.m. ET
Skip to next paragraph
HAVANA (Reuters) - Leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement of 116 developing nations will meet in Cuba this week for a summit that will gather some of the United States' fiercest critics just 90 miles offshore.
The presidents of Iran and Syria, countries the Bush administration sees as members of an ``axis of evil,'' are expected in Havana, as well as a high-ranking delegation from another, North Korea.
Cuba, which takes over chairmanship from Malaysia for the next three years, hopes to revive the movement by rallying nations critical of the U.S. role as a world policeman in the wake of the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions.
But moderates like India want no such finger-pointing at the meeting, diplomats say.
The summit serves as a bully pulpit for small countries, but ``this isn't the way the winds are blowing in the world,'' a diplomat from a major South American nation said. Larger emerging nations are looking to other forums to further their interests in trade and investment, the diplomat said.
Cuba expects heads of state and governments from 50 nations to attend.
bully pulpit is a public office of sufficiently high rank that it provides the holder with an opportunity to speak out and be listened to on any matter. The bully pulpit can bring issues to the fore that were not initially in debate, due to the office's stature and publicity.
This term was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who referred to the American presidency as a "bully pulpit," by which he meant a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word bully as an adjective meaning "superb" or "wonderful" (a more common expression in his time than it is today). A pulpit is the elevated platform used by a preacher. The term has no relationship to the word bully in the sense of a "harasser". (Wikipedia)
[Media] [NAM]
Asian Politicians Call for Easing Tension on Peninsula
By Lee Jin-woo, Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporters
Asian political leaders were yesterday called upon to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula by inviting North Korea to the next International Conference for Asian Political Parties (ICAPP). The call came from Jose de Venecia, speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines.
``Political parties in Northeast Asia should undertake their own efforts, through the auspices of the ICAPP, to ease tensions on the the peninsula,'' Venecia said during the opening ceremony of the fourth ICAPP in Seoul. ``The obvious first step is to invite the North Koreans to join our conference.''
Swell of North Korean refugees could strain Thailand's tolerance
Police held 175 refugees after a recent raid in Bangkok. The volume this year has topped 400.
By Simon Montlake | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
BANGKOK, THAILAND Nearly two months after fleeing his impoverished homeland, Lee Dong-soo could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Guided by Christian activists, he had traveled thousands of miles overland across China to a rented house in Bangkok. There he waited for a safe passage to South Korea and the promise of a new citizenship.
But on Aug. 22, Thai police, tipped off by neighbors, raided the house and arrested 175 North Koreans living there. Two days later, a Thai court sentenced 136 of the detainees, including Mr. Lee - a pseudonym - to 30 days in jail for illegal entry into Thailand.
Fidel Hails Revolutionary Korean Efficiency
The ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro had high praise for Koreans in a meeting with staffers from Hyundai Heavy Industries, who are building packaged power stations in the Caribbean nation, the company said Monday.
Right before falling ill with intestinal bleeding, Castro and a group of aides made a surprise visit to the construction site on July 11. The elderly revolutionary was dressed in military uniform and limped a little, witnesses said. After looking around the site, he told Korean workers it was extraordinary that such a small number of workers can build a power station. A mere 11 Korean workers are involved in the construction. The Cuban leader was quoted as urging his people to learn from the diligence and aggressive working style of Koreans.
In May, Castro met with management of the Korean company to sign the contract for the station. At the time, he said Koreans were even more reliable than Japanese people since they work fast and push toward the goal. Hyundai Heavy Industries quoted Castro as saying South Koreans were also "better than North Koreans and Chinese."
Hyundai Heavy Industries won the US$720 million contract to produce and install 544 packaged power facilities across the nation. Once completed by the end of next year, they will likely supply one-third of the total power generation in Cuba, the company said.
DPRK Ambassador to Indonesia Appointed
Pyongyang, August 11 (KCNA) -- Jong Chun Gun was appointed as DPRK ambassador to Indonesia, according to a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly.
Greetings to President of Singapore
Pyongyang, August 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to S. R. Nathan, president of Singapore, on Tuesday on the occasion of its 41st national day. The message wished the president and government of Singapore greater success in their work for the prosperity and development of the country, expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would grow stronger in various fields.
Roh Sends Letter to Vietnamese President on Ruling of Dissident
President Roh Moo-hyun has recently sent a personal letter to Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet to seek his understanding of a Seoul court's ruling against Hanoi's request for extradition of a Vietnamese dissident, government officials said Monday.
In the ruling on July 27, the Seoul High Court turned down the Vietnamese government's request to hand over Chanh Huu Nguyen.
The 57-year-old dissident was arrested by the Korean police while traveling in Seoul last April.
[Terrorism] [Human rights] [Double standards]
Israel's Aggression and U.S. Undisguised Support for It under Fire
Pyongyang, August 5 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun today in a signed commentary terms Israel's brigandish aggression of Palestine and Lebanon and its mass killings of civilians there an intolerable challenge to the Middle East countries and the international community desirous of the Mideast peace. The commentary blasts the U.S. wrong stance of openly supporting and patronizing Israel and the UNSC's incompetent behavior. Israel does not hesitate to invade other countries and commit mass killings, blatantly challenging the demands of the Middle East countries and the international community because the U.S. is unilaterally supporting and patronizing it from a biased stand, the commentary says, and goes on:
Kim Jong Il Sends Message of Sympathy to Fidel Castro Ruz
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- General Secretary Kim Jong Il on Wednesday sent a message of sympathy to Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba. The message said:
Shocked to learn that you underwent an operation for unexpected sudden illness, I express profound sympathy and consolation to you. I wholeheartedly hope that you will recover your health as early as possible so that you may continue successfully fulfilling the heavy responsibility entrusted to you by the Cuban revolution and people.
Talks Held between Foreign Ministers of DPRK and Singapore
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- Talks between Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun who is heading the DPRK delegation on an official visit to Singapore and Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo were held in Singapore on Tuesday. Present at the talks from the DPRK side were members of the delegation and the DPRK ambassador to Singapore and from the Singaporean side were the second permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry and officials concerned.
Solidarity Message to Lebanese President
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a solidarity message to Emile Lahoud, president of Lebanon, on August 2. The message said:
Upon hearing the shocking news that many civilians including at least 30 children in Qana village in the southern part of your country were brutally killed by a barbaric air strike of Israel on July 30, the Korean people bitterly denounce Israel for its indiscriminate man-killings.
At this difficult time the DPRK government and people, sharing sorrow with you, vehemently demand an immediate stop to Israel's aggression, mass-killings and destruction being committed under the undisguised patronage of the United States, strongly call for prompt practical measures for preserving lasting and durable peace and stability in the Mideast and express firm solidarity and support to the Lebanese people in their struggle to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Asean forum expresses 'concern' over missiles
August 02, 2006 ? The Asean Regional Forum adopted a chairman's statement yesterday expressing concern over North Korea's missile launches last month while urging Pyongyang to put a moratorium on missile testing.
Posted on the regional organization's official Web site, the statement said, "Most Ministers expressed concern over the test-firing of missiles by the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] on 5 July 2006 and believed that such tests could have adverse repercussions on peace, stability and security in the region."
North Korea has not made an official response to the statement. [ARF]
The Two Koreas in Splendid Isolation
The ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur on Friday adopted a chairman's statement saying North Korea's missile tests will have a negative impact on regional peace, stability and security. In a separate meeting, the foreign ministers of 10 member countries urged an early resumption of the six-party talks on the North's nuclear programs and implementation of the UN Security Council resolution on the July 5 missile tests. The 10 were the five parties in the six-way talks minus the North -- South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia -- plus Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand. [ARF]
Kim Yong Nam Meets Iranian Delegation
Pyongyang, July 28 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a friendly conversation with the Iranian parliamentary delegation led by Anoushiravan Mohseni Bandpei, chairman of the Iran-Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group, at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Friday. Present there were Chairman of the DPRK-Iran Parliamentary Friendship Group Kim Wan Su, officials concerned and Iranian Ambassador to the DPRK Jalaleddin Namini Mianji and an embassy official.
Meeting grows to 10 countries, but North Korea still sits it out
July 29, 2006 ? KUALA LUMPUR ? China made a last-ditch effort to try to get North Korea to show up at a meeting of the foreign ministers of 10 nations, which was held on the sidelines of the Asean regional forum. Still, North Korea did not show.
At the meeting, the foreign ministers urged North Korea to return to six-party talks, while agreeing that its recent missile launch posed a security threat to the region.
The participants also pledged to follow through with a UN resolution devised in response to the missile launch.
Originally scheduled to be an eight-way consultation, China suggested yesterday including New Zealand and Indonesia in the meeting, along with Australia, Canada and Malaysia and the other five countries involved in the six party talks: South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the United States.
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing joined the meeting late, after talking to his North Korean counterpart Paek Nam-sun.
Sources said yesterday that Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon asked Mr. Paek, after a morning session of the Asean Regional Forum, to have a bilateral meeting. That, too, was turned down.
At that morning session, Mr. Paek defended the North Korean missile launches and reaffirmed that Pyongyang will not return to nuclear talks as long as the financial sanctions are in place.
Diplomatic sources said yesterday the minister also threatened to withdraw from the regional forum if a statement was adopted that criticized the North's missile launches.
[Sanctions]
10-Nation Coalition Urges N.Korea's Return to Talks
The 10-party talks at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Kuala Lumpur included two more countries than originally envisaged. The chief diplomats expressed their misgivings about the missile tests and urged implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution on the matter.
There was near unanimity that the international community needs to speak in one voice on the issue and that six-nation talks on the renegade nation's nuclear program should urgently resume so a statement of principles at the last round in September can be implemented, a government official said. In the statement, North Korea agreed to abandon its nuclear program for security guarantees and aid. South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon called for a "balanced two-way approach" of international unanimity and simultaneous efforts to restore a framework of dialogue.
Multilateral talks held without N.K.
From news reports
The United States was set to lead talks among 10 nations at a regional forum, including Japan and China, to discuss North Korea's nuclear weapons program on the sidelines of the Asian regional forum yesterday.
Indonesia and New Zealand were among the countries taking part in the meeting, which excluded North Korea, Christopher Hill, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.
North Korea should end this "dirty nuclear business," he said.
North Korea said yesterday that it does not care about the United States' move to impose additional sanctions against Pyongyang.
"The U.S. says it's difficult to lift the financial sanctions, but there is nothing difficult. If the U.S. wants to, it can do it easily," North Korean spokesman Chong Song-il said in Kuala Lumpur. "We believe if the U.S. earnestly wants dialogue, it can do this."
[Sanctions] [Chutzpah] [Double standards]
At Southeast Asian gathering, bid to engage North Korea
ASEAN's annual regional meeting starts Friday. The North is spurning pleas for 'informal' six-party talks.
By Donald Kirk | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA The crisis over North Korea's missile shots - and fears of an underground nuclear test - appear to be deepening even as foreign ministers of the powers with a stake in the region gather for crucial talks Friday in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
It's conceivable that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, arriving after bruising sessions on the Middle East, will shake hands with North Korea's foreign minister, Paek Nam Sun. But the North is spurning pleas to join in "informal" six-party talks on everything from nuclear weapons to missiles to counterfeiting.
Hopes end for a revival of six-party nuclear talks
July 28, 2006 ? KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ? Pyongyang reaffirmed yesterday that it would not return to six-party talks unless financial sanctions imposed by Washington are lifted, erasing hopes of a revival of the North Korean nuclear discussions at a regional forum here attended by the foreign ministers of all six nations.
Jong Song-il, the spokesman for the North Korean delegation participating at the Asean Regional Forum, made the remarks to reporters after arriving yesterday.
[Sanctions] [Six Party Talks] [ARF]
Korean UN Secretary-General
Foreign Minister Ban Comes First in Straw Poll
People's expectations of having the first Korean U.N. Secretary-General flew high as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon finished first in a close-door straw poll held at the U.N. headquarters in New York Monday on who is to become the next head of the U.N. Secretariat. But, it is too early to be optimistic based on the result because the race for the post has just started with the probability of having more candidates before the final vote.
Eight-Party Talks Friday to Proceed Without Protagonist
A multilateral meeting of countries in talks on North Korea's nuclear program plus Canada, Australia and Malaysia will take place in Malaysia on Friday to discuss Pyongyang's missile tests. But the reclusive country will not be taking part.
Rice Does Not Expect 6-Party N. Korea Talks
Thursday July 27, 2006 3:01 AM
AP Photo ALT130
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday she does not anticipate that the six parties seeking a solution to the North Korean nuclear issue will meet when Asian leaders gather later this week at a security forum in Malaysia. [ARF]
N Korea defiant over Asean talks
North Korea raised regional tension with missile tests on 5 July
Hopes appeared to be fading for talks with North Korea on the sidelines of a regional security forum in Malaysia.
Officials from five countries involved in stalled talks with Pyongyang are at an Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) forum in Kuala Lumpur.
But a North Korean spokesman said the US had first to lift financial sanctions before talks could go ahead.
[Sanctions]
Waiting for Pyongyang, Asean urges 6-way talks
July 27, 2006 ? KUALA LUMPUR - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has set the table, and its guests are waiting to see if Pyongyang will agree to meet here with other participants in the six-nation nuclear talks.
After the Asean foreign ministers' annual meeting, the Asean Regional Forum will be held here tomorrow at Asia's only regional security forum. The foreign ministers of all the participants in the six-party talks on North Korean nuclear programs will be at the forum, including Paek Nam-sun from Pyongyang. [ARF]
DPRK Delegation Leaves for Malaysia
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- A DPRK delegation led by Paek Nam Sun, minister of Foreign Affairs, left here Tuesday to attend the 13th ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum to be held in Kuala Lumpur. The delegation will visit Malaysia and Singapore.
It was sent off at the airport by Choe Su Hon, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Wu Donghe, Chinese ambassador to the DPRK, and Sarizam Bin Abu Bakar, charge d' affaires a.i. of Malaysia.
[ARF]
Israel Urged to Stop Barbaric Man-Killing in Lebanon
Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry gave the following answer to a question raised by KCNA Tuesday in connection with Israel's military aggression against Lebanon that drove the Mideast situation to the brink of war: As already reported, Israel is escalating its military actions while carrying out air-raids on different parts of Lebanon almost every day and hurling even its ground force into southern Lebanon.
Israel's military aggression on Lebanon rendered hundreds of people dead or wounded and more than 500,000 people displaced in just a few days. The daily aggravating situation in this region is arousing serious apprehension among the international community.
N Korea talks 'unlikely' at Asean
Last Updated: Wednesday, 26 July 2006, 06:09 GMT 07:09 UK
Ban Ki-Moon wants to use the meeting to talk about N Korea
Hopes are fading that an Asean summit in Malaysia can kick-start negotiations on the North Korean nuclear stand-off.
Ministers from all six nations involved in talks on the North's nuclear aims will be at the meeting later this week, but officials say progress is unlikely.
Another issue dominating the meeting is Burma. Critics say a statement by delegates voicing concern over the situation is not strong enough.
The US and EU want Asean to pressure Burma into improving its democracy.
Since North Korea test-fired a number of missiles earlier this month, the need to address its nuclear ambitions has taken on an added urgency.
Asean ministers are meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur
Both American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun are expected in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.
[ARF]
North Korea Focusing On Technological Development To Revive Economy
by the Institute for Far Eastern Studies
July 25th, 2006
This report, published by the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, notes, "North Korea has chosen technology as a national priority and refocused its budget through the principle of 'focus and choice.' Furthermore, it seems to be pursuing technological development by simultaneously renewing its existing industries and establishing a foundation for high technology."
Joint Communique of the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM)
Kuala Lumpur, 25 July 2006
FORGING A UNITED, RESILIENT AND INTEGRATED ASEAN
INTRODUCTION
1.We, the Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met at the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on 24-25 July 2006 in Kuala Lumpur. His Excellency Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia and Chairman of the 39th ASEAN Standing Committee, chaired the Meeting.
The Honourable Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, delivered an Opening Address at the Opening Ceremony of the 39th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting.
The Honourable Prime Minister also highlighted the latest developments in the Middle East which was gravely threatening international peace and security. Being responsible members of the international community, ASEAN countries should not appear indifferent to the plight of the Palestinians. He stated that we should condemn Israels latest use of disproportionate force in Gaza and in the West Bank. We should not tolerate Israels excessive military reprisals against Lebanon. ASEAN must make its voices heard, loudly and clearly and that ASEAN should not continue tolerating the subjugation and repression of the Palestinian people by Israel.
Korean Peninsula
92.We expressed our concern over the latest developments in the Korean Peninsula including the test-firing by DPRK of its Taepodong-2 missiles on 5 July 2006 which could affect peace and stability in the region. We noted the unanimous adoption of the UNSC resolution 1695. We also expressed our desire for the realisation of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and our continued support for the early resumption of the Six Party Talks. We also expressed our hope that the on-going inter-Korean exchanges would continue to provide conditions which would be conducive to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula. We also believed that the ARF can contribute to promoting peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and expressed the hope that members of the Six Party Talks can utilise their presence during the ARF to promote the resumption of the Talks.
Asean concerned at N Korea test
Asean ministers are meeting in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur
South East Asian nations have expressed concern over North Korea's missile tests and urged a return to talks on its nuclear programme.
The appeal came in a joint statement issued after a meeting of Asean foreign ministers in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.
The tests could affect regional peace and stability, the statement said.
The grouping has also criticised Israel's action in Lebanon and called for a tough stance on the issue.
Foreign ministers from the 10 countries which make up Asean (the Association of South East Asian Nations) are holding talks in Malaysia until the weekend.
They will be joined later in the week by participants from other Asian nations for the Asean Regional Forum.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is expected to attend the conference on Thursday, after her trip to the Middle East. Officials say North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun will also take part.
Vietnam Seeks Dissident's Return
By Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter
This week, a South Korean court is to decide the fate of a Vietnamese anti-communist, branded a terrorist by the Vietnamese government.
Depending on whether it decides he is a democratic activist or a terrorist, a domestic court will decide whether to extradite Chanh Huu Nguyen to his home country at a hearing this week.
Nguyen, 55, who spearheads Government of Free Vietnam (GFVN), has been detained in Seoul since April.
He is being held at the request of the Vietnamese government, which wants him extradited so that he can be tried for terrorist acts. The Vietnamese government claims that he attempted to bomb Vietnamese embassies in the Philippines and Thailand.
Since 1990s, after setting a pact over extradition of criminals, South Korea has asked Vietnam to extradite 10 South Koreans from that country. The Vietnamese government turned down none of them.
It is the first time that Vietnam has requested a criminal extradition from South Korea and Nguyen's case is likely to have significant influence over future bilateral cooperation over criminals. Also, if South Korea fails to fulfill Vietnam's request, trade relations between the two countries could suffer. [Terrorism]
N.Korea to take centre-stage at meeting
Jul 23, 2006 By Mark Bendeich Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - North Korea will take centre-stage at a meeting of Asian and Western powers in Malaysia this week, but there is little optimism for a breakthrough in their standoff over the reclusive state's nuclear program.
Preparations for the ASEAN Regional Forum, where southeast Asian nations host talks with the world's major powers, have already revealed discord over the issue, with Japan pushing for a sternly worded communique.
[ARF]
Ban will soon send a letter to UN saying he's a candidate for top job
July 13, 2006 ? Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon plans to send a letter soon to the UN Security Council saying that he is a candidate to lead the United Nations, a government source said yesterday. The council is expected to hold a straw poll later this month in order to get a rough idea of where each secretary general candidate stands with the other nations.
South Korea announced Mr. Ban's candidacy for the job in February.
North Korean Minister to Attend ASEAN Meet
SEOUL (Yonhap) - North Korea's Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun is expected to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur later this month, according to Malaysia's Bernama News Agency Sunday.
The agency said Paek is expected to hold informal talks with other foreign ministers at the gathering, raising the possibility of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The fiveday ARF meeting will kick off on July 24 in the Malaysian c a p i t a l along with the 39th ministerial meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Syria's Exercise of Legitimate Right to Self-Defence Hailed
Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- Rodong Sinmun Thursday in a signed commentary hails the strong military retaliation made by the air defence force of Syria against Israel's fighters as an exercise of its legitimate right to self-defence. Recalling that the Syrian government condemned the Israeli fighters' intrusion of its territorial air space as a reckless aggressive provocation, the commentary says that the above-said Israeli intrusion is not only a grave violation of the sovereignty of Syria but an internationally unpardonable attempt at terrorism against the Syrian state leadership
[Independent states]
Special Envoy of Indonesian President Arrives Here
Pyongyang, July 6 (KCNA) -- Councilor to President Nana Sutresna, special envoy of the Indonesian president, and his party arrived here on July 6. The special envoy was greeted at the airport by Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bambang Irawan K., Indonesian charge d'affaires a. i. to the DPRK, and embassy officials.
Special Envoy of Indonesian President Feted
Pyongyang, July 7 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government hosted a reception at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Thursday in honor of the special envoy of the Indonesian president on a visit to the DPRK. Present on invitation were Councilor to the President Nana Sutresna, special envoy of the Indonesian president, and his entourage and Charge d'Affaires Bambang Irawan K. and officials of the Indonesian embassy here. On hand were Paek Nam Sun, minister of Foreign Affairs, and other officials concerned.
The special envoy said he cherished deep reverence for President Kim Il Sung, highly praising the undying feats performed by the President for the building of the DPRK.
Saying he was visiting the DPRK again as a special envoy of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, he noted that his president was showing special concern for the building of deeper relations between Indonesia and the DPRK.
Indonesian President to Visit Seoul July 19-22
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
President Roh Moo-hyun will hold a summit meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Seoul on July 20 to discuss ways to promote bilateral ties and enhance cooperation in the international arena, Chongwadae announced Monday.
After visiting Pyongyang from July 17 to 19, Yudhoyono will arrive in Seoul on July 19 for a four-day state visit at the invitation of Roh, Chongwadae spokesman Jung Tae-ho said in a press briefing.
Yudhoyono's visit to both Koreas is relevant to the latest situation as Indonesia has kept relatively close relations with the Stalinist North since the 1960s.
Venezuela's Chavez to visit North Korea, Iran
Reuters
Monday, June 12, 2006; 2:24 AM
CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced on Sunday that he will visit Iran and North Korea, two nations at odds with Washington over nuclear development, at a time when Chavez is seeking to distance Venezuela from the United States. Chavez, who has promised a socialist revolution to end poverty in the world's fifth-largest oil exporter, has drawn fire from the State Department for building alliances with U.S. foes like Cuba and Iran.
Ban Ki-moon Perfect Bridge Builder for UN'
The Korea Times exclusively covered a round-table discussion, participated in by five U.N. experts at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul Thursday, before the official opening of a two-day international seminar on measures to make the United Nations fit to the 21st century. _ ED.
By Park Song-wu, Christopher Carpenter
Staff Reporters
They also talked about who should become the next U.N. secretary-general and what qualifications he or she needed to be able to successfully reform the 191-member global body. They mentioned Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon as one of the leading candidates for the top job in the United Nations.
North Korean Defectors Arrested in Laos
SEOUL (Yonhap) -- Several North Korean defectors and two South Korean missionaries helping them are in police custody in Laos, an activist claimed Thursday.
Tim Peters of Helping Hands Korea, a Seoul-based organization that helps defectors, said Laotian police arrested the defectors and the missionaries on charges of illegal activities. He did not identify them.
[Refugee encouragement]
Rodong Sinmun on Principle of National Independence
Pyongyang, June 5 (KCNA) -- The principle of national independence is a basic cornerstone that enables the Korean nation to remove the obstacles and difficulties lying ahead of the reunification movement by its united strength and reunify the country in a peaceful way. Rodong Sinmun Monday says this in a signed article.
The principle of national independence is the basic principle of resolving the issue of national reunification proceeding from its essence and character, the article points out, and goes on:
[Independent states]
Final Document of Ministerial Meeting of NAM Coordinating Bureau Refers to Issue of Korea
Pyongyang, June 3 (KCNA) -- A final document was adopted at the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the NAM held in Malaysia on May 29 and 30. The document also referred to the issue of Korea.
According to it, the ministers expressed support to the Korean people in their efforts to reunify the country by the united efforts in accordance with the joint declaration adopted at the historic North-South Summit held in Pyongyang in June 2000, recognizing that ensuring durable peace and security on the Korean Peninsula is important for the common prosperity of the Korean people and peace and security in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world.
Head of DPRK Delegation on Tasks before NAM
Pyongyang, June 2 (KCNA) -- The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is required to intensify its activities to actively meet fresh challenges and cope with new changes. Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Su Hon who is heading the DPRK delegation said this, clarifying the DPRK's stand on the matter at the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the NAM on May 30.
The DPRK government has consistently maintained the unshakable stand to remain true to the fundamental principle and idea of the NAM, he noted, and continued:
The DPRK delegation is of the view that the current meeting should pay particular attention to the following issues that should be solved to define the orientation of the movement for meeting new challenges and boost its capability for actions:
First, the movement should further strengthen unity and solidarity in the struggle to protect the sovereignty of its member states.
[Independent states]
Week Event of Iran-Korea Friendship in Teheran
Teheran, May 23 (KCNA) -- A week event of Iran-Korea Friendship was held in Teheran from May 14 to 20. An opening ceremony was held on May 14.
On display at the venue of the opening ceremony were photos of President Kim Il Sung meeting and having talks with leader Seyed Ali Khamenei, photos of leader Kim Jong Il giving on-the-spot guidance to different fields, their famous works, books and photos showing proud achievements made by the Korean people.
Fidel Castro Ruz on Boosting Cuba-Korea Relations
Havana, May 23 (KCNA) -- Fidel Castro Ruz, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, president of the Council of State and president of the Council of Ministers of Cuba, stressed the need to boost the friendly and cooperative relations between the two parties and two countries of Cuba and the DPRK in the joint struggle for socialism against the U.S., noting that the two countries have supported and cooperated with each other as the countries standing in confrontation with it. He met with the delegation of the Workers' Party of Korea led by Kim Ki Nam, secretary of its Central Committee, on a visit to Cuba and had a talk with it in a friendly atmosphere at the Revolutionary Palace on May 22.
Reactionary Nature of Economic Globalization Disclosed
Pyongyang, May 23 (KCNA) -- The reactionary nature of economic globalization lies in that it bars each state from playing the role as the master of its national economy, hamstrings the independent development of economy in the developing countries, in particular, accelerates the pauperization of those countries and increases their economic dependence upon the West. Rodong Sinmun Tuesday observes this in a signed article in connection with the fact that the imperialists' evermore undisguised moves for economic globalization are rebuffed and condemned by the world public.
[Globalisation] [Independent states]
Seoul to Participate in Hanoi Project
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
Seoul City Tuesday reached agreement with Hanoi to participate in an urban development project in the Vietnamese capital, officials said on Tuesday.
The agreement, signed by Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak and Hanoi Vice-Mayor Do Hoang An, follows the signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last September to help develop industrial belts, residential areas and tourist attractions along Hanoi's Red River.
Vice-Mayor Do Hoang An is currently visiting Korea.
Under the accord, the Seoul city government will hire urban planners to design a framework plan for development projects along the Red River, including flood control, resident resettlement, land-use strategies.
The plan is expected to cost around $5 million including expenses for on-site inspections, 90 percent of which will be financed by Seoul. The city will select a local company to take on the project by July.
DPRK Student Emerges Winner at International Concours
Pyongyang, May 21 (KCNA) -- Korean student Hwang Un Mi studying at Santachechilia Conservatory in Rome, Italy emerged a winner at the 13th Giuseppe di Stefano International Vocal Concours. The concours held in Trapani, Italy from May 3 to 7 drew more than 80 men and women singers from 15 countries and regions including Italy, Russia, China, the U.S. and Japan.
Indonesian President to Visit Koreas
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will make a state visit to South Korea from June 7 to 9, the presidential office said on Friday.
Prior to his arrival here, the Indonesian leader is to visit North Korea from June 5 to 7.
Malaysian FM Winds Up His Korea Visit
Pyongyang, May 19 (KCNA) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and his party Friday flew back after winding up their three-day visit to the DPRK. They were seen off at the airport by Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and officials of the DPRK Foreign Ministry and Jamal Sharifuddin Bin Johan, Malaysian charge d'affaires ad interim and officials of the Malaysian embassy here.
During their stay here the guests visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace to pay homage to President Kim Il Sung.
They also visited the E-library of Kim Chaek University of Technology, the Mangyongdae Schoolchildren's Palace and the Pyongyang Metro [ICT]
Malaysian Foreign Minister Feted
Pyongyang, May 18 (KCNA) -- The DPRK government gave a reception in honor of the visiting Malaysian foreign minister at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Wednesday. Present on invitation were Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and his party, and Charge d'Affaires ad Interim Jamal Sharifuddin Bin Johan and staff members of the Malaysian embassy here.
On hand were Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Yong Il and officials concerned.
Cambodian King Visits DPRK
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni visited the e-library and gymnasium at Kim Chaek University of Technology on April 19.
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni had an official visit to the DPRK from April 17 to 28 at the invitation of Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly(SPA).
Papers in editorials on April 17 welcomed the visit of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni to the DPRK.
Asian Regional Seminar on Juche Idea Held in India
An Asian regional seminar on the Juche idea was held in India on April 8. It was attended by Director General of the International Institute of the Juche Idea Vishwanath, Honorary President of the World Peace Council Romesh Chandra, Director General of the Asian Regional Institute of the Juche Idea Reggie Ranatunge, and delegations from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Mongolia and Japan, and leading officials and members of Juche idea study groups and people from different walks of life in India.
UN's Annan endorses Seoul's North policies
May 16, 2006 ? Settling the North Korean nuclear issue is the key to stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula, Kofi Annan told reporters yesterday. The secretary-general of the United Nations was in Seoul as part of a regional swing.
With Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, an announced candidate to succeed him, at his side, Mr. Annan endorsed Seoul's undivided focus on eliminating nuclear weapons in North Korea, saying it should have a "separate category and priority" than human rights and other issues.
The remarks were an indirect criticism of Washington's policies on North Korean human rights issues and illicit trade by the communist regime.
[Friction] [Camouflage]
Yang Hyong Sop Visits Norodom Sihanouk
Pyongyang, May 10 (KCNA) -- Yang Hyong Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, Wednesday visited Norodom Sihanouk, the great king of Cambodia, at the state guest house. He had a friendly conversation with the great king. .
Present there were the great queen, the entourage of the great king and Cambodian Ambassador to the DPRK Chhorn Hay. .
On hand were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Yong Il and others.
Congratulations to Nepalese Prime Minister
Pyongyang, May 5 (KCNA) -- Pak Pong Ju, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a congratulatory message to Girija Prasad Koirala on his appointment as prime minister of the government of the Kingdom of Nepal. It expressed the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to favorably develop in the future, too.
N.K. Plan for Joint Vatican Visit Baffles Seoul Catholics
The Catholic Association of North Korea has made a mysterious proposal to the Seoul Archdiocese's National Reconciliation Committee for a joint visit to the Vatican and an audience with the pope. Mgr. Thomas Aquinas Choi Chang-hwa, who led a 61-member group from the committee in a landmark visit to the North last month, said Wednesday the association made the proposal during a dinner on April 28. "But the North never made clear what the objective of such a visit would be," Choi added.
The visit from the committee, which has provided aid to the North over the last 11 years, was the first to visit North Korea by an official body of the Catholic Church in the South. The North last year made its wish to visit the Vatican known to the Seoul Archdiocese and the Vatican's legation in Korea, also without clarifying the purpose.
"I said, 'You'll have to show at least one priest living in North Korea and demonstrate that there is religious freedom and freedom to spread God's message for such a visit to be possible,'" Choi recalled. "But the North responded that that would be 'difficult.'" He said the North Koreans asked him to pass on their congratulations on the recent investiture of Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk, the archbishop of Seoul. "When I asked if they were going to invite the cardinal they said, 'We'll discuss it,'" he said.
Agreement Signed between Governments of DPRK and India
New Delhi, April 26 (KCNA) -- An agreement on cooperation in the field of information between the governments of the DPRK and India was signed here on Apr. 26. Present at a signing ceremony from the DPRK side were the information delegation headed by the vice-chairman of the DPRK Information Committee and the DPRK ambassador to India, and from the Indian side the assistant secretary of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and officials concerned. The agreement was inked by the vice-chairman of the DPRK Information Committee and the assistant secretary of the Indian Ministry.
Message of Sympathy to Egyptian President
Pyongyang, April 27 (KCNA) -- President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Nam sent a message of sympathy to Egyptian President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak on Thursday. Upon hearing the news that a recent bomb explosion in Egypt caused considerable human casualties, Kim Yong Nam in the message expressed deep sympathy to the president and, through him, to the Egyptian government and the bereaved families.
Kim Yong Nam Receives Credentials from Venezuelan Ambassador
Pyongyang, April 26 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK, received credentials from Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the DPRK Rocio Maneiro Gonzalez at the Mansudae Assembly Hall Wednesday. On hand were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun and staff members of the Venezuelan embassy here.
After receiving the credentials, Kim Yong Nam had a conversation with the ambassador.
Iran Gets First North Korean-Made Missiles
By ARON HELLERThe Associated Press
Thursday, April 27, 2006; 8:20 AM
JERUSALEM -- Iran has received its first batch of North Korean-made surface-to-surface missiles that put European countries within firing range, Israel's military intelligence chief said in an interview published Thursday.
The BM-25 missiles have a range of 1,550 miles and are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the Haaretz daily reported.
Korean diplomat wins disarmament UN post
March 30, 2006 ? A senior South Korean diplomat has been elected chairman of the the United Nations Disarmament Commission, the Foreign Ministry said yesterday.
Oh Joon, Seoul's deputy ambassador to the UN, will lead the commission, a deliberative body under the UN General Assembly, for the next year.
Ban goes more public in UN post campaign
March 28, 2006 ? Seoul seems to have changed its tactics, shifting away from its "quiet diplomacy" to bolster Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon's candidacy for United Nations secretary general. Mr. Ban himself openly asked for support at a summit meeting of the League of Arab States being held in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
Seoul announced Mr. Ban's candidacy for the post last month.
Greetings to Iranian President
Pyongyang, March 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the occasion of the New Year in Iran. Kim Yong Nam in the message expressed conviction that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would develop on good terms, in the future, too and wholeheartedly wished him good health and happiness and great success in his responsible work to build independent and prosperous Islamic society.
KCNA Accuses U.S. of Inciting Civil War in Iraq
Pyongyang, March 21 (KCNA) -- Bloodshed and violence among factions have never ceased in Iraq since the U.S. invasion of the country. They have now gone to extremes. The recent attack on a Shiite mosque has escalated tension among factions and increased social unrest.
Armed men strut about the streets and the number of victims of clashes between Shiites and Sunnites reaches 30 on a daily average, reminiscent of a civil war. The unceasing clashes among nationalities and factions have created the imminent danger of a civil war that would engulf Iraq, to say nothing of Baghdad. Violence among factions in Iraq is an inevitable product of the war of aggression launched by the U.S. and its interference in the internal affairs of the country.
The U.S. invaded a sovereign state in March 2003 under an absurd pretext invented by it to meet its political and economic purposes defying the United Nations and in gross violation of international law. It was an unpardonable crime.
NK Diplomat Calls for Disbanding UNC in Seoul
NEW YORK (Yonhap) _ A senior North Korean diplomat has urged the United Nations to disband its command headquarters in Seoul, accusing the post of being a U.S. attempt to prolong its regional hegemony, South Korean officials said Saturday.
Amb. Park Gil-yon, chief of the North's mission to the United Nations, made the request in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday, said officials at South Korea's mission to the world body.
Washington has insisted on the continued deployment of the U.N. Command (UNC) in Seoul "under the name of the U.N. to maintain its military superiority in Northeast Asia and on the Korean Peninsula," the officials quoted Park as saying in the letter.
Great King of Cambodia Arrives
Pyongyang, February 28 (KCNA) -- Norodom Sihanouk, great king of Cambodia, arrived here today by a special plane. He was greeted at the airport by Vice-President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Yang Hyong Sop, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Yong Il, Cambodian Ambassador to the DPRK Chhorn Hay and embassy officials and Chinese Charge d'Affaires ad Interim in Pyongyang Guan Huabing.
Working women presented bouquets to the great king and the great queen.
Message of Sympathy to Polish President
Pyongyang, February 1 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of sympathy to Polish President Lech Aleksander Kaczynski over the casualties caused by a tragic accident that took place in Katowice. In the message Kim expressed deep condolences to the president and, through him, to the victims and their bereaved families and hoped that the wounded would recover as quickly as possible.
Congratulations to PM of Mongolia
Pyongyang, January 30 (KCNA) -- Pak Pong Ju, premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a congratulatory message to Miyegombiin Enkhbold on the latter's appointment as prime minister of Mongolia. Expressing the conviction that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to develop on good terms in the interests of the two peoples, the message wished him success in his responsible work for the stability and prosperity of the country.
Foreign Minister Eyes Top UN Post
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (Yonhap) _ Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon said South Korea should increase its financial aid to underdeveloped and disaster-stricken countries, indicating again his intention to run for the top U.N. post.
``A U.N. secretary general is required to draw international attention to humanitarian assistance and muster member states' political wills. Anyone who takes the U.N. secretary general post is anticipated to perform such a role,'' Ban said in a recent interview in Davos, where he attended the World Economic Forum.
The interview was conducted a day after he held a panel debate Thursday with two other potential candidates _ Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Sri Lankan diplomat Jayantha Dhanapala _ to succeed current U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, whose term ends on Dec. 31.
If elected, Ban, a career diplomat who has called for sweeping reforms of the world body, would be the first Asian to head the world body.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Malaysian Ambassador
Pyongyang, January 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, met and had a talk with Malaysian Ambassador to the DPRK MD.Yusoff Bin MD.Zain who paid a farewell call on him at the Mansudae Assembly Hall on Friday. On hand was Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Yong Il.
Paek Nam Sun Meets Malaysian Ambassador
Pyongyang, January 26 (KCNA) -- Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun today met and conversed with outgoing Malaysian Ambassador MD.Yusoff Bin MD.Zain.
Korea Offers to Sell Subs to Indonesia
By Lee Jin-woo
Staff Reporter
Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung proposed selling South Korean-built submarines to Indonesia when he met with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta earlier this week, a government source said on Friday.
Yoon offered to sell 1,300-ton Type 209 submarines, to be built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME), to the Southeast Asian country during a meeting with Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono on Monday, the sourrce said.
[Proliferation]
Greetings to President of India
Pyongyang, January 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a message of greetings to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, president of India, on the occasion of the 56th day of the Republic of India. The message expressed the conviction that the good friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would continue to expand and develop in the common interests of the two peoples and sincerely wished him greater success in his responsible work for the prosperity and development of the country.
Indian President to Visit Seoul
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
Indian President Abdul Kalam will visit Seoul from Feb. 2 to Feb. 9 for talks with President Roh Moo-hyun on ways to increase cooperation between the two countries, Chong Wa Dae officials announced on Tuesday.
Ambassador slaps UN for politicizing rights issues
January 21, 2006 ? South Korea's ambassador-at-large for human rights, Park Kyung-seo, caused controversy at a religious forum Thursday by saying the North Korean human rights issue was being used politically at the United Nations.
Mr. Park was speaking about remarks made at the UN Human Rights Commission held in April last year in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was South Korea's representative.
"I witnessed member countries [Japan and the European Union] taking an offensive attitude, while ignoring the core issue on how they can serve constructive roles to promote human rights issues [in North Korea]," he said.
"The human rights issue must not be used as a political means to attack a certain individual, group or a country," said Mr. Park. "Peace on the Korean Peninsula, which must take a higher priority than the human rights issue, must be achieved first," he added.
Critics questioned whether it is proper for Mr. Park, a human rights ambassador, to make such remarks.
This is not the first controversy brought about by Mr. Park, who was also a senior member of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea under the current administration.
Last November at a seminar, he said the human rights issue should not be an item for discussion until the North and South Korea sign a non-aggression pact ? a remark he repeated earlier this month.
by Seo Seung-wook
[human rights [camouflage]
Korea to Field Candidate for Top UN Post This Year
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
South Korea is ``seriously'' thinking of fielding a candidate to succeed U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon told reporters in New York on Wednesday.
He stopped by the American city on his way to Washington, D.C. where he was to attend the inaugural ``strategic consultations'' between South Korea and the United States at the State Department on Thursday.
``It is true that the (South) Korean government has been seriously considering the idea of presenting a Korean national as a candidate to succeed Kofi Annan,'' he said after a 45-minute meeting with the U.N.'s top diplomat from Ghana.
House Speaker Visits Vietnam
HANOI (Yonhap) _ National Assembly Speaker Kim One-ki arrived Saturday in Hanoi for talks with Vietnamese leaders on improving relations between the two Asian countries.
Plan for Cooperation in Field of Standardization, Measuring and Quality Control Signed between DPRK and Vietnam
Pyongyang, January 11 (KCNA) -- A plan for cooperation in the field of standardization, measuring and quality control for 2006 was signed in Hanoi on Jan. 10 between the DPRK State Bureau for Quality Control and the Council for Standardization and Quality of Vietnam. The signing ceremony was attended by members of a delegation of the bureau from the DPRK side and officials concerned of the council from the Vietnamese side.
Labor Party Leader Visits HK to Observe Trial of Farmers
SEOUL (Yonhap) _ The acting chairman of South Korea's minor opposition Democratic Labor Party, Kwon Young-ghil, left for Hong Kong Sunday to observe a court hearing of 11 South Korean farmers arrested last month for illegal street demonstrations, party officials said. [WTO]
Building of Independent, Peaceful and Friendly New World Called for
Pyongyang, January 3 (KCNA) -- The stand of our Party and government to make a positive contribution to the building of an independent, peaceful and friendly new world remains unchanged. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article. It is the unanimous aspiration and desire of humankind to live in an independent, peaceful and friendly new world, the article notes, and goes on:
An independent, peaceful and friendly new world means a world where people are free from all sorts of domination, high-handed and arbitrary practices, the sovereignty and interests of all sovereign states are respected on an equal basis and the justice and impartiality are ensured in the international relations and peaceful international affair makes progress.
The above-said world can be built only through a struggle for independence against imperialism. This kind of world free from domination, subjugation, aggression and war is unthinkable without a struggle for independence against imperialism. Invasion and war are the means for imperialism to exist. It can not live even a single day without them. Because of this intrinsic nature imperialism is indulged in aggression and plunder of other countries and nations. It is the foe of peace and the principal target of the people's struggle for independence.
There should be nothing but a struggle against imperialism.
[Independent States] [Imperialism]
Rodong Sinmun on WPK's Idea of Its Foreign Policy
Pyongyang, January 4 (KCNA) -- Independence, peace and friendship are the avowed idea of the foreign policy of the Workers' Party of Korea. Rodong Sinmun today says this in a signed article.
It goes on:
It is the main principle governing the activities of the WPK and the DPRK government to take an independent view and judgment of all problems, act according to its own faith and solve all issues independently. The political and military potentials the WPK and the people of the DPRK have consolidated as firm as a rock by implementing the independent revolutionary line serve as a sure guarantee for protecting the sovereignty of the country and the gains of the revolution, successfully advancing the revolution and construction and checking and frustrating the imperialists' aggression and interference. It is an urgent task common to humankind to avert a war and defend peace. Doing so is prerequisite to building a new independent world. Peace can be won only when the people of all the countries in the world who love independence and peace turn out as one in the stubborn struggle against the imperialists' aggression and their war policy.
It is the consistent stand of the WPK to develop the friendly and cooperative relations with the world people who advocate independence.
Kim Jong Il Receives Former President of Indonesia
Kim Jong Il, the General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) and the chairman of the National Defense Commission of the DPRK, on October 14 received Former President of Indonesia Megawati Soekarnoputri, the General Chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and her party on a visit to congratulate the WPK on its 60th foundation anniversary.
Present there were Kang Sok Ju, the first vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bambang Irawan Kromodimuljo, charge d' affairs ad interim of the Indonesian embassy in the DPRK.
11 South Koreans Indicted for Violent Protests in Hong Kong
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
South Korean protesters shout slogans at a rally in front of the Chinese embassy in Seoul, Monday, demanding the release of South Korean demonstrators who were arrested during the anti-WTO rally in Hong Kong.
Eleven South Korean farmers were indicted for allegedly staging violent anti-globalization street demonstrations during a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting over the weekend here, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said on Monday.
The farmers were charged with destruction of public property and assaulting police officers.
Earlier on Monday, Hong Kong police freed an additional 838 South Koreans detained for taking part in the street protests following the release of 150 South Korean women and a child on the same day.
Seoul Trying to Bring 600 Detainees Home From HK
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
South Korea will dispatch Vice Foreign Minister Lee Kyu-hyung to Hong Kong today in an attempt to amiably settle the issue of freeing some 600 hundred of its citizens arrested in anti-globalization protests there, government officials in Seoul said on Sunday.
``We are working for a smooth settlement of the case,'' an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a press briefing. ``We expect close cooperation with the authorities of Hong Kong for an early release of the arrested demonstrators and their return.''
The official, however, expressed regret at the same time over the arrest of such a large number of people on charges of violent acts in a foreign country, saying it could tarnish Korea's image in the international community.
Asia Summit Augurs Power Struggle
By Ryu Jin
Korea Times Correspondent
President Roh Moo-hyun, second from left, sits around the table with other leaders at the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday. At left is Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. /Yonhap
KUALA LUMPUR _ A total of 16 nations in East Asia and its adjacent regions held their first summit here Wednesday, a primary step to build an EU-style community. But the inaugural meeting revealed the rocky path ahead as some have already begun struggling for leadership.
Leaders of the 16 nations, including South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, gathered for the East Asia Summit (EAS), designed for informal discussions on international political and economic issues, and ways to promote cooperation in the region.
The dispute, international relations experts say, reflects the behind-the-scenes mechanisms of world politics, which have become increasingly acute in East Asia due to, along with other minor causes, the invisible competition between China and the United States.
China, which often speaks of its ``peaceful rise,'' seems to be favoring a regional cooperation in East Asia excluding the U.S., while Japan and some other countries want to invite the U.S. and other distant actors such as the European Union to check the rising China.
[China confrontation]
In Malaysia, Roh gets support for stance on
Japan and North
December 10, 2005 ? KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia ? At
the start of his tour of Southeast Asia,
President Roh Moo-hyun met with Malaysia's prime
minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, yesterday to
promote more economic cooperation between the
two nations. Malaysia is Korea's largest trading
partner in the region. The two men also
reportedly agreed to increase their ties in
fields such as defense industries, information
technology and biotechnology.
Mr. Badawi also endorsed Seoul's calls for a
peaceful settlement of the North Korean nuclear
issue through the six-party talks
Syria's Tough Stand toward U.S. Supported
Pyongyang, December 3 (KCNA) -- As already reported, the United States and some
other western forces have escalated their pressure offensive against Syria
blaming it for the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister without
any objective and scientific evidence after the incident. This was prompted by
their sinister political aim to label Syria a "kingpin of terrorism" and
isolate it internationally, observes Rodong Sinmun Saturday in a signed
commentary. The Syrian government and people have strongly reacted to the
U.S.-led international pressure offensive with high vigilance, the commentary
says, and goes on:
Syria repeatedly expressed its willingness to render sincere cooperation in the
investigation into the assassination of the Lebanese prime minister,
reiterating that it has no linkage to the incident.
As a matter of fact, the U.S. took the above-said assassination case as a
golden opportunity of isolating, blockading and containing Syria politically
and diplomatically.
DPRK Violinist Proves Successful at 3rd Moscow
International Paganini Concours
Pyongyang, November 30 (KCNA) -- A DPRK
violinist Mun Kyong Jin proved successful at the
3rd Moscow International Paganini Concours. The
concours brought together promising young
musicians in the world. The participants who had
proved successful in the first and second phases
of the contest competed in the finals.
12 violinists including those from the DPRK,
Russia, Vietnam, Germany, Ukraine and Japan
competed in the second phase of the contest held
on Nov. 25 in the wake of its first phase.
Mun was qualified to compete in the finals by
successfully playing music pieces for violin
requiring a high artistic skill.
He came second in the finals held on Nov. 28
amid the keen interest of members of the jury
and violin lovers.
DPRK Foreign Ministry Refutes Anti-DPRK
"Resolution on Human Rights Issue"
Pyongyang, November 21 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for
the DPRK Foreign Ministry issued a statement
Monday in connection with the fact that a
"resolution on human rights performance" in the
DPRK was adopted in a coercive manner at the
third committee of the UN General Assembly on
Nov. 17. The statement says:
The resolution is peppered with sheer lies aimed
to negate the advantages of the man-centered
Korean style socialist system, tarnish its
international image and attain the ridiculous
purpose of "regime change" in it.
Korea, Israel Discuss AWACS
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
South Korean officials are now on a trip to
Israel to discuss military cooperation with
their Israeli counterparts, including
cooperation in aviation technology, the Defense
Ministry said Tuesday.
The visit came amid rumors that Seoul is likely
to select Israeli early aircraft warning systems
for its $2 billion weapons procurement project.
[Military balance] [Proliferation]
UNSC Urged to Ensure Impartiality in Its
Activities
Pyongyang, November 16 (KCNA) -- It is the most
urgent task for the UN Security Council to
ensure impartiality in its activities if it is
to fulfill its responsibility for international
peace and security. A DPRK delegate said this
during the discussion "on the UNSC report and
the issue of its reform," an agenda item of the
plenary session of the 60th UN General Assembly,
held on Nov. 11. He recalled that 60 years have
passed since the UNSC was established with its
basic mission for ensuring international peace
and security when the United Nations was founded
after the Second World War. Regretfully, the
world has never been in peace, he said, and went
on: The UNSC has not successfully fulfilled its
responsibility for international peace and
security as required by the UN Charter. This has
always been chiefly attributable to its lack of
impartiality in its activities.
The "UN forces command", a typical example of
partiality in the UNSC activities, has existed
in the south of the Korean Peninsula for more
than half a century. The "UN forces command" is,
in fact, the U.S. forces command under the UN
helmet and this proves that the sacred name of
the UN is being abused by the U.S. for
implementing its strategy for dominating Asia.
[Camouflage] [Imperialism]
DPRK Calls for Boosting South-South Cooperation
Pyongyang, November 15 (KCNA) -- It is the
consistent stand of the DPRK government to boost
the south-south cooperation. Its government will
as ever creditably fulfil its responsibility and
duty in this respect. A DPRK delegate clarified
this during the discussion on "south-south
cooperation, economic and technological
cooperation among developing countries," an
agenda item of the meeting of the second
committee of the 60th UN General Assembly held
on Nov. 9. He reiterated support to the
resolutions adopted at the 14th meeting of the
UN High Level Committee on South-South
Cooperation which laid down a new strategic
orientation and framework for accelerating south-
south cooperation.
It is important among other things to strengthen
the role of the special unit of the UNDP for
south-south cooperation as a leading body for
south-south cooperation under the UN system at
present, he said, and went on:
Vietnam Square for Busan
By Choi Kyong-ae
Staff Reporter
Busan, a sister city of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, will have a ``Vietnam
Square'' at a local university for the first time in the country and in Asia,
with the southeastern country's president and first lady participating in the
event Thursday.
Vietnam President Tran Duc Luong and First Lady Pham Tien Van will pay a visit
to the naming ceremony to be held on Thursday at the Busan campus of Young San
University in Haeundae, Busan.
Message of Sympathy to Jordanian King
Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Thursday sent a message of
sympathy to Abdullah II, king of the Hashemite
Kingdom of Jordan, as regards casualties caused
by suicide bombings in Amman. The message
expressed deep consolation to the king and
through him to the Jordanian government and the
bereaved families of the victims.
N Korea 'kidnapped Thai woman'
Thailand's government is investigating claims that a Thai woman missing since 1978 was kidnapped by North Korean agents and is now living there.
Relatives of the woman, Anocha Panjoy, were alerted to her possible fate by an article written by a US man who recently left North Korea.
Pyongyang has already "informally denied" abducting the woman, said Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkon.
[Media] [Abductions]
Reception Given on "Day of UN"
Pyongyang, October 25 (KCNA) -- Timo Pakkala, UN
resident coordinator and resident representative
of the UNDP, and representatives of the
international organizations here hosted a
reception on Monday evening on the occasion of
the "Day of the UN". Present there on invitation
were Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Su
Hon and officials concerned and diplomatic
envoys of different countries here. Speeches
were made at the reception.
Deputy Foreign Minister to Visit Tehran on
Imports Ban
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
South Korea will dispatch its deputy foreign
minister to Iran early next week to solve what
looks like a bid by Teheran to punish Seoul for
voting for a U.N. resolution on its nuclear
program.
Iran rejected imports from South Korea since
Oct. 17. At least five cases of such a
retaliatory measure have been confirmed, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Seoul
said on Thursday.
[Sanctions] [IAEA] [Nuclear weapons]
Kim Jong Il Receives Former President of
Indonesia
Pyongyang, October 14 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il,
general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
and chairman of the National Defence Commission
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,
today received Former President of Indonesia
Megawati Soekarnoputri, general chairwoman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and
her party on a visit to the DPRK to congratulate
the WPK on its 60th foundation anniversary.
Present there were Kang Sok Ju, first vice-
minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bambang Irawan
Kromodimuljo, charge d' affaires ad interim of
the Indonesian embassy here.
On the occasion Megawati congratulated Kim Jong
Il on the 60th anniversary of the WPK and
presented him with a gift prepared by her. @Kim
Jong Il expressed thanks for this, warmly
welcomed her visit to the DPRK and had a cordial
and friendly talk with her.
Liquidation of Poverty and Promotion of
Development Called for
Pyongyang, October 16 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
delegate, addressing the meeting of the Second
Committee of the 60th UN General Assembly
Session on Oct. 5, said that in order to achieve
the UN millennium development target, it is
necessary to rapidly provide international
conditions and environment to liquidate poverty
and promote development. If the unfair
international economic order remains intact, it
is impossible to provide international
environment for the liquidation of poverty and
narrow the gap between the North and the South,
he said, and went on:
The developed countries should increase the
amount of official development and cooperation
and the amount of foreign direct investment in
the developing countries with no political
strings attached and show resolute willingness
in settling foreign debts.
The multilateral trade system and international
financial structure should be reformed in the
direction of expanding the equal and complete
participation of developing countries and
preferential treatment and development financing
for them.
The DPRK delegation holds that unilateral,
extraterritorial and coercive economic measures
contrary to international law and the principle
and purpose of the UN Charter should neither be
allowed nor be justified in any case.
The DPRK government is steadily improving and
completing economic structures to suit its
specific conditions despite the military tension
and economic difficulties caused by the outside
forces and directing big efforts to the work to
stabilize the people's living and renovate the
economy. It is also taking new economic steps
and, at the same time, measures to strengthen
the independent foundations of the national
economy including large-scale land realignment,
waterway projects and the construction of minor
hydro-power stations to settle the urgent energy
problem as part of sustained development.
The DPRK government will steadily strengthen
cooperative relations with the international
community in the work to implement the
millennium development target in the future,
too.
[Economic reforms] [Opening]
Kim Yong Nam Meets Former Indonesian President
and Her Party
Pyongyang, October 13 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, met and had a friendly
conversation with former Indonesian President
Megawati Soekarnoputri, general chairwoman of
the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and
her party who paid a courtesy call on him at the
Mansudae Assembly Hall on Oct. 13. On hand were
Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of Foreign Affairs,
and other officials concerned, Indonesian Charge
d' Affaires Bambang Irawan Kromodimuljo and
staff members of the Indonesian embassy here.
Kim Il-sung a Hero to Africa's Downtrodden: Academic
Amid furious debate over Prof. Kang Jeong-koo's right or otherwise to exalt North Korea and disparage the U.S. with impunity, a colleague at Dongguk University, English Literature Prof. Jang Shi-ki, has rushed where angels fear to tread with a column titled "Kim Il-sung, a Great Modern Leader." It appears on the website of the National Association of Professors for Democratic Society.
"Ranked among the likes of India's Gandhi, Fidel Castro of Cuba, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Eygpt and Mao Zedong of China, Kim Il-sung stands out as a great leader, revered by the people of the Third World," Jang writes. "Therefore, the people of Africa feel more affinity with North Korea than with South Korea."
Dongguk University says Prof. Jang has been on sabbatical since last July and is in South Africa. From there, he writes, "Most of the fighting against dictatorships in Africa was actually directed against the outside power of the U.S., so for them Kim Il-sung, the leader of a Far Eastern country who was brave enough to stand up to the U.S. even before they did, makes him as worthy of honor as their own leaders. Whenever I am given preferential treatment just because I come from the same country as Kim Il-sung, I feel a little embarrassed."
[Human rights] [National Security Law]
Singapore's head of state is no example of
nepotism
In an article under the title, "Make the Economy
our Priority" (JoongAng Daily Oct. 7), Lee Chang-
kyu alleged that Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
had "handed down the position of premier to his
son," and that "his daughter-in-law and son-in-
law have also taken important positions." He
also compared Minister Mentor Lee to North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il and former Indonesian
President Suharto.
These criticisms are baseless. Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong was not appointed by his father.
He was first elected a member of parliament in
1984, and since then has been re-elected four
times. Last year, he was unanimously supported
by the members of parliament from his party to
succeed Mr. Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister.
Also, Minister Mentor Lee does not have a son-in-
law.
Singapore operates a clean and open system of
government. It is ranked internationally as one
of the least corrupt countries in the world, and
certainly in Asia. If Minister Mentor Lee were
really like Kim Jong-il, his party would not
have enjoyed the trust and support of the people
for 40 years, the country would not be enjoying
"over 8-percent economic growth," and Mr. Lee
would not have cited Singapore as an example for
Korea to emulate.
by Calvin Eu
Letter to editor
[Double standards]
Message of Sympathy to Indian President
Pyongyang, October 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Sunday sent a message of
sympathy to Indian President A. P. J. Abdul
Kalam in connection with the big human
casualties and material losses caused by a
recent earthquake in the northern region of
India. The message expressed profound sympathy
and condolences to the president, government and
people of India, and evinced the belief that the
Indian government would remove the aftermath of
the natural disasters and stabilize the living
of residents in the afflicted area at an early
date.
Message of Sympathy to Pakistani President
Pyongyang, October 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Sunday sent a message of
sympathy to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf
in connection with the big human casualties and
material losses caused by a strong earthquake in
Kashmir of Pakistan. The message expressed deep
sympathy and condolences to the president,
government and afflicted people of Pakistan and
the conviction that the president and government
of Pakistan would remove the aftermath of the
disasters at an early date and stabilize the
living of the people in the afflicted area.
Talks between DPRK and Venezuelan Delegations
Held
Pyongyang, October 4 (KCNA) -- Talks were held
between the DPRK delegation headed by Yang Hyong
Sop, vice-president of the Presidium of the
Supreme People's Assembly, on a visit to the
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the
Venezuelan delegation headed by Vice-President
Jose Rangel at the vice-presidential office on
Sept. 29. At the talks both sides informed each
other of the situation of their countries and
exchanged views on strengthening the friendly
relations between the two countries and a series
of issues of mutual concern.
DPRK Delegation Back from UN General Assembly
Pyongyang, October 1 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
delegation led by Vice-Minister of Foreign
Affairs Choe Su Hon returned Saturday after
participating in the 60th UN general assembly.
8 Koreans Wounded in Explosions
By Moon Gwang-lip
Staff Reporter
Eight Koreans were confirmed to be wounded in
Saturday's terrorist bombing on the Indonesian
resort island of Bali, Korean government
officials said on Sunday.
UN Secretary General Meets Head of DPRK
Delegation
Pyongyang, September 23 (KCNA) -- UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan on Sept. 21 met Vice-Minister
of Foreign Affairs Choe Su Hon who is leading
the DPRK delegation to the 60th Session of the
UN General Assembly. The adoption of a joint
statement at the recent six-party talks has been
very encouraging, he said, adding that this
provided a breakthrough in the settlement of the
nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula.
On hand were some members of the DPRK
delegation, the permanent representative of the
DPRK in the UN, the UN under-secretary general
for humanitarian affairs and the political
director of the Executive Office of the
secretary general.
Minister Ban Tapped as Candidate for UN Chief
South Korea considers fielding its top diplomat,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-
moon, as the candidate for the next year's
election to select the new secretary general of
the United Nations, according to sources
Thursday.
The government had originally considered Hong
Seok-hyun, the outgoing ambassador to the United
States, as a viable candidate.
But the media mogul fell from grace a couple
months ago when he was found to have been
involved in illicit election campaign activities
in 1997.
Solidarity conference in Pyongyang
The World Conference in Support of the Independent and Peaceful Reunification took place in Pyongyang between August 13 and 14, 2005.
We have been asked by OctaviXirivella Sabat, whose name appears in this bulletin to note that his name should not be there because first of all Im not member of the korean frienship association,and then Im not from Spain but from Catalunya, a free independent country for 900 hundred years,now a colony of France and Spain.
Korea's Reunification Supported Worldwide
"World Conference for Supporting Independent and
Peaceful Reunification of Korea" Held in
Pyongyang
"The World Conference for Supporting the
Independent and Peaceful Reunification of Korea"
was held in Pyongyang on August 13 and 14 under
the co-sponsorship of the International Liaison
Committee for Reunification and Peace in Korea
(CILRECO) and the Korean Committee for
Solidarity with World's Peoples and
Organizations for Friendship and Solidarity with
the Korean people in various countries.
Participants marching for independence and
peaceful reunification of Korea.
The conference called for further strengthening
their activities for solidarity with Korean
people for the peace and reunification of the
Korean Peninsula, stressing the significance and
urgency of Korea's reunification. [in denial]
'Imperial tendencies' still linger, Roh tells UN
September 16, 2005 ? NEW YORK ? President Roh
Moo-hyun warned against "major-power centrism"
and called for reform of the United Nations
Security Council to recover the body's "moral
authority."
"The world must completely divest itself of
mindsets and vestiges reminiscent of
imperialistic tendencies that appear to linger
in various forms," Mr. Roh told the General
Assembly yesterday, according to the Blue House
translation of his text. That passage, said an
aide involved in drafting the speech, was
included at Mr. Roh's order.
"Vigilance against a resurgence of major-power
centrism in certain circles is also in order,"
Mr. Roh added, calling for "leading nations" to
"exercise greater self-restraint."
Mr. Roh's spokesman, Kim Man-soo, insisted to
reporters that Mr. Roh was aiming those remarks
at no specific nation.
Although Mr. Roh was no more specific than that
call for harmony and warning about great-power
politics, a Blue House official was more
detailed. "The speech aimed at reminding the
world of Japan's tendencies now to turn to the
right, as seen in the continued visits to the
Yasukuni Shrine."
President Roh Warns of Big Power Centrism
By Ryu Jin
Korea Times Correspondent
President Roh Moo-hyun speaks during the high-
level plenary meeting of the 60th U.N. General
Assembly at the U.N.'s headquarters in New York,
Wednesday.
/ Reuter-Newsis
NEW YORK _ President Roh Moo-hyun Wednesday
called on the world to keep a ``sharp lookout
for the tendencies of major power-centrism.''
Referring to the reform of the United Nations, Roh called for the coexistence
of great, small and middle powers under shared interests as modeled by the
European Union (EU).
In a keynote speech at the high-level plenary meeting of the 60th U.N. General
Assembly here, Roh stressed that the world must completely divest itself of
mindsets and vestiges of ``imperialistic tendencies'' that appear to linger in
various forms.
DPRK Delegation Leaves for New York
Pyongyang, September 14 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
delegation headed by Vice- Minister of Foreign
Affairs Choe Su Hon left here Wednesday to
attend the 60th UN General Assembly. It was seen
off at the airport by officials concerned
President Calls for Coexistence of Great, Small
Powers
The following is the full text of a keynote
speech President Roh Moo-hyun delivered at the
high-level plenary meeting of the 60th session
of the United Nations General Assembly,
Wednesday. _ ED.
Six decades ago, in the very same year that
farsighted leaders from around the world were
preparing to establish the United Nations, the
Republic of Korea was set free from the shackles
of imperialist colonial rule. Since then the
United Nations has been our trusted friend.
I'm privileged to stand at the podium of such a
special friend on this auspicious occasion.
[Independent states]
Congratulations to Saudi Arabian King
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, today sent a message of
congratulations to Abdullah Bin Abdul-Aziz upon
his accession to the throne of Saudi Arabia. The
message sincerely wished the king great success
in his responsible work and good health and
happiness
Message of Sympathy to Sudanese President
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a message of
sympathy to Omar Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir,
president of Sudan, over the death of John
Garang, first vice-president of Sudan, by an
unexpected accident. The message expressed the
belief that the friendly Sudanese people would
overcome the sorrow and make successes in the
work for unity and prosperity of the country.
Talks Held between DPRK and Thai Foreign
Ministers
Pyongyang, July 26 (KCNA) -- Talks between DPRK
Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun and his Thai
counterpart Kantathi Suphamongkhon were held in
Bangkok on July 24.
Message of Consolation to Egyptian President
Pyongyang, July 25 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Sunday sent a message of
consolation to Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, president
of Egypt, as regards the great human losses
caused by near-simultaneous bombings in the
country. Kim in the message expressed deep
consolation for Mubarak and, through him, the
Egyptian government and bereaved families of the
victims. [Terrorism]
FM to Attend Security Forum
Ban Ki-moon
Foreign minister
SEOUL(Yonhap)-Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Trade Ban K i - m o o n will leave for Laos
Tuesday to take part i n a n a n n u a l
regional security forum, officials said.
The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), slated for
Friday, brings together top diplomats from 10
members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations and 14 other Asia-Pacific countries.
Ban is scheduled to meet his North Korean
counterpart Paek Nam-sun on the sidelines of the
security conference, said officials at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Rodong Sinmun on Unity for Independent New World
Pyongyang, July 16 (KCNA) -- The present
international situation calls upon all the anti-
imperialist independent forces of the world to
unite firm and wage a more dynamical struggle to
oppose the imperialists' moves for aggression
and war and build an independent new world.
Rodong Sinmun says this in a signed article
Saturday.
Unity of the anti-imperialist independent forces
provides an important guarantee for the building
of an independent new world, the article
observes, and goes on:
In order to win victory in the struggle against
imperialism and successfully advance the cause
of global independence, all the progressive
forces around the world defending independence
should unite firm.
Invariable Idea of WPK's Foreign Policy
Reclarified
Pyongyang, July 4 (KCNA) -- The Central
Committee and the Central Military Commission of
the Workers' Party of Korea in their joint
slogans published on the occasion of the 60th
anniversary of the WPK foundation reiterated
that the independence, peace and friendship are
the invariable idea of the WPK's foreign policy
and called for boosting the friendly and
cooperative relations with all the countries
that respect the sovereignty of the DPRK and
building an independent, peaceful and friendly
new world. Rodong Sinmun Monday in a signed
article carried in this regard says that this
serves as a banner giving impetus to the efforts
of the WPK and the DPRK government to develop
their external relations and realize the noble
idea of independence, peace and friendship,
common to humankind.
Greetings to Venezuelan President
Pyongyang, July 4 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of
greetings to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
Frias on the occasion of its independence day.
Expressing the belief that the good friendly and
cooperative relations between the two countries
would continue to develop on good terms in the
future, too, the message sincerely wished the
president greater success in his responsible
work for the stability and prosperity of the
country.
Congratulations to Iranian President
Pyongyang, June 27 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, today sent a congratulatory
message to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad upon his election
as Iranian president. Expressing the belief that
the friendly and cooperative relations forged
between the two countries in the joint struggle
for independence against imperialism would
continue to grow stronger in the future, too,
the message wished the president success in his
responsible work to protect the gains of the
Islamic revolution and achieve the independent
development and prosperity of the country
Korea, Palestine to Exchange Diplomatic
Representatives
RAMALLAH, West Bank (Yonhap) _ South Korea and
Palestine agreed Friday to establish diplomatic
representation in each other's country,
officials said.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-
moon reached the agreement in a meeting with his
Palestinian counterpart Nasser Al Kidwa. The two
sides agreed to work out details through
diplomatic channels.
``The agreement to exchange diplomatic
representatives is aimed at preparing for an
independent Palestinian state,'' Ban said.
President of Philippine Senate to Visit DPRK
Pyongyang, June 22 (KCNA) -- Franklin M.
Drillon, president of the Senate of the
Philippines, will soon visit the DPRK at the
invitation of the DPRK Supreme People's
Assembly.
Communist Parties Support Socialism and Anti-U.S. Movement of DPRK
A meeting of the world communist and labor parties for solidarity with the DPRK
was held in Brussels, Belgium from May 2 to 4.
The meeting, named "the 14th international seminar of communists on experience
of communists and their internationalist tasks in the struggle against
imperialism" was sponsored by the Belgian Labor Party.
Greetings to Cambodian King
Pyongyang, May 13 (KCNA) -- President Kim Yong
Nam of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly today sent a message of
greetings to Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on
the occasion of his 52nd birthday. In the belief
that the good bilateral ties of friendship and
cooperation provided by President Kim Il Sung
and Great King Norodom Sihanouk would grow
stronger in the future, the message sincerely
wished him good health And happiness.
Agreement Signed between DPRK and Laos
Pyongyang, May 11 (KCNA) -- An agreement for
establishing the DPRK-Laos Youth Friendship
Centre was signed in Vientiane. It was inked by
Jang Yong Chol, secretary of the Central
Committee of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth
League who is head of the delegation of the
league, and a vice-chairman of the Central
Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary
Youth Union.
DPRK Sends Condolence on Death of Pope John Paul
II
Samuel Jang Jae On, chairman of the Central
Committee of the Korean Catholics Association,
on April 5 sent a message of condolences to the
Department of State of the Vatican on the demise
of Pope John Paul II.
The message said as follows.
Upon hearing the sudden sad news that His
Holiness Pope John Paul II passed away, I
express deep condolences. All the Catholic
believers of our country are also offering
memorial services in deep grief at the Jangchung
Cathedral in Pyongyang and family warship places
across the country.
The feats of His Holiness John Paul II, who
devoted himself to the development of the
Catholic faith community as the proxy of Jesus
Christ on earth and the supreme minister of the
Church, will remain long together with the
history of the Catholic Church amid the
blessings of the Lord.
I pray for his eternal happiness.
DPRK Calls for Stronger South-South Cooperation
Kim Yong Nam Attends A-A Summit in Jakarta
A delegation of the DPRK led by Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, attended the Asia-Africa
summit in Indonesia held from April 22 to 23 and
the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the
Bandung Conference on April 24.
Kim Yong Nam separately met and had
conversations with the Nepalese king, the
Cambodian prime minister, the Mongolian
president, the Vietnamese president, the sultan
of Brunei Darussalam, the sultan of the
Sultanate of Oman, the Zimbabwean president, the
Malaysian prime minister, the Thai prime
minister and the Algerian president on April 22.
DPRK Delegation Leaves for Syria
Pyongyang, May 7 (KCNA) -- A delegation of the
Ministry of Land and Marine Transport of the
DPRK led by its Minister Kim Yong Il left here
Saturday to visit Syria. The delegation was seen
off at the airport by Ra Tong Hui, chief of
Staff of the Ministry, and Syrian Charge d'
Affaires a.i. Muhammad Adib Alhani.
Anniversary of DPRK-Thai Diplomatic Ties Marked
Pyongyang, May 6 (KCNA) -- A meeting was held at
the Chollima House of Culture Thursday to mark
the 30th anniversary of the opening of
diplomatic relations between the DPRK and
Thailand. Present were Chairman Kang Chol Su and
members of the Korea-Thailand Friendship
Association and working people in the city.
The chairman made a speech there.
After the meeting participants went round
photographs introducing Thailand.
Brazilian leader set to make official visit
May 07, 2005 ? President Luiz Inacio Lula da
Silva of Brazil will visit South Korea for three
days from May 23, the Blue House said yesterday.
Presidential spokesman Kim Man-soo said that Mr.
da Silva is coming to Seoul to discuss detailed
economic and technological cooperation measures
between the two countries.
President Roh Moo-hyun made a visit to Brazil
last November to sign a number of cooperation
agreements in the sectors, and at the time, Mr.
Silva promised to visit South Korea.
In addition to meeting with Mr. Roh, Mr. Silva
will make a keynote speech at the sixth
Governmental Innovation Forum taking place in
Seoul on May 24 and visit Samsung Electronics
among other Korean businesses.
Around 150 Brazilian businessmen will accompany
Mr. Silva and his entourage. [ROK]
Friendly Gathering Held at Vietnamese Embassy
Pyongyang, April 29 (KCNA) -- A friendly
gathering was arranged at the Vietnamese embassy
here on April 28 on the occasion of the 30th
anniversary of the complete liberation of South
Vietnam and the unification of the country.
Present on invitation were Vice-Minister of
Foreign Affairs Kim Hyong Jun, officials
concerned and representatives and staff members
of foreign embassies here.
Vietnamese Ambassador Phan Trong Thai and
embassy officials were on hand.
Speakers at the gathering noted that the
Vietnamese people waged a heroic struggle under
the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam
and triumphantly concluded their anti-U.S.
resistance for national salvation 30 years ago.
Despite war, Vietnamese look favorably on Korea
April 30, 2005 ? HAMYTRUNG, Vietnam ? Thirty
years ago, this village 20 kilometers (12 miles)
outside the city of Danang suffered at the hands
of South Korean troops during the Vietnam War.
Today, though, there are few traces of the past;
the villagers view Korea as a friendly country.
"To me, Korea is the friendliest nation in the
world," says Luu Cuc, 50, headmaster of a school
that was built in 2001 with funds from the South
Korean government.
Observance of Principles in Information
Activities Urged
Pyongyang, April 28 (KCNA) -- Now information,
divorced from its original mission, is used as a
means of ideological and cultural infiltration
into other countries and, worse still, as a
means of infringement upon sovereignty and
interests and some countries do not hesitate to
employ latest information technology in their
espionage for military invasion of other
countries, abusing their "technical advantage"
and "monopolistic position" in the field of
information. The DPRK delegate said this at the
27th meeting of the UN Information Committee on
April 19. [Independent states]
War Hero Stresses Future-Oriented Ties
By Lee Tae-gyu
Hankook Ilbo
A Vietnamese former top military general
expressed his hope that Seoul-Hanoi relations
would develop a forward-looking approach, and
move beyond the troubled past.
In an exclusive interview with The Hankook Ilbo,
sister paper of The Korea Times, retired general
Vo Nguyen Giap, 94, who led the defeat of French
and American forces during the Vietnam War, said
relations between South Korea and Vietnam are
now much better than before, and should be
further developed into future-oriented
direction.
This interview was conducted on April 19 at
Giap's residence in Hanoi to commemorate the
30th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War
and the liberation of southern Vietnam from
foreign occupation on April 30.
However, Giap stressed South Koreans should not
forget what he described as the wrongdoings
South Korean troops during the conflict.
``The past cannot be erased, but both countries
can work together to make relations better for
the future,'' he said.
As for inter-Korean relations, Giap emphasized
dialogue is the key to achieving a peaceful
reunification of the two Koreas. ``As long as
the people of the two Koreas want a unified
Korean Peninsula, the day of reunification is
sure to come,'' he said.
) And about South Korea's participation in the
war?
A) As we know, the U.S. led the war and South
Korea joined it as an ally after then South
Korean President Park Chung-hee accepted
Washington's demands. It was an unfortunate
thing both for Vietnam and South Korea. I know
some Koreans visited our country after the war
and apologized for their wrongdoings. The two
countries share the experience of being occupied
by a foreign power. Now we have good feelings
toward South Koreans.
Kim Yong Nam Meets Foreign Heads of State and
Government
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the Supreme
People's Assembly of the DPRK, who was attending
the Asia-Africa Summit, separately met and had
conversations with the Nepalese king, the
Cambodian prime minister, the Mongolian
president, the Vietnamese president, the sultan
of Brunei Darussalam, the sultan of the
Sultanate of Oman, the Zimbabwean president, the
Malaysian prime minister, the Thai prime
minister and the Algerian president on April 22.
Kim Yong Nam Clarifies DPRK Stand at Asia-Africa
Summit
Pyongyang, April 23 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, who is leading the DPRK
delegation, made a speech at the Asia-Africa
Summit in Indonesia on April 22. He said that
the Korean people commemorating the golden
jubilee of the Bandung Conference recall with
deep emotion the historic days when President
Kim Il Sung, the father of the nation, and
leader Kim Jong Il attended the commemorations
of the 10th anniversary of the conference,
conducting indefatigable external activities to
develop the friendly and cooperative relations
with the non-aligned countries.
Oceanic Preparatory Committee Inaugurated
Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- An inaugural
ceremony of the Oceanic preparatory committee
for the "Meeting Praising the Great Persons of
Mt. Paektu" was held at the building of a coal
miners union of Australia on April 11. The
chairman of the Australia-DPRK Association for
Friendship and Cultural Exchange and Don Borrie,
chairman of the New Zealand-DPRK Society, were
elected co-chairmen of the committee at the
ceremony.
Congratulations to Vatican
Pyongyang, April 22 (KCNA) -- Samuel Jang Jae
On, chairman of the Central Committee of the
Korean Catholics Association, sent a
congratulatory message to the Vatican on April
22. Extending congratulations to His Eminence
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger for having been
elected to the 265th Pope by the grace of the
Lord and the firm confidence of the Catholic
Church, he in the message prayed His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI as the Supreme Minister of the
church to realize love, peace and justice.
Crucial Kapyong Battle Remembered 54 Years Later
By Mike Weisbart
Korea Times Columnist
KAPYONG, Kyonggi Province - More than half a
century after one of the most important battles
of the Korean War, veterans from four countries
returned here on Friday to celebrate their
victory and remember fallen comrades.
Joined by dignitaries and local citizens, the
nearly 200 veterans from Australia, Canada, New
Zealand, and the United Kingdom, marched, laid
wreathes, and prayed in remembrance at the great
stone memorial, erected by the United Nations
Korean War Allies Association (UNKWAA) in 1967,
at the center of the town.
"Resolution" of Meeting of UN Commission on
Human Rights Rejected
Pyongyang, April 20 (KCNA) -- A "resolution"
malignantly slandering the DPRK was adopted at
the 61st meeting of the UN Commission on Human
Rights held in Geneva recently. In this regard,
a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry
released a statement today declaring that human
rights precisely mean national sovereignty and
the DPRK will take a decisive measure against
the continued misuse of the human rights issue
as leverage for anti-DPRK hostile campaign.
Asian nations now fight over territory in space
April 19, 2005 ? While a heated territorial
dispute is under way on the ground, Korea will
begin negotiations with Japan among other
neighbors to stake out space in the sky.
According to a government report obtained by the
JoongAng Ilbo, Korean and Chinese officials will
meet Monday, and with Japanese and Russian
officials later this year, to secure spots for
geostationary satellites.
DPRK Delegate Clarifies Its Stand on Disarmament
Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- It is necessary to
put a definite end to the negative political
stand in order to revive the disarmament
conference that has remained paralyzed for
almost ten years, declared a delegate of the
DPRK, addressing the plenary session of the UN
Disarmament Conference held in Geneva on March
10. Holding that the issue of putting the
conference on a normal track is not a matter
related to procedures or modalities, he noted
that a great political obstacle is lying in the
way of the conference and it is the political
will to block the progress in the work of the
conference at any cost.
The disarmament conference is not a platform to
allow one party to pursue its policy, he said,
and continued:
If all of us seek an effective way of advancing
the work of the conference and saving its fate,
it is imperative to put a definite end to the
negative political stand. This will be the only
way out. Our delegation is of the view that one
may say there is a genuine political groundwork
for reaching a consensus of views on the working
plan of the disarmament conference only when all
its member states show their political will to
advance the work of the conference in the
interests of the whole mankind.
In the absence of this political groundwork, the
conference would prove fruitless and it would be
hard for it to agree on any proposal no matter
how frequently it has discussions.
Our delegation sincerely wishes to see a
breakthrough made in the work of the conference
this year. In this context we call upon each
member state of the conference to strive to find
a solution.
Greetings to President of Ireland
Pyongyang, March 17 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings
to Mary Mcaleese , president of Ireland, on Mar.
17 on the occasion of its national day. In the
belief that the friendly and cooperative ties
between the two countries would grow stronger,
he wished the Irish people well-being and
prosperity.
DPRK Youth League Delegation Leaves for Syria
Pyongyang, March 12 (KCNA) -- A delegation of
the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League headed by
Kim Kyong Ho, first secretary of the Central
Committee of the youth league, left Pyongyang
Saturday to visit Syria. It was seen off at the
airport by Kil Chol Hyok, secretary of the C.C.,
the youth league, and Muhammad Adib Alhani,
charge d'affaires ad interim of Syrian embassy
in Pyongyang.
Envoys Tried to Shun Birthday Party
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
Diplomats in Pyongyang reportedly tried to
boycott the birthday party of North Korea's
leader Kim Jong-il to express their discontent
with the North's declaration that it has nuclear
weapons.
However, those diplomats, mostly from Europe,
attended the party on Feb. 14 after Pyongyang
officials explained that it was hosted by
Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun, according to
diplomatic sources in Seoul Friday.
``I heard they arrived at the party about 30
minutes late,'' an official said, on condition
of anonymity. ``It was an indirect protest
against the North's declaration.''
Feb. Fete Celebrated in at Least 100 countries
Pyongyang, March 10 (KCNA) -- The world
progressives significantly celebrated the
birthday of leader Kim Jong Il as the greatest
auspicious event and a holiday common to all
people. Among the keen interest of heads of
states, governments, political parties, various
public figures and people national preparatory
committees for celebrating his birthday and
those of different organizations were
inaugurated in various parts of the world as
part of brisk preparations for marking the day
from the middle of December last year
Kim Jong Il Greets Syrian President
Pyongyang, March 8 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il,
general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
and chairman of the National Defence Commission
of the DPRK, Monday sent a message of greetings
to Bashar al''Assad, general secretary of the
Central Committee of the Syrian Baath Arab
Socialist Party and president of the Syrian Arab
Republic. The message reads:
I extend warm felicitations to you and the
friendly government of the Syrian Arab Republic
and people on the 42nd anniversary of the March
8 Revolution in Syria.
Respect for Sovereignty Essential for World
Peace Order
Pyongyang, March 3 (KCNA) -- The basic condition
for the establishment of a world peace order is
respect for the sovereignty of the countries and
nations. Respect for sovereignty is the
foundation of peace and stability and
fundamental guarantee of harmony and unity among
countries and peoples. Rodong Sinmun says this
in a signed article Thursday.
Greetings to Libyan Leader
Pyongyang, March 2 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Tuesday sent a message of
greetings to Colonel Moammer el Gaddafi, leader
of the Great September First Revolution of the
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,
on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the
proclamation of Jamahiriya in Libya. Expressing
the belief that the friendly relations between
the two countries would continue to develop on
good terms, the message wished the Libyan people
progress and prosperity.
Iranian News Agency Chief Visit NK
SEOUL (Yonhap) - North Korea said Monday that a
high-level official met with the head of Iran's
official news agency to discuss relations
between the two countries.
Yang Hyong-sop, vice chairman of the Presidium
of the Supreme People's Assembly, met with
Abdollah Nasseri Taheri, managing director of
the Tehran-based Islamic Republic News Agency
(IRNA), in Pyongyang, the North's Korean Central
News Agency (KCNA) said.
The IRNA and the KCNA play an important role in
further developing the long-standing friendly
relations between the two countries, Taheri was
quoted as saying.
NK Diplomacy Focuses on ASEAN
North Korea has concentrated on forging diplomatic relations with the 10-member
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since the Cold War, a North
Korean quarterly said.
``The international environment since the Cold War raises the issue of further
developing ties with ASEAN countries,'' the latest edition of History Science
said.
The quarterly also said ASEAN was important for the North to forge a sense of
self-reliance in Asia and around the world and to make the North a powerful
socialist country.
ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ASEAN was founded in 1967.
Message of Sympathy to Lebanese President
Pyongyang, February 19 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a message of
sympathy to Lebanese President Emile Lahoud in
connection with a recent bomb explosion in
Beirut that claimed the life of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri and big casualties. The
message condemned the brutal terrorism in Beirut
and hoped that the Lebanese government and
people would overcome sorrow and achieve success
in the work to eradicate the aftermath of the
incident as early as possible and protect the
stability and sovereignty of the country.
Oceanian Regional Preparatory Committee Formed
Pyongyang, February 13 (KCNA) -- The Oceanian
regional preparatory committee for a joint event
of Koreans in the north and south and overseas
for implementing the June 15 joint declaration
was inaugurated on February 4. The committee
consists of Koreans in Australia and New
Zealand.
Vice-Chairman of the General Association of
Koreans in Australia Jang Jin Min was elected
chairman of the preparatory committee,
Chairwoman of the General Association of Koreans
in Australia Kim Un Sil honorary chairwoman and
13 public figures vice-chairmen.
Greetings to Iranian President
Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings
to Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami on
Feb. 10 on the occasion of the 26th anniversary
of victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran.
The message noted that the Iranian government
and people have gained a great success in their
work for defending the gains of the Islamic
Revolution and building independent and
prosperous Iran, bravely shattering all sorts of
trials and challenges in the past 26 years.
Pak Pong Ju Greets Iranian First Vice-President
Pyongyang, February 10 (KCNA) -- Pak Pong Ju,
premier of the DPRK Cabinet, sent a message of
greetings to Iranian First Vice-President
Mohammad Reza Aref on the occasion of the 26th
anniversary of the victory of the Islamic
Revolution in Iran
Mongolian President Visits DPRK
Kim Yong Nam (center of right side) and Mongolian President talk about series
of matters of common concern at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.
Mongolian President Natsagyn Bagabandi visited the DPRK from December 21 to 23.
His official visit to the DPRK was at the invitation of Kim Yong Nam, president
of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
Talks were held between Kim Yong Nam and Natsagyn Bagabandi on Dec. 21 at the
Mansudae Assembly Hall.
At the talks both sides exchanged views on the issue of boosting the bilateral
friendly relations and a series of matters of common concern.
Floral Basket to Kim Jong Il from Abbas
Pyongyang, February 7 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong
Il received a floral basket from Mahmoud Abbas,
chief of the Palestinian National Authority who
is chairman of the Executive Committee of the
Palestine Liberation Organization, on the
occasion of his birthday. It was conveyed to
DPRK Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun by
Palestinian Ambassador e. p. to the DPRK Shaher
Mohammed Abdlah on Feb. 7.
Mongolia rules out camps for refugees
December 30, 2004 ? President Natsagiin
Bagabandi of Mongolia ruled out the
establishment of resettlement camps for North
Korean refugees in his country during a visit to
Pyeongyang last week, said Mongolia's ambassador
to the United States, Ravdan Bold. In an
interview with Radio Free Asia on Tuesday, Mr.
Bold said Mr. Bagabandi was concerned that such
camps might complicate relations with North
Korea.
Mongolia Will Not Build Refugee Camp for NK
Defectors
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
Mongolian President Natsagiyn Bagabandi recently
promised the Pyongyang government that his
country would not build a refugee camp for North
Korean defectors in its territory, Radio Free
Asia (RFA) reported in its website on Wednesday.
Kim Yong Nam Sends Message of Sympathy to Thai
King
Pyongyang, December 29 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Monday sent a message of
sympathy to Bhumibol Adulyadej, king of
Thailand, in connection with the quake and tidal
waves that occurred recently in the Indian
Ocean, claiming huge casualties and an enormous
loss of properties in Thailand. The message
expressed the belief that the Thai king and
royal government would eradicate the aftermath
of the natural disaster and bring the living of
the people in the afflicted areas to normal as
early as possible.
(similar messages sent to Maldives, Malaysia,
India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia)
DPRK and Cuba Talk About Strengthening Mutual Military Cooperation
A military delegation of the DPRK visited the Republic of Cuba from November 23
to 27 and had talks with its Cuban counterpart on the development of their
mutual military cooperation.
Talks were held between military delegations of the DPRK and Cuba on November
24 in Havana. Both sides informed each other on the situations of internal
affairs and exchanged opinions on the issues of strengthening their mutual
cooperation in military affairs and of developing mutual friendship between
their armed forces and peoples.
Message of Greetings to Kim Jong Il from
Cambodian King
Pyongyang, December 22 (KCNA) -- Leader Kim Jong
Il received a message of greetings from
Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni on Dec. 15 on
the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the
establishment of diplomatic ties between the
DPRK and Cambodia. The Kingdom of Cambodia and
the DPRK have maintained the exemplary great
friendly relations in all fields over the last
40 years, the message said, and went on:
I will make every possible effort for the steady
efflorescence and development of such beautiful
unbreakable relations of friendship which will
always link the two countries and their leaders
and peoples.
Noting that Kim Jong Il has achieved signal
successes in the economic and social fields by
carrying forward the cause of President Kim Il
Sung, thus turning the DPRK into a developed and
proud country, the message pointed out that Kim
Jong Il has devoted himself to the work to bring
earlier the peaceful reunification of Korea. The
Kingdom of Cambodia will always stand on the
side of the DPRK, it added.
Talks Held between Presidents of DPRK and
Mongolia
Pyongyang, December 21 (KCNA) -- Talks were held
between Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium
of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, and
Natsagyn Bagabandi, president of Mongolia, at
the Mansudae Assembly Hall today. At the talks
both sides exchanged views on the issue of
boosting the bilateral friendly relations and a
series of matters of common concern. The talks
proceeded in a friendly atmosphere.
Present there from the DPRK side were Foreign
Minister Paek Nam Sun, Vice-Minister of Foreign
Trade Ri Ryong Nam, Vice-Minister of Agriculture
Mun Ung Jo, Deputy to the Supreme People's
Assembly Rim Kyong Suk, DPRK Ambassador to
Mongolia Pak Jong Do and officials concerned.
Present from the Mongolian side were Foreign
Minister Tsend Munkh-orgil, Ambassador to the
DPRK J. Lomvo,
Mongolian President Arrives in Pyongyang
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
Mongolian President Natsagyn Bagabandi arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday on what
appeared to be a mission to enhance bilateral relations, which may have been
strained due to Mongolia's stance to accept North Korean defectors.
Mongolia's role as a ``processing center'' for defectors seeking to come to
Seoul has apparently become a source of concern for the North since Mongolian
Foreign Minister Tsend Munh-Orgil said in a November interview that his
government would continue its policy of receiving North Korean refugees at
border crossings.
The Mongolian president was greeted at the airport in Pyongyang by Kim
Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the North's Supreme People's Assembly,
the North's official mouthpiece Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
In August, Pyongyang's deputy foreign minister Kim Yong-il visited Mongolia and
suggested building a joint collective farm to which North Koreans, including
defectors, would provide the manpower, according to a report by Radio Free Asia.
Friendly ties between North Korea and Mongolia have been expanding in recent
years with the North Korean Embassy in Mongolia reopening in August after being
closed for five years.
Day of UN South-South Cooperation Observed
Pyongyang, December 19 (KCNA) -- Papers here
Sunday observe the day of "UN south-south
cooperation." It is the consistent stand of the
DPRK government to strengthen and develop the
south-south cooperation. The DPRK has steadily
boosted the friendly and cooperative relations
with other developing countries through this
cooperation
Mongolian President to Visit Pyongyang to Discuss Defectors
By Park Song-wu
Staff Reporter
Mongolian President Natsagiin Bagabandi will try to address a thorny diplomatic
issue involving North Korean defectors who consider Mongolia a stopover before
Seoul during his visit to Pyongyang, a North Korea expert said Thursday.
Without giving the timing and purpose of the visit, the North's Korea Central
News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Yong-nam, chairman of the Presidium of the
Supreme People's Assembly, had invited Bagabandi to Pyongyang.
But a local newspaper in Mongolia recently reported that he will go to
Pyongyang on Dec. 21 on a three-day schedule.
Major agenda for the discussion between the two leaders is expected to include
measures to build a collective farm in Mongolia for North Korean defectors.
``The collective farm is a possible item they (Bagabandi and Kim) will discuss,
but the feasibility of it is in question because China holds the key to the
defector issue,'' Koo Kab-woo, professor at the Graduate School of North Korean
Studies in Seoul, told The Korea Times.
Kim Yong-il, Pyongyang's deputy foreign minister, visited Mongolia in August
this year to float a trial balloon for the building of a joint collective farm
to which North Koreans, including defectors, will provide the manpower,
according to a report by Radio Free Asia.
[refugee reception]
Mongolian President to Visit DPRK Soon
Pyongyang, December 16 (KCNA) - Natsagyn
Bagabandi, president of Mongolia, will soon pay
an official visit to the DPRK upon the
invitation of Kim Yong Nam, president of the
Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly.
[refugee reception]
40th Anniv. of DPRK, Cambodia Diplomatic
Relations Celebrated in Cambodia
Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- An evening of
friendship was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on
December 6, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic ties between the
DPRK and Cambodia. Cambodian Vice-Premier Hor
Nam Hong, who is also minister of Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation, in a
speech said that over the last 40 years the two
countries have creditably developed the
traditional relations of friendship provided by
great King Norodom Sihanouk and President Kim Il
Sung.
President of UN General Assembly Pays Official
Visit to DPRK
President of the UN General Assembly Jean Ping
paid an official visit to the DPRK from November
16 to 18.
During his three-day stay in Pyongyang, he had
talks with senior officials of the DPRK
including Kim Yong Nam, president of the
Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and
Foreign Minister Paek Nam Sun, respectively on
November 16 and 18 in the Mansudae Assembly
Hall.
The DPRK government hosted a reception for the
President of the UNGA and his party.
In an interview in Beijing on November 21 after
the Pyongyang visit, Jean Ping said that the
DPRK remained committed to the process of the
six-party talks.
"Pyongyang thinks that the climate of hostility
against it should be reversed," he said.
With regard to the resumption of the six-party
talks, a spokesman of the DPRK Foreign Ministry
said on November 13 that if the U.S. dropped its
hostile policy, it would be quite possible to
settle the nuclear issue, adding that the U.S.'s
policy switchover was a key to a solution to the
issue.
Jean Ping also said in a meeting with South
Korean Unification Minister that he received "a
very positive message" from Pyongyang. "He said
during the meeting he received a very positive
message from North Korea about reopening the six-
party talks," the Unification Ministry quoted
Jean Ping as saying.
Head of DPRK Delegation Refer to Peace and Security of Korean Peninsula in ARF
Meeting
The security policy meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum was held in Beijing,
China, on November 5. A delegation of the DPRK headed by Vice-Minister of the
People? Armed Forces Kim Sang Ik participated in the meeting and clarified its
view on the issue of preserving regional peace and security centering on the
Koran Peninsula in his speech at the meeting.
The basic factor of disturbing peace and stability in the Asian-Pacific region
at present is a military threat based on unilateralism and high-handed acts, he
said, adding that it is the Korean Peninsula where it is most strongly felt and
it is, therefore, a most pressing issue in preserving regional security and
ensuring peace on the peninsula.
DPRK Delegate to UN Stresses Human Rights
PYONGYANG, October 31 (KCNA)- The main obstacle in the efforts of the
international community to improve the effective enjoyment of human rights and
basic freedom is actions to infringe on sovereignty, change system and
interfere in the internal affairs of other countries committed under the
signboard of "democracy" and "protection of human rights," said the DPRK
delegate during the discussion of the human rights issue at the 3rd Committee
of the 59th UN General Assembly on October 26. He referred to the more
undisguised practices of using the human rights issue to attain a strategic
goal, distorting or turning away from realities to serve a political purpose.
He vehemently denounced the U.S. military occupation of Iraq and brutal murder
of civilians under the cloak of "democracy" and actions of the U.S. allies
keeping silent about it and branded this as an inhumane act of placing politics
above humankind and an insult upon human rights.
Respect for Sovereignty, Basic Requisite to
Building New World
Pyongyang, November 25 (KCNA) - Rodong Sinmun
Thursday in a signed article says respect for
sovereignty is a basic requisite to the building
of a peaceful new world and the foundation of
social development, adding: With their
sovereignty trampled upon, a people cannot
develop the national economy and culture, to say
nothing of their political freedom and exercise
of democratic rights. Respect for ideology,
system, national tradition and culture is one of
the most important matters in defending
sovereignty and establishing a peaceful order in
the world
The size of countries and the level of their
development may show their geographical
conception and degree of civilization, but
cannot be a yardstick of grading them in their
relations or defining their master-servant
relationship. Only when all the countries and
nations develop the state relations on the
principle of equality and mutual benefit can the
relations between them be closer, democratic and
friendly and the world be peaceful.
Today the world peace order is gravely disturbed
because the imperialist power disregard and
violate the publicly recognized principles and
norms which the countries should observe in
their relations.
The United States is trying to behave as it
pleases in the international arena, relying on
its economic potentials and military power. It
categorically brands the countries which refuse
to accept its demand or resist it as bad ones
and attempts to get rid of them with strength,
pressurizing and threatening them. Its
unilateral policy is linked to military
aggression and state terrorism against other
countries to disturb and destroy peace and
stability and drive the world to confusion and
instability.
It is impossible to achieve world peace and
stability and let people live in a peaceful
world without a fight against the U.S. moves to
violate and obliterate others' sovereignty.
[Independent states]
Congratulations to Afghanistan President
Pyongyang, November 12 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Wednesday sent a
congratulatory message to Hamid Karzai upon his
election as president of the Caretaker Islamic
State of Afghanistan. The message wished him
success in his work.
North Korea orders mourning for Arafat
November 13, 2004 ? North Korea has declared
three days of national mourning for Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat, who died Thursday in Paris.
The state-run Korea Central News Agency said
yesterday that the government of the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea decided to formally
honor Mr. Arafat between Nov.15 and 17 by flying
flags at half-mast
Message of Condolences to Speaker of Palestinian
Legislative Council
Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the Supreme
People's Assembly of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea, Thursday sent a message of
condolences to Rawhi Fatouh, speaker of the
Legislative Council of the Palestinian National
Authority, over the death of Yasser Arafat,
president of the State of Palestine, chairman of
the Executive Committee of the Palestine
Liberation Organization and head of the
Palestinian National Authority
DPRK Government Decides to Mourn Death of Yasser
Arafat
Pyongyang, November 11 (KCNA)- In connection
with the death of Yasser Arafat, president of
the State of Palestine, chairman of the
Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation
Organisation and head of the Palestine National
Authority, due to illness on November 11 the
Government of the Democratic People's Republic
of Korea decided to set the period from Nov.15
to 17 as a mourning period and fly flags at half
mast at some institutions in this period. A
close friend of the Korean people, President
Yasser Arafat visited the DPRK six times from
October 1981 to June 1993. He was awarded the
title of Hero of the DPRK during his first
Korean visit
Head of DPRK Delegation on Peace and Security on
Korean Peninsula
Pyongyang, November 9 (KCNA) -- Vice-Minister of
the People's Armed Forces Kim Sang Ik who is
heading a delegation of the DPRK clarified its
view on the issue of preserving the regional
peace and security centering around the Korean
Peninsula in his speech made at the security
policy meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum on
November 5. The basic factor of disturbing peace
and stability in the Asian-Pacific region at
present is a military threat based on
unilateralism and high-handed acts, he said,
adding that it is the Korean Peninsula where it
is most strongly felt and it is, therefore, a
most pressing issue in preserving the regional
security to ensure peace on the peninsula.
Speeches of DPRK Delegation to 59th UN General Assembly
On Permanent Peace on Korean Peninsula
The delegate of the DPRK to the United Nations declared on October 12 that the
DPRK will in the future, too, bend all efforts available to remove the threat
of foreign forces and ensure a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
He was addressing the first committee of the 59th UN general assembly.
North Korea Ready to Establish Embassy in Brazil
- Also serving as intermediary in trade between Brazil and other countries -
[Sao Paulo, KOTRA]
The establishment of a North Korean embassy in Brazil seems imminent. After North Korean officials visited Brazil in early September to make preparations for opening the embassy, another group of relevant officials from Pyongyang will make a trip to the South American country sooner or later, it has recently been learned. This development has prompted diplomatic analysts to conclude that North Korea's opening an embassy in Brazil is just a matter of time.
North Korea entered into diplomatic relations with Brazil in 2001, and North Korean Ambassador to Peru You Chang-eun has concurrently served as ambassador to Brazil since early 2002. With the political and economic exchanges between the two countries increasing, North Korea has sought to set up a separate embassy in Brazil. North Korea's ambassador to Peru will continue to serve as ambassador to Brazil even after the establishment of the separate embassy.
Since North Korea is also known to be considering setting up its trade representative office in Sao Paulo, the largest commercial and industrial city in Brazil, the country's trade exchange with Brazil is prospected to be more active than ever in the near future.
Cambodia's Next King: Apparently the Least Apparent Heir
By SETH MYDANS
Published: October 12, 2004
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia, Oct. 11 - Playing one final hand in a lifelong game of
chance, King Norodom Sihanouk has engineered the succession of his most
self-effacing son, Prince Norodom Sihamoni, to the throne his father has held
for more than 60 years.
On Monday, the government took the final steps to prepare a nine-member Throne
Council that is charged, under the Constitution, with selecting a new king. In
this case, its action, expected this week, will probably be a formality.
In a series of maneuvers over recent days, the king announced his surprise
resignation and secured the backing for his choice of the country's most
powerful man, Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as the most ambitious of his
sons, Prince Norodom Ranariddh.
Born May 14, 1953, in Phnom Penh, Prince Sihamoni studied classical Cambodian
dance with his sister, Buppha Devi, who became a leading performer here. He
graduated in 1975 from the Academy of Music and Art in Prague, and then studied
cinematography in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital.
ASEM to Call for Peaceful End to NK Nuclear
Standoff
By Shim Jae-yun
Korea Times Correspondent
HANOI - Leaders of the 39 member states of the
5th Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) are poised to
urge a peaceful resolution of the North Korean
nuclear crisis, lending support for the six-
party talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear
arms programs.
Congratulations to Indonesian President
Pyongyang, October 6 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, on Tuesday sent a message to
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono congratulating him on
his election as president of the Republic of
Indonesia. Expressing belief that the
traditional relations of friendship and
cooperation between the DPRK and Indonesia would
steadily grow strong, Kim in the message
sincerely wished the Indonesian president great
success in his responsible work.
Seoul Seeks to Address NK Issue at ASEM
By Shim Jae-yun
Korea Times Correspondent
HANOI - South Korea is petitioning nations
participating in the 5th Asia Europe Meeting
(ASEM) starting here Oct. 8 to voice their
support for resolving the continuing standoff
over North Korea's nuclear weapons programs
Memos. of Understanding on Negotiations between
For. Ministries of DPRK and South Africa
Pyongyang, September 24 (KCNA) -- A memorandum
of understanding on negotiations between the
Foreign Ministries of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea and the Republic of South
Africa was signed in Pyongyang today. The
document was inked by Kung Sok Ung, vice-
minister of Foreign Affairs from our side, and
by Anil Sooklal, deputy director general of the
Department for Asia and the Middle East of the
Foreign Ministry of South Africa from the
opposite side.
South African Government Delegation Arrives
Pyongyang, September 21 (KCNA) -- The government
delegation of South Africa led by East Anil
Sooklal, deputy director general of the
Department for Asia and the Middle East of the
Foreign Ministry, arrived here Tuesday by air.
DPRK Delegations Leave Pyongyang
Pyongyang, September 21 (KCNA) -- Leaving here
Tuesday by air were a DPRK delegation led by Kim
Hyong Chol, director of the State Bureau for
Quality Control, to participate in the 40th
general assembly of the World Intellectual
Property Organization in Geneva, a DPRK Maritime
Bureau delegation led by Jong Yun Min, director
of the State Maritime Control Bureau, to visit
Singapore, Pakistan, Thailand and Cyprus and a
delegation of the Korean Democratic Women's
Union led by Pak Sun Hui, chairperson of its
Central Committee, to visit Syria. A delegation
of the Korean Central News Agency headed by Kim
Pyong Ho, its deputy director general, left here
on the same day by air to participate in the
World Conference of News Agencies to be held in
Moscow.
DPRK's Stand to Work Hard for Growth of NAM
Clarified
Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
government will fulfill its responsibility and
mission for global independence and the
strengthening and development of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM), said the head of the DPRK
delegation in his speech at the 14th Non-Aligned
Foreign Ministers' Conference in Durban, South
Africa, on August 19. He said:
The DPRK government considers it an avowed
principle of its foreign policy to consistently
maintain the fundamental principle and idea of
the NAM.
Oil diplomacy a gusher
ASTANA, Kazakhstan ? President Roh Moo-hyun and
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev
yesterday signed agreements that could
eventually allow Korea access to as much as 850
million barrels of crude oil from Kazakh fields.
In return, Korea promised to provide Kazakhstan
with nuclear power plant technology.
DPRK Delegation Leaves to Attend U.N. General
Assembly Session
Pyongyang, September 15 (KCNA) -- A delegation
of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea led
by Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Choe Su Hon
left Pyongyang today to attend the 59th Session
of the U.N. General Assembly.
Korean Missionary Killed in Kazakhstan
By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter
A South Korean missionary was found dead on
Monday in Kazakhstan, Yonhap news agency
reported Tuesday.
Kim Jin-hee, 34, who worked as a missionary in
Karaganda, central Kazakhstan, was struck with a
blunt instrument. There are two murder suspects.
The incident raises concerns over security as
President Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to visit the
nation next Monday, embarrassing the Kazakhstan
government at it prepares for the summit talks.
They flatly denied speculation that the murder
may be related to terrorism aimed at Koreans.
Karaganda is located in the middle of
Kazakhstan, 200 kilometers south of its capital
Astana and 1,000 kilometers from Almaty, where
most Koreans in Kazakhstan reside. [Diaspora] [Christianity]
Pyongyang bustles with foreign visitors
North Korean capital busy with political, arts and sports events,/b>
North Korea's capital Pyongyang has been playing host to a number of foreign diplomats and guests for a film festival and book fair, seemingly oblivious of a huge explosion in a northern province bordering China and speculation it was a nuclear weapons test, reports here said.
The secretive country's foreign affairs officials have been busy holding discussions with senior diplomats and officials from Britain and major North Korean ally China.
Message of Sympathy to Indonesian President
Pyongyang, September 11 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, sent a message of sympathy to
Megawati Soekarnoputri, president of Indonesia,
today. Upon hearing the sad news that loss of
many lives were caused a recent bomb explosion
in Jakarta claimed huge casualties, I express
deep sympathy and consolation to the Indonesian
government and people, the message said.
Strongly condemning brutal terrorism, the
message expressed the belief that the Indonesian
president and government would eradicate the
aftermath of the terror and bring the living of
the bereaved families of the victims to normal
as early as possible. [Terrorism]
Foreign Delegates Rush to Pyongyang
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
With Seoul in a hustle and bustle to confirm the character of the latest huge
blast in the northern part of North Korea, Pyongyang has also been busy with a
flurry of senior foreign envoys in a bid to strengthen diplomatic ties with
major powers.
Kim Jong Il met Sihanouk
Cambodian King Left for His Country after 115
Days Stay in DPRK
Sihanouk stayed in the DPRK from April 10 to
August 3. He visited the DPRK on the occasion of
the 92nd birthday of the late President Kim Il
Sung.
DPRK Public Health Delegation Leaves for China
and Maldives
Pyongyang, August 31 (KCNA) -- A DPRK public
health delegation led by Kim Su Hak, minister of
Public Health, left here Tuesday to visit China
and participate in the 22nd meeting of health
ministers of the Southeast Asian Region of the
World Health Organization and the 57th Southeast
Asian Regional Conference of the WHO to be held
in the Republic of Maldives.
Letter to International Committee of Red Cross
Pyongyang, September 6 (KCNA) -- The Central
Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society and the
DPRK Society for Human Rights Studies on August
27 sent a letter to the International Committee
of Red Cross denouncing the United States and
the south Korean authorities for committing such
inhumane acts as abducting 468 DPRK citizens and
taking them away to south Korea in two batches
on July 27 and 28 under the mask of "defectors
from the north". The letter said:
This is not the first time that the south Korean
authorities allured and abducted northerners but
they have long systematically committed such
crimes, the letter said, and went on: Taking
advantage of the U.S. policy to stifle the DPRK,
they perpetrated such acts after setting up many
bodies and organizations and sending personages
that specialize in alluring and abducting
"defectors from the north" in other countries
and regions close to Korea.
Letter to Office of UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights
Pyongyang, September 6 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
Society for Human Rights Studies and the Central
Committee of the DPRK Red Cross Society on
August 28 sent a letter to the Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights complaining to it about the criminal
actions taken by the U.S. and south Korean
authorities to abduct DPRK citizens and take
them to south Korea under the mask of
"defectors." The south Korean authorities
perpetrated such terrorism as alluring and
abducting 468 DPRK citizens in broad daylight
and taking them to south Korea under the mask of
"defectors from the north" in two batches on
July 27 and 28, the letter said, and continued:
DPRK's Stand to Work Hard for Growth of NAM
Clarified
Pyongyang, August 25 (KCNA) -- The DPRK
government will fulfill its responsibility and
mission for global independence and the
strengthening and development of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM), said the head of the DPRK
delegation in his speech at the 14th Non-Aligned
Foreign Ministers' Conference in Durban, South
Africa, on August 19. He said:
The DPRK government considers it an avowed
principle of its foreign policy to consistently
maintain the fundamental principle and idea of
the NAM.
North Korea-Mexico Formed a Friendship Association
[Mexico City, KOTRA]
The North Korean and Mexican parliaments held their inaugural ceremony for their bilateral friendship association on August 4, 2004.
Joining Lee Gang-se, the North Korean Ambassador to Mexico, as well as, the Mexican Rep. Hosse Louise Narangho Ichintana as the members, the two sides agreed to prepare a communication channel for improving mutual cooperation/understanding, as well as, a continuous relationship. Plus, both parties promised to exchange opinions on common interests.
While officially announcing a joint declaration, the North Korea-Mexico Friendship Association expressed its plan to discuss various subjects including culture, sports, food, laws, politics, economics as well as the finance field.
The second round meeting is slated for the upcoming September, 2004.
NK Strongly Criticizes Vietnam Over Defectors
By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
North Korea has strongly criticized Vietnam for
letting hundreds of its citizens go to South
Korea last month, according to lawmakers who
recently visited the Southeast Asian nation.
Art Performances Given in Indonesia
Pyongyang, August 17 (KCNA) -- The Pyongyang
Schoolchildren's Art Troupe of the DPRK
performed in Djakarta. After appreciating the
performance, public figures of Indonesia were
unsparing in their praises, describing it as a
fascinating and splendid performance and a
children's performance at the world highest
level.
Congratulatory Message to Singaporean Prime
Minister
Pyongyang, August 14 (KCNA) -- Premier of the
DPRK Cabinet Pak Pong Ju sent a congratulatory
message to Lee Hsien Loong upon his appointment
as prime minister of the Republic of Singapore.
The message wished him success in his work for
the prosperity and development of the country.
Tough Road Ahead for First U.N. Rights Envoy
Marwaan Macan-Markar
BANGKOK, Aug 11 (IPS) - A respected Thai human rights scholar faces a mammoth challenge in trying to open doors in North Korea - deemed as one of the world's most secretive and oppressive countries in the world.
Vitit Muntarbhorn, a 51-year-old international law professor at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University has little illusions about the task ahead, following his appointment as the first United Nations human rights envoy to investigate and report about the human rights climate in the East Asian nation.
Iran Denies Providing Missile Test Site
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 7, 2004
Filed at 4:26 p.m. ET
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran on Saturday dismissed allegations it was providing
test sites for North Korean long-range missiles
designed to deliver nuclear warheads, the
official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
A Bush administration official claimed earlier
that North Korea was getting around a self-
imposed missile test ban by sharing technology
information with Iran, which is allegedly
carrying out missile tests on Pyongyang's behalf.
Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani rejected
the claim, saying, ``Iran does not cooperate
with North Korea in missile technology and it
does not need to.''
11th Ministerial Meeting of ARF Held
Peaceful Solution of Nuclear Issue of Korean Peninsula Discussed
The 11th ministerial meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was held in
Jakarta, Indonesia. Paek Nam Sun, Foreign Minister of the DPRK, participated in
it.
Paek Nam Sun met representatives of many countries during the meeting.
He met with U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powel on July 2 and exchanged
opinions about the relationship between the DPRK and the U.S. and the nuclear
problem.
ASEAN Vows Role as Diplomatic Deterrent in NK
Nuke Issue
By Seo Dong-shin
Staff Reporter
A top official of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) vowed the member nations
will increase its efforts to serve as a
"diplomatic deterrent" in the process of
resolving the lingering impasse over North
Korea's nuclear weapons program.
KCNA: DPRK Brands Vietnam as Sullying Her Name
by Conspiring with US, SK in Abducting Its
Citizens
In an extraordinary move the DPRK Foreign
Ministry August 3 singled out Vietnam for harsh
criticism and branded her as sullying her
national honor by conspiring the United States
and South Korea in kidnapping North Korean
citizens. This behavior, the DPRK Foreign
Ministry spokesman charged, establishes Vietnam
as readily "stooping to any perfidious action,
discarding elementary
sense of obligation and morality between the
states in her selfish interests." [photos]
U.S. and S. Korean Authorities Hit for Their
Allurement and Abduction of North Koreans Abroad
Pyongyang, August 3 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for
the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea gave the following answer to a
question put by KCNA Tuesday as regards the
recent allurement and abduction of many
northerners abroad to south Korea:
.
The DPRK has information enough to prove that
Vietnam was involved in the plot of the U.S. and
the south Korean authorities to allure and
abduct citizens of the DPRK.
Through its involvement in the case Vietnam self-
exposed that it can stoop to any perfidious
action, discarding elementary sense of
obligation and morality between the states, in
order to meet its own interests.
Kim Jong Il Meets with Cambodian King
Pyongyang, July 31 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Il,
general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea
and chairman of the DPRK National Defence
Commission, Saturday visited the Jangsuwon State
Guest House where His Majesty the King of
Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk stays and met with him
Cambodian King in NK
: North
Korean leader Kim Jong-il, center, poses with
visiting Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk and his
wife after receiving state medals from the king
in Pyongyang on July 31.
Cambodian King Reappoints Prime Minister
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: July 14, 2004
Filed at 3:49 a.m. ET
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) -- Cambodia's king reappointed Hun Sen as prime
minister on Wednesday, a major step toward restoring normal government and
legislative operations after an 11-month political deadlock.
The appointment, made in an official letter signed by King Norodom Sihanouk,
gives Hun Sen his third elected term at the country's helm. It should clear the
way for a new government to be formed Thursday.
The letter from Sihanouk, currently on an extended stay in Pyongyang, North
Korea, was distributed to reporters by the Information Ministry, which is
controlled by Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party
DPRK Foreign Minister Meets Special Envoy of UN
Secretary General
Pyongyang, May 21 (KCNA) -- DPRK Foreign
Minister Paek Nam Sun met and conversed with
Maurice Strong, special envoy of the UN
secretary general, and his party Friday. Present
there were an official concerned and the acting
UN resident coordinator and representative of
the WHO here.
Kim Yong Nam Calls on Cambodian King
Pyongyang, May 21 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam,
president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's Assembly, Friday visited the state
guest house where Norodom Sihanouk, king of
Cambodia, is staying in the DPRK. He was
accompanied by Kim Yong Il, vice-minister of
Foreign Affairs, and other officials concerned.
He talked with the king in a friendly
atmosphere.
Top envoy from UN visiting Pyeongyang
Maurice Strong, a special adviser of the UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan, arrived in
Pyeongyang yesterday, according to the North
Korea's state-run news agency. The agency
reported that officials met Mr. Strong and his
party at the airport, but did not elaborate.
Mr. Annan said in March that Mr. Strong would be
sent to North Korea to discuss economic
development issues later that month, but trip
was postponed.
Special Envoy of UN Secretary General Arrives
Pyongyang, May 18 (KCNA) -- Maurice Strong,
special envoy of the secretary general of the
United Nations, and his party arrived here
Tuesday. The special envoy was greeted at the
airport by an official concerned and the UN
resident coordinator in the DPRK who is also
acting resident representative of the UNDP.
NK Likely to Take Part in ARF Meeting in July:
Indonesian FM
By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter
Visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan
Wirayuda said on Tuesday that he thought that it
is highly likely that North Korea will
participate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF)
this year.
Kim Yong Nam and Megawati Soekarnoputri Exchange
Greetings
Pyongyang, April 24 (KCNA) -- President of the
Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly
Kim Yong Nam and Indonesian President Megawati
Soekarnoputri exchanged messages of greetings on
April 16 on the occasion of the 40th anniversary
of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between the two countries.
Sister City Ties Established between DPRK and
Mexico
Pyongyang, April 21 (KCNA) -- An agreement on
opening the sister city ties between Sariwon,
the DPRK, and Rafael Lara Grajales, Puebla
State, Mexico, was signed in Rafael Lara
Grajales on April 13. It was inked by DPRK
Ambassador to Mexico Ri Kang Se and Mayor of
Rafael Lara Grajales Antonio Esperon Mora.
Banquet Given in Honor of Norodom Sihanouk
Pyongyang, April 10 (KCNA) -- The Presidium of
the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK gave a
banquet in honor of His Majesty King Norodom
Sihanouk of the Kingdom of Cambodia on a
goodwill visit to the DPRK at the People's
Palace of Culture this evening.
Plan Signed between DPRK and Egypt
Pyongyang, April 19 (KCNA) -- A plan for
implementing the Juche 93-95, (2004-2006) inter-
governmental agreement on cultural cooperation
was signed between the DPRK and Egypt here
today. The plan was signed by Jon Yong Jin, vice-
chairman of the Korean Committee for Cultural
Relations with Foreign Countries, from the
Korean side
A Better View Of Our Neighbor To the South
By Courtland Milloy
Sunday, April 18, 2004; Page C01
HAVANA
It took a few days being here, but I started
loosening up. You really can walk down dark,
narrow streets in this city and discover there
is nothing to fear but fear itself.
I was still carrying a lot of that spooky old
Cuban commie baggage when I arrived last week.
The Cold War shadow was tailing me. I feared my
room was bugged. Would they try to brainwash me,
or just ply me with rum and make me talk?
In the end, all it took was a little tropical
sunshine, and I was toast. Yeah, I'm down with
the revolution, Fidel, and would you mind
passing me a cigar?
I was here as part of a research project,
sponsored by the Institute for Advanced
Journalism Studies based at Delaware State
University, to examine the influence of Africans
in the Americas. In 1886, a rebellion of blacks
and whites against Spanish colonial rule of this
island helped end slavery in Cuba and put the
nation on its way to becoming a truly integrated
society.
Then, at the turn of the 20th century, the United States became a force in
Cuban life, installing a series of puppet leaders who would institutionalize a
Jim Crow style of racial segregation.
I knew nothing of this history for many years. In fact, the first Cuban I ever
saw was Ricky Ricardo on the television show "I Love Lucy." What could be so
bad about a place where people learned to sing "Babalu"? But that was before
Fidel Castro replaced that silly, sweet music with songs about what people here
simply call "the revolution."
Through it all, that African influence has remained -- most obviously in music,
art and food but also more subtly in the cuddly, communal way that people
relate to each other.
I loved moving around this city. I traveled most of the time with a group of
three other African American journalists. Surprisingly, despite nearly 45 years
of U.S.-backed attempts to assassinate Castro and sabotage his government, the
Cuban people welcomed us with open arms.
We enjoyed dinner at the home of a large, interracial family of working-class
Cubans who didn't really have a lot but graciously provided us a tasty meal of
fried chicken, red snapper and roasted potatoes.
There were other families who lived in hot and overcrowded conditions -- in
everything from dilapidated old mansions to
homemade, rooftop shacks. But there were no
homeless people.
Everybody we interviewed wanted relations
between Cuba and the United States normalized,
and no one could understand the logic behind a
four-decade U.S. embargo or a foreign policy
that seeks to "destroy a village in order to
save it."
During a visit to a school for visually and
hearing-impaired students, we heard two junior
high school-aged girls play classic American
music on piano and a trio of girls sing of their
love for Cuba.
What impressed me most, however, was that the
school is free -- as is all education in Cuba.
Castro, it turns out, has been saying "leave no
child behind" since 1959, when his rebel army
overthrew the brutal, U.S.-backed dictatorship
of Fulgencio Batista.
Before the revolution, it was mostly whites who
received quality educations and health care.
Since then, the standard of living among blacks
and mulattoes, groups that make up roughly 60
percent of the population, has dramatically
improved -- despite the embargo and loss of
billions of dollars in aid that resulted from
the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Coincidently, on my last day in Havana, the U.N.
Human Rights Commission in Geneva passed
resolutions criticizing conditions in North
Korea, Belarus, Turkmenistan -- and Cuba.
I was struck by a certain incongruity, because
Cuba has a near 100 percent literacy rate and
free health care, and no hospital in the country
has ever closed its doors. Even in some of the
wealthiest of nations, public schools are dismal
failures and a hospital's financial bottom line
often gets more attention than a patient's flat
line.
The U.N. resolutions struck me as another
example of the world's big kettles calling a
bunch of small pots black. Make no mistake about
it: The United States has much to teach. But
from what I saw in Cuba, we also have much to
learn.
[Tourism] [Cuba]
E-mail: milloyc@washpost.com
Cambodian King to Visit DPRK
Pyongyang, April 3 (KCNA) -- His Majesty
Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk will shortly pay
a goodwill visit to the DPRK on the occasion of
the birth anniversary of President Kim Il Sung.
Iranian President on Independent Policy of DPRK
Pyongyang, March 29 (KCNA) -- Iran highly
appreciates the principled and independent
policy maintained by the DPRK. Iranian President
Seyed Mohammad Khatami said this when he
received new DPRK Ambassador E.P. to Iran Kim
Chang Ryong on Mar. 25. Noting that the
relations between the two countries have
favorably developed since the victory of the
Islamic revolution, he said that the Iranian
people would never forget the government and
people of the DPRK for the invariable support
and encouragement extended by them to the cause
of the Iranian people.
He went on:
The United States is putting pressure upon Iran,
the DPRK and other independent states in a bid
to create the atmosphere of increasing pressure
under this or that pretext.
Greetings to Malaysian Prime Minister
Pyongyang, March 25 (KCNA) -- Premier of the
DPRK Cabinet Pak Pong Ju sent a message of
greetings to Datuk Sri Abdullah Ahmad@Badawi on
his assumption of office as prime minister of
Malaysia. The message expressed the belief that
the good friendly and cooperative relations
between the two countries would continue
to@develop on good terms.
Greetings to Iranian President
Pyongyang, March 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the
Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of
greetings to Seyed Mohammad Khatami, president of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, on March 19 on the occasion of the New Year of the
country. The message said: _
I take this opportunity to extend warm congratulations to you, the
Iranian government and people friendly to the DPRK. I am convinced
that the good friendly and cooperative relations between our two
countries will further develop and wish you great success in your
responsible work to defend the sovereignty and dignity of the country
and build an independent and prosperous Islamic society.
Greetings to Pakistani President
Pyongyang, March 22 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the
Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, today sent a
message of greetings to Pervez Musharraf, president of Pakistan, on the
occasion of the day of Pakistan, the national holiday of its people.
Expressing belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the
two countries would grow stronger, the message wished the president
and the people of Pakistan greater success in their work for the
democratic development and economic progress of the country.
KCNA on Lesson Drawn from Situation in Iraq
Pyongyang, March 18 (KCNA) -- One year has passed since the United States provoked a war of aggression against Iraq. On March 20 last year the U.S. started invasion against Iraq, a member state of the United Nations and a sovereign state, under the pretext of "eliminating weapons of mass destruction (WMD)" and committed mass destruction and genocide, toppling its legitimate government.
The UNSC whose basic mission is to preserve international peace and security not only failed to check the U.S. aggression but allowed itself to be used in justifying the U.S.-pursued aim to completely disarm Iraq through inspection.
The UNSC is thus known to be incapable of doing anything against the arbitrary practice of the world's only superpower
What happened in Iraq teaches a serious lesson that if the UN and the international community allow the U.S. high-handed and arbitrary practices, the UN Charter, the foundation of international law, will become invalid and global peace and security are bound to be seriously disturbed and accepting unreasonable inspection aimed at disarmament will not help avert a war but lead to it.
It is necessary for the UN member states to seriously look back from an objective viewpoint on how the UNSC handled the Iraqi issue over the last 10-odd years.
Democratic Congo
Pyongyang, March 10 (KCNA) -- The chairman of
the Group for the Study of the Exploits of the
Three Generals of Mt. Paektu in Democratic Congo
in a press statement on March 3 stressed that
the six-way talks have proved ineffective owing
to the insincere attitude of the U.S.
, President of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme
People's
Assembly, left Pyongyang on July 10 to pay official goodwill visits to
Indonesia, Libya and Syria.</A>
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