Tag: Kim Jong Un

US State Secretary Tillerson says talks with N.Korea may be close, notes ‘restraint’

  by Dave Clark Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States said Tuesday that talks with North Korea may be possible “in the near future” after Pyongyang reacted to tough new United Nations sanctions with a level of restraint. But, in keeping with a “dual track” strategy of reaching out to the North diplomatically while increasing economic pressure, Washington also imposed new sanctions on Chinese and Russian firms suspected of doing […]

US open to talk if North Korea ready to disarm

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, after North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un postponed a threat to fire missiles towards the United States territory of Guam, that Washington remains ready for talks. But the top US diplomat said it would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin, having previously insisted Pyongyang must demonstrate that it accepts it will have to give up its nuclear program. “I have no response […]

China, Russia push talks as N. Korea steps back from missile launches

by Hwang Sunghee SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — China and Russia pushed Tuesday for talks to defuse the “confrontational spiral” between the United States and North Korea after Kim Jong-Un stepped back from a planned missile strike near Guam. The North Korean leader said he would wait and see how the US behaved before deciding whether to execute the planned launch of four missiles over Japan towards the tiny US territory in the Pacific. Some analysts suggested […]

North Korea leader hints he would hold off on plan to test-fire missiles to Guam after briefing

  SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been briefed on a plan to fire missiles near Guam but hinted that he would hold off on the launch, Pyongyang’s state media said Tuesday. Kim “examined the plan for a long time” and “discussed it” with commanding officers on Monday during his inspection of the command of the Strategic Force in charge of the North’s missile units, according to the Korean Central […]

Guam leader backs ‘punch on the nose’ for Pyongyang

HAGATNA, United States (AFP)–Guam’s leader said Monday that “sometimes a bully can only be stopped with a punch in the nose,” in a spirited defense of President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against North Korea which has the island in its crosshairs. While Trump’s critics accuse him of inflaming tensions with Pyongyang, Guam governor Eddie Calvo said he was grateful the US leader was taking a strong stance against North Korean threats against his Pacific homeland. “Everyone who grew […]

Amid calls for restraint, Trump again cites ‘military’ option on N. Korea

by Brian Knowlton, with Yanan Wang in Beijing WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — United States President Donald Trump and his French counterpart pledged Saturday to work to denuclearize North Korea, but Trump again invoked the grim possibility of “military measures” if other steps should fail. Trump’s latest warning came amid a flurry of international calls — from China, the North’s key ally, as well as Russia, Germany, Britain and the United Nations — for the […]

Canadian Presbyterian pastor returns home after N. Korea ordeal

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — A Canadian Presbyterian pastor imprisoned in North Korea for more than two years returned home Saturday days after being released, officials said. Hyeon Soo Lim, 62, was arrested in January 2015 on charges of subversive activities against the North Korean regime, an accusation denied by Ottawa. Although sentenced to hard labor for life, he was granted “sick bail” following a visit to Pyongyang by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser Daniel Jean. […]

EU adds to North Korea sanctions list

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The European Union on Thursday expanded its North Korean sanctions blacklist as fiery rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang sent tensions soaring. The 28-nation EU has steadily increased asset freezes and travel bans on North Korea over its repeated violation of UN resolutions on its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. After tests of an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the United States mainland, the UN last week imposed the most […]

Abella assures there are contingency plans in place for Filipinos in Guam

(Eagle News) — Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella assured the public on Thursday the government had in place “contingency plans” for Filipinos in Guam,  following North Korea’s pronouncements it was reviewing plans to strike United States military targets there. “As far as I know, especially regarding Filipinos there, the embassies and consulates also in Hagatna have contingency plans which are regularly updated to enable them to respond to emergencies,” Abella said in a press briefing in Malacanang. […]

N. Korea says Trump ‘bereft of reason’: KCNA

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korea on Thursday said United States President Donald Trump was “bereft of reason” and would only respond to force, as it elaborated on a threat to attack the US Pacific territory of Guam. Trump this week stunned the world with a bold-faced message to Kim Jong-Un, saying his country faced “fire and fury like the world has never seen.” Pyongyang then said it was working on a plan to […]

US’ Tillerson won’t meet North Korea envoy at ASEAN talks in PHL

United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will not meet his North Korean counterpart at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Manila and will instead push to deepen Pyongyang’s diplomatic isolation, a senior US official said Wednesday. North Korea’s push to build a nuclear-armed missile capable of threatening US cities has brought the region to the brink of crisis, and Washington is using every diplomatic lever to shut the program down. But, in […]

President Duterte lashes out at N. Korean leader Kim; calls him “a crazy man” playing with “dangerous toys”

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte only had harsh words for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un on Wednesday, ahead of a regional summit in Manila to be attended by the regime’s foreign minister. In a speech during the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s 113th founding anniversary celebration, President Duterte said Kim was a “crazy man” who could destroy Asia by triggering a nuclear war. “Baka nga si Kim, yung taran****. He is playing with dangerous toys and […]