12 JUNE 2018
Singapore summit: The agreement signed by Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in full
7 JUNE 2018
North Korea razing key missile test stand
New commercial satellite imagery indicates that North Korea is razing the missile test stand at the Iha-ri Driver Training and Test Facility north of the city of Kusong in the wake of Kim Jong Un’s April statement announcing a unilateral suspension of ballistic missile and nuclear tests
https://www.38north.org/2018/06/ihari060618/
2 JUNE 2018
Seoul, Tokyo clash on how North Korea should remove its missiles
Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera and South Korean Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo appeared to clash over the urgency in removing Pyongyang’s short-range ballistic missiles
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/02/seoul-tokyo-clash-onhow-north-korea-should-remove-its-missiles.html
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/06/02/563650/Japan-South-Korea-North-Korean-leader-Kim-Jongun-Singapore-Shangrila-Dialogue-security-forum-Itsunori-Onodera-Song-Youngmoo-James-Mattis
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180602_13/
1 JUNE 2018
Trump: June 12 Meeting With N. Korean Leader Is Back On
In confirming the summit, Trump said he believed it would be a “very successful” meeting and “ultimately, a successful process.”
https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-expected-receive-personal-letter-north-korean-leader/4419314.html
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/06/02/asia-pacific/politics-diplomacy-asia-pacific/trump-says-kim-summit-june-12-puts-japan-south-korea-spot-economic-aid/#.WxJV1UiFM2w
31 MAY 2018
Russia’s Lavrov meets with Kim Jong Un, as Pompeo tries to salvage summit
Lavrov-Kim meeting in Pyongyang is the first time the Korean leader met a top Russian official
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/31/615747709/russias-lavrov-meets-with-kim-jong-un-as-pompeo-tries-to-salvage-summit?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=news
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/05/russian-foreign-minister-sergey-lavrov-meets-kim-jong-180531104510394.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/russia-north-korea-meeting-invitation-putin-kim-jong-un-moscow-trump-a8377431.html
10 MAY 2018
Trump-Kim Jong-un summit set for Singapore on 12 June
US President Donald Trump has announced that he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12, where the pair are expected to discuss denuclearisation
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44074257
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2145610/donald-trump-announces-he-will-meet-kim-jong-un-singapore-june
9 MAY 2018
Three US detainees freed in North Korea during Mike Pompeo visit
Three American prisoners have been freed from North Korea and are heading back to the US with Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, Donald Trump, the US president announced on Wednesday
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/09/three-us-detainees-freed-north-korea-mike-pompeo-visit/
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/09/asia/americans-detained-north-korea-intl/index.html
28 APRIL 2018
Australia, Canada and Britain to monitor North Korean ships via military aircraft
The aircraft will seek to determine if North Korean ships are violating UN sanctions by transporting prohibited goods. The announcement came a day after North and South Korea pledged to denuclearize the peninsula
http://www.dw.com/en/australia-canada-and-britain-to-monitor-north-korean-ships-via-military-aircraft/a-43577887
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180428_09/
18 APRIL 2018
CIA boss Mike Pompeo held secret meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
CIA Director Mike Pompeo made a secret visit to North Korea over Easter weekend and met with Kim Jong Un, according to media reports. Donald Trump said the meeting « went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. »
http://www.dw.com/en/cia-boss-mike-pompeo-held-secret-meeting-with-north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-us-media/a-43429344
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-04-18/north-korea-cia-boss-in-secret-talks-with-kim-jongun-ahead-of-possible-summit-with-donald-trump/1750338
31 MARCH 2018
North Korea: UN Security Council blacklists dozens of ships, companies over illegal smuggling
Shipping companies, individual ships and a Taiwanese man are named in the largest ever sanctions package agreed by the Security Council’s North Korea sanctions committee, accused of helping smuggle oil and coal
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-03-31/north-korea-un-security-council-blacklists-dozens-of-ships-companies-over-illegal-smuggling/1746410
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-31/un-blacklists-dozens-of-ships-companies-over-north-korea/9607202?section=world
25 MARCH 2018
Russia to build bridge to North Korea
Russia is connected with North Korea’s territory by the railway link over the Tuman River on the border. The construction of the new bridge is important for transporting goods without entering China
https://112.international/ukraine-top-news/russia-to-build-bridge-to-north-korea-26928.html
16 MARCH 2018
North Korea’s foreign minister visits Sweden amid Trump-Kim summit speculation
North Korea’s top diplomat met with his Swedish counterpart in a surprise visit to Stockholm. The visit has led to speculation that the talks could lay the groundwork for a meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/03/15/asia/north-korea-sweden-intl/index.html
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/north-korea-s-top-diplomat-in-surprise-visit-to-sweden-15967
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2137562/sweden-says-we-dont-think-we-can-solve-worlds-problems-after
12 MARCH 2018
North Korea silent on meeting with Donald Trump
North Korea has yet to respond publicly or privately to the decision by Donald Trump to attend a summit with its leader Kim Jong-un
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/12/north-korea-silent-meeting-trump/
http://www.todayonline.com/world/north-korea-cautious-announce-stance-summits
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43368110
28 FEBRUARY 2018
Secret UN report reveals how North Korea is helping Syria build chemical weapons and missiles
North Korea appears to have stepped up its covert assistance to a Syrian government agency responsible for producing that country’s chemical weapons and advanced missiles, a UN panel has concluded in a confidential report
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2134998/secret-un-report-reveals-how-north-korea-helping-syria-build
http://www.france24.com/en/video/20180228-north-korea-sent-banned-items-syria-say-un-experts
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-28/north-korea-sending-equipment-to-aid-syrian-chemical-weapons/9493680?section=world
27 FEBRUARY 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his father ‘used Brazilian passports to apply for Western visas’
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his late father Kim Jong-il used fraudulently obtained Brazilian passports to apply for visas to visit Western countries in the 1990s, five senior Western European security sources told Reuters
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/02/27/kim-jong-un-late-father-kim-jong-il-used-fake-brazilian-passports-to-apply-for-visas-report-says.html
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/2134985/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-and-his-father-used-brazilian
23 FEBRUARY 2018
US to impose ‘largest’ N Korea sanctions
The Trump administration on Friday imposed sanctions on more than 50 vessels, shipping companies and trade businesses – many Chinese – in its latest bid to pressure North Korea over its nuclear programme
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43173487
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/2134523/trumps-toughest-ever-north-korean-sanctions-hit-more-50-ships
7 FEBRUARY 2018
Abe, Pence confirm pressure on N. Korea
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence confirmed on Wednesday that their two countries will continue to apply “maximum pressure” on North Korea, in cooperation with South Korea, to foil Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004230644
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180207_38/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/07/mike-pence-announces-toughest-sanctions-ever-north-korea-vows/
5 FEBRUARY 2018
North Korean Special Operations Forces: Hovercraft Bases (Part II)
Satellite imagery analysis shows that North Korea continues to develop its conventional military forces in a few targeted areas in addition to its high-profile nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. This is compatible with a broader North Korean strategy to develop stronger asymmetrical capabilities to offset the large imbalance of power between the DPRK and its neighbors
https://beyondparallel.csis.org/north-korean-special-operations-forces-hovercraft-bases-part-ii/
4 FEBRUARY 2018
German spy chief: Pyongyang procures missile parts via Berlin embassy
Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency has said that North Korea has been purchasing parts for its missile program via its embassy in Berlin
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/03/551183/north-korea-germany-missile
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42935761
3 FEBRUARY 2018
UN reports says North Korea earned $200M from banned exports
North Korea « continued to export almost all the commodities prohibited in the resolutions, generating nearly $200 million in revenue between January and September 2017, » said the report by the experts
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/un-reports-says-north-korea-earned-200m-from-banned-exports-14835
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/north-korea-earned-us-200-million-from-banned-exports-sends-arms-9923290
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=213643
30 JANUARY 2018
UN warns sanctions starving North Korea children to death
The United Nations Children’s Fund has warned that hundreds of thousands of children could starve as a result of sanctions on North Korea. UNICEF said the inability of humanitarian staff to deliver aid there had put many children in lethal malnutrition condition
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/01/30/550718/North-Korea-sanctions-starvation
26 JANUARY 2018
Kim Jong-un’s young sister elevated to powerful position controlling North Korea state security
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may have put his younger sister Kim Yo-jong in charge of the pariah nation’s powerful state security apparatus, it has emerged
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/26/kim-jong-uns-young-sister-elevated-powerful-position-controlling/
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2018/01/25/2018012501295.html
23 JANUARY 2018
North Korea to change military founding day to Feb. 8
North Korea says it will change the founding anniversary of its military to February 8th, the day before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics open in South Korea
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3043713
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2130151/north-korea-plans-military-parade-eve-winter-olympics
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20180123_18/
21 JANUARY 2018
Who Is Behind the Illicit Transfer of Oil to North Korea?
The case of illicit tankers shipping oil to North Korea gets curiouser and curiouser
https://www.theepochtimes.com/who-is-behind-the-illicit-transfer-of-oil-to-north-korea_2419945.html
9 JANUARY 2018
Donors lose appetite for North Korean food aid
After a year of nuclear threats, fiery brinksmanship, and retaliatory sanctions, the global aid sector is at a crossroads with North Korea
http://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2018/01/09/donors-lose-appetite-north-korean-food-aid
8 JANUARY 2018
Another opportunity for diplomacy on North Korea
Top diplomats from the United States and Canada are seeking wider input around the North Korea issue. The so-called “Vancouver Group” offers an opportunity for countries around the world to discuss additional efforts to pressure North Korea and to develop creative diplomatic ideas
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/01/08/another-opportunity-for-diplomacy-on-north-korea/
6 JANUARY 2018
Perception and reality on US-North Korea relations in 2018
The year 2018 is likely to prove a critical juncture in North Korea-US relations. At some point during the year, Pyongyang will decide whether to conduct an atmospheric nuclear detonation as the final proof of its nuclear deterrent capability
http://www.atimes.com/perception-reality-us-north-korea-relations-2018/
22 DECEMBER 2017
UN slaps new sanctions on North Korea in 15-0 vote
The resolution severely limits petroleum supplies to Pyongyang and demands that North Koreans working for Kim Jong Un’s regime abroad return home. The crippling sanctions follow North Korea’s latest missile test
http://www.dw.com/en/un-slaps-new-sanctions-on-north-korea-in-15-0-vote/a-41913360
http://www.france24.com/en/20171222-un-security-council-unanimously-votes-new-sanctions-north-korea
https://usun.state.gov/remarks/8238
19 DECEMBER 2017
US and UK blame North Korea for WannaCry cyberattack
The UK has joined the US in publicly blaming North Korea for the devastating WannaCry hacking attack earlier this year. The cyberattack took down computer systems in 150 countries and caused widespread chaos
http://www.dw.com/en/us-and-uk-blame-north-korea-for-wannacry-cyberattack/a-41852493
http://www.france24.com/en/20171219-usa-says-north-korea-directly-responsible-massive-cyber-attack-wannacry
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/dec/19/wannacry-cyberattack-us-says-it-has-evidence-north-korea-was-directly-responsible
11 DECEMBER 2017
UN warns tough North Korea sanctions risk hurting millions in need of aid
The UN rights chief told the security council on Monday that tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/11/north-korea-sanctions-human-rights-toll-united-nations
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004122631
5 DECEMBER 2017
Russia ‘increasing oil exports’ to North Korea
At a time when the United States is calling for more restrictions on fuel exports to North Korea, Russia may be attempting to avoid the total collapse of the regime in Pyongyang. Julian Ryall reports from Tokyo
http://www.dw.com/en/russia-increasing-oil-exports-to-north-korea/a-41656946
30 NOVEMBER 2017
UN divided over response to N Korea’s new missile test
The US is calling for more sanctions and the complete isolation of North Korea after another ballistic missile test. The United Nations Security Council has held an emergency meeting following Pyongyang’s latest launch
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/divided-response-koreas-missile-test-171130145040226.html
28 NOVEMBER 2917
North Korea fires ballistic missile, South Korea says
North Korea fired one ballistic missile from Pyongsong, a city in South Pyongan Province, at around 1817 GMT over the sea between South Korea and Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Wednesday
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-says-us-and-south-korea-12694
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171129_34/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-fires-missile-for-the-first-time-in-more-than-two-months/2017/11/28/0c136952-d46c-11e7-9461-ba77d604373d_story.html?utm_term=.f173b4859335
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-north-korea-nuclear-missile-20171129-story.html
18 NOVEMBER 2017
Shadows of the past haunt Japan–North Korea relations
There are more than geostrategic, diplomatic and military factors behind the importance of Japan for North Korea and of North Korea for Japan: their present relationship is also rooted in history
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/11/18/shadows-of-the-past-haunt-japan-north-korea-relations/
15 NOVEMBER 2017
North Korea: coward Trump deserves death penalty for insulting Kim Jong-un
North Korea’s state media on Wednesday slammed Donald Trump for insulting leader Kim Jong-un, saying the US president deserved the death penalty and calling him a coward for cancelling a visit to the inter-Korean border
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2120006/north-korea-coward-trump-deserves-death-penalty-insulting-kim
16 OCTOBER 2017
European Union ministers ban all investments and oil exports to North Korea in punishing sanctions
The European Union imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea on Monday as part of international efforts to punish the pariah regime for its nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2115618/european-union-ministers-ban-all-investments-and-oil-exports
8 OCTOBER 2017
North Korean leader promotes sister Kim Yo-jong
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has promoted his younger sister to a senior post in the one-party state, according to state media
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/north-korean-leader-promotes-sister-kim-yo-jong-171008172800383.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-09/kim-jong-uns-closest-aide-is-sister-kim-yo-jong/9030854?section=world
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20171008_18/
1st OCTOBER 2017
Italy orders North Korea ambassador home over missiles
Italy has ordered North Korea’s incoming new ambassador to leave the country in a protest over Kim Jong-Un’s missile launches and nuclear tests
http://eurasiadiary.com/en/news/world/194820-italy-orders-north-korea-ambassador-home-over-missiles
15 SEPTEMBER 2017
North Korea provokes again, fires another missile over Japan
In yet another provocation to the world, North Korea fired another missile that flew over Japan, deepening the regional tensions that have intensified over the last few months
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/news/254722988/north-korea-provokes-again-fires-another-missile-over-japan
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/north-korea-fires-missile-japan-170914221944101.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41281050
12 SEPTEMBER 2017
North Korea: UN Security Council unanimously adopts new sanctions over nuclear test
The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to impose new sanctions on North Korea over its sixth and most powerful nuclear test
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-12/north-korea-un-unanimously-adopts-new-sanctions/8894362?section=world
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/security-council-slaps-sanctions-north-korea-170911221328811.html
http://www.trtworld.com/asia/north-korea-slams-un-sanctions-10420
8 SEPTEMBER 2017
Mexico expels North Korean ambassador over weapons test
Mexico has expelled North Korea’s ambassador in strong protest at Pyongyang’s recent missile and nuclear tests
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/09/08/534431/Mexico-North-Korea-ambassador-Kim-Hyong-Gil-persona-non-grata
29 AUGUST 2017
North Korea fires missile over Japan, sharply escalating tensions
North Korea fired a missile that flew over Japan and landed in waters off the northern region of Hokkaido early on Tuesday, South Korean and Japanese officials said, marking a sharp escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula
http://www.atimes.com/article/north-korea-fires-missile-japan-sharply-escalating-tensions/
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=208062
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170829_81/
26 AUGUST 2017
North Korea launches three missiles amid US-South Korea military drills
Two of the North’s missiles flew about 250km (155 miles) off the country’s east coast, the US military said, while one appeared to explode almost immediately
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/north-korea-missiles-short-range-donald-trump-kim-jong-un-military-drill-a7913806.html
http://www.euronews.com/2017/08/26/north-korea-fires-several-missiles-into-sea
23 AUGUST 2017
Kim Jong-un’s orders for more ICBMs raise alarms
Concerns are rising that North Korea may be planning more missile provocations over reports Pyongyang has ordered the production of intercontinental ballistic missile components to be increased
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20170823000705
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170823_20/
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2107962/north-koreas-leader-kim-jong-un-orders-production-more-rocket
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3037528
07 AUGUST 2017
Who are North Korea’s trading partners?
Despite being economically isolated, North Korea exports about $3bn worth of products and maintains trade relations chiefly with China, India, Pakistan, Burkina Faso, Russia, Thailand and the Philippines
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2017/08/north-korea-trading-partners-170807142149131.html
5 AUGUST 2017
United Nations bans key North Korea exports over missile tests
The U.S.-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood. It also prohibits countries from increasing the current numbers of North Korean labourers working abroad, bans new joint ventures with North Korea and any new investment in current joint ventures
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/08/security-council-vote-north-korea-sanctions-170805153043100.html
https://www.un.org/sc/suborg/en/sanctions/1718/resolutions
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40838582
29 JULY 2017
North Korea confirms firing of another missile towards Japan
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said the second flight test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) demonstrated that his country can hit the US mainland
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/north-korea-icbm-test-proves-strike-range-170729042200736.html
http://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-confirms-firing-of-another-missile-towards-japan/a-39879886
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40760583
21 JULY 2017
What sanctions? North Korea economy grows at fastest pace in 17 years
North Korea’s economy grew at its fastest pace in 17 years in 2016, South Korea’s central bank said on Friday, despite the isolated country facing international sanctions aimed at curbing its pursuit of nuclear weapons
http://www.atimes.com/article/sanctions-north-korea-economy-grows-fastest-pace-17-years/
21 JULY 2017
Trump administration bans US travel to North Korea following the death of Otto Warmbier
Americans hankering for a drink at the Pyongyang beer festival or to run the city marathon in October are set to be sorely disappointed by a proposed US government ban on tourism to North Korea
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/21/trump-administration-bans-us-travel-north-korea-following-death/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40680500
10 JULY 2017
North Korea’s surprising, lucrative relationship with Africa
North Korea’s commercial relationships are only one sign of the surprisingly close ties many African leaders have with the secretive, highly repressive Asian country
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/content/analysis-north-koreas-african-connection
8 JULY 2017
US bombers drill near Korea DMZ in show of force
US bombers carried out a rare live fire drill in South Korea on Saturday (July 8), flying close to the DMZ in a show of force after Pyongyang’s latest missile test, the South’s defence ministry said
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/us-bombers-drill-near-korea-dmz-in-show-of-force
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/two-us-bombers-hold-firing-drills-with-south-korean-forces-9015252
4 JULY 2017
North Korea’s missile test: everything you need to know
Missile experts have examined data from the test to analyse whether North Korea’s claim of being able to reach ‘anywhere in the world’ is true
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/04/are-north-koreas-missile-claims-true-and-what-do-they-signify
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17399847
North Korea claims it has test fired intercontinental ballistic missile – a weapon that ‘could reach Alaska’
North Korea claims to have conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, a development that, if confirmed, could move the regime closer to being able to strike the US mainland and dramatically strengthen its hand in negotiations with Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/04/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missile-japans-defence-ministry-says
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/04/donald-trump-attacks-kim-jong-un-twitter-north-koreas-latest/
20 JUNE 2017
North Korea’s Military Capabilities
North Korea has one of the world’s largest conventional military forces, which, combined with its escalating missile and nuclear tests and aggressive rhetoric, has aroused concern worldwide. North Korea spends nearly a quarter of its GDP on its military
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/north-koreas-military-capabilities?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cfr_main+%28CFR.org+-+Main+Site+Feed%29
14 JUNE 2017
North Korea’ Hidden Cobra group behind eight years of hacks, says US
The US government is issuing a rare alert on the activities of a hacking group it dubs « Hidden Cobra, » saying the group is part of the North Korean government and more attacks are likely
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/content/north-korean-cyber-group-behind-8-years-attacks-fbi
Chairman of China’s Anbang Insurance reportedly detained
8 JUNE 2017
North Korea launches missile salvo at area where US aircraft carrier fleet had sailed
North Korea has fired a volley of what appeared to be land-to-ship missiles, hours after a senior US official said the regime’s recent advances in missile technology were causing “great concern” in Washington
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/08/north-korea-launches-salvo-missiles-tests
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/north-korea-fires-suspected-land-to-ship-missiles-as-south-korea-delays-thaad-8927710
3 JUNE 2017
UNSC adopts resolution sanctioning more North Korean individuals, entities
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-nation council decided to impose travel bans and asset freezes on 14 individuals and put sanctions on two companies, one bank as well as the Strategic Rocket Force of the Korean People’s Army
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=204787
http://www.france24.com/en/20170603-un-security-council-blacklists-north-korea-missile-tests
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/06/un-security-council-expands-north-korea-sanctions-missile-tests/#EiMhLDK0w8yYu8jF.97
27 MAY 2017
North Korean official accuses UN of refusing to discuss alternatives to sanctions
North Korea has slammed UN Security Council resolutions meant to restrict the country’s trade and international financial ties and accused Secretary General Antonio Guterres of ignoring multiple requests from Pyongyang to consider alternatives
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/2095906/north-korea-official-blasts-uns-refusal-weigh-alternatives-sanctions?cx_tag=recommend_desktop#cxrecs_s
21 MAY 2017
North Korea’s Unit 180, the cyber warfare cell that worries the West
North Korea’s main spy agency has a special cell called Unit 180 that is likely to have launched some of its most daring and successful cyber attacks, according to defectors, officials and internet security experts
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/north-koreas-unit-180-the-cyber-warfare-cell-that-worries-the-west
North Korea fires another ballistic missile despite sanctions threats
North Korea on Sunday test-fired a ballistic missile, the latest in a series of launches which have sparked international condemnation and threats of tougher UN sanctions
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2095114/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-seoul-says
https://japantoday.com/category/world/seoul-says-north-korea-fires-an-unidentified-projectile
18 MAY 2017
Russia launches ferry connection with North Korea
The first ever ferry service linking Russia and North Korea was launched on Thursday, the company operating it said, hoping to serve tourists and North Korean workers
http://eurasiadiary.com/en/news/politics/140803-russia-launches-ferry-connection-with-north-korea
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2017/05/103_229411.html
14 MAY 2017
North Korea test-fires what could be new kind of longer-range missile
Launch on day of China’s ‘belt and road’ summit reflects Pyongyang’s determination to push ahead with its nuclear ambitions, analysts say
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2094267/china-again-calls-restraint-after-north-korean-missile
http://www.euronews.com/2017/05/14/north-korea-has-fired-a-ballistic-missile-according-to-reports-from-south-korea
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/13/north-korea-test-fires-projectile-believed-to-be-ballistic-missile
13 MAY 2017
North Korea open for US talks under ‘right conditions’
Pyongyang would have a dialogue with the Trump administration if the « conditions are there », Yonhap news agency quoted a senior North Korean diplomat, who handles relations with the US, as saying
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/north-korea-open-talks-conditions-170513151959644.html
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=203966
5 MAY 2017
North Korea CIA plot to kill Kim Jong-un allegation – full text
North Korea is accusing the US and South Korea of plotting to kill its leader, Kim Jong-un. Here is the full statement from the North Korean ministry of state security
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-39819922
29 APRIL 2017
North Korea conducts second failed ballistic missile launch in two weeks
In strong defiance of sanctions placed against it, North Korea test-fired another ballistic missile on Saturday, its second failed launch in the past fortnight
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/news/253001658/north-korea-conducts-second-failed-ballistic-missile-launch-in-two-weeks
http://www.arirang.co.kr/News/News_View.asp?nseq=203481
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39750240
11 APRIL 2017
North Korea tells America it’s ready for ‘war’ after the US Navy makes ‘reckless’ show of force
North Korea has denounced the US deployment of a naval strike group to the region, warning it is ready for « war » as Washington tightens the screws on the nuclear-armed state
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/11/south-korea-warns-north-provocations-us-navy-group-approaches/
http://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-denounces-us-naval-deployment-in-west-pacific/a-38376046
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/trump-says-us-ready-to-solve-n-korea-problem-without-china/3670130.html
5 APRIL 2017
North Korea launches ballistic missile ahead of Xi-Trump summit
North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the Sea of Japan at 6:42 a.m. on Wednesday from the eastern coastal region of Sinpo. The missile flew about 60km before hitting the water, according to the South Korean military
http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/North-Korea-launches-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-Xi-Trump-summit
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-sea-japan-170405005900793.html
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/news/252690136/north-korea-makes-itself-heard-as-trump-xi-prepare-to-meet-reclusive-nation-fires-another-ballistic-missile
22 MARCH 2017
North Korean missile explodes seconds after launch
A North Korean missile fired Wednesday morning exploded within seconds of launch, the South Korean and U.S. militaries said, a reassuring sign for those worried about the speed at which North Korea’s weapons program has been progressing
http://www.dw.com/en/latest-north-korean-missile-test-fails-seoul/a-38060304
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/22/north-korea-missile-test-failure
19 MARCH 2017
North Korea tests new rocket engine, which can be repurposed for use in missiles
North Korea has tested a powerful new rocket engine, state media said Sunday, with leader Kim Jong-un hailing the successful test as a “new birth” for the nation’s rocket industry
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2080244/north-korea-tests-new-rocket-engine-which-can-be-repurposed-use
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20170319_12/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/19/north-korea-rocket-test-overheated-relations-with-us-rex-tillerson-kim-jong-un
6 MARCH 2017
North Korea fires four ballistic missiles into Sea of Japan
North Korea launched four missiles Monday morning, a provocative barrage that coincided both with joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises on the southern half of the peninsula and with the opening of the annual National People’s Congress in China
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/north-korea-launches-another-missile-perhaps-one-that-can-reach-us/2017/03/05/943010ee-96e2-4ff4-83aa-2fe09cd65831_story.html?utm_term=.7eaf5c96a8f9
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/05/asia/north-korea-projectile/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/06/north-korea-fires-unidentified-projectile-into-sea-of-japan
25 FEBRUARY 2017
Plans for first post-Trump US contact with North Korea cancelled, says report
Plans for the first contact between North Korea and the United States after Donald Trump took office have reportedly been cancelled after the US state department denied a visa for the top envoy from Pyongyang
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/25/plans-for-first-post-trump-us-contact-with-north-korea-cancelled-says-report
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/02/n-korean-envoy-denied-visa-first-talks-trump-administration-cancelled/
14 FEBRUARY 2017
North Korean leader’s half-brother killed by ‘poison needles’ in Malaysia
Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, has been killed at an airport in Malaysia after being sprayed in the face by an unidentified liquid, police have said
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/14/kim-jong-uns-older-brother-killed-north-korean-spies-poison1/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2017/feb/14/north-korean-leader-kim-jong-uns-brother-dies-in-malaysia-video-report
http://www.atimes.com/kim-jong-nam-murdered-poisoned-needles/
13 FEBRUARY 2017
International community condemns DPRK’s missile test-firing
The international community has generally denounced the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) over its latest test-launch of a ballistic missile on Sunday
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-02/13/c_136053978.htm
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/korea-declares-ballistic-missile-test-success-170213085718539.html
12 FEBRUARY 2017
North Korea fires ballistic missile, challenging Trump
North Korea test-fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan on Sunday in what appeared to be a move timed to follow the first summit between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump in Washington
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/index.php/sid/251655179
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/12/north-korea-shoots-missile-500km-in-show-of-force-to-trump-says-south
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/north-korea-tests-ballistic-missile-does-not-appear-to-be-icbm/3512368.html
3 FEBRUARY 2017
North Korean spy chief sacked in latest purge, says South Korea
The head of North Korea’s spy agency has become the most senior victim of another round of apparent purges ordered by the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, South Korean officials have said
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/03/north-korean-spy-chief-sacked-in-latest-purge-says-south-korea
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/03/kim-jong-un-dismisses-head-spy-agency-south-korea-says/
18 DECEMBER 2016
Successfully consolidating power, Kim Jong Un marks five years as leader of North Korea
Taking over from his father, whose demise was observed at monuments and center plazas across the the nation, Kim has consolidated power over the last five years, especially with the execution of his powerful uncle and the purges that ensued
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/index.php/sid/250283015
24 SEPTEMBER 2016
North Korea air show thumbs nose at sanctions
Just weeks after carrying out its fifth nuclear test, North Korea put on an unprecedented civilian and military air force display Saturday (Sep 24) at the country’s first ever public aviation show
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/north-korea-air-show-thumbs-nose-at-sanctions/3152704.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160924_20/
24 AUGUST 2016
North Korea fires submarine-launched ballistic missile towards Japan
North Korea fired a submarine-launched missile on Wednesday that flew about 500 km (311 miles) towards Japan, a show of improving technological capability for the isolated country that has conducted a series of launches in defiance of UN sanctions
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/north-korea-fires-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile-towards-japan
http://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-launches-ballistic-missile-from-submarine/a-19496546
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/24/north-korea-tests-submarine-launched-ballistic-missile
17 AUGUST 2016
Top North Korean diplomat defects from London embassy
A top North Korean diplomat in London has defected because he is “sick and tired of Kim Jong-un’s regime”, according to a spokesman for the South Korean government
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/08/top-north-korean-diplomat-defects-london-embassy/
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/17/world/north-korea-diplomat-defects/index.html
3 AUGUST 2016
North Korea fires missile into Japan waters for first time
North Korea fired a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters for the first time Wednesday (Aug 3), drawing an outraged response from Tokyo and ramping up tensions with the United States and South Korea
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-report
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36961395
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/index.php/sid/246385091
19 JULY 2016
Pyongyang fires 3 missiles in protest of Thaad
Pyongyang fired three ballistic missiles early Tuesday into the East Sea, possibly in protest against Seoul and Washington’s decision to deploying an advanced missile defense system to South Korea
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3021519
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2016/07/116_209821.html
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160719_80/
9 JULY 2016
A North Korea’s submarine-launched missile test ‘fails’
North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Saturday, but the missile failed in its initial flight stage, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-07/09/content_15460516.html
https://www.nknews.org/2016/07/north-korea-fires-sub-launched-ballistic-missile/
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2016/07/09/86/0301000000AEN20160709002253315F.html
6 JULY 2016
US sanctions N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un for rights abuses
The United States has imposed sanctions on North Korea’s top officials, including its leader Kim Jong Un, for human rights abuses. It is the first time the US has held Kim directly responsible for extreme rights abuses
http://www.dw.com/en/us-sanctions-n-korean-leader-kim-jong-un-for-rights-abuses/a-19384516
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/northkorea/2016/07/06/0401000000AEN20160706013754315.html
23 JUNE 2016
North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un says new missile can strike US military bases in the Pacific
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened United States military bases across the Pacific after North Korea’s test of a powerful new missile triggered emergency United Nations Security Council talks late Wednesday (June 22) on curbing Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/north-koreas-leader-kim-jong-un-says-new-missile-can-strike-us-military-bases-in-the
22 JUNE 2016
North Korea carries out two banned mid-range ‘Musudan ballistic’ missile tests
North Korea conducted two back-to-back tests of a powerful new medium-range missile on Wednesday, with at least one launch ending in failure, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/21/north-korea-test-fires-musudan-ballistic-missile/
http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/1979187/north-korea-fires-two-powerful-mid-range-missiles-extending
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-06-22/north-korea-carries-out-two-backtoback-musudan-missile-tests-south-korea-says/1592454
7 JUNE 2016
The North Korea-Cuba Connection
Havana’s continued cooperation with Pyongyang is an alarming blow to the normalization process.
http://thediplomat.com/2016/06/the-north-korea-cuba-connection/
31 MAY 2016
North Korea’s fourth Musudan missile launch fails: South
North Korea launched a Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missile early Tuesday morning, but the launch ended in failure, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and military sources said
http://atimes.com/2016/05/japan-puts-military-on-alert-for-possible-north-korea-missile-launch-nhk/
21 MAY 2016
North Korea’s Complicated Relationship With the Gulf
North Korea has had a relatively short and somewhat complicated relationship with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)http://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/north-koreas-complicated-relationship-gulf-99077/
Top North Korean diplomat Kang Sok-ju who forged 1994 nuclear deal with the U.S. dies
Kang Sok-ju, a senior official of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), has died of cancer at the age of 76, the official Korean Central News Agency reported Saturday.
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/index.php/sid/244265975
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-05/21/content_15436688.html
9 MAY 2016
Kim Jong-un is made chairman of Workers’ Party
North Korea on Monday 9 named Kim Jong-un as chairman of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), in a move to further cement his grip on power. Kim’s appointment came on the last day of the Communist country’s biggest political gathering, held for the first time in 36 years, with over 3,000 participants unanimously supporting the motion
http://worldaffairsjournal.org/content/kim-jong-un-made-chairman-workers%E2%80%99-party
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/north-korea-stages-second/2773726.html
7 MAY 2016
Nobel laureates call for easing of sanctions on North Korea
During a week-long trip, three renowned scientists have seen for themselves the impact of international sanctions on North Korea. They say the quality of medical care and academic research has been weakened
http://www.dw.com/en/nobel-laureates-call-for-easing-of-sanctions-on-north-korea/a-19241661
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nobel-laureates-call-easing-north-korea-sanctions-105940610.html?nhp=1
6 MAY 2016
North Korean leader trumpets nuclear program at congress
In the first congress of the ruling Workers’ Party in 36 years, he added that North Korea had had taken « magnificent » strides in its nuclear weapons program and would not be cowed by sanctions or international pressure
http://www.dw.com/en/north-korean-leader-trumpets-nuclear-program-at-congress/a-19240589
http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/06/north-korea-kicks-off-congress-but-foreign-invitees-refused-entry/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/world/asia/north-korea-congress.html?ref=world&referer=http:/www.nytimes.com/pages/world/index.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=TopBar&module=HPMiniNav&contentCollection=World&WT.nav=page&nytmobile=0&_r=0
24 MARCH 2016
North Korea claims successful solid-fuel rocket engine test
North Korea said Thursday that it had successfully conducted a high-powered, solid-fuel rocket engine test, which if confirmed would be a major step forward in boosting its missile attack capability against South Korea and the United States.
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/north-korea-claims-more-progress-050215879.html
https://www.nknews.org/2016/03/north-korea-conducts-solid-missile-fuel-test/
19 MARCH 2016
U.N. Security Council condemns North Korea missile launches
The United Nations Security Council strongly condemned on Friday North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Pyongyang to « halt these inflammatory and escalatory actions. »
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/korean_peninsula/AJ201603190010
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/17/asia/north-korea-missile-launch/index.html
16 MARCH 2016
White House demands release of US student sentenced to 15 years hard labour in North Korea
The White House has urged North Korea to release a US student who was condemned to 15 years hard labour after allegedly stealing a propaganda sign from a hotel.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/12196295/White-House-demands-release-of-US-student-sentenced-to-15-years-hard-labour-in-North-Korea.html
12 MARCH 2016
North Korea submarine ‘missing’ as US-South Korea drills continue
A North Korean People’s Navy submarine is missing and presumed sunk, a U.S. official told USNI News on Friday
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35793980
http://atimes.com/2016/03/us-official-north-korean-submarine-is-missing-presumed-sunk/
3 MARCH 2016
North Korea fires 6 short-range projectiles in wake of UN resolution
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired six short-range projectiles on Thursday morning in an apparent show of force after new tougher sanctions resolution on Pyongyang was passed at the UN Security Council
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/971652.shtml
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/north-korea-fires-short-range-missiles-after-new-un-sanctions
21 FEBRUARY 2016
North Korea new army chief after Ri Yong-gil ‘execution’
Ri Myong-su has been named army chief in North Korea, days after unconfirmed reports that his predecessor, Ri Yong-gil, had been executed.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35624820
http://atimes.com/2016/02/north-korea-confirms-new-military-chief-after-execution-of-top-official/
10 FEBRUARY 2016
South Korea halts joint venture after North’s tests
South Korea is to suspend operations at a jointly-run industrial park in North Korea following the North’s recent rocket launch and nuclear test.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35539346
http://news.yahoo.com/korea-suspend-operations-joint-kaesong-industrial-park-n-082439165.html
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/south-korean-firms-begin/2505228.html
Japan announces new sanctions on Pyongyang
Japan has decided to impose more sanctions against North Korea following the country’s launch of what it called a satellite-carrying rocket on Sunday. The launch is seen by the international community as a long-range ballistic missile test
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160210_38.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/japan-slap-sanctions-north-korea-rocket-160210112644465.html
9 FEBRUARY 2016
North Korean satellite is in orbit, say Seoul and Washington
North Korea was successful in putting a satellite into orbit on Sunday, although it is not clear whether it is working, according to South Korea’s defence ministry
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/12147588/North-Korean-satellite-is-in-orbit-says-Seoul.html
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160209000046
7 FEBRUARY 2016
UN Security Council ‘strongly condemns’ N. Korea rocket launch
« The members of the Security Council strongly condemn this launch, » read a statement presented by Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Rafael Ramiriez, who sits as the council’s president for February.
http://www.dw.com/en/un-security-council-strongly-condemns-n-korea-rocket-launch/a-19032563
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35518058
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/hold-emergency-summit-korea-rocket-launch-160207144308489.html
4 FEBRUARY 2016
DPRK ruling party convenes meeting to rout corruption
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea leader Kim Jong-un presided over a meeting of senior ruling party officials aimed at rooting out corruption and abuses of power ahead of a major congress to be held in May, its state media reported Thursday, calling the gathering the first of its kind.
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-02/04/content_15382933.html
8 JANUARY 2016
North Korea releases video of ‘new’ submarine-launched missile test
North Korea has released video footage of a purportedly new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test, three days after it claimed it had successfully tested its first hydrogen bomb
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2016-01-09/north-korea-releases-video-of-new-submarinelaunched-missile-test/1534114
http://www.euronews.com/2016/01/09/north-korea-releases-video-of-missile-test/
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160109_24.html
7 JANUARY 2016
Why sanctions have failed to deter North Korea
As the UN considers imposing more sanctions on North Korea following its latest nuclear test, DW examines how effective such measures have been in deterring Pyongyang from advancing its nuclear arms program.
http://www.dw.com/en/why-sanctions-have-failed-to-deter-north-korea/a-18966019
DECEMBER 2014
UN General Assembly seeks North Korea ICC charges
The non-binding measure approved by a vote of 116 to 20 with 53 abstentions was hailed as a clear message about growing international concern over human rights violations in the reclusive communist country.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/450715/un-wants-north-korea-charged-at-icc
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30540379
27 NOVEMBER 2014
N Korean leader’s sister appointed in top job
North Korea has revealed that leader Kim Jong Un’s sister has been named as a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party, strengthening analysts’ views that she is an increasingly important part of the family dynasty that runs the country.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/11/north-korea-leader-sister-appointed-top-job-20141127123414978909.html
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/n-korea-reveals-senior-rank-kim-jong-uns-little-sister
24 NOVEMBER 2014
Isolated N.K. boosts Russia ties
North Korea and Russia appear to be joining forces to ease their international isolation as the former strives to strengthen the bilateral relationship in a frantic search for outside economic assistance and diplomatic support
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20141124001002
17 NOVEMBER 2014
Top North Korea envoy in Moscow for Putin talks
A special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Moscow on Monday for talks with President Vladimir Putin as Pyongyang seeks allies to fend off a UN resolution calling for a probe into crimes against humanity.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/443889/top-north-korea-envoy-in-moscow-for-putin-talks
15 NOVEMBER 2014
US spy chief’s rare insight into N.Korean diplomacy
The US intelligence chief who flew to North Korea on a secret mission to free two Americans said there is « the potential for change » in the secretive state, in a rare window into the murky world of Pyongyang diplomacy.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/443520/us-spy-chief-rare-insight-into-n-korean-diplomacy
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11233191/US-spy-chief-reveals-inside-story-of-North-Korea-prisoner-release.html
8 NOVEMBER 2014
North Korea frees two detained US citizens
Two Americans serving lengthy prison sentences in North Korea were released on Saturday by the reclusive state following a secret mission to Pyongyang by US intelligence chief James Clapper, the State Department announced
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/11/north-korea-frees-two-detained-us-citizens-2014118152458586114.html
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/442191/n-korea-releases-two-detained-americans-state-dept
5 NOVEMBER 2014
World Bank chief calls on North Korea to open doors
World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim was adamant that the multilateral organisation could not support North Korea unless the country opened up its economy and joined the global community
http://www.asianewsnet.net/World-Bank-chief-calls-on-North-Korea-to-open-door-67087.html
27 OCTOBER 2014
Japan delegation arrives in N.Korea over kidnapping probe
A Japanese delegation arrived in North Korea on Monday for talks centred on Pyongyang’s investigation into the Cold War kidnappings of Japanese citizens, which has marred relations for years.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/439903/japan-delegation-arrives-in-n-korea-over-kidnapping-probe
http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2996554
22 OCTOBER 2014
UN urged to refer North Korea to war crimes court
A judge who led an inquiry of North Korea’s dismal rights record urged the United Nations on Wednesday to reject a « charm offensive » from Pyongyang and seek war crimes prosecutions of the regime.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/439108/un-urged-to-refer-north-korea-to-war-crimes-court
21 OCTOBER 2014
North Korea releases one of three Americans held captive, US confirms
State Department says Jeffrey Fowle was home Tuesday after negotiators left Pyongyang, and that the US was working to free two others held by North Korea
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/21/north-korea-jeffrey-fowle-state-department
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11178421/North-Korea-releases-American-detainee-Jeffrey-Fowle.html
17 OCTOBER 2014
North Korea in grip of leadership tension
We now know that Kim’s extended absence was mainly for medical reasons. But during his absence, interestingly, we witnessed a more open and conciliatory North Korea. The visit of Vice Marshall and National Defense Commission Vice Chairman Hwang Pyong-so and General Choe Ryong-hae to South Korea for the closing of the Asian Games was significant
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KOR-01-171014.html
14 OCTOBER 2014
North Korea leader Kim Jong-un ‘appears in public’
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has made his first public appearance since 3 September, the country’s official news agency says. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/13/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-un/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29608096
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/10/n-korea-leader-reappears-public-view-201410141928453666.html
8 OCTOBER 2014
N Korea official admits use of labour camps
A North Korean official has publicly acknowledged for the first time the existence of « reform through labour » camps, after a highly critical UN report into the country’s human rights record earlier this year, but dismissed the report’s accusations.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/10/n-korea-official-admits-use-labour-camps-20141080576899804.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/08/north-korea-admits-using-labour-camps
28 SEPTEMBER 2014
NKorea tells UN it’s ready to discuss human rights
North Korea says it willing to cooperate with the U.N. and other international organizations on human rights, but is bristling at what it views as politicization of the issue by its arch enemy, the United States.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/127040/nkorea-tells-un-its-ready-to-discuss-human-rights/
14 SEPTEMBER 2014
North Korea jails US man Matthew Miller for six years
A North Korean court has sentenced an American man to six years of hard labour for « hostile acts », the state-run KCNA news agency has said
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29196644
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia-pacific/2014/09/north-korea-holds-trial-american-tourist-201491451857466396.html
11 SEPTEMBER 2014
North Korea ready to provide list of abducted Japanese
North Korea has declared that it is ready to hand over a list of Japanese nationals abducted by Pyongyang’s agents, but hinted that Tokyo is unlikely to be satisfied at the number of people its internal investigation has located.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11088919/North-Korea-ready-to-provide-list-of-abducted-Japanese.html
8 SEPTEMBER 2014
Chongryon chief visits North Korea for first time in eight years
The head of the most influential pro-North Korea organization in Japan is back in Pyongyang for the first time in eight years and might end up meeting with leader Kim Jong Un.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/09/07/national/head-of-japans-top-pro-pyongyang-group-arrives-in-north-korea-for-the-first-time-in-eight-years/#.VA3FKL1OLmI
6 SEPTEMBER 2014
Key North Korean diplomat heads to Europe: report
Kang Sok-Ju, secretary of the central committee of the ruling Workers’ Party, is leading a delegation to Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and also Mongolia, the North’s Korean Central News Agency reported.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/430849/key-north-korean-diplomat-heads-to-europe-report
4 SEPTEMBER 2014
North Korea’s suicide rate among worst in world, says WHO report
South Korea’s problem with suicide has been well documented. But a World Health Organisation report has found that the problem is even worse in its northerly neighbour, making the peninsula one of the most suicidal regions in the world.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/04/north-korea-suicide-rate-among-worst-world-who-report
19 AUGUST 2014
North Korea transfers tanks to Chinese border
North Korea has transferred one of its newest and most modern armoured units to the border with China, in the latest indication of the depth of the rift between the two erstwhile allies
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/11043980/North-Korea-transfers-tanks-to-Chinese-border.html
6 AUGUST 2014
North Korea rejects offer to attend mass given by Pope Francis in Seoul
North’s Korean Catholics Association said visit would be ‘agonising’ and cites Seoul’s refusal to cancel a joint military drill with US forces for its decision
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/06/north-korea-rejects-mass-pope-francis-seoul
30 JULY 2014
China-N.K. relations face bumpy road
Relations between North Korea and China face a bumpy road as Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions continue to chip away at their decades-long alliance while Beijing increasingly courts Seoul for greater strategic and economic cooperation
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140730000967
29 JULY 2014
North Korea denies reports of missile deal with Hamas
North Korea has accused the West of a « sinister » plot to drag it into the Middle East conflict by fabricating stories it has forged a deal to supply missiles to Hamas
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10998755/North-Korea-denies-reports-of-missile-deal-with-Hamas.html
26 JULY 2014
Hamas and North Korea in secret arms deal
Exclusive: Hamas has paid North Korea for missiles and communications equipment in arms deal worth hundreds of thousands of dollars
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/10992921/Hamas-and-North-Korea-in-secret-arms-deal.html
10 JULY 2014
Five North Korean Weapons of War South Korea Should Fear
Be afraid: The Hermit Kingdom maintains a staggering arsenal, from tens of thousands of light infantry to heavy artillery all the way to nuclear weapons
http://nationalinterest.org/feature/five-north-korean-weapons-war-south-korea-should-fear-10841
9 JULY 2014
Chief architect of North Korea’s nuclear programme dies
A former North Korean missile expert who was sanctioned by the United Nations for his role in the North’s nuclear and missile weapons programmes has died, state media said on Wednesday
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/09/chief-architect-north-korea-nuclear-programme-dies
http://nkleadershipwatch.wordpress.com/leadership-biographies/jon-pyong-ho/
3 JULY 2014
Japan to lift some sanctions against North Korea after abductions decision
Japan is to lift some sanctions against North Korea after the regime in Pyongyang agreed to reinvestigate the fates of Japanese nationals abducted by its agents during the cold war
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/03/japan-to-lift-some-sanctions-against-north-korea-after-abductee-move
http://www.euronews.com/2014/07/03/japan-set-to-lift-sanctions-on-north-korea/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/07/03/national/japan-outlines-sanctions-reward-for-n-koreas-action-on-abductions/#.U7WuNL1OLmI
27 JUNE 2014
North Korea claims to have tested precision guided missile
North Korea claims to have successfully tested a new precision guided missile, at the same time as its army threatens a « devastating » retaliation against South Korea for carrying out live fire drills near their maritime border
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/27/north-korea-claims-to-have-tested-precision-guided-missile
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10929633/Kim-Jong-un-oversees-test-of-North-Koreas-breakthrough-guided-missile.html
26 JUNE 2014
North Koreans hold a rally to mark 64 years since the start of the Korean war
North Koreans march through the streets of Pyongyang with banners to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Korean war. State media shows crowds shouting slogans such as ‘Down with the US aggressor’. The war started in 1950 when North Korean troops launched a surprise attack into South Korea
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/jun/26/north-korea-rally-64-years-since-start-korean-war-video
31 MAY 2014
North Korea Sentences South Korean ‘Spy’ to Life
North Korean media say a South Korean Christian missionary has been sentenced to life at hard labor after being convicted of several charges, including setting up an underground church and espionage
http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-sentences-south-korean-spy-to-life/1926700.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/05/n-korea-gives-missionary-hard-labour-life-20145311713951665.html
29 MAY 2014
North Korea agrees to reinvestigate all Japanese abductions: PM Abe
North Korea has agreed to reinvestigate all abductions of Japanese citizens, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday, in what appeared to be a significant breakthrough on an issue that has long hampered Tokyo’s relations with Pyongyang
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/north-korea-agrees-reinvestigate-all-japanese-abductions-pm-abe
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/29/north-korea-reopen-inquiry-abductions-japanese-cold-war
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia-pacific/2014/05/north-korea-agrees-probe-japan-abductions-201452914815296839.html
17 MAY 2014
‘Executed’ Kim Jong-Un girlfriend reappears on North Korea television
A North Korean singer said to be Kim Jong-Un’s ex-girlfriend and reported to have been executed by firing squad last year has appeared on state television, apparently alive and well.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10837897/Executed-Kim-Jong-Un-girlfriend-reappears-on-North-Korea-television.html
9 MAY 2014
US condemns North Korea’s Obama ‘monkey’ jibes
Pyongyang’s description of US leader as ‘crossbreed’ and ‘wicked black monkey’ dismissed as ‘ugly and disrespectful’ by White House
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10818450/US-condemns-North-Koreas-Obama-monkey-jibes.html
Is China losing faith in North Korea?
Beijing’s contingency plans for the fall of Kim Jong-un have apparently been leaked to the media. What does this mean for Pyongyang’s relations with its only major ally?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/is-china-losing-faith-in-north-korea
8 MAY 2014
North Korea agrees to ‘consider’ UN recommendations on human rights
The UH human rights council has presented North Korea with 268 recommendations to improve human rights in the country –185 of which the North has said it will consider.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/08/north-korea-un-human-rights
2 MAY 2014
North Korea military official Choe Ryong-hae replaced
Top North Korean military official Choe Ryong-hae has been replaced, the KCNA state news agency reports, fuelling speculation he has fallen out of favour with the country’s leadership
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-27256527
http://www.thanhniennews.com/world/north-korea-replaces-top-army-official-amid-nuclear-warnings-25898.html
1 MAY 2014
Would you travel to North Korea? – poll
Would you jump at the chance to visit the hermit kingdom? Or do accusations about the regime make it a no go?http://www.theguardian.com/world/poll/2014/may/01/north-korea-northkorea
23 APRIL 2014
Kim Jong-un’s Emmental envoys rejected by French cheese school
A French college has politely turned its nose up at a request to help three North Korean experts make top-notch cheese to satisfy the tastes of their Emmental-loving supreme leader, Kim Jong-un
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10783278/Kim-Jong-uns-Emmental-envoys-rejected-by-French-cheese-school.html
15 APRIL 2014
Hwang Pyong-so may become Kim Jong-un’s right-hand man
Hwang Pyong-so, one of two senior deputy directors of North Korea’s Korean Workers’ Party, has been promoted to the rank of vice marshal of the Korean People’s Army on Apr. 15, reports the China Youth Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Youth League
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?cid=1101&MainCatID=11&id=20140428000092
9 APRIL 2014
Kim Jong-Un ‘re-elected’ as North Korean leader
Kim Jong-Un was Wednesday « re-elected » as North Korea’s leader, state media said, as parliament met in a session closely watched for power shifts in the secretive regime following the shock execution of his once-powerful uncle
http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/04/485_155016.html
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/404162/kim-jong-un-re-elected-as-north-korean-leader
30 MARCH 2014
Japan, North Korea diplomats seek thaw in ties
At their first formal talks since November 2012, senior Japanese and North Korean diplomats on Sunday agreed to work toward settling “outstanding issues” impeding bilateral ties
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/03/30/national/diplomats-seek-thaw-in-dealings-with-north/#.UzhnJ71OLIU
28 MARCH 2014
UN Security Council condemns North Korea missile launch
The UN Security Council has condemned North Korea’s launch of two ballistic missiles and said it was considering an « appropriate response »
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26780542
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2014/03/un-condemns-n-korea-missile-launch-201432801813371104.html
26 MARCH 2014
North Korea test-fires ballistic missiles as Barack Obama holds Japan-South Korea summit
North Korea has fired two mid-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast and towards Japan, South Korea’s military said as the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States discussed North Korea’s arms programmes.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/03/defiant-north-korea-test-fires-more-rockets-20143261549693141.html
20 MARCH 2014
Japan, N. Korea move to restart formal talks
Japan and North Korea are moving to restart formal government-level talks, a Japanese foreign ministry official said Thursday, after a shift over the contentious issue of Pyongyang’s past abductions of Japanese citizens http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/400850/japan-n-korea-move-to-restart-formal-talks
12 MARCH 2014
N. Korea adept at dodging sanctions: UN panel
North Korea is becoming more and more adept at dodging international sanctions, a panel of experts said in a report presented Tuesday to the United Nations.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/399510/n-korea-adept-at-dodging-sanctions-un-panel
10 MARCH 2014
N.K. leader’s younger sister debuts on political stage
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s younger sister appears to have made her debut on the political stage in what may be an attempt by the Kim family to cement its power.
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140310001400
10 MARCH 2014
Kim Jong-un secures unsurprising ‘100 per cent’ victory in North Korea election
North Korea’s state media has confirmed what was never in doubt – a 100 percent, no-abstention poll victory for leader Kim Jong-Un in the country’s stage-managed parliamentary election.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10687009/Kim-Jong-un-secures-unsurprising-100-per-cent-victory-in-North-Korea-election.html
http://www.euronews.com/2014/03/10/north-korea-s-kim-jong-un-claims-100-percent-election-result/
9 MARCH 2014
North Koreans ‘vote’ in elections – singing, dancing and reciting poetry
North Korea’s cowed people were marched to the polls on Sunday for a pre-decided « election » to parliament – with only one candidate for each seat
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10686188/North-Koreans-vote-in-elections-singing-dancing-and-reciting-poetry.html
http://www.euronews.com/2014/03/09/song-and-dance-in-north-korea-as-rubber-stamp-parliament-is-elected/
7 MARCH 2014
Japan: No N. Korea Aid Until Abduction Issue Resolved
Japan says it will not provide any aid to North Korea until the issue of Japanese nationals abducted by the North is resolved
http://www.voanews.com/content/japan-no-n-korea-aid-until-abduction-issue-resolved/1865975.html
N. Korean No. 2 reappears, quashing purge rumours
North Korea’s state media published photos Friday of Vice Marshall Choe Ryong-Hae, quashing intense speculation that the man seen as the number two to paramount leader Kim Jong-Un had been purged.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/398683/n-korean-no-2-reappears-quashing-purge-rumours
3 MARCH 2014
North Korea deports Australian missionary
North Korea on Monday deported an Australian missionary detained for spreading Christianity in the country, saying he apologized for his anti-state religious acts and requested forgiveness.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/120136/north-korea-deports-australian-missionary/
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/mar/03/jailed-australian-missionary-reads-confession
27 FEBRUARY 2014
N Korea missiles test ‘in response’ to S Korea-US exercises
North Korea has fired four short-range missiles into the sea, South Korean defence ministry officials say, in a move widely seen as a response to South Korea’s military exercises with the US.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-26372311
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10665031/North-Korea-test-fires-four-short-range-missiles.html
26 FEBRUARY 2014
North Korea defector: I saw dogs rip children to pieces in camp
Former prison guard has spoken of the horrors he saw in a North Korean camp, the most shocking of which was watching two dogs killing three children
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10662786/North-Korea-defector-I-saw-dogs-rip-children-to-pieces-in-camp.html
24 FEBRUARY 2014
N.Korea to enter all events in Asian Games In South Korea
South Korea has invited North Korea to participate in the games, which will run from September 19 to October 4, through the Olympic Council of Asia, a body that governs all sports in Asia.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/396746/n-korea-to-enter-all-events-in-asian-games-reports
19 FEBRUARY 2014
North Korea Arrests Christian Missionary From Australia
The Australian, John Short, 75, was arrested in the capital, Pyongyang, on Sunday, according to his wife, Karen. She said the trip was her husband’s second to North Korea. He had religious materials that had been translated into Korean, according to a statement by his family.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/world/asia/north-korea-arrests-christian-missionary-from-australia.html?ref=asia&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=%2AMorning%20Brief&utm_campaign=MB%202.19.14
17 FEBRUARY 2014
North Korean human rights abuses systematic and unparalleled, says UN
North Korea’s leadership is committing systematic and appalling human rights abuses against its own citizens on a scale unparalleled in the modern world, including crimes against humanity, a United Nations report has concluded.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/17/north-korea-human-rights-abuses-united-nations?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=%2AMorning%20Brief&utm_campaign=MB%2002.17.14
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/17/world/asia/north-korea-un-report/index.html?hpt=ias_c1
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/02/n-korea-hits-out-at-un-abuses-report-2014217104927326115.html
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/CoIDPRK/Pages/ReportoftheCommissionofInquiryDPRK.aspx
16 FEBRUARY 2014
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un marks late father’s birthday
North Korean state television on Sunday broadcast footage of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visiting the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun to commemorate the birthday of his late father Kim Jong-il.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10641994/North-Koreas-Kim-Jong-un-marks-late-fathers-birthday.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/02/north-korea-promotes-key-military-officials-201421644548629255.html
11 FEBRUARY 2014
Why North Korea Today Is Not East Germany 1989
Policy analysts and politicians have long predicted that the North Korean government will go the way of East German Communism. Just as the seemingly impregnable Honecker regime rapidly disintegrated along with the Berlin Wall, the Kim dynasty has been expected to collapse at any minute. This minute, of course, has lasted for more than two decades.
http://fpif.org/north-korea-today-east-germany-1989/
10 FEBRUARY 2014
Former US envoy visits N. Korea
A former US ambassador to South Korea arrived in Pyongyang on Monday, state media said, after North Korea cancelled a US envoy’s visit over a jailed Korean American
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/former-us-envoy-visits-n-korea-state-media
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/10/north-korea-withdraws-invitation-us-official-kenneth-bae
8 FEBRUARY 2014
NKorea pays hefty cash fine in Panama over Cuba arms case
North Korea paid a fine Saturday for trying to ship undeclared Cuban arms through the Panama Canal, possibly in violation of UN sanctions, authorities said
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-26103467
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/394052/nkorea-pays-hefty-cash-fine-in-panama-over-cuba-arms-case
7 FEBRUARY 2014
US missionary sent back to North Korean labour camp
A US missionary held captive in North Korea was moved from hospital back to a labour camp last month on the same day he appealed for help from Washington, the US State Department said on Friday.
http://www.france24.com/en/20140208-north-korea-bae-us-citizen-camp/
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/korea/2014/02/08/400124/American-jailed.htm
4 FEBRUARY 2014
Sochi: No Olympics for North Korea
Athletes from the nation under the regime led by Kim Jong-un failed to qualify for the Winter Games which start on February 7. And the Olympic Committee denies Pyongyang the « wild card » facilitated entry for poor or developing countries.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Sochi:-No-Olympics-for-North-Korea-30214.html
N. Korean leader to add ‘MP’ to his many titles
North Korea confirmed Tuesday that leader Kim Jong-Un will be a candidate in next month’s parliamentary elections, which will be closely watched for clues on power shifts in Pyongyang.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/n-korean-leader-add-%E2%80%98mp%E2%80%99-his-many-titles
3 FEBRUARY 2014
Japan singer Hikaru Utada to wed Italian barman: reports
Songstress Hikaru Utada is to tie the knot, she announced on her website, with Japanese media saying her intended is an Italian barman eight years her junior.
http://www.divaasia.com/article/27981
30 JANUARY 2014
Imprisoned Kenneth Bae must serve his 15 years hard labor: North Korea envoy
North Korea will not release imprisoned American missionary Kenneth Bae until he finishes his sentence of 15 years hard labor, according to a rare interview with a Pyongyang diplomat
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/30/22507799-imprisoned-kenneth-bae-must-serve-his-15-years-hard-labor-north-korea-envoy?lite
17 JANUARY 2014
Panama: North Korea to pay fine for release of ship found with weapons
North Korea will pay a fine of more than half a million dollars next week for the release of a ship that last year tried to cross the Panama Canal with weapons smuggled aboard, Panamanian authorities said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/17/world/americas/panama-north-korean-ship/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
8 JANUARY 2014
North Korea Announces Elections For March
North Korea will hold elections for its Supreme People’s Assembly on March 9, the state news agency reported Wednesday.
http://www.eurasiareview.com/08012014-north-korea-announces-elections-march/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2014/01/north-korea-hold-parliamentary-elections-20141852450566991.html
3 JANUARY 2014
Kim Jong Un’s executed uncle was eaten alive by 120 hungry dogs: report
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful uncle was stripped naked, thrown into a cage, and eaten alive by a pack of ravenous dogs, according to a newspaper with close ties to China’s ruling Communist Party.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/03/22156917-kim-jong-uns-executed-uncle-was-eaten-alive-by-120-hungry-dogs-report?lite
Did Kim Jong Un Feed His Uncle To 120 Dogs? Be Skeptical
No, Kim Jong Un probably didn’t feed his uncle to 120 hungry dogs
21 DECEMBER 2013
‘Hundreds’ of Jang’s relatives sent to gulags by North Korean regime
Several hundred relatives of Jang Song-thaek, executed recently on charges of plotting to overthrow the North Korean state, have been rounded up and sent to political prison camps.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10532294/Hundreds-of-Jangs-relatives-sent-to-gulags-by-North-Korean-regime.html
17 DECEMBER 2013
North Korea marks Kim Jong-il death amid purge tensions
North Korea is marking the second anniversary of the death of leader Kim Jong-il, days after the dramatic purge of a top-level official.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25411490
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/385263/n-korea-military-party-vow-loyalty-to-kim-jong-un
http://www.euronews.com/2013/12/17/north-korea-marks-anniversary-of-former-leader-s-death/
12 DECEMBER 2013
N Korea executes uncle of leader Kim Jong-un
North Korea has executed the uncle of its leader Kim Jong-un days after he was dismissed, state news agency KCNA announced, branding the once-powerful Jang Song-thaek a « traitor. »
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/12/n-korea-executes-uncle-leader-kim-jong-un-2013121221458939462.html
http://www.euronews.com/2013/12/13/north-korea-leader-kim-jong-un-s-uncle-executed-for-treason
Kim Jong-Un takes father’s title of Dear Leader
Kim Jong-un has adopted the title « Dear Leader » that was previously affected by his father as the North Korean propaganda machine builds up the cult of personality around the young dictator
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10513244/Kim-Jong-Un-takes-fathers-title-of-Dear-Leader.html
China Tries to Harness North Korea
China has been playing a careful and relatively sophisticated strategic game with its unruly ally North Korea, attempting to harness Pyongyang’s determination to expand its nuclear capability while at the same time expanding its economic relations at an unprecedented pace, according to a new analysis by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
http://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/china-harness-north-korea/
6 DECEMBER 2013
Kim Jong-un ‘preparing to purge aunt’
The ailing aunt of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, may be the next senior member of the regime to fall victim to the blood letting that is gripping Pyongyang’s « old guard »
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10499642/Kim-Jong-un-preparing-to-purge-aunt.html
3 DECEMBER 2013
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ousts uncle, claims South Korea
Kim Jong-un may have purged his uncle and aide, South Korean legislators have said, in what would be the most significant ousting since the young leader took the helm in North Korea
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/03/north-korea-kim-jong-un-ousts-uncle-claims-south-korea
http://www.euronews.com/2013/12/03/mystery-exit-of-kim-jong-un-s-powerful-uncle-in-north-korea/
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/most-influential-adviser-kim-jong-un-now
29 NOVEMBER 2013
Accused of spying, American held in North Korea issues ‘apology’
An 85-year-old American man detained in North Korea has apologized for his actions, including for killing troops and civilians during the Korean War, North Korea’s state-run news agency reported Saturday.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/29/world/asia/north-korea-american-detained/index.html?hpt=ias_c1
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25165463
24 OCTOBER 2013
Is a change in the US’s North Korea Policy overdue ?
A recent study undertaken by RAND, titled Preparing for the Possibility of a North Korean Collapse, raises questions over how prepared the US is for regime change in the DPRK. It also highlights how the US needs to change its policy to better prepare for such an outcome.
http://conflictandsecurity.com/blog/is-a-change-in-the-uss-north-korea-policy-overdue-2/
North Korean ruler gets Malaysian university honor
A Malaysian university faced public criticism Thursday for awarding an honorary doctorate in economics to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whose country is among the poorest in the world.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/114863/north-korean-ruler-gets-malaysian-university-honor/
http://news.asiaone.com/news/edvantage/malaysia-universitys-honour-n-korea-leader-draws-flak
23 OCTOBER 2013
The strange alliance between Mongolia and North Korea goes on stage in Pyongyang
Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin is the first head of state to meet North Korea’s young dictator Kim Jong-un. Bilateral relations and the employment of North Korean workers in Mongolian mines are on the table. Tokyo blocks a Mongolian company from buying the Japanese headquarters of North Korea’s Workers’ Party.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/The-strange-alliance-between-Mongolia-and-North-Korea-goes-on-stage-in-Pyongyang-29355.html
22 OCTOBER 2013
Tourism in North Korea: the secret state is opening up
All the hoo-ha that’s surrounded the recent opening of North Korea’s ski resort, framed as it’s been by the western press as the answer to chubby Kim Jong Un’s wont to indulge his Swiss ways, has overlooked the fact that every dollar spent on tourism is a dollar not spent on centrifuges or Mercedes.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/22/north-korea-ski-resort-tourism-good
14 OCTOBER 2013
North Korea ‘testing chemical weapons on political prisoners’
The allegations have been made in the most recent report on Pyongyang’s chemical weapons capabilities by 38 North, the respected web site operated by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and are based on testimony from both prisoners and former guards who managed to defect.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10376676/North-Korea-testing-chemical-weapons-on-political-prisoners.html
12 OCTOBER 2013
N. Korea warns of ‘all-out war’
North Korea on Saturday issued a fresh warning of an « all-out war », urging the United States to stop military drills and what it described as « nuclear blackmail ».
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/n-korea-warns-all-out-war
11 OCTOBER 2013
N. Korea warns of counter-attack on US warship
North Korea on Friday threatened to « bury in the sea » a US aircraft carrier, as it slammed a three-nation naval drill involving US, South Korean and Japanese warships.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/374209/n-korea-warns-of-counter-attack-on-us-warship
10 OCTOBER 2013
North Korea sanctions punish the whole population
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/10/10/north-korea-sanctions-punish-the-whole-population/
8 OCTOBER 2013
Kim removes many key figures to cement leadership: S.Korea
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has replaced officials holding almost half of the nation’s key posts in an attempt to strengthen his control over the country, a South Korean report showed
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/373760/kim-removes-many-key-figures-to-cement-leadership-s-korea
24 SEPTEMBER 2013
North Korea’s rolling economic reforms
While missiles and nuclear weapons have dominated the headlines, North Korea’s economy under Kim Jong-un has been developing in promising ways on the domestic front.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/09/24/north-koreas-rolling-economic-reforms/
23 SEPTEMBER 2013
North Korea denies Kim Jong-un executed mistress to protect wife
North Korea has angrily denied reports that Kim Jong-un ordered the execution of a former mistress in August to protect the « dignity » of his wife.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10328373/North-Korea-denies-Kim-Jong-un-executed-mistress-to-protect-wife.html
19 SEPTEMBER 2013
UN accuses North Korea of violence in state-run prison camps, including against newborns
The United Nations commission heard eyewitness accounts about the North Korea’s prison camp system where babies are drowned, vermin thrive and people accused of political and social crimes are executed. Pyongyang rejects the accusations.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/UN-accuses-North-Korea-of-violence-in-state-run-prison-camps,-including-against-newborns-29050.html
UN Receives Evidence About Thai Woman Abducted by N. Korea
Officials from a U.N. human rights commission on Thursday met with family members of a Thai woman gone missing since allegedly being abducted by North Korean spies in Macau in 1978. Despite the passage of time, the family is still hopeful she can eventually return home. ars old.
http://www.voanews.com/content/un-commission-given-evidence-about-thai-abduction-by-nkorea-35-years-ago/1752873.html
5 SEPTEMBER 2013
Up to 20,000 North Korean prison camp inmates have ‘disappeared’ says human rights group
Thousands of North Korean inmates of Camp No 22, one of Kim Jong-un’s most brutal labour camps, have disappeared according to a human rights group.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10288945/Up-to-20000-North-Korean-prison-camp-inmates-have-disappeared-says-human-rights-group.html
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/06/20353287-human-rights-group-thousands-of-n-korean-prisoners-disappeared-from-gulag?lite
30 AUGUST 2013
Kim Jong-un’s approval rating higher than Barack Obama’s
Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, has a public approval rating of over 50 per cent, according to a poll of escapees living in South Korea.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10276670/Kim-Jong-uns-approval-rating-higher-than-Barack-Obamas.html
Kim Jong-un purges North Korea’s army chief
Kim Kyok-sik, who is believed to have been behind the sinking of the South Korean corvette Cheonan and the bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island in late 2010, has disappeared from the list of senior regime officials attending public events in recent weeks.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10275458/Kim-Jong-un-purges-North-Koreas-army-chief.html
North Korea withdraws US envoy’s invitation to visit Pyongyang
North Korea has rescinded its invitation for a senior US envoy to travel to Pyongyang to seek the release of a detained American, the state department has said.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/30/north-korea-us-envoy-pyongyang
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-envoy-seeks-freedom-for-jailed-american-in-north-korea/1740038.html
29 AUGUST 2013
Panama: North Korea arms shipment broke UN sanctions
A preliminary report by a team of United Nations experts has determined that a North Korean cargo ship seized in Panama for carrying weapons violated sanctions, the Panamanian government has said.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/29/panama-north-korea-ship-sanctions
Kim Jong-un ex-girlfriend “executed by firing squad”
South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo has reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s ex-girlfriend was among a group of North-Koreans executed by firing squad on August 20.
http://www.euronews.com/2013/08/29/kim-jong-uns-ex-girlfriend-executed-by-firing-squad/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10273112/Kim-Jong-Uns-former-lover-starred-in-pop-video.html
28 AUGUST 2013
US envoy to ask North Korea for American prisoner’s release
A senior US envoy who is due to travel to North Korea later this week has said he plans to appeal for the release of an American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labour, but added that Washington had received no guarantees from Pyongyang that the man would be freed.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/us-envoy-north-korea-american-prisoner
27 AUGUST 2013
Envoy to visit N Korea over jailed American
The United States will send a human rights envoy to Pyongyang this week to seek the release of an imprisoned US Christian missionary, the State Department said.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/08/20138272226237207.html
N Korean leader’s estranged nephew to study at French university
Kim Han-Sol, 18, who studied in Macau and Bosnia, is due to start at Sciences-Po’s campus in the northern city of Le Havre in this year’s Europe-Asia undergraduate programme, university official Caroline Allain said.
http://news.asiaone.com/news/asia/n-korean-leaders-estranged-nephew-study-french-university
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10268348/Kim-Jong-ils-grandson-to-study-at-French-university.html
N Korea tried to export gas masks to Syria: Sankei Shimbun
North Korea tried to export gas masks to Syria but they were seized in Turkey along with arms and ammunition, a Japanese daily said Tuesday, as the US threatened action over an alleged chemical weapons attack.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/n-korea-tried-to-export/791566.html
20 AUGUST 2013
Horror of North Korean prison camps exposed at UN inquiry
Harrowing accounts from defectors now living in South Korea related how North Korean prison guards chopped off a man’s finger, forced inmates to eat frogs and a mother to kill her own baby.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10255270/Horror-of-North-Korean-prison-camps-exposed-at-UN-inquiry.html
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/20/north-korean-defectors-prison-abuses
19 AUGUST 2013
Swiss Ban ‘Inappropriate’ Ski Lifts for North Korea
Switzerland has banned the sale to North Korea of equipment for a luxury ski resort planned for the ruling elite in the widely impoverished state that is under U.N. sanctions, officials said on Monday.
http://www.voanews.com/content/swiss-ban-inappropriate-ski-lifts-for-north-korea/1732720.html
16 AUGUST 2013
Food aid to North Korea saves lives — it doesn’t change minds
Well-implemented humanitarian aid can save lives and build relationships between the giver and the receiver.
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/08/16/food-aid-to-north-korea-saves-lives-it-doesnt-change-minds/
14 AUGUST 2013
Castro praises N.Korea for Cold War arms aid
Fidel Castro credited North Korea Wednesday with supplying Cuba with free weapons in the 1980s after the Soviet Union said it could no longer defend the island against a US invasion.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/364647/castro-praises-n-korea-for-cold-war-arms-aid
23 JULY 2013
No Work at North Korean Launch Site for 8 Months: Analysts
New satellite photos suggest construction work has been halted for the last eight months at a key North Korean launch site intended to test bigger and more advanced rockets.
http://www.voanews.com/content/no-work-at-nkorean-launch-site-for-8-months-analysts/1707280.html
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/07/23/19630948-images-suggest-north-korea-long-range-rocket-plans-have-halted?lite
22 JULY 2013
North Korea Mass Games mark 60th anniversary of Korean War
North Korea launched a new run of its large-scale « Arirang » performance in Pyongyang on Monday to mark the 60th Anniversary of the end of hostilities during the Korean War.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10196942/North-Korea-Mass-Games-mark-60th-anniversary-of-Korean-War.html
17 JULY 2013
Seized N Korean ship: Cuban weapons on board
The ship was seized by authorities in Panama after military cargo was found hidden in a shipment of sugar http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23339020 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/07/20137170581445650.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cuba-claims-missle-parts-found-on-north-korean-ship/1703367.html http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/17/world/americas/panama-north-korean-ship/index.html?hpt=ias_c2
16 JULY 2013
North Korean ship caught smuggling weapons and missile material through Panama Canal
Panama has launched a major investigation after drugs agents raided a ship travelling from Cuba to North Korea and discovered “missile components” stashed beneath a cargo of sugar. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10181736/North-Korean-ship-caught-smuggling-weapons-and-missile-material-through-Panama-Canal.html http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2013/07/201371662915540217.html http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorean-ship-carrying-undeclared-weapons-seized-in-panama-canal/1702557.html
5 JULY 2013
NKorea refuses to cooperate with UN rights probe
UN experts tasked with probing human rights violations in North Korea said Friday Pyongyang has refused to cooperate with the investigation, but that they still hoped to travel to the country next month. http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/358535/nkorea-refuses-to-cooperate-with-un-rights-probe
4 JULY 2013
Kim Jong-il’s widow ‘purged from party posts by North Korea’s Kim Jong-un’
Kim Jong-il’s widow has reportedly been purged from all party positions by her stepson Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s dictator, because « she knows too many secrets ». http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10156858/Kim-Jong-ils-widow-purged-from-party-posts-by-North-Koreas-Kim-Jong-un.html http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Kim-Jong-il’s-widow-purged-in-Pyongyang’s-dynastic-intrigue-28389.html
27 JUNE 2013
N. Korea tried to export 3,500 km-range ballistic missile: U.S. media
North Korea attempted to sell ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometers to a British arms dealer, an Internet media outlet based in the United States said Thursday. http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130627000237
23 JUNE 2013
Sites in North Korea win World Heritage status
The remains of a fortress that once surrounded Kaesong, the ancient capital of Korea’s Koryo Dynasty, is among sites in North Korea that have made it onto UNESCO’s latest World Heritage list. http://asiancorrespondent.com/109724/sites-in-north-korea-win-world-heritage-status/
16 JUNE 2013
State news: North Korea proposes high-level talks with U.S.
The topics that « can be sincerely discussed » include easing military tensions, changing a truce treaty to a peace treaty and nuclear matters, according to a statement from the North’s National Defense Commission, as reported by the state-run Korean Central News Agency. It left some details — like where and when the talks might be held — up to Washington, and insisted U.S. officials should not lay out any preconditions for talks. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/06/15/world/asia/north-korea-us-talks/index.html?hpt=ias_c1 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/16/white-house-north-korea-nuclear-talks
22 MAY 2012
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sends envoy to China
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a special envoy to Beijing, state media has announced, amid cooling relations between the two neighbours. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22620600 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia-pacific
20 MAY 2013
North Korea fires more missiles, condemns US and South for ‘war measures’
North Korea fired two short-range missiles on Monday, making six launches in three days, and condemned South Korea for criticizing what Pyongyang said were legitimate military drills. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/20/18371122-north-korea-fires-more-missiles-condemns-us-and-south-for-war-measures?lite
15 MAY 2013
Japan PM Abe ‘would meet’ N Korea leader Kim over abductions
Japan’s PM has said he would consider meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to try to settle a row over Pyongyang’s kidnapping of Japanese nationals. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22536186
14 MAY 2013
Japan PM adviser arrives in North Korea
An adviser to Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday, a report said, amid speculation North Korea may be trying to re-engage an old adversary amid frosty ties with China. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130514-422581.html http://ajw.asahi.com/article/asia/korean_peninsula/AJ201305140120
13 MAY 2013
North Korea axes hard-line defense chief
North Korea has replaced its hard-line defense chief with a little-known army general, according to a state media report Monday, in what outside analysts call an attempt to install a younger figure meant to solidify leader Kim Jong Un’s grip on the powerful military. http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/13/18224469-report-north-korea-axes-hard-line-defense-chief?lite http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/13/north-korean-defence-kim-jong-un
10 MAY 2013
China, N. Korea political, business ties grow: Report
North Korean visits to China have multiplied over recent years, a Chinese newspaper reported, underscoring growing political and business links between the isolated nuclear-armed state and its sole major ally. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130510-421771.html
6 MAY 2013
Pyongyang’s crimes lost in power plays
Tensions between North Korea and South Korea over the former’s brinkmanship have somewhat overshadowed the human-rights situation in the so-called « Hermit Kingdom ». It is a safe bet that few among the public took note of the call by the United Nations High Commissioner in January 2013 to step up http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KOR-02-060513.html
27 APRIL 2013
North Korea to put American Kenneth Bae on trial
North Korea has announced the trial of an American citizen who was mysteriously arrested six months ago while leading a tour group into the country http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/10022366/North-Korea-to-put-American-Kenneth-Bae-on-trial.html http://www.euronews.com/2013/04/27/north-korea-indicts-us-korean-citizen/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/n-korea-says-detained-american-will-soon-face-trial/2013/04/27/47a48818-af12-11e2-8bf6-e70cb6ae066e_story.html
18 APRIL 2013
North Korea lists demands for talks
North Korea has demanded the withdrawal of UN sanctions and the end of US-South Korea military drills as conditions for resuming talks with Seoul and Washington. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/04/201341883956213774.html http://www.voanews.com/content/nkorea-to-us-no-talks-without-removal-of-sanctions/1643893.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/north-korea-conditions-us-talks
11 APRIL 2013
North Korea’s aggressive stance condemned by G8 in ‘strongest terms’
Foreign ministers from the G8 group of nations meeting in London have condemned North Korea’s aggressive rhetoric and its continued development of nuclear missile programmes before an anticipated ballistic missile test launch by Pyongyang within the next few days. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/11/north-korea-stance-condemned-g8
10 APRIL 2013
China and Russia urge North Korea to step back from missile launch
North Korea’s two closest allies, China and Russia, have put pressure on Pyongyang to step back from launching a missile, the South Korean Foreign minister has said. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9984010/China-and-Russia-urge-North-Korea-to-step-back-from-missile-launch.html
8 APRIL 2013
N Korea pulls workers out of Kaesong industrial zone
North Korea said on Monday it was withdrawing all workers and suspending operations at its joint industrial zone with South Korea — the only surviving symbol of inter-Korean cooperation. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/n-korea-pulls-workers-out/631414.html http://www.france24.com/en/20130408-north-south-korea-suspend-cooperation-kaesong-complex http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22065348
6 APRIL 2013
North Korea has asked foreign countries to consider evacuating their embassies in Pyongyang, amid soaring tension on the Korean peninsula
From Wednesday, the safety of embassy staff will no longer be guaranteed by the communist state. This has raised global questions over just how far North Korea is willing to take the military rhetoric. http://www.euronews.com/2013/04/06/north-korea-advises-foreign-diplomats-to-leave/ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/04/20134514143520678.html http://www.voanews.com/content/diplomats-in-north-korea-stay-put-despite-warning/1636121.html http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/evacuation-warnings-missile-fears-stoke-/629048.html
1 APRIL 2013
North Korea’s parliament meets amid nuclear tension
After weeks of war-like rhetoric, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gathered legislators Monday for an annual spring parliamentary session taking place one day after top party officials adopted a statement declaring building nuclear weapons and the economy the nation’s top priorities. http://asiancorrespondent.com/103956/nkoreas-parliament-meets-amid-nuclear-tension/
1 APRIL 2013
N. Korea names Kim clan associate to premiership
North Korea’s parliament named former premier Pak Pong-ju, who was sacked in 2007 for failing to implement economic reforms, as its prime minister in a move that cements the grip of the ruling Kim dynasty on key posts in the country. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130401-412813.html
29 MARCH 2013
N Korea ‘readies’ rockets to strike US bases
North Korea’s leader has responded to America’s use of nuclear-capable B-2 bombers in joint South Korean military drills with more angry rhetoric, saying his rocket forces are ready to attack US positions. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/03/2013328222926559483.html http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20130329000137 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9961077/North-Koreans-stage-mass-rally-in-support-of-Kim-Jong-uns-call-to-arms.html http://www.voanews.com/content/north-koreans-rally-to-support-threat-of-military-strike/1630983.html
North Korea tensions: Russia’s Lavrov fears ‘spiral’
Russia has warned of tensions in North Korea slipping out of control, after Pyongyang said it was placing its missile units on stand-by. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21974381 http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/29/russia-expresses-concern-over-military-activity-near-north-korea/
26 MARCH 2013
North Korea threatens to strike US mainland
North Korea has put its military on combat-ready status, with « strategic » rocket units ordered to prepare for possible strikes against the US mainland, Hawaii and Guam, state media reported. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/03/20133266419350867.html http://www.euronews.com/2013/03/26/north-korea-combat-ready-to-strike-us-mainland/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21935342
21 MARCH 2013
UN to launch probe into N.Korea rights abuses
The United Nations on Thursday said it will for the first time establish a commission of inquiry into grave human rights violations in North Korea that may amount to crimes against humanity http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1261573/1/.html http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/03/2013322113345899921.html
North Korea threatens nuclear attack on US bases in Japan
North Korea has threatened to launch a nuclear attack on US bases in Japan and Guam after Washington used B-52 bombers in a joint military drill with the South. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9945546/North-Korea-threatens-nuclear-attack-on-US-bases-in-Japan.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/mar/21/north-korea-us-bases-japan-video http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1261409/1/.html
17 MARCH 2013
North Korea Threatens Japan with Attack
The North’s official Korean Central News Agency carried a statement from the Foreign Ministry Sunday saying that it would be a fatal mistake for Japan if it thinks it will be safe when a war breaks out on the Korean Peninsula. http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-threatens-japan-with-attack/1623026.html
15 MARCH 2013
What is the capacity of North Korea missiles ?
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/13/graphic-dprk-intentions/
14 MARCH 2013
Kim Jong-un’s Secret Billions
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stashed away some US$4-5 billion in bank accounts in other people’s names in Austria, China, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland, intelligence agencies believe http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2013/03/12/2013031201144.html?goback=%2Egde_1569157_member_222381598
5 MARCH 2013
North Korea vows to tear up Korean war ceasefire agreement
North Korea has said it will cancel the 1953 ceasefire that ended the Korean war, citing as reasons a US-led push for UN sanctions over Pyongyang’s recent nuclear test and continuing US-South Korean joint military drills. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/05/north-korea-korean-war-ceasefire http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/05/17194138-report-north-korea-threatens-to-scrap-truce-with-south?lite
27 FEBRUARY 2013
Foreigners granted 3G internet access in North Korea
Pyongyang has something to tweet about. North Korea has opened up internet access to visiting foreigners. Though locals still have restricted access. Journalists wasted no time in sending some of the first Instagrams from inside the country. http://www.euronews.com/2013/02/27/foreigners-granted-3g-internet-access-in-north-korea/
24 FEBRUARY 2013
China living in denial of NK’s status as an ally
There used to be some sympathy in Asia for North Korea and its striving defiance of the US and others that it sees as enemies. But now, even China, the long viewed ally of North Korea, sees North Korea’s defiance as a nuisance. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/763728.shtml
9 FEBRUARY 2013
The new capitalists
Not long ago North Korea-watchers were speculating that the new leader, Kim Jong Un, might prove a moderniser. The path-breaking boy-dictator let himself be seen with his fashionable wife. He actually spoke in public, whereas his late father’s speeches were as rare as a well-stocked Pyongyang supermarket. Lately, though, Mr Kim has reverted to type by prophesying war. http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21571421-even-another-nuclear-provocation-looms-hope-glimmers-worlds-most-oppressed-people
2 FEBRUARY 2013
China and North Korea
China continues to fret over its troublesome neighbour http://www.economist.com/news/china/21571196-china-continues-fret-over-its-troublesome-neighbour-naughty-step?fsrc=scn/ln_ec/on_the_naughty_step
25 JANUARY 2013
N. Korea faces China aid cut over atomic test: Media
North Korea’s sole major ally China will decrease aid to Pyongyang if it goes ahead with a planned nuclear test state-run media said in an unusually frank warning on Friday. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20130125-397957.htm http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9827061/US-and-China-come-together-over-defiant-North-Korea.html http://thediplomat.com/china-power/china-changing-its-tune-on-north-korea/?goback=%2Egde_108552_member_207922736
24 JANUARY 2013
North Korea plans nuclear test and says rocket programme is targeted at US
North Korea has said it planned to carry out a third nuclear test and more rocket launches aimed at its « arch-enemy » the US, two days after the UN condemned its rocket launch. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/01/20131244504577116.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/24/north-korea-nuclear-rocket-us http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/23/world/asia/north-korea-nuclear-test/index.html?hpt=ias_c1
22 JANUARY 2013
UN Security Council Rebukes N. Korea, Tightens Sanctions
The U.N. Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution expanding and strengthening sanctions against North Korea. Tuesday’s action was a response to Pyongyang’s launch of a long-range rocket last month – a violation of existing U.N. resolutions http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-sanctions-un-rocket-launch-reuters/1588988.html
China may block Korean unification, says US report
A recent report by US Senate Republican staff members warns that China, because of its deepening economic ties with North Korea as well as its ancient claims on Korean land, could attempt to « manage, and conceivably block » an eventual unification between the two Koreas, if ever the Kim family falls from power in Pyongyang. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/22/china-block-korean-unification-us
21 JANUARY 2013
North Korea’s Hidden Famine
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5128&Itemid=198
North Korea allows foreigners in with their mobile phones
North Korea is loosening some restrictions on foreign mobile phones by allowing visitors to bring their own into the country. However, security regulations still prohibit mobile phone calls between foreigners and locals. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/21/north-korea-foreigners-mobile-phones
18 JANUARY 2013
North Korea changes but remains the same
A little over a year since the death of Kim Jong-il, how has Kim Jong-un fared in his first year in charge of North Korea? http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/01/18/north-korea-in-2012-and-future-challenges/
14 JANUARY 2013
UN urges probe of North Korea rights abuses
Rights chief says as many as 200,000 political prisoners suffer in « atrocious » camps rife with torture and hard labour. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/01/2013114162542619845.html
11 JANUARY 2013
China–North Korea relations under Xi Jinping
Is North Korea a Chinese strategic asset or just a burden to China’s foreign policy? http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2013/01/11/china-north-korea-relations-under-xi-jinping/
21 DECEMBER 2012
North Korea Confirms Arrest of US Citizen
North Korea says it has arrested a U.S. citizen for committing crimes against the state after he entered the reclusive communist country as a tourist. The official Korean Central News Agency said Friday the man, identified as Bae Jun Ho, has confessed to unspecified crimes that it said were « proven through evidence. »
http://www.voanews.com/content/north-korea-confirms-arrest-of-us-citizen/1569493.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20808344
19 DECEMBER 2012
North Korea’s Missile Launch: What Does it Mean in Practice?
18 DECEMBER 2012
North Korea: a year into the reign of Kim Jong-un
A year after the death of Kim Jong-il and the ascension of his son Kim Jong-un, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea appears to be more stable than many had predicted. The new leader has consolidated his authority and rebalanced power among key institutions, but his reforms have not gone nearly far enough if North Korea is to escape its poverty trap.
http://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/past-issues/volume-18-2012/december/north-korea-a-year-into-the-reign-of-kim-jong-un/?goback=%2Egde_108552_member_197169122
14 DECEMBER 2012
NKorea still years away from reliable missiles
After 14 years of painstaking labor, North Korea finally has a rocket that can put a satellite in orbit. But that doesn’t mean Pyongyang is close to having an intercontinental ballistic missile.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/93603/nkorea-still-years-away-from-reliable-missiles/
14 DECEMBER 2012
Pyongyang parades satellite “victory”
North Korea pulled out all the stops to celebrate its successful Wednesday rocket launch, and it is likely the capital Pyongyang will do it all again next week for the first anniversary of Kim Jong-Un’s taking over at the top.
http://www.euronews.com/2012/12/14/pyongyang-parades-satellite-victory/
12 DECEMBER 2012
UN Security Council condemns North Korea rocket launch
North Korea has, for the first time, successfully launched a rocket carrying a satellite – despite international condemnation. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20697922 http://www.euronews.com/2012/12/12/mixed-regional-reactions-to-n-korea-rocket-launch/
30 NOVEMBER 2012
Chinese Met With North Korean Leader
A delegation dispatched by China’s new leader, Xi Jinpin, met with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday, North Korean state media reported, amid signs that North Korea is stepping up its nuclear and long-range missile programs.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/01/world/asia/chinese-delegation-said-to-meet-with-kim-jong-un.html?smid=li-share&goback=%2Egde_108552_member_191161190&_r=0
2 NOVEMBER 2012
Rumors suggest N.K. leader’s brother seeking asylum
Speculation is growing about the whereabouts of Kim Jong-nam, the elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, with one rumor suggesting that he is seeking asylum in Seoul in the face of an assassination threat
http://nwww.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20121101000729
24 OCTOBER 2012
North Korean army minister ‘executed with mortar round’
A North Korean army minister was executed with a mortar round for reportedly drinking and carousing during the official mourning period after Kim Jong-il’s death.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9630509/North-Korean-army-minister-executed-with-mortar-round.html
15 OCTOBER 2012
Lenin and Karl Marx statues removed from North Korea’s Kim Il-sung Square
The larger-than-life portraits of Lenin and Karl Marx that once dominated Kim Il-sung Square have been removed, suggesting a change of direction within North Korea
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9608048/Lenin-and-Karl-Marx-statues-removed-from-North-Koreas-Kim-Il-sung-Square.html
9 OCTOBER 2012
North Korea warns US on missiles after South deal
North Korea says it has missiles that can hit the US mainland, in a statement two days after South Korea unveiled a missile deal with the US
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19879935
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/world/asia/north-korea-says-its-missiles-can-reach-us-mainland.html?ref=asia
25 SEPTEMBER 2012
NKorean parliament holds second session this year
North Korea’s parliament convened Tuesday for the second time in six months, passing a law that adds one year of compulsory education for children in the socialist nation, the first publicly-announced policy change under leader Kim Jong Un
http://asiancorrespondent.com/89902/nkorean-parliament-holds-second-session-this-year/
24 SEPTEMBER 2012
North Korea ‘to allow farmers to keep half their produce’
North Korea plans to allow farmers to keep as much as half of their produce in an attempt to boost agricultural output, it has been claimed, in a move that would be a major economic reform for the beleaguered country
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9561879/North-Korea-to-allow-farmers-to-keep-half-their-produce.html
29 AUGUST 2012
N. Korea wants seat at APEC summit: Report
North Korea has asked Moscow for permission to send a mission to next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Russia, Japan’s top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun reported Wednesday. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120829-368351.html
3 AUGUST 2012
Kim Jong Un promises ‘happy and civilized’ North Korea
North Korea’s new young leader has told chief backer China that his priority is to develop the decaying economy and improve living standards in one of the world’s poorest states, the latest sign that he may be planning economic reforms.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/03/13097711-kim-jong-un-promises-happy-and-civilized-north-korea?lite&__utma=238145375.1358836827.1333475157.1343935774.1344015551.116&__utmb=238145375.1.10.1344015551&__utmc=238145375&__utmx=-&__utmz=238145375.1343667468.113.5.utmcsr=google|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=(not%20provided)&__utmv=238145375.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Cworld%20news%7Casia-pacific=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.msnbc.msn.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=89686744
25 JULY 2012
NK unveils Kim Jong-un ‘mystery’ marriage
North Korea has said its new leader is married, announcing the union for the first time in routine state TV report. The bulletin, which aired on Wednesday evening, ended weeks of speculation about a woman who accompanied Kim Jung-un to recent public events.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/07/2012725133251415525.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9427323/Kim-Jong-un-is-married-and-may-have-a-child.html
18 JULY 2012
North Korea’s Kim promoted to marshal
North Korea says its leader Kim Jong-un has been promoted to marshal, cementing his status at the top of the nation’s military. North Korean state media made the announcement in a special bulletin. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/07/201271834458949728.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18881524
17 JULY 2012
North Korean military appointment masking leadership power struggle
The changes in personnel within the highest echelons of the North Korean military mask a power struggle that has concluded – for now – with Choe Ryong-hae emerging as the most powerful man in the regime and the « puppet-master » behind Kim Jong-un.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9404672/North-Korean-military-appointment-masking-leadership-power-struggle.html
16 JULY 2012
North Korea’s army chief ‘relieved of duties’
Marking what may be the beginning of a purge of older officials, North Korean military chief Ri Yong-ho has been removed from his post
http://www.euronews.com/2012/07/16/north-korea-military-boss-removed-from-his-post/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/07/201271601152925587.html
15 JULY 2012
North Korea Experts Can See a Lot in a Hemline
North Korea watchers have resorted to in trying to peer into one of the world’s most isolated countries and divine what its new young leader, Kim Jong-un, is thinking. For weeks now, those analysts have puzzled over photos of women sporting miniskirts and heels in downtown Pyongyang, a stunning change from the years when Western wear was mostly shunned in favor of billowy traditional dresses or drab Mao-style work uniforms.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/world/asia/experts-on-north-korea-can-see-a-lot-in-a-hemline.html?_r=1&ref=asia
4 JULY 2012
Pyongyang’s growing foreign trade
North Korea increased its shipment of natural resources to China as it suffered from international sanctions and isolation stemming from its weapons programs, South Korean data showed. The North’s external trade surged 51 percent last year to a 22-year high of $6.3 billion thanks to robust Chinese demand, according to the state-owned Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency
http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20120704001374&mod=skb
19 JUNE 2012
North Korea under growing pressure over human rights
The campaign for North Koreans’ human rights is receiving fresh impetus as South Korea, the U.S. and the international community are ratcheting up pressure on the repressive regime to address grave living conditions and cease punishment of repatriated defectors.
http://view.koreaherald.com/kh/view.php?ud=20120619000981&cpv=0
8 JUNE 2012
Chinese firms breaking UN embargo on North Korea
Chinese firms are breaking a United Nations embargo by supplying North Korea with key components for ballistic missiles including launch vehicles, according to evidence provided by an intelligence agency in the region.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/9320339/Chinese-firms-breaking-UN-embargo-on-North-Korea.html
29 MAY 2012
Defectors describe horror, heartbreak in North Korea’s labor camps
Watching the public execution of his mother and older brother, Shin Dong-Hyuk thought the punishment was just. They had planned to escape the North Korean labor camp they were being held in until Shin overheard them and reported them to the prison guards
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/27/world/asia/north-korea-labor-camps-hancocks/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
25 APRIL 2012
North Korea redefines ‘minimum’ wage
The official exchange rate of the North Korean won is now fixed at 135 won per US dollar, but few if any people use this rate in actual transactions. The market rate is far more indicative, and currently it fluctuates around the 3,400 won per a US dollar mark. Therefore, the official salary is between $0.5 and $1.50 a month. The above information is technically correct, but also quite meaningless because, in North Korea, wages have had a rather unusual role: they were merely one part of a compensation package given by the employer to its employees, and not the most significant part (until the early 1990s, there was only one employer in North Korea – that is, the North Korean state
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/ND25Dg03.html
20 APRIL 2012
N. Korea vows to continue ‘space program’
Despite U.N. Security Council condemnations, North Korea said it will continue launching satellites under its space program that outsiders see as a pretext to test long-range missiles http://www.koreaherald.com/pop/NewsFlashRight.jsp?newsMLId=20120420000728
16 APRIL 2012
UN Security Council Expands North Korea Sanctions
The U.N. Security Council has “strongly condemned” North Korea’s failed rocket launch and unanimously agreed to expand sanctions against the increasingly isolated nation http://www.voanews.com/english/news/asia/east-pacific/UN-Security-Council-Expands-North-Korea-Sanctions-147586665.html
15 APRIL 2012
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un in first major public speech
North Korean new leader Kim Jong-un has made his first televised public speech, as Pyongyang marks the centenary of the birth of the country’s founder.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/04/20124153576824453.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17718011
14 APRIL 2012
US suspends North Korea food aid
The United States has called off plans to send food aid to North Korea, after the impoverished state launched a rocket in defiance of international demands.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/04/20124140598594521.html
13 APRIL 2012
North Korea rocket launch fails
North Korea’s keenly-watched rocket launch has failed, Pyongyang has confirmed. The rocket – seen by many as a banned test of long-range missile technology – was launched from north-west North Korea http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/13/world/asia/north-korea-launch/index.html?hpt=ias_c1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17698438
http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20120413001143
11 APRIL 2012
Kim Jong Un named first secretary of the Workers’Party of North Korea
As North Korea made final preparations for a controversial rocket launch, its young new supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, was anointed with a new title Wednesday: He was named first secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/04/kim-jong-un-named-to-new-post-as-launch-looms.html
10 APRIL 2012
Report sheds fresh light on North Korean gulag
It presents a detailed picture of torture, forced abortions and public executions in a vast network of secret political camps. The research backs previous evidence that more than 150,000 political prisoners are being held in North Korea
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17668076
4 APRIL 2012
All of Kim Jong-eun’s men
The top managers of North Korea’s clandestine nuclear and ballistic missile program have been methodically promoted and now dominate the inner circle of Kim Jong-eun’s new government, confidential foreign government documents and official media reports from Pyongyang show
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/ND04Dg01.html
25 MARCH 2012
Obama Warns North Korea to End ‘Bad Behavior’
President Obama on Sunday 25 warned North Korea that its threats and provocations would only deepen its international isolation and jeopardize the resumption of American food aid, and he called on the North to scrap its plans to launch a satellite next month
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/world/asia/president-obama-visits-south-korea.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=asia
16 MARCH 2012
US warns North Korea satellite launch could scrap nuclear, food deals
The United States warned North Korea on Friday its plan to launch a satellite with a long-range rocket could violate its February agreement on a nuclear moratorium and scuttle U.S. plans to resume food aid. http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/16/10715606-us-warns-north-korea-satellite-launch-could-scrap-nuclear-food-deals
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17400146 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17399847
16 FEBRUARY 2012
North Korea holds big parade on anniversary of dead leader’s 70th birthday
North Korea held a huge military parade in Pyongyang on Thursday, using the 70th anniversary of the birth of its late leader Kim Jong Il as an opportunity to try to invoke deeper reverence for his son and chosen successor, Kim Jong Un
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17053986
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia-pacific/2012/02/2012216143512223376.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/02/16/world/asia/north-korea-kim-birthday/index.html?hpt=ias_t2
15 FEBRUARY 2012
Giant Kim Jong-il statue unveiled for his 70th birthday
A giant statue of Kim Jong-il has been unveiled ahead of Thursday’s celebrations of the 70th anniversary of his birthday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17037162
8 JANUARY 2012
On birthday, N. Korea leader called military ‘genius’
North Korea on Sunday praised its young new leader as “the genius among the geniuses” in military strategy in a film aired on his birthday, the first since he took command after his father’s death
http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20120108-320604.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16460279 http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/for-kim-jong-eun-a-choreographed-rise/2012/01/07/gIQAizmPhP_story.html
31 DECEMBER 2011
North Korea announced on Saturday 31 it has appointed Kim Jong Un, the anointed successor and youngest son of Kim Jong Il, as Supreme Commander of its 1.2 million-strong military, two days after official mourning for the late leader ended
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45833006/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16370671