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☆ Signs of Rare Unrest Among North Korean Workers in China, Researchers Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Ju-min ParkSEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's intelligence agency says poor conditions for North Koreans working overseas have led to "incidents and accidents", while researchers report rare protests and unrest in China among workers from a North Korean military-linked trading company. Fed up with unpaid wages and lingering pandemic lockdowns, as many as 3,000 North Korean workers in China staged protests last month, according to two South Korean government-affiliated researchers, including a former North Korean diplomat. The North Korean embassy in Beijing and its consular office in the Chinese border city of Dandong did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. South Korea's unification ministry said in a report last year that China and Russia were hosting North Korean workers despite the sanctions. That's not easy now, given the North Korean regime wants to keep them in China to raise money for the government."

Persons: Cho Han, Cho, Ko Young, Ko, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Eduardo Baptista, Antoni Slodkowski, Laurie Chen, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, . State, Korea Institute for National, South, Korea's National Intelligence Service, Security, Koreans, U.S . State Department, NIS Locations: SEOUL, China, North Korean, Beijing, Dandong, North Koreans, North Korea, Pyongyang, Korean, Helong, Jilin province, Jilin, Russia, Seoul

☆ North Korea cites rare dissent in elections even as 99% back candidates
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un casts his ballot during a local election, in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, in this picture released on November 27, 2023. The North's parliament and regional councils serve as a rubber stamp to the ruling Workers' Party, with their elections usually registering over 99% voter turnout. This month's election marks the first time North Korea has referred to dissenting votes in local polls since the 1960s, an official at South Korea's unification ministry handling relations with the North said. Held every four years, the latest regional election was also the first polls since North Korea revised its election law in August to allow multiple candidates. "The portrayal of a more democratic society, particularly in comparison to South Korea and the U.S., is aimed at reinforcing the regime's legitimacy and authenticity on the world stage," think tank, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, said in a report.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Jong Un, KCNA, Soo, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Ed Davies, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: KCNA, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Workers ' Party, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Thomson Locations: South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, Rights SEOUL, North, Korea, South Korea, U.S, Pyongyang

☆ We've been calling Kim Jong Un's daughter by the wrong name, and it's all because of Dennis Rodman, Korean ex-spy says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Kim Jong Un's daughter has been known to the world as Kim Ju Ae since North Korea debuted her in 2022. But a former South Korean spy veteran says her name is actually Kim Eun Ju, per The Korea Times. AdvertisementA retired South Korean spy said the world has been giving the wrong name to daughter of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, The Korea Times reported. Advertisement"I heard that Kim introduced his daughter to Rodman during his visit to North Korea, saying in Korean that 'jeo-ae' is his daughter. South Korean officials and intelligence services have since referred to Kim's daughter as "Kim Ju Ae," and a year later, she continues to feature heavily in North Korean propaganda.

Persons: Kim Jong, Kim Ju, Kim Eun Ju, Dennis Rodman, Kim Jong Un, —, Choe Su Yong, Choe, Rodman, Kim . Choe, Kim Organizations: Korea Times, Service, The Korea Times, South Korea's National Intelligence Service, NBA, Times, Guardian, Business Insider, South, The Times, Radio Free Asia, Korea's Unification Ministry Locations: North Korea, South Korean, Korean

☆ North Korea media urges stronger nuclear force after U.S. missile test
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A North Korean military commentator said despite the failure of the test, the presence of South Korean "puppet military gangsters" showed that U.S. nuclear weapons were targeted at North Korea. The commentary also criticised the U.S. and South Korea for various recent military steps including the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic bombers to South Korea. The U.S. and South Korea also held air exercises involving 130 warplanes from both countries to simulate 24-hour wartime operations last month. South Korea and the United States say their exercises are aimed at maintaining combat readiness to respond to North Korea. North Korea denounces the exercises as preparations by the United States and its South Korean ally to invade it.

Persons: Kim, Hyunsu Yim, Hyonhee Shin, Robert Birsel Organizations: Minuteman, Daylight, Vandenberg Air Force Base, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S, U.S . Air Force, South, North, Democratic People's, DPRK, Korea's Unification Ministry, Thomson Locations: California, U.S, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, United States, Korean, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, South Korea, North, Korea, Japan

☆ North Korea closes multiple embassies around the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." North Korea has formal relations with 159 countries, but had 53 diplomatic missions overseas, including three consulates and three representative offices, until it pulled out of Angola and Uganda, according to the ministry. Correspondence with the Spanish Communist Party released on the party's website showed the North Korean embassy announcing the closing in a letter dated Oct. 26.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, KCNA, Chad O'Carroll, Kim Jong, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle, Ed Davies Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, NK Pro, Spanish Communist Party, North Korean, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Spain, Hong Kong, Africa, Korean, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Italy, Madrid, Pyongyang, United States

☆ North Korea's closure of Africa embassies a sign of economic hardships - South's ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The North Korean flag flutters at the North Korea consular office in Dandong, Liaoning province, China April 20, 2021. Both Angola and Uganda have forged friendly ties with North Korea since the 1970s, maintaining military cooperation and providing rare sources of foreign currency such as statue-building projects. Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean affairs, said the pullout reflected the impact of international sanctions aimed at curbing funding for the North's nuclear and missile programs. "This can be a sign of North Korea's difficult economic situation, where it is difficult to maintain even minimal diplomatic relations with traditionally friendly countries." Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported last week, citing unnamed sources, that North Korea was planning to shut down at least 10 diplomatic missions, including a consulate in Hong Kong, largely because of economic difficulties.

Persons: Tingshu Wang, Hyonhee Shin, Hyunsu Yim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: North, REUTERS, Rights, Yomiuri Shimbun, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Dandong, Liaoning province, China, Rights SEOUL, Angola, Uganda, Korea, Hong Kong

A cartoon soldier is depicted on part of a warning sign on barbed wire on the Chinese side of the border between Russia, China and North Korea near the town of Hunchun, China, November 24, 2017. Any forced repatriation of North Koreans goes against international norms and South Korea viewed it as regrettable, Koo Byoung-sam, a spokesman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, told a media briefing. "It appears to be true that a large number of North Koreans in China's three northeast provinces have been repatriated to the North," Koo said. South Korea had been unable to determine the number of people involved and whether there were defectors among them. China has never recognised fleeing North Koreans as defectors and instead calls them "economic migrants".

Persons: Damir Sagolj, Koo Byoung, Koo, Tae Yong, Kim Hyuk, Kim Cheol, Jack Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Eduardo Baptista, Ed Davies, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Koreans, South Korea's Unification Ministry, Former North, Korean, Rights Watch, The North, Thomson Locations: Russia, China, North Korea, Hunchun, Rights SEOUL, South Korea, North, Korea, China's, Former North Korean, Korea's, Beijing, North Koreans, Koreans, The, The North Koreans, Korean, Jilin province

North Korea's state media has made no mention of the incident. North Korea has been testing increasingly powerful missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last week. Forces Korea, said the military was "working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident," referring to North Korea's People's Army. NORTH KOREA FIRES MISSILESThe soldier was on a tour of the Panmunjom truce village with other visitors when he crossed a Military Demarcation Line, U.S. officials say. The launch came hours after the South Korea and the United States held the first round of talks on Tuesday on upgrading coordination in the event of a nuclear war with North Korea.

Persons: Travis T, King, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Isaac Taylor, Taylor, Kim Hong, Panmunjom, Tae Yong, Josh Smith, Hyonhee Shin, hyang Choi, David Brunnstrom, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Nobuhiro Kubo, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, The U.S . Army, Security Area, U.S . Defence, United Nations, U.S . Forces, Korea's People's Army, Command, UNC, North Koreans, KOREA, REUTERS, Ji, U.S ., Korea's Unification Ministry, South, United, Thomson Locations: North North Korea, Pyongyang, U.S, South Korea, WASHINGTON, American, North Korea, Washington, The, New York, U.S . Forces Korea, Paju, Ji U.S, United States, Korean, Korea's, Seoul, Tokyo

☆ North Korea: "No intention to examine" Hyundai Group chief's bid to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 1 (Reuters) - North Korea has no intention to "examine" South Korea's Hyundai Group chief's plan to visit the North's Mount Kumgang, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Hyundai Group Chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun has been seeking to visit North Korea in August and submitted applications to South Korea's unification ministry, Yonhap news agency reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official at the ministry. Hyundai's late founder, Chung Ju-Yung, was born in North Korea. Mount Kumgang is on North Korea’s east coast near the demilitarised zone separating the two countries. North Korea has long rejected criticism of its rights conditions as part of a plot to overthrow its rulers.

Persons: Kumgang, Hyun Jeong, Chung, Yung, Yoon Suk, Heekyong Yang, Sandra Maler, William Mallard Organizations: Korea's Hyundai, Hyundai, DPRK, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, North Korea’s, Kaesong, Pyongyang

☆ North Korea says botched satellite launch was 'gravest failure'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KCNA via REUTERSSEOUL, June 19 (Reuters) - North Korea has said its botched military satellite launch last month was the "gravest failure" at the ruling party's latest key meeting, state media KCNA reported on Monday. The enlarged plenary meeting was held between Friday and Sunday, ordering workers and researchers to analyze the failed military satellite launch and prepare for another in the near future. Those in charge of the satellite launch were "heavily criticized," the report said. It marked the eight enlarged plenary meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the country's ruling party. North Korea also vowed it will continue to develop its nuclear capability and strengthen solidarity with other countries that oppose what it called the "U.S. strategy for world supremacy."

Persons: Kim Jong Un, Hyunsu Yim, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: 8th Central Committee of, Workers ' Party of, North, Korean Central News Agency, KCNA, REUTERS, Workers ' Party of Korea, North Korean, Korea's Unification Ministry, Thomson Locations: Workers ' Party of Korea, Pyongyang, North Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, U.S

☆ North Korea executes people for South Korean videos, drugs - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File PhotoSEOUL, March 30 (Reuters) - North Korea executes people for drugs, sharing South Korean media, and religious activities as it stifles its citizens' human rights and freedom, its rival, South Korea, said in a report on Thursday. "Executions are widely carried out for acts that do not justify the death penalty, including drug crimes, distribution of South Korean videos, and religious and superstitious activities." Reuters could not independently verify the South Korean government's findings but they were in line with U.N. investigations and reports from non-governmental organisations. Nearly 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea but the number of defectors has fallen sharply because of tighter border security.

☆ North Korea's Kim orders 'fundamental transformation' of agriculture amid food shortages
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, Feb 28 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for a "fundamental transformation" in agricultural production, state media reported on Tuesday, amid fears that the country's food shortage is worsening. The report did not elaborate on what measures North Korea would take, but Kim said the changes need to happen in the next few years. His remark comes amid reports of growing food shortage woes in the country. Earlier this month, South Korea's Unification Ministry said the food situation in the North "seemed to have deteriorated." North Korea is under strict international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes.

☆ North Korean food shortage seems to be worsening, South Korea says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Soo-Hyang Choi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Feb 15 (Reuters) - A North Korean food crisis appears to have deteriorated, South Korea said on Wednesday, as a newspaper reported that North Korea has cut rations to its soldiers for the first time in more than two decades. North Korea has effectively acknowledged serious food shortages, South Korea's unification ministry said, referring to a North Korean state media report this month about plans for an "urgent" ruling party meeting on agriculture. "Its food situation seems to have deteriorated," the South's unification ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, said in a statement. South Korea's DongA Ilbo newspaper said on Wednesday that North Korea has reduced daily food rations to its soldiers for the first time since 2000, citing an unidentified senior South Korean official. The WFP, which has helped North Korea over the years, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

☆ North Korea, China resume cross-border freight train operation -S.Korea ministry
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterSEOUL, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Cross-border freight train operations between North Korea and China appears to have resumed after a five-month suspension, South Korea's unification ministry said on Monday. The comments from the ministry, which handles relations with North Korea, came after Yonhap news agency reported a freight train from Dandong crossed a bridge to the North Korean city of Sinuiju. "North Korea and China have yet to officially confirm but looking at various circumstances, freight train operations between North Korea and China appear to have resumed today," ministry spokesperson Cho Joong-hoon told a briefing. Shortly after, North Korea reported its first COVID outbreak, which it now says has ended. The April suspension came less than four months after North Korea eased border lockdowns enforced early in 2020 against the coronavirus.

☆ S.Korea expresses regret over N.Korea's 'groundless claim' over COVID, threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL, Aug 11 (Reuters) - South Korea's unification ministry handling inter-Korean affairs expressed regret after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's powerful sister blamed leaflets from the South for causing the COVID outbreak in the isolated country. "We express strong regrets over North Korea repeatedly making groundless claims over the route of the COVID and making very disrespectful and threatening remarks," the ministry said in a statement. North Korean leader Kim declared victory in the battle against the novel coronavirus, ordering a lifting of maximum anti-epidemic measures imposed in May, state media KCNA said on Thursday. read moreReporting by Hyonhee Shin and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Himani SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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