Southeast Asian countries on Friday expressed “grave concern” over North Korea’s nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, despite Pyongyang’s appeal for support in its tense standoff with the United States. In a rare move, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho wrote to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations appealing for backing in its … Read more
Southeast Asian countries will express “grave concern” over North Korea’s nuclear weapons tests and ballistic missile launches, despite Pyongyang’s appeal for support, according to a draft statement due to be released Friday. In a rare move, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho wrote to the ASEAN regional bloc’s secretary general appealing for backing in its … Read more
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will chair a UN Security Council meeting on Friday to push for a tougher response to North Korea and pile pressure on China to rein in its Pyongyang ally. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the meeting that follows weeks of warnings from the US administration that it … Read more
North Korea has appealed to Southeast Asian countries for support in its row with the United States to prevent what it warned could be a “nuclear holocaust”, according to a letter obtained by AFP. In the letter to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ secretary general, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-Ho warned the situation … Read more
The US is to tighten sanctions on North Korea and step up diplomatic moves aimed at pressuring the country to end its nuclear and missile programmes. President Donald Trump’s strategy was announced after a special briefing for all 100 US senators. Earlier, the top US commander in the Pacific defended the deployment of an advanced … Read more
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged an end to US-South Korean military manoeuvres Wednesday as well as a stop to North Korea’s nuclear programme to calm tensions on the peninsula. He said Pyongyang’s continuing nuclear tests were “a clear violation of UN resolutions”, but stressed that persisting with military manoeuvres around the peninsula “is not … Read more
Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a massive conventional firing drill, Seoul said, as a US guided-missile submarine docked in South Korea amid tensions over Pyongyang’s weapons ambitions. Speculation had mounted that the North could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the … Read more
China has warned North Korea will ‘cross the point of no return’ if it carries out a sixth nuclear test amid fears the secretive state can create a nuke every six weeks. Kim Jong-Un is believed to have personally overseen the country’s largest ever firing drill in the port city of Wonsan today. But fears … Read more
Nuclear-armed North Korea on Tuesday marked a military anniversary with a conventional firing drill, reports said, as the South announced joint naval exercises with a US aircraft carrier in the flashpoint region. Speculation had mounted that Pyongyang could carry out a sixth nuclear test or another missile launch to mark 85 years since the founding … Read more
In an unusual move, the entire US Senate is being called to the White House for a briefing on North Korea. Washington has become increasingly concerned at North Korean missile and nuclear tests and threats to its neighbours and the US. The briefing, involving 100 senators as well as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and … Read more
The UN Security Council must be ready to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, US President Donald Trump said Monday, calling the status quo “unacceptable.” The comments are sure to ratchet up tensions again as North Korea pushes ahead with its ballistic missile program. It is also believed to … Read more
Australia and New Zealand stiffened their rhetoric against North Korea Sunday after the isolated state threatened Canberra with a nuclear strike, urging it to think twice before “blindly and zealously toeing the US line”. The move comes as US Vice President Mike Pence wraps up an Asia tour, which has included visits to South Korea, … Read more
China must put more pressure on neighbour and ally North Korea, as fears grow over the country’s nuclear threat, according to U. S. Vice President Mike Pence and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Mr Turnbull warned the eyes of the world are on Beijing, calling for China to rein in North Korea during a press … Read more
The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned North Korea’s latest missile test and threatened to impose new sanctions against Pyongyang for its “highly destabilizing behavior.” In a unanimous statement, the council demanded that North Korea “conduct no further nuclear tests” and said Pyongyang’s “illegal missile activities” were “greatly increasing tension in the region and … Read more
When South Korea fills a presidential vacuum next month, analysts say the first order of business for its new leader will be to tame Donald Trump’s aggressive approach towards the nuclear-armed North. The impeachment of former president Park Geun-Hye — who took a hard line on North Korea — forced her out of Seoul’s Blue … Read more
Russia on Wednesday blocked UN Security Council condemnation of North Korea’s latest missile test even though China had backed the strongly-worded statement put forward by the United States, diplomats said. The proposed statement seen by AFP would have demanded that North Korea “conduct no further nuclear tests” and halt missile launches after Pyongyang carried out … Read more
North Korea showed off military hardware at a parade in honour of the anniversary of founding father China says it is seriously concerned about North Korean nuclear development, in the wake of a BBC interview with a top official from the North. North Korea’s vice foreign minister told the BBC Pyongyang would continue to test … Read more
After a few days of saber-rattling, US President Donald Trump’s administration has reverted to the same North Korea policy as its predecessor: relying on China to control Pyongyang. The USS Carl Vinson carrier battle group, which Trump boasted last week was the “armada, very powerful” to bring leader Kim Jong-un to heel is instead carrying … Read more
North Korea watchers said Tuesday they had observed unusual activity at the reclusive country’s nuclear test site — workers playing volleyball. The 38 North monitoring group said satellite imagery captured Sunday showed personnel at the guard barracks and two other areas at the Punggye-ri test site playing the popular game. “It suggests that the facility … Read more
Mike Pence arrived at the gateway to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on Monday, an AFP correspondent reported, in a show of US resolve hours after North Korea failed in its attempt to test another missile. The US vice president flew by helicopter into Camp Bonifas, a US-led United Nations command post just … Read more