Category Archives: Kim Jong Un

Kim Jong-un jockeys for attention with horse ride up sacred mountain

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North Korean leader’s heavily publicised trip up Mount Paektu on white horse could be sign of a big decision

Kim Jong-un is planning “a great operation to strike the world with wonder”, North Korean state media has said, after he found inspiration during a heavily publicised horse ride to the top of the nation’s most sacred mountain.

In a series of photos released by state news agency KCNA, Kim is seen riding a large white horse through snowy fields and woods on Mount Paektu, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty.

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China and North Korea hail ‘immortal and invincible’ friendship

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Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un exchange compliments as their countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations

Xi Jinping has promised to promote a “long-term, sound and stable” relationship with North Korea as the two countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, also sent a message to the Chinese president, saying their countries’ “invincible friendship will be immortal on the road of accomplishing the cause of socialism,” said Pyongyang’s state news agency KCNA on Sunday.

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Kim Jong-un invites Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang – report

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Letter from North Korean leader comes as talks between the men have stalled

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un invited US president Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang in a letter sent in August, a South Korean newspaper reported on Monday, citing diplomatic sources.

The letter pre-dates North Korea’s latest launch of short-range projectiles a week ago and is the second Trump received from Kim last month amid stalled denuclearisation talks between the two countries,

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North Korea fires two projectiles shortly after Trump dismissed earlier launches

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Projectiles fired at dawn on Saturday from area around north-eastern city of Hamhung, South Korea’s military says

North Korea fired two unidentified projectiles into the sea off its eastern coast on Saturday, South Korea’s military said.

The latest launch comes shortly after the US president, Donald Trump, said he had received a “very beautiful letter” from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

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North Korea fires more projectiles, says it may be ‘compelled to seek new road’

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Pyongyang says US-South Korea military drills are ‘flagrant violation’ of efforts to reach peace

North Korea has fired two unidentified projectiles into the sea from South Hwanghae province, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The launches came as Pyongyang described Washington and Seoul’s war games as a “flagrant violation” of efforts to reach peace on the Korean peninsula which reflected a lack of “political will” to improve relations.

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North Korea missile tests could be effort to divide US, Japan and South

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Three launches in eight days point to ulterior motive amid strained relations between its neighbours and Washington

The series of short-range missile tests by North Korea over the last eight days could be an attempt by Pyongyang to exploit strained US-Japan-South Korea relations, analysts have said.

The latest launches, at about 3am on Friday from North Korea’s east coast, involved the firing of two unidentified projectiles into the Sea of Japan. They follow two tests in the past eight days.

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Trump and Kim’s DMZ meeting proves more than just a photo op

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US-North Korea negotiations are back on – but will they lead anywhere?

As it turned out, it was more than a photo op. Donald Trump not only shook hands again with Kim Jong-un and became the first incumbent US president to enter North Korea but also, instead of the expected exchange of pleasantries, sat down with his counterpart and talked for an hour in the demilitarised zone (DMZ) between the Koreas. And there was a tangible outcome.

Meetings between US and North Korean working groups will restart four months after they broke down at the Hanoi summit in February. Real negotiations are back on. The question, as ever, is whether they will lead anywhere.

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Donald Trump invites Kim Jong-un to US after entering North Korea

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US president hails ‘great honour’ of crossing border at impromptu meeting

Donald Trump has invited Kim Jong-un to the US after becoming the first sitting American president to enter North Korea.

The apparently impromptu meeting came about after Trump tweeted an invitation to Kim on Saturday from the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.

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Kim Jong-un welcomes Donald Trump to North Korea – video

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The US president has met North Korea’s leader, becoming the first US president to set foot on North Korean soil. The meeting was held in the demilitarised zone. ‘I just want to say this is my honour,’ Trump said, adding: ‘Stepping across that line is a great honour – great progress has been made, great friendships have been made and this has been, in particular, a great friendship.’ The president also took the opportunity to invite Kim to the US

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Trump arrives in demilitarised zone to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un – live

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President tweeted invitation to ‘say hello’ to Kim and says ‘a handshake means a lot’

So we are now just waiting for Donald Trump’s handshake meeting with Kim Jong-un, which Trump said would happen in four minutes (roughly 10 minutes ago).

Confirmation that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are in the DMZ with the president.

Yeah, Javanka there. Iron-clad stares. https://t.co/CqTunSPTDI pic.twitter.com/8Nfs6JgosG

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North Korea rolls out red carpet for Xi Jinping – in pictures

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Xi Jinping is greeted warmly in North Korea on his first state visit there as China’s president. He has backed North Korea’s new focus on economic development, saying in a speech in the capital that the nation under leader Kim Jong-un had ‘initiated a new strategic line of economic development and improving people’s livelihoods, raising socialist construction in the country to a new high tide.’ North Korea remains heavily dependent on aid, mainly from China and food security is a constant concern.

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North Korea’s Kim Jong-un upset with ‘wrong spirit’ at mass games

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Kim’s sister reappears after reports she was out of favour, as he lambasts organisers of gymnastics show

Kim Jong-un’s influential younger sister has appeared in public for the first time in more than 50 days, attending the “Mass Games” propaganda displays that the North Korean leader later criticised for their “wrong spirit”.

Kim Yo-jong, who was by Kim’s side throughout both of his meetings with the US president, was shown seated next to her brother at the event in Pyongyang on Monday evening.

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Senior North Korean official reappears after ‘forced labour’ report

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Photo shows Kim Yong-chol attended an art performance with Kim Jong-un on Sunday

A senior North Korean official who was reportedly sent to a labour camp has attended a concert alongside the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, state media have said.

There had been speculation about the fate of Kim Yong-chol after a South Korean newspaper reported last week that he had been subjected to forced labour and “ideological education”.

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North Korea ‘executes envoy to US’ after Trump summit failures – report

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South Korean paper claims Kim Hyok-chol has been killed and senior negotiator Kim Yong-chol subjected to forced labour

North Korea’s special envoy to the US, who was credited with paving the way for nuclear talks with Washington, has reportedly been executed over the failure of the recent summit between North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and Donald Trump.

The South Korean Chosun Ilbo newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying that Kim Hyok-chol and foreign ministry officials who conducted working-level preparations for February’s doomed Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi, were executed in March.

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New missile launches by North Korea ‘very concerning’, says Seoul

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Launching of two suspected short-range missiles casts doubt on nuclear talks with US

North Korea has fired two suspected short-range missiles, South Korea’s military has said, its second weapons launch in five days and a possible warning that nuclear disarmament talks with Washington could be in danger.

South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said the weapons flew 420km (260 miles) and 270km (167 miles), respectively. It said it was working with the US to determine more details, such as the type of weapon that was fired.

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South Korea rebukes North Korea for firing projectiles into the sea

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Experts say Pyongyang is stepping up pressure against US after failed nuclear summit

South Korea has issued a stern rebuke to Pyongyang for escalating military tensions on the divided peninsula after North Korea fired a series of “unidentified short-range projectiles” into the sea.

The projectiles were fired on Saturday from the east coast city of Wonsan at around 9am, and flew 70 to 200km towards the north-east, South Korea’s Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

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North Korea’s Kim Jong-un receives joyous welcome after returning from Russia – video

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The supreme leader was met by cheering crowds as he returned from his first Russia visit. Footage of Kim's arrival back in the country was broadcast on state-run television channel KRT. Waiting at the platform among the crowds were high-ranking officials and guards. During his first Russia visit, Kim told Vladimir Putin that peace and security on the Korean peninsula depended on the US, saying a state of hostility could easily return, KRT reported

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Kim Jong-un meets Vladimir Putin for first time at Vladivostok summit

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Russian president offers North Korean leader help to break nuclear deadlock after Kim’s failed summit with Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin has offered Russia’s help to break the deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme in his first meeting with the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un.

Putin and Kim greeted each other warmly on Thursday, shaking hands before beginning two days of highly anticipated talks at a university in Russia’s far-eastern city of Vladivostok.

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Kim Jong-un arrives in Vladivostok by train for Putin summit

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North Korean leader’s entourage ensures dust-free welcome in Russia’s far east

As Kim Jong-un arrived at the Vladivostok railway station on Wednesday, white-gloved attendants ran alongside his armoured train, wiping the dust from any surfaces that the North Korean leader might touch exiting the carriage.

Before he could disembark, the train had to back up precisely so that the carriage doors lined up with the red carpet laid out for Kim’s arrival.

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