U.S. President Donald J. Trump, a week ahead of a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said yesterday his goal is ultimately to see North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons program but that he is in “no rush” as long as the country holds off on testing rockets, missiles, and nuclear weapons (Voice of America)
Trump, Kim Jong-un to Meet in Vietnam
During his State of the Union address yesterday, U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced he will meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for a second summit on February 27-28 in Vietnam (New York Times)
The announcement comes amid reports that North Korea has been taking steps to hid components of its nuclear weapons and missile programs, making them harder to destroy with military strikes, a UN monitoring team told the UN Security Council last week (Reuters)
North Korea Pledges to Dismantle Nuclear Facilities
North Korea has committed to dismantling and destroying all its uranium and plutonium enrichment facilities, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, Stephen Biegun, said yesterday. Biegun said the pledge also includes handing over a list of all such facilities and goes beyond North Korea’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex, which Pyongyang offered to dismantle during talks with Seoul last September (Financial Times)
North Korea Backs Two-Regime Reunification
A conference of North Korean government officials, political figures, and public organizations in Pyongyang issued an appeal for “peaceful reunification” with South Korea in which “existing” ideologies and systems in the North and South would remain in place, according to state media (Korea Times)
U.S.-North Korea Talks to Pave Way for Second Summit
Top North Korean official Kim Yong-chol is in Washington today for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. They are expected to discuss plans for a second summit between U.S. and North Korean leaders. Kim, the country’s lead negotiator on its nuclear program, is reportedly bringing a handwritten letter for President Donald J. Trump from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Korea Times)
The Missile Defense Review presented by Trump at the Pentagon yesterday says North Korea remains an “extraordinary threat” (CNN)
North Korea’s Kim Begins Four-Day China Trip
During the visit, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is expected to coordinate plans with Chinese officials for a possible second U.S.-North Korea summit (Korea Times)
U.S. President Trump said over the weekend that the United States is “negotiating a location” for a meeting (CNN)
U.S. to Review North Korea Travel Ban
U.S. envoy Stephen Biegun said the United States will review its ban on Americans traveling to North Korea so that humanitarian relief groups can deliver aid. His statement appears to indicate a softening of the Trump administration’s strategy of applying “maximum pressure” to move negotiations forward (New York Times)
North Korea Condemns New U.S. Sanctions
Pyongyang condemned new U.S. sanctions on three top North Korean officials, calling the move a “deliberate provocation” that could stall efforts to end the country’s nuclear program (Guardian)
United States Imposes Sanctions on North Korean Officials
The United States imposed sanctions on three North Korean officials for their roles in suppression of freedom of speech. The sanctions will seize the officials’ assets in the United States and ban any financial transactions with them (Agence France-Presse)
Second U.S.-North Korea Summit to be Held
President Trump said he will likely hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in January or February and that three locations are under consideration for the meeting. Trump also said he will invite Kim to the United States (Reuters)
North Korea Destroys Some of Its Guard Posts
North Korea blew up ten of its guard posts in compliance with an agreement made with South Korea in September (Associated Press)
North Korea Tests New Weapon
Leader Kim Jong-un oversaw tests of a “newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon,” according to state media, which did not provide further details on the weapon (Wall Street Journal)
The act marks the country’s first reported weapons test this year; U.S. President Trump has claimed that North Korea halted missile testing after a summit between the two leaders (BBC)
U.S. Think Tank Identifies Secret North Korean Missile Sites
A new report by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found more than a dozen undeclared missile sites across North Korea, suggesting that the country may be continuing development of its ballistic missile program despite diplomatic efforts with the United States and South Korea (Al Jazeera)
U.S.-North Korea Talks Postponed
Talks between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top North Korean official Kim Yong-chol set to take place in New York today are going to be rescheduled, according to the State Department. President Trump said yesterday that he expects to hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un early next year (Al Jazeera)
U.S., South Korea Resume Military Exercises
The United States and South Korea resumed combined military exercises, days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s meeting with Kim Yong-chol, a top North Korean official (Time)
Pompeo said he is “not worried” about a recent statement by North Korea’s foreign ministry threatening to revive the country’s nuclear program (Fox)
No-Fly Zone, Ban on Military Drills Takes Effect on Korean Peninsula
The latest step in an attempt to diffuse tensions between North and South Korea went in to effect today, as a no-fly zone and a ban on military drills near the DMZ began. The United States reportedly initially opposed the steps, saying it would hurt U.S.-ROK alliance readiness (Reuters)
The United States and South Korea are also reportedly reviewing whether they will cancel large-scale military exercises scheduled for next year (Associated Press)
Weapons and Military Posts Removed From North Korea Border Village
North and South Korea and the U.S.-led United Nations Command announced that all military posts and arms have been withdrawn from the border village of Panmunjom (Stars and Stripes)
North Korea Will Allow International Inspectors to Missile and Nuclear Sites
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Kim Jong Un is ready to allow international inspectors to visit a missile engine testing facility and the Punggye-ri nuclear testing site (Reuters)
North and South Korean Troops Begin Removing Landmines from the Joint Security Area
Demining efforts began in the Joint Security Area (JSA) by North and South Korea. Guard posts and weapons will also be removed from the JSA following demining (Reuters)
Trump to Receive Private Message from North Korea’s Kim
South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in announced that he will carry a private message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to President Trump when the two meet in New York (Associated Press)
Pompeo Moves to Jump-Start North Korea Talks
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he invited North Korea’s foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, to meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to restart talks aimed at achieving North Korean denuclearization by 2021. The move comes after a summit between Korean leaders in Pyongyang this week (Politico)
North Korea Agrees to Closure of Missile Site
North Korea will allow experts to observe the closure of its missile engine testing site and launch pad in Dongchang-ri (Reuters)
South Korean President Arrives in North Korea’s Pyongyang for Summit
South Korean President Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang to begin a three-day visit aimed at advancing nuclear talks (Reuters)
Two Koreas Open First Joint Liaison Office
A facility in the North Korean border town of Kaesong, staffed by personnel from both North and South Korea, opened today and will be the first channel for full-time, in-person contact between the two countries (New York Times)
North Korea Holds Parade Without ICBMs
North Korea celebrated the seventieth anniversary of its founding with a military parade that did not showcase intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The move was viewed as a positive signal following recent denuclearization talks between the United States and North Korea (CNN)