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)
U.S. Charges North Korean With Wannacry, Sony Hacks
The Justice Department accused Park Jin Hyok of working for the North Korean government to carry out the 2017 Wannacry ransomware attack and a 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment. Pyongyang has denied the hacking allegations (Washington Post)
In Switch, Trump Says South Korea Drills Still Suspended
U.S. President Donald J. Trump tweeted that there is no reason to spend “large amounts of money” on joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises. The statement came after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced that the Pentagon planned to resume joint drills in South Korea, which had been suspended as a good-faith measure during denuclearization talks with North Korea (Yonhap)
U.S. to Resume Military Exercises in South Korea
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the United States does not plan to call off military drills in South Korea after suspending earlier ones “as a good-faith measure” following a summit between the U.S. and North Korean leaders (Korea Times)
UN Watchdog Reports North Korea Still Developing Nuclear Weapons
North Korea continues to develop its nuclear weapons program, according to a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (Guardian)
North Korea Lashes Out at U.S. Sanctions Threats
The North Korean foreign ministry said the United States cannot expect it to move forward with dismantling its nuclear program as long as U.S. officials call for strengthened sanctions, accusing Washington of “den[ying] even the basic decorum for its dialogue partner” (Yonhap)
U.S. Says North Korea Has Not Taken Steps to Denuclearize
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton said North Korea has not pursued denuclearization in the months since the Singapore summit (Washington Post)
Images Show Construction at North Korean Missile Site
Satellite imagery appears to show the construction of new buildings at a missile production site outside of Pyongyang (Wall Street Journal)
Several U.S. media reports citing unnamed officials say U.S. spy agencies have detected the construction of new missiles at the facility (Washington Post)
U.S. Receives Korean War Remains
North Korea returned what it said were the remains of fifty-five Americans killed during the 1950–53 Korean War to the United States (New York Times)