The U.S. Treasury Department announced yesterday sanctions on two men they say are top officials for North Korea’s ballistic missile program. The move follows a new round of UN sanctions Pyongyang condemned as an “act of war” (BBC)
South Korea Considers Postponing Drills With U.S.
President Moon Jae-in said South Korea could postpone military drills with the United States to reduce tensions with Pyongyang ahead of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, and that he would like to see North Korean athletes take part in the upcoming games (Guardian)
U.S. Blames North Korea for WannaCry Cyberattack
The White House publicly blamed North Korea yesterday for the WannaCry ransomware attack in May that affected some two hundred thousand computers in 150 countries (Financial Times)
Tillerson Pushes for New Pressure on North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will meet with the UN Security Council today to discuss new ways to pressure North Korea to abandon development of its nuclear weapons program (Voice of America)
The U.S. special envoy for North Korea called on Pyongyang to accept an offer made by Tillerson earlier this week to engage in talks without preconditions, though the White House later contradicted Tillerson’s proposal (Associated Press)
Tillerson Says Open to Meeting With North Korea
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States is ready to meet with North Korea without preconditions, but that there must first be “a period of quiet” for such a meeting to be productive (Voice of America)
A group of fifty-eight former U.S. military officials sent a letter to President Trump yesterday to urge against military action in North Korea (Washington Post)
U.S., South Korea Could Delay Military Drills for Olympics
The United States and South Korea could decide to delay two annual joint military exercises until after the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics, which will end in mid-March, to avoid provoking North Korea (Financial Times)
Separately, several Chinese towns along the North Korean border are planning to construct refugee camps in preparation for a possible crisis on the Korean Peninsula, according to a leaked document from a Chinese state-owned telecommunications firm (New York Times)
Japan, South Korea, U.S. Carry Out Missile Drills
The three allies began two days of missile-tracking drills in the waters off Japan. The exercises, which come after North Korea launched its most sophisticated intercontinental ballistic missile to date late last month, are the sixth such drills for the three nations (Reuters)
South Korean Minister Questions North’s Nuclear Capability
South Korea’s foreign minister said there is “no concrete evidence” that North Korea has mastered the technology needed to launch a nuclear weapon on a long-range missile, despite the regime’s declarations it has done so (Korea Times)
U.S., South Korea Begin Air Drills Amid Regional Tensions
U.S. and South Korean aircraft have begun five days of drills practicing strikes on North Korean facilities (Korea Times), including nuclear and missile test sites, amid heightened tensions with the North. Some 230 aircraft are taking part in the simulations over South Korean airspace. Pyongyang said such exercises by Washington and Seoul, which it considers a provocation, would push the peninsula “to the brink of nuclear war” (New York Times)
North Korea Says Missile Can Hit Anywhere in U.S.
South Korea said that dialogue with North Korea is “unrealistic” and raised the prospect of additional unilateral sanctions after the North fired a ballistic missile yesterday that flew higher and farther than any previous tests (New York Times)
North Korean state TV reported that the missile, which flew nearly 2,800 miles upward and six hundred miles to the east before landing in the Sea of Japan, is capable of reaching anywhere on the U.S. mainland (Guardian)
U.S. Declares North Korea Terrorism Sponsor
The United States designated North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism yesterday for its nuclear weapons program and assassinations abroad (Washington Post)
China Sends Special Envoy to North Korea
Beijing dispatched a high-level envoy to Pyongyang on Friday, the first such visit in more than a year (Associated Press)
Yesterday, China’s foreign ministry again called for a “freeze for freeze” agreement in which the United States and South Korea would suspend military exercises in exchange for North Korea halting its nuclear program. The statement appeared to contradict U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s announcement earlier this week that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would not accept such a deal (Reuters)
American Detained Attempting to Enter North Korea
South Korean police have detained a Louisiana man who tried to cross the Korean border into the North without a permit for what local authorities called “political purposes.” The incident came after a North Korean soldier successfully defected to the South, though he was shot by soldiers from the North and is now hospitalized (Washington Post)
Trump, in Beijing, Presses for Action on North Korea
U.S. President Donald J. Trump arrived in Beijing today; earlier, in an address to South Korea’s National Assembly, Trump called on China to confront North Korea, saying the “longer we wait, the greater the danger grows” (New York Times)
On the eve of Trump’s visit, the U.S. Senate approved new sanctions targeting Chinese banks that do business with North Korea (Reuters)
Trump Shows Openness to Negotiate With North Korea
While in Seoul today, U.S. President Donald J. Trump expressed a willingness to negotiate with Pyongyang, saying North Korea should “come to the table” and “make a deal” (Associated Press)
U.S. aircraft carriers are expected to carry out a military drill off the Korean peninsula in the coming days, and Trump will address South Korea’s national assembly tomorrow, the first such speech by a U.S. president since 1993 (Korea Times)
South Korea Announces New Unilateral Sanctions
Seoul announced new unilateral sanctions targeting eighteen individuals at North Korean financial institutions; the move comes ahead of U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s visit to South Korea this week (Reuters)
UN Rights Expert Warns Over Sanctions on North Korea
The UN special envoy for human rights in North Korea said international sanctions on the country should be reviewed to avoid imposing collective punishment on ordinary citizens, citing concerns over limited access to medical equipment and vital supplies (Voice of America)
Officials Warn North Korean Missile to U.S. Months Away
Two top U.S. officials warned yesterday that North Korea is “months away” from being able to strike the United States with a nuclear missile, saying the country is “running out of time.” CIA Director Mike Pompeo said the administration of President Donald J. Trump is prepared to use military force if necessary to ensure North Korean leader Kim Jong-un doesn’t have the “capacity to hold America at risk.” U.S. National Security Advisor General H.R. McMaster said a policy of deterrence while accepting a nuclear Pyongyang is “unacceptable” (Financial Times)
U.S. to Carry Out Evacuation Drills in South Korea
The United States said today it will practice evacuating noncombatant Americans from South Korea as the countries begin a week of military drills. North Korea has denounced the drills as preparation for an invasion (New York Times)
North Korean Hackers Suspected of Stealing War Plans
A lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party said North Korean hackers breached South Korea’s defense database last year and stole sensitive military secrets, including a plan with the United States on eliminating Pyongyang’s leadership in the case of war (Wall Street Journal)
UN Bans Four Ships Over Deliveries to North Korea
The United Nations has banned four ships registered in the Comoros, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and North Korea from visiting any global port after they were found to have delivered prohibited goods to North Korea. A UN expert described the move as unprecedented (BBC)
Trump, Tillerson Send Mixed Messages on North Korea
U.S. President Donald J. Trump wrote in a tweet yesterday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was “wasting his time” attempting to negotiate with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The comment came after Tillerson said the United States had multiple direct channels of communication open to Pyongyang (New York Times)
United States Warns North Korea of Military Action
President Donald Trump warned North Korea that the United States is prepared to use “devastating” military action if necessary. North Korea has reportedly moved a small number of military assets to a base on its esastern coast to boost its readiness (CNN)
North Korea Threatens to Shoot Down U.S. Warplanes
After the United States flew warplanes near North Korea on September 23, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho claimed the country has the right to shoot down any U.S. planes, even when they are not in North Korean airspace (New York Times)
Pyongyang Threatens Hydrogen Bomb Test Over Pacific
North Korea’s foreign minister, while in New York, said North Korea may test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific after its leader Kim Jong-un warned U.S. President Donald J. Trump that he would “pay dearly” for threatening the country in a UN speech on September 19 (Yonhap)