The Korea Herald

North Korea should learn from China, foreign minister says

Apr 9, 2012

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said North Korea could become a strong and prosperous country not by military provocations but by opening up to the outside world, just as its major ally China did.“North Korea cannot become a power state by enhancing military power and conducting provocations. China has achieved marvelous economic growth, becoming one of the leaders in the international community by reforms and opening up,” Kim said in a speech in Shanghai in celebration of the 20th a
N. Korea’s political prisons under international scrutiny

Apr 9, 2012

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― A forum on North Korea’s political prisoner camps will be held in Washington this week, reflecting the international community’s growing interest in its human rights situation, organizers said Sunday.After focusing heavily on tackling the communist neighbor’s nuclear program, South Korea’s conservative government has been increasingly vocal in efforts to address the human rights issue.Activists in South Korea, the U.S. and other nations are also stepping up their campa
N. Korea confers top honor to late leader Kim Jong-il

Apr 9, 2012

North Korea has conferred its highest honor to late leader Kim Jong-il for laying an eternal foundation for the country’s prosperity.The Supreme People’s Assembly posthumously awarded the Order of Kim Il-sung to Kim Jong-il on March 29 by “reflecting the unanimous will and desire of all the service personnel and people,” the Korean Central News Agency said Monday.The rubber-stamp parliament praised Kim for making the country a nuclear state and a country that manufactured and launched satellites
N. Korea's rocket fueling imminent

Apr 9, 2012

North Korea is expected to begin fueling a long-range rocket soon, the final step toward its launch set for as early as this week, a South Korean official said Monday."North Korea has only fueling remaining after completing the installation of three stages of boosters on a launch pad," the official said on condition of anonymity. "Fueling is expected to begin soon, considering it usually takes two
N. Korea prepping for nuclear test: intelligence official

Apr 9, 2012

(Yonhap) -- North Korea is believed to be gearing up for a nuclear test, an intelligence official said Sunday, a move certain to fuel the already high tensions over its planned long-range rocket launch. Satellite images show the communist nation digging a new tunnel underground in the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the country's northeast, where it conducted two previous nuclear tests, first in
China troubled by N.K. rocket launch plan

Apr 8, 2012

Third nuclear test possible after rocket launch: sourceChina’s Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said Sunday that Beijing is “troubled” by North Korea’s planned rocket launch, after having a trilateral meeting with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts in the Chinese city of Ningbo. “We considered and exchanged views about the situation on the Korean peninsula, including the announcement by the DPRK that they plan to launch a satellite,” Yang told reporters at a press briefing in Ningbo. DPRK is
North Korea gears up for anniversary, rocket launch

Apr 8, 2012

With only days to go before launching a satellite to mark the centenary of its late founder Kim Il-sung’s birth, North Korea held a series of lavish events to celebrate the completion of power plants, factories and buildings, news reports said.North Korea has said it will launch Kwangmyongsong-3 some time between April 12 and 16, in celebration of the 100th year of Kim’s birth on April 15. The launch is part of moves to declare 2012 the year when North Korea becomes a “power state.”The North’s K
First stage of N.Korea rocket may be on launch pad: website

Apr 7, 2012

North Korea may have moved the first stage of a long-range rocket on to its launch pad, ahead of its possible lift-off next week, according to a U.S. specialist website.The 38 North website (38north.org) said an April 4 photo of the launch site at Tongchang-ri in the country's northwest indicated the first stage of the Unha-3 rocket, while not visible, may be placed in the gantry.The impoverished
China to patronize N. Korea in post-launch tensions: expert

Apr 7, 2012

Should North Korea go ahead with a long-range rocket launch as early as next week, China will likely repeat its typically tepid and equivocal approach -- requesting the international community to act in a calm manner, an expert said Friday.Pyongyang will apparently try to ride on its renewed "blood alliance" with Beijing in defending itself from pressure from other regional powers, according to Ma
N. Korea leader visits navy amid rocket launch tensions

Apr 6, 2012

North Korea’s new leader Kim Jong-un has visited the naval unit that captured a U.S. spy ship in 1968, the official news agency said Friday, amid tensions over its planned satellite launch.Any attempt to intercept the satellite would be “an act of war,” the North said late Thursday after South Korea and Japan prepared to shoot down the rocket should it fall towards their territory.In the latest of a series of military visits, Kim inspected Navy Unit 155 in the southeastern province of Gangwon an
Opposition party urges N. Korea to call off rocket launch

Apr 6, 2012

The main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP) urged North Korea on Friday to immediately halt its planned long-range rocket launch, as the communist nation is believed to be making final preparations.The North is expected to put the Unha-3 rocket on a launch pad as early as Friday or Saturday, according to news reports citing government sources. Pyongyang says it will fire off the rocket betwe
North Korea opens nation's biggest power station

Apr 5, 2012

HUICHON CITY, North Korea (AP) -- North Korea on Thursday unveiled one of its biggest construction projects in recent years: a massive hydroelectric power station that is expected to provide the nation with much-needed electricity. The opening of the Huichon Power Station in Jagang Province, north of Pyongyang, was the first big ceremony in a month of celebrations timed for the April centenary o
N. Korea unveils huge carving for founding father

Apr 5, 2012

North Korea unveiled a huge rock carving on Thursday in memory of founding leader Kim Il-Sung, as the impoverished country prepared a lavish celebration of this month's 100th anniversary of his birth.The inscription covering a length of 37 meters (122 feet) was hewn into a natural rockface near Pakyon Falls in Kaesong city, near the border with South Korea, the official news agency said.The messag
N.K.’s invitation for satellite launch gets cold response

Apr 5, 2012

U.S., Japanese space agencies reject invitation from PyongyangNorth Korea has invited the European Space Agency and space agencies from eight countries including the U.S., Japan, China, Russia and India to observe its planned satellite launch some time next week, a Japanese news report said.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the U.S. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency rejected the offer, Kyoto News said.The Japanese government is encouraging Russia and China to follow
N. Korean defector-spy gets 4-year jail term for assassination attempt

Apr 5, 2012

A North Korean defector-turned-spy was sentenced to four years in prison for attempting to kill a fellow defector in South Korea at the order of the communist regime, court officials said Thursday.The secret agent, surnamed Ahn, was charged with plotting to kill Park Sang-hak, a defector leading anti-Pyongyang propaganda activities in the South, with a poisoned needle in September.He was also orde