The Korea Herald

N.K. defector publishes autobiography in French

Mar 7, 2012

PARIS (Yonhap News) ― A North Korean defector recently published a book of her nine-year journey to reach South Korea from her communist homeland, saying she hopes to raise awareness of the plight of others like her.The book, co-written with a French journalist in Seoul, tells the story of the defector who goes by the name of Kim Eun-sun, 26.She fled the North with her mother in 1997 after two earlier unsuccessful attempts, and hid in China before arriving in the South nine years later.Titled “N
N. Korea making progress on light-water reactor, ISIS says

Mar 7, 2012

North Korea is making progress on building a light-water reactor at its Yongbyon nuclear complex, the Institute for Science and International Security said, citing satellite images taken Feb. 3.The exterior of the reactor’s turbine building appears complete in the latest photograph, compared with a September image that showed it still under construction, the institute said on its website in a report dated March 5. The dome for the building 60 kilometers north of Pyongyang remains on the ground n
Obama pressed over N. Korean refugees

Mar 6, 2012

North Korean defectors in U.S. testify to Pyongyang’s abuse of prisonersA U.S. congressman urged the U.S. government to link treatment of North Korean refugees to recently-agreed food aid at a hearing on China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors in Washington on Monday.“It’s unclear whether or not the Obama administration’s food aid to North Korea ― some 240,000 metric tons per year ― contains any conditions or links to the refugees. It should,” said Rep. Chris Smith, co-chairman of
Park to take defector issue to U.N.

Mar 6, 2012

Rep. Park Sun-young will lead a delegation of local lawmakers to the meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council on March 10 to further her cause of preventing the repatriation of North Korean defectors.Park, of the conservative Liberty Forward Party, has been the most vocal among local politicians about the issue and staged a hunger strike outside the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. After fasting for 10 days, Park fainted and was hospitalized on Friday. “She made the suggestion on Friday when she met wi
‘Seoul summit could signal N.K. to give up nuclear ambitions’

Mar 5, 2012

Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit slated for March 26-27 could signal North Korea to give up its nuclear armament ambitions.“The Seoul Nuclear Security Summit seeks the minimum use of nuclear materials such as highly-enriched uranium and plutonium. Thus, it could deliver a message to North Korea that it should give up such materials,” Kim told reporters in Seoul.However, he made it clear that the North Korean nuclear issue is not an official main agenda of the
N. Korean leader visits border, orders front-line troops to stay alert

Mar 4, 2012

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered a front-line military unit to be alert as he toured the border village of Panmunjom, Pyongyang’s state media reported Sunday.The inspection trip comes as the communist country ratcheted up threats against South Korea over its ongoing military exercises with the U.S. that Pyongyang says are rehearsals for a northward invasion.South Korea and the U.S. regularly hold military exercises to bolster their readiness against a possible North Korean provocation
N.K., U.S. to meet in Beijing next week for food aid

Mar 4, 2012

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― Diplomats from North Korea and the United States plan to meet in Beijing next week to discuss “technical” issues to implement Washington’s promise to provide 240,000 tons of “nutritional assistance,” the U.S. announced Friday.Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, will meet a North Korean counterpart on Wednesday, according to State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.“The idea is to finalize all of the technical arrangements so that the
U.S. backs Seoul on N. Korea defector issue

Mar 4, 2012

The United States officially supported South Korea’s efforts to stop China’s forced repatriation of North Korean defectors at a U.N. human rights panel on Friday.Maria Otero, U.S. undersecretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights, said the U.S. supports South Korea.“We share the Republic of Korea’s deep concerns regarding the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers from the DPRK in third countries,” Otero said at the 19th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. DPRK a
N. Koreans decry S. Korean leader at huge rally

Mar 4, 2012

Thousands of North Korean troops and citizens rallied Sunday to slam the South Korean leader as Pyongyang again ramped up its hostile rhetoric against Seoul despite a surprise nuclear deal with the US.The rally in the capital Pyongyang, which was broadcast live on North Korean television, saw protes
N. Korean leader inspects missile command unit: KCNA

Mar 4, 2012

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a missile command unit, the North's media reported Saturday, indicating Pyongyang's efforts to put pressure on the United States following last month's temporary disarmament agreement between the two countries. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (righ
N. Korea, U.S. to meet in Beijing next week for food aid

Mar 3, 2012

Diplomats from North Korea and the United States plan to meet in Beijing next week to discuss "technical" issues to implement Washington's promise to provide 240,000 tons of "nutritional assistance," the U.S. announced Friday.Robert King, the U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights, will me
N. Korean nuclear envoy to visit U.S.

Mar 2, 2012

In another sign of warming relations between two wartime foes, a senior North Korean nuclear negotiator will attend a security conference in the United States, a U.S. official confirmed Thursday.Word of Ri Yong-ho’s visit to the forum held by Syracuse University comes on the heels of a breakthrough agreement that will provide much-needed U.S. food aid to North Korea in exchange for a rollback of its nuclear programs.The agreement announced Wednesday sets in motion a plan laid out by North Korean
Seoul urges China to stop repatriating N.K. defectors

Mar 2, 2012

President Lee, top officials meet visiting Chinese foreign ministerSouth Korea on Friday renewed its call for China to stop forcibly repatriating North Korean defectors during a meeting between their foreign ministers in Seoul. The repeated calls came amid rising public criticism here of Beijing for deporting defectors back to the repressive state against their will despite the possibility of harsh punishment, including torture and execution.Seoul’s Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and his Chinese
S. Korea urges N. Korea to come forward for talks

Mar 2, 2012

South Korea’s point man on North Korea urged Pyongyang Friday to accept Seoul’s recent offers for talks amid cautious optimism following a nuclear deal between North Korea and the United States.Last month, South Korea proposed holding two separate meetings with North Korea to discuss reunions of separated family members and joint pest control near ancient tombs in the isolated country.The North has yet to reply to the offers. “We urge North Korea again to quickly respond to our proposal for dial
U.S.-N.K. deal brightens nuke talks hopes

Mar 1, 2012

Challenges lie ahead as two have differences over content of agreementThe agreement between the U.S. and North Korea on temporarily halting the communist state’s uranium enrichment program in return for food aid was a positive step for the resumption of the multilateral denuclearization talks, experts here said Thursday.But given its temporary nature and the possibility that the two sides struck the deal due in large part to domestic political needs, the agreement may not yield any significant b