North Korea has apparently rejected South Korea’s proposal to hold inter-Korean talks on pest control at ancient tombs located in the North.The South Korean authorities have contacted the North’s land and environment protection office, the Office of Forestry, through a Red Cross channel on Tuesday, to suggest both authorities meet in late February.However, Pyongyang’s China-based news website Uriminzokkiri, on Thursday said the South is not ready to hold a dialogue because it banned a civilian i

The South Korean government has proposed to North Korea that working-level inter-Korean talks be held on pest control at ancient tombs located in the North, a source said Wednesday.The complex of Goguryeo tombs, located in Pyongyang and Nampo in North Korea, has some 30 individual tombs from the late period of the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.―668 A.D.), which ruled the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and northeastern China.The government source said on condition of anonymity that the South Ko

N. Korean leader uses same gifts as his fatherIn another apparent move to bolster his rule, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has handed out binoculars and rifles to servicemen in the same way his late father, strongman Kim Jong-il, used to encourage military personnel.The gifts appeared frequently during Kim Jong-il‘s inspection visits to the military until August 2008, after which they were no longer seen in footage released by the North’s state media.On Tuesday, however, the (North) Korean Cent

The South Korean government’s attempt to create a unification account by revising a related law to prepare for the possibility of a reunified Korea over the next 20 years has failed to win bipartisan consensus.The National Assembly’s foreign affairs, trade and unification committee on Monday suspended discussions on the revision of the South-North Cooperation Fund law, because of unilateral opposition from the Democratic United Party.The Unification Ministry, which deals with North Korean issues

The leader of a South Korean civilian group has said it would push ahead with a plan to meet its North Korean counterpart in China, despite the South Korean government’s disapproval.The South Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration plans to meet the North Side Committee on Feb. 9-10 in Shenyang, China to discuss events to celebrate the 12th anniversary of the declaration, which was adopted at the first inter-Korean summit in 2000.However, the Unification Ministry in charge

North Korea‘s propaganda machines are churning out reports highlighting the early achievements of new leader Kim Jong-un, as his young age and apparent lack of experience continue to raise doubts about his leadership.The new leader, thought to be in his late 20s, inherited power from his father Kim Jong-il, who died of heart failure on Dec. 17.Kim’s sudden demise accelerated the chosen heir‘s rise to power, though with far less grooming than his father had received. Initial fears of internal cha

North Korea’s propaganda machines are churning out reports highlighting the early achievements of new leader Kim Jong-un, as his young age and apparent lack of experience continue to raise doubts about his leadership.The new leader, thought to be in his late 20s, inherited power from his father Kim

A group of eight South Korean lawmakers plan to visit the joint inter-Korean industrial complex in the North Korean border city of Gaeseong Friday, an official said Monday.The North sent a message to South Korea on Sunday that it will accept the trip by the delegation of the parliamentary members who handle either inter-Korean relations or foreign affairs, said Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Hyung-suk.Any trip to the North requires the South Korean government‘s approval as well as the North’

Foreign travel agencies specializing in North Korea tourism have started offering tour packages that give travelers a peep into April events being prepared to celebrate the 100th birthday of Kim Il-sung, founder of the reclusive communist state.Korea Konsult, a Swedish tour operator, said on its website that it will conduct three types of Kim Il-sung birthday tours in April. It also said that the tour programs were almost fully booked as of Sunday.A short tour of the “100th Birthday of Kim Il Su

North Korea is stepping up efforts to develop smartphone applications, a move that underscores its commitment not to be left behind in the fast moving world of information technology.Choe Hyok-chol, a North Korean professor, said research projects are under way to introduce Android smartphones, acco

North Korea appears willing to again embrace a key element of capitalism in a rare move to improve its faltering economy and raise its people’s standard of living. A North Korean economic quarterly has stressed the importance of commercials to help promote the country’s exports, which rely heavily on China.North Korea mostly exports mineral resources such as anthracite coal and iron ore to its giant neighbor and key ally. Their bilateral trade stood at $3.47 billion in 2010, the latest year for

More than 1 million North Koreans are subscribed to mobile phone services provided by Egypt's Orascom Telecom, a media report said Thursday (local time), indicating growing mobile penetration in the reclusive country.The number of cell phone users in North Korea has reportedly surged in recent years