The Korea Herald

N.K. holds rally to pledge loyalty to new leader

Jan 4, 2012

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ― Pumping their fists and chanting, tens of thousands of North Koreans packed the snowy main square of the capital Tuesday to pledge their loyalty to new leader Kim Jong-un as the campaign to consolidate his power deepened.State television also aired footage of Kim’s recent visit to an elite tank unit with family and historical ties that showed him interacting with soldiers with ease and carrying out inspections much like father Kim Jong-il and grandfather Kim Il-sung
’N.K. power seen moving from military to party’

Jan 4, 2012

Pyongyang may idolize Kim Jong-un with typical party-centric communist systemUnder the new leadership of Kim Jong-un, the center of power of the North Korean regime is seen as moving toward the Workers’ Party from the military, experts said. The deceased despot Kim Jong-il, who the North announced died of a heart attack on Dec. 17, was general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea and chairman of the National Defense Commission of North Korea. As such, the senior Kim, Jong-un’s father, exerci
N.K. major cause of conflict in S. Korea

Jan 2, 2012

But experts predict ideological division over N.K. issues may lessen due to youth indifferenceIdeological conflict last year over a series of issues including North Korea has raised the question of whether it is a sign of South Korea’s vibrant democracy or just deepening social and political division.A parliamentary melee over the ratification of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement in November had made many wonder whether the National Assembly is a place for settling or amplifying conflicts.The
80 percent of S. Koreans believe N. Korea won't abandon nuclear weapons: survey

Jan 2, 2012

Eight out of 10 South Koreans believe North Korea will not abandon its nuclear weapons, a survey showed Monday.In the poll conducted by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), 81.7 percent said they felt North Korea will not give up its nuclear weapons program. Only 14.7 percent said it is
N. Korea's new leader visits tank division on New Year's Day

Jan 2, 2012

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-un visited a tank division on Sunday, the state media said, paying his first apparent inspection visit to the military since the death of his father in a clear indication that he would inherit Kim Jong-il's "military-first" policy. The youn
N.K. to issue gold, silver coins to honor late leader

Jan 1, 2012

North Korea said Saturday it will issue gold and silver coins to mark the 20th anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-il’s ascension to the supreme commander of the communist nation’s armed forces.Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency made the announcement minutes after Kim’s successor son, Jong-un, took over the supreme commandership in a strong sign that the young son, believed to be in his late 20s, is rapidly solidifying power.The commandership is one of the titles that the late leader held be
U.S. urges N.K. to improve ties with S. Korea

Jan 1, 2012

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) ― Responding to the new North Korean leadership’s threats to eschew dialogue with South Korea, the United States called Friday for Pyongyang to improve inter-Korean relations. “We continue to monitor the situation on the peninsula and are in close contact with our ally, the Republic of Korea. We share a common interest in ensuring regional peace and stability. We continue to urge North Korea to take steps to improve its relations with its neighbors,”a State Department of
‘N.K. economy likely to get boost from China’

Jan 1, 2012

North Korea will likely become stabilized within months after the death of leader Kim Jong-il due mainly to China’s rapid economic assistance, a major South Korean think tank said Sunday. A report by the Korea Development Institute on the death of Kim Jong-il and its impact on North Korea’s economy forecast that China will soon begin providing economic assistance to North Korea in a rapid manner to help stabilize its communist neighbor.“In that case, North Korea’s economy will escape from a temp
Pyongyang unlikely to change policy for now

Jan 1, 2012

Experts negative about inter-Korean ties; N.K. focuses on rallying people behind successorNorth Korea is unlikely to make any positive change in its policy toward the South for the time being and will focus on rallying its people behind its late leader Kim Jong-il’s successor Jong-un, experts said Sunday.Based on their analysis of the North Korean media’s New Year’s joint editorial, they painted a negative outlook for inter-Korean ties this year, which deteriorated after the two deadly attacks i
Pyongyang’s New Year message urges loyalty to new leader

Dec 31, 2011

Calls for USFK withdrawal; China congratulates Kim on being supreme commander North Korean media opened the New Year emphasizing loyalty to the regime and its new leader Kim Jong-un while heightening criticism of Seoul and the U.S.The Jan. 1 issues of the organs of the Workers’ Party of Korea,
N. Korea to issue gold, silver coins in honor of late leader

Dec 31, 2011

North Korea said Saturday it will issue gold and silver coins to mark the 20th anniversary of late leader Kim Jong-il's ascension to the supreme commander of the communist nation's armed forces. Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency made the announcement minutes after Kim's succe
Kim Jong-Il souvenir sales surge on Chinese border

Dec 30, 2011

The death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il earlier this month has sparked a run on enamelled lapel pins bearing his image in the Chinese border city of Dandong, street vendors said Friday. The undated file photo released by Korean Central News Agency on Dec. 29, 2011 shows Kim Jong Il (C, fr
Regional powers rushing to ensure stability in Korea

Dec 30, 2011

South Korea and external stakeholders in the Korean Peninsula such as China and the U.S. are moving swiftly to ensure regional security, especially since the mourning period for the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il ended on Thursday, sources said.South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea, is trying to ensure a soft landing of the post-Kim Jong-il regime by not aggravating Pyongyang.A government official here said the Seoul government will focus on maintaining stability
Campbell due in Seoul, with U.S. waiting for N. Korea‘s response

Dec 30, 2011

WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- Kurt M. Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, will visit South Korea, China and Japan next week for discussions on various issues, including North Korea, which is in a power transition, the department announced Thursday.Campbell plans to tour the region from Tuesday through Saturday to meet senior officials to “discuss a range of important bilateral, regional and global issues, including latest developments related to North Ko
Powers rushing to ensure stability in Korea

Dec 30, 2011

South Korea and external stakeholders in the Korean Peninsula such as China and the U.S. are moving swiftly to ensure regional security, especially since the mourning period for the late North Korean leader Kim Jong-il ended on Thursday, sources said.South Korea, which is still technically at war with North Korea, is trying to ensure a soft landing of the post-Kim Jong-il regime by not aggravating Pyongyang.A government official here said the Seoul government will focus on maintaining stability