HANOI, Vietnam -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Friday began a two-day official visit to Vietnam, the first to the country by a leader from the regime in 55 years. The last visit was made in 1964 by the late Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-un’s grandfather and the founding leader of North Korea. On Friday, Kim Jong-un began his official schedule with the Vietnamese government. The North Korean leader is set to meet President Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also general-secretary of Vietnam’s ruling Communis

Free Joseon announced Friday that it has established a provisional government for North Korea in an effort to fight against the regime’s abuse of human rights. The group previously claimed it had protected the son of the late Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, from possible assassination.  (Yonhap)Formerly known as Cheollima Civil Defense, the group said it will rise against the North Korean regime for committing crimes against humanity for decades. “We indict thi

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that North Korea "basically" wanted the removal of all sanctions in exchange for an unclear commitment to dismantle its main nuclear facility.Pompeo's account of this week's summit in Hanoi between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un contradicts that of the North Koreans. (Yonhap)After the summit was cut short Thursday without an agreement, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho accused the US of declining an offer to perm

One day after the summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's historic summit ended without an agreement, the Rodong Sinmun on Friday carried extensive reports on the summit, portraying it in a positive tone.On its front and second pages, the North's mainstream daily carried a long news story and 13 photos of the two leaders and their negotiation teams, all smiling and engaging with each other in the summit meeting in the Vietnamese capital Thursday. (Yonhap)"(Cha

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump agreed to continue "productive dialogues" to resolve issues raised at their second summit in Hanoi, Pyongyang's official news agency said Friday, a day after the talks ended without a written agreement.The Korean Central News Agency also said the summit served as an important chance to deepen mutual respect and trust. (Yonhap)"They agreed to keep in close touch with each other for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and the e

North Korea's top diplomat said Friday his country called for partial sanctions relief during a summit with the United States here in a "realistic" offer."What we proposed was not the removal of all sanctions but a partial removal," Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho said at a late-night press conference at a Hanoi hotel, hours after a summit between leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump ended with no agreement. (Yonhap)Trump said Thursday Kim demanded the lifting of sanctions on Pyongyang "

Trump says nuclear negotiations will continue, but failure casts pall over future prospects

HANOI, Vietnam -- US President Donald Trump hinted that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s vision for denuclearization may be different from that of the United States, after the two failed to reached an agreement at their summit in Hanoi on Thursday.During a press conference, Trump said that while the meeting with Kim was “productive,” he felt it was not time to sign a deal, as they had failed to reduce gaps on the extent of denuclearization and the lifting of economic sanctions.Kim had asked for

Beijing expressed hope Thursday that the US and North Korea will keep talking, saying the nuclear issue will not be solved "overnight", after a much-anticipated summit in Hanoi ended without a deal.China is Pyongyang's sole major ally and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un travelled across the neighbouring country by train to his second meeting with US President Donald Trump, which ended ahead of schedule Thursday without any joint announcements.Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he ha

HANOI, Vietnam -- US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s summit ended earlier than scheduled Thursday, with the two sides failing to reach an agreement. Trump and Kim began the second day of their summit at 9 a.m. at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi hotel as scheduled, but the event was cut short, with the leaders leaving the venue at about 1:25 p.m. They were originally scheduled to have a working lunch, and to hold a joint agreement-signing ceremony at about 2 p.m.,

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue Thursday, hours after his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.In a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the US president also asked Moon to "actively" help mediate future dialogue with the North Korean leader.(Yonhap)"While expressing disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement in the summit, President Trum

US President Donald Trump reaffirmed his commitment to resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through dialogue Thursday, hours after his second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ended without an agreement.In a telephone conversation with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the U.S. president also asked Moon to "actively" help mediate future dialogue with the North Korean leader.(Yonhap)"While expressing disappointment over the failure to reach an agreement in the summit, President Tr

A senior North Korean official visited China on Thursday, state media said, as leader Kim Jong-un's second summit with US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement in Hanoi."A delegation of the Foreign Ministry of the DPRK led by Vice Minister Ri Kil-song left here Thursday to visit China," the Korean Central News Agency said. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Ri arrived at a Beijing airport on an Air Koryo flight, according to a source

So here's a bit of history made at President Donald Trump's summit with Kim Jong-un: for what is almost certainly the first time, the North Korean leader actually answered an impromptu question from an American reporter. Then just a little bit later, as if to prove it wasn't a fluke, he did it again.Looking confident and speaking in his typically gravelly voice, Kim didn't miss a beat when asked by a member of the White House press pool about his outlook on the summit , saying "It's too early to

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation Thursday on the outcome of the second US-North Korea summit, which ended without agreement.The call from the US president came shortly after he took off from Hanoi, the venue of his second bilateral meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. (Yonhap)Trump and Kim were earlier expected to sign an agreement detailing the North's denuclearization steps and possibly US measures to reward the impoverishe