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Kim Jong-Un
North Korea will send top Communist party official Choe Ryong-hae as special envoy to Russia, state media have said, without stating the purpose of the trip.
Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) also did not say when Choe Ryong-hae would go.
In Soviet times, Russia was a strong ally to North Korea, supplying aid and missile technology.
Relations with China, North Korea’s strongest supporter in recent years, have frayed recently.
North Korea will send Choe Ryong-hae as special envoy to Russia
Beijing is distancing itself from Pyongyang after North Korea raised tensions last year with a third nuclear test and issued threats of nuclear strikes against South Korea and the US.
North Korea has also pulled out of the six-party talks aimed at its nuclear disarmament which involve China, the two Koreas, Russia, Japan and the US.
The visit comes ahead of an expected UN General Assembly vote next week on a resolution – put forth by the EU and Japan – that condemns the North’s human rights record.
Choe Ryong-hae is thought to be one of Kim Jong-un’s closest associates. He went to Beijing last year as Kim Jong-un’s special envoy to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Choe Ryong-hae was also part of a high-profile delegations that went to South Korea in October to resume senior-level talks.
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Kim Jong-un has been pictured by North Korean media walking without a cane at an army meeting, following speculation about his health.
The North Korean leadr was not seen in public for nearly six weeks before appearing at an event using a walking stick last month.
South Korean intelligence said Kim Jong-un had surgery to remove an ankle cyst.
Kim Jong-un’s health has been the subject of much rumor in recent years, with some saying he may be suffering from gout or hip problems.
The latest pictures, which came out in newspaper Rodong Sinmun on November 5, show Kim Jong-un meeting with military commanders.
Kim Jong-un pictured walking without a cane at an army meeting, following speculation about his health
North Korea agency KCNA said Kim Jong-un had attended the army meeting on November 3 and November 4 and posed with participants for photographs.
He was accompanied by right-hand man Hwang Pyong-so and other top leaders.
Kim Jong-un missed a key political event in October – the anniversary of his ruling party. But South Korea said it believed he remained in control.
South Korean intelligence later said that Kim Jong-un had developed a cyst on his left ankle in May, pinching a nerve and causing the ankle to swell.
A team of European medical experts were said to have flown to Pyongyang in September or October to operate on Kim Jong-un’s left ankle and remove the cyst.
Kim Jong-un has had surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle, according to South Korean intelligence.
A spy agency briefing to lawmakers on October 28 said that a foreign doctor operated on the North Korean leader in September or October.
Kim Jong-un recently dropped out of public view for nearly six weeks leading to speculation that he was seriously ill.
He has been seen walking with a stick in recent official photographs.
One such photo, used by North Korean media, showed him using a stick on October 14 as he inspected a new residential district.
Kim Jong-un had not been seen since September. South Korean intelligence says the cyst could recur because the North Korean leader is a smoker and leads a busy lifestyle.
South Korean politicians were told that foreign medical experts had been flown to the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, to remove the cyst from Kim Jong-un’s left ankle.
The growth which materialized in May was caused by what is known as “tarsal tunnel syndrome” whereby a nerve is pinched, causing the ankle to swell.
Kim Jong-un has had surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle
An intelligence official said the medical team was from Europe but did not specify which country.
This is not the first time that a North Korean leader has been treated by foreign experts.
Kim Jong-un’s father and grandfather were reported to have been treated by French doctors during their leaderships.
It was reported that a pace-maker was flown out from Switzerland in a diplomatic bag for Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea.
On October 28, North Korean officials also attended talks with Japan for the first time in a decade to discuss the abduction of Japanese citizens.
North Korea has admitted it kidnapped 13 Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 80s to train spies in Japanese customs.
Five of them were returned to Japan in 2002. Pyongyang says the other eight died but Japan has said it does not believe this.
Japan lifted some sanctions on Pyongyang in July in return for North Korea’s agreement to reopen an investigation into the fates of Japanese abductees.
Kim Jong-un missed a key political anniversary ceremony on October 10, the North Korean media said, amid speculation over his absence from public view.
The North Korean leader’s name was not on a list of those who visited a mausoleum to mark the ruling party’s anniversary.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen for more than a month, the longest hiatus since he came to power in 2011.
State television last month said Kim Jong-un had an “uncomfortable physical condition” and later showed him limping.
On October 10, South Korea said it believed Kim Jong-un remained in control of the communist state.
“It seems that Kim Jong-un’s rule is in normal operation,” Unification Ministry spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.
“With regard to his specific health conditions, our government has no information to confirm yet,” he said.
On October 10, North Korean officials visited Kumsusan Palace, a mausoleum for late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il, to mark the 69th anniversary of the Workers’ Party.
For the first time in three years, Kim Jong-un’s name was not included in the list.
Kim Jong-un, 31, who inherited power after his father Kim Jong-il died in 2011, has not been seen in public since September 3.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public for more than a month, the longest hiatus since he came to power in 2011
His absence has led to speculation over both his health and his grip on power.
South Korean media outlets, citing unidentified sources, suggest Kim Jong-un, who is overweight, has gout.
Adding to speculation about Kim Jong-un’s whereabouts, Reuters correspondent James Pearson tweeted an image of a North Korean newspaper on Friday featuring an image of Kim Jong-il, the now deceased former leader.
“Front page of today’s main North Korean paper shows leader Kims pics, but no Kim Jong-Un – to whom it pledges loyalty,” said James Pearson, who covers North and South Korea.
Appearances by Kim Jong-un’s number two, coupled with recent claims by a former North Korean official, have also led to suggestions that the young leader may have been toppled.
Hwang Pyong-so, a top military aide who is considered Kim Jong-un’s number two, has made high-profile appearances.
General Hwang Pyong-so, 65, led a delegation of North Korean officials to Seoul for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games, in a visit seen as a rare opportunity for high-level talks between the North and South.
None of the speculation can be confirmed.
Hwang Pyong-so’s visit, coupled with continued coverage in North Korean state media of Kim Jong-un’s leadership, were cited by the Seoul on October 10 as evidence that Kim Jong-un was still in power.
It is not the first time that Kim Jong-un has failed to appear in public for an extended period. He spent 21 days out of the public eye in March 2012 and then another 24 in June the same year.
In January 2013, Kim Jong-un was absent for 18 days.
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North Korea and South Korea have agreed to resume formal high-level talks, the South Korean media reported.
The talks between the two countries had been suspended since February 2014.
The agreement came during a surprise visit to South Korea by North Korean officials for the closing ceremony of the Asian Games in Incheon.
The visit was led by two top-ranking North Korean officials seen as close aides to leader Kim Jong-un.
Both sides were said to have agreed to meet again within the next few weeks.
Hwang Pyong-so, seen as the second-most powerful man in North Korea, held talks with Ryoo Kihl-jae, the South’s reunification minister, on October 4 after flying to Incheon to attend the sporting event.
Hwang Pyong-so, seen as the second-most powerful man in North Korea, held talks with Ryoo Kihl-jae, the South’s reunification minister
He is the top political officer at the Korean People’s Army.
The other two members of the North’s delegation were Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon – key members of the ruling Workers’ Party.
It is not known what was discussed at the meeting and neither party has commented publicly on the talks.
Relations between North Korea and South Korea have been practically non-existent for four years, but the North’s economic troubles seem to have forced a change of tack.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 conflict was ended with a truce.
The surprise meeting comes amid ongoing speculation about the health of Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since September 3. A recent official documentary showed him overweighed and limping.
A delegation of three senior North Korean officials arrived in South Korea for the closing ceremony of this year’s Asian Games.
The North Korean visit in South Korea is seen as a rare opportunity for high-level talks.
The North Korean team is led by Hwang Pyong-so, who is considered to be the second most important official after leader Kim Jong-un.
Hwang Pyong-so is expected to meet South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae and a senior security adviser.
The visit comes as speculation continues about the health of Kim Jong-un.
Kim Jong-un has not been seen in public since September 3. A recent official documentary showed him limping and being overweight.
Hwang Pyong-so is considered to be the second most important official in North Korea after leader Kim Jong-un (photo AP)
The three North Korean officials arrived in the city of Incheon – the venue of the Asian Games.
They will take part in the closing ceremony of the major sporting event later on Saturday, October 4.
They are also expected to hold talks over lunch with Ryoo Kihl-jae and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin before returning home.
Hwang Pyong-so is the top political officer at the Korean People’s Army. The other two officials are Choe Ryong-hae and Kim Yang-gon – key members of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Despite that harsh rhetoric of recent years, the visit indicates a desire for economically-pressed North Korea to have closer relations with the South.
The visit has also caused speculation about Kim Jong-un, who has been absent from public view for a month.
What the closest members of his inner circle tell the South Korean government will be analyzed to try to discern the health and views of Kim Jong-un back in Pyongyang.
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North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, So Se Pyong, says his country is not planning any missile or nuclear tests.
In a recent interview with Reuters news agency, So Se Pyong was also saying that North Korea was ready to resume six-party talks on its nuclear program.
North Korea has been conducting missile and nuclear tests since the negotiations broke down in 2008.
So Se Pyong also dismissed as “fabricated rumors” recent reports that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is unwell.
Kim Jong-Un has not been seen in public for four weeks, and missed an important political meeting in late September.
A state TV report said Kim Jong-Un was suffering from an “uncomfortable physical condition”.
In the interview with Reuters, So Se Pyong rejected the suggestion that North Korea was planning further missile tests.
So Se Pyong is North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva
However, he appeared to suggest that North Korea’s policy was a response to US and South Korean exercises earlier this year.
“We have to be alert also, we have to be prepared to make counter measures against that military exercise which are against us,” So Se Pyong was quoted as saying.
“In case, in case, if they do that kind of joint military exercise, the joint nuclear military exercise against my country continuously, we have to, also.”
North Korea pledged to abandon its nuclear program in 2005, but appeared to backtrack by testing devices in 2006 and 2009.
The program was the subject of six-nation talks, involving Russia, China, Japan, the US and North and South Korea, until 2009.
Attempts to restart the negotiations have floundered.
“For the six-party talks we are ready,” So Se Pyong said, adding that Russia and China were also prepared.
“But America, they don’t like that kind of talks right now,” he was quoted as saying.
“Because America does not like that, so that’s why the countries like South Korea, Japan also are not ready for those talks.”
So Se Pyong also told Reuters North Kroea’s nuclear program had acted as a deterrent against the US.
“In case if we give [the weapons] up like other countries, then of course I think they would have attacked us already,” he was quoted as saying.
So Se Pyong said he was unaware of US efforts to secure the release of three American citizens held in North Korea on charges of crimes against the state.
“I don’t know whether America is ready or not to release them or have some understandings or the recognition of those crimes they made,” he said.
A US official has accused North Korea of missing an opportunity to build relations with the US by refusing to discuss the detentions.
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Fat Guy Number 3, a mash-up video poking fun at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has been watched millions of times in China and around the world.
The three-and-half-minute videois made up of a series of animated GIFs in which Kim Jong-un’s face is superimposed on all sorts of existing images. He’s shown dancing, doing the splits, as a ballet dancer, with his trousers down, riding on the back of a pig. It’s set to a catchy recent Chinese hit love song, Little Apple, by the Chopstick Brothers – which has been parodied a number of times, as well as being used in flash mobs in China.
The mash-up video poking fun at Kim Jong-un has been watched millions of times in China and around the world (photo EPA)
A host of international leaders make appearances in the video too. President Barack Obama is seen generally frolicking around in a light-hearted way. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the Japanese PM Shinzo Abe also feature.
The video appears to have been made by a Chinese man with 190,000 followers on Weibo – China’s version of Twitter – who’s been making Kim Jong-un GIFs for two years. Writing on his Weibo page, the man said the video was “just for entertainment” and had no deeper political message.
The video was uploaded to the Chinese video-sharing site Tencent, where it’s been watched more than 55 million times.
YouTube is banned in China, but the video was later copied and uploaded there, and prompted a million views and comments from around the world.
Though the man who made it insists the video is not political, there are some scenes which appear to carry a message. In one, Kim Jong-un is seen holding Osama bin Laden’s hand. In another, a missile he fires ends up hitting him on his own backside.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been filmed with a limp as he attended commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of his grandfather Kim-Il-sung’s death, have aired on state TV.
The rare footage, aired by North Korea’s state TV, shows Kim Jong-Un walking into the mausoleum with a limp and bowed deeply in front of statues of his grandfather Kim Il-sung and his father Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong-un has been filmed with a limp as he attended commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of his grandfather Kim-Il-sung’s death
After that, Kim Jong-un looked around an exhibition hall where the belongings of the late leaders are on display.
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Kim Jong-un has blasted North Korea’s weather service for “incorrect” forecasts in a rare public dressing down of a government body in the reclusive nation, which suffers regular natural disasters.
The North Korean criticised the science used in observations and called for the use of modern equipment in the unusual rebuke, which came during an inspection of the Hydro-meteorological Service, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Tuesday.
“There are many incorrect forecasts as the meteorological observation has not been put on a modern and scientific basis,” Kim Jong-un said, urging the agency to “fundamentally” improve its work and equipment.
Kim Jong-un has blasted North Korea’s weather service for incorrect forecasts
Accurate forecasts are needed to protect the “lives and properties” of people from disasters caused by “abnormal climatic phenomenon”, he said.
Calling the weather service “very important work directly affecting the overall economic affairs”, Kim Jong-un also underscored the need to “modernise meteorological observation equipment at a high level”, KCNA said.
It was not clear when Kim Jong-un visited the agency, but public criticism of government officials during field trips by North Korean leaders is extremely rare.
Undated pictures released by KCNA showed Kim Jong-un giving “field guidance” inside the weather service in the capital, some of his audience standing attentively with arms by the side.
North Korea has suffered regular chronic food shortages under the ruling Kim dynasty, with the situation exacerbated by floods, droughts and mismanagement.
In May, state media reported that North Korea was hit by its worst spring drought in more than three decades, threatening thousands of acres of staple crops.
A South Korean Baptist missionary has been sentenced to hard labor for life in North Korea after he was convicted of spying and setting up an underground church.
North Korea’s state news agency said the man, named as Kim Jong-uk, had confessed to all his crimes.
South Korean Baptist missionary Kim Jong-uk has been sentenced to hard labor for life in North Korea after he was convicted of spying and setting up an underground church (photo AP)
Pyongyang is still holding another missionary, US citizen Kenneth Bae, who received 15 years hard labor in 2013.
Religious activity is restricted in North Korea, with missionaries arrested on multiple occasions in the past.
“Mr. Kim tried to infiltrate into Pyongyang after illegally trespassing on the border for the purpose of setting up an underground church and gathering information about the internal affairs of the DPRK [North Korea] while luring its inhabitants into South Korea and spying on the DPRK,” the KCNA news agency said.
The prosecution had reportedly been seeking a death sentence for the 50-year-old missionary.
The ruling comes three months after Kim Jong-uk read aloud a public apology on North Korean TV for his “anti-state crimes”.
Kim Jong-uk was arrested after crossing into North Korea from China last October.
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London salon M&M Hair Academy has been visited by North Korean officials to question why it had used their leader Kim Jong-un’s picture in a poster offering haircuts.
The poster in M&M Hair Academy in South Ealing featured the words “Bad Hair Day?” below Kim Jong-un’s picture.
Barber Karim Nabbach said embassy officials were shown the door and the salon’s manager spoke to the police.
The Met Police said: “We have spoken to all parties involved and no offence has been disclosed.”
The salon put up the poster on April 9 and the next day two men claiming to be officials from the North Korean embassy visited the salon and demanded to meet the manager, Mo Nabbach.
M&M Hair Academy has been visited by North Korean officials to question why it had used their leader Kim Jong-un’s picture in a poster offering haircuts (photo M&M Hair Academy)
Karim Nabbach said: “We put up posters for an offer for men’s hair cuts through the month of April. Obviously in the current news there has been this story that North Korean men are only allowed one haircut.
“We didn’t realise but the North Korean embassy is a 10-minute walk from the salon. The next day we had North Korean officials pop into the salon asking to speak to the manager.
“He said <<listen this isn’t North Korea, this is England, we live in a democracy so I’m afraid you’re going to have to get out of my salon>>.”
The manager later informed the police about the visit by the North Koreans and he was told the embassy had also contacted officers.
“We haven’t had any trouble since then, if anything the poster has become a tourist attraction,” Karim Nabbach said.
Last month it was reported by Radio Free Asia that male university students in North Korea were now required to get the same haircut as Kim Jong-un’s.
Kim Jong-un has been elected to North Korea Supreme People’s Assembly with an unanimous vote from his district, state media say.
Meanwhile, state media on Sunday identified a woman accompanying Kim Jong-un to a polling station.
Kim Yo-jong, who state media described as a “senior official”, is thought to be the younger sister of Kim Jong-un.
Various reports say Kim Jong-un’s sister may be 26 or 27 years old.
Kim Yo-jong accompanies her brother Kim Jong-un on touring campus of Kim Il-sung University of Politics in east Pyongyang
It was not her first appearance, Kim Yo-jong, who is believed to be 26 years old, was seen at her father Kim Jong-il’s televised funeral in 2011, and occasionally accompanying her brother on his “field guidance trips.”
In 2012, state TV showed Kim Yo-jong with her aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, riding a white horse, the representation of a symbol associated with the Kim family, AFP says.
In her latest appearance, Kim Yo-jong was seen in a black skirt suit, closely walking behind her brother, and casting her vote.
She is believed to be the events director in Kim Jong-un’s Secretariat office, but her price position was never detailed.
The Kim family has ruled the country for over six decades.
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Kim Jong-un has been elected to North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament with a unanimous vote from his district, state media say.
Kim Jong-un’s 100% approval from his Mount Paektu constituency reflects the “absolute support” of people in the country, KCNA news agency says.
The elections for the Supreme People’s Assembly on Sunday had just one name on the ballot for each district.
It was the first time such a poll had been held since Kim Jong-un assumed power.
He became leader of North Korea following the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, in 2011.
North Korea usually votes once every five years to approve members of the highest legislative body, the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Each of the 687 districts had only one candidate running for office, with voters required to write “Yes” or “No” on the ballot paper.
Kim Jong-un has been elected to North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament with a unanimous vote from his district (photo AFP)
KCNA said of Kim Jong-un’s victory: “This is an expression of all the service personnel and people’s absolute support and profound trust in Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un as they single-mindedly remain loyal to him.”
The results of the other districts have yet to be announced.
Kim Jong-un holds many titles, including Supreme Commander of the armed forces.
Analysts say that the only real value in these polls is in watching for any signs of change in the list of state-approved candidates.
The democratic duty for voters in these elections is not so much deciding who they want to represent them, but whether they agree with the ruling party’s choice.
In the election held in 2009, turnout was 99%, with 100% of votes in favor of the named candidates.
Meanwhile, state media on Sunday identified a woman accompanying Kim Jong-un to a polling station.
Kim Yo-jong, who state media described as a “senior official”, is thought to be the younger sister of Kim Jong-un. Various reports say she may be 26 or 27 years old.
Kim Yo-jong was seen on state television riding a horse in 2012, and beside Kim Jong-un as they attended Kim Jong-il’s funeral in 2011, AFP news agency says.
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North Korea is voting in a five-yearly election to approve members of the rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly.
Each of the 687 districts has only one candidate running for office, with electors required to write only “yes” or “no” on the ballot paper.
Campaign posters across the capital, Pyongyang, have urged a “yes” vote.
Observers say the candidate list is an opportunity to see who is in or out of favor with the leadership.
In the last election in 2009, turnout was 99%, with 100% of votes in favor of the given candidates.
North Korea is voting in a five-yearly election to approve members of the rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People’s Assembly (photo AP)
The election is the first to be held under the leadership of Kim Jong-un, who came to power in December 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il.
Kim Jong-un is reportedly registered as a candidate in Mount Paekdu, venerated in party propaganda as the birthplace of Kim Jong-il.
The vote is being held in a holiday atmosphere in the capital, Pyongyang, with performances taking place in the street.
“Through this election we will fully display the might of the single-hearted unity of our army and people,” said Hyon Byong-chol, chairman of a preparatory committee for one of the sub-districts in the election.
He told the Associated Press news agency that North Koreans were “firmly united” behind their leader.
Pyongyang resident Ri Song-gun told AP he had cast his vote of approval for his district’s candidate.
“I will devote all my intelligence and strength to fortify our socialist system centred on the masses, which was built and developed by our great generalissimos,” he said.
The vote comes three months after the brutal and sudden execution of Kim Jong-un’s once-powerful uncle, Chang Song-thaek.
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North Korea has sent an open letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation and an end to “hostile military acts”.
The letter, published in North Korea’s state media, comes weeks before South Korea is due to hold joint military drills with the US.
South Korea dismissed the letter as having a “hidden motive”.
Correspondents say that tensions between North Korea and South Korea traditionally rise ahead of the annual drills, which Pyongyang has condemned as provocative.
Last year, the military exercises, known as “Foal Eagle”, led to an unusually sharp and protracted surge in tensions. North Korea threatened pre-emptive nuclear strikes, as nuclear-capable US stealth bombers flew practice runs over the peninsula.
The military drills scheduled for next month are a source of great irritation to the North, which sees them as aggressive preparations for war.
While North Korea is appearing to offer reconciliation, its rhetoric has been accompanied by thinly-veiled threats not to “rashly reject” the proposals.
“What is important for paving a wide avenue for mending North-South relations is to make a bold decision to stop all hostile military acts, the biggest hurdle stoking distrust and confrontation,” the letter from North Korea’s National Defence Commission (NDC) said.
North Korea has sent an open letter to South Korea calling for reconciliation and an end to hostile military acts
“The DPRK [North Korea] has already unilaterally opted for halting all acts of getting on the nerves of South Korea and slandering it.”
“Regretfully, the South Korean authorities still remain unchanged in [their] improper attitude and negative stand,” it said, adding that the South “should not thoughtlessly doubt, misinterpret and rashly reject our sincere, important proposal”.
The letter was apparently sent by special order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It calls on South Korea to take a bold decision to “stop all hostile military acts” and prevent “impending nuclear disasters”.
South Korean defense ministry spokesman Wi Yong-seop said: “The most important military tactic is to figure out the enemy’s hidden motive.”
He added that existing tensions were the result of “North Korea’s military provocations” and that “the current situation can be resolved if North Korea stops threatening and hostile rhetoric”.
This letter follows a proposal from the NDC a week ago that South Korea should cancel the annual drills with the US.
It also said the two sides should stop “all acts of provoking and slandering” each other.
Seoul has responded by warning that Pyongyang may be contemplating a provocative act aimed at triggering a confrontation.
In March 2013, North Korea made multiple threats against the South and the US following the “Foal Eagle” drill.
Pyongyang warned of a “pre-emptive nuclear strike” on the US, said it was scrapping the Korean War armistice, and closed the jointly-run Kaesong industrial park for months.
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Dennis Rodman apologized on Monday for not being able to help American citizen Kenneth Bae, a missionary detained in North Korea, during his trip there to play in a game to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
”I’m sorry, I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything,” Dennis Rodman told media on his arrival at Beijing airport from a weeklong trip.
”It’s not my fault. I’m sorry. I just want to do some good stuff, that’s all I want to do.”
The former NBA star said he would return to North Korea next month, but gave no details.
Dennis Rodman and the squad of retired NBA players he took to North Korea for an exhibition game marking Kim Jong-un’s birthday have met with criticism in the US because of North Korea’s human rights record and its development of nuclear weapons.
He was also slammed for not using his influence with Kim Jong-un to help free Kenneth Bae, who has been detained for more than a year for ”anti-state crimes.” Dennis Rodman apologized last week for comments he made in a CNN interview implying Kenneth Bae was at fault, saying he had been drinking and was upset because some of his teammates were leaving under pressure.
Dennis Rodman apologized for not being able to help Kenneth Bae during his trip to North Korea
On Monday, Dennis Rodman reiterated that his trip to North Korea – in which he sang Happy Birthday to Kim Jong-un before playing the exhibition game at a Pyongyang stadium – was one of goodwill.
”This is not a bad deal,” he said.
”I want to show people that no matter what’s going on in the world, for one day, just one day, no politics, not all that stuff.
”I’m sorry for all the people and what’s going on, I’m sorry,” he continued.
”I’m not the president, I’m not an ambassador, I’m just an individual that wants to show the world the fact that we can actually get along and be happy for one day.”
Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un struck up a friendship when the basketball-player-turned-celebrity first traveled to North Korea last year.
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Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has apologized for angry comments he made about US citizen Kenneth Bae, who is currently detained in North Korea.
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman had appeared to point blame at Kenneth Bae, who has been jailed for 15 years by Pyongyang.
In a statement, Dennis Rodman apologized and said he had been drinking.
Dennis Rodman is in North Korea for a basketball match to mark the birthday of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The match was played on Wednesday and was attended by Kim Jong-un, to whom Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday.
Dennis Rodman is the most high-profile American to meet the North Korean leader, who he describes as a friend.
In his statement, Dennis Rodman said he took full responsibility for his actions.
Dennis Rodman has apologized for angry comments he made about Kenneth Bae
“It had been a very stressful day. Some of my team-mates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates,” the basketball player wrote.
“My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset. I was overwhelmed. It’s not an excuse, it’s just the truth.”
His controversial comments came as he made his fourth visit to North Korea.
Dennis Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May 2013.
North Korea said that Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – had used his tourism business to plot sedition.
In the interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman lost his cool, appearing to suggest Kenneth Bae was at fault.
“If you understand what Kenneth Bae did… Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this,” he said.
Kenneth Bae’s sister described Dennis Rodman’s comments as appalling and said she was concerned they would hurt efforts to free her brother.
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Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman said Kim Jong-un, who was in the audience with his wife and other senior officials, was his “best friend”.
Dennis Rodman is on his fourth North Korean visit to mark Kim Jon-un’s birthday with a basketball match.
Dennis Rodman has sung Happy Birthday to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in front of a crowd of thousands in Pyongyang
He has angrily defended his visit after criticism from rights groups. The US said Dennis Rodman does not represent the country.
The crowd of about 14,000 at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium clapped and waved as Dennis Rodman sang Happy Birthday on Wednesday, the Associated Press news agency says.
Dennis Rodman is with a team of former National Basketball Association (NBA) players who played an exhibition match. He said the match was to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although the leader’s official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
Dennis Rodman has said that he was on a “basketball diplomacy” mission in North Korea. He remains the highest-profile American to have met Kim Jong-un.
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Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
In an interview with CNN, Dennis Rodman was asked if he would raise the issue of a US citizen jailed in North Korea.
Dennis Rodman responded with a rant that at one point appeared to point blame at the man, Kenneth Bae.
His visit has been criticized by rights groups, with Washington making it clear he does not represent the US.
His team of former NBA players will take on a North Korean team in an exhibition match later on Wednesday in Pyongyang.
Dennis Rodman says the match is to celebrate Kim Jong-un’s birthday, although his official birthday and age have not been confirmed.
It comes weeks after the execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle, Jang Sung-taek, once seen as a major power in North Korea. His rapid and brutal purge has sparked concern over stability inside the country.
Dennis Rodman has angrily defended his visit to North Korea, ahead of a basketball game to mark Kim Jong-un’s birthday
Meanwhile, state news agency KCNA has announced that elections for North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament will be held on March 9 – something which could provide a hint of who the key players are in the wake of Jang Sung-taek’s execution.
This visit is Dennis Rodman’s fourth to North Korea. He has in the past described Kim Jong-un as a friend and says he is on a “basketball diplomacy” mission. He remains the highest-profile American to have met the young leader.
Dennis Rodman had been asked several times in the past whether he could use his relationship with Kim Jong-un to discuss Kenneth Bae, a Korean-American sentenced to 15 years’ hard labor in May 2013.
North Korea said that Kenneth Bae – described as both a tour operator and Christian missionary – had used his tourism business to plot sedition.
Asked again in the CNN interview, Dennis Rodman appeared to lose his cool, saying: “If you understand what Kenneth Bae did … Do you understand what he did in this country? … I would love to speak on this.”
Dennis Rodman’s visit was about opening “the door a little bit”, he said, even though the team would have “to go back to America and take the abuse”.
A White House spokesman declined to comment on Dennis Rodman’s remarks, but reiterated a call for North Korea to release Kenneth Bae – who is suffering from ill health – on humanitarian grounds.
Former NBA star Charles D. Smith, meanwhile, told the Associated Press news agency that he felt “remorse” for participating in the trip amid the backlash in the US.
“I feel a lot of remorse for the guys because we are doing something positive, but it’s a lot bigger than us. We are not naive, we understand why things are being portrayed the way they are.”
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Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has arrived in North Korea along with a team for a match marking leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
Dennis Rodman, 52, and the team of former NBA players flew from Beijing on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s match.
The sportsman said his aim was to “connect two countries”.
State Department officials have made it clear Dennis Rodman does not represent the US.
Dennis Rodman has also been strongly criticized for ignoring North Korea’s human rights abuses.
Dennis Rodman has arrived in North Korea along with a team for a match marking leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday
He last visited North Korea in December, shortly after the execution of Jang Sung-taek.
The fall of Kim Jong-un’s once-powerful uncle was seen as a major shake-up at the very top of Pyongyang’s elite.
On that visit, Dennis Rodman’s third, he did not meet Kim Jong-un, who is reported to be a basketball fan. He has met the young leader on his other two previous visits, however, and is the highest-profile American to have done so.
This time, Dennis Rodman leads a squad of players on a trip he is describing as “basketball diplomacy”. The squad will play a North Korean team in an exhibition match.
Dennis Rodman’s unprecedented access to North Korea’s young leader has drawn questions over the impact of his visits to a country criticized for its repressive system of brutal political prison camps.
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Dennis Rodman has unveiled the team of former NBA players to play an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang, North Korea, this month.
Dennis Rodman will lead the team that includes former NBA All-Stars Kenny Anderson, Cliff Robinson and Vin Baker. Craig Hodges, Doug Christie and Charles D. Smith are on the team, as well. They will play against a top North Korean senior national team on Wednesday, January 8th, marking Kim Jong-un’s birthday.
The former NBA star is the highest profile American to meet Kim Jong-un since the leader inherited power from his father in late 2011.
Dennis Rodman calls the game his version of ”basketball diplomacy.”
”My previous travels have allowed me to feel the enthusiasm and warmth of fans,” he said.
”The positive memories and smiles on the faces of the children and families are a testament to the great efforts we have put into fulfilling our mission wherever we go voiding any politics. We are all looking forward to arriving in Pyongyang, meeting the citizens, visiting various charities and using the opportunity to develop new relationships that result in our annual return.”
Dennis Rodman made his latest visit to North Korea shortly before Christmas to train the North Korean basketball team, though he did not meet with Kim Jong-un.
Dennis Rodman has unveiled the team of former NBA players to play an exhibition basketball game in Pyongyang
He said his trips would not be affected by the recent execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle.
Charles D. Smith, who played for the New York Knicks, said he was looking forward to the game with Dennis Rodman.
”Dennis and I are total opposites, but we work very well together,” he said.
”Dennis is one of the few people I know that doesn’t just talk but actually lives a culturally diverse life. We have traveled everywhere together, so I was not surprised with his first visit to North Korea.
”Cultural exchange is about sharing. Sharing ideas and thoughts on education, culture and life.”
Irish betting company Paddy Power PLC, a driving force behind the exhibition, removed its name last month as the title sponsor. The company is still financing the trip and is honoring all contractual commitments.
Dennis Rodman has been criticized for not talking about North Korea’s human rights record, described as one of the world’s worst by activists, the US State Department and North Korean defectors.
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Kim Jong-un made his first public reference to the execution of his once-powerful uncle – Jang Sung-taek.
In a New Year message broadcast on state TV, Kim Jong-un said “resolute action” had strengthened the country’s unity.
North Korea announced on December 12 it had executed Jang Sung-taek after convicting him of “acts of treachery”.
The move raised concerns of instability in the secretive nuclear-armed country.
North Korea’s New Year messages are closely scrutinized by South Korea and other regional powers for clues to Pyongyang’s policy goals.
Kim Jong-un made his first public reference to the execution of Jang Sung-taek in his New Year message
Kim Jong-un said action to “eliminate factionalist fi**h” within the ruling Workers’ Party had bolstered the country’s unity “by 100 times”.
“Our party’s timely, accurate decision to purge the anti-party, anti-revolutionary elements helped greatly cement solidarity within our party,” he said.
Kim Jong-un also accused South Korea and US of being “warmongers”, working “frantically” to bring nuclear weapons to the peninsula.
An accidental conflict, Kim Jong-un said, could trigger “an enormous nuclear catastrophe”.
He called for the strengthening of North Korea’s defense capabilities, adding that the country’s dignity and the people’s happiness depend on “the gun barrel”.
Jang Sung-taek was married to the sister of late leader Kim Jong-il, and is believed to have mentored Kim Jong-un when he succeeded his father in 2011.
Although seen as the second-most important figure in the country, Jang Sung-taek was dramatically removed from a special party session by armed guards and stripped of all his titles.
The state news agency KCNA later said he had admitted at a military trial to trying to overthrow the state, and had been executed immediately.
Analysts said one theory for Jang Sung-taek ‘s downfall was that he was too keen an admirer of China’s economic reform.
Dennis Rodman revealed he didn’t meet Kim Jong-un on his latest visit to North Korea, but he said that won’t stop him from coming back on the communist leader’s birthday next month to hold an exhibition game with other former NBA stars.
On the night before he was due to leave Pyongyang, Dennis Rodman told The Associated Press that he had not yet had a meeting with Kim Jong-un. The former NBA star said that he didn’t expect to meet the leader every time he comes to North Korea, and that his current trip was for training North Korean basketball players who will take part in the match he is organizing for Kim Jong-un’s birthday on January 8th.
“I’m not just coming over here to meet the leader,” Dennis Rodman said.
Dennis Rodman revealed he didn’t meet Kim Jong-un on his latest visit to North Korea
“I came over here to meet the basketball team, to prepare a great game for the leader for his birthday. And people need to understand that it’s not important for me to meet him every time I come over because he has another greater job to do for his country, and I respect that, but this trip was basically to come over to train the team, so we can have a great, great, game.”
Dennis Rodman’s visit comes just after the dramatic purge and execution of Kim Jong-un’s once-powerful uncle, which has sparked speculation among some foreign analysts over how stable Kim’s regime is. But officials here say that there is no instability and that Kim Jong-un remains firmly in control.
The former basketball player wants to bring 12 former NBA stars to Pyongyang for the exhibition, but has acknowledged that some of the Americans have been reluctant to come. He has held tryouts for the North Korean team during his visit, which began Thursday. He has said he expects to announce the US roster soon, and that he is planning another game in June.
Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un have struck up an unlikely friendship since the former NBA star traveled to North Korea for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.
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Dennis Rodman held tryouts Friday for a North Korean team to face a dozen NBA veterans in an exhibition game on leader Kim Jong-un’s birthday on January 8th, 2014.
However, the former NBA star hasn’t convinced all the players on the American team that it’s safe to come to Pyongyang.
Dennis Rodman said plans for the January 8th game are moving ahead but some of the 12 Americans he wants are afraid to come.
Some foreign analysts say the dramatic purge and execution of Kim Jong-un’s uncle less than a week ago has cast doubt on Kim’s future. But officials here say there is no instability and Kim Jong-un remains firmly in control.
“You know, they’re still afraid to come here, but I’m just telling them, you know, don’t be afraid man, it’s all love, it’s all love here,” Dennis Rodman told The Associated Press after the tryouts at the Pyongyang Indoor Gymnasium.
“I understand what’s going on with the political stuff, and I say, I don’t go into that venture, I’m just doing one thing for these kids here, and for this country, and for my country, and for the world pretty much.”
Dennis Rodman, who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday, said he expects to announce the roster soon. He also said he is planning another game in June.
Dennis Rodman held tryouts for North Korean team to face NBA veterans in an exhibition game on Kim Jong-un’s birthday
He watched as a couple dozen local players took to the basketball court for the tryouts. After the session, he told the players that each of the 12 he chooses will get two new pairs of tennis shoes.
When asked why he liked basketball, North Korean player Kim Un-chol told Dennis Rodman he started playing the game because he was impressed by it on TV, and said he also wants to be good at the sport because it is a favorite of leader Kim Jong-un and his late father, Kim Jong-il.
Dennis Rodman asked all the players if they felt the same way. They nodded in unison.
“I want you guys to do one thing for your leader,” Dennis Rodman then told them.
“It’s his birthday. It’s a very special, special day for the country.”
Dennis Rodman and Kim Jong-un have struck up an unlikely friendship since he traveled to North Korea for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.
The former NBA player remains the highest-profile American to meet Kim Jong-un since the leader inherited power from his father in 2011.
Dennis Rodman has mostly avoided politics in his dealings with North Korea and has avoided commenting on the North’s human rights record or its continued detainment of American Kenneth Bae for allegedly committing anti-state crimes.
On Friday, he stressed that he hopes the game will be friendly, without political or nationalistic overtones.
Dennis Rodman said the former NBA players will take on the North Koreans in the first half, but the teams will be mixed for the second half.
“It’s not about win or loss. It’s about one thing – unite two countries,” he said.
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