China And Russia Not Invited To An Upcoming Canadian-Organized Meeting On North Korea

By: PIBtech on 10:00 / comment : 0 North Korean Crisis

Bloomberg: China, Japan Criticize Canada’s Bid to Play North Korea Mediator

* Key countries omitted from guest list for Vancouver conference
* Neighbors are both central to ongoing efforts to pressure Kim

Two of North Korea’s closest neighbors have criticized Canada’s effort to help coordinate the international response to Kim Jong Un’s weapons program.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Wednesday that an upcoming Canadian-organized meeting on North Korea would “not help” because it didn’t include key players, adding that it would “harm joint efforts to improve the situation on the peninsula.” Japan, South Korea, India and Sweden are among those invited. China and Russia -- who supported the North Korea side during the war -- were not.

Meanwhile, a Japanese foreign ministry official questioned the need for including countries as distant as Colombia and Greece.

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Update #1: China heaping scorn on North Korea meeting next week in Vancouver (CBC)
Update #2: Russia, China shut out of Canadian conference on Korea – value of meeting questioned (Ottawa Citizen).

WNU Editor: The Japanese criticism is not a surprised. They are still smarting over this incident .... In wake of Trudeau's summit no-show, Japan raises possibility of a Trans-Pacific Partnership without Canada (National Post).

President Trump Tells South Korean President Moon Jae-in That He Is Open To Having Direct Talks With North Korea

By: PIBtech on 12:00 / comment : 0 North Korean Crisis, u.s. north korea

CNN: Trump tells Seoul he's open to talks with North Korea

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump expressed openness to holding talks between the United States and North Korea during a call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, the latest of Trump's forays into inter-Korean relations.

The call comes a day after representatives from North and South Korea held day-long negotiations in the demilitarized zone, where Pyongyang agreed to send a delegation to next month's Winter Olympics and to hold talks with Seoul to ease military tensions.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement that Moon briefed Trump on the "outcomes of the discussions between North and South Korea" and Moon "thanked President Trump for his influential leadership in making the talks possible."

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WNU Editor: The source for this discussion is coming from the South Korean President's office. Just an impression .... but it looks like South Korean President Moon Jae-in is realizing the fact that North Korea may show up at the Olympics, but on the big issues .... nuclear weapons, missiles, etc.. .... the North is not interested in dealing with him. Bottom line .... the North Koreans want to only deal with President Trump.


Trump says U.S. open to talks with North Korea: White House -- Reuters
Trump open to US-NKorea talks 'under right circumstances' -- ABC News/AP
Trump says he's open to talks with North Korea -- The Hill
Trump open to talks with North Korea under 'right circumstances' -- USA Today

South Korean President Moon Jae-in Credits President Trump For The Current North Korean Talks

By: PIBtech on 03:00 / comment : 0 North Korean Crisis

CNN: South Korea's Moon credits Trump with 'huge' contribution to North Korea talks

(CNN)South Korean President Moon Jae-in has credited his US counterpart Donald Trump with making a "huge" contribution to bringing the North and South together for landmark talks.

Giving his New Year press conference in Seoul Wednesday, Moon added he would be willing to sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the future, but wouldn't have "a meeting for the sake of a meeting," calling for Pyongyang to move towards denuclearization.

"War must not break out on the Korean Peninsula again," Moon said. "My goal is to resolve the North Korean nuclear problem and solidify peace during my term."

On Tuesday, following a long day of negotiations at the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas, Pyongyang agreed to send a delegation to next month's Winter Olympics and to hold talks with Seoul to ease military tensions.

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Update #1: South Korea's Moon says Trump deserves 'big' credit for North Korea talks (Reuters)
Update #2: Trump deserves credit for Korea talks, says President Moon (BBC)

WNU Editor: These talks are a South Korean show. But would they have occurred if President Trump did not put pressure on those who trade with North Korea to put pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to at least participate in some form of dialogue with South Korea .... I think not.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in Is Willing To Sit Down With North Korea's Kim Jong-un

By: PIBtech on 02:00 / comment : 0 North Korean Crisis

USA Today: South Korea floats summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

South Korea’s President Moon Jae In used a news conference Wednesday to float the idea of meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Moon also thanked President Trump for his "big role" in helping to arrange talks Tuesday that ended with Pyongyang agreeing to send a delegation to next month’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

"I extend my gratitude to President Trump," Moon said, speaking to reporters in Seoul. Trump previously claimed credit for renewed communications between the two nations.

At the same time, Moon appeared to acknowledge that there were clear policy differences between Washington and Seoul over how to deal with North Korea. Trump has accused the South of pursuing "appeasement" over North Korea.

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Update: South Korean president says he's open to meeting with Kim Jong Un (Politico/AP)

WNU Editor: The challenge is to maintain the momentum from these talks to deliver real tangible results that would lower tensions on the Korean peninsula .... The challenge of turning inter-Korean thaw into longer-term detente (Hyonhee Shin and Josh Smith, Reuters). But the problem is that I have seen no signs from North Korea that they are willing to even talk about their nuclear and missile programs. In this atmosphere, I fail to see what can then be accomplished.

North Korea Is Not Interested In Discussing Its Nuclear And Missile Program With South Korea

By: PIBtech on 19:00 / comment : 0 North Korean Crisis

Bloomberg: North Korea Wins Olympics Trip, But Discord Remains Over Nuclear Weapons

* South Korea talks stumble over call for denuclearization
* Both sides agree on North Korea participating in Olympics

North Korea’s chief negotiator Ri Son Gwon struck a jovial tone as he sat down on Tuesday morning for his country’s first formal talks with South Korea in more than two years.

He joked about how the subzero temperatures reflected frosty ties and asked for the proceedings to be broadcast live -- a request South Korea turned down. A few hours later, South Korea announced that North Korea would join the Olympics next month in Pyeongchang, a ski town near their shared border.

Yet as the day wore on, and South Korea proposed talks on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, the mood appeared to sour. Ri issued a “strong complaint” that Seoul dared to even raise the possibility of denuclearization at such an early stage. The subject is likely to arise again Wednesday when South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds a press briefing.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is hailing these talks .... U.S. hails Korea talks, despite North's rejection of denuclearisation (Reuters). But absent any talks on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs .... and North Korea clearly does not want to talk about it's nuclear and missile .... these talks were underwhelming.