Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-announces-higher-us-tariffs-on-china-goods-216186">US President Donald Trump</a> agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise.

"Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader. "Going forward, the United States and Japan will respond together, completely agreeing with a singular understanding on responding together."

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-confirms-saturdays-multiple-projectiles-test-216146/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-leader-kim-oversaw-testing-of-multiple-rocket-launchers-state-media-216095">North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles"</a> into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula".

Trump also said that he had spoken with Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialogue with new weapons tests.

In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and US President Donald Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise. "Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he and US President Donald Trump agreed completely on the need for North Korea to promptly denuclearise. "Regarding our response to North Korea going forward, I completely agreed with President Trump in all respects," Abe told reporters after a phone call with the US leader. "Going forward, the United States and Japan will respond together, completely agreeing with a singular understanding on responding together." North Korea fired several "unidentified short-range projectiles" into the sea off its east coast on Saturday, prompting the South to urge its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean peninsula". Trump also said that he had spoken with Abe about North Korea and trade after North Korea raised doubts about the future of denuclearization dialogue with new weapons tests. In a tweet, Trump described his talk with Abe, a close ally, as a "Very good conversation!" but gave no other details.

Agree with Trump that North Korea must denuclearise: Japan PM Shinzo Abe

This segment of WION brings to you top stories of the morning from across the globe. Watch this video to get updated with the latest information.

WION Speed News: Watch top national and international news of the morning - May 6th, 2019

North Korea has confirmed the multiple projectiles test of Saturday. Local Media said that Kim has expressed dissatisfaction over drills.

North Korea confirms Saturday's multiple projectiles test

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-firing-projectiles-north-korea-says-it-tested-rocket-launchers-216009">After firing projectiles, North Korea says it tested rocket launchers</a>

North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/four-palestinians-killed-as-rocket-barrages-from-gaza-draw-israeli-strikes-216001">Four Palestinians killed as rocket barrages from Gaza draw Israeli strikes</a>

Gaza militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes as a fragile ceasefire again faltered in an escalation that left four Palestinians dead, including a baby in disputed circumstances.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-tells-labour-lets-do-a-deal-on-brexit-215999">'Let's do a deal' on Brexit: British PM tells Labour</a>

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday urged main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to work with her to break the Brexit deadlock, telling him, "Let's do a deal".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-president-sirisena-promises-to-eradicate-terrorism-bring-stability-before-election-215943">Sri Lanka president Sirisena promises to 'eradicate terrorism', bring stability before election</a>

Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday said the security forces would "eradicate terrorism" and restore stability before a presidential election due for year-end, reported news agency Reuters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/venezuelan-army-helicopter-crashes-near-caracas-killing-seven-216014">Venezuelan army helicopter crashes near Caracas, killing seven</a>

A Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to Caracas on Saturday morning, killing all seven people on board, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

After firing projectiles, North Korea says it tested rocket launchers North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year.

After firing projectiles, North Korea says it tested rocket launchers North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year. Four Palestinians killed as rocket barrages from Gaza draw Israeli strikes Gaza militants on Saturday fired some 250 rockets at Israel, which responded with strikes as a fragile ceasefire again faltered in an escalation that left four Palestinians dead, including a baby in disputed circumstances. 'Let's do a deal' on Brexit: British PM tells Labour British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday urged main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to work with her to break the Brexit deadlock, telling him, "Let's do a deal". Sri Lanka president Sirisena promises to 'eradicate terrorism', bring stability before election Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday said the security forces would "eradicate terrorism" and restore stability before a presidential election due for year-end, reported news agency Reuters. Venezuelan army helicopter crashes near Caracas, killing seven A Venezuelan military helicopter crashed close to Caracas on Saturday morning, killing all seven people on board, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

News brief: Big stories of the day

North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-short-range-projectiles-into-sea-seoul-215790">launched its first short-range missile in more than a year</a>.

The announcement on the "strike drill", which the Korean Central News Agency said took place Saturday and was overseen by Kim Jong Un, came after US President Donald Trump voiced confidence that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise" even as nuclear talks have been deadlocked.

KCNA said the tests in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, aimed to "estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance" of the weapons.

Kim was also evaluating "the combat performance of arms and equipment," according to KCNA.

Kim urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," it added.

On Saturday, the North also fired "a number of short-range projectiles" from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan starting at 9:06 am (0006 GMT), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The projectiles travelled northeast from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) toward the East Sea.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang launched an unidentified short-range missile.

Broken promises?

"Anything in this very interesting world is possible," Trump tweeted in reaction to the launches announced by the South Koreans.

"But I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, &amp; will do nothing to interfere or end it," he added.&nbsp;

"He also knows that I am with him &amp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-confident-north-koreas-kim-wont-break-promise-215949">does not want to break his promise to me</a>. The deal will happen!" &nbsp;

Since their historic summit meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump has said Kim remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula.&nbsp;

He has insisted the two leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Hanoi collapsed in February, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests.

But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US side.&nbsp;

The launches followed last month's test-firing of very short range tactical weapons, and it came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments in nuclear talks with the North.&nbsp;

Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington as those talks remain deadlocked.

The two sides have been clashing over the North's demand for substantive economic sanctions relief and the US's insistence that the North make concrete concessions toward eliminating its atomic arsenal.

- 'Unwanted outcome' - 
North Korea analyst Ankit Panda stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium," which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles."

But a statement from South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

"North Korea's recent missile launches are a provocation at a time when the international community is awaiting concrete steps from North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile program," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said.

"We welcome President Trump's declaration that he is ready to continue to support the negotiations process despite this provocation."

On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the center of the Hanoi debacle.

Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions.

- Biegun visit - 
Hodo Peninsula, where the projectile firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles," according to the respected 38 North website.

In recent years, Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing," it added.

Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticizing their joint military exercises.

The launches come just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea.&nbsp;

Washington had said Biegun would discuss "efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with officials in Seoul and Tokyo.&nbsp;

Seoul's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon spoke with Biegun to discuss the launches, the South's foreign ministry said.

&nbsp;

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North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year.

North Korea said Sunday it had tested long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons, a day after Pyongyang appeared to have launched its first short-range missile in more than a year. The announcement on the "strike drill", which the Korean Central News Agency said took place Saturday and was overseen by Kim Jong Un, came after US President Donald Trump voiced confidence that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise" even as nuclear talks have been deadlocked. KCNA said the tests in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, aimed to "estimate and inspect the operating ability and the accuracy of striking duty performance" of the weapons. Kim was also evaluating "the combat performance of arms and equipment," according to KCNA. Kim urged his troops to bear in mind "the iron truth that genuine peace and security are ensured and guaranteed only by powerful strength," it added. On Saturday, the North also fired "a number of short-range projectiles" from Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan starting at 9:06 am (0006 GMT), the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The projectiles travelled northeast from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) toward the East Sea. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang launched an unidentified short-range missile. Broken promises? "Anything in this very interesting world is possible," Trump tweeted in reaction to the launches announced by the South Koreans. "But I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," he added. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. The deal will happen!" Since their historic summit meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump has said Kim remains committed to the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula. He has insisted the two leaders remain close even after their follow-up meeting in Hanoi collapsed in February, and that Kim would maintain his moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests. But with negotiations lagging, the North appears to be testing the US side. The launches followed last month's test-firing of very short range tactical weapons, and it came days after a senior North Korean diplomat chastised US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for making "foolish and dangerous" comments in nuclear talks with the North. Analysts said Pyongyang appears intent on raising pressure on Washington as those talks remain deadlocked. The two sides have been clashing over the North's demand for substantive economic sanctions relief and the US's insistence that the North make concrete concessions toward eliminating its atomic arsenal. - 'Unwanted outcome' - North Korea analyst Ankit Panda stressed that the projectile launch "does not violate Kim Jong Un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium," which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles." But a statement from South Korea's presidential Blue House said it was "greatly concerned," calling it a violation of a military agreement signed by both Koreas last year. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. "North Korea's recent missile launches are a provocation at a time when the international community is awaiting concrete steps from North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and missile program," a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said. "We welcome President Trump's declaration that he is ready to continue to support the negotiations process despite this provocation." On Friday, South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearization action if it wants sanctions relief -- the issue at the center of the Hanoi debacle. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. - Biegun visit - Hodo Peninsula, where the projectile firing took place, has been used since the 1960s for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles," according to the respected 38 North website. In recent years, Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing," it added. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial US and North Korean leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit between Moon and Kim, KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticizing their joint military exercises. The launches come just days before US special representative Stephen Biegun is to visit Japan and South Korea. Washington had said Biegun would discuss "efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea" with officials in Seoul and Tokyo. Seoul's nuclear envoy Lee Do-hoon spoke with Biegun to discuss the launches, the South's foreign ministry said.

After firing projectiles, North Korea says it tested rocket launchers

North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday.

The purpose of the drill was to test the performance of "large-calibre long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defence units," the Korean Central News Agency said.

Photographs released by KCNA showed the tactical guided weapons fired could be a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, according to Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Korea's Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies.

While such a missile launch would be in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, at least it would not involve long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States.

"What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the North's version of Iskander," said IFE's Kim.

The new, solid fuel ballistic missiles can fly as far as 500 kilometres, putting the entire Korean Peninsula within its range and are capable of neutralizing the advanced US anti-missile defence system (THAAD) deployed in South Korea, the military analyst said.

The South Korean defence ministry, however, put the range of weapons fired on Saturday at between 70 to 240 kilometres.

Giving orders on Saturday for the test firing, North Korean leader Kim stressed the need to "increase the combat ability so as to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance" of North Korea in the face of threats and invasions, the report said.

The statement came a day after the test firing, which analysts interpreted as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in negotiations to end the North's nuclear programme after a summit in February ended in failure.

North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang.

"With North Korea never promising to completely stop all missile testing — it only promised a self-imposed moratorium of testing long-range missiles such as ICBMs that can hit the US homeland — we should not be shocked by North Korea’s short-range launch," said Harry Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest.

The latest test firing prompted Seoul to call on its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula" on Saturday, while Trump said in a Twitter post that he was still confident he could have a deal with Kim.

"I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, &amp; will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump wrote. "He also knows that I am with him &amp; does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!"

The projectiles, fired from the east coast city of Wonsan around 9 am flew about 70 to 200 kilometres in a north-easterly direction, South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Saturday.

The South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a vaguer description and said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches.

"Yes, the tests were the most serious since the end of 2017, but this is largely a warning to Trump that he could lose the talks unless Washington takes partial denuclearisation steps offered by Kim," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "A resumption of long-range test could be next unless Kim gets what he wants soon."

Talks stalled after a second summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi in February failed to produce a deal to end Pyongyang’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

North Korea demanded Washington to lift the US-led sanctions in return for a partial dismantling of its nuclear weapons programme, while the United States wanted the quick rollback of the North’s entire nuclear weapons programme.

The North's last missile launch was in November 2017, when it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States.

North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday.

North Korea has conducted a "strike drill" for multiple launchers, firing tactical guided weapons into the East Sea in a military drill supervised by leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday, the North's state media reported on Sunday. The purpose of the drill was to test the performance of "large-calibre long-range multiple rocket launchers and tactical guided weapons by defence units," the Korean Central News Agency said. Photographs released by KCNA showed the tactical guided weapons fired could be a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, according to Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at Korea's Kyungnam University's Institute of Far Eastern Studies. While such a missile launch would be in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions, at least it would not involve long-range ballistic missiles that have been seen as a threat to the United States. "What was sobering for me was that unexpectedly, there was a photo of a short-range, ground-to-ground ballistic missile, otherwise known as the North's version of Iskander," said IFE's Kim. The new, solid fuel ballistic missiles can fly as far as 500 kilometres, putting the entire Korean Peninsula within its range and are capable of neutralizing the advanced US anti-missile defence system (THAAD) deployed in South Korea, the military analyst said. The South Korean defence ministry, however, put the range of weapons fired on Saturday at between 70 to 240 kilometres. Giving orders on Saturday for the test firing, North Korean leader Kim stressed the need to "increase the combat ability so as to defend the political sovereignty and economic self-sustenance" of North Korea in the face of threats and invasions, the report said. The statement came a day after the test firing, which analysts interpreted as an attempt to exert pressure on Washington to give ground in negotiations to end the North's nuclear programme after a summit in February ended in failure. North Korea had maintained a freeze in nuclear and ballistic missiles testing in place since 2017, which US President Donald Trump has repeatedly pointed out as an important achievement from his engagement with Pyongyang. "With North Korea never promising to completely stop all missile testing — it only promised a self-imposed moratorium of testing long-range missiles such as ICBMs that can hit the US homeland — we should not be shocked by North Korea’s short-range launch," said Harry Kazianis, director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest. The latest test firing prompted Seoul to call on its communist neighbour to "stop acts that escalate military tension on the Korean Peninsula" on Saturday, while Trump said in a Twitter post that he was still confident he could have a deal with Kim. "I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it," Trump wrote. "He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!" The projectiles, fired from the east coast city of Wonsan around 9 am flew about 70 to 200 kilometres in a north-easterly direction, South Korea's Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Saturday. The South Korean military initially described it as a missile launch, but subsequently gave a vaguer description and said it was conducting joint analysis with the United States of the latest launches. "Yes, the tests were the most serious since the end of 2017, but this is largely a warning to Trump that he could lose the talks unless Washington takes partial denuclearisation steps offered by Kim," said Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies. "A resumption of long-range test could be next unless Kim gets what he wants soon." Talks stalled after a second summit between Kim and Trump in Hanoi in February failed to produce a deal to end Pyongyang’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. North Korea demanded Washington to lift the US-led sanctions in return for a partial dismantling of its nuclear weapons programme, while the United States wanted the quick rollback of the North’s entire nuclear weapons programme. The North's last missile launch was in November 2017, when it tested an intercontinental ballistic missile. Soon after that missile test, the North declared that its nuclear force was complete, after which Pyongyang extended an olive branch to the South and the United States.

North Korean leader Kim oversaw testing of multiple rocket launchers: State media

North Korea fired several short-range projectiles off its east coast on Saturday, in a move likely to raise tensions as denuclearization talks with the United States remain stalled.

North Korea launches Short-Range Missiles, claims South Korea

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-signals-shift-in-nuclear-diplomacy-kims-right-hand-man-sidelined-213629">United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads</a> since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal.

North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief.

That issue was also at the centre of the February talks in Hanoi, where North Korea demanded immediate sanctions relief, but the two sides disagreed on what Pyongyang should give up in return.

Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions.

North Korea did not carry out any missile or nuclear tests last year, as Kim held his first historic summits with the leaders of the United States and South Korea.

Saturday's launch "does not violate Kim Jong-un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles", said North Korea analyst Ankit Panda.

"North Korea historically did not generally test anything while talks were on with the US. Talks are not on."

The White House said it was "aware of North Korea's actions tonight".

"We will continue to monitor as necessary," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Japan, meanwhile, said there was "no confirmation of ballistic missiles" entering its territory.

"At this point, there is no confirmation of any situation that may impact our national security," the Japanese defence ministry said in a statement.

Hodo peninsula

Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday's firing took place, has been used as a training area for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles" since the 1960s, according to the respected 38 North website.

It wasn't until the mid-1990s that a "formal training area" was established in the region, and Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing" during the last 10 years, it added.

Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump in February, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive.

Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature last month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator'" between the US and Pyongyang.

Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises.

"Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world -- and specifically the United States -- that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," said Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest.

"My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs."

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked.

North Korea launched unidentified projectiles into the sea Saturday, the South Korean military said, in what could be Pyongyang's first short-range missile launch for more than a year as it seeks to up pressure on Washington with nuclear talks deadlocked. The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of a summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today", the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief. That issue was also at the centre of the February talks in Hanoi, where North Korea demanded immediate sanctions relief, but the two sides disagreed on what Pyongyang should give up in return. Earlier this week, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warned Washington of an "unwanted outcome" if it did not adjust its stance on economic sanctions. North Korea did not carry out any missile or nuclear tests last year, as Kim held his first historic summits with the leaders of the United States and South Korea. Saturday's launch "does not violate Kim Jong-un's self-imposed missile-testing moratorium", which "only applied to intercontinental-range ballistic missiles", said North Korea analyst Ankit Panda. "North Korea historically did not generally test anything while talks were on with the US. Talks are not on." The White House said it was "aware of North Korea's actions tonight". "We will continue to monitor as necessary," Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. Japan, meanwhile, said there was "no confirmation of ballistic missiles" entering its territory. "At this point, there is no confirmation of any situation that may impact our national security," the Japanese defence ministry said in a statement. Hodo peninsula Hodo Peninsula, where Saturday's firing took place, has been used as a training area for "live-fire testing, training exercises for artillery and coastal defence cruise missiles" since the 1960s, according to the respected 38 North website. It wasn't until the mid-1990s that a "formal training area" was established in the region, and Hodo has been "increasingly used for ballistic missile and long-range artillery rocket testing" during the last 10 years, it added. Since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and Trump in February, South Korean president Moon Jae-in -- who brokered the first meeting between the mercurial leaders -- has tried to salvage diplomacy, but Pyongyang has remained largely unresponsive. Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature last month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator'" between the US and Pyongyang. Last week, on the anniversary of the Panmunjom summit, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said Washington and Seoul "keep pushing the situation of the Korean peninsula and the region to an undesirable phase", criticising their joint military exercises. "Chairman Kim has decided to remind the world -- and specifically the United States -- that his weapons capabilities are growing by the day," said Harry J. Kazianis, Director of Korean Studies at the Center for the National Interest. "My fear is that we are at the beginning stages of a slide back to the days of nuclear war threats and personal insults, a dangerous cycle of spiking tensions that must be avoided at all costs."

North Korea fires short-range 'projectiles' into sea, first missile launch after 2017

US President Donald Trump on Sunday stated that he was confident over Kim Jong-un's promise and hoped that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise".

In a tweet on Saturday, Trump said, "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, and&nbsp;will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him &amp; does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!".

Trump's reaction comes amid reports of North Korea&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fires-short-range-projectiles-into-sea-seoul-215790">launching unidentified projectiles into the sea</a>&nbsp;on Saturday.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Saturday&nbsp;that North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today".

The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added.

In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile.

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Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, &amp; will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him &amp; does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1124670603179565056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-signals-shift-in-nuclear-diplomacy-kims-right-hand-man-sidelined-213629">United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads</a>&nbsp;since the collapse of Hanoi Summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal.

The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017.

The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Sunday stated that he was confident over Kim Jong-un's promise and hoped that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise".

US President Donald Trump on Sunday stated that he was confident over Kim Jong-un's promise and hoped that the North Korean leader would not "break his promise". In a tweet on Saturday, Trump said, "Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realises the great economic potential of North Korea, and will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen!". Trump's reaction comes amid reports of North Korea launching unidentified projectiles into the sea on Saturday. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Saturday that North Korea "fired a number of short-range projectiles from its Hodo peninsula near the east coast town of Wonsan to the northeastern direction from 9:06 am (0006 GMT) to 09:27 am today". The projectiles travelled from 70 to 200 kilometres (45 to 125 miles) towards the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan, the JCS added. In an earlier statement, it had said Pyongyang had launched an unidentified short-range missile. Anything in this very interesting world is possible, but I believe that Kim Jong Un fully realizes the great economic potential of North Korea, & will do nothing to interfere or end it. He also knows that I am with him & does not want to break his promise to me. Deal will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 4, 2019 × The United States and North Korea have been at loggerheads since the collapse of Hanoi Summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in February, where the two sides clashed over sanctions and the extent of Pyongyang's concessions on its atomic arsenal. The last North Korean missile launch was in November 2017. The latest firing comes just a day after South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Pyongyang should show "visible, concrete and substantial" denuclearisation action if it wants sanctions relief. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says North Korean leader Kim Jong-un won't 'break promise' after projectiles launch

At least 50 rockets have been fired at Israel from the Gaza strip and dozens have been intercepted by Israeli air defenses. Watch the full video to know more.

North Korea faces food crisis after  worst harvest in a decade, U.N. says

At a time when US-North Korea relations have hit the lowest ebb, the first-ever summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on April 25, assumed huge significance in shaping the regional political-security environment.&nbsp;

While actual details of the summit are not available, President Putin said that North Korea needs international security guarantees, if it is to end its nuclear programme.

Such guarantees, he said, would need to be offered within a multinational framework.&nbsp;

True, the erstwhile Soviet Union and North Korea had warm bilateral ties and President Putin has been trying to boost Russia’s engagement with North Korea in recent times.&nbsp;

It was in this context that Russia decided to write off a major part of the debt that North Korea had taken from the Soviet Union.&nbsp;

Russia was also a member of the Six-Party Talks to pursue North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programme. But, North Korea’s decision to launch a long-range rocket in April 2009 and later its withdrawal from the Six-Party Talks, put ties with Russia on the sidelines. 
 
The engagement between Moscow and Pyongyang continued to flag, as Kim, following the Trump administration’s aggressive policy towards North Korea, decided to hold direct talks with the US to resolve the nuclear issue.&nbsp;

Trump too accepted Kim’s invitation for talks. In fact, this changed equation was quite disturbing for Russia because the success of Trump-Kim talks could have halted Russia’s ambition of playing an effective in resolving the crisis in the Korean Peninsula.&nbsp;

The Trump administration has already imposed a sanction over two Russian shipping companies for transferring petroleum products to North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, efforts to resolve the nuclear issue between the US and North Korea through direct talks did not succeed with President Trump refusing to accept North Korea’s demand for complete removal of economic sanctions for its denuclearisation programme.&nbsp;

Consequently, while reports suggested that President Putin wanted to hold a meeting with Kim, the collapse of talks between the US and North Korea, finally led to the summit between Putin and Kim, as North Korea intensified its effort to garner the support of other countries to its approach of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula.&nbsp;

The meeting proved to be highly encouraging for Kim because Russia fully backed North Korea vis-à-vis the US and Moscow reiterated that the Six-Party Talks is the best way to resolve the Korean crisis.&nbsp;

Russia wants to build a gas pipeline with North Korea to reduce its revenue losses. It also wants to ensure access to North Korea’s mineral resources.&nbsp;

For Kim, Russia can help improve North Korea’s basic infrastructure, including the railways, electricity and modernise its industry.&nbsp;

Improved ties with Russia is also important for North Korea to ensure that the Putin government does not send back its labourers working in Russia, since they are a major source of income for North Korea.

The Putin-Kim first ever meeting underscores their shared concerns about Trump’s unpredictable behaviour. There are apprehensions about President Trump aiming to change the political regime in North Korea.&nbsp;

At the same time, Putin has tried to send a signal about Russia’s influence over North Korea, which could be crucial in addressing the nuclear issue.&nbsp;

The summit between Putin and Kim has also boosted Russia’s stature in China, Japan and South Korea. In fact, it is now possible that South Korea could promote engagement with Russia to address several issues, including the conflict with North Korea.&nbsp;

While the doors of negations between the US and North Korea is now closed, Kim’s continued efforts to advance its nuclear programme, along with a new bonhomie between Russia and North Korea, has added a new dimension in the Korean issue.&nbsp;

It needs be seen how the Korean peninsula is denuclearised, promoting peace, security and development in the region and beyond

 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-putin-kim-summit-could-change-equations-promote-new-axis-2744732">original article)</a> 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

At a time when US-North Korea relations have hit the lowest ebb, the first-ever summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on April 25, assumed huge significance in shaping the regional political-security environment.

At a time when US-North Korea relations have hit the lowest ebb, the first-ever summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un, in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok on April 25, assumed huge significance in shaping the regional political-security environment. While actual details of the summit are not available, President Putin said that North Korea needs international security guarantees, if it is to end its nuclear programme. Such guarantees, he said, would need to be offered within a multinational framework. True, the erstwhile Soviet Union and North Korea had warm bilateral ties and President Putin has been trying to boost Russia’s engagement with North Korea in recent times. It was in this context that Russia decided to write off a major part of the debt that North Korea had taken from the Soviet Union. Russia was also a member of the Six-Party Talks to pursue North Korea to dismantle its nuclear programme. But, North Korea’s decision to launch a long-range rocket in April 2009 and later its withdrawal from the Six-Party Talks, put ties with Russia on the sidelines. The engagement between Moscow and Pyongyang continued to flag, as Kim, following the Trump administration’s aggressive policy towards North Korea, decided to hold direct talks with the US to resolve the nuclear issue. Trump too accepted Kim’s invitation for talks. In fact, this changed equation was quite disturbing for Russia because the success of Trump-Kim talks could have halted Russia’s ambition of playing an effective in resolving the crisis in the Korean Peninsula. The Trump administration has already imposed a sanction over two Russian shipping companies for transferring petroleum products to North Korea in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Meanwhile, efforts to resolve the nuclear issue between the US and North Korea through direct talks did not succeed with President Trump refusing to accept North Korea’s demand for complete removal of economic sanctions for its denuclearisation programme. Consequently, while reports suggested that President Putin wanted to hold a meeting with Kim, the collapse of talks between the US and North Korea, finally led to the summit between Putin and Kim, as North Korea intensified its effort to garner the support of other countries to its approach of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. The meeting proved to be highly encouraging for Kim because Russia fully backed North Korea vis-à-vis the US and Moscow reiterated that the Six-Party Talks is the best way to resolve the Korean crisis. Russia wants to build a gas pipeline with North Korea to reduce its revenue losses. It also wants to ensure access to North Korea’s mineral resources. For Kim, Russia can help improve North Korea’s basic infrastructure, including the railways, electricity and modernise its industry. Improved ties with Russia is also important for North Korea to ensure that the Putin government does not send back its labourers working in Russia, since they are a major source of income for North Korea. The Putin-Kim first ever meeting underscores their shared concerns about Trump’s unpredictable behaviour. There are apprehensions about President Trump aiming to change the political regime in North Korea. At the same time, Putin has tried to send a signal about Russia’s influence over North Korea, which could be crucial in addressing the nuclear issue. The summit between Putin and Kim has also boosted Russia’s stature in China, Japan and South Korea. In fact, it is now possible that South Korea could promote engagement with Russia to address several issues, including the conflict with North Korea. While the doors of negations between the US and North Korea is now closed, Kim’s continued efforts to advance its nuclear programme, along with a new bonhomie between Russia and North Korea, has added a new dimension in the Korean issue. It needs be seen how the Korean peninsula is denuclearised, promoting peace, security and development in the region and beyond (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Putin-Kim summit could change equations, promote new axis

North and South Korea Saturday struck different notes as they marked the first anniversary of a summit between their leaders that fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearisation.

Kim Jong Un and President Moon Jae-in held their first meeting on April 27 last year in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula amid a rapid diplomatic thaw, paving the way for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June.

But one year later, little progress has been made on North Korea's nuclear weapons, with Pyongyang and Washington deadlocked since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without a deal.

Moon, who brokered the first meeting between the two mercurial leaders, has tried to salvage the diplomacy although the North has remained largely unresponsive.

Since Hanoi, the North has not attended any of the weekly meetings of the heads of their joint liaison office in Kaesong, and has not taken part in other joint projects.

North Korea did not respond to the South's invitation this week for a ceremony later Saturday at Panmunjom -- where Moon and Kim exchanged warm smiles and hugs -- to commemorate their landmark meeting last year.

Instead, the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which handles inter-Korean relations, urged Seoul Saturday to take "more active measures" to improve ties.

The Kim-Moon summit a year ago had restarted the "ticking of the reunification clock", it said, but the US was pressuring Seoul to lock steps in their approach towards the nuclear-armed North.

"A grave situation is being created that may see a return to the past of reaching catastrophe in the thickening dangers of war," it said in a lengthy statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

'Dream and reality'

Moon and Kim met three times last year -- including a second impromptu encounter after Trump threatened to cancel the Singapore summit just weeks before it was due.

But exchanges between Seoul and Pyongyang have significantly decreased since the failure to reach agreement in Hanoi.

A commentary carried by the South's conservative Dong-A Ilbo newspaper Saturday noted that inter-Korean relations have returned to the "old pattern" where Seoul unilaterally tries to engage Pyongyang despite being repeatedly snubbed by its neighbour.

"A year ago, the North Korean leader appeared to listen attentively to the words of President Moon on the footbridge (at Panmunjom), but now he is blatantly ignoring the South," the paper said.

"The celebration event held only by South Korea today presents both dream and reality of the first anniversary," it added.

Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature earlier this month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator' and 'facilitator'" between the US and the North.

At his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, Kim accused the US of acting in "bad faith" in Hanoi and warned the situation "may return to its original state".

North and South Korea Saturday struck different notes as they marked the first anniversary of a summit between their leaders that fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearisation.

North and South Korea Saturday struck different notes as they marked the first anniversary of a summit between their leaders that fuelled a whirlwind of diplomacy which has died down amid deadlock over Pyongyang's denuclearisation. Kim Jong Un and President Moon Jae-in held their first meeting on April 27 last year in the Demilitarized Zone dividing the peninsula amid a rapid diplomatic thaw, paving the way for a historic summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore in June. But one year later, little progress has been made on North Korea's nuclear weapons, with Pyongyang and Washington deadlocked since a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi in February broke down without a deal. Moon, who brokered the first meeting between the two mercurial leaders, has tried to salvage the diplomacy although the North has remained largely unresponsive. Since Hanoi, the North has not attended any of the weekly meetings of the heads of their joint liaison office in Kaesong, and has not taken part in other joint projects. North Korea did not respond to the South's invitation this week for a ceremony later Saturday at Panmunjom -- where Moon and Kim exchanged warm smiles and hugs -- to commemorate their landmark meeting last year. Instead, the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, which handles inter-Korean relations, urged Seoul Saturday to take "more active measures" to improve ties. The Kim-Moon summit a year ago had restarted the "ticking of the reunification clock", it said, but the US was pressuring Seoul to lock steps in their approach towards the nuclear-armed North. "A grave situation is being created that may see a return to the past of reaching catastrophe in the thickening dangers of war," it said in a lengthy statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). 'Dream and reality' Moon and Kim met three times last year -- including a second impromptu encounter after Trump threatened to cancel the Singapore summit just weeks before it was due. But exchanges between Seoul and Pyongyang have significantly decreased since the failure to reach agreement in Hanoi. A commentary carried by the South's conservative Dong-A Ilbo newspaper Saturday noted that inter-Korean relations have returned to the "old pattern" where Seoul unilaterally tries to engage Pyongyang despite being repeatedly snubbed by its neighbour. "A year ago, the North Korean leader appeared to listen attentively to the words of President Moon on the footbridge (at Panmunjom), but now he is blatantly ignoring the South," the paper said. "The celebration event held only by South Korea today presents both dream and reality of the first anniversary," it added. Kim slammed the South in a speech to his country's rubber-stamp legislature earlier this month, saying it should not "pose as a meddlesome 'mediator' and 'facilitator'" between the US and the North. At his first summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, Kim accused the US of acting in "bad faith" in Hanoi and warned the situation "may return to its original state".

Two Koreas mark Moon-Kim summit anniversary with different tones

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals he has taken the fall for the failed second summit between the two countries, diplomats in Seoul and regional experts said.

The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post and is expected to hand over his leading role in the nuclear talks to diplomats who had been previously restrained to playing a secondary part, they said.

Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure.

He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader's first international foray since his meeting with US&nbsp;President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February ended in disarray.

"The summit damaged the North's long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul.

"This may not mean an immediate shift in their US&nbsp;strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries."

Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi.

But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the rollback of his country's nuclear programme in exchange for concessions from the United States.

Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead of leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North's diplomatic engagements said.

Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said.

"Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations.

It seemed like: 'Over my dead body I'm going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,'" the source said, referring to the North's foreign minister.

'REAL SPOKESWOMAN'

Ri and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, are seen to be taking over the vacuum left by Kim Yong Chol, flanking the leader as he met Putin on Thursday.

The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol.

"But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said.

"Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations", he said.

The person who now appears to have Kim's ear is Vice Foreign Minister Choe, North Korea experts said.

She has steadily grown in influence over the last 15 years, rising from a junior player on the North's U.S. diplomacy team to become vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission.

She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un's thinking.

Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife.

"Now she's the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul.

"How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access", Thae said.

A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion.

"We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea's best people for the job of dealing with the US," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the US-based Stimson Center.

"But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed."

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals he has taken the fall for the failed second summit between the two countries, diplomats in Seoul and regional experts said.

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals he has taken the fall for the failed second summit between the two countries, diplomats in Seoul and regional experts said. The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post and is expected to hand over his leading role in the nuclear talks to diplomats who had been previously restrained to playing a secondary part, they said. Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure. He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader's first international foray since his meeting with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February ended in disarray. "The summit damaged the North's long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-Wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. "This may not mean an immediate shift in their US strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries." Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi. But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the rollback of his country's nuclear programme in exchange for concessions from the United States. Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead of leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North's diplomatic engagements said. Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said. "Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations. It seemed like: 'Over my dead body I'm going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,'" the source said, referring to the North's foreign minister. 'REAL SPOKESWOMAN' Ri and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, are seen to be taking over the vacuum left by Kim Yong Chol, flanking the leader as he met Putin on Thursday. The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol. "But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said. "Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations", he said. The person who now appears to have Kim's ear is Vice Foreign Minister Choe, North Korea experts said. She has steadily grown in influence over the last 15 years, rising from a junior player on the North's U.S. diplomacy team to become vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission. She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un's thinking. Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife. "Now she's the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul. "How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access", Thae said. A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim's sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion. "We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea's best people for the job of dealing with the US," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the US-based Stimson Center. "But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed."

North Korea signals shift in nuclear diplomacy; Kim's right-hand man sidelined

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that no money was paid to North Korea for the release of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-student-otto-warmbier-dies-week-after-being-released-from-north-korean-jail-17029">US student Otto Warmbier</a>, who was detained by the reclusive state while on a college trip there in 2016.

"No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two million dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama administration that paid 1.8 billion dollars for four hostages or gave five terrorist hostages plus, who soon went back to the battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!" Trump tweeted.

Quoting a 'Chief Hostage Negotiator, USA,'&nbsp;Trump added,"President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in the last two years. No money was paid."

This comes after reports of North Korea slapping a US dollar&nbsp;two million medical bill on the United States for Warmbier emerged in American news outlets on Thursday.

The Washington Post alleged that the US had signed a pledge to pay the bill before releasing the US student in 2017, after holding him captive for almost a year.

Warmbier, who was in a vegetative state, died just six days after returning home to the US.

After the second summit with the North Korean leader in Vietnam in February, Trump said that he does not hold Kim responsible for Warmbier`s death.

The American student suffered severe brain damage during his captivity.

The Trump administration placed intense pressure on Pyongyang to release Warmbier when they learned of his condition.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that no money was paid to North Korea for the release of US student Otto Warmbier, who was detained by the reclusive state while on a college trip there in 2016.

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that no money was paid to North Korea for the release of US student Otto Warmbier, who was detained by the reclusive state while on a college trip there in 2016. "No money was paid to North Korea for Otto Warmbier, not two million dollars, not anything else. This is not the Obama administration that paid 1.8 billion dollars for four hostages or gave five terrorist hostages plus, who soon went back to the battle, for traitor Sgt. Bergdahl!" Trump tweeted. Quoting a 'Chief Hostage Negotiator, USA,' Trump added,"President Donald J. Trump is the greatest hostage negotiator that I know of in the history of the United States. 20 hostages, many in impossible circumstances, have been released in the last two years. No money was paid." This comes after reports of North Korea slapping a US dollar two million medical bill on the United States for Warmbier emerged in American news outlets on Thursday. The Washington Post alleged that the US had signed a pledge to pay the bill before releasing the US student in 2017, after holding him captive for almost a year. Warmbier, who was in a vegetative state, died just six days after returning home to the US. After the second summit with the North Korean leader in Vietnam in February, Trump said that he does not hold Kim responsible for Warmbier`s death. The American student suffered severe brain damage during his captivity. The Trump administration placed intense pressure on Pyongyang to release Warmbier when they learned of his condition.

No money paid to North Korea for US student Otto Warmbier: Trump

North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-needs-security-guarantees-in-exchange-for-denuclearisation-says-putin-after-meeting-kim-213419">Kim Jong-un said during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin</a> peace and security on the Korean peninsula depend entirely on the future US attitude, North Korean state media KCNA said on Friday.

Kim's remarks were seen as keeping pressure on the United States to be more flexible in accepting Pyongyang's demands to ease sanctions, compared to the US stance during his unsuccessful second summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February.

The North Korean leader said at the time he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to become more flexible.

"The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," KCNA reported Kim as saying, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." Kim said.

Kim invited Putin to North Korea at a convenient time and Putin accepted, KCNA said.

There was no immediate comment on the summit from the US State Department but William Hagerty, the US ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think tank Kim’s contact with Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions.

"The fact you see Kim Jong-un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said.

"What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said.

He said it was important the international community enforced UN sanctions against North Korea that were imposed because of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok on Thursday, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough.

The two leaders had an in-depth discussion on ways for their countries to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region, KCNA said.

Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear programme was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step by step in order to build trust.

But any US guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, Putin said, which was seen as a way to use the summit to strengthen Russia's diplomatic clout as a global player.

Russia and North Korea agreed to take measures to further cooperate in trade, economy, science and technology, KCNA said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depend entirely on the future US attitude, North Korean state media KCNA said on Friday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin peace and security on the Korean peninsula depend entirely on the future US attitude, North Korean state media KCNA said on Friday. Kim's remarks were seen as keeping pressure on the United States to be more flexible in accepting Pyongyang's demands to ease sanctions, compared to the US stance during his unsuccessful second summit with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi in February. The North Korean leader said at the time he would wait until the end of the year for the United States to become more flexible. "The situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point where it may return to its original state as the US took a unilateral attitude in bad faith at the recent second DPRK-US summit talks," KCNA reported Kim as saying, using North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "The DPRK will gird itself for every possible situation." Kim said. Kim invited Putin to North Korea at a convenient time and Putin accepted, KCNA said. There was no immediate comment on the summit from the US State Department but William Hagerty, the US ambassador to Japan, told a Washington think tank Kim’s contact with Russia and China was part of an effort to seek relief from international sanctions. "The fact you see Kim Jong-un meeting with Vladimir Putin underscores the fact that the sanctions are working and the sanctions are putting extreme economic pressure on the North Korean regime," Hagerty said. "What we see is an outreach to try to find a way to deal with it. There is a much simpler way to deal with it and that is to denuclearise," he said. He said it was important the international community enforced UN sanctions against North Korea that were imposed because of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes. The first face-to-face talks between Putin and Kim, held on an island off the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok on Thursday, did not appear to yield any major breakthrough. The two leaders had an in-depth discussion on ways for their countries to promote strategic communication and tactical collaboration in the course of ensuring peace and security on the Korean peninsula and in the region, KCNA said. Putin said he thought a deal on Pyongyang's nuclear programme was possible and that the way to get there was to move forward step by step in order to build trust. But any US guarantees might need to be supported by the other nations involved in previous six-way talks on the nuclear issue, Putin said, which was seen as a way to use the summit to strengthen Russia's diplomatic clout as a global player. Russia and North Korea agreed to take measures to further cooperate in trade, economy, science and technology, KCNA said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says peace on Korean peninsula depends on US attitude: State media

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-signals-shift-in-nuclear-diplomacy-kims-right-hand-man-sidelined-213629">demotion of Kim Yong Chol</a>, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-leader-says-peace-on-korean-peninsula-depends-on-us-attitude-state-media-213549">nuclear talks with the United States</a>, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to centre-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said.

The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure.&nbsp;

He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader`s first international foray since his Hanoi meeting with Trump in February ended in disarray.

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, flanked the North Korean leader at the meeting in Vladivostok, including riding in his car, a highly unusual display of proximity.&nbsp;

"The Hanoi summit damaged the North`s long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, referring to Kim Yong Chol`s demotion.&nbsp;

"This may not mean an immediate shift in their US&nbsp;strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries."&nbsp;

Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi.

But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the roll back of his country`s nuclear programme in exchange for concessions from the United States.

Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North`s diplomatic engagements said.&nbsp;

Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said.&nbsp;

"Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations. It seemed like: `Over my dead body I`m going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,`" the source said, referring to the North`s foreign minister.

'REAL SPOKESWOMAN'

The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea`s Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol.&nbsp;

"But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said. "Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations."

While Ri has gradually been promoted under Kim, the influence of Vice Foreign Minister Choe has surged since the Hanoi summit, officials and North Korea experts said.

She was a junior player on the North`s US&nbsp;diplomacy team in the 1990s and became the first vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission this month.

She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un`s thinking.

Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife.&nbsp;

"Now she`s the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul. "How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access."

A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim`s sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion.

"We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea`s best people for the job of dealing with the US," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the US-based Stimson Center.

"But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed."

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to centre-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said.

The demotion of Kim Yong Chol, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's point man for nuclear talks with the United States, signals that long-time diplomats who had been sidelined from the process will return to centre-stage, diplomatic sources in Seoul and regional experts said. The hawkish former general and spymaster was recently removed from a key party post, taking the fall for the failed Hanoi summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump. Kim Yong Chol remains a formidable force in Pyongyang but there is no word whether he has been given a new role in the ultra-secretive North Korean power structure. He did not accompany Kim Jong Un to Russia this week for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, the North Korean leader`s first international foray since his Hanoi meeting with Trump in February ended in disarray. Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and his deputy, Choe Son Hui, flanked the North Korean leader at the meeting in Vladivostok, including riding in his car, a highly unusual display of proximity. "The Hanoi summit damaged the North`s long-held principle that its leader never makes an error, so they have to shift the blame," said Kim Hyun-wook, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul, referring to Kim Yong Chol`s demotion. "This may not mean an immediate shift in their US strategy, but the diplomats will likely take the initiative to contain the fallout from Hanoi and promote diplomacy with various countries." Kim Yong Chol was beside Kim through the last 12 months, including for his three meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, two with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the two Trump summits, in Singapore and Hanoi. But for those who have known him as a hardline military general, Kim Yong Chol never seemed comfortable with the art of negotiating the roll back of his country`s nuclear programme in exchange for concessions from the United States. Kim avoided getting into details at negotiating sessions, instead leaving it to diplomats to build strategy, two diplomatic sources in Seoul familiar with the North`s diplomatic engagements said. Even then, he refused to yield control, one of the sources said. "Whether or not he understood the issues, he kept a tight grip on the negotiations. It seemed like: `Over my dead body I`m going to let Ri Yong Ho take over,`" the source said, referring to the North`s foreign minister. 'REAL SPOKESWOMAN' The collapse of the Hanoi summit was a major setback for Kim Jong Un, who, several sources said, was led to believe by hawkish aides like Kim Yong Chol that he was about to win sought-after sanctions relief in return for a promise to partially scrap nuclear facilities. Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at South Korea`s Sejong Institute, said the demands Kim made of Trump in Hanoi had the hallmarks of the "best scenario" strategy advocated by hawks like Kim Yong Chol. "But it turned out to be a scenario that the United States could never accept," Cheong said. "Kim Jong Un cutting his reliance on Kim Yong Chol is a positive sign for the negotiations." While Ri has gradually been promoted under Kim, the influence of Vice Foreign Minister Choe has surged since the Hanoi summit, officials and North Korea experts said. She was a junior player on the North`s US diplomacy team in the 1990s and became the first vice foreign minister and a member of the powerful State Affairs Commission this month. She held several news conferences after the collapse of the Hanoi summit, playing the rare role of conveying Kim Jong Un`s thinking. Thae Yong Ho, former North Korean deputy ambassador in London who defected to the South in 2016, said Choe has joined an inner circle of women close to Kim Jong Un, including his sister and his wife. "Now she`s the real spokeswoman for Kim Jong Un," Thae told a forum hosted by the Asan Institute of Policy Studies on Wednesday in Seoul. "How can Choe read his mind? Because she has access." A diplomatic source also said Choe appears to have built rapport with Kim Yo Jong, Kim`s sister who is also a senior party official, which contributed to her recent promotion. "We have to remember that (Foreign Minister) Ri and Choe are not only North Korea`s best people for the job of dealing with the US," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at the US-based Stimson Center. "But they both have known the leader since he was a small boy so there is a dynamic of their wanting to see Kim Jong Un thrive and succeed."

North Korea turns to diplomats after Kim sidelines point man in nuclear talks

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-holds-mega-roadshow-in-varanasi-213438">PM Modi begins mega roadshow in Varanasi</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi&nbsp;started his mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi&nbsp;today as thousands attended chanting the prime minister's name. The roadshow&nbsp;is scheduled for a day before PM Modi sets out to&nbsp;file his nomination paper&nbsp;on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-needs-security-guarantees-in-exchange-for-denuclearisation-says-putin-after-meeting-kim-213419">North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearisation, says Putin after meeting Kim</a>

As Russian President Putin and North Korean leader&nbsp;Kim&nbsp;Jong-un met in Vladivostok&nbsp;with hopes of strengthing ties, the Russian president said North Korea needs security guarantees and denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/leader-of-the-group-committed-suicide-at-shangri-la-hotel-police-213412">Leader of the group committed suicide at Shangri-la hotel: Police</a>

Four days after the Easter Sunday blasts, Sri Lankan authorities revealed new details&nbsp;about the suicide bombers&nbsp;who carried out attacks on churches and hotels in the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-us-vice-president-joe-biden-enters-2020-presidential-race-213423">Former US Vice President Joe Biden enters 2020 presidential race</a>

Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday formally announced his entry into the race for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for the 2020 election.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-protests-as-french-warship-passes-through-taiwan-strait-213434">China protests as French warship passes through Taiwan Strait</a>

A French warship passed through the strategic&nbsp;Taiwan Strait&nbsp;this month&nbsp;as France on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to "freedom of navigation under maritime law" following a spat with China over the passage of a French warship through the Taiwan Strait earlier this month.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

PM Modi begins mega roadshow in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi today as thousands attended chanting the prime minister's name.

PM Modi begins mega roadshow in Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his mega roadshow in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi today as thousands attended chanting the prime minister's name. The roadshow is scheduled for a day before PM Modi sets out to file his nomination paper on Friday. North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearisation, says Putin after meeting Kim As Russian President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in Vladivostok with hopes of strengthing ties, the Russian president said North Korea needs security guarantees and denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law. Leader of the group committed suicide at Shangri-la hotel: Police Four days after the Easter Sunday blasts, Sri Lankan authorities revealed new details about the suicide bombers who carried out attacks on churches and hotels in the country. Former US Vice President Joe Biden enters 2020 presidential race Former US Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday formally announced his entry into the race for the Democratic party's presidential nomination for the 2020 election. China protests as French warship passes through Taiwan Strait A French warship passed through the strategic Taiwan Strait this month as France on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to "freedom of navigation under maritime law" following a spat with China over the passage of a French warship through the Taiwan Strait earlier this month.

Historic summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un is underway in Vladivostok, Russia. Watch this video to know more.

Historic Putin-Kim summit underway in Vladivostok

As Russian President Putin and North Korean leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kim-putin-vow-to-seek-closer-ties-at-first-talks-213353">Kim&nbsp;Jong-un met in Vladivostok </a>with hopes of strengthing ties, the Russian president said North Korea needs security guarantees and denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law.

Putin said North Korea needs international security guarantees in order to dismantle its nuclear programme, and that those guarantees, if they are to work, would need to be offered within a multi-national framework.

The denuclearisation issue has been Trump administrations key demand. The talks between Trump and Kim during the Hanoi Summit had broken down over the key issue of denuclearisation.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nkoreas-kim-says-he-will-coordinate-views-on-peninsula-issues-with-putin-213355/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We need to restore the power of international law, to return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said after meeting Kim.

"We, me and my colleagues, are satisfied with the results of the talks," Putin added.

As Russian President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in Vladivostok with hopes of strengthing ties, the Russian president said North Korea needs security guarantees and denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law.

As Russian President Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in Vladivostok with hopes of strengthing ties, the Russian president said North Korea needs security guarantees and denuclearisation could only be achieved through international law. Putin said North Korea needs international security guarantees in order to dismantle its nuclear programme, and that those guarantees, if they are to work, would need to be offered within a multi-national framework. The denuclearisation issue has been Trump administrations key demand. The talks between Trump and Kim during the Hanoi Summit had broken down over the key issue of denuclearisation. "We need to restore the power of international law, to return to a state where international law, not the law of the strongest, determines the situation in the world," Putin said after meeting Kim. "We, me and my colleagues, are satisfied with the results of the talks," Putin added.

North Korea needs 'security guarantees' in exchange for denuclearisation, says Putin after meeting Kim

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into Russia Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks closer ties with its traditional ally amid a nuclear deadlock with the United States.

The meeting on Thursday in the Pacific coast city of Vladivostok will be Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from talks with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi that collapsed in February.

Earlier the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported his departure by train, naming among his entourage foreign minister Ri Yong Ho -- who told journalists after the summit in Vietnam that the country's stance would "never change".

Kim's private armoured train crossed the Tumen river Wednesday and arrived in the Russian border town of Khasan, Russian media reports said, where women in folk costumes welcomed him with bread and salt in a traditional greeting.

Kim's predecessors as leader, his father and grandfather, also stopped there on their trips, and at the station a small wooden building known as the House of Kim Il Sung commemorates Russian-Korean friendship.

Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place at a university campus.&nbsp;

The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on his diplomatic overtures last year.

Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with the South's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president.

Analysts say he is now looking for wider international support in his standoff with Washington.

At the same time, Western diplomats say that with Moscow's global role a shadow of what it once was, Russian foreign policy is driven by the "search for relevance".

In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on it over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but the talks broke down in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return.

Cold War ties

North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test.

Moscow has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told a briefing on Tuesday: "The focus will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula."&nbsp;

"Russia intends to help consolidate positive trends in every way," he said, but added that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned.

KCNA did not mention whether Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju or his sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong were accompanying him.

Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as leader.

But their relations have often shifted between hot and cold and during the Cold War, Kim Il Sung was adept at exploiting the Communist rivalry between Beijing and Moscow to extract concessions from both.

The Soviet Union reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991.

Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, the first of those meetings in Pyongyang in 2000, when he became the first Russian leader to visit the North.

China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence.

"It's part of the North's Juche -- self-reliance -- ideology not to rely on a single ally," said Jeong Young-tae, an analyst at the Institute of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

"Pyongyang has a group of experts on diplomacy who have been in their post for decades. They'll know how to play the game if it ever becomes necessary for Pyongyang to play off its allies against each other."

While ties between Russia and the North have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing.

His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and the launch of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into Russia Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks closer ties with its traditional ally amid a nuclear deadlock with the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un crossed the border into Russia Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks closer ties with its traditional ally amid a nuclear deadlock with the United States. The meeting on Thursday in the Pacific coast city of Vladivostok will be Kim's first face-to-face talks with another head of state since returning from talks with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi that collapsed in February. Earlier the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported his departure by train, naming among his entourage foreign minister Ri Yong Ho -- who told journalists after the summit in Vietnam that the country's stance would "never change". Kim's private armoured train crossed the Tumen river Wednesday and arrived in the Russian border town of Khasan, Russian media reports said, where women in folk costumes welcomed him with bread and salt in a traditional greeting. Kim's predecessors as leader, his father and grandfather, also stopped there on their trips, and at the station a small wooden building known as the House of Kim Il Sung commemorates Russian-Korean friendship. Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place at a university campus. The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on his diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with the South's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Analysts say he is now looking for wider international support in his standoff with Washington. At the same time, Western diplomats say that with Moscow's global role a shadow of what it once was, Russian foreign policy is driven by the "search for relevance". In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on it over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but the talks broke down in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. Cold War ties North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Moscow has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told a briefing on Tuesday: "The focus will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula." "Russia intends to help consolidate positive trends in every way," he said, but added that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned. KCNA did not mention whether Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju or his sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong were accompanying him. Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as leader. But their relations have often shifted between hot and cold and during the Cold War, Kim Il Sung was adept at exploiting the Communist rivalry between Beijing and Moscow to extract concessions from both. The Soviet Union reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times, the first of those meetings in Pyongyang in 2000, when he became the first Russian leader to visit the North. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. "It's part of the North's Juche -- self-reliance -- ideology not to rely on a single ally," said Jeong Young-tae, an analyst at the Institute of North Korean Studies in Seoul. "Pyongyang has a group of experts on diplomacy who have been in their post for decades. They'll know how to play the game if it ever becomes necessary for Pyongyang to play off its allies against each other." While ties between Russia and the North have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and the launch of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia for summit with Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks support in its nuclear deadlock with the United States.

The talks, organised in secret and announced at the last minute, will be Kim's first face-to-face meeting with another head of state since negotiations with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed in February.

Kim's armoured train arrived in the afternoon at the Tsarist-era train station in Vladivostok and he stepped out onto a red carpet before making his way outside to be received by an honour guard.&nbsp;

"I hope that this visit will be successful and useful," Kim told Russian television in the Russian town of Khasan where his train crossed the border.

"I hope that during the talks... I will be able to have concrete discussions on resolving situations on the Korean Peninsula and on the development of our bilateral relationship," Kim said.

Putin was due to arrive in Vladivostok on Thursday, then fly on after the talks for another summit in Beijing.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) earlier reported Kim's departure by train, naming among his entourage foreign minister Ri Yong Ho.

The train crossed the Tumen river Wednesday and arrived in Khasan, where women in folk costumes welcomed Kim with bread and salt in a traditional greeting.

Kim's predecessors as leader, his father and grandfather, also stopped there on their trips to neighbouring Russia.&nbsp;

At Khasan station a small wooden building known as the House of Kim Il Sung commemorates Russian-Korean friendship.

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North Korean flags flying

Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place at a university campus.&nbsp;

Kim plans to stay on in Vladivostok on Friday for a series of cultural events, including a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium, Russian media reported.

The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on his diplomatic overtures last year.

Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with the South's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president.

Analysts say he is now looking for wider international support in his standoff with Washington, while Moscow is keen to inject itself into another global flashpoint. &nbsp;

In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on it over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but the talks broke down in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return.

North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test.

Moscow has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told a briefing on Tuesday: "The focus will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula."&nbsp;

"Russia intends to help consolidate positive trends in every way," he said, but added that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned.

KCNA did not mention whether Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju or his sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong were accompanying him.

Cold War ties

Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as leader.

The Soviet Union reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991.

Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times.&nbsp;

The first of those meetings was in Pyongyang in 2000, when Putin became the first Russian leader to visit the North.

China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence.

While ties between Russia and the North have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing.

His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and the launch of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks support in its nuclear deadlock with the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Russia's Pacific port city of Vladivostok on Wednesday for the first summit with Vladimir Putin, as Pyongyang seeks support in its nuclear deadlock with the United States. The talks, organised in secret and announced at the last minute, will be Kim's first face-to-face meeting with another head of state since negotiations with US President Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed in February. Kim's armoured train arrived in the afternoon at the Tsarist-era train station in Vladivostok and he stepped out onto a red carpet before making his way outside to be received by an honour guard. "I hope that this visit will be successful and useful," Kim told Russian television in the Russian town of Khasan where his train crossed the border. "I hope that during the talks... I will be able to have concrete discussions on resolving situations on the Korean Peninsula and on the development of our bilateral relationship," Kim said. Putin was due to arrive in Vladivostok on Thursday, then fly on after the talks for another summit in Beijing. The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) earlier reported Kim's departure by train, naming among his entourage foreign minister Ri Yong Ho. The train crossed the Tumen river Wednesday and arrived in Khasan, where women in folk costumes welcomed Kim with bread and salt in a traditional greeting. Kim's predecessors as leader, his father and grandfather, also stopped there on their trips to neighbouring Russia. At Khasan station a small wooden building known as the House of Kim Il Sung commemorates Russian-Korean friendship. × North Korean flags flying Russian and North Korean flags were already flying on lamp posts Tuesday on Vladivostok's Russky island, where the summit is expected to take place at a university campus. Kim plans to stay on in Vladivostok on Friday for a series of cultural events, including a ballet and a visit to the city's aquarium, Russian media reported. The talks follow repeated invitations from Putin since Kim embarked on his diplomatic overtures last year. Since March 2018, the formerly reclusive North Korean leader has held four meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, three with the South's Moon Jae-in, two with Trump and one with Vietnam's president. Analysts say he is now looking for wider international support in his standoff with Washington, while Moscow is keen to inject itself into another global flashpoint. In Hanoi, the cash-strapped North demanded immediate relief from the sanctions imposed on it over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, but the talks broke down in disagreement over what Pyongyang was prepared to give up in return. North Korea last week launched a blistering attack on US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, insisting he be removed from the negotiations just hours after announcing it had carried out a new weapons test. Moscow has already called for the sanctions to be eased, while the US has accused it of trying to help Pyongyang evade some of the measures -- accusations Russia denies. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told a briefing on Tuesday: "The focus will be on a political and diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula." "Russia intends to help consolidate positive trends in every way," he said, but added that no joint statement or signing of agreements was planned. KCNA did not mention whether Kim's wife Ri Sol Ju or his sister and close aide Kim Yo Jong were accompanying him. Cold War ties Moscow was a crucial backer of Pyongyang for decades and their ties go back to the founding of North Korea, when the Soviet Union installed Kim's grandfather Kim Il Sung as leader. The Soviet Union reduced funding to the North as it began to seek reconciliation with Seoul in the 1980s, but Pyongyang was hit hard by its demise in 1991. Soon after his first election as Russian president, Putin sought to normalise relations and met Kim Jong Il -- the current leader's father and predecessor -- three times. The first of those meetings was in Pyongyang in 2000, when Putin became the first Russian leader to visit the North. China has since cemented its role as the isolated North's most important ally, its largest trading partner and crucial fuel supplier, and analysts say Kim could be looking to balance Beijing's influence. While ties between Russia and the North have remained cordial, the last meeting between their leaders came in 2011, when Kim Jong Il told then-president Dmitry Medvedev that he was prepared to renounce nuclear testing. His son has since overseen by far the country's most powerful blast to date, and the launch of missiles capable of reaching the entire US mainland.

North Korea's Kim arrives in Russia's Vladivostok for summit with Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday in advance of a summit later this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Watch this video to know more.

Kim Jong-Un in Russia for talks

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un received a military welcome on Wednesday after arriving in the Russian Pacific city of Vladivostok ahead of a summit later this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

NKorea's Kim receives military honours ahead of summit with Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia to hold his first summit with President Vladimir Putin, a state media reported on Tuesday, confirming Russia's annoucemnet.

Kim "will soon pay a visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation" of Putin, North Korea's official KCNA news service said.

"They will have talks during this visit," the brief dispatch added.

However, the venue was not disclosed by the state media.

They are expected to meet in the eastern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-vladivostok-could-be-possible-host-city-for-putin-kim-summit-211814">Russian port of Vladivostok</a>.

Last week, Russia said that Kim has accepted Putin's invitation and will Rusia in the second half of the April.

Putin has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim.

The last summit between a Russian and North Korean head of state came in 2011, when Kim's father Kim Jong Il travelled to Siberia to meet Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia to hold his first summit with President Vladimir Putin, a state media reported on Tuesday, confirming Russia's annoucemnet.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia to hold his first summit with President Vladimir Putin, a state media reported on Tuesday, confirming Russia's annoucemnet. Kim "will soon pay a visit to the Russian Federation at the invitation" of Putin, North Korea's official KCNA news service said. "They will have talks during this visit," the brief dispatch added. However, the venue was not disclosed by the state media. They are expected to meet in the eastern Russian port of Vladivostok. Last week, Russia said that Kim has accepted Putin's invitation and will Rusia in the second half of the April. Putin has long expressed his readiness to meet with Kim. The last summit between a Russian and North Korean head of state came in 2011, when Kim's father Kim Jong Il travelled to Siberia to meet Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president.

North Korea confirms Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia to meet Putin

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will soon visit Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin, the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency confirmed Tuesday without releasing a set date or location for the meeting.

North Korea leader Kim to meet with Viladimir Putin in Russia

Sudan's army ruler <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/military-council-committed-to-hand-power-over-to-people-sudans-army-ruler-212378">General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Sunday</a> that a delegation will travel to Washington for talks to seek Sudan's removal from the US' state sponsors of terrorism list.

"A delegation will travel to the United States this week or next week to discuss removing Sudan from its state sponsors of terrorism list," Burhan said in his first interview on state television since taking power.

Burhan took the helm after predecessor General Awad Ibn Ouf stood down less than 24 hours after becoming military council chief, following the ouster of long-time president Omar al-Bashir.

The United States lifted its 20-year-old trade embargo imposed on Sudan in October 2017.

But Washington kept Sudan in it state sponsors of terrorism list along with Iran, Syria and North Korea.

It had included Sudan in the blacklist in 1993 for Khartoum's alleged links with Islamist militants.

Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan between 1992 and 1996.

Washington, however, has praised the country's new military leader for freeing political prisoners, and on Thursday announced plans to dispatch an envoy to Khartoum to encourage a transition to democracy.

On Thursday State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said that the United States will "calibrate our policies based on our assessment of events" but added that talks on delisting Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism remained suspended.

"The will of the Sudanese people is clear: it is time to move toward a transitional government that is inclusive and respectful of human rights and the rule of law," she said.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at the time that the short-term US goal was to "get the military folks out of center-stage" and "back to being responsible for security, nothing else."

"Longer term is to make absolutely sure that whichever group is going to be responsible for the transition prepares a transition implementation that will lead to a truly democratic government that will reflect the will of the Sudanese people," he said.

Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Sunday that a delegation will travel to Washington for talks to seek Sudan's removal from the US' state sponsors of terrorism list.

Sudan's army ruler General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said Sunday that a delegation will travel to Washington for talks to seek Sudan's removal from the US' state sponsors of terrorism list. "A delegation will travel to the United States this week or next week to discuss removing Sudan from its state sponsors of terrorism list," Burhan said in his first interview on state television since taking power. Burhan took the helm after predecessor General Awad Ibn Ouf stood down less than 24 hours after becoming military council chief, following the ouster of long-time president Omar al-Bashir. The United States lifted its 20-year-old trade embargo imposed on Sudan in October 2017. But Washington kept Sudan in it state sponsors of terrorism list along with Iran, Syria and North Korea. It had included Sudan in the blacklist in 1993 for Khartoum's alleged links with Islamist militants. Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan between 1992 and 1996. Washington, however, has praised the country's new military leader for freeing political prisoners, and on Thursday announced plans to dispatch an envoy to Khartoum to encourage a transition to democracy. On Thursday State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said that the United States will "calibrate our policies based on our assessment of events" but added that talks on delisting Sudan as a state sponsor of terrorism remained suspended. "The will of the Sudanese people is clear: it is time to move toward a transitional government that is inclusive and respectful of human rights and the rule of law," she said. A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said at the time that the short-term US goal was to "get the military folks out of center-stage" and "back to being responsible for security, nothing else." "Longer term is to make absolutely sure that whichever group is going to be responsible for the transition prepares a transition implementation that will lead to a truly democratic government that will reflect the will of the Sudanese people," he said.

Team to visit US to seek Sudan's removal from terror list: Army ruler

Criticising a leading US official for the second time in less than a week, North Korea described US National Security Adviser John Bolton's call for Pyongyang to show that it’s serious about giving up its nuclear weapons as 
&nbsp;"nonsense", reported news agency Reuters.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
North Korea's remark comes amid row over its call to replace Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with someone more mature in talks.&nbsp;

North Korea said on Thursday it no longer wanted to deal with Pompeo and that he should be replaced in talks by someone more mature, hours after it announced its first weapons test since nuclear talks broke down.

US President Donald Trump has said he is open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Bolton told Bloomberg News on Wednesday there first needed to be "a real indication from North Korea that they've made the strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons".

"Bolton in an interview with Bloomberg, showed above himself by saying such a nonsense," North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters when asked about his recent comments, the Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday.

"Bolton's remarks make me wonder whether they sprang out of incomprehension of the intentions of the top leaders of the DPRK and the US or whether he was just trying to talk with a certain sense of humour for his part, with its own deviation," she said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.

"All things considered, his word has no charm in it and he looks dim-sighted to me," Choe Son Hui was quoted as saying.&nbsp;

Criticising a leading US official for the second time in less than a week, North Korea described US National Security Adviser John Bolton's call for Pyongyang to show that it’s serious about giving up its nuclear weapons as "nonsense", reported news agency Reuters.

Criticising a leading US official for the second time in less than a week, North Korea described US National Security Adviser John Bolton's call for Pyongyang to show that it’s serious about giving up its nuclear weapons as "nonsense", reported news agency Reuters. North Korea's remark comes amid row over its call to replace Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with someone more mature in talks. North Korea said on Thursday it no longer wanted to deal with Pompeo and that he should be replaced in talks by someone more mature, hours after it announced its first weapons test since nuclear talks broke down. US President Donald Trump has said he is open to a third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Bolton told Bloomberg News on Wednesday there first needed to be "a real indication from North Korea that they've made the strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons". "Bolton in an interview with Bloomberg, showed above himself by saying such a nonsense," North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui told reporters when asked about his recent comments, the Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday. "Bolton's remarks make me wonder whether they sprang out of incomprehension of the intentions of the top leaders of the DPRK and the US or whether he was just trying to talk with a certain sense of humour for his part, with its own deviation," she said, referring to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. "All things considered, his word has no charm in it and he looks dim-sighted to me," Choe Son Hui was quoted as saying.

North Korea slams US National Security Adviser Bolton's 'dim-sighted' call for sign of denuclearisation

Russia's Vladivostok was named as the possible host city for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-to-meet-putin-in-russia-in-late-april-211539">Russia-Noth Korea summit</a>, news agency Reuters reported.&nbsp;

However, due to security reasons, the Russian authorities did not confirm the venue, where President Vladimir Putin will hold the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.&nbsp;

The summit was announced on Thursday when Kremlin said that Kim has accepted Putin's invitation.

Kim will visit Russia in the second half of April.

This comes after North Korea recently announced that it had tested a new tactical weapon with a "powerful warhead" as denuclearisation talks with Washington appear to stall.&nbsp;

The last summit between a Russian and North Korean head of state came in 2011 when Kim's father Kim Jong Il travelled to Siberia to meet Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president.

Russia's Vladivostok was named as the possible host city for Russia-Noth Korea summit, news agency Reuters reported. However, due to security reasons, the Russian authorities did not confirm the venue, where President Vladimir Putin will hold the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Russia's Vladivostok was named as the possible host city for Russia-Noth Korea summit, news agency Reuters reported. However, due to security reasons, the Russian authorities did not confirm the venue, where President Vladimir Putin will hold the upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The summit was announced on Thursday when Kremlin said that Kim has accepted Putin's invitation. Kim will visit Russia in the second half of April. This comes after North Korea recently announced that it had tested a new tactical weapon with a "powerful warhead" as denuclearisation talks with Washington appear to stall. The last summit between a Russian and North Korean head of state came in 2011 when Kim's father Kim Jong Il travelled to Siberia to meet Dmitry Medvedev, then Russia's president.

Russia's Vladivostok could be possible host city for Putin-Kim summit

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that he is still in charge of the team negotiating with North Korea over its banned nuclear programme.

"Nothing has changed," Pompeo told a news conference after a meeting with Japan's foreign and defence ministers. "We continue to work."

"Still in charge of the team," he added.

North Korea on Thursday described <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-demands-pompeos-removal-from-us-nuclear-talks-211470">Pompeo as 'reckless' and immature</a> and demanded his removal from the talks.

"I am afraid that, if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled," Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the ministry's Department of American Affairs said, according to the official KCNA news agency.

Pompeo has travelled to Pyongyang for four times in the last year.

US President Donald Trump has talked&nbsp;fondly about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Since the beginning of the thaw in relations between the US and North Korea, Pyongyang has been far happier to deal directly with Trump, who critics fear is too soft on the regime and is not sufficiently versed in diplomacy.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that he is still in charge of the team negotiating with North Korea over its banned nuclear programme. "Nothing has changed," Pompeo told a news conference after a meeting with Japan's foreign and defence ministers.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that he is still in charge of the team negotiating with North Korea over its banned nuclear programme. "Nothing has changed," Pompeo told a news conference after a meeting with Japan's foreign and defence ministers. "We continue to work." "Still in charge of the team," he added. North Korea on Thursday described Pompeo as 'reckless' and immature and demanded his removal from the talks. "I am afraid that, if Pompeo engages in the talks again, the table will be lousy once again and the talks will become entangled," Kwon Jong Gun, director general of the ministry's Department of American Affairs said, according to the official KCNA news agency. Pompeo has travelled to Pyongyang for four times in the last year. US President Donald Trump has talked fondly about his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after their second summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Since the beginning of the thaw in relations between the US and North Korea, Pyongyang has been far happier to deal directly with Trump, who critics fear is too soft on the regime and is not sufficiently versed in diplomacy.

Still in charge of North Korea negotiations: Pompeo

Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States, Patrick Shanahan, said Thursday that neither the Pentagon's "posture" nor its operations with respect to the nuclear disarmament of North Korea have changed after Pyongyang reportedly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-oversees-new-guided-weapon-test-state-media-211283">tested a new type of tactical weapon</a>.

Wednesday's weapons test, which was supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was the first one carried since a February summit with US president Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without an agreement on the dismantling of Pyongyang's nuclear program.

"I'm not going to go into the detail of the intelligence but the way I'd characterize it is, it's not like a ballistic missile, okay?" Shanahan said before welcoming the Albanian Minister of Defense, Olta Xhacka, to the Pentagon.

"There's no change to our posture or our operations," towards North Korea, Shanahan added.

"The test or the launch - depending on how you want to characterize it - was not a ballistic missile," he insisted.

A ballistic missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, follows a predefined trajectory after launching before falling unguided and under gravity onto its target.

The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Thursday that Kim Jong-un had overseen the testing of a new tactical guided weapon - a short-range battlefield weapon designed for use in combat scenarios.

As is usual for the North Korean regime, the location of the test was not specified, and the report merely said that it was a "new type of guided tactical weapon" and that "the design indexes of the ... weapon whose advantages are appreciated for the peculiar mode of guiding flight and the load of a powerful warhead were perfectly verified at the test-fire."

News of Wednesday's test raised concerns around the world due to the fact that Pyongyang announced last month that it was considering breaking off negotiations with Washington and resuming its ballistic missiles tests after 15 months.

On March&nbsp;15, North Korea's Vice-Foreign Minister, Choe Son-Hui, said that her country has "no intention to yield to the US demands (at the Hanoi summit) in any form" nor are they willing " to engage in negotiations of this kind" and noted that it was up to Kim to end the moratorium on weapons testing.

US President Donald Trump and Kim have met on two occasions, and although both leaders have stressed how amicable their relationship is, their last meeting in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal.

The failure to reach an agreement at the summit revolved around the number of North Korean nuclear assets to be dismantled against the volume of sanctions that the US would lift in return.

Washington wanted North Korea to dismantle its missiles and chemical and biological weapons (in addition to nuclear weapons) programs before granting any concessions, while Pyongyang called for the lifting of most of the sanctions in exchange for dismantling its Yongbyon nuclear facility, which the US considered insufficient.

On Thursday, Pyongyang also urged Washington to replace secretary of state Mike Pompeo with a "more careful and mature" negotiator, foreign ministry official Kwon Jong-gun said, according to KCNA.

He said talks could become complicated if Pompeo was involved in the discussions, adding that whenever he "pokes his nose in, talks between the two countries go wrong, without any results."&nbsp;

Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States, Patrick Shanahan, said Thursday that neither the Pentagon's "posture" nor its operations with respect to the nuclear disarmament of North Korea have changed after Pyongyang reportedly tested a new type of tactical weapon.

Acting Secretary of Defense of the United States, Patrick Shanahan, said Thursday that neither the Pentagon's "posture" nor its operations with respect to the nuclear disarmament of North Korea have changed after Pyongyang reportedly tested a new type of tactical weapon. Wednesday's weapons test, which was supervised by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was the first one carried since a February summit with US president Donald Trump in Hanoi ended without an agreement on the dismantling of Pyongyang's nuclear program. "I'm not going to go into the detail of the intelligence but the way I'd characterize it is, it's not like a ballistic missile, okay?" Shanahan said before welcoming the Albanian Minister of Defense, Olta Xhacka, to the Pentagon. "There's no change to our posture or our operations," towards North Korea, Shanahan added. "The test or the launch - depending on how you want to characterize it - was not a ballistic missile," he insisted. A ballistic missile, which can carry nuclear warheads, follows a predefined trajectory after launching before falling unguided and under gravity onto its target. The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Thursday that Kim Jong-un had overseen the testing of a new tactical guided weapon - a short-range battlefield weapon designed for use in combat scenarios. As is usual for the North Korean regime, the location of the test was not specified, and the report merely said that it was a "new type of guided tactical weapon" and that "the design indexes of the ... weapon whose advantages are appreciated for the peculiar mode of guiding flight and the load of a powerful warhead were perfectly verified at the test-fire." News of Wednesday's test raised concerns around the world due to the fact that Pyongyang announced last month that it was considering breaking off negotiations with Washington and resuming its ballistic missiles tests after 15 months. On March 15, North Korea's Vice-Foreign Minister, Choe Son-Hui, said that her country has "no intention to yield to the US demands (at the Hanoi summit) in any form" nor are they willing " to engage in negotiations of this kind" and noted that it was up to Kim to end the moratorium on weapons testing. US President Donald Trump and Kim have met on two occasions, and although both leaders have stressed how amicable their relationship is, their last meeting in Hanoi ended abruptly without a deal. The failure to reach an agreement at the summit revolved around the number of North Korean nuclear assets to be dismantled against the volume of sanctions that the US would lift in return. Washington wanted North Korea to dismantle its missiles and chemical and biological weapons (in addition to nuclear weapons) programs before granting any concessions, while Pyongyang called for the lifting of most of the sanctions in exchange for dismantling its Yongbyon nuclear facility, which the US considered insufficient. On Thursday, Pyongyang also urged Washington to replace secretary of state Mike Pompeo with a "more careful and mature" negotiator, foreign ministry official Kwon Jong-gun said, according to KCNA. He said talks could become complicated if Pompeo was involved in the discussions, adding that whenever he "pokes his nose in, talks between the two countries go wrong, without any results."

No change to US stance on North Korea after new weapons test: Pentagon

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Moscow this week to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation, the US&nbsp;State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Biegun will meet with Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday "to discuss efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," the department said, but gave no further details.

The Trump administration is still seeking to reach a denuclearisation deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following two summits between Kim and US President Donald Trump that have so far failed to solidify an agreement. Trump administration officials have floated the possibility of a third summit.

Meanwhile, RIA news agency last month reported that Kim planned to visit Russia for talks this spring or summer. Earlier on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported that plans were underway for a summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The United States in March also imposed a new round of sanctions over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, following the collapse of talks between Trump and Kim in February.

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Moscow this week to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation, the US State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.

US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun will visit Moscow this week to discuss Pyongyang's denuclearisation, the US State Department said in a statement on Tuesday. Biegun will meet with Russian officials in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday "to discuss efforts to advance the final, fully verified denuclearisation of North Korea," the department said, but gave no further details. The Trump administration is still seeking to reach a denuclearisation deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un following two summits between Kim and US President Donald Trump that have so far failed to solidify an agreement. Trump administration officials have floated the possibility of a third summit. Meanwhile, RIA news agency last month reported that Kim planned to visit Russia for talks this spring or summer. Earlier on Tuesday, Yonhap news agency reported that plans were underway for a summit between Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The United States in March also imposed a new round of sanctions over North Korea's nuclear weapons program, following the collapse of talks between Trump and Kim in February.

US envoy to North Korea to visit Moscow, discuss denuclearisation

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Agree with Trump that North Korea must denuclearise: Japan PM Shinzo Abe

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