US President Trump <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589">discussed &quot;dangerous situation in North Korea&quot;</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today.

The Kremlin said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314">Trump and Putin discussed bilateral</a> relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula.

The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China&#39;s ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim&#39;s ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea&#39;s key allies to taper down Kim&#39;s ambitious nuclear plans.

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula.

Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra&#39;ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment.

An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a &quot;lifeline&quot; for the country.

Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang&#39;s ally.

China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support.&nbsp;

Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained.

At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply. 
&nbsp;

Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council

US President Trump discussed "dangerous situation in North Korea" with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone, White House said today. The Kremlin said Trump and Putin discussed bilateral relations and the situation in the Korean peninsula. The phone call follows talks earlier between Russian deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilovand with China's ambassador to Russia Li Hui. The US has been concerned about Kim's ballistic missile programme and has been pressing Russia and China, North Korea's key allies to taper down Kim's ambitious nuclear plans. Russia and China have been interacting on coordinating action on North Korea at the UN Security Council with President Trump keen to keep the North Korean debate going at the world body in an attempt to keep peace in the Korean peninsula. Meanwhile, UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said tough sanctions imposed on North Korea are complicating the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid and called for an assessment. An estimated 18 million North Koreans, or 70 per cent of the population, suffer from acute food shortages and aid agencies provide which serves as a "lifeline" for the country. Earlier, the Security Council discussed the human rights crisis in North Korea despite objections from China, Pyongyang's ally. China had requested a procedural vote to block the meeting, but failed to garner enough support. Ten countries voted to allow the meeting to go ahead, three opposed -- China, Russia and Bolivia -- while Egypt and Ethiopia abstained. At least nine countries must back a contested agenda item for it to be discussed at the council and the veto does not apply.

Trump calls Putin to discuss North Korea as Korean peninsula simmers

A day after secretary of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ready-to-talk-but-north-korea-should-be-ready-to-make-a-choice-tillerson-26589"> state Rex Tillerson said the US was ready</a> for talks with North, the White House said &quot;clearly the time is not right now&quot; and that the US State Department was on the &quot;same page&quot;.

On Wednesday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-and-china-discuss-coordination-on-north-korea-26673">Tillerson had said: &quot;We&#39;re ready to </a>talk whenever they&#39;re(North Korea) ready to talk,&quot; adding that North Korea must be &quot;ready to make a choice.&quot; However, Tillerson&#39;s statement was contradicted by the US state department today which said its policy on North Korea &quot;has not changed.&quot;

&quot;The secretary was not creating a new policy, our policy remains exactly the same as it was,&quot; State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

&quot;We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula,&quot; she said.

President Trump&#39;s national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is &quot;the only viable objective in North Korea.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Talks with North Korea won&#39;t be an end in themselves,&quot; McMaster added.

McMaster said Tillerson&#39;s comment on talks without preconditions does not mean the US will &quot;relieve any pressure on North Korea, or cave in to any demands for pay-offs.&quot;

Talking to the Atlantic Council policy Tillerson had said North Korea was welcome to talk about anything at a first meeting - even the weather, however, he insisted that sanctions on Kim&#39;s regime would continue until &quot;the first bomb drops.&quot;

President Trump's national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is "the only viable objective in North Korea."?

A day after secretary of state Rex Tillerson said the US was ready for talks with North, the White House said "clearly the time is not right now" and that the US State Department was on the "same page". On Wednesday, Tillerson had said: "We're ready to talk whenever they're(North Korea) ready to talk," adding that North Korea must be "ready to make a choice." However, Tillerson's statement was contradicted by the US state department today which said its policy on North Korea "has not changed." "The secretary was not creating a new policy, our policy remains exactly the same as it was," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said. "We remain open to dialogue when North Korea is willing to conduct a credible dialogue on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula," she said. President Trump's national security advisor(NSA), H.R. McMaster, said that denuclearization is "the only viable objective in North Korea." "Talks with North Korea won't be an end in themselves," McMaster added. McMaster said Tillerson's comment on talks without preconditions does not mean the US will "relieve any pressure on North Korea, or cave in to any demands for pay-offs." Talking to the Atlantic Council policy Tillerson had said North Korea was welcome to talk about anything at a first meeting - even the weather, however, he insisted that sanctions on Kim's regime would continue until "the first bomb drops."

Tillerson not creating new policy on North Korea: US State Department

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-talks-to-un-blames-us-for-tensions-26314"> US is ready to respond to any North</a> Korean threat with full &quot;range of &nbsp;contingencies available.&quot;

Tillerson who has been working the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/north-korea-us-threats-making-war-unavoidable-7201">back channels with China and Russia </a>to keep North Korea at bay, said: &quot;We&#39;re ready to talk whenever they&#39;re(North Korea) ready to talk,&quot; adding that North Korea must be &quot;ready to make a choice.&quot;

Meanwhile, North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong Un told &nbsp;scientists&nbsp;that his country would continue to manufacture&nbsp;&quot;more latest weapons and equipment&quot; &nbsp;to &quot;bolster&nbsp;nuclear force in quality and quantity&quot;.

North Korea had recently tested the Hwasong-15 ICBM missile on August 29 which many experts believe can reach mainland United States, North Korea&#39;s state media citing Kim said: &quot;He solemnly declared that the development of new strategic weapon systems including A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realisation of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our party and people of the country.&quot;

Despite the tough talk by North Korea, UN officials returning from Pyongyang said that North Korean officials had agreed to need to prevent war, however, they offered no concerete steps for talks on the issue.

&quot;They agreed that it was important to prevent war,&quot; Jeffrey Feltman, the UN&#39;s political affairs chief told AFP.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un told scientists that his country would continue to manufacturing "more latest weapons and equipment"

Secretary of state Rex Tillerson said today the US is ready to respond to any North Korean threat with full "range of contingencies available." Tillerson who has been working the back channels with China and Russia to keep North Korea at bay, said: "We're ready to talk whenever they're(North Korea) ready to talk," adding that North Korea must be "ready to make a choice." Meanwhile, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un told scientists that his country would continue to manufacture "more latest weapons and equipment" to "bolster nuclear force in quality and quantity". North Korea had recently tested the Hwasong-15 ICBM missile on August 29 which many experts believe can reach mainland United States, North Korea's state media citing Kim said: "He solemnly declared that the development of new strategic weapon systems including A-bomb, H-bomb and ICBM Hwasong-15 with indigenous efforts and technology and the realisation of the great cause of completing the state nuclear force serve as a great historic victory of our party and people of the country." Despite the tough talk by North Korea, UN officials returning from Pyongyang said that North Korean officials had agreed to need to prevent war, however, they offered no concerete steps for talks on the issue. "They agreed that it was important to prevent war," Jeffrey Feltman, the UN's political affairs chief told AFP.

Ready to talk but North Korea should be ready to make a choice: Tillerson

A US&nbsp;soldier who deserted to North Korea more than half a century ago, but who was eventually allowed to leave the secretive state, has died in Japan aged 77.

One of the Cold War&#39;s strangest dramas began in 1965 when&nbsp;Charles&nbsp;Robert&nbsp;Jenkins, then a 24-year-old army sergeant nicknamed &quot;Scooter&quot; from tiny Rich Square in North Carolina, disappeared one January night while on patrol near the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas.

At an emotional court martial in Japan in 2004,&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;- who had never gone to high school - said he deserted to avoid hazardous duty in South Korea and escape combat in Vietnam.

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<h5>You don&#39;t say no to North Korea. You say one thing bad about Kim Il-sung and then you dig your own hole because you&#39;re gone,&#39;&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;told his court-martial, referring to the founder of the secretive state</h5>
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&quot;It was Christmas time, it was also cold and dark. I started to drink alcohol. I never had drunk so much alcohol,&quot; he said in a thick Southern accent, choking back sobs.

He drank 10 beers, took his men on patrol and told them to wait while he checked the road below. He then walked towards North Korea, holding a rifle with a white t-shirt tied around it. He said he had planned to go to Russia and turn himself in and had not expected North Korea to keep him.

While in North Korea, where he taught English to soldiers and portrayed an evil US&nbsp;spy in a propaganda film,&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;met and married Hitomi Soga, a Japanese woman 20 years his junior who had been kidnapped by North Korea to help train spies.

Fear for his safety and the family he built with Soga made it impossible to refuse any demands made on him,&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;said.

&quot;You don&#39;t say no to North Korea. You say one thing bad about Kim Il-sung and then you dig your own hole because you&#39;re gone,&quot;&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;told his court-martial, referring to the founder of the secretive state.

Soga was allowed to return to Japan in 2002 and&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;followed with their two North Korean-born daughters in 2004.

After serving a token 30-day sentence for desertion,&nbsp;Jenkins&nbsp;moved with his family to Sado, Soga&#39;s rural hometown, late in 2004. He subsequently worked in a gift shop and wrote a book about his experiences in North Korea.

A Sado town official confirmed his death but could give no further details.

At an emotional court martial in Japan in 2004,?Charles Robert Jenkins?-- who had never gone to high school -- said he deserted to avoid hazardous duty in South Korea and escape combat in Vietnam

A US soldier who deserted to North Korea more than half a century ago, but who was eventually allowed to leave the secretive state, has died in Japan aged 77. One of the Cold War's strangest dramas began in 1965 when Charles Robert Jenkins, then a 24-year-old army sergeant nicknamed "Scooter" from tiny Rich Square in North Carolina, disappeared one January night while on patrol near the demilitarised zone between the two Koreas. At an emotional court martial in Japan in 2004, Jenkins - who had never gone to high school - said he deserted to avoid hazardous duty in South Korea and escape combat in Vietnam. You don't say no to North Korea. You say one thing bad about Kim Il-sung and then you dig your own hole because you're gone,' Jenkins told his court-martial, referring to the founder of the secretive state × "It was Christmas time, it was also cold and dark. I started to drink alcohol. I never had drunk so much alcohol," he said in a thick Southern accent, choking back sobs. He drank 10 beers, took his men on patrol and told them to wait while he checked the road below. He then walked towards North Korea, holding a rifle with a white t-shirt tied around it. He said he had planned to go to Russia and turn himself in and had not expected North Korea to keep him. While in North Korea, where he taught English to soldiers and portrayed an evil US spy in a propaganda film, Jenkins met and married Hitomi Soga, a Japanese woman 20 years his junior who had been kidnapped by North Korea to help train spies. Fear for his safety and the family he built with Soga made it impossible to refuse any demands made on him, Jenkins said. "You don't say no to North Korea. You say one thing bad about Kim Il-sung and then you dig your own hole because you're gone," Jenkins told his court-martial, referring to the founder of the secretive state. Soga was allowed to return to Japan in 2002 and Jenkins followed with their two North Korean-born daughters in 2004. After serving a token 30-day sentence for desertion, Jenkins moved with his family to Sado, Soga's rural hometown, late in 2004. He subsequently worked in a gift shop and wrote a book about his experiences in North Korea. A Sado town official confirmed his death but could give no further details.

US soldier who defected to North Korea in 1965 dies

Born and raised in Japan, three North Korean soccer players are expecting to face boos from the home crowd in a match that comes less than two weeks after the latest North Korean test missile splashed into the Sea of Japan.

An Byong Jun, Kim Song Gi and Lee Yong Jick, who play their club soccer for J League division 2 sides, will represent North Korea when they take on Japan in Tokyo on Saturday in the final round of the East Asian Football Championship.

The sporting contest is being held with the world still on edge after the North heightened alarm in South Korea, Japan and the United States by test firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29 that appeared to demonstrate increasing range.

North Korea has test-fired missiles over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice earlier this year and has threatened to sink Japan into the sea with a nuclear bomb.

Unsurprisingly, Kim, a 29-year-old central defender, who hails from Hyogo prefecture in western Japan and plays his club soccer for Machida Zelvia in Tokyo, expects a hostile reception from Japanese supporters.

&quot;Bring on the booing,&quot; said Kim. &quot;Being booed actually gets me fired up. I was brought up that way and it doesn&#39;t really bother me.&quot;

He is eager to avenge a one-nil loss when he first played against Japan for North Korea six years ago.

Kim, An and Lee all took up soccer when they were children attending Pyongyang-affiliated schools in Japan and saw playing as a North Korean international as the path to the highest level.

&quot;Soccer was all I thought about when I was a kid and it was my dream to play for North Korea,&quot; Kim said. &quot;My biggest goal now is to go to the World Cup.&quot;

Japanese nationality is inherited through parents, not place of birth, meaning the three players of North Korean descent are considered foreigners and ineligible to play for Japan&#39;s national team.

The players&#39; status as permanent residents in Japan is a throwback to the complex and conflicted relationship between the countries.

Many Koreans were forced to move to Japan during its occupation of the Korean peninsula before and during World War II&nbsp;and suffered discrimination.

They and their descendants are now eligible to become naturalised Japanese citizens, but many are loath to do so because that would involve giving up their Korean nationality and suffering a perceived loss of cultural identity.

There were about 339,000 people with special permanent resident status - mostly those with Korean or Taiwanese ancestry - living in Japan last year, government data shows.

&quot;I&#39;ve never thought of taking Japanese citizenship,&quot; said Kim. &quot;My soul is 100 percent North Korean.&quot;

Lee, a 26-year-old Osaka native playing his first match against Japan, said he wasn&#39;t sure how the fans would react, noting that the team had expected boos when they played in South Korea but received applause instead.

&quot;It&#39;s complicated,&quot; said the Kamatamare Sanuki defender, who switches to midfield for North Korea.

&quot;I hope we&#39;re treated the same as other teams that play against Japan. To be honest I hope we don&#39;t get booed.&quot;

Regarding political tensions, he said that things might seem bad looking only at the news in Japan but that he and his teammates had also seen a good side to North Korea on their trips to Pyongyang, on school trips and for training camp.

An, who will also be playing his first match against Japan, said he was looking forward to playing in his hometown Tokyo and expected a good turnout from ethnic Korean fans.

He said he had a lot of J League friends on the Japanese squad with whom he exchanges text messages and he was looking forward to a good match regardless of international tensions.

&quot;Soccer&#39;s great because teams can play fair and square and those kind of politics don&#39;t matter,&quot; said the 27-year-old Roasso Kumamoto forward.

&quot;All I want to do is go out and represent my country as a soccer player.&quot;

Japan and North Korea last met in 2015, at the East Asia Football Championship in China, where North Korea prevailed 2-1.

This year&#39;s men&#39;s tournament, which also features China and South Korea, runs Dec. 9-16. The women&#39;s tournament, comprising the same countries, is being held Dec. 8-15.

The three players will take on Japan in the final round of East Asian Football Championship in Tokyo on Saturday

Born and raised in Japan, three North Korean soccer players are expecting to face boos from the home crowd in a match that comes less than two weeks after the latest North Korean test missile splashed into the Sea of Japan. An Byong Jun, Kim Song Gi and Lee Yong Jick, who play their club soccer for J League division 2 sides, will represent North Korea when they take on Japan in Tokyo on Saturday in the final round of the East Asian Football Championship. The sporting contest is being held with the world still on edge after the North heightened alarm in South Korea, Japan and the United States by test firing an intercontinental ballistic missile on Nov. 29 that appeared to demonstrate increasing range. North Korea has test-fired missiles over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido twice earlier this year and has threatened to sink Japan into the sea with a nuclear bomb. Unsurprisingly, Kim, a 29-year-old central defender, who hails from Hyogo prefecture in western Japan and plays his club soccer for Machida Zelvia in Tokyo, expects a hostile reception from Japanese supporters. "Bring on the booing," said Kim. "Being booed actually gets me fired up. I was brought up that way and it doesn't really bother me." He is eager to avenge a one-nil loss when he first played against Japan for North Korea six years ago. Kim, An and Lee all took up soccer when they were children attending Pyongyang-affiliated schools in Japan and saw playing as a North Korean international as the path to the highest level. "Soccer was all I thought about when I was a kid and it was my dream to play for North Korea," Kim said. "My biggest goal now is to go to the World Cup." Japanese nationality is inherited through parents, not place of birth, meaning the three players of North Korean descent are considered foreigners and ineligible to play for Japan's national team. The players' status as permanent residents in Japan is a throwback to the complex and conflicted relationship between the countries. Many Koreans were forced to move to Japan during its occupation of the Korean peninsula before and during World War II and suffered discrimination. They and their descendants are now eligible to become naturalised Japanese citizens, but many are loath to do so because that would involve giving up their Korean nationality and suffering a perceived loss of cultural identity. There were about 339,000 people with special permanent resident status - mostly those with Korean or Taiwanese ancestry - living in Japan last year, government data shows. "I've never thought of taking Japanese citizenship," said Kim. "My soul is 100 percent North Korean." Lee, a 26-year-old Osaka native playing his first match against Japan, said he wasn't sure how the fans would react, noting that the team had expected boos when they played in South Korea but received applause instead. "It's complicated," said the Kamatamare Sanuki defender, who switches to midfield for North Korea. "I hope we're treated the same as other teams that play against Japan. To be honest I hope we don't get booed." Regarding political tensions, he said that things might seem bad looking only at the news in Japan but that he and his teammates had also seen a good side to North Korea on their trips to Pyongyang, on school trips and for training camp. An, who will also be playing his first match against Japan, said he was looking forward to playing in his hometown Tokyo and expected a good turnout from ethnic Korean fans. He said he had a lot of J League friends on the Japanese squad with whom he exchanges text messages and he was looking forward to a good match regardless of international tensions. "Soccer's great because teams can play fair and square and those kind of politics don't matter," said the 27-year-old Roasso Kumamoto forward. "All I want to do is go out and represent my country as a soccer player." Japan and North Korea last met in 2015, at the East Asia Football Championship in China, where North Korea prevailed 2-1. This year's men's tournament, which also features China and South Korea, runs Dec. 9-16. The women's tournament, comprising the same countries, is being held Dec. 8-15.

Born in Japan, playing for North Korea under shadow of missile crisis

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;.

The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea&#39;s action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime.

North Korea&#39;s latest missile test prompted a warning from the United States that North Korea`s leadership would be &quot;utterly destroyed&quot; if war were to break out, a statement that drew sharp criticism from Russia.

While China, North Korea&#39;s neighbour and lone major ally, pressed for calm and peace all along, it was recently reported to have <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-holds-military-drills-near-north-korea-soon-after-us-south-korea-begin-their-massive-military-exercise-25997" target="_blank">conducted military drills</a> over the sea bordering North Korea as a &#39;warning&#39; to the United States for holding the joint military exercise with South Korea.

Besides this, the two nations continue to proceed with &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39; while North Korea takes the exercise as a threat that &quot;makes war unavoidable&quot;.&nbsp;

A spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry blamed the drills and &quot;confrontational warmongering&quot; by U.S. officials for making war inevitable.

&quot;The remaining question now is: when will the war break out?&quot; the spokesman said late on Wednesday in a statement carried by North Korea&#39;s official KCNA news agency, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

&quot;We do not wish for a war but shall not hide from it.&quot;

&quot;We hope all relevant parties can maintain calm and restraint and take steps to alleviate tensions and not provoke each other,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement.

&quot;The outbreak of war is not in any side`s interest. The ones that will suffer the most are ordinary people.&quot;

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A U.S. B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. (Reuters,Others)
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North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States and says its weapons programmes are necessary to counter U.S. aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in the South, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War.

&quot;Recently, as the U.S. is conducting the largest-ever joint aerial drill on the Korean peninsula targeting the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, its high-level politicians are showing alarming signs by making bellicose remarks one after another,&quot; the North`s foreign ministry spokesman said, using North Korea`s official name.

&quot;These confrontational war-mongering remarks cannot be interpreted in any other way but as a warning to us to be prepared for a war on the Korean peninsula,&quot; he said.

The annual U.S.-South Korean &quot;Vigilant Ace&quot; exercises feature close to 230 aircraft, including a range of the U.S. military&#39;s most advanced stealth warplanes and the F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighter planes.

Two American B-1B heavy bombers joined large-scale combat drills over South Korea on Thursday.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, a U.S. B-1B bomber flew from the Pacific U.S.-administered territory of Guam to join the exercises, it will run until Friday.

B-1B is one of America&#39;s largest strike aircraft and has been used previously in what is believed to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its weapons programmes.

The aircraft was also a part of the formation of U.S. military aircraft in September that flew further north up North Korea`s coast than at any time in the past 17 years, according to the U.S. Pacific Command.

While B-1Bs are no longer equipped to carry nuclear weapons of their own, they would be key to any strike targeting major North Korean facilities, he said.

&quot;B1-B bombers have been regularly dispatched to the Korean peninsula over the past years; however, it seems that the U.S. Air Force might have enhanced its training to better prepare for actual warfare,&quot; said Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum.

&quot;That&rsquo;s why North Korea has been making such a big deal when B1-B bombers are flying overhead.&quot;

Officials from both sides insist that they don&#39;t want war while also blaming each other for provocations. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said over the weekend that the possibility of war with North Korea was &quot;increasing every day&quot;.

On the other hand, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged the Pentagon on Sunday to start moving U.S. military dependents, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea was getting close. The Pentagon said it has &quot;no intent&quot; to move any dependants out of the country.

(With inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

China was recently reported to have conducted military drills over the sea bordering North Korea as a 'warning' to the United States

The United States and South Korea have begun their combined combat drills as a part of their five-day exercise called 'Vigilant Ace'. The move came soon after North Korea test-fired its intercontinental ballistic missile which sparked a global outcry. The United States was one of the nations to have severely condemned North Korea's action and called for stringent sanctions on the Kim Jong-un regime. North Korea's latest missile test prompted a warning from the United States that North Korea`s leadership would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, a statement that drew sharp criticism from Russia. While China, North Korea's neighbour and lone major ally, pressed for calm and peace all along, it was recently reported to have conducted military drills over the sea bordering North Korea as a 'warning' to the United States for holding the joint military exercise with South Korea. Besides this, the two nations continue to proceed with 'Vigilant Ace' while North Korea takes the exercise as a threat that "makes war unavoidable". A spokesman for the North`s foreign ministry blamed the drills and "confrontational warmongering" by U.S. officials for making war inevitable. "The remaining question now is: when will the war break out?" the spokesman said late on Wednesday in a statement carried by North Korea's official KCNA news agency, Reuters reported. "We do not wish for a war but shall not hide from it." "We hope all relevant parties can maintain calm and restraint and take steps to alleviate tensions and not provoke each other," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a statement. "The outbreak of war is not in any side`s interest. The ones that will suffer the most are ordinary people." A U.S. B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, the South Korean military said, as part of a large-scale joint aerial drill that has been denounced by North Korea as pushing the peninsula to the brink of nuclear war. (Reuters,Others) × North Korea regularly threatens to destroy South Korea and the United States and says its weapons programmes are necessary to counter U.S. aggression. The United States stations 28,500 troops in the South, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War. "Recently, as the U.S. is conducting the largest-ever joint aerial drill on the Korean peninsula targeting the Democratic People`s Republic of Korea, its high-level politicians are showing alarming signs by making bellicose remarks one after another," the North`s foreign ministry spokesman said, using North Korea`s official name. "These confrontational war-mongering remarks cannot be interpreted in any other way but as a warning to us to be prepared for a war on the Korean peninsula," he said. The annual U.S.-South Korean "Vigilant Ace" exercises feature close to 230 aircraft, including a range of the U.S. military's most advanced stealth warplanes and the F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighter planes. Two American B-1B heavy bombers joined large-scale combat drills over South Korea on Thursday. On Wednesday, a U.S. B-1B bomber flew from the Pacific U.S.-administered territory of Guam to join the exercises, it will run until Friday. B-1B is one of America's largest strike aircraft and has been used previously in what is believed to increase pressure on North Korea to abandon its weapons programmes. The aircraft was also a part of the formation of U.S. military aircraft in September that flew further north up North Korea`s coast than at any time in the past 17 years, according to the U.S. Pacific Command. While B-1Bs are no longer equipped to carry nuclear weapons of their own, they would be key to any strike targeting major North Korean facilities, he said. "B1-B bombers have been regularly dispatched to the Korean peninsula over the past years; however, it seems that the U.S. Air Force might have enhanced its training to better prepare for actual warfare," said Yang Uk, a senior fellow at the Korea Defence and Security Forum. "That’s why North Korea has been making such a big deal when B1-B bombers are flying overhead." Officials from both sides insist that they don't want war while also blaming each other for provocations. White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said over the weekend that the possibility of war with North Korea was "increasing every day". On the other hand, U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged the Pentagon on Sunday to start moving U.S. military dependents, such as spouses and children, out of South Korea, saying conflict with North Korea was getting close. The Pentagon said it has "no intent" to move any dependants out of the country. (With inputs from Reuters)

US threats make war 'unavoidable': North Korea

&#39;Vigilant Ace&#39;, the joint <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-ariel-drills-pushing-korean-peninsula-to-brink-of-nuclear-war-north-korea-25822">aerial drill between </a>US and South Korea entered its third day today with B-1B bomber&#39;s joining the forces as tensions in the Korean peninsula continued to escalate.

The B-1B bomber <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/despite-trumps-sanctions-call-russia-china-against-oil-embargo-on-north-korea-25523">took off from the US air base in Guam </a>and joined the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters and the rest of the South Korean and US forces.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday, five days after the North&#39;s ICBM test.

Meanwhile, United Nation&#39;s political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met North Korean officials today in an attempt to calm nerves on the ground.&nbsp;Feltman also met the North Korean vice foreign minister.&nbsp;

Feltman is also expected to meet North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho.&nbsp;

The US and its allies have been concerned over North Korea&#39;s recent ICBM test conducted a week ago which can hit targets on the US mainland.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit North Korea&#39;s ally China next week for talks to press Xi&#39;s government to rein in its neighbour as tensions frayed last week with Kim&#39;s ICBM test.

Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday

'Vigilant Ace', the joint aerial drill between US and South Korea entered its third day today with B-1B bomber's joining the forces as tensions in the Korean peninsula continued to escalate. The B-1B bomber took off from the US air base in Guam and joined the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters and the rest of the South Korean and US forces. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began on Monday, five days after the North's ICBM test. Meanwhile, United Nation's political affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman met North Korean officials today in an attempt to calm nerves on the ground. Feltman also met the North Korean vice foreign minister. Feltman is also expected to meet North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong Ho. The US and its allies have been concerned over North Korea's recent ICBM test conducted a week ago which can hit targets on the US mainland. South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit North Korea's ally China next week for talks to press Xi's government to rein in its neighbour as tensions frayed last week with Kim's ICBM test. Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit.

Watch: US B-1B bombers join aerial drill with South Korea

China is holding military drills in the sea bordering North Korea in what is being seen as a reaction to the military exercises carried out by the United States and South Korea.

&quot;Analysts suggest&nbsp;Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea, an ally of China. Through these drills China wants to uphold the balance of power in the region, say, strategic experts,&quot; <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/china-holds-military-drills-warns-us-7179" target="_blank">a WION TV report</a>&nbsp;says.&nbsp;

North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said placed &quot;all of the mainland&nbsp;US&quot;&nbsp;within range.

The Unites States has been pressing for more sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime, and urging nations to sever tied with North Korea.&nbsp;

South Korea and the United States kicked-off the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/week-after-north-korea-missile-test-us-south-korea-kick-off-largest-air-exercise-25783" target="_blank">largest-ever air exercise</a> Monday.

The five-day exercise is called &#39;Vigilant Ace&#39; and involves over 230 aircraft including the F22 Raptor and F35 stealth jet fighters.

&quot;The exercise is to improve and airforce capabilities of both the nations noted the South Korean defence ministry,&quot; the WION TV report said.&nbsp;

'Analysts suggest Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea,' a WION TV report said

China is holding military drills in the sea bordering North Korea in what is being seen as a reaction to the military exercises carried out by the United States and South Korea. "Analysts suggest Chinese military drills as a warning to the United States and South Korea against attacking North Korea, an ally of China. Through these drills China wants to uphold the balance of power in the region, say, strategic experts," a WION TV report says. North Korea recently test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said placed "all of the mainland US" within range. The Unites States has been pressing for more sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime, and urging nations to sever tied with North Korea. South Korea and the United States kicked-off the largest-ever air exercise Monday. The five-day exercise is called 'Vigilant Ace' and involves over 230 aircraft including the F22 Raptor and F35 stealth jet fighters. "The exercise is to improve and airforce capabilities of both the nations noted the South Korean defence ministry," the WION TV report said.

China holds military drills near North Korea border, 'warns' US

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile threats.

The announcement came as a high-level United Nations representative held talks with a senior North Korean official during a rare trip to Pyongyang.

Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary general for political affairs, arrived Tuesday to discuss what the world body described as &quot;issues of mutual interest and concern&quot;.

He and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk discussed &quot;cooperation between the DPRK and the UN Secretariat and assistance from UN agencies to the DPRK and other matters of mutual interest&quot;, the North&#39;s KCNA news agency reported, using the acronym for the country&#39;s official name.

Feltman&#39;s trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- comes less than a week after North Korea test-fired a new ballistic missile said to be capable of reaching the United States.

Discussing ways to &quot;peacefully resolve North Korea&#39;s nuclear issue&quot; will be on Moon&#39;s agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon&#39;s office said.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the visit would discuss &quot;international and regional issues of common concern&quot; including &quot;increasing communication and coordination on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue&quot;.&nbsp;

China has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected.

Strained ties

A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, Seoul&#39;s defence ministry said, as part of a major joint air exercise.

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began Monday, five days after the North&#39;s ICBM test.

A spokesperson for the North&#39;s foreign ministry said the military exercises were &quot;creating touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula&quot;, KCNA reported Wednesday.&nbsp;

The spokesperson also slammed recent comments by Trump&#39;s National Security Adviser HR McMaster who warned the potential for war with the North was increasing every day.

&quot;Violent war remarks... amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula an established fact,&quot; the spokesman said, according to KCNA.&nbsp;

&quot;The remaining question now is: when will the war break out&quot;.

Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit, his first trip to China since taking office in May. The two countries are trying to improve ties strained by Seoul&#39;s deployment of a US missile defence system.

Seoul and Washington say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is intended solely to counter missile threats from North Korea but Beijing sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities.&nbsp;

It has imposed a series of sanctions on South Korean firms and banned Chinese tour groups from going to the country in moves seen as economic retaliation. The tour group ban has since been partially lifted.

China is South Korea&#39;s biggest trading partner and the measures have had a big impact on some of the South&#39;s biggest companies, including retail conglomerate Lotte -- which provided a golf course for the THAAD deployment -- and auto giant Hyundai.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats

South Korean President Moon Jae-In will visit China next week for talks on North Korea and other issues, his office said Wednesday, amid tentative signs of diplomatic movement after months of high tensions over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats. The announcement came as a high-level United Nations representative held talks with a senior North Korean official during a rare trip to Pyongyang. Jeffrey Feltman, UN undersecretary general for political affairs, arrived Tuesday to discuss what the world body described as "issues of mutual interest and concern". He and vice foreign minister Pak Myong-Kuk discussed "cooperation between the DPRK and the UN Secretariat and assistance from UN agencies to the DPRK and other matters of mutual interest", the North's KCNA news agency reported, using the acronym for the country's official name. Feltman's trip -- the first by a UN diplomat of his rank since 2010 -- comes less than a week after North Korea test-fired a new ballistic missile said to be capable of reaching the United States. Discussing ways to "peacefully resolve North Korea's nuclear issue" will be on Moon's agenda when he meets President Xi Jinping next week, Moon's office said. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the visit would discuss "international and regional issues of common concern" including "increasing communication and coordination on the Korean peninsula nuclear issue". China has proposed that the North suspend missile and nuclear tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korean military exercises, a suggestion Washington has repeatedly rejected. Strained ties A US B-1B bomber flew over the Korean peninsula on Wednesday, Seoul's defence ministry said, as part of a major joint air exercise. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- began Monday, five days after the North's ICBM test. A spokesperson for the North's foreign ministry said the military exercises were "creating touch-and-go situation on the Korean peninsula", KCNA reported Wednesday. The spokesperson also slammed recent comments by Trump's National Security Adviser HR McMaster who warned the potential for war with the North was increasing every day. "Violent war remarks... amid such circumstances have made an outbreak of war on the Korean peninsula an established fact," the spokesman said, according to KCNA. "The remaining question now is: when will the war break out". Moon will arrive in Beijing next Wednesday for a four-day state visit, his first trip to China since taking office in May. The two countries are trying to improve ties strained by Seoul's deployment of a US missile defence system. Seoul and Washington say the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is intended solely to counter missile threats from North Korea but Beijing sees it as a threat to its own military capabilities. It has imposed a series of sanctions on South Korean firms and banned Chinese tour groups from going to the country in moves seen as economic retaliation. The tour group ban has since been partially lifted. China is South Korea's biggest trading partner and the measures have had a big impact on some of the South's biggest companies, including retail conglomerate Lotte -- which provided a golf course for the THAAD deployment -- and auto giant Hyundai.

South Korea's Moon to visit China for talks on North Korea

Even as <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/week-after-north-korea-missile-test-us-south-korea-kick-off-largest-air-exercise-25783">South Korea and the US began joint aerial drills </a>which is the largest ever undertaken by the two countries, North Korea said the drills would &quot;push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war&quot;.

Reacting to the joint military exercise, China&#39;s foreign minister Wang Yi said the &quot;resurfacing of tensions was regrettable&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;China has an open attitude on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, but that parties should be consultative,&quot; China&#39;s foreign minister added.

Blaming both North Korea and US allies involved in military brinkmanship, Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not &quot;grasped the window of opportunity&quot; presented by two months of calm before North Korea&#39;s &nbsp;recent ballistic test.

North Korea&#39;s ally&nbsp;Russia said the US was trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into &quot;flying off the handle&quot; over his missile programme.

Last week President Trump had said his administration would be imposing big sanctions on North Korea and pressed Russia and China to cut oil supply to North Korea in an attempt to bring North Korea&#39;s Kim to stop his missile programme, however, both Russia and China opposed the US proposal.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not "grasped the window of opportunity" presented by two months of calm

Even as South Korea and the US began joint aerial drills which is the largest ever undertaken by the two countries, North Korea said the drills would "push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war". Reacting to the joint military exercise, China's foreign minister Wang Yi said the "resurfacing of tensions was regrettable". "China has an open attitude on solutions to the North Korean nuclear issue, but that parties should be consultative," China's foreign minister added. Blaming both North Korea and US allies involved in military brinkmanship, Chinese foreign minister said that it was regrettable all parties had not "grasped the window of opportunity" presented by two months of calm before North Korea's recent ballistic test. North Korea's ally Russia said the US was trying to provoke North Korean leader Kim Jong Un into "flying off the handle" over his missile programme. Last week President Trump had said his administration would be imposing big sanctions on North Korea and pressed Russia and China to cut oil supply to North Korea in an attempt to bring North Korea's Kim to stop his missile programme, however, both Russia and China opposed the US proposal.

US, South Korea ariel drills pushing Korean peninsula to brink of nuclear war: North Korea

South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced missile as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions.

The annual U.S.-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run until Friday, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part. The exercises have been condemned as a provocation by the isolated North.

F-35 fighters will also join the drill, which will also include the largest number of 5th generation fighters to take part, according to a South Korea-based U.S. Air Force spokesman.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-north-korean-leadership-will-be-utterly-destroyed-in-case-of-war-25470" target="_blank">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-warns-north-korean-leadership-will-be-utterly-destroyed-in-case-of-war-25470" target="_blank"> warns North Korean leadership will be &#39;utterly destroyed&#39; if war breaks out</a>

Around 12,000 U.S. service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight U.S. and South Korean military installations.

South Korean media reports said B-1B Lancer bombers could join the exercise this week. The U.S. Air Force spokesman could not confirm the reports.

The joint exercise is designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. military had said before the drills began.

The drills come a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation.

Pyongyang blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for raising tensions and warned at the weekend the Vigilant Ace exercise was pushing tensions on the Korean peninsula towards &ldquo;a flare-up&rdquo;, according to North Korean state media.

North Korea&rsquo;s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country called Trump &ldquo;insane&rdquo; on Sunday and said the drill would &ldquo;push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war&rdquo;.

The North&rsquo;s KCNA state news agency, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, also said on Saturday the Trump administration was &ldquo;begging for nuclear war by staging an extremely dangerous nuclear gamble on the Korean peninsula&rdquo;.

North Korea regularly uses its state media to threaten the United States and its allies.

South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced missile as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions. The annual U.S.-South Korean drill, called Vigilant Ace, will run until Friday, with six F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to be deployed among the more than 230 aircraft taking part. The exercises have been condemned as a provocation by the isolated North. F-35 fighters will also join the drill, which will also include the largest number of 5th generation fighters to take part, according to a South Korea-based U.S. Air Force spokesman. Also read: US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out Around 12,000 U.S. service members, including from the Marines and Navy, will join South Korean troops. Aircraft taking part will be flown from eight U.S. and South Korean military installations. South Korean media reports said B-1B Lancer bombers could join the exercise this week. The U.S. Air Force spokesman could not confirm the reports. The joint exercise is designed to enhance readiness and operational capability and to ensure peace and security on the Korean peninsula, the U.S. military had said before the drills began. The drills come a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile ever in defiance of international sanctions and condemnation. Pyongyang blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for raising tensions and warned at the weekend the Vigilant Ace exercise was pushing tensions on the Korean peninsula towards “a flare-up”, according to North Korean state media. North Korea’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country called Trump “insane” on Sunday and said the drill would “push the already acute situation on the Korean peninsula to the brink of nuclear war”. The North’s KCNA state news agency, citing a foreign ministry spokesman, also said on Saturday the Trump administration was “begging for nuclear war by staging an extremely dangerous nuclear gamble on the Korean peninsula”. North Korea regularly uses its state media to threaten the United States and its allies.

Week after North Korea missile test, US & South Korea kick off largest air exercise

As many as 13 died when a fishing boat crashed against a 336-tonne taker and capsized off South Korea&#39;s west coast on Saturday, reports said.&nbsp;

Navy helicopters and several ships carried out search and rescue operations as two people have been reported missing, including the captain of the 10-tonne boat.&nbsp;

The fishing boat, Seonchang-1, had been carrying 20 people and two crew members.

Officials say that cold water temperature could be a possible cause of casualties.&nbsp;

According to reports, the crash took place just nine minutes after the boat left from the shore.&nbsp;

Seven people have been admitted to hospitals following the accident, which is being considered as one of the worst in South Korea since the 2015 fishing tour near Jeju, leaving 15 dead.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Navy helicopters and several ships carried out search and rescue operations as two people have been reported missing, including the captain of the 10-tonne boat

As many as 13 died when a fishing boat crashed against a 336-tonne taker and capsized off South Korea's west coast on Saturday, reports said. Navy helicopters and several ships carried out search and rescue operations as two people have been reported missing, including the captain of the 10-tonne boat. The fishing boat, Seonchang-1, had been carrying 20 people and two crew members. Officials say that cold water temperature could be a possible cause of casualties. According to reports, the crash took place just nine minutes after the boat left from the shore. Seven people have been admitted to hospitals following the accident, which is being considered as one of the worst in South Korea since the 2015 fishing tour near Jeju, leaving 15 dead.

13 die in South Korea boat collision

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-council-to-meet-on-north-korea-rights-abuses-nuclear-programme-in-december-25674">North Korea</a> Sunday blasted the United States and South Korea as &quot;warmongers&quot; on the eve of their largest-ever joint air exercise, saying it could trigger a nuclear war.

The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the &quot;increasing&quot; possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North.&nbsp;

The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- begins Monday, five days after the&nbsp; North test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile believed capable of hitting the US mainland in a fresh challenge to&nbsp; President Donald Trump.&nbsp;

The North&#39;s ruling party Rodong newspaper slammed the upcoming drill.

&quot;It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment,&quot; it said in an editorial Sunday, using the North&#39;s official name.&nbsp;

&quot;The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The commentary was published a day after Pyongyang&#39;s foreign ministry&nbsp; accused the Trump administration of &quot;begging for nuclear war&quot; by staging what it called the reckless air drills.

McMaster said the possibility of war with the North was &quot;increasing every day&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;I think it&#39;s increasing every day, which means that...we are in a race to be able to solve this problem,&quot; he said at a forum on Saturday.&nbsp;

&quot;There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict, but it is a race because he&#39;s getting closer and closer, and there&#39;s not much time left,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-images-suggest-missile-capable-of-hitting-all-america-us-experts-25573">The North says the Hwasong-15 missile fired Wednesday</a> can be tipped with a &quot;super-large heavy warhead&quot; capable of striking the whole US mainland.&nbsp;

But analysts remain unconvinced that it has mastered the advanced technology to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth&#39;s atmosphere.&nbsp;

The months-long nuclear standoff between Kim and Trump has fuelled concerns of another conflict, after the 1950-53 Korean War left much of the peninsula in ruin.&nbsp;

But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people.

The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the "increasing" possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North

North Korea Sunday blasted the United States and South Korea as "warmongers" on the eve of their largest-ever joint air exercise, saying it could trigger a nuclear war. The comments came as White House National Security Advisor H.R McMaster warned of the "increasing" possibility of war with the impoverished but nuclear-armed North. The five-day Vigilant Ace drill -- involving some 230 aircraft including F-22 Raptor stealth jet fighters -- begins Monday, five days after the North test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile believed capable of hitting the US mainland in a fresh challenge to President Donald Trump. The North's ruling party Rodong newspaper slammed the upcoming drill. "It is an open, all-out provocation against the DPRK, which may lead to a nuclear war any moment," it said in an editorial Sunday, using the North's official name. "The US and South Korean puppet warmongers would be well advised to bear in mind that their DPRK-targeted military drill will be as foolish as an act precipitating their self-destruction," it said. The commentary was published a day after Pyongyang's foreign ministry accused the Trump administration of "begging for nuclear war" by staging what it called the reckless air drills. McMaster said the possibility of war with the North was "increasing every day". "I think it's increasing every day, which means that...we are in a race to be able to solve this problem," he said at a forum on Saturday. "There are ways to address this problem short of armed conflict, but it is a race because he's getting closer and closer, and there's not much time left," he said. The North says the Hwasong-15 missile fired Wednesday can be tipped with a "super-large heavy warhead" capable of striking the whole US mainland. But analysts remain unconvinced that it has mastered the advanced technology to allow the rocket to survive re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. The months-long nuclear standoff between Kim and Trump has fuelled concerns of another conflict, after the 1950-53 Korean War left much of the peninsula in ruin. But even some Trump advisers say US military options are limited when Pyongyang could launch an artillery barrage on the South Korean capital Seoul -- only around 50 kilometres from the border and home to 10 million people.

North Korea today blasted US and South Korea as 'warmongers'

Russia today rejected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/major-sanctions-coming-against-north-korea-china-must-press-all-levers-to-influence-kim-trump-25465">US call to cut ties with North Korea </a>even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim&#39;s regime.

On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of &quot;major sanctions&quot; against North Korea after Kim&#39;s regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States.

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to&nbsp;use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme.

During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim&#39;s regime.&nbsp;

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea&#39;s missile test that it &quot;would be a pivotal step in the world&#39;s effort to stop this international pariah&quot;.

The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. 
According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. 
&nbsp; 
Both Russia and China who are North Korea&#39;s principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: &quot;We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted.&quot;

China too has indicated it won&#39;t be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi&nbsp;is not keen&nbsp;to shut the &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) &quot;Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline&quot;.

The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes.

Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters. 
&nbsp;

Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to?use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme

Russia today rejected US call to cut ties with North Korea even as the Trump administration upped the ante on China to stop crude oil shipment to Kim's regime. On Wednesday, President Trump had warned of "major sanctions" against North Korea after Kim's regime test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the whole of United States. Trump spoke to President Xi to rein in Kim, tweeting later that he had asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea to stop its weapons programme. During the phone call, Trump appealed to Xi to turn off oil trade with North Korea in an attempt to economically strangle Kim's regime. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley later told the United Nations at an emergency meeting after North Korea's missile test that it "would be a pivotal step in the world's effort to stop this international pariah". The US Energy Information Administration estimates North Korea consumes around 15,000 barrels a day, the majority of it comes from China. According to UN customs data, China sent 6,000 barrels a day of oil products to North Korea in 2016. Both Russia and China who are North Korea's principal oil suppliers have refused to toe the US line. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said: "We see this negatively. We have repeatedly stated that the pressure of sanctions has been exhausted." China too has indicated it won't be turning off the oil tap on North Korea, just yet. President Xi is not keen to shut the "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". For North Korea, crude oil flows across the Yalu River from the Chinese city of Dandong to the Sinuiju oil depot in North Korea through the 30-kilometre (18-mile) "Sino-DPRK Friendship Oil Pipeline". The pipeline went into operation in 1975 with a capacity of three million tonnes per year, but the China National Petroleum Corporation said in 2015 that annual capacity stood at 520,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, North Korea released latest missile test with new rocket engines and a larger design that likely puts Kim Jong Un closer to his goal of being able to deliver a nuclear warhead to a target anywhere in the world, analysts told Reuters.

Despite Trump's sanctions call, Russia, China against oil embargo on North Korea

As <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-tests-icbm-in-fresh-challenge-to-trump-25388">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic </a>missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un&#39;s regime.

Earlier in the day, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/nkorea-launch-a-grave-threat-to-entire-world-trump-moon-25386">North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic</a> missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a &quot;violent&quot; and &quot;reckless&quot; act.

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea&#39;s &quot;provocative actions&quot;, adding that &quot;major sanctions will be imposed on the country&quot;.

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Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/935881037254725632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This situation will be handled!,&quot; the US&nbsp;president added in his tweet.

Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use &quot;all available levers&quot; to press North Korea.

The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea&#39;s latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

&nbsp;

President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country".

As North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday, US President Trump said his administration will impose major sanctions against Kim Jong-un's regime. Earlier in the day, North Korea test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile as the Korean peninsula slipped into a major crisis mode on Wednesday morning with South Korea and Japan terming the missile tests as a "violent" and "reckless" act. President Trump tweeted saying he spoke to Chinese President Xi on North Korea's "provocative actions", adding that "major sanctions will be imposed on the country". Just spoke to President XI JINPING of China concerning the provocative actions of North Korea. Additional major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea today. This situation will be handled! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2017 × "This situation will be handled!," the US president added in his tweet. Trump during his call with Xi asked the Chinese leader to use "all available levers" to press North Korea. The White House said that Trump and Xi discussed North Korea's latest ballistic missile test, with Trump again pressing China to take a tougher line against Kim.

Major sanctions coming against North Korea, China must 'press all levers' to influence Kim: Trump

China will allow travel agencies in Beijing and Shandong to partly resume sales of group tours to South Korea, in a sign of thawing relations between the nations that have been locked in a year-long diplomatic standoff.

However, executives from tour agencies in the regions said they had been told not to include in their travel packages units of South Korean retail-to-chemicals giant Lotte Group - which provided land for the installation of a US-backed anti-missile system that Beijing vehemently opposed.

China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea&#39;s decision to install the US&nbsp;Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Beijing worries the THAAD&#39;s powerful radar can penetrate Chinese territory.

In South Korea, a halving of inbound Chinese tourists in the first nine months of the year cost the economy $6.5 billion in lost revenue based on the average spending of Chinese visitors in 2016, official data shows.

But a late October agreement between the countries to move past the dispute had boosted hopes group tours may be allowed in the near future.&nbsp;

China National Tourism Administration will allow resumption of only over-the-counter sales of package tours from Beijing and Shandong to South Korea, Park Yong-hwan, deputy director at Korea Tourism Organization, and executives at Chinese travel agencies said on Tuesday.

Online sales of package tours, and chartering flights or cruise trips are still banned, Park said.

According to the executives at travel agencies, restrictions on including Lotte Group units, such as Lotte Duty Free, in tour packages also remain. The executives declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.&nbsp;

Lotte, South Korea&#39;s No.5 conglomerate, has faced a major setback in the wake of deteriorating bilateral relations, with most of its hypermarkets in China being shut down after fire inspections.

The South Korean travel ban is expected to be in place for other Chinese regions for now and be gradually lifted going forward, Park said.&nbsp;

Shares in South Korean tourism and retail companies rallied after the news of the partial lifting of the ban, first reported by Yonhap earlier in the day.

Asiana Airlines gained 3.1 per cent and duty-free store operator Hotel Shilla rose 2.8 per cent. Casino operator Paradise rose 2.2 per cent, while cosmetics maker LG Household &amp; Health Care added 3.7 per cent.&nbsp;

China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea`s decision to install the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system

China will allow travel agencies in Beijing and Shandong to partly resume sales of group tours to South Korea, in a sign of thawing relations between the nations that have been locked in a year-long diplomatic standoff. However, executives from tour agencies in the regions said they had been told not to include in their travel packages units of South Korean retail-to-chemicals giant Lotte Group - which provided land for the installation of a US-backed anti-missile system that Beijing vehemently opposed. China had banned all group tours to the neighbouring country since March in the wake of South Korea's decision to install the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system. Beijing worries the THAAD's powerful radar can penetrate Chinese territory. In South Korea, a halving of inbound Chinese tourists in the first nine months of the year cost the economy $6.5 billion in lost revenue based on the average spending of Chinese visitors in 2016, official data shows. But a late October agreement between the countries to move past the dispute had boosted hopes group tours may be allowed in the near future. China National Tourism Administration will allow resumption of only over-the-counter sales of package tours from Beijing and Shandong to South Korea, Park Yong-hwan, deputy director at Korea Tourism Organization, and executives at Chinese travel agencies said on Tuesday. Online sales of package tours, and chartering flights or cruise trips are still banned, Park said. According to the executives at travel agencies, restrictions on including Lotte Group units, such as Lotte Duty Free, in tour packages also remain. The executives declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Lotte, South Korea's No.5 conglomerate, has faced a major setback in the wake of deteriorating bilateral relations, with most of its hypermarkets in China being shut down after fire inspections. The South Korean travel ban is expected to be in place for other Chinese regions for now and be gradually lifted going forward, Park said. Shares in South Korean tourism and retail companies rallied after the news of the partial lifting of the ban, first reported by Yonhap earlier in the day. Asiana Airlines gained 3.1 per cent and duty-free store operator Hotel Shilla rose 2.8 per cent. Casino operator Paradise rose 2.2 per cent, while cosmetics maker LG Household & Health Care added 3.7 per cent.

China partly lifts ban on group tours to South Korea, online curbs stay

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday.

The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact.

However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic.

&quot;It&#39;s true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base,&quot; the source reportedly said. &quot;Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently.&quot;

&quot;We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday.&quot;

A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there.

The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch.

&quot;North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days,&quot; one of the sources was quoted as saying.

However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military.

North Korea&#39;s leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing.

In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan.

But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North.

The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases.

Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war.

The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme.

Pyongyang condemned the move as a &quot;serious provocation&quot; on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns

Radio signals and radar activity detected at a North Korean missile base have raised concerns the reclusive regime may be preparing a new missile test, news reports in Seoul and Tokyo said Tuesday. The North has stoked international alarm over its banned nuclear missile programme, but it has not launched a missile test since September 15, raising hopes that ramped-up sanctions are having an impact. However, the South Korean news agency Yonhap cited a government source as saying that a missile-tracing radar was switched on at an unspecified base on Monday, and there had been a flurry of telecoms traffic. "It's true that active movements have been detected at a North Korean missile base," the source reportedly said. "Signs like those spotted Monday have recently been detected frequently." "We need to watch a while longer before determining whether the North is preparing a missile launch or gearing up for (its own) winter drill that starts Friday." A South Korean defence ministry spokesman declined to comment on the report, but similar accounts from Tokyo caused a temporary slump on the stock exchange there. The Kyodo news agency quoted sources as saying the Japanese government was on alert after detecting radio signals suggesting North Korea might be preparing for a missile launch. "North Korea might launch a missile within the next few days," one of the sources was quoted as saying. However, the Japanese sources also said that as satellite images have not shown any missile or moveable launch pad, the signals might only be related to winter training for the North Korean military. North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un visited a new catfish farm northeast of Pyongyang, its state media said Tuesday, in the latest of a series of economic outings that have coincided with a lull in weapons testing. In September the North conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test and staged an intermediate-range missile launch over Japan. But tensions are expected to spike again as the United States and South Korea kick off a large-scale air force drill on Monday in a new show of force against the North. The five-day exercise, Vigilant Ace, involves 12,000 US personnel and an unspecified number of South Korean service members flying more than 230 aircraft including F-22 Rapter stealth fighters and other cutting-edge weapons at US and South Korean military bases. Pyongyang routinely condemns such exercises, labelling them preparation for war. The US last week unveiled fresh sanctions that target North Korean shipping, raising pressure on Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme. Pyongyang condemned the move as a "serious provocation" on Wednesday and warned that sanctions would never succeed.

Flurry of activity hints at another North Korea missile test: Reports

A shocking report was released&nbsp;on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un&#39;s nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.&nbsp;

A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang&#39;s state media threatening&nbsp;death and destruction&nbsp;on the nation&#39;s numerous enemies, UK-based&nbsp;Express reported.

According to the list &#39;US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific&#39; are some of the top targets.

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The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others)
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Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list.&nbsp;

A robust report, published on Thursday, states that &ldquo;North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.&rdquo;

&quot;Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang&rsquo;s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself,&quot; the report states.

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New: North Korea&#39;s nuclear targets, according to official sources <a href="https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm">https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm</a> <a href="https://t.co/4GRYHq4Ku0">pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0</a>
&mdash; ECFR (@ecfr) <a href="https://twitter.com/ecfr/status/933424353328488448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Further, it aims to &quot;predict Pyongyang&rsquo;s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them.&quot;

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Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others)
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The report&nbsp;also said that &#39;Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean &ldquo;strategic forces&rdquo; are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.&#39;

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The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others)
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Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively.&nbsp;

North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports.&nbsp;

In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach.

Trump and the North&#39;s leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

The European Commission of Foreign Relations has identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting.

A shocking report was released on Thursday, enlisting Kim Jong-un's nuclear hit-list and identified 15 cities and landmarks around the world that it believes North Korea is targeting. A think tank drew up the hit-list after viewing announcements in Pyongyang's state media threatening death and destruction on the nation's numerous enemies, UK-based Express reported. According to the list 'US mainland, major cities like New York, Manhattan, The White House, The Pentagon and US military bases in the operational theaters in the Pacific' are some of the top targets. The hit-list also mention The White House as one of its targets. (Others) × Other than that, prominent government landmarks like Guam, Kyoto, and Tokyo have made the list. A robust report, published on Thursday, states that “North Korea lacks a clear distinction between the use of nuclear weapons against military targets and their use against civilian targets.” "Without certainty that its arsenal could survive the first strike by its enemies, Pyongyang’s deterrence relies on the threat of launching the first strike itself," the report states. New: North Korea's nuclear targets, according to official sources https://t.co/2pqB86FGMm pic.twitter.com/4GRYHq4Ku0 — ECFR (@ecfr) November 22, 2017 × Further, it aims to "predict Pyongyang’s response to different scenarios, and to avoid war, the international community needs to understand how the regime sees its nuclear weapons, and when it would use them." Major American cities like New York, Manhattan top the list (Others) × The report also said that 'Pyongyang repeatedly threatens both US bases in the Asia-Pacific and cities on the US mainland, while the media repeats the threat that North Korean “strategic forces” are ready at any time to strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea.' The Pentagon, headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is one of the top targets (Others) × Cities in Japan and South Korea such ad Yokosuka, Misawa, Okinawa and Pyeongtaek, Jungwon, Degu, and Gyeryongdae have also made the list respectively. North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in early September and has marked a record of 15 missile tests, Daily Mirror reports. In July, it successfully tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time, declaring that the US mainland was now within reach. Trump and the North's leader Kim have exchanged a number of threats in the past, creating concerns another conflict on the peninsula where the 1950-53 Korean War left millions dead.

US, Japan, and South Korea in North Korea's nuclear hit-list: Think tank

The UN Command released dramatic<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-defector-was-shot-six-times-by-border-troops-unc-24148"> CCTV footage of the North Korean soldier </a>who had crossed over to South Korea a fortnight ago.

UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a &quot;few seconds before returning back to the north side.&quot;

The defector was shot at least six times as tried to escape to Panmunjom truce village on November 13.

The man who is reportedly a low ranking soldier was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The UN had called it a serious &quot;breach of the 1953 ceasefire&quot;.

No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides.

Meanwhile, the defector who is being treated at a hospital in Seoul has regained consciousness, reports said.

He was still &quot;depressed&quot; and would spend several more days in intensive care, AFP reported.

&quot;As the patient is showing signs of depression due to intense psychological stress following two rounds of major surgeries, he will undergo tests for post-traumatic stress disorder,&quot; doctor Lee Cook-Jong told reporters.

&quot;It&#39;s not like the patient will open his eyes and walk out of the hospital after surgery as you see in movies,&quot; he said.

UN Command spokesman&nbsp;said UNC has requested a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss measures to prevent future such violations along the demilitarized zone.

UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a "few seconds before returning back to the north side."

The UN Command released dramatic CCTV footage of the North Korean soldier who had crossed over to South Korea a fortnight ago. UN Command spokesman Colonel Chad Carroll said one of the border guards ran across the military demarcation line for a "few seconds before returning back to the north side." The defector was shot at least six times as tried to escape to Panmunjom truce village on November 13. The man who is reportedly a low ranking soldier was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). The UN had called it a serious "breach of the 1953 ceasefire". No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides. Meanwhile, the defector who is being treated at a hospital in Seoul has regained consciousness, reports said. He was still "depressed" and would spend several more days in intensive care, AFP reported. "As the patient is showing signs of depression due to intense psychological stress following two rounds of major surgeries, he will undergo tests for post-traumatic stress disorder," doctor Lee Cook-Jong told reporters. "It's not like the patient will open his eyes and walk out of the hospital after surgery as you see in movies," he said. UN Command spokesman said UNC has requested a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss measures to prevent future such violations along the demilitarized zone.

Watch: CCTV footage of North Korean soldier crossing to South Korea

A North Korean soldier who was shot by his own side and severely injured while dashing across the border into South Korea has regained consciousness, a report said Tuesday.

The defector is awake after undergoing two major operations at a hospital in Suwon just south of Seoul, according to an unidentified government official quoted by Yonhap news agency.

&quot;The soldier has regained consciousness and he requested to watch television,&quot; the official was quoted as saying, adding he was being shown South Korean movies for his &quot;psychological comfort&quot;.

The defector ran across the border at the Panmunjom truce village on November 13 as former comrades from the North opened fire on him, hitting him at least four times.

He was pulled to safety by three South Korean soldiers who crawled to reach him just south of the dividing line.

It is very rare for the North&#39;s troops to defect at Panmunjom, a major tourist attraction and the only part of the border where forces from the two sides come face-to-face.

The patient was now able to express his thoughts to medical staff, the official said.&nbsp;

To allay his fears and reassure him he was indeed in the South, medical staff apparently placed a South Korean flag in his room and were also using psychotherapy.

In addition to his gunshot injuries, the defector was found to be riddled with intestinal parasites, an apparent result of poor food hygiene in the impoverished North.

Depending on medical advice, an interrogation team is expected to question him in four or five days&#39; time, according to the official.&nbsp;

'The soldier has regained consciousness and he requested to watch television,' a government official said

A North Korean soldier who was shot by his own side and severely injured while dashing across the border into South Korea has regained consciousness, a report said Tuesday. The defector is awake after undergoing two major operations at a hospital in Suwon just south of Seoul, according to an unidentified government official quoted by Yonhap news agency. "The soldier has regained consciousness and he requested to watch television," the official was quoted as saying, adding he was being shown South Korean movies for his "psychological comfort". The defector ran across the border at the Panmunjom truce village on November 13 as former comrades from the North opened fire on him, hitting him at least four times. He was pulled to safety by three South Korean soldiers who crawled to reach him just south of the dividing line. It is very rare for the North's troops to defect at Panmunjom, a major tourist attraction and the only part of the border where forces from the two sides come face-to-face. The patient was now able to express his thoughts to medical staff, the official said. To allay his fears and reassure him he was indeed in the South, medical staff apparently placed a South Korean flag in his room and were also using psychotherapy. In addition to his gunshot injuries, the defector was found to be riddled with intestinal parasites, an apparent result of poor food hygiene in the impoverished North. Depending on medical advice, an interrogation team is expected to question him in four or five days' time, according to the official.

North Korean soldier who defected regains consciousness, asks to watch TV

Parasitic worms found in a North Korean soldier, critically injured during a desperate defection, highlight nutrition and hygiene problems that experts say have plagued the isolated country for decades.

At a briefing on Wednesday, lead surgeon Lee Cook-jong displayed photos showing dozens of flesh-coloured parasites - including one 27 cm (10.6 in) long - removed from the wounded soldier&rsquo;s digestive tract during a series of surgeries to save his life.

&ldquo;In my over 20 year-long career as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a textbook,&rdquo; Lee said.

The parasites, along with kernels of corn in his stomach, may confirm what many experts and previous defectors have described the food and hygiene situation for many North Koreans.

&ldquo;Although we do not have solid figures showing health conditions of North Korea, medical experts assume that parasite infection problems and serious health issues have been prevalent in the country,&rdquo; said Choi Min-Ho, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine who specializes in parasites.

The soldier&rsquo;s condition was &ldquo;not surprising at all considering the north&rsquo;s hygiene and parasite problems,&rdquo; he said.

The soldier was flown by helicopter to the hospital on Monday after his dramatic escape to South Korea in a hail of bullets fired by North Korean soldiers.

He is believed to be an army staff sergeant in his mid-20s who was stationed in the Joint Security Area in the United Nations truce village of Panmunjom, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea&rsquo;s ruling party, briefed by the National Intelligence Service.

North Korea has not commented on the defection.

While the contents of the soldier&rsquo;s stomach don&rsquo;t necessarily reflect the population as a whole, his status as a soldier &ndash; with an elite assignment - would indicate he would at least be as well nourished as an average North Korean.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He was shot in his buttocks, armpit, back shoulder and knee among other wounds, according to the hospital where the soldier is being treated.

The best fertiliser

Parasitic worms were also once common in South Korea 40 to 50 years ago, Lee noted during his briefing, but have all but disappeared as economic conditions greatly improved.

Other doctors have also described removing various types of worms and parasites from North Korean defectors.

Their continued prevalence north of the heavily fortified border that divides the two Koreas could be in part tied to the use of human excrement, often called &ldquo;night soil.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Chemical fertilizer was supplied by the state until the 1970s, but from the early 1980s, production started to decrease,&rdquo; said Lee Min-bok, a North Korean agriculture expert who defected to South Korea in 1995. &ldquo;By the 1990s, the state could not supply it anymore, so farmers started to use a lot of night soil instead.&rdquo;

In 2014, supreme leader Kim Jong Un personally urged farmers to use human faeces, along with animal waste and organic compost, to fertilize their fields.

A lack of livestock, however, made it difficult to find animal waste, said Lee, the agriculture expert.

Even harder to overcome, he said, is the view of night soil as the &ldquo;best fertilizer in North Korea,&rdquo; despite the risk of worms and parasites. 
&ldquo;Vegetables grown in it are considered more delicious than others,&rdquo; Lee said.

Limited diets

The medical briefing described the wounded soldier as being 170 cm (5 feet 5 inches) and 60 kg (132 pounds) with his stomach containing corn. It&rsquo;s a staple grain that more North Koreans may be relying on in the wake of what the United Nations has called the worst drought since 2001.

Imported corn, which is less preferred but cheaper to obtain than rice, has tended to increase in years when North Koreans are more worried about their seasonal harvests.

Between January and September this year, China exported nearly 49,000 tonnes of corn to North Korea, compared to only 3,125 tonnes in all of 2016, according to data released by Beijing.

Despite the drought and international sanctions over Pyongyang&rsquo;s nuclear programme, the cost of corn and rice has remained relatively stable, according to a Reuters analysis of market data collected by the defector-run Daily NK website.

Since the 1990s, when government rations failed to prevent a famine hitting the country, North Koreans have gradually turned to markets and other private means to feed themselves.

The World Food Programme says a quarter of North Korean children 6-59 months old, who attend nurseries that the organization assists, suffer from chronic malnutrition.

On average North Koreans are less nourished than their southern neighbours. The WFP says around one in four children have grown less tall than their South Korean counterparts. A study from 2009 said pre-school children in the North were up to 13 cm (5 inches) shorter and up to 7 kg (15 pounds) lighter than those brought up in the South.

&ldquo;The main issue in DPRK is a monotonous diet &ndash; mainly rice/maize, kimchi and bean paste &ndash; lacking in essential fats and protein,&rdquo; the WFP told Reuters in a statement last month.

The worms highlight nutrition and hygiene problems that experts say have plagued the isolated country for decades

Parasitic worms found in a North Korean soldier, critically injured during a desperate defection, highlight nutrition and hygiene problems that experts say have plagued the isolated country for decades. At a briefing on Wednesday, lead surgeon Lee Cook-jong displayed photos showing dozens of flesh-coloured parasites - including one 27 cm (10.6 in) long - removed from the wounded soldier’s digestive tract during a series of surgeries to save his life. “In my over 20 year-long career as a surgeon, I have only seen something like this in a textbook,” Lee said. The parasites, along with kernels of corn in his stomach, may confirm what many experts and previous defectors have described the food and hygiene situation for many North Koreans. “Although we do not have solid figures showing health conditions of North Korea, medical experts assume that parasite infection problems and serious health issues have been prevalent in the country,” said Choi Min-Ho, a professor at Seoul National University College of Medicine who specializes in parasites. The soldier’s condition was “not surprising at all considering the north’s hygiene and parasite problems,” he said. The soldier was flown by helicopter to the hospital on Monday after his dramatic escape to South Korea in a hail of bullets fired by North Korean soldiers. He is believed to be an army staff sergeant in his mid-20s who was stationed in the Joint Security Area in the United Nations truce village of Panmunjom, according to Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea’s ruling party, briefed by the National Intelligence Service. North Korea has not commented on the defection. While the contents of the soldier’s stomach don’t necessarily reflect the population as a whole, his status as a soldier – with an elite assignment - would indicate he would at least be as well nourished as an average North Korean. He was shot in his buttocks, armpit, back shoulder and knee among other wounds, according to the hospital where the soldier is being treated. The best fertiliser Parasitic worms were also once common in South Korea 40 to 50 years ago, Lee noted during his briefing, but have all but disappeared as economic conditions greatly improved. Other doctors have also described removing various types of worms and parasites from North Korean defectors. Their continued prevalence north of the heavily fortified border that divides the two Koreas could be in part tied to the use of human excrement, often called “night soil.” “Chemical fertilizer was supplied by the state until the 1970s, but from the early 1980s, production started to decrease,” said Lee Min-bok, a North Korean agriculture expert who defected to South Korea in 1995. “By the 1990s, the state could not supply it anymore, so farmers started to use a lot of night soil instead.” In 2014, supreme leader Kim Jong Un personally urged farmers to use human faeces, along with animal waste and organic compost, to fertilize their fields. A lack of livestock, however, made it difficult to find animal waste, said Lee, the agriculture expert. Even harder to overcome, he said, is the view of night soil as the “best fertilizer in North Korea,” despite the risk of worms and parasites. “Vegetables grown in it are considered more delicious than others,” Lee said. Limited diets The medical briefing described the wounded soldier as being 170 cm (5 feet 5 inches) and 60 kg (132 pounds) with his stomach containing corn. It’s a staple grain that more North Koreans may be relying on in the wake of what the United Nations has called the worst drought since 2001. Imported corn, which is less preferred but cheaper to obtain than rice, has tended to increase in years when North Koreans are more worried about their seasonal harvests. Between January and September this year, China exported nearly 49,000 tonnes of corn to North Korea, compared to only 3,125 tonnes in all of 2016, according to data released by Beijing. Despite the drought and international sanctions over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme, the cost of corn and rice has remained relatively stable, according to a Reuters analysis of market data collected by the defector-run Daily NK website. Since the 1990s, when government rations failed to prevent a famine hitting the country, North Koreans have gradually turned to markets and other private means to feed themselves. The World Food Programme says a quarter of North Korean children 6-59 months old, who attend nurseries that the organization assists, suffer from chronic malnutrition. On average North Koreans are less nourished than their southern neighbours. The WFP says around one in four children have grown less tall than their South Korean counterparts. A study from 2009 said pre-school children in the North were up to 13 cm (5 inches) shorter and up to 7 kg (15 pounds) lighter than those brought up in the South. “The main issue in DPRK is a monotonous diet – mainly rice/maize, kimchi and bean paste – lacking in essential fats and protein,” the WFP told Reuters in a statement last month.

Enormous parasitic worms found in North Korean defector

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-south-korea-vow-strong-measures-to-prevent-norths-nuclear-test-14389">The nuclear envoys of South Korea</a> and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pm-modi-trump-to-hold-bilateral-talks-in-manila-24052"> the United States held bilateral talks</a> on Friday and addressed measures to resolve <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-north-koreas-nuclear-threat-must-be-taken-more-seriously-than-ever-22933">the North Korean nuclear issue</a> peacefully and diplomatically, the South&#39;s foreign ministry said.

South Korea&#39;s Lee Do-hoon and his US&nbsp;counterpart, Joseph Yun, held &quot;deep discussions&quot; aimed at finding a way to bring <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/dual-suspension-proposal-most-feasible-plan-on-north-korea-china-24400">North Korea</a> to &quot;meaningful talks&quot;, the foreign ministry said in a statement without providing further details.

The two agreed to hold more talks on the issue, the ministry said.

South Korea's Lee Do-hoon and his US?counterpart, Joseph Yun, held "deep discussions" aimed at finding a way to bring North Korea to "meaningful talks", the foreign ministry said in a statement without providing further details

The nuclear envoys of South Korea and the United States held bilateral talks on Friday and addressed measures to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and diplomatically, the South's foreign ministry said. South Korea's Lee Do-hoon and his US counterpart, Joseph Yun, held "deep discussions" aimed at finding a way to bring North Korea to "meaningful talks", the foreign ministry said in a statement without providing further details. The two agreed to hold more talks on the issue, the ministry said.

North Korea crisis: South Korea, US reaffirm need for peaceful resolution

China said on Thursday it backed<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-aircraft-carriers-japanese-navy-conduct-joint-drill-amid-north-korea-tensions-24332"> &quot;dual suspension&quot; plan on&nbsp;North Korea as the best </a>solution to handle the crisis on the Korean peninsula.

Under the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-aircraft-carriers-japanese-navy-conduct-joint-drill-amid-north-korea-tensions-24332">&quot;dual suspension&quot; plan the US and South Korea</a> would stop military exercise close to North Korea in exchange Kim&#39;s regime would halt its nuclear weapons programme, both China and Russia back the move.

&quot;We believe that the &#39;dual suspension&#39; proposal is the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation,&quot; Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said.&nbsp;

&quot;Not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks, and find a breakthrough point to get out of trouble,&quot; Shuang added.

US President Trump had rejected the &nbsp;&quot;freeze for freeze&quot; agreement which is similar to the dual suspension plan during his meeting President Xi when the two leaders had met recently.

&quot;We hope that all sides can conscientiously treat and proactively consider China&#39;s proposal, and at the same time we welcome relevant parties to put forward proposals that can benefit the promotion of a peaceful resolution for the peninsula nuclear issue,&quot; Chinese foreign ministry spokesman felt.

The US too is watching the situation closely, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: &quot;Both sides made their positions clear. They are different, but we agreed that there are going to be different positions and therefore it&#39;s not going to move forward.&quot;

Even as the two sides talk on diffusing the North Korean crisis, US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers recently concluded their naval exercise on the Korean peninsula.

USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt had carried out the operation off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday

On Thursday, Japan and the US began their naval drill in southern Japan to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations building pressure on North Korea not to act in haste over its missile programme.

Under the "dual suspension" plan the US and South Korea would stop military exercise close to North Korea

China said on Thursday it backed "dual suspension" plan on North Korea as the best solution to handle the crisis on the Korean peninsula. Under the "dual suspension" plan the US and South Korea would stop military exercise close to North Korea in exchange Kim's regime would halt its nuclear weapons programme, both China and Russia back the move. "We believe that the 'dual suspension' proposal is the most feasible, fair and sensible plan in the present situation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. "Not only can it relieve the present tense situation, it can also resolve all parties most pressing security concerns, and provide an opportunity and create conditions to resume talks, and find a breakthrough point to get out of trouble," Shuang added. US President Trump had rejected the "freeze for freeze" agreement which is similar to the dual suspension plan during his meeting President Xi when the two leaders had met recently. "We hope that all sides can conscientiously treat and proactively consider China's proposal, and at the same time we welcome relevant parties to put forward proposals that can benefit the promotion of a peaceful resolution for the peninsula nuclear issue," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman felt. The US too is watching the situation closely, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said: "Both sides made their positions clear. They are different, but we agreed that there are going to be different positions and therefore it's not going to move forward." Even as the two sides talk on diffusing the North Korean crisis, US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers recently concluded their naval exercise on the Korean peninsula. USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt had carried out the operation off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday On Thursday, Japan and the US began their naval drill in southern Japan to increase the defensive readiness and interoperability of Japanese and American forces through training in air and sea operations building pressure on North Korea not to act in haste over its missile programme.

'Dual suspension' proposal most feasible plan on North Korea: China

A rare 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit South Korea&#39;s southeast today, the second most powerful quake on record, in a country that seldom experiences significant tremors.

The quake, which was felt across much of the country including in the capital Seoul, struck at the shallow depth of nine kilometres near the southeastern industrial city of Pohang at around 2:30 pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

The Korean peninsula rarely has to worry about significant quakes.

But seismic activity is closely monitored because a spike in activity is often the first indication that North Korea has carried out a nuclear test.

The South Korean port city of Pohang is the home to the headquarters of Posco -- the country&#39;s top, and the world&#39;s fourth largest, steelmaker.

Photos and video footage sent to local TV stations showed crumbled street walls and furniture violently shaking inside people&#39;s homes.

Local nuclear reactors were operating without disruption, Yonhap news agency said, citing officials at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power.

The most quake recorded in the south was a 5.8-magnitude tremor that hit the southeastern city of Gyeongju in September last year.

No casualties or injuries have been reported yet, Yonhap news agency quoted the ministry of public safety as saying.

A rare 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit South Korea's southeast today, the second most powerful quake on record, in a country that seldom experiences significant tremors. The quake, which was felt across much of the country including in the capital Seoul, struck at the shallow depth of nine kilometres near the southeastern industrial city of Pohang at around 2:30 pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The Korean peninsula rarely has to worry about significant quakes. But seismic activity is closely monitored because a spike in activity is often the first indication that North Korea has carried out a nuclear test. The South Korean port city of Pohang is the home to the headquarters of Posco -- the country's top, and the world's fourth largest, steelmaker. Photos and video footage sent to local TV stations showed crumbled street walls and furniture violently shaking inside people's homes. Local nuclear reactors were operating without disruption, Yonhap news agency said, citing officials at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power. The most quake recorded in the south was a 5.8-magnitude tremor that hit the southeastern city of Gyeongju in September last year.

5.4-magnitude quake hits southern South Korea

A North Korean soldier shot multiple times while fleeing to the South in a rare and dramatic defection has had a second round of surgery but remains in a serious condition, his doctor said Wednesday.

The soldier suffered at least six gunshot wounds Monday as he dashed across the border at the Panmunjom truce village amid relentless firing by North Korean guards.

Lee Cook-Jong, a doctor treating the soldier, told reporters he was suffering a &quot;prolonged state of shock from heavy bleeding&quot; and although the surgery had gone well, he would likely have to undergo further operations.He is currently on life support, Lee added.&nbsp;

The soldier was found&nbsp;collapsed and bleeding in a pile of fallen leaves on the South Korean side of the border and was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment.

It is very rare for the North&#39;s troops to defect at Panmunjom, a major tourist attraction and the only part of the border where forces from the two sides come face-to-face.

Unlike the rest of the frontier, the village is not fortified with minefields and barbed wire, with the demarcation line marked only by a low concrete divider.

Dozens of North Korean soldiers have fled to the South through the DMZ over the decades since the peninsula was divided, including two soldiers who crossed the frontier in June.

More than 30,000 North Korean civilians have also fled their homeland since the two nations came into being in 1948, but it is rare for them to cross the closely guarded border.

A North Korean soldier shot multiple times while fleeing to the South in a rare and dramatic defection has had a second round of surgery but remains in a serious condition, his doctor said Wednesday

A North Korean soldier shot multiple times while fleeing to the South in a rare and dramatic defection has had a second round of surgery but remains in a serious condition, his doctor said Wednesday. The soldier suffered at least six gunshot wounds Monday as he dashed across the border at the Panmunjom truce village amid relentless firing by North Korean guards. Lee Cook-Jong, a doctor treating the soldier, told reporters he was suffering a "prolonged state of shock from heavy bleeding" and although the surgery had gone well, he would likely have to undergo further operations.He is currently on life support, Lee added. The soldier was found collapsed and bleeding in a pile of fallen leaves on the South Korean side of the border and was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment. It is very rare for the North's troops to defect at Panmunjom, a major tourist attraction and the only part of the border where forces from the two sides come face-to-face. Unlike the rest of the frontier, the village is not fortified with minefields and barbed wire, with the demarcation line marked only by a low concrete divider. Dozens of North Korean soldiers have fled to the South through the DMZ over the decades since the peninsula was divided, including two soldiers who crossed the frontier in June. More than 30,000 North Korean civilians have also fled their homeland since the two nations came into being in 1948, but it is rare for them to cross the closely guarded border.

North Korea defector in serious condition from gunshot wounds

A UN agency said today the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/north-korean-soldier-shot-and-wounded-24099">North Korean soldier who crossed over to South Korea </a>on Monday was &quot;shot six times by North Korean border troops&quot; as he made his way across the heavily guarded border separating the two countries.

United Nations Command(UNC) said the soldier had driven close to the heavily-guarded, military demarcation line in a vehicle.

The man who is&nbsp;reportedly a low ranking soldier, was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA).

&quot;He then exited the vehicle and continued fleeing south across the line as he was fired upon by other soldiers from North Korea,&quot; UNC said in a statement.

A JCS official quoted by Yonhap news agency said the South&#39;s soldiers heard a gunshot and then retrieved the unarmed soldier in the mid-afternoon.

&quot;He has at least six gunshot wounds on his body and the penetrating wound in the abdomen is the most serious&quot;, the doctor, Lee Cook-Jong, told reporters, AFP said.

No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides.

United Nations Command said soldier had driven close to the heavily-guarded, military demarcation line in a vehicle.

A UN agency said today the North Korean soldier who crossed over to South Korea on Monday was "shot six times by North Korean border troops" as he made his way across the heavily guarded border separating the two countries. United Nations Command(UNC) said the soldier had driven close to the heavily-guarded, military demarcation line in a vehicle. The man who is reportedly a low ranking soldier, was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the south side of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). "He then exited the vehicle and continued fleeing south across the line as he was fired upon by other soldiers from North Korea," UNC said in a statement. A JCS official quoted by Yonhap news agency said the South's soldiers heard a gunshot and then retrieved the unarmed soldier in the mid-afternoon. "He has at least six gunshot wounds on his body and the penetrating wound in the abdomen is the most serious", the doctor, Lee Cook-Jong, told reporters, AFP said. No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time and there was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides.

North Korean defector was shot six times by border troops: UNC

There&rsquo;s been precious little good news from Asia these days. Washington and Pyongyang continue to trade threats of war. Right-wing nationalist Shinzo Abe won re-election as prime minister in Japan last month. Major storms have hammered several countries in the region, most recently Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam.

And now, in the wake of those typhoons comes a mighty wind from the United States. Donald Trump, in the longest foreign trip of his presidency, is currently visiting South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The silver lining on this Ugly American Tour: Trump probably won&rsquo;t start a war in a region where he&rsquo;s currently travelling.

Lost among all this bad news has been some very good news out of Asia. It hasn&rsquo;t received much media attention here, probably because it only peripherally involves the United States. Last week, South Korea and China ended a yearlong spat over the deployment of a US missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China, believing the system to be designed to eliminate its nuclear deterrent, punished South Korea economically for welcoming THAAD. Now a new government in Seoul, led by liberal president Moon Jae-in, has announced that it would not add to the existing THAAD system or participate in the proposed regional missile defence that Washington wants to set up. That was enough for China to re-engage economically.

It&rsquo;s a delicate balance for South Korea, to maintain its alliance with the United States and yet repair relations with China. The Trump administration is much happier with the passive-aggressive attitude of Tokyo - passively accepting US hegemony while aggressively pursuing an offensive military posture - than with Seoul&rsquo;s somewhat more independent position. Witness the time Trump lavished on Abe on this current trip including a round of golf. South Korea, meanwhile, had to make due with a brief stopover and a strident lecture by the president before the national assembly.

Here&rsquo;s a radical idea for China and South Korea: Forget Donald Trump, forget the United States and forget the Cold War divide in Northeast Asia. The two countries ought to build on their newly repaired relationship. They can make like Germany and France after World War II. But instead of a new regional order based on coal and steel, Beijing and Seoul should establish something completely new: An Asian Environmental Community that promotes renewable energy and sustainable growth.

A new geopolitical moment

Much has been made of Trump&rsquo;s reeling in of American influence around the world, at least on the soft-power side of things, and China&rsquo;s eager efforts to capitalise on the new global opportunities. Perhaps future historians will look back at this moment as the time when China began to replace the United States as the anchor of the international community. Or perhaps they will identify this era as the moment when everything began to unravel, from the EU to the UN.

But let&rsquo;s imagine a different scenario in which the threat of climate change plays the same integrative function as alien invaders in Hollywood films. The planet is at risk: Let&rsquo;s all fight the common enemy together!

True, the world so far hasn&rsquo;t gotten the message. This week the latest round of meetings began in Germany to discuss the commitments made in the Paris Climate Agreement two years ago. The Trump administration, aside from a few token representatives, has been conspicuously absent. Also, absent was any real hope that the agreement would achieve its goal of keeping the rise in global temperature from hitting a 2 degrees Celsius increase above pre-industrial levels.

Reports The New York Times: &ldquo;No major industrialised country is currently on track to fulfil its pledge, according to new data from the Climate Action Tracker. Not the European Union. Not Canada. Not Japan.&rdquo; Even if they do meet their commitments, it still won&rsquo;t be enough. According to a recent Nature study, even if humans stopped all use of fossil fuels immediately, the planet would still register a 2 C degrees increase by 2100.

Not even the announcements that both Syria and Nicaragua will join the Paris Agreement, leaving Trump&rsquo;s America as the only outlier, can alleviate this grim news. The Maldives, Mumbai and Miami are sinking: It&rsquo;s time to make plans to move to Mongolia.

Room for improvement

Enter South Korea and Japan. Here are two economic powerhouses - in the most economically dynamic region of the world - with great PR on climate change.

&ldquo;Tackling climate change is a shared mission for mankind,&rdquo; Chinese Premier Xi Jinping said at the launch of the Paris Agreement. &ldquo;Let us join hands to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and effective global mechanism on climate change, work for global sustainable development at a high level, and bring about new international relations featuring win-win cooperation.&rdquo;

Sounds good. And China has pushed forward with impressive investments into renewable energy - $360 billion by the end of the decade - along with stopping the construction of over 100 new coal-fired power plants. Although China is set to reach peak emissions a decade or more before its 2030 goal, the country remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, having surpassed the United States in 2007. In 2015, it released nearly twice as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as did the United States, and coal still supplies two-thirds of its energy needs. In other words, China has a long way to go before it can claim substantive leadership in stopping global warming.

South Korea has also talked a good game. Former president Lee Myung Bak created the Global Green Growth Initiative, now a multilateral body based in Seoul, to promote sustainability. In 2009, Lee told the UN: &ldquo;To proactively respond to climate change, Korea adopted &lsquo;Low Carbon Green Growth&rsquo; as a guiding vision for our nation and a strategy for further development. We are currently working to enact a Framework Law on Green Growth and establish a Five-Year Plan for Green Growth. Thereby, we will not only transform our economic and industrial structures but also change our very lifestyles to become more future-oriented.&rdquo;

In reality, however, South Korea backtracked from the pledges made during the Lee era. Under his successor Park Geun-hye, now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, Korea made a U-turn on greenhouse gas emissions and decided to rely even more heavily on coal for energy generation. As a result of this change of policy, the Institute for Climate Change Action declared South Korea one of four global &ldquo;climate villains&rdquo; at the end of 2016.

In other words, both China and South Korea have made impressive commitments to lower the global thermometer even as they continue to be a big part of the problem. But let&rsquo;s focus on the future. There&rsquo;s a new government in Seoul and China has a chance to replace the United States as the global leader on this issue. So, let&rsquo;s take it to the next level.

Asian environmental community

When France and Germany formed a new partnership in 1950, the architects had much grander ambitions than simply coordinating the production of coal and steel. They wanted to ensure a peaceful Europe. In his famous declaration that year, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made the case for cooperation with former enemy Germany:

<q><cite>Five years, almost to the day, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, France is accomplishing the first decisive act for European construction and is associating Germany with this. Conditions in Europe are going to be entirely changed because of it. This transformation will facilitate other action which has been impossible until this day.</cite></q>

There are good arguments for including Japan in a new Asian Environmental Community from the very beginning. Particularly, at the municipal level, Japan has made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint. However, there&rsquo;s considerable resistance in Korea to greater foreign policy coordination with Japan. Japan has outstanding territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. And the Abe administration is focused on breaking out of its constitutional restraints on fielding an offensive military. For all those reasons, it would be best to focus first on achieving consensus between Seoul and Beijing.

So, what would this new Asian Environmental Community do? Both South Korea and China set rather unambitious targets under the Paris Agreement. Their first task would be to establish a more ambitious agenda for cuts in carbon emissions. There&rsquo;s no reason why both countries can&rsquo;t follow the example of Uruguay, which has managed to wean itself almost entirely from oil imports over the last two decades. The economic benefits should be attractive to both Seoul and Beijing: The cost of electricity has dropped considerably in Uruguay, the sustainable energy sector generates more jobs than the oil sector and the country now exports its (clean) energy to its neighbours. Both China and South Korea have traditionally relied on imported oil and gas; this kind of import substitution should appeal to both liberals and conservatives.

Next, the two countries could partner on a much more thoroughgoing greening of OBOR, not just incorporating some sustainable elements but ensuring that the new transportation lines, ports and power plants are carbon neutral. Yes, the massive undertaking has already started, with nearly 1,700 projects over the last three years. But it&rsquo;s still at the beginning stages, with plenty of future investment to green. But a new Asian Environmental Community could be more ambitious still.

Just as Robert Schuman imagined that the coal and steel agreement between France and Germany would bring a broken Europe back together, at least the western half of it, the partnership of China and South Korea could offer a way for Asia to sidestep its myriad disagreements and come together around the one thing that all countries can support. As with early European cooperation, the environmental partnership would be mutually beneficial. Coordinated production of renewable energy - solar panels, wind turbines - could take advantage of economies of scale to bring down prices even more. Generation of clean energy for export could help energy-poor countries go beyond their Paris commitments.

And all this cooperation might just spill over into other realms, making resolution of territorial disputes, economic disagreements, and even North Korea&rsquo;s nuclear program that much more likely. Never has Northeast Asia been more in need of a virtuous circle of engagement.

Asia set the standard for electronics, internet connectivity and formind-blowingly telescoped economic development. Now it&rsquo;s time for China and South Korea to establish a new global green benchmark. The world is desperate for mind-blowingly telescoped environmental development. Let Asia lead the way again.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/asia_pacific/china-south-korea-climate-change-paris-agreement-news-01990/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a>&nbsp;has been originally published in Fair Observer.

Image Credit: testing / Shutterstock

China and South Korea could be game changers on climate, creating a more peaceful region in the process by establishing a new global green benchmark

There’s been precious little good news from Asia these days. Washington and Pyongyang continue to trade threats of war. Right-wing nationalist Shinzo Abe won re-election as prime minister in Japan last month. Major storms have hammered several countries in the region, most recently Typhoon Damrey in Vietnam. And now, in the wake of those typhoons comes a mighty wind from the United States. Donald Trump, in the longest foreign trip of his presidency, is currently visiting South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The silver lining on this Ugly American Tour: Trump probably won’t start a war in a region where he’s currently travelling. Lost among all this bad news has been some very good news out of Asia. It hasn’t received much media attention here, probably because it only peripherally involves the United States. Last week, South Korea and China ended a yearlong spat over the deployment of a US missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). China, believing the system to be designed to eliminate its nuclear deterrent, punished South Korea economically for welcoming THAAD. Now a new government in Seoul, led by liberal president Moon Jae-in, has announced that it would not add to the existing THAAD system or participate in the proposed regional missile defence that Washington wants to set up. That was enough for China to re-engage economically. It’s a delicate balance for South Korea, to maintain its alliance with the United States and yet repair relations with China. The Trump administration is much happier with the passive-aggressive attitude of Tokyo - passively accepting US hegemony while aggressively pursuing an offensive military posture - than with Seoul’s somewhat more independent position. Witness the time Trump lavished on Abe on this current trip including a round of golf. South Korea, meanwhile, had to make due with a brief stopover and a strident lecture by the president before the national assembly. Here’s a radical idea for China and South Korea: Forget Donald Trump, forget the United States and forget the Cold War divide in Northeast Asia. The two countries ought to build on their newly repaired relationship. They can make like Germany and France after World War II. But instead of a new regional order based on coal and steel, Beijing and Seoul should establish something completely new: An Asian Environmental Community that promotes renewable energy and sustainable growth. A new geopolitical moment Much has been made of Trump’s reeling in of American influence around the world, at least on the soft-power side of things, and China’s eager efforts to capitalise on the new global opportunities. Perhaps future historians will look back at this moment as the time when China began to replace the United States as the anchor of the international community. Or perhaps they will identify this era as the moment when everything began to unravel, from the EU to the UN. But let’s imagine a different scenario in which the threat of climate change plays the same integrative function as alien invaders in Hollywood films. The planet is at risk: Let’s all fight the common enemy together! True, the world so far hasn’t gotten the message. This week the latest round of meetings began in Germany to discuss the commitments made in the Paris Climate Agreement two years ago. The Trump administration, aside from a few token representatives, has been conspicuously absent. Also, absent was any real hope that the agreement would achieve its goal of keeping the rise in global temperature from hitting a 2 degrees Celsius increase above pre-industrial levels. Reports The New York Times: “No major industrialised country is currently on track to fulfil its pledge, according to new data from the Climate Action Tracker. Not the European Union. Not Canada. Not Japan.” Even if they do meet their commitments, it still won’t be enough. According to a recent Nature study, even if humans stopped all use of fossil fuels immediately, the planet would still register a 2 C degrees increase by 2100. Not even the announcements that both Syria and Nicaragua will join the Paris Agreement, leaving Trump’s America as the only outlier, can alleviate this grim news. The Maldives, Mumbai and Miami are sinking: It’s time to make plans to move to Mongolia. Room for improvement Enter South Korea and Japan. Here are two economic powerhouses - in the most economically dynamic region of the world - with great PR on climate change. “Tackling climate change is a shared mission for mankind,” Chinese Premier Xi Jinping said at the launch of the Paris Agreement. “Let us join hands to contribute to the establishment of an equitable and effective global mechanism on climate change, work for global sustainable development at a high level, and bring about new international relations featuring win-win cooperation.” Sounds good. And China has pushed forward with impressive investments into renewable energy - $360 billion by the end of the decade - along with stopping the construction of over 100 new coal-fired power plants. Although China is set to reach peak emissions a decade or more before its 2030 goal, the country remains the largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, having surpassed the United States in 2007. In 2015, it released nearly twice as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as did the United States, and coal still supplies two-thirds of its energy needs. In other words, China has a long way to go before it can claim substantive leadership in stopping global warming. South Korea has also talked a good game. Former president Lee Myung Bak created the Global Green Growth Initiative, now a multilateral body based in Seoul, to promote sustainability. In 2009, Lee told the UN: “To proactively respond to climate change, Korea adopted ‘Low Carbon Green Growth’ as a guiding vision for our nation and a strategy for further development. We are currently working to enact a Framework Law on Green Growth and establish a Five-Year Plan for Green Growth. Thereby, we will not only transform our economic and industrial structures but also change our very lifestyles to become more future-oriented.” In reality, however, South Korea backtracked from the pledges made during the Lee era. Under his successor Park Geun-hye, now awaiting trial on charges of corruption, Korea made a U-turn on greenhouse gas emissions and decided to rely even more heavily on coal for energy generation. As a result of this change of policy, the Institute for Climate Change Action declared South Korea one of four global “climate villains” at the end of 2016. In other words, both China and South Korea have made impressive commitments to lower the global thermometer even as they continue to be a big part of the problem. But let’s focus on the future. There’s a new government in Seoul and China has a chance to replace the United States as the global leader on this issue. So, let’s take it to the next level. Asian environmental community When France and Germany formed a new partnership in 1950, the architects had much grander ambitions than simply coordinating the production of coal and steel. They wanted to ensure a peaceful Europe. In his famous declaration that year, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman made the case for cooperation with former enemy Germany: Five years, almost to the day, after the unconditional surrender of Germany, France is accomplishing the first decisive act for European construction and is associating Germany with this. Conditions in Europe are going to be entirely changed because of it. This transformation will facilitate other action which has been impossible until this day. There are good arguments for including Japan in a new Asian Environmental Community from the very beginning. Particularly, at the municipal level, Japan has made great strides in reducing its carbon footprint. However, there’s considerable resistance in Korea to greater foreign policy coordination with Japan. Japan has outstanding territorial disputes with both China and South Korea. And the Abe administration is focused on breaking out of its constitutional restraints on fielding an offensive military. For all those reasons, it would be best to focus first on achieving consensus between Seoul and Beijing. So, what would this new Asian Environmental Community do? Both South Korea and China set rather unambitious targets under the Paris Agreement. Their first task would be to establish a more ambitious agenda for cuts in carbon emissions. There’s no reason why both countries can’t follow the example of Uruguay, which has managed to wean itself almost entirely from oil imports over the last two decades. The economic benefits should be attractive to both Seoul and Beijing: The cost of electricity has dropped considerably in Uruguay, the sustainable energy sector generates more jobs than the oil sector and the country now exports its (clean) energy to its neighbours. Both China and South Korea have traditionally relied on imported oil and gas; this kind of import substitution should appeal to both liberals and conservatives. Next, the two countries could partner on a much more thoroughgoing greening of OBOR, not just incorporating some sustainable elements but ensuring that the new transportation lines, ports and power plants are carbon neutral. Yes, the massive undertaking has already started, with nearly 1,700 projects over the last three years. But it’s still at the beginning stages, with plenty of future investment to green. But a new Asian Environmental Community could be more ambitious still. Just as Robert Schuman imagined that the coal and steel agreement between France and Germany would bring a broken Europe back together, at least the western half of it, the partnership of China and South Korea could offer a way for Asia to sidestep its myriad disagreements and come together around the one thing that all countries can support. As with early European cooperation, the environmental partnership would be mutually beneficial. Coordinated production of renewable energy - solar panels, wind turbines - could take advantage of economies of scale to bring down prices even more. Generation of clean energy for export could help energy-poor countries go beyond their Paris commitments. And all this cooperation might just spill over into other realms, making resolution of territorial disputes, economic disagreements, and even North Korea’s nuclear program that much more likely. Never has Northeast Asia been more in need of a virtuous circle of engagement. Asia set the standard for electronics, internet connectivity and formind-blowingly telescoped economic development. Now it’s time for China and South Korea to establish a new global green benchmark. The world is desperate for mind-blowingly telescoped environmental development. Let Asia lead the way again. This article has been originally published in Fair Observer. Image Credit: testing / Shutterstock

Let Asia lead the way on climate change

In a first, three US aircraft carriers carried out <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-south-korea-continue-joint-naval-drills-amid-pyongyang-threats-15088">joint exercise off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday</a> even as &nbsp;President Donald Trump reached Manila for the ASEAN summit.

US warships USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, <a href="http://the Theodore Roosevelt including South Korean">the Theodore Roosevelt including South Korean </a>naval vessels were involved in the exercise amid tensions in North Korea.

The South Korea conducted the exercise with seven vessels including three destroyers.

This is the first time all three US aircraft carriers are taking part at the same time in a military exercise in over a decade.

&quot;The exercise is aimed at enhancing deterrence against North Korea&#39;s nuclear and missile threats and showing off preparedness to fend off any provocative acts by the North,&quot; a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said.

South Korean military said it was keeping a close watch on North Korea&#39;s military activities while &quot;maintaining military readiness for any possible provocations by North North Korea.&quot;

During talks with President Xi in Beijing last Thursday, Trump had urged the Chinese leader to do more to rein in the Pyongyang regime, warning that &quot;time is quickly running out&quot;.

North Korea hit back saying Trump&#39;s current trip was &quot;nothing more than a war-dealer&#39;s business of taking money from its allies&#39; pockets&quot;, quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry.

This is the first time all three US aircraft carriers are taking part at the same time in a military exercise in over a decade.

In a first, three US aircraft carriers carried out joint exercise off the east coast of South Korea on Sunday even as President Donald Trump reached Manila for the ASEAN summit. US warships USS Nimitz, the Ronald Reagan, the Theodore Roosevelt including South Korean naval vessels were involved in the exercise amid tensions in North Korea. The South Korea conducted the exercise with seven vessels including three destroyers. This is the first time all three US aircraft carriers are taking part at the same time in a military exercise in over a decade. "The exercise is aimed at enhancing deterrence against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and showing off preparedness to fend off any provocative acts by the North," a South Korean defence ministry spokesman said. South Korean military said it was keeping a close watch on North Korea's military activities while "maintaining military readiness for any possible provocations by North North Korea." During talks with President Xi in Beijing last Thursday, Trump had urged the Chinese leader to do more to rein in the Pyongyang regime, warning that "time is quickly running out". North Korea hit back saying Trump's current trip was "nothing more than a war-dealer's business of taking money from its allies' pockets", quoting a statement released by its foreign ministry.

US aircraft carriers, South Korean destroyers conduct joint naval excercise

A North Korean soldier was shot and injured by his own side Monday while defecting to South Korea at the border truce village of Panmunjom, the South&#39;s military said.

The soldier, thought to be low ranking, was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the South side of a portion of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA).

It is rare for the North&#39;s troops to defect at the truce village, a major tourist attraction bisected by the borderline and the only part of the frontier where forces from the two sides come face-to-face.

&quot;Our military has taken in a North Korean soldier after he crossed from a North Korea post towards our Freedom House,&quot; Seoul&#39;s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement, referring to a building on the South side of the village.&nbsp;

A JCS official quoted by Yonhap news agency said the South&#39;s soldiers heard a gunshot and then retrieved the unarmed soldier in the mid-afternoon.

He was evacuated to a private hospital by a UN helicopter, the official added, saying the solider had regained consciousness but declining to comment on whether his injuries were life-threatening.

No personal details have been released but the soldier&#39;s uniform suggested he was low-ranking, Yonhap said.

No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time because tours do not run on Mondays, a spokesman for United States Forces Korea, which approves the visits, said.

There was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides, but the South&#39;s military said it has raised its level of alertness against any North Korean provocations.

Also on Monday, South Korean police arrested an American for entering a restricted zone -- in a separate border area -- with the apparent intention of crossing to the North, Yonhap reported.

The man, identified only as a 58-year-old from Louisiana, had arrived in South Korea last week and wanted to enter the North for &quot;political purposes&quot;, but was reported by a local villager, Yonhap said.&nbsp;

He is currently under questioning by the South&#39;s police, army and spy agency.

- Tense relations - 
Relations on the peninsula have been tense for months as the North has stepped up its missile tests. In September, it carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test -- of what it described as &quot;a hydrogen bomb&quot;.

Military officials from the North and South have used Panmunjom frequently in the past for talks. Unlike the rest of the frontier, Panmunjom is not fortified with minefields and barbed wire and the border is marked only by a low concrete divider.

Dozens of North Korean soldiers have fled to the South through the DMZ over the decades since the peninsula was divided, including two soldiers who crossed the frontier in June.

More than 30,000 North Korean civilians have also fled their homeland since the two nations came into being in 1948, but it is rare for civilians to cross the closely guarded border.

Most flee across the North&#39;s porous frontier with China and then move on to a third country to seek passage to South Korea.&nbsp;

The soldier, thought to be low ranking, was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the South side of a portion of the border known as the Joint Security Area

A North Korean soldier was shot and injured by his own side Monday while defecting to South Korea at the border truce village of Panmunjom, the South's military said. The soldier, thought to be low ranking, was shot in the shoulder and elbow and was picked up bleeding on the South side of a portion of the border known as the Joint Security Area (JSA). It is rare for the North's troops to defect at the truce village, a major tourist attraction bisected by the borderline and the only part of the frontier where forces from the two sides come face-to-face. "Our military has taken in a North Korean soldier after he crossed from a North Korea post towards our Freedom House," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement, referring to a building on the South side of the village. A JCS official quoted by Yonhap news agency said the South's soldiers heard a gunshot and then retrieved the unarmed soldier in the mid-afternoon. He was evacuated to a private hospital by a UN helicopter, the official added, saying the solider had regained consciousness but declining to comment on whether his injuries were life-threatening. No personal details have been released but the soldier's uniform suggested he was low-ranking, Yonhap said. No tourists were in the Joint Security Area at the time because tours do not run on Mondays, a spokesman for United States Forces Korea, which approves the visits, said. There was no exchange of gunfire between the two sides, but the South's military said it has raised its level of alertness against any North Korean provocations. Also on Monday, South Korean police arrested an American for entering a restricted zone -- in a separate border area -- with the apparent intention of crossing to the North, Yonhap reported. The man, identified only as a 58-year-old from Louisiana, had arrived in South Korea last week and wanted to enter the North for "political purposes", but was reported by a local villager, Yonhap said. He is currently under questioning by the South's police, army and spy agency. - Tense relations - Relations on the peninsula have been tense for months as the North has stepped up its missile tests. In September, it carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test -- of what it described as "a hydrogen bomb". Military officials from the North and South have used Panmunjom frequently in the past for talks. Unlike the rest of the frontier, Panmunjom is not fortified with minefields and barbed wire and the border is marked only by a low concrete divider. Dozens of North Korean soldiers have fled to the South through the DMZ over the decades since the peninsula was divided, including two soldiers who crossed the frontier in June. More than 30,000 North Korean civilians have also fled their homeland since the two nations came into being in 1948, but it is rare for civilians to cross the closely guarded border. Most flee across the North's porous frontier with China and then move on to a third country to seek passage to South Korea.

North Korean soldier shot while defecting to South

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends.

While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang.

Trump has referred to Kim as a &quot;madman&quot; and &quot;Rocket Man&quot; while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a &quot;mentally deranged dotard&quot;.

On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North&#39;s state media as a &quot;lunatic old man&quot;.

&quot;Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me &#39;old,&#39; when I would NEVER call him &#39;short and fat&#39;?&quot; the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit.

&quot;Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!&quot; he wrote.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me &quot;old,&quot; when I would NEVER call him &quot;short and fat?&quot; Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/929511061954297857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

 
Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim&#39;s weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang.

The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership.

Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim&#39;s father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit.

Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with &quot;twisted fantasies&quot;.

&quot;That might be a strange thing to happen but it&#39;s certainly a possibility,&quot; he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital.

&quot;If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don&#39;t know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did,&quot; he added.

Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a &quot;cruel dictatorship,&quot; while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang&#39;s growing nuclear arsenal.

During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a &quot;hamburger&quot; - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

US President Donald Trump has said he would never call Kim Jong-Un "short and fat", after months of trading personal insults and threats of war with the North Korean leader

US President Donald Trump took his verbal jousting with Kim Jong-Un to a new level Sunday, taunting the North Korean leader over his height and weight before musing over the idea of them eventually becoming friends. While they have never met, Trump and Kim have form when it comes to name-calling, with the US president a more than willing match for the highly rhetorical flourishes deployed by his adversary in Pyongyang. Trump has referred to Kim as a "madman" and "Rocket Man" while the 33-year-old responded by calling the 71-year-old former reality TV star a "mentally deranged dotard". On Sunday Trump got down to basics, with a sarcastic tweet prompted by recent descriptions of him in the North's state media as a "lunatic old man". "Why would Kim Jong-Un insult me by calling me 'old,' when I would NEVER call him 'short and fat'?" the president tweeted from Hanoi -- the latest leg of a lengthy Asia tour that had, until then, appeared to have moderated his Twitter habit. "Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen!" he wrote. Why would Kim Jong-un insult me by calling me "old," when I would NEVER call him "short and fat?" Oh well, I try so hard to be his friend - and maybe someday that will happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 12, 2017 × Sarcastic or not, the dig about Kim's weight, which has increased significantly since he came to power following the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in 2011, is unlikely to go down well in Pyongyang. The members of the ruling Kim dynasty -- past and present -- enjoy near god-like status in North Korea, which has demonstrated extreme sensitivity to any remark that might be seen as mocking or disrespectful of the leadership. Foreign tourists to Pyongyang are generally obliged to pay homage -- laying flowers and bowing deeply -- before giant statues of Kim's father and his grandfather -- founding leader Kim Il-Sung -- at some point during their visit. Questioned later about his Tweet, Trump insisted he had not been entirely joking about one day befriending the man he described just last week as a dictator with "twisted fantasies". "That might be a strange thing to happen but it's certainly a possibility," he told reporters at a press conference in the Vietnamese capital. "If that did happen, it would be a good thing, I can tell you, for North Korea ... I don't know that it will, but it would be very, very nice if it did," he added. Trump has played hawk and dove with the North during his sweep of five Asian countries -- denouncing it as a "cruel dictatorship," while offering Kim Jong-Un a diplomatic way out of the crisis over Pyongyang's growing nuclear arsenal. During his election campaign, Trump said he would be willing to sit down with Kim and negotiate over a "hamburger" - an offer the North Korea leader has so far chosen to ignore.

Trump says he would never call North Korea leader 'short and fat'

Three United States aircraft carriers are set to perform rare drills starting Saturday in the Western Pacific, in the midst of the North Korean crisis, and coinciding with the Asia tour of the American president, the US Navy said Thursday.

The nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt will conduct the drills to show the US Navy&#39;s unique capability to operate multi-carrier strike groups, according to the Seventh Fleet in a statement released from its headquarters on the Japanese base of Yokosuka.

During the drill, the first of its kind in a decade, the warships will carry out air strike and defense simulations, maritime surveillance, sea supply, coordinated fenced maneuvers and other training, added the Navy.

It is the first time that three aircraft carriers are conducting drills together in the western Pacific since the Valiant Shield exercises in 2006 and 2007 off the coast of the island of Guam.

The drills, rare due to the complexity of the ships&#39; action coordination, will last until Nov. 14.

A spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Defense told EFE in Seoul that the three US aircraft carriers will also carry out maneuvers with the South Korean Navy, closer to North Korean territory, in the Sea of Japan &ndash; alternatively called the East Sea in the two Koreas.

The spokesperson could only specify that this second drill will be held on future dates, since most of the details of these joint exercises have not yet finalized.&nbsp;

The drills on Saturday will begin during the final leg of Trump&#39;s five-nation Asia tour amid mounting tension with North Korea in the wake of Pyongyang&#39;s nuclear and missile programs development.

The drill is seen as a show of strength in the face of the challenge posed by Pyongyang&#39;s repeated weapons tests.

These weapons tests, along with Trump&#39;s belligerent rhetoric, have escalated tensions to unprecedented levels since the end of the Korean War (1950-1953).

(All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

During the drill, the first of its kind in a decade, the warships will carry out air strike and defense simulations, maritime surveillance, sea supply, coordinated fenced maneuvers and other training, added the Navy.

Three United States aircraft carriers are set to perform rare drills starting Saturday in the Western Pacific, in the midst of the North Korean crisis, and coinciding with the Asia tour of the American president, the US Navy said Thursday. The nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan, USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt will conduct the drills to show the US Navy's unique capability to operate multi-carrier strike groups, according to the Seventh Fleet in a statement released from its headquarters on the Japanese base of Yokosuka. During the drill, the first of its kind in a decade, the warships will carry out air strike and defense simulations, maritime surveillance, sea supply, coordinated fenced maneuvers and other training, added the Navy. It is the first time that three aircraft carriers are conducting drills together in the western Pacific since the Valiant Shield exercises in 2006 and 2007 off the coast of the island of Guam. The drills, rare due to the complexity of the ships' action coordination, will last until Nov. 14. A spokesperson for the South Korean Ministry of Defense told EFE in Seoul that the three US aircraft carriers will also carry out maneuvers with the South Korean Navy, closer to North Korean territory, in the Sea of Japan – alternatively called the East Sea in the two Koreas. The spokesperson could only specify that this second drill will be held on future dates, since most of the details of these joint exercises have not yet finalized. The drills on Saturday will begin during the final leg of Trump's five-nation Asia tour amid mounting tension with North Korea in the wake of Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs development. The drill is seen as a show of strength in the face of the challenge posed by Pyongyang's repeated weapons tests. These weapons tests, along with Trump's belligerent rhetoric, have escalated tensions to unprecedented levels since the end of the Korean War (1950-1953). (All the rights of the contents (text, photo, video, multimedia products and others) included in the services supplied to the user in this test are EFE-EPA property and shall be reproduced under EFE-EPA @copyright. Contents shall be reproduced only in the terms agreed with EFE and by no mean can those be redistributed, transferred or traded. User shall be held responsible for the alteration or misuse of the contents and products included in EFE-EPA services. User is compelled to follow the national law and will be the only responsible for the use or misuse of the contents provided by EFE-EPA.)

Three US aircraft carriers to conduct drills in Asia amid North Korean crisis

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