NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.
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IAEA to play 'constructive role' for communication channels on N.K. denuclearization: agency chief
SEOUL -- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will be able to play a constructive role in opening up channels of communication in efforts for the denuclearization of North Korea, the head of the agency said Friday.
"In the resolution of this (nuclear stalemate), I am persuaded that opening channels of communication is indispensable. I am also persuaded that the IAEA can play a constructive role in this regard," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a joint interview with South Korean media in Seoul.
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U.N. General Assembly passes N. Korean human rights resolution for 18th consecutive year
WASHINGTON -- The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution calling for international efforts to improve human rights conditions in the reclusive state.
It marks the 18th consecutive year the world body adopted a resolution on North Korean human rights.
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Yoon meets with IAEA chief, calls for support toward N.K. denuclearization
SEOUL -- President Yoon Suk-yeol met with Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), on Thursday and exchanged views on the ongoing North Korean nuclear stalemate and other issues, his office said.
During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon expressed concerns over the North's nuclear program and asked for the IAEA's participation in denuclearizing the country through strengthening of monitoring and inspection readiness posture regarding Pyongyang's nuclear activities, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said in a statement.
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(2nd LD) U.S. military opens space force unit in S. Korea
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea -- The U.S. military launched a space force unit in South Korea on Wednesday, adding a new warfighting tool in line with its push to build "multi-domain" operational capabilities.
The creation of the U.S. Space Forces Korea, a component unit of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK), came as Seoul and Washington are strengthening security coordination against increasingly complex North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
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(Yonhap Interview) U.S. general stresses commitment to keep 'peak'-level readiness through 'realistic' training
SEOUL -- The chief of the U.S. special operations unit in South Korea highlighted its "100 percent" commitment Wednesday to keeping military readiness at the "peak" level through "realistic" training amid growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael E. Martin, the commander of the Special Operations Command-Korea (SOCKOR), made the remarks, pointing to his unit's challenging training programs, like the Exercise Teak Knife designed to maximize troop readiness for various commando missions.
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(LEAD) Seoul unification ministry hosts int'l forum on N. Korea's human rights
SEOUL -- South Korea's unification ministry on Wednesday held an annual international forum on North Korea's human rights situations in an effort to raise public awareness about the problem.
The 2022 International Dialogue on North Korean Human Rights opened at a hotel in Seoul, under the theme of major pending issues and future tasks in regard to the North's human rights records. It was moderated by Lee Shin-hwa, South Korea's envoy for the North's human rights.
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(LEAD) Top nuke envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan hold talks on N. Korea in Jakarta
SEOUL/JAKARTA -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan had a trilateral meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday amid speculation that North Korea may carry out another nuclear test in line with its continued provocative acts highlighted by the firing of more than 60 ballistic missiles this year.
Seoul's chief nuclear negotiator, Kim Gunn, met with his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Sung Kim and Takehiro Funakoshi, respectively, at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta. He is also scheduled to have a separate bilateral meeting with Funakoshi later in the day. They had such a trilateral session in Tokyo in September.
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U.S. has 'strong support' from majority of UNSC members against N.K. provocations: mission
SEOUL -- The United States has "strong support" within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a push to adopt a formal document condemning North Korea's recent missile provocations, according to the U.S. mission to the U.N. on Monday.
The U.S. has reportedly produced a draft of a related presidential statement and circulated among the other members of the UNSC. It features a strong condemnation of North Korea for its saber-rattling, including the launch last month of a Hwasong-17 ICBM that is assessed to be capable of carrying multiple warheads and reaching the entire U.S. mainland.
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