SINGAPORE (KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho turned down a request for a formal bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha on the sidelines of an annual regional forum in Singapore on Friday (Aug 3), a South Korean government official said.

Dr Kang encountered Mr Ri at a working dinner at the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and once again suggested a bilateral meeting, but the North's top diplomat said it was not the right time for such talks, according to the official from Seoul's Foreign Ministry.

"Kang and Ri met each other and exchanged considerably candid opinions on various situations in the wake of the inter-Korean summit and the US-North Korea summit," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity without elaborating what was discussed between the two.

"A separate bilateral meeting foundered, but we had a chance to understand the other side and deliver our thoughts through contact at the working dinner," he said.

Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to lead North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, South Korea has sought to hold an inter-Korean foreign ministerial meeting on the sidelines of the ARF, which kicked off on Thursday.

Mr Ri, who arrived in Singapore on Friday, held a bilateral meeting with his counterparts from seven countries including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Indonesia, according to Jong Song Il, who is believed to be North Korea's former ambassador to Singapore.

"With China, Ri discussed matters about expanding and developing traditionally friendly bilateral relations between North Korea and China, and matters about strengthening strategic, tactical cooperation between the countries to ensure peace on the Korean Peninsula," Mr Jong told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Dr Kang had a bilateral meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

On denuclearising Korea, the Chinese minister said an improvement in inter-Korean relations and Pyongyang-Washington ties is expected to lead to permanent peace in the region.

Mr Wang reaffirmed Beijing's support for the two Koreas' pursuit of declaring a formal end to the Korean War.

The two Koreas hope to declare an end to the Korean War within the year as agreed at the April 27 inter-Korean summit, which they believe could be the first step towards building trust. Washington wants the North to take more concrete steps to denuclearise first.

On denuclearising Korea, the Chinese minister said an improvement in inter-Korean relations and Pyongyang-Washington ties is expected to lead to permanent peace in the region.

At their meeting, Mr Wang also called for South Korea's efforts to "completely" resolve the issue of an advanced US missile defense system deployed on the peninsula.

South Korea deployed the THAAD to counter the North's missile threats last year. China has fiercely opposed the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea, viewing it as a threat to its own security. It has taken what appears to be retaliatory measures, such as a ban on the sale of package tours to South Korea.

In response, Dr Kang expressed hope that China will make more efforts to normalize its relations with South Korea.

On Saturday, Dr Kang is set to hold a bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, where they are expected to reaffirm their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

She will also attend a meeting of top diplomats from the 26 countries and the European Union, where a joint statement will be adopted.

Led by the 10 members of the Asean, the Asean Regional Forum kicked off on Thursday, bringing together key countries in the Korean Peninsula's denuclearization efforts. It is one of the largest gatherings in the region to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific region. In recent years it has served as a rare venue for North Korea to interact with other countries.</s>SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—North Korea’s top diplomat accused the United States of failing to live up to President Donald Trump’s agreement with its leader, Kim Jong Un, warning Saturday that the country would not start denuclearizing unless Washington took reciprocal actions. Speaking at a closed-door session at a regional security forum in Singapore, Ri Yong Ho, North Korea’s foreign minister, said his country had taken a series of actions toward denuclearization, such as halting nuclear and missile tests, demolishing an underground nuclear test site and dismantling a missile engine test site.

But Ri said that Washington was dragging its feet in taking corresponding measures to build mutual confidence and improve ties with Pyongyang. Such steps, Ri said, include easing sanctions and declaring an end to the 1950-53 Korean War as a prelude to negotiating a formal peace treaty to replace the armistice that halted the war 65 years ago. “However, the United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of the war — a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean Peninsula,” Ri said, using an acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name. Ri reiterated North Korea’s long-standing demand that both the United States and North Korea should take “simultaneous actions and phased steps” toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula while simultaneously improving bilateral relations.

Pompeo said Saturday that ending North Korea’s nuclear program would take time. But he said he was “optimistic that we will get this done in the timeline and the world will celebrate what the U.N. Security Council has demanded.” Speaking in a news conference, Pompeo stressed the importance of keeping economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea. But his appeal came as reports emerged indicating that sanctions against North Korea were not being enforced as effectively as the United States hoped for. A confidential United Nations report, leaked to the media over the weekend, said that North Korea was continuing with both its nuclear and missile programs.</s>He used an acronym for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the North’s official name.

Mr. Ri reiterated North Korea’s longstanding demand that both the United States and North Korea should take “simultaneous actions and phased steps” toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula while simultaneously improving bilateral relations.

Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim held their historic summit meeting in Singapore on June 12, signing a document in which Mr. Kim committed to work toward a “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” while Mr. Trump promised to provide security guarantees to the North and to build “new” bilateral relations. They recognized that “mutual confidence building can promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

But frustration has since mounted on both sides, as each accused the other of not living up to the Singapore agreement. North Korea accused the Trump administration of making a “unilateral and gangster-like demand for denuclearization” after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, last month to urge the country to take more steps like handing over an inventory of its nuclear weapons and facilities and dismantling some of them.

North Korea “stands firm in its determination and commitment for implementing the D.P.R.K.-U.S. joint statement in a responsible and good-faith manner,” Mr. Ri said on Saturday, referring to the Singapore agreement. “What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention.”

Mr. Pompeo, who also attended the same security forum, shook hands and chatted briefly with Mr. Ri when participants gathered for a group photo, but he was not present when Mr. Ri made his statement. An American diplomat later handed Mr. Ri a letter from Mr. Trump to Mr. Kim.</s>SINGAPORE: North Korea and the United States on Saturday sparred over an agreement reached at a landmark summit in June for the Asian country to end its nuclear program, as Washington called for maintaining sanctions pressure against Pyongyang, which in turn said it was alarmed by US intentions.



The discord at a regional forum in Singapore was the latest reminder of the difficulties that have long impaired efforts to negotiate an end to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, despite commitments made at an unprecedented summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the city-state less than two months ago.

“The DPRK stands firm in its determination and commitment for implementing the DPRK-US Joint Statement in a responsible and good-faith manner,” North Korea’s Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the ASEAN Regional Forum, using his country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the US to go back to the old, far from its leader’s intention,” he said.

Ri made the statement after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had left the Singapore conference centre for Indonesia having pressed Southeast Asian nations to maintain sanctions on North Korea until it gives up a nuclear weapons program that now threatens the United States.

At the June 12 summit, Kim, who is seeking relief from tough sanctions, committed to working towards denuclearisation, but North Korea has offered no details on how it might go about this.



Pompeo suggested on Friday that continued work on weapons programs by North Korea was inconsistent with Kim’s commitment to denuclearise. On Saturday, he nevertheless said he was optimistic a North Korean denuclearisation could be achieved although it “would take some time”.

Ri said North Korea had made goodwill gestures, including a moratorium on nuclear tests and rocket launches and the dismantling of a nuclear test ground.

“However, the United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of the war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean peninsula,” he said.

On Saturday, Pompeo said Washington took very seriously any relaxation of UN sanctions, calling out Russia for possibly violating a UN resolution by issuing work visas to North Korean workers.

“I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something that we will discuss with Moscow,” he said. “We expect the Russians and all countries to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea.”

Russia has denied a report by the Wall Street Journal that said Moscow was allowing thousands of fresh North Korean labourers into the country and granting them work permits in a potential breach of U.N sanctions.

Russia’s ambassador to North Korea also denied Moscow was flouting UN restrictions on oil supplies to North Korea.

According to a confidential UN report seen by Reuters on Friday, North Korea has not stopped nuclear and missile programs in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Although Pompeo has been leading the US negotiating efforts with North Korea, he had no formal meeting with Ri in Singapore. However, at a group photo session on Saturday, he walked up to the North Korean and shook hands and exchanged words and smiles.

He told Ri: “We should talk again soon,” the State Department said.

“I agree, there are many productive conversations to be had,” Ri replied, according to the State Department.

Pompeo later tweeted that it had been “a quick, polite exchange” and there had been the opportunity to deliver a letter for Kim Jong Un from Trump.

US Ambassador Sung Kim handed Ri the letter, which the State Department said was in return for one from Kim to Trump that the White House said was received on Wednesday. The State Department has not said what is in Trump’s letter to Kim.

Trump posted a note on Twitter on Thursday thanking Kim for returning the remains of US soldiers from the Korean War and saying he looked forward to seeing Kim again “soon”, although the White House said no second meeting was currently planned.

It is not the first time since the summit that North Korea has appeared to offer a more negative impression of the progress of talks with the United States that Washington.

Following a trip to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo spoke of progress, but as soon as he had left the country North Korea accused him of “gangster-like” diplomacy, casting doubts about the future of the discussions.

Even so, Trump has continued to hail progress, emphasising the halt in bomb and missile tests and North Korea’s return of purported American war remains.

A senior State Department official sought to play down Ri’s statement, saying it was to be expected.

“Much of the intervention was positive and that’s an improvement from the past,” the official said. “We’re building a relationship with North Korea after years of difficult relations.”

Since US talks with North Korea resumed this year, Pompeo has primarily engaged with Kim Yong Chol, a top North Korean party official and former spy agency chief, not Ri.

Pompeo told a Senate committee hearing on July 25 that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs in spite of its denuclearisation pledge.

On Monday, a senior US official said U.S. spy satellites had detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country’s first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.</s>US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho at the ASEAN Regional Forum Retreat in Singapore August 4, 2018.

SINGAPORE - North Korea and the United States on Saturday sparred over an agreement reached at a landmark summit in June for the Asian country to end its nuclear programme, as Washington called for maintaining sanctions pressure against Pyongyang, which in turn said it was alarmed by US intentions.

The discord at a regional forum in Singapore was the latest reminder of the difficulties that have long impaired efforts to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, despite commitments made at an unprecedented summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the city state less than two months ago.

"The DPRK stands firm in its determination and commitment for implementing the DPRK-US Joint Statement in a responsible and good-faith manner," North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the ASEAN Regional Forum, using his country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"What is alarming however is the insistent moves manifested within the US to go back to the old, far from its leader's intention," he said.

Ri made the statement after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had left the Singapore conference centre for Indonesia having pressed Southeast Asian nations to maintain sanctions on North Korea until it gives up a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the United States.

At the June 12 summit, Kim, who is seeking relief from tough sanctions, committed to work towards denuclearisation, but North Korea has offered no details on how it might go about this.

Pompeo suggested on Friday that continued work on weapons programs by North Korea was inconsistent with Kim's commitment to denuclearize. On Saturday, he nevertheless said he was optimistic a North Korean denuclearisation could be achieved although it "would take some time."

Ri said North Korea had made goodwill gestures, including a moratorium on nuclear tests and rocket launches and the dismantling of a nuclear test ground.

"However, the United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of the war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean peninsula," he said.

On Saturday, Pompeo said Washington took very seriously any relaxation of UN sanctions, calling out Russia for possibly violating a UN resolution by issuing work visas to North Korean workers.

"I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something that we will discuss with Moscow," he said. "We expect the Russians and all countries to abide by the UN Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea."

Russia has denied a report by the Wall Street Journal that said Moscow was allowing thousands of fresh North Korean laborers into the country and granting them work permits in a potential breach of U.N sanctions.

Russia's ambassador to North Korea also denied Moscow was flouting UN restrictions on oil supplies to North Korea.

According to a confidential UN report seen by Reuters on Friday, North Korea has not stopped nuclear and missile programs in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Although Pompeo has been leading US negotiating efforts with North Korea, he had no formal meeting with Ri in Singapore. However, at a group photo session on Saturday, he walked up to the North Korean and shook hands and exchanged words and smiles.

He told Ri: "We should talk again soon," the State Department said.

"I agree, there are many productive conversations to be had," Ri replied, according to the State Department.

Pompeo later tweeted that it had been "a quick, polite exchange" and there had been the opportunity to deliver a letter for Kim Jong Un from Trump.

US Ambassador Sung Kim handed Ri the letter, which the State Department said was in return for one from Kim to Trump that the White House said was received on Wednesday. The State Department has not said what is in Trump's letter to Kim.

Trump posted a note on Twitter on Thursday thanking Kim for returning the remains of US soldiers from the Korean War and saying he looked forward to seeing Kim again "soon", although the White House said no second meeting was currently planned.

It is not the first time since the summit that North Korea has appeared to offer a more negative impression of the progress of talks with the United States that Washington.

Following a trip to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo spoke of progress, but as soon as he had left the country North Korea accused him of "gangster-like" diplomacy, casting doubts about the future of the discussions.

Even so, Trump has continued to hail progress, emphasizing the halt in bomb and missile tests and North Korea's return of purported American war remains.

A senior State Department official sought to play down Ri's statement, saying it was to be expected.

"Much of the intervention was positive and that's an improvement from the past," the official said. "We're building a relationship with North Korea after years of difficult relations."

Since US talks with North Korea resumed this year, Pompeo has primarily engaged with Kim Yong Chol, a top North Korean party official and former spy agency chief, not Ri.

Pompeo told a Senate committee hearing on July 25 that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs in spite of its denuclearisation pledge.

On Monday, a senior US official said US spy satellites had detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.</s>North Korea and the United States on Saturday sparred over an agreement reached at a landmark summit in June for the Asian country to end its nuclear program, as Washington called for maintaining sanctions pressure against Pyongyang, which in turn said it was alarmed by U.S. intentions.

The discord at a regional forum in Singapore was the latest reminder of the difficulties that have long impaired efforts to negotiate an end to North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, despite commitments made at an unprecedented summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the city-state less than two months ago.

"The DPRK stands firm in its determination and commitment for implementing the DPRK-U.S. Joint Statement in a responsible and good-faith manner," North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told the ASEAN Regional Forum, using his country's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"What is alarming, however, is the insistent moves manifested within the U.S. to go back to the old, far from its leader's intention," he said.

Ri made the statement after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had left the Singapore conference centre for Indonesia having pressed Southeast Asian nations to maintain sanctions on North Korea until it gives up a nuclear weapons programme that now threatens the United States.

At the June 12 summit, Kim, who is seeking relief from tough sanctions, committed to working towards denuclearization, but North Korea has offered no details on how it might go about this.

Pompeo suggested on Friday that continued work on weapons programmes by North Korea was inconsistent with Kim's commitment to denuclearise. On Saturday, he nevertheless said he was optimistic a North Korean denuclearization could be achieved although it "would take some time."

Ri said North Korea had made goodwill gestures, including a moratorium on nuclear tests and rocket launches and the dismantling of a nuclear test ground.

"However, the United States, instead of responding to these measures, is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK and showing the attitude to retreat even from declaring the end of the war, a very basic and primary step for providing peace on the Korean peninsula," he said.

On Saturday, Pompeo said Washington took very seriously any relaxation of U.N. sanctions, calling out Russia for possibly violating a U.N. resolution by issuing work visas to North Korean workers.

"I want to remind every nation that has supported these resolutions that this is a serious issue and something that we will discuss with Moscow," he said. "We expect the Russians and all countries to abide by the U.N. Security Council resolutions and enforce sanctions on North Korea."

Russia has denied a report by the Wall Street Journal that said Moscow was allowing thousands of fresh North Korean labourers into the country and granting them work permits in a potential breach of U.N sanctions.

Russia's ambassador to North Korea also denied Moscow was flouting U.N. restrictions on oil supplies to North Korea.

According to a confidential U.N. report seen by Reuters on Friday, North Korea has not stopped nuclear and missile programs in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Although Pompeo has been leading U.S. negotiating efforts with North Korea, he had no formal meeting with Ri in Singapore. However, at a group photo session on Saturday, he walked up to the North Korean and shook hands and exchanged words and smiles.

He told Ri: "We should talk again soon," the State Department said.

"I agree, there are many productive conversations to be had," Ri replied, according to the State Department.

Pompeo later tweeted that it had been "a quick, polite exchange" and there had been the opportunity to deliver a letter for Kim Jong Un from Trump.

U.S. Ambassador Sung Kim handed Ri the letter, which the State Department said was in return for one from Kim to Trump that the White House said was received on Wednesday. The State Department has not said what is in Trump's letter to Kim.

Trump posted a note on Twitter on Thursday thanking Kim for returning the remains of U.S. soldiers from the Korean War and saying he looked forward to seeing Kim again "soon", although the White House said no second meeting was currently planned.

It is not the first time since the summit that North Korea has appeared to offer a more negative impression of the progress of talks with the United States that Washington.

Following a trip to Pyongyang in July, Pompeo spoke of progress, but as soon as he had left the country North Korea accused him of "gangster-like" diplomacy, casting doubts about the future of the discussions.

Even so, Trump has continued to hail progress, emphasizing the halt in bomb and missile tests and North Korea's return of purported American war remains.

A senior State Department official sought to play down Ri's statement, saying it was to be expected.

"Much of the intervention was positive and that's an improvement from the past," the official said. "We're building a relationship with North Korea after years of difficult relations."

Since U.S. talks with North Korea resumed this year, Pompeo has primarily engaged with Kim Yong Chol, a top North Korean party official and former spy agency chief, not Ri.

Pompeo told a Senate committee hearing on July 25 that North Korea was continuing to produce fuel for nuclear bombs in spite of its denuclearization pledge.

On Monday, a senior U.S. official said U.S. spy satellites had detected renewed activity at the North Korean factory that produced the country's first intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.</s>North Korea foreign minister Ri Yong Ho criticizes the United States for urging pressure on sanctions against Pyongyang after UN report on continued nuclear activities

SINGAPORE, Singapore – North Korea's foreign minister Saturday, August 4 criticized the US for urging that sanctions be maintained against Pyongyang, after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked the international community to keep up pressure against the reclusive regime.

Despite "goodwill measures" taken by the North, Washington was "raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against the DPRK," the North's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told a security forum in Singapore, according to a statement. DPRK are the initials of the North's official name. –Rappler.com</s>TEHRAN: North Korea´s foreign minister Ri Yong Ho is due to visit Iran on Tuesday, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

Ri is set to jet in as the United States reimposes sanctions on Iran following Washington´s withdrawal from the 2015 deal to curb Tehran´s nuclear programme. The US is currently also pushing Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear capabilities after President Donald Trump and North Korea´s leader Kim Jong Un agreed a vague commitment to “denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula” at their landmark summit in June.

North Korea´s top diplomat will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to the conservative-aligned Fars news agency.

The report did not give any details of what will be discussed. Ri is thought to have met with a high-level Iranian delegation at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku, Azerbaijan in April, according to the Korean Central News Agency.</s>TEHERAN (AFP) - North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho is due to visit Iran on Tuesday, Iranian media reported on Saturday (Aug 4).

Ri is set to jet in as the United States reimposes sanctions on Iran following Washington's withdrawal from the 2015 deal to curb Teheran's nuclear programme.

The US is currently also pushing Pyongyang to scrap its nuclear capabilities after President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un agreed a vague commitment to "denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula" at their landmark summit in June.

North Korea's top diplomat will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to the conservative-aligned Fars news agency.

The report did not give any details of what will be discussed.

Ri is thought to have met with a high-level Iranian delegation at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku, Azerbaijan in April, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

A United Nations Panel of Experts has expressed concern over collaboration between the two countries in the past, according to NK News.

In a 2017 report, it noted the presence of designated North Korean weapons traffickers living in Teheran and the similarity between missile designs in the two countries.</s>(SINGAPORE) — The North Korean foreign minister has shot back at the U.S. over its warning to other countries against violating international sanctions on North Korea, saying recent moves by the U.S. are “alarming.”

Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho said at a Southeast Asian regional forum in Singapore on Saturday that the U.S. “is raising its voice louder for maintaining the sanctions against” North Korea.

Ri said that while North Korea has “initiated goodwill measures” including a “moratorium on the nuclear test and rocket launch test and dismantling of nuclear test ground,” the U.S. has gone “back to the old, far from its leader’s intention.”

He made the remarks in a speech that came after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was at the same conference, warned Russia, China and others against any violation of international sanctions on North Korea.
Ri Yong-ho, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea, says that his country will not start denuclearizing unless the United States takes reciprocal actions.