Grieving for the Dear Leader

Staff / Truthdig Dec 20, 2011 Since North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il's death last weekend, images of his countrymen grieving en masse have passed through the country's ironclad borders to the outside world, provoking a range of reactions -- incredulity and puzzlement among them. So what's the story behind the weeping and gnashing of teeth? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

South Korean Drills Spark War Talk From the North

Staff / Truthdig Dec 23, 2010 North Korea was at the ready with disquieting talk about a "sacred war of justice" on Thursday after South Korea executed elaborate military exercises to demonstrate its prowess near the feuding nations' shared border. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Clinton Talks Tough About North Korea

Staff / Truthdig May 27, 2010 The sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan back in March was "an unacceptable provocation by North Korea," according to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who declared Wednesday in Seoul that "the international community has a responsibility and a duty to respond." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

U.S. to Join Forces With South Korea for Seafaring Exercises

Staff / Truthdig May 24, 2010 In a move that predictably provoked the North Korean government, the Pentagon acknowledged that U.S. forces would be conducting naval exercises with their South Korean counterparts as a show of solidarity with Seoul following the sinking of the warship Cheonan in March. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

North and South Korean Navy Boats Clash at Sea

Staff / Truthdig Nov 10, 2009 Tensions between North and South Korea escalated to the point of open combat off the Korean peninsula early Tuesday when navy patrol boats of the two nations swapped fire in disputed waters, according to The New York Times. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

If at First You Don’t Get North Korea to Disarm …

Staff / Truthdig Oct 1, 2008 While Americans from the president on down were preoccupied with the financial meltdown, the disarmament deal with North Korea was quietly falling apart. Actually, talks with the nuclear hermit state have been on the rocks for some time, and have only grown more complicated since Kim Jong Il went MIA. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

North Korea Agrees to Discuss Nukes if U.S. Eases Policy

Staff / Truthdig Feb 8, 2007 North Korea's nuclear envoy announced on Thursday that his government is prepared to discuss nuclear disarmament, provided the United States softens its approach: "We are going to make a judgment based on whether the United States will give up its hostile policy and come out toward peaceful coexistence." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

North Korea ‘Reserves Right’ to Preemptive Action

Staff / Truthdig Aug 22, 2006 In response to an ongoing military drill organized by South Korea and the U.S., Pyongyang has said it "reserves the right to undertake a preemptive action for self-defense against the enemy, at a crucial time it deems necessary to defend itself." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )