North Korea

U.S. President Donald Trump answers reporters' questions at the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
N Korea at crossroads

China hits back at Trump's 'irresponsible' North Korea remarks

Trump had threatened to restart and ramp up military exercises if no progress

30 August 2018
North Korea is thought to be circumventing international sanctions by smuggling products through third countries or switching cargo between ships on the high seas. (Courtesy of Japan's Defense Ministry)
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea-linked smuggling ships made 25 stops in Japan

Vessels seen to be exporting coal, exposing gaping hole in sanctions enforcement

30 August 2018
Intercontinental ballistic missiles are put on show at a military parade in Pyongyang on Feb. 9, celebrating the 70th founding anniversary of the Korean People's Army.
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea plans major military parade for its 70th anniversary

Pyongyang still interested in talking with Washington, South Korean spy agency says

29 August 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump, left, held a meeting Friday on North Korea attended by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, fourth from left. (Photo from White House social media director Dan Scavino's Twitter account)
N Korea at crossroads

Trump gambit takes aim at North Korea stalemate

Pompeo's scrapped trip to Pyongyang echoes negotiating tactic from summit

26 August 2018
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, announces the appointment of Steve Biegun as Special Representative to North Korea at the State Department in Washington on Aug. 23. (State Department photo)
N Korea at crossroads

Trump tells Pompeo to cancel North Korea trip

President cites lack of progress and China's unhelpful stance

25 August 2018
A Japan Coast Guard patrol ship warns a North Korean fishing boat in waters off Japan in June.
International relations

North Korean fishing in Japan's economic zone drops 77%

Early patrol by coast guard ahead of squid season pays off

25 August 2018
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Donald Trump pledged cooperation on North Korea. (Photo by Masayuki Terazawa)
N Korea at crossroads

Abe and Trump to meet in New York next month

Leaders reaffirm unity on North Korea in first call in two months

23 August 2018
Separated family members reunite at Mount Kumgang resort in North Korea. Many of the participants are already in their 80s and have not seen their relatives in over six decades.
N Korea at crossroads

Moon and Kim keep promise by restarting family reunions

Two Koreas allow divided relatives to meet for first time in nearly three years

21 August 2018
While the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. gave its assent to the sale of Waldorf Astoria Hotel, it blocked the purchase of another hotel, citing its proximity to a military base hundreds of meters away.
Business Insight

Tighter US foreign investment rules are here to stay

Revamped CFIUS regime marks a retreat from globalization that will spread

20 August 2018
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he would sit down with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 
N Korea at crossroads

Japan weighs $10bn in North Korea aid to spur return of citizens

Tokyo's trump card of economic assistance will follow normalization of relations

17 August 2018
Indonesian masseuse Siti Aisyah, one of the two women accused of killing Kim Jong Nam, arrives at the Shah Alam High Court on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 16.
International relations

Women accused of Kim Jong Nam murder ordered to begin defense

Malaysian court rules enough evidence presented for trial to proceed

16 August 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks at a ceremony on Aug. 15 marking the 73rd anniversary of liberation from Japan's colonial rule.
N Korea at crossroads

Moon pushes inter-Korean railway ahead of Pyongyang visit

President prepares economic incentives to encourage denuclearization

16 August 2018
Despite international sanctions banning the import of North Korean coal, South Korea apparently received roughly 35,000 tons of the fuel between April and October 2017.
N Korea at crossroads

Illegal North Korean coal finds its way to South's power plants

About 35,000 tons smuggled through Russia in breach of sanctions

11 August 2018
Kim Jong Un has abandoned his usual dark suits as he shows himself leading North Koreans coping with a heat wave.
N Korea at crossroads

Kim sheds Mao suit as North Korea faces drought

Media play up leader's visits to food factories during heat wave

9 August 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in an apparent goodwill gesture to North Korea, canceled military drills with the U.S. scheduled for August.
Politics

South Korea's foreign policy shaped by Moon's anti-US past

Talk of a smaller American military presence builds in Seoul

6 August 2018
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, speaks with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho at the ASEAN Regional Forum in Singapore on Aug. 4. (State Department photo)
N Korea at crossroads

US and North Korea trade barbs on international stage

At Singapore meeting, Pyongyang offers fiery response to Washington's new sanctions

5 August 2018
Foreign ministers attend the Asean Regional Forum Retreat Session in Singapore on August 4. 
N Korea at crossroads

ASEAN forum switches tone on North Korea and South China Sea

Members ease pressure on Pyongyang and welcome commitment to denuclearization

4 August 2018
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho arrives at the ASEAN Regional Forum with a clear mission: drum up support for an official end to the Korean War.
N Korea at crossroads

Pyongyang campaigns to build support for Korean War closure

North Korean foreign minister meets counterparts from 7 Asian nations

4 August 2018
North Korea's Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, left, and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi shake hands at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Singapore on Friday.
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea welcomed at ASEAN forum a year after being ignored

US denuclearization deal helps lighten mood at regional security conference

3 August 2018
55 crates carrying the possible remains of American soldiers arrived in the U.S. from North Korea this week.
N Korea at crossroads

Trump receives new 'nice letter' from Kim

US touts return of war remains as progress toward Korean peace

3 August 2018
South Korea operates around 80 guard posts near the DMZ, while North Korea has about 160.
N Korea at crossroads

Koreas eye disarming DMZ guard posts to further peace

Seoul invites North to make first-ever appearance at multilateral security talks

1 August 2018
The ASEAN source also said the bloc's foreign ministers may express concern over protectionism in the statement.
Trade war

US-China trade war to command attention at ASEAN forum

North Korea faces less pressure at foreign ministers gathering after Trump summit

31 July 2018
The OPEC and non-OPEC coalition needs to be keen and flexible about output adjustment to rebalance the oil market in an increasingly uncertain world.
Opinion

US-China trade war creates uncertainty on oil demand

Economic slowdown could dent crude prices

27 July 2018
Despite uncertainties, enthusiasts in the business world are betting, with reason, that chances are coming.
Opinion

Business in North Korea -- a risk worth taking

Executives are right to prepare for a political deal, even if the outlook remains uncertain

26 July 2018
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo testifies at a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
N Korea at crossroads

Pompeo insists US has 'not been taken for a ride' by Kim

Senators grill secretary for proof of progress on North Korea denuclearization

26 July 2018