People wear masks of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a pro-unification rally in Seoul on April 25.
N Korea at crossroads

Moon steps up efforts to coax Kim to Seoul

South Korean president seeks a leg up on public support

4 December 2018
Trump said at some point he will invite Kim to the United States.
N Korea at crossroads

Trump eyes early 2019 meeting with North Korea's Kim

U.S. president says three sites under consideration for possible second summit

2 December 2018
Andrew Kim, front center, helped the U.S. establish communications with top North Korean officials.
Politics

CIA point man on North Korea to quit by year-end

US negotiator behind Trump-Kim summit leaves as denuclearization talks stall

29 November 2018
ASEAN is trying to stick to its "balance diplomacy" in dealing with China and the U.S., but it is harder to keep a comfortable distance in the current political climate. (Photo by Katsuhiko Hara)
International relations

ASEAN reiterates 'concern' over South China Sea in draft statement

10 members express support for North Korean denuclearization

12 November 2018
Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang in October failed to iron out differences between the U.S. and North Korea.
N Korea at crossroads

Trump's absence made North Korean envoy call off trip

Cancellation deepens standoff, affecting inter-Korean projects

9 November 2018
Experts warn that Tuesday's outcome could embolden Trump to harden his stance on China.
International relations

Asia fears Trump doubling down on trade war after mixed midterms

US Republicans block Democratic sweep to retain the Senate

8 November 2018
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last year.
International relations

A shaken Asia awaits America's midterm verdict on Trump

A 'blue wave' would embolden Democrats to push back against the president's Asia policies

6 November 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is trying out a top-down approach for a breakthrough with the U.S.
N Korea at crossroads

Father's lesson weighs on Kim as denuclearization talks stall

Second summit remains elusive as distrust persists between US and North

5 November 2018
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says goodbye to Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol as he departs Pyongyang on Oct.7. (State Department photo)
N Korea at crossroads

Pompeo to meet North Korea's Kim Yong Chol this week in New York

Secretary vows 'no economic relief' without verifiable denuclearization

5 November 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in delivers his speech on the government's 2019 budget proposal to the National Assembly in Seoul on Nov. 1.
N Korea at crossroads

Moon says peace on Korean Peninsula will be new growth engine

President asks lawmakers for support amid stalemated denuclearization talks

1 November 2018
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Sept. 18.
N Korea at crossroads

Moon's like-minded aides steer conciliatory North Korea policy

Senior officials focused on American alliance find themselves crowded out

29 October 2018
North Korea's Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile is pictured during its second test-fire in July last year
N Korea at crossroads

Trump likely to make a 'bad deal' on North Korea, US experts warn

CSIS analysts say Kim holds the upper hand over a Washington in 'chaos'

26 October 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks at a news conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang in September.
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea's Kim looks to mystery brother Kim Jong Chol for help

Report says leader held discussions with elder sibling before historic US summit

25 October 2018
Kim Yo Jong was described as the "North Korean Ivanka" when she visited South Korea in February. 
N Korea at crossroads

Kim Jong Un's sister emerges as candidate to visit Pompeo

'North Korean Ivanka' surfaces as possible envoy ahead of US elections

22 October 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in attend a luncheon in Pyongyang in September.
North Korea

US and S Korean experts clash over sanctions policy on Pyongyang

Incentives for dialogue could end up bolstering N Korean leader's position

19 October 2018
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Pyongyang on Oct. 7.
N Korea at crossroads

Kim Jong Un pressed Pompeo to ease sanctions

North Korea drums up international support for an end to the penalties

17 October 2018
© Nikkei photo illustration/Source photo of Kim Jong Un by Getty Images
Asia Insight

South Korea's corporate giants tiptoe toward the North

Chaebol sound positive about entering the country but harbor private concerns

16 October 2018
This poster of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, left, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wishing for peace was displayed near the U.S. embassy in Seoul on Oct. 2.
Comment

Seoul's placatory tactic lays ground for a nuclearized Pyongyang

Priority is on statement declaring end to war, not on dismantling weapons

13 October 2018
North Korea sent a large group of cheerleaders to the Pyeongchang Olympics earlier this year in South Korea.
N Korea at crossroads

South Korea sends mixed messages on Pyongyang sanctions

Foreign minister backtracks on statement suggesting removal of bans

11 October 2018
A South Korean soldier stands guard along the Demilitarized Zone.
N Korea at crossroads

Pompeo visit fails to bridge gap on denuclearization

A second Trump-Kim summit is promised, but no details emerge

8 October 2018
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, walks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in this picture Pompeo posted on  Twitter.
N Korea at crossroads

US and North Korea agree to second summit 'as soon as possible'

Kim invites inspectors to visit dismantled nuclear test site

8 October 2018
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo, front left, and North Korean counterpart No Kwang Chol, front right, signed an agreement Sept. 19 to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other."
N Korea at crossroads

Koreas aim to contain Trump threat with moves toward peace

Agreement ending military drills risks weakening South's alliance with US

6 October 2018
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, seen here on his last visit to Tokyo in February, is set to push Trump's agenda in Asia.
Politics

Pence to visit Japan in November with trade deal on agenda

US vice president's talks with Abe also likely to cover North Korea and China

4 October 2018
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump take part in a rally in South Korea in 2017.
International relations

South Korea gives Trump's global confidence levels a boost

New Pew poll still finds little support for US leader despite improvement in Asia

2 October 2018
North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, speaking to the U.N. General Assembly, blamed the deadlock in denuclearization on U.S. "coercive measures."
N Korea at crossroads

North Korea says it will not disarm first, blaming US sanctions

Foreign Minister Ri calls for end of war declaration in UN speech

30 September 2018