Tag: Kim Jong Un

North Korean Defector Yeonmi Park Brings Her ‘Warning to America’ to Chandler Event

Rachel Alexander

North Korean defector Yeonmi Park spoke to a Davos in the Desert gathering at The Forum in Chandler Monday evening. The young author contrasted the totalitarian government she fled with increasing wokism in the U.S. Due to her speaking out, she said, “I have become the enemy of the woke.”

David Wanetick, who founded Davos in the Desert, spoke briefly first about the principles of the organization. It is an “anti-globalist movement dedicated to providing forums whereby business leaders, thought leaders and government servants share their ideas for safeguarding freedom and liberty.”

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Amid Rumors of His Demise, Photos Show Train at Kim Jong-Un’s Compound in Resort Town

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New photos obtained via satellite show North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s train at his “vacation compound” in a resort town on the eastern coast of North Korea.

38 North – a foreign affairs news and information website that focuses on North Korea – released the photos, reporting the images were captured between Tuesday, April 21 and Thursday April 23.

The news comes amid a flood of rumors recently that the reclusive leader has suffered a catastrophic injury during a heart procedure.

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Commentary: President Donald J. Trump, Statesman

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by Brandon Weichert   When Donald Trump took office, his predecessor warned him that North Korea was going to be his biggest international headache. Within months of receiving that warning from Barack Obama, the Trump team was faced with escalating nuclear threats from Pyongyang. The world braced as a nuclear standoff appeared to unfold and as President Trump moved U.S. forces into the region, issuing threatening tweets in response to escalating North Korean provocations. Meanwhile, the hateful Left and its allies embedded within the so-called deep state, decried the president’s supposed “warmongering” against North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Once Trump stunned the world and met with Kim in Singapore last summer—without preconditions—those same Leftists and deep staters insisted Trump was appeasing an intractable dictator intent on acquiring nuclear weapons to use against the United States and its allies. In reality, Trump was pursuing an America First strategy that used all the tools of statecraft available to his—tools most of these “experts” had forgotten how to use. Those Who Want Respect Give Respect  For too long, American policymakers had an all-or-nothing view of foreign policy. Either the United States got everything it wanted through force or it got nothing. Threats, such as those from…

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New Trump Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Bruised After Brawl with North Korean Guards to Ensure Press Access to Kim Jong Un Meeting

Jason M. Reynolds

  President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with dictator Kim Jong Un, while reportedly cordial, did have some tension: North Korean guards tried to bar U.S. reporters’ way, but new press secretary Stephanie Grisham saved the day. The Guardian reported that Grisham ended up bruised in a scuffle with the guards. The jostling seen outside when Kim and Trump met worsened when North Korean guards tried to physically prevent reporters with the US press pool from entering a room inside the Freedom House on the southern side of the DMZ where the two leaders were about to start their meeting. Reports said the Secret Service had to intervene. Political commentator Edward Hardy tweeted a video of the confrontation: “This is the moment White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham got into a scuffle with North Korean security guards who were blocking US journalists”. This is the moment White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham got into a scuffle with North Korean security guards who were blocking US journalists pic.twitter.com/WSBkdDw17g — Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) June 30, 2019 Sky News tweeted, “President Trump’s press secretary Stephanie Grisham ended up with bruises after being shoved by Kim Jong Un’s security guards. Donald Trump has become the first…

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Trump Meets Kim at DMZ, Crosses Into North Korea

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by William Gallo   Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to visit North Korea, stepping across the border during a meeting at the demilitarized zone with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. After shaking hands with Kim at the Panmunjom border village, Trump walked across the military demarcation line separating the two Koreas. Kim and Trump then crossed the border back into South Korea. “Good to see you again,” Kim told Trump. “I never expected to see you in this place.” “Stepping across that line was a great honor,” said Trump, who invited Kim to the United States for another meeting. pic.twitter.com/bpbcInzUqn — Dan Scavino Jr.🇺🇸 (@Scavino45) June 30, 2019 Trump on Saturday had said the meeting would only last two minutes. However, Trump’s private talks with Kim lasted about 50 minutes, turning into an impromptu summit. When Trump emerged from the meeting, he announced he and Kim had agreed to form teams to restart working level talks. “They will meet over the next few weeks and they’re going to start a process and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “Speed is not the object…we want a really comprehensive, good deal.” It is the third meeting between Kim and…

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US-Seized North Korean Ship Arrives in American Samoa

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  A North Korean cargo ship seized by the U.S. because of suspicions it was used to violate international sanctions arrived Saturday at the capital of this American territory. The Wise Honest was slowly towed to the port of Pago Pago Saturday morning and docked at the main docking section of the port that afternoon. The trip from Indonesia took about three weeks, and American Samoa, in the South Pacific, was chosen because of “its central strategic location,” U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer Amanda Wyrick said. “We also have a good strong relationship and partnership with the American Samoan government,” Wyrick said. “With that being said, we also already have the resources that are able to ensure the security of the vessel but most importantly the Port of Pago Pago.” Detained near Indonesia The ship was detained in April as it traveled toward Indonesia. Justice Department officials announced Thursday that the U.S. had seized the ship. Asked as to how long the ship will be in the territory, Wyrick said the U.S. Department of Justice is “leading the investigation so they will be conducting that. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the ship will be moved.” But the next…

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Senator Portman Wears ‘Otto’ T-Shirt in South Korea Visit in Remembrance of Ohio Native

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined a bipartisan congressional trip to South Korea this week to discuss trade between the U.S. and South Korea as well as the ongoing nuclear negotiations with North Korea. During a visit to the demilitarized zone between South Korea and North Korea, Portman sported an “Otto” t-shirt in remembrance of Ohio native Otto Warmbier, who was famously imprisoned by Kim Jong Un’s regime and later died after being returned to the U.S. “Being in the region, I could not help but think of Otto Warmbier and his family. Otto has been at the front of my mind while I’ve been here and I’ve made clear to South Korean government officials that we must never forget him,” Portman said in a press release. The Ohio senator visited with soldiers from his home state during the trip who are “serving on the front lines to protect the people of South Korea from potential North Korean aggression.” “I am so grateful for the incredible sacrifices that our soldiers make on our behalf and I was honored to visit with them during my time in South Korea,” Portman said. Portman said he also visited with South Korean trade representatives to…

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Kim Says He’s Open to Third Summit With Trump

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he will give the U.S. until the end of the year to make a “courageous decision” on stalled nuclear talks, warning of “very bleak and very dangerous” consequences if Washington does not change its approach. Speaking to a session of North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, Kim also said he is open to meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump “one more time,” but only if the U.S. changes its attitude, according to North Korean state media. President Trump responded Saturday morning via Twitter. “I agree with Kim Jong Un of North Korea that our personal relationship remains very good, perhaps the term excellent would be even more accurate, and that a third Summit would be good in that we fully understand where we each stand. North Korea has tremendous potential for extraordinary growth, economic success and riches under the leadership of Chairman Kim. I look forward to the day, which could be soon, when Nuclear Weapons and Sanctions can be removed, and then watching North Korea become one of the most successful nations of the World!” Trump this week said he is considering another meeting with Kim, but insisted the U.S. will not relax sanctions…

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Bolton: ‘No Illusions’ About Possible North Korean Missile Activity

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The White House said Sunday it does not “have any illusions” about whether North Korea is preparing to resume missile testing, but refused to assess commercial satellite imagery suggesting Pyongyang is assembling a new rocket. National security adviser John Bolton told ABC News the U.S. watches North Korea “constantly,” but added, “I’m not going to speculate on what that commercial satellite imagery shows.” The Feb. 22 imagery seems to show new North Korean missile activity at an assembly operation, but Bolton said the U.S.”relies on its own” satellite surveillance and draws its conclusions from those images. “We see exactly what they’re doing,” he said. “We look every day at the intelligence. I don’t want to get into speculation as to what they’re doing.” After last month’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, U.S. President Donald Trump said he trusted Kim’s pledge to him that he would not resume nuclear or missile testing. Bolton said that Trump “is confident in his relations with Kim Jong Un.” Asked about the commercial satellite images on Friday, Trump said he would be “very disappointed” if North Korea resumed nuclear testing. He said he has greatly improved U.S. relations with North…

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Commentary: Trump Lost Nothing in Hanoi

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by Brandon J. Weichert   When Donald J. Trump took office in January 2017, the outgoing Obama Administration national security team cautioned Trump’s transition team that North Korea was a significant nuclear threat. Obama White House officials explained how North Korea’s leaders had built up their nascent nuclear arsenal. Since at least 2013, the Obama Administration knew about the rising threat of a potentially nuclear-armed North Korea and did nothing. It was not a matter of ignorance; it was a matter of indifference on the part of former President Barack Obama and his national security team. Obama—the man who the media claimed was the smartest of all of America’s presidents—likely had no idea how to mitigate the North Korean threat and therefore didn’t even try. How’s that for leadership? Tag, You’re It, Donald Trump! Two years into Trump’s presidency, the world seemed poised for nuclear war in a way that it hadn’t since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Yes, the combined forces of the United States, South Korea, Japan, and any other ally inevitably would have overcome North Korea’s military in combat. But, the cost would have been great—particularly to South Korea and the Americans stationed there. Such a war also…

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Trump-Kim Summit Ends with No Agreement

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The table had been set for a celebratory lunch at the landmark Metropole Hotel and a ceremony prepared for U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to sign agreements. But both events were hastily canceled just before noon Thursday, bringing a premature end to the second summit by the leaders of the two countries. “You always have to be prepared to walk,” Trump said, adding “I could have signed something today” and confirming, “we actually had papers ready to be signed.” The president added that Kim wanted sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn’t do that,” Trump explained at a news conference in the Hanoi, after the talks collapsed. “They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas we wanted, but we couldn’t give up all the sanctions for that.” He said they discussed dismantling the Yongbyon nuclear complex, but a complicating matter was another uranium enrichment site. Kim, according to Trump, had promised at dinner the previous evening that North Korea would not conduct further nuclear or missile tests. The president described the Hanoi talks as productive and said he thinks the two sides will eventually reach an agreement about denuclearization of…

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President Trump Optimistic About Summit with North Korea’s Kim

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Trump - Kim Summit

President Donald Trump says he is optimistic about his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, over U.S. efforts to end the threat of Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons arsenal. “We both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearization?” Trump said in a Twitter message Sunday. Very productive talks yesterday with China on Trade. Will continue today! I will be leaving for Hanoi, Vietnam, early tomorrow for a Summit with Kim Jong Un of North Korea, where we both expect a continuation of the progress made at first Summit in Singapore. Denuclearization? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2019 After their first meeting last June, Trump boasted as he returned to Washington, “Everybody can now feel much safer than the day I took office. There is no longer a Nuclear Threat from North Korea.” But as he meets Wednesday and Thursday with Kim in Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, there is little concrete evidence that progress has been made to set the specific terms of North Korea’s promised denuclearization. ‘No change’  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told CNN on Sunday “there is no change” in U.S. economic sanctions targeting North Korea until it agrees to…

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Second Trump-Kim Summit Planned for Late February

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U.S. President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had an “incredible” meeting with North Korean nuclear envoy Kim Yong Chol and the two sides had made “a lot of progress” on denuclearization. The White House announced after talks between Trump and Kim on Friday that the U.S. president would hold a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in late February, but would maintain economic sanctions on Pyongyang. “That was an incredible meeting,” Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House, said of the talks.”We’ve agreed to meet sometime, probably the end of February. We’ve picked a country but we’ll be announcing it in the future. Kim Jong Un is looking very forward to it and so am I. “We have made a lot of progress as far as denuclearization is concerned and we are talking about a lot of different things. Things are going very well with North Korea.” Trump and the White House have given no details of the talks, and despite his upbeat comments there has been no indication of any narrowing of differences over U.S. demands that North Korea abandon a nuclear weapons program that threatens the United States and Pyongyang’s demands for a…

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Commentary: Democrat Excess Leads to New and Improved Trump in 2019

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Donald Trump

by Jeffrey A. Rendall   Predictions. It’s what New Year’s is all about. It goes without saying that 2018 was full of surprises. Heading into this year Republican majorities in both houses of Congress had just passed a massive reorganization of the federal tax code, including a sizeable tax cut for most Americans in the bill language. By January 1, Democrats were already griping about reduced rates for corporations and businesses, claiming, as they always do, that the benefits of the new law would rain down disproportionately on the wealthiest and most powerful taxpayers. Never mind that many, many companies had already announced sizeable end-of-the-year bonuses and raises for employees based on the improved future tax outlook. Nonetheless, Democrats were convinced the popularity of the new law would not improve (especially if they demagogued the matter) over the course of time. Democrats believed they could parlay President Donald Trump’s lukewarm favorability numbers into a “wave” in November. After all, they’d just been eminently successful in stealing a senate seat in deep red Alabama (with a huge assist from the Washington GOP establishment), so the sky was the limit, right? Last month’s election came and went, Democrats gained 40 seats in…

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State Department Cancels Next Round of North Korea Talks Without Explanation

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by Will Racke   An upcoming round of high-level talks between the U.S. and North Korea has been postponed, the Department of State announced early Wednesday morning. “The meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, which had been scheduled for Thursday in New York, will now take place at a later date,” department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement. “We will reconvene when our respective schedules permit, she added. Ongoing conversations continue to take place.” Nauert did not provide a specific reason for the cancellation of Thursday’s meeting, which had been touted as a warm-up for a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in early 2019. Just days ago, Pompeo said he expected to achieve “some real progress” on nuclear disarmament during the meeting with Kim Yong Chol. “I’m confident that we’ll advance the ball again this week when I’m in New York City,” he said Sunday on CBS’s Face The Nation. Instead, the ongoing nuclear talks appear to have hit another snag over major differences in how to proceed with the denuclearization process. North Korea has demanded that any moves it makes toward dismantling its…

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President Trump Calls Off Pompeo Trip To North Korea Due To Slow Progress of Denuclearization

Anthony Gockowski
Mike Pompeo, Kim Jong Un

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he would be canceling Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s scheduled trip to North Korea due to the rogue regime’s slow progress in denuclearizing. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met earlier in the summer in one of the nation’s most historic summits, agreeing that denuclearization was necessary, but disagreeing on what exactly that would look like. According to CNBC, the White House likely expected the full relinquishment of all nuclear weapons, though Pyongyang would likely only agree to do so if the U.S. canceled its military presence in South Korea. On Friday, Trump announced in a series of tweets that he was asking Secretary Pompeo to stay home because of the slow progress North Korea has made since the historic summit. “I have asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to go to North Korea, at this time, because I feel we are not making sufficient progress with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula,” Trump tweeted. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee-Sanders later told reporters that Pompeo was in the room when the announcement was made. Trump also pointed fingers at China for the cancellation, saying the country is…

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Pompeo: North Korea Can Replicate Vietnam’s Ties with US

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Mike Pompeo, Kim Jong Un

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged North Korea on Sunday to replicate Vietnam in forging a new relationship with the United States, much like Hanoi has done five decades after the Vietnam War against the U.S. ended. The top U.S. diplomat, visiting the Vietnamese capital after two days of talks in Pyongyang aimed at dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, said 23 years of normalized U.S. relations with Vietnam should be proof to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that the U.S. can create new ties with former foes. “We know it is a real possibility because we see how Vietnam has traveled this remarkable path,” Pompeo said. Pompeo downplayed North Korea’s accusation that the U.S. had made “gangster-like” demands that it abandon its nuclear program and that their talks were “regrettable.” “If those requests were gangster-like, the world is a gangster,” Pompeo said, as he noted that the U.N. Security Council has demanded numerous times that the North dispose of its nuclear weapons and end its ballistic missile program. He said the fact that the U.S. is “cooperating— and not fighting” with Vietnam “is proof that when a country decides to create a brighter future for itself alongside…

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Trump Rips Schumer, ‘Fake News’ Over Criticism Of North Korea Meeting

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President Trump and Chuck Schumer

by Will Racke   President Donald Trump on Sunday lambasted two of his favorite targets — Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the media — for their critical assessment of his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Trump led off a series of tweets by taking a swipe at the New York senator, who had previously criticized the president’s meeting with him as “all cattle, no hat” — a botched version of the Texas colloquialism “all hat and no cattle.” “Chuck Schumer said ‘the Summit was what the Texans call all cattle and no hat,’” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Thank you Chuck, but are you sure you got that right? No more nuclear testing or rockets flying all over the place, blew up launch sites. Hostages already back, hero remains coming home & much more!” Chuck Schumer said “the Summit was what the Texans call all cattle and no hat.” Thank you Chuck, but are you sure you got that right? No more nuclear testing or rockets flying all over the place, blew up launch sites. Hostages already back, hero remains coming home & much more! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 17, 2018 Trump met with Kim in Singapore on…

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President Donald Trump Meets Kim Jong Un in Singapore for Historic Summit

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Trump and Kim at Summit

by Steve Herman   President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have moved on to a working lunch of beef short ribs, sweet and sour crispy pork, and braised codfish. Among those joining the leaders on the U.S. side were Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, White House chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton. The North Korean delegation included Kim Yong Chol, a top aide to Kim Jong Un who recently met Trump at the White House. Early,Trump said a one-on-one meeting withKim was “very, very good,” and he spoke of having an “excellent relationship” as they held talks Tuesday in Singapore about the possible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. After about 40 minutes alone, except for interpreters, Trump and Kim each brought a small delegation of officials for more extensive talks. The U.S. side included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly. “We will solve a big problem,” Trump said ahead of the main talks. Tuesday’s unprecedented first meeting of a sitting U.S. president and a North Korean leader began with Trump and Kim coming together in front of a background…

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Commentary: No One on Earth Is More Prepared to Meet Kim Jong Un Than President Trump

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Trump - Kim Summit

by Jeffery Rendall   It’s always curious to watch the lead-up to a high-profile boxing match; the more you see the respective camps maneuver the more you recognize the “show” isn’t really about the fight itself. After all, two guys roped into a ring beating the stuffing out of each other isn’t all that interesting (except maybe in a morbid way) — it’s more like the media and fans are sizing up the opponents to determine who might best use his tools and technique to gain an advantage. Regardless, in the end it doesn’t matter. All the pre-event hype invariably leads to one of the participants laying on the canvas receiving the ten-count. Hours in the gym, skill and experience no doubt guided the winner. But let’s face it – it boils down to whomever was the tougher guy. The establishment media lead-up to President Donald Trump’s meeting with NORK dictator Kim Jong-un this week sounded a lot like a boxing match promotion. Trump threw the talkers into a tizzy last week when he said he wasn’t doing much preparation for his face-to-face with Kim. Essentially Trump suggested he’ll go with his instincts when the time comes. Trump’s hostile critics were…

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China Watching Kim-Trump Summit Closely

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President Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un

China may not be participating directly in the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but in some ways Beijing will be the invisible third party in the room. Like many countries in the region, China will be watching the Trump-Kim summit closely for signs of the possible impact the meeting could have on its interests. During the roller coaster run-up to the sit down, China has played a significant role. Analysts note Beijing’s participation in expansive international sanctions was a key factor in getting Kim to the negotiating table. Even though, Beijing has tapered off its enforcement in recent months. “China was participating in an unprecedented sanctions regime, very close to embargo, without Chinese participation it would be much less likely that North Korea’s government would’ve agreed to talk,” said Andrei Lankov, director of the Korea Risk Group, a provider of risk analysis, news and information on North Korea. Before Tuesday’s meeting, Xi Jinping met twice with Kim Jong Un. On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Kim flew to Singapore on an Air China passenger jet. It did not clarify whether Beijing footed the bill, but that it provided the plane at…

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BREAKING: White House Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow Suffers Heart Attack

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Trump, Kudlow

Moments before meeting with North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump tweeted Monday night that his Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow – known to many as an economic and financial expert from his years on CNBC – suffered a heart attack and was currently receiving care at Walter Reed Medical Center. Our Great Larry Kudlow, who has been working so hard on trade and the economy, has just suffered a heart attack. He is now in Walter Reed Medical Center. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2018 Robert Costa, a close fried of the Costa tweeted that Kudlow was rushed to the hospital by friends. Friends of Kudlow are now rushing to the hospital, trying to reach his wife, Judy. Top WH economic adviser's exact health status is unknown. WH has not provided another update, for the moment. Will update. — Robert Costa (@costareports) June 12, 2018 Kudlow’s wife, Judy, made a rare statement to the Washington Post about her husband’s status, saying, “He’s doing fine. Doctors here are fabulous.” NEWS: Judy Kudlow to WashPost tonight. Note: she always wants to avoid being in public spotlight, but understands there is misinformation out there. "He's doing fine. Doctors here…

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President Trump Feeling ‘Very Good’ About Upcoming Summit with Kim

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New Sanctions on North Korea

by Steve Herman   President Donald Trump is in Singapore for his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, a meeting the U.S leader says he is feeling “very good” about. After stepping down from Air Force One Sunday, Trump was greeted by Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan. Asked by reporters on the tarmac who shouted, “is the summit going to be a success?” and “how are you feeling?” Trump replied: “very good.” Ahead of his arrival, Trump acknowledged he is heading into “unknown territory” for the meeting Tuesday. WATCH: William Gallo’s video report from Singapore In response to a question from VOA News just before heading to Asia from the Group of Seven summit in Canada, Trump said “I really feel confident” about the unprecedented encounter between a sitting American president and a member of the family dynasty that has maintained iron-fist control over one of the world’s most reclusive countries for three generations. Trump added that he believed Kim, half the age of the American president, “wants to do something great for his people.” But he cautioned that Kim “won’t have that opportunity again” if the talks do not go well — describing this opportunity for…

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Trump-Kim Singapore Summit is Back On

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Kim Jong Un, President Donald Trump

President Donald Trump announced Friday afternoon that the on-again-off-again summit between the United States and North Korea is back on for June 12 in Singapore. The surprise announcement came after an hour-long meeting with top North Korean official, Kim Yong Chol, who arrived in the United States Thursday with a letter in hand from Kim Jong Un. The Associated Press reported: “Now we’re going to deal,” Trump told reporters moments after the meeting ended. He also said it was likely that more than one meeting would be necessary. He concluded, “I think you’re going to have a very positive result in the end. We will see what we will see.” Trump told reporters he hadn’t read the letter yet and added with a smile, “I may be in for a big surprise, folks.” Although President Trump sent a letter calling off the talks last Thursday, he kept the option to go ahead with the Singapore talks on the table. “We can be successful in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, that would be a great thing for North Korea, it would be a great thing for South Korea, it would be great for Japan, it would be great for the world,…

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Officials: Trump, Japan’s Abe to Meet Ahead of Possible US-North Korea Summit

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Trump and Abe

by Steve Herman President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are to meet before a planned summit between Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, according to Japanese officials. Trump and Abe spoke Monday as American officials were in North Korea and Singapore to discuss arrangements for the prospective talks. The White House has not responded to VOA queries about the details of the Trump-Abe discussion, however. The phone conversation took place before Trump went to Arlington National Cemetery for a Memorial Day ceremony. There the president made no reference to the situation on the Korean peninsula in his 22-minute scripted remarks. Nearly 34,000 Americans died as a result of hostile action in the three-year war on the peninsula. Hostilities ceased in 1953 with an armistice but no peace treaty has ever been signed. It is unclear when or where Trump and Abe will meet before the anticipated Singapore summit, which the U.S. president has said in recent days is likely to occur on June 12 after he declared last Thursday that the summit would not be held on that day. Both Trump and Abe are set to attend the Group of Seven economic summit June 8-9…

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Trump: We’ll Know Fate of N. Korea Summit by Next Week

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President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. would know by next week whether he will meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore as scheduled. “It could very well be June 12th,” Trump said.”If we go, it’ll be a great thing for North Korea.” Trump had earlier said that if the June 12 date did not work out, the summit could be held later. North Korea has hinted it may call off the summit because of U.S. demands that it unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that he was “very hopeful” there would be talks, but said that whether they happened would be”ultimately up to Chairman Kim.” Pompeo, who has already met with Kim twice, told the lawmakers the U.S. position had not changed and there would be no easing of sanctions on North Korea “until we see credible steps taken toward the complete, verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” He said the U.S. would not hesitate to walk away from the talks if a bad deal was on the table. But visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters at…

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Trump, Moon Discuss Keeping US-N.Korean Summit on Track

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The leaders of the U.S. and South Korea have discussed ways to keep the upcoming U.S.- North Korea summit on track. During a 20-minute telephone conversation, Moon Jae-in and Donald Trump exchanged views about how best to deal with the seeming roadblocks the North has thrown into what would be historic talks between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore. The June meeting would be a first for the leaders of the two countries. Yoon Young-chan, President Moon’s senior press secretary said in a statement that “The two leaders exchanged opinions of various actions taken by North Korea recently.” A White House statement said the two leaders will “continue their close coordination ahead” of the Trump-Kim summit. Trump and Moon are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Washington. North Korea threatened last week to pull out of the June summit because of South Korea’s ongoing military exercises with the U.S., calling the exercises an invasion rehearsal. In addition, the North’s Red Cross is now demanding the return of 12 North Korean restaurant workers who have been in the South since 2016. The North says the return of the women would demonstrate the South’s willingness to…

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President Trump Announces Meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12

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Less than a handful of hours after welcoming three newly-released Americans home from their captivity in North Korea early Thursday, President Trump announced via Twitter the details of his meeting with Kim Jong Un. “The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th,” the president tweeted, adding, “We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace!” The highly anticipated meeting between Kim Jong Un and myself will take place in Singapore on June 12th. We will both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2018 During a brief appearance on the tarmac, President Trump hailed the release of Tony Kim, Kim Dong Chul, and Kim Hak-song as a “gesture of goodwill” and told the press that now, the United States and North Korea are “starting off on a new footing.” “I think this will be a very big success,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s never been taken this far, there’s never been a relationship like this. Some great things can happen, and that’s what we hope.” Watch President Trump and First Lady Melania, along with Vice President and Mrs. Pence…

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North Korea Nuclear Talks – Approach With Caution, Analysts Say

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North Korea’s agreement to enter into talks with the United States could be a diplomatic breakthrough to reach a peaceful resolution to the nuclear crisis, or a ruse to weaken sanctions, or both. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s willingness to engage with the United States in negotiations to end his country’s nuclear weapons program, and his promise to suspend nuclear and missile tests while talks are under way, was reported on Tuesday by Chung Eui-yong, the head of South Korea’s National Security Office, following his meeting with Kim in Pyongyang.

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US Seeks UN Ban on 33 ships, 27 Firms over North Korea Smuggling

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The United States is seeking to have the United Nations ban 33 vessels from ports worldwide and blacklist 27 shipping businesses for helping North Korea circumvent sanctions. The US request to a UN sanctions committee, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, came as President Donald Trump announced Friday the “heaviest sanctions ever” on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

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South Korea Seizes Hong Kong-flagged Ship Suspected of Sending Oil to North Korea

Tennessee Star Staff

South Korea’s foreign ministry says the country has seized a Hong Kong-flagged ship that transferred oil to a North Korean vessel in international waters despite United Nations Security Council sanctions. Yonhap, the South Korean news agency, reports South Korean custom officials say the Lighthouse Winmore vessel transferred “600 tons of refined petroleum” to a North Korean ship October 19. South Korea seized the Lighthouse Winmore on November 24 when it sailed into South Korea’s Yeosu Port, the news agency says.

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President Donald Trump Calls China President Xi Jinping Over North Korea’s Missile Test

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President Donald Trump, President Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un

President Trump urged China’s president in a phone call Wednesday to use “all available levers” to pressure North Korea to halt its “provocations,” a day after Pyongyang tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Mr. Trump emphasized to Chinese President Xi Jinping “the determination of the United States to defend ourselves and our allies from the growing…

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Senator Bob Corker Is North Korea’s Favorite Politician

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Politicians are often known for measuring their worth by amount of media coverage they garner, and this seems to be especially true of our own retiring junior Senator Bob Corker. After months of attacks that have done nothing but alienate him from his own electorate, Mr. Corker has found a new audience for his anti-Trump rhetoric. None other than the starving hermit kingdom, North Korea. Breitbart News reports: North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun on Sunday cited Sen. Bob Corker to support its own attacks on President Trump, as he arrived in the region. Corker (R-TN) has questioned Trump’s “stability” and “competence,” and has attacked Trump for criticizing North Korean President Kim Jong Un on Twitter. Rodong Sinmun specifically cited Corker in its editorial, which said Trump “must hear such assertions,” according to the Korean Central News Agency. KCNA summarized the editorial: Dignitaries such as Corker, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the U.S. Senate, and former officials said that the president is uselessly escalating tension with the DPRK and he has to halt the reckless blackmail and take hands off the Korean affairs. Commenting on this, Rodong Sinmun Sunday ridicules that if Trump is not deaf, he must hear such…

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North Korea’s Kim Calls Nuclear Weapons Program a ‘Treasured Sword’

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is defiantly calling his country’s nuclear weapons program a “treasured sword” to protect it against aggression, even as U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe continue to pressure his regime. Pyongyang’s state media reported that Kim on Saturday told the powerful Central Committee of the ruling Workers’…

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POLL: 82% of Republicans Support a Military Strike Against North Korea Should Diplomacy and Sanctions Fail

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The American attitude toward North Korea appears to be evolving ­- and not necessarily in a docile direction. The number of Americans who would support a U.S. military response to the rogue nation’s aggression is “significantly higher” these days, according to a new Gallup poll. “As North Korea continues to launch test missiles and issue provocative…

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Gorka: Trump’s ‘Rocket Man’ Rhetoric Helps Shove North Korea ‘Back in its Box’

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Tennessee Star

Dr. Sebastian Gorka, former deputy assistant to President Donald Trump, said that the president’s decision to refer to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man” in front of the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday “gets us halfway” to shoving the regime “back in its box” where it belongs, during an interview Tuesday on “The…

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Trump Lets Loose on ‘Rocket Man’ Kim, ‘Crooked Hillary’

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Donald Trump let loose on Twitter Sunday with a shoot-from-the-hip volley of posts referring to North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un as “Rocket Man” — and picturing himself taking out Hillary Clinton with a golf ball. The US leader spoke Saturday night with South Korea’s President Moon Jae-In, pledging joint “steps to strengthen deterrence and defense capabilities…

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