South Korea set to join North arms interception (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
South Korea said on Wednesday it will soon announce plans to curtail the North’s suspected trade in illicit weapons after its neighbor raised tensions by vowing to quit talks and restart its nuclear arms plant.
N. Korea marks late leader’s birthday amid tension (AP via Yahoo! News)
North Korea celebrated the birthday Wednesday of late founding father Kim Il Sung amid international censure over the regime’s threats to restart its nuclear program, expel U.N. inspectors and quit international disarmament talks.
North Korea threatens to restore nuclear faciliites (Times Online)
North Korea threatened to reopen a nuclear power plant, process more plutonium for nuclear weapons, and withdraw permanently from international disarmament negotiations today, after the UN Security Council condemned its firing of a long range rocket earlier this month.
US: North Korea must cease ‘provocative threats’ (AP via Yahoo! News)
As North Korea spurned a U.N. condemnation, the White House called on the reclusive communist nation Tuesday to “cease its provocative threats” and respect the international community’s will.
North Korea: What about us? (Politico via Yahoo! News)
North Korea is sending President Barack Obama a message: We want personal attention, just like you re giving Iran.
Bosworth says willing to mull direct talks with N. Korea
Stephen Bosworth, the U.S. special representative for North Korea policy, expressed willingness Tuesday to consider holding direct talks with North Korea when necessary, a Japanese lawmaker said. Bosworth signaled the stance during a meeting with Seiji Maehara, a vice president of Japan’s main opposition Democratic Party of Japan, after North Korea ordered U.S. nuclear experts engaging in disablement of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and U.N. nuclear agency staff monitoring the work to leave the country, Maehara told reporters.
N. Korea orders U.S. nuke experts, IAEA monitors in Yongbyon to leave
North Korea on Tuesday ordered U.S. nuclear experts engaging in disablement of nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and U.N. staff monitoring the work to leave the country, a U.S. government official said. The order came a day after the U.N. Security Council adopted a statement condemning North Korea’s recent rocket launch. ==Kyodo
iraq, south korea: Baghdad penalizes two South Korean firms (Monday Morning)
Hussein al-Shahristani told South Korean Ambassador Ha Tae-Yun that the Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), and SK Energy were not allowed to bid on tenders after agreeing a 2.1-billion-dollar agreement with Iraq s northern autonomous region in June.
N Korea to quit nuclear talks, restart weapons program (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
North Korea has announced it will quit six-nation disarmament talks and restart its nuclear weapons program in protest against at a United Nations statement condemning its rocket launch earlier this month.
