Following a historic announcement at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are poised for a face-to-face meeting. Since the end of the Korean War, the countries' relations have been marked by high tensions and periodic, but short-lived, thaws. Here is a recap of their troubled history: A divided Korean peninsula In 1945 Japan's defeat in World War II ends its occupation of Korea. The peninsula is divided along the 38th parallel between the Soviet-backed regime of Kim Il-Sung in the North and a South under U.S. protection. In June 1950 North Korea, later assisted by China, invades the South. A coalition led by the United States retakes Seoul. In July 1953, an armistice -- not a full-fledged peace treaty -- is signed and Washington imposes sanctions on Pyongyang. Pueblo spy ship crisis In January 1968, the spy ship USS Pueblo is captured by North Korea. After 11 months, its 83 crew members are released. According to Pyongyang, … [Read more...] about US and North Korea: foes face-to-face after decades of tension
North korea invaded south korea
N.Korea dismisses South’s dialogue offer on Kaesong
North Korea dismissed on Sunday the South's offer for dialogue on the future of the Kaesong joint industrial zone, calling the offer an "empty" political gesture. Seoul last Thursday called for Pyongyang to "come to the dialogue table" to revive the complex, a rare symbol of cross-border economic cooperation and crucial hard currency source for the North. But Pyongyang dismissed the offer by the South's Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-Jae as a "meaningless" and "cunning" gesture aimed at concealing its true intentions to invade the North. "We found the offer an empty, meaningless act," a spokesman of the North's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea said in an interview with the state media KCNA. The official cited the South's ongoing joint military drill with its ally, the United States, and a call for the North to give up its nuclear ambitions as obstacles preventing talks. "If the South is genuine about having talks...it should first abandon the … [Read more...] about N.Korea dismisses South’s dialogue offer on Kaesong
N.Korea leader visits navy amid rocket launch tensions
North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-Un has visited the naval unit that captured a US spy ship in 1968, the official news agency said Friday, amid tensions over its planned satellite launch. Any attempt to intercept the satellite would be "an act of war", the North said late Thursday after South Korea and Japan prepared to shoot down the rocket should it fall towards their territory. In the latest of a series of military visits, Kim inspected Navy Unit 155 in the southeastern province of Kangwon and highly praised its past feats, the agency said. It "startled the world" by sinking the US heavy cruiser Baltimore with just four torpedo craft during the 1950-53 Korean War and also captured the US spy ship Pueblo, it said. Kim "stressed the need for the seamen of the unit to firmly take over the baton of the revolutionary forerunners (and) send the enemies into the bottom of the sea if they dare intrude into the territorial waters". The North captured the spy ship with 83 crew members … [Read more...] about N.Korea leader visits navy amid rocket launch tensions
North Korea denies hacking Sony, U.S. stands by its assertion
North Korea has said U.S. accusations that it was involved in a cyberattack on Sony Pictures were "groundless slander," and that it wanted a joint investigation into the incident with the United States. The United States stands by its assertion that North Korea was to blame, a White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesman said on Saturday, in response to the remarks. U.S. President Barack Obama had blamed North Korea for the devastating cyberattack on Sony, which had led to the Hollywood studio cancelling the imminent release of "The Interview," a comedy on the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. An unnamed spokesman of North Korea's foreign ministry said there would be serious consequences if Washington refused to agree to a joint probe and continued to accuse Pyongyang, according to the North Korean U.N. mission and its official KCNA news agency. "We propose to conduct a joint investigation with the U.S. in response to groundless slander being … [Read more...] about North Korea denies hacking Sony, U.S. stands by its assertion
South Korea, China protest Japan’s ‘comfort women’ apology review
South Korea and China on Monday protested against Tokyo's review of a landmark 1993 apology to women, many of them Korean and Chinese, forced to work as wartime sex slaves in Japanese brothels, urging it to stop trying to whitewash history. Japanese Ambassador Bessho Koro to complain, saying Tokyo was trying to undermine its own apology when the history behind the issue of "comfort women" was recognised internationally. … [Read more...] about South Korea, China protest Japan’s ‘comfort women’ apology review