Latest news with #Koreas

Rights abuses continue in North Korea a decade after probe, says UN investigator

Straits Times

10 hours ago

Politics
Straits Times

Rights abuses continue in North Korea a decade after probe, says UN investigator

A North Korean flag flutters on top of a 160-metre tower in North Korea's propaganda village of Gijungdong in this picture taken from the Dora observatory near the demilitarised zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea, April 24, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo SEOUL - A decade after a landmark U.N. report concluded North Korea committed crimes against humanity, a U.N. official investigating rights in the isolated state told Reuters many abuses continue, exacerbated by COVID-era controls that have yet to be lifted. James Heenan, who represents the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, said he is still surprised by the continued prevalence of executions, forced labour and reports of starvation in the authoritarian country. Later this year Heenan's team will release a follow-up report to the 2014 findings by the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which said the government had committed "systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations" that constituted crimes against humanity. DPRK is North Korea's official name. While the conclusions of this year's report are still being finalised, Heenan told Reuters in an interview that the last 10 years have seen mixed results, with North Korea's government engaging more with some international institutions, but doubling down on control at home. "The post-COVID period for DPRK means a period of much greater government control over people's lives and restrictions on their freedoms," he said in the interview. North Korea's embassy in London did not answer phone calls seeking comment. The government has in the past denied abuses and accused the U.N. and foreign countries of trying to use human rights as a political weapon to attack North Korea. A Reuters investigation in 2023 found leader Kim Jong Un had spent much of the COVID pandemic building a massive string of walls and fences along the previously porous border with China, and later built fences around the capital of Pyongyang. A report this week by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies said the COVID pandemic raged in North Korea for more than two years before the regime admitted in May 2022 that the virus had permeated its borders, and that the regime bungled the response in a way that violated freedoms and left most citizens to fend for themselves. On Wednesday SI Analytics, a Seoul-based satellite imagery firm, released a report noting North Korea is renovating a key prison camp near the border with China, possibly in response to international criticism, while simultaneously strengthening physical control over prisoners under the pretence of facility improvement. Heenan said his team has talked to more than 300 North Koreans who fled their country in recent years, and many expressed despair. "Sometimes we hear people saying they sort of hope a war breaks out, because that might change things," he said. A number of those interviewees will speak publicly for the first time next week as part of an effort to put a human face on the U.N. findings. "It's a rare opportunity to hear from people publicly what they want to say about what's happening in the DPRK," Heenan said. He expressed concern about funding cuts for international aid and U.N. programmes around the world, which is pressuring human rights work and threatening support for North Korean refugees. While human rights has traditionally been a politically volatile subject not only for Pyongyang but for foreign governments trying to engage with the nuclear-armed North, Heenan said the issues like prison camps need to be part of any engagement on a political settlement. "There's no point self-censoring on human rights, because... no one's fooled," he said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee

Korea Herald

2 days ago

Politics
Korea Herald

[Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee

South Korea's spy chief nominee Lee Jong-seok said he believes the now-suspended inter-Korean military pact, reached between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, should be restored. According to his response to the National Assembly's questions submitted Wednesday, a day ahead of his confirmation hearing, Lee said that reinstating the pact, which was suspended by North Korea in 2023 and by the Yoon administration the next year, was "most desirable." "It is my opinion that restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement is most desirable," he said, in a written response, accessed by The Korea Herald. "But if it is not possible to restore the agreement, I think it is necessary to take commensurate measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas." Lee was also critical of Yoon's China policies. Lee said the previous administration "did not adequately manage the relations between South Korea and China, viewing China only through the lens of ideology and causing unnecessary conflicts." Lee said that when it comes to South Korea's relations with China, a key trade partner, the two countries "pursue areas of common interest." But he added that when South Korea's "national interests are infringed upon," the country needed to "take measures based on principles." Lee denied allegations, raised by some within the opposition People Power Party, of his having "pro-North Korea views." "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. "I believe that in order to achieve denuclearization and build a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula, one must have a deep understanding of, and insight into North Korea and the surrounding region." On North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's governing style, Lee said he took after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. "Kim Jong-un's governing style is more in line with Kim Il-sung's in that he favors more contact with the people, on-the-ground leadership, and public meetings," Lee said. "This is different from his father Kim Jong-il who preferred to rule behind closed doors and refrained from interacting with the public." When asked about where he stands on the 2020 shooting murder of a South Korean government official by North Korean troops, Lee said he was "not aware of all the facts" as he was at the time a scholar at a policy institute. "If I am appointed as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will look into the matter," Lee said. In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is still underway. Lee awaits a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, slated for Thursday.

Invasive Asian insects spreading across 20 US states can cause hives, vomiting — and even death

New York Post

7 days ago

Science
New York Post

Invasive Asian insects spreading across 20 US states can cause hives, vomiting — and even death

The spotted lanternfly might be the least of your worries this summer. Experts are sounding the alarm about the Asian needle ant — a tiny but dangerous insect moving across the US whose sting can lead to severe and even deadly reactions. As Americans flock outdoors to soak up the sunshine, scientists are urging caution so that your summertime fun doesn't end with a trip to the emergency room. 4 Asian needle ants have a unique and highly painful sting. Samuel – What are Asian needle ants? Known to scientists as Brachyponera chinensis, the Asian needle ant hails from China, Japan and the Koreas. It was first spotted in the States back in the 1930s, according to a report by the US Forest Service (USFS). These ants are small — about 0.2 inches long — with shiny dark brown to black bodies. They're often mistaken for other species, making them easy to miss. Where are they now? Asian needle ants have popped up in 20 states so far, mainly in the Northeast and Southeast, but reports have come in from as far as Wisconsin, Arkansas, and Washington, according to These pests can survive cooler weather and start appearing as early as March, but their numbers peak in June and July. Asian needle ants are often found in moist, shaded areas, like leaf litter, under rocks and inside dead logs. They can also nest in potted plants, under wood piles and in lawns. 4 Asian needle ants are commonly found in forested areas. Diane Macdonald – 'People don't typically notice them,' Dan Suiter, a professor of urban entomology at the University of Georgia, recently told the university. 'Unlike, say, fire ants, which build a mound, the Asian needle ant doesn't establish foraging trails — those lines of ants you can see.' Why are they dangerous? Asian needle ants aren't as aggressive as fire ants and usually flee from humans. But when disturbed — like if you reach into their mulch or wood piles — they'll sting in self-defense. And that sting packs a punch. 'Imagine somebody inserting a needle directly into your flesh,' Benoit Guénard, a professor of ecology and entomology at the University of Hong Kong who studied the ants in North Carolina, told USA Today. 'It's a very sharp, acute pain but it's quite local,' he added. 4 Redness of the skin and mild to severe hives are common symptoms of a sting. RFBSIP – To make matters worse, the pain can come and go in waves. 'The first, initial pain lasted a few seconds. Then about five minutes later, when the pain had eased, I felt 'ouch!' as if somebody had stung me again in the same place,' Guénard said. 'For me, it goes on for about two hours … But I know in some people it lasts for as much as 24 to 48 hours.' Victims can also develop skin reactions like hives, itching and flushed or pale skin. In more serious cases, stings can trigger nausea, vomiting, dizziness, a rapid pulse, swelling of the tongue or throat, difficulty breathing and even psychological symptoms, like a sense of impending doom. The biggest threat is anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can strike within seconds of being stung. 4 If you have a history of allergic reactions to insect stings, you might be at a greater risk for anaphylaxis. brizmaker – A study from the ants' native range found that 2.1% of people stung suffered severe, potentially life-threatening reactions. Experts say those with allergies to other insect stings are especially vulnerable. In Georgia alone, Suiter received three calls last year about anaphylactic shock following stings from Asian needle ants. 'I fully expect that some people who end up in the emergency room were stung by them but didn't realize it,' he told Scientific American. 'If you suffer from anaphylaxis, you should really know what this ant looks like,' he warned. 'And it might be smart to carry an EpiPen.' The USFS urges anyone experiencing an allergic reaction to seek immediate medical attention.

[Photo News] Lee Jae-myung visits border village on Day 2 of border tranquility

Korea Herald

13-06-2025

Politics
Korea Herald

[Photo News] Lee Jae-myung visits border village on Day 2 of border tranquility

President Lee Jae-myung on Friday met residents at a hamlet known as Unification Village, or Tongil Chon, near South Korea's border with North Korea as he visited Jangdan-myeon in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The meeting was held at a community service center that is 2 kilometers east of Dorasan Station, the railway station closest to North Korea. The station has been operating since 2002. Friday marked the second day since loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts stopped between the two Koreas. Following Lee's order to suspend the daily broadcasts Wednesday at 2 p.m. — for the first time in about a year — North Korea turned off its loudspeakers on Thursday. Lee told residents he was relieved to learn that North Korea stopped the loudspeaker broadcasts after South Korea did so, as it solved noise-related problems at the border village stemming from the broadcasts. Lee's stop there followed his visit to the South Korean Army base of the 25th Infantry Division to meet about 50 officers, noncommissioned officers and soldiers combined, and a village in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province, which is about 20 kilometers south of the borderline.

Noise detente on Korean peninsula as eerie broadcasts end

The Sun

12-06-2025

Politics
The Sun

Noise detente on Korean peninsula as eerie broadcasts end

SEOUL: North Korea appears to have stopped broadcasting strange and unsettling noises along the border, Seoul's military said Thursday, a day after South Korea ceased blaring its own loudspeaker propaganda northwards. The North has been broadcasting a horror movie-esque soundtrack into border areas since last year, as part of an escalating propaganda war between the arch foes. But South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung, who took office last week after his predecessor was impeached over an abortive martial law declaration, ordered the military to stop blasting K-pop and news reports into the North in a bid to 'restore trust'. 'Today, there was no region where North Korea's noise broadcasts to the South were heard,' Seoul's military said in a statement Thursday. 'The military is closely monitoring related trends in North Korea.' Relations between the two Koreas have been at one of their lowest points in years, with Seoul taking a hard line towards Pyongyang, which has drawn ever closer to Moscow in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But South Korea's new president has vowed to improve relations with the North and reduce tensions on the peninsula, halting the loudspeaker broadcasts Seoul had begun last year in response to a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. The North claimed the balloons -- which contained toilet paper and other garbage -- were retaliation for similar missives floated northwards by activists in the South, carrying anti-Kim Jong Un propaganda. North Korea resumed its own propaganda broadcasts soon after, sending strange and eerie noises -- such as chilling music and what sounds like bombs exploding -- into the South, prompting complaints from border residents. On Ganghwa island, which is close to the North, the strange noises were last heard Wednesday at around 6:00 pm (0900 GMT), its county councillor Park Heung-yeol told AFP. 'And from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm yesterday, the North broadcast its propaganda music, instead of the strange noise,' he added. 'I slept so well last night. I had not been able to do that for so long,' another Ganghwa resident An Mi-hee told AFP. 'Cost of their blood' South Korea's Unification Ministry, which oversees contact with the North, said Pyongyang's apparent move to end the noise broadcasts 'helped relieve the suffering of residents in (South Korea's) border areas'. It 'has become a meaningful opportunity to ease inter-Korean military tensions and restore mutual trust,' a ministry official told reporters on condition of anonymity. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul, told AFP that the moves were 'an encouraging development.' 'North Korea's halt of its noise broadcasts sends a positive signal to the South,' he said. 'Given the current approach of the new government, a fragile but meaningful peace is likely to hold -- at least for now. There is reason to hope for an improvement in inter-Korean relations,' Lim added. South Korea's Lee has promised a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang, compared with his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. On the campaign trail, Lee accused Yoon of deliberately provoking the North to justify his martial law bid in December -- prompting backlash from conservatives. The nuclear-armed North has recently bolstered military ties with Russia, sending at least 14,000 troops to support Moscow's war in Ukraine. On Thursday, North Korean state media quoted leader Kim as saying that ties between the North and Russia have developed into an 'indestructible, genuine' relationship. In a congratulatory message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of Russia Day, Kim said the allies' improved ties were 'thanks to... the cost of their blood in the just sacred war to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia.' The two Koreas technically remain at war because the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.