Chronologies
US - Korea
Chronology
: First South Korea-China Supply Chain Hotline Meeting and the fourth South Korea-China Working-Level Industrial Cooperation Meeting takes place in Seoul.
: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho meet in Beijing.
: Two Chinese and four Russian military planes enter South Korea’s air defense identification zone without notice.
: South Korean Deputy Director-General for Northeast Asian Affairs Kang Young-Shin and Chinese Deputy Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs Yang Renhuo co-chair a Korea-China Deputy Director-Generals’ Meeting on Maritime Affairs in Shanghai.
: South Korean Minister for Trade Dukgeun Ahn and Chinese International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen attend the fifth Korea-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Committee meeting held in Beijing.
: South Korea’s National Assembly passes resolution calling on China to stop repatriating North Korean refugees.
: Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Park Jin meet in Busan on the sidelines of the tenth China-South Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
: Yulin, Shaanxi province hosts 20th Korea Heart to Heart (K2H) Symposium on International Exchanges of Civil Servants for subnational China-South Korea cooperation.
: Xi sends a response letter to Kim.
: South Korean Foreign Ministry sends condolence messages to China on the death of Premier Li Keqiang.
: Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong and a China-South Korea-Japan Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat delegation led by Secretary-General Lee Hee-sup meet in Beijing.
: Activists at the South Korean Foreign Ministry protest China’s repatriation of North Koreans.
: South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin takes part in the Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Senior Officials’ Meeting.
: President Xi and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meet in Hangzhou, where the 19th Asian Games start.
: President Xi Jinping sends a message to Kim Jong Un marking North Korea’s 75th founding anniversary.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Chinese Premier Li Qiang meet in Jakarta on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings.
: South Korea, the US, and Japan hold missile defense drills after North Korea’s botched rocket launch.
: Kim Jong Un visits the navy command, calls for bolstering naval forces.
: South Korea and the US work together to search for and salvage sunken parts of North Korea’s space rocket.
: US Army stages first key wartime deployment drills in Korea in 6 years amid growing North Korea threats.
: Yoon, Biden, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio commit to immediately consult in event of common threat.
: US National Security Council official says North Korea is considering providing military support to Russia.
: North Korea visit by Russian and Chinese delegates shows support for unlawful weapons programs, the US State Department says.
: South Korea and the US stage joint air drills with F-35A and F-16 jets.
: North Korea fires two ballistic missiles into East Sea: JCS.
: North Korea warns that US nuke deployment to South could trigger preemptive strike.
: South Korea-US nuclear consulting group aims to curb North Korea’s nuclear threat.
: South Korea, the US, and Japan hold missile defense drills in East Sea after North Korea’s ICBM launch.
: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says the US is concerned about potential additional North Korean missile launches, nuclear test.
: US calls for UN Security Council action against North Korea’s ICBM test, but permanent members China and Russia oppose it.
: Kim Yo Jong slams UNSC meeting over its ICBM launch, defending it as exercise of self-defense.
: South Korea and the US stage air drills involving s B-52H strategic bomber in response to the North’s launch.
: North Korea fires an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: President Yoon arrives in Lithuania for NATO summit. While there, South Korea and NATO establish new partnership for cooperation in 11 areas, and Yoon says South Korea will increase military info-sharing with NATO.
: US House committee calls for trilateral defense cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and the US.
: South Korea requests that the US expand the list of countries that may supply key critical minerals under the Inflation Reduction Act.
: North Korea warns that the Korean Peninsula close to the “brink of nuclear war.”
: US intelligence report says North Korea is most likely to use nuclear weapons as a means of coercion.
: National security advisers of South Korea, the US, and Japan agree to strengthen cooperation on North Korea and regional security in a sign of deepening trilateral cooperation.
: Indiana’s governor says Samsung SDI and General Motors will build an electric vehicle battery plant in the state.
: South Korea and the US stage the Combined Distribution Exercise in Pohang.
: North Korea claims the Kakhovka dam collapse in Ukraine occurred with Washington and Kyiv “in cahoots.”
: South Korea wins a seat on the UN Security Council for 2024-25.
: SK Signet completes construction of its first US plant.
: A survey reveals that South Korean support for nukes drops as public debate ramps up.
: Kim Yo Jong slams the UN Security Council’s meeting on its space rocket launch as “the most unfair and biased act of interfering in internal affairs.”
: President Biden says the US is deepening trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan against North Korean threats.
: Kim Yo Jong says North Korea will “correctly” place a spy satellite into orbit soon despite its failed launch.
: North Korea’s attempt to launch its first spy satellite fails after an “abnormal” flight, according to the South Korean military. Nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US, and Japan “strongly condemn” North Korea’s space launch.
: US reveals joint salvage drills with South Korea before the botched North Korea “space vehicle” launch.
: South Korea holds public-private meeting on the US-led IPEF developments and strategies. Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun notes that the IPEF deal on supply chains “lays the foundation for joint responses to any global supply chain disruptions among the member nations.”
: Seoul’s trade minister holds talks with his US counterpart Katherine Tai over the Inflation Reduction Act and Indo-Pacific Economic Framework; he asks for support for stable supply of key raw materials and parts.
: Hyundai Motors and LG Energy Solution announce that they will invest 5.7 trillion won ($4.3 billion) in a US battery plant.
: South Korea and the US stage massive live-fire drills marking the 70th anniversary of their alliance.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim meets South Korea’s Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn to discuss joint responses to North Korea’s nuclear threats.
: North Korea calls out the Washington Declaration for being a “typical product of the heinous hostile policy” toward North Korea. North Korea states that it is “natural” to bolster its military deterrence in response to President Biden’s statement that using nuclear weapons will result in the “end” of the North Korea regime.
: South Korea-US summit paves the way for a strong bilateral semiconductor partnership as the two countries agree to build a partnership in case of any disruptions in the global supply chains.
: President Yoon states that the Washington Declaration is an “upgraded” version of the 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty and includes information sharing on nuclear and strategic operations and planning.
: President Yoon meets with scholars at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to discuss cooperation in areas of cutting-edge science such as artificial intelligence and bioscience.
: Two representatives of the United States House of Representatives introduce a bipartisan bill to reauthorize and improve the North Korean Human Rights Act which expired in 2022.
: Recent commercial satellite imagery indicates that North Korea is expanding its Yongbyon nuclear complex.
: During a meeting with Secretary of Defense Austin, President Yoon states that North Korea will be faced with a “resolute and overwhelming response, including the US nuclear capabilities” if they attempt to use nuclear weapons.
: South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meets visiting Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin to discuss growing cooperation in space exploration and technology.
: President Yoon and President Biden adopt the Washington Declaration to strengthen the United States “extended deterrence” commitment to South Korea.
: President Yoon addresses the US Congress and states that South Korea and the US will “play the role as a compass for freedom” and will “safeguard and broaden the freedom of citizens of the world.” In response to North Korean nuclear threats, Yoon emphasizes the need to “speed up” Korea-US-Japan trilateral security cooperation.
: During a joint press conference with President Joe, Yoon announces that the two countries agreed to establish a Nuclear Consultative Group to conduct the new extended deterrence system laid out by the recently signed Washington Declaration.
: An Ohio-class nuclear-powered ballistic submarine, the largest type of ballistic missile submarine operated by the US Navy, will visit South Korea to strengthen US extended deterrence.
: President Yoon sings “American Pie” at the end of a state dinner.
: President Biden states that a nuclear attack by North Korea against the United States or its allies and partners will result in the “end of whatever regime were to take such an action.”
: President Yoon attends a dinner hosted by President and First Lady Jill Biden to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-United States alliance.
: South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meets visiting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discuss expanding economic cooperation, such as in space exploration and the aviation industry.
: Corporate officials from both South Korea and the US sign 23 MOUs to boost bilateral cooperation on advance science and energy industries, such as batteries, robots, and nuclear power generation.
: President Yoon meets Tesla CEO Elon Musk to ask for his investment in a Gigafactory in South Korea. Yoon calls for greater cooperation between South Korean businesses and SpaceX.
: Six US advanced technology firms announce plans to invest a combined $1.9 billion in South Korea and to build production facilities in South Korea that will strengthen bilateral cooperation on supply chains and an environment-friendly energy and industrial structure.
: President Yoon states that the South Korea-US alliance will not be “shaken” by leaked US documents that allegedly contained the contents of tapped conversations of top South Korean officials.
: President Yoon and President Biden visits the Korean War Veterans Memorial.
: President Yoon calls for stronger South Korea-US cooperation on space exploration and science.
: United States sanctions three individuals for providing support to North Korea’s efforts to illegally generate funds for its nuclear and missile development programs.
: President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon Hee arrive in the United States to celebrate the 70th anniversary of South Korea-US relations.
: John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, reaffirms US commitment to South Korea following Russia’s statement that they may consider sending arms to North Korea if South Korea provide lethal assistance to Ukraine.
: North Korea’s Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui states that North Korea’s status as a global nuclear power is “final and irreversible” and will not seek recognition or approval from anyone as long as North Korea has the power to counter US nuclear threats.
: National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications Kirby states that the US is “grateful” for the support that South Korea has provided Ukraine and calls the country a “terrific ally” and friend.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announces the completion of the country’s first military spy satellite. A State Department spokesperson states that the launch of this satellite would violate multiple UNSC resolutions.
: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp states that the US Inflation Reduction Act is hurting Korean companies.
: President Yoon states that the South Korea-US alliance is a “resilient value-based alliance” that can readjust even when their interests are in conflict.
: The United States and South Korea conducts combined attack drills as part of the Korea Marine Exercise Program to strengthen capabilities and interoperability.
: South Korea considers joining the Freedom Online Coalition and will discuss South Korea’s potential participation in the coalition with the United States during President Yoon’s upcoming visit to the United States.
: South Korea, the US, and Japan hold a trilateral missile defense exercise in international waters of the East Sea to strengthen security cooperation against North Korea’s advancing provocations.
: South Korea and the United States conduct large-scale combined air drills to enhance combined operational capabilities of the allies’ advanced fighters.
: During a visit to the United States, Kim Dong-yeon, governor of South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province attracts a combined 4 trillion won in investment from four companies.
: South Korean Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo states that there is a possibility that Japan could join the South Korea-US intelligence alliance. The three countries agree to hold regular missile defense and anti-submarine exercises at the Defense Trilateral Talks to deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
: South Korea and the United States hold joint air drills following North Korea’s recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: A South Korean government official states that there is no “reason to conclude that the US has wiretapped” South Korean government officials. The official emphasize that not all intelligence collecting activities may not always be malicious and that “every country has the possibility of gathering intelligence,” including South Korea.
: During the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue, South Korea and the US agree to strengthen cooperation in “each area of extended deterrence,” including information sharing and crisis communication.
: Eom Dong-hwan, minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea, and Theodore Colbert, Boeing Defense, Space, and Security CEO sign a memorandum of understanding for joint research and development of advanced weapons.
: United States condemns North Korea’s latest ballistic missile launch and urges the country to come to the table for negotiations.
: South Korean FM Park Jin states that South Korea is working with the US to discuss recent allegations that US intelligence services eavesdropped on discussions between South Korean government officials regarding providing weapons to the US for use in Ukraine.
: South Korea plans to stage a joint tabletop exercise between its military and government officials and state-run research centers to bolster its response system against dangers from space.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup talks with Secretary of Defense Austin regarding recent news of leaked documents that the US wiretapped conversations of top South Korean national security officials. The two agree that a “great deal of disclosed information was fabricated.” Kim Tae-hyo, South Korean principal deputy national security adviser, states that South Korea and the US believe that a “large portion” of the leaked classified documents may be fake and are considering the involvement of a “third party.”
: A spokesperson for the Department of State announces that the US commitment to South Korea is “ironclad” when asked about recently leaked documents revealing (among other things) that the US may have eavesdropped on conversations at the South Korean presidential office. A South Korean presidential official states that South Korea will seek “appropriate measures” from the US if necessary after looking into the validity of the leaked documents.
: North Korea tests the Haeil-2 underwater strategic weapon system that the country claims can generate a “radioactive tsunami.”
: North Korea denounces South Korea and the United States’ latest joint military drills and calls them an “unprecedented” war rehearsal.
: South Korea and the United States hold combined air drills focused on practicing procedures to protect strategic bombers from potential aerial enemy threats.
: South Korean National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong talks with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss strengthening bilateral relations.
: Mandiant, Google’s cybersecurity unit, finds that a North Korean hacker group classified as APT43 has committed cybercrimes to fund the country’s nuclear weapons program. APT43 has also collected information on COVID-19 vaccines and policy matters related to North Korea by sending spear-phishing emails to pharmaceutical firms, policymakers, and researchers.
: South Korea, the United States, and Japan hold a trilateral naval exercise featuring the USS Nimitz carrier that is focused on enhancing response capabilities against underwater threats.
: South Korea welcomes the new guidelines that the Department of Treasury set under the US Inflation Reduction Act which would “substantially” relieve the uncertainty that South Korean domestic battery and material industries had and will “strengthen” the battery supply chain cooperation between the two countries.
: United States National Security Council coordinator John Kirby states that a potential arms deal is being arranged between Russia and North Korea.
: Kurt Campbell, National Security Council coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, commends President Yoon for taking unilateral steps to improve ties with Japan.
: President Yoon nominates Cho Hyun-dong as South Korean ambassador to the United States following the resignation of Kim Sung-han.
: President Yoon asks United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to “make favorable considerations” so that South Korean companies operating in the US will not experience difficulties related to the US Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS Act.
: US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg states that steps that President Yoon is making to promote reconciliation between South Korea and Japan deserve “great credit.”
: South Korea’s Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and USTR Tai discuss the US Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act. Ahn asks for further negotiations for the possible revision of US Section 232 tariff rules.
: President Yoon and President Biden announce that South Korea will host the third Summit for Democracy.
: South Korea and the United States conduct major amphibious assault drills.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: US Forces Korea conducts the first training on the deployment of a remote launcher of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system stationed in South Korea.
: North Korea conducts a new underwater nuclear strategic weapon test and cruise missile exercise to “alert the enemy to an actual nuclear crisis.”
: LG Energy Solution Ltd. states that it will invest 7.2 trillion won to build its second standalone battery manufacturing site in Arizona.
: South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom stage combined high-intensity airborne and maritime infiltration drills to strengthen mission capabilities.
: South Korea and the United States conduct a large-scale combined live-fire exercise near the Demilitarized Zone. US Army Col. Brandon Anderson states that the exercise is “defensive in nature” and that the allies are “not being offensive.”
: North Korea fires multiple cruise missiles toward the East Sea.
: North Korea criticizes US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield for calling on the UNSC to denuclearize North Korea. North Korea states that pressure to dismantle its nukes means “a declaration of war.”
: The United States condemns North Korea’s latest missile provocations and urges all members of the United Nations Security Council to hold North Korea accountable for its actions.
: Lt. Gen. William M. Jurney, commander of the US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, joins ongoing joint South Korea-United States exercises.
: Samsung Electronics Co. and SK Hynix Inc. express relief as the US government announces that the CHIPS Act defines material expansion as “increasing a facility’s production capacity by 5%.” This will allow the two companies to make technological upgrades in Chinese factories, resolving the worry that the two companies might need to develop an exit strategy from the Chinese market.
: North Korea conducts a two-day practice simulating a tactical nuclear counterattack to South Korea-United States “war” drills.
: 2022 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, released by the US Department of State, calls out North Korea for dozens of human rights issues such as torture, total state control of media, and trafficking.
: South Korea and the United States conduct high-tech military drills with increased “intensity and realism” to bolster deterrence against North Korean provocations.
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea.
: A US B-1B strategic bomber returns to South Korea for joint exercises and as a show of force as North Korea fires a ballistic missile into the East Sea.
: Wendy Sherman, US deputy secretary of State, expresses “strong support” for President Yoon’s efforts to improve ties between South Korea and Japan.
: North Korea fires a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile toward the East Sea in a show of the “toughest response posture” against “aggressive” combined drills by the US and South Korea.
: United States welcomes a “new chapter of cooperation and partnership” between South Korea and Japan and will continue to support the South Korea-Japan relationship.
: South Korea and the United States conduct combined river-crossing military drills.
: South Korea participates in a US-led multinational anti-submarine warfare exercise to enhance joint anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
: In response to North Korea’s recent cruise missile tests from a submarine, the US insists that North Korean provocations force the US to “continually” reaffirm its security commitment to South Korea.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: US Marines based in South Korea and Japan participate in combined drills with South Korea.
: North Korea fires two strategic cruise missiles from a submarine in the East Sea. North Korea states that this drill “verified the current operation posture of the nuclear war deterrence means” in different spaces.
: South Korea and the United States begin the 11-day Freedom Shield exercise that present “realistic” scenarios reflective of North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.
: North Korea “bitterly denounces” the US for holding an informal UNSC meeting on North Korea’s human rights abuse. North Korea vows to take the “toughest counteraction” against the “vicious hostile plots” of the United States.
: South Korea participates in the second round of official negotiations for the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
: South Korea plans to buy F-35A stealth fighter jets and other weapons systems to bolster its deterrence capabilities against North Korea.
: South Korea’s chip industry feels pressured to take a side between the US and China following the United States CHIPS Act. The industry calls for President Yoon to make a direct deal with President Biden to alleviate pressure.
: South Korean navy destroyer ROKS Choe Yeong conducts a joint field exercise with the USS Rafael Peralta.
: North Korea announces that leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a fire assault drill as Kim stresses the need to “always stay alert” for “frantic war preparation moves” being committed by the “enemy.”
: North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the Yellow Sea.
: 2023 Annual Threat Assessment released by US Director of National Intelligence expects North Korea to conduct another nuclear test and notes that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has no intentions to give up nuclear weapons.
: Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, states that North Korea is ready to take “quick and overwhelming action” at any time in response to military activities by the US and South Korea. South Korea and the US stage landing and takeoff drills following North Korea’s claims that it has rocket launcher is capable of destroying an enemy airfield.
: Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, states that there are “deeply troubling” signs of activity detected at North Korea’s Punggye-ri nuclear testing site.
: North Korea has reportedly developed a high-thrust engine capable of carrying a rocket, allowing the country to launch various satellites into orbit.
: South Korea and the United States stage combined air drills involving a US nuclear-capable B-52H strategic bomber.
: A US guided-missile destroyer visits South Korea in an apparent show of force to North Korea.
: During an address marking the March 1 Independence Movement in South Korea, South Korean President Yoon emphasizes the importance of trilateral cooperation with Japan and the US.
: Following the recent bilateral tabletop exercise, Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ryder reports that the US and South Korea conducted discussions regarding “various approaches on the alliance deterrence posture” in the face of evolving North Korean nuclear and missile capabilities.
: South Korean and US special commandos conduct Exercise Teak Knife, combined drills set to strengthen the “ironclad” security commitment between the allies.
: South Korean Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho calls for US cooperation in the upcoming US guidance on critical mineral and battery component requirements of the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: USS Springfield, a US nuclear-powered submarine, arrives in South Korea, in an apparent warning to North Korea’s repeated missile provocations.
: To mark the 70th anniversary of the US-South Korea alliance, the South Korean National Assembly passes resolution calling for a stronger alliance and bolstering cooperation in economic fields.
: North Korea fires four Hwasal-2 strategic cruise missiles to demonstrate the “war posture” of the country’s nuclear combat forces.
: South Korea and the US conduct a tabletop exercise focused on the possibility of North Korea’s use of nuclear weapons.
: Kwon Jong-gun, director-general for US affairs at North Korea’s foreign ministry, calls on the United States to cease deployment of strategic assets to South Korea and combined drills and that continued provocations will be considered a “declaration of war.”
: US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez states the US will limit the level of semiconductors produced by South Korean companies in China to help minimize the potential damage to business.
: South Korean FM Park Jin emphasizes importance of improving South Korea-US cooperation on economic, security, and technology in biotechnology, quantum computing, and artificial intelligence.
: Following North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, South Korea, the United States, and Japan conduct a trilateral missile defense exercise to strengthen security cooperation.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, following the joint air drills staged by South Korea and the United States.
: South Korea imposes sanctions on four individuals and five institutions involved in North Korea’s nuclear and missile development programs following North Korea’s latest long- and short-range ballistic missile launches.
: North Korea fires a Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile in a “sudden launching drill” aimed at ensuring nuclear deterrence, North Korea’s first ICBM launch since November.
: South Korea and the United States stage combined air drills, following North Korea’s launch of a long-range ballistic missile. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff states that the training demonstrated the “alliance’s overwhelming forces.”
: North Korea fires a long-range ballistic missile into the East Sea, the second ballistic missile provocation this year. South Korean FM Park Jin, Secretary of State Blinken, and Japanese FM Hayashi strongly condemn the launch and state that the three countries will continue to strengthen defense and joint cooperation.
: Following South Korea’s announcement of bilateral tabletop exercises with the US on a North Korean nuclear-use scenario, North Korea warns that it will respond with “unprecedently persistent and strong” counteractions to upcoming joint drills.
: According to South Korea’s new defense white paper, North Korea resumed plutonium production in 2021, increasing from 50 to 70 kilograms of plutonium for nuclear weapons.
: US agricultural exports to South Korea reach a record high of over $10 billion in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021.
: South Korea’s Navy and Marine Corps participates in a Thai and US-led multinational military exercise.
: Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman reaffirms “ironclad” commitment to providing extended deterrence in a meeting with South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong. Both stress the importance of the complete denuclearization of North Korea.
: United States Rep. Young Kim argues that the US needs to take a “stronger stance” against North Korea, appoint a special envoy to work solely on North Korea issues, and better demonstrate its capabilities to help defend allies.
: South Korea’s First Vice Industry Minister Jang Young-jin visits the US to enhance bilateral partnership in semiconductors and batteries industry sectors, strengthen technology and supply chains, and discuss the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea and the United States stage combined counter-drone drills at a US air base amid North Korean drone threats.
: United States National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby affirms that North Korea has provided artillery ammunition to Russia.
: In upcoming allied drills, South Korea and the United States plan to incorporate “live, virtual, and constructive” (LVC) training elements to bolster combat readiness.
: North Korea holds massive military parade to mark the 75th founding anniversary of its armed forces and to display its nuclear attack capability. The parade displayed almost a dozen advanced ICBMs, tactical missiles, and long-range cruise missiles and featured tactical nuclear units. A new ICBM, the Hwasong-17, was spotted, along with a possible mockup of a new solid-fueled ICBM. Kim Jong Un also visits the barracks of North Korean military officers with his daughter, Ju-ae, for the anniversary.
: North Korea convenes a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Worker’s Party of Korea to discuss major military and political tasks for the year. Meeting agenda items include “more strictly perfecting the preparedness for war” and “constantly expanding and intensifying” operation and combat drills to cope with “the prevailing situation.”
: United States calls for the release of South Koreans who are unlawfully detained in North Korea and is in close coordination with South Korea to address this issue.
: United States plans to release information on the provision on EV battery tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act. South Korean Industry Vice Minister Jang Young-jin states that the “uncertain environment” surrounding the act is “not advantageous.”
: South Korean FM Park Jin and Secretary of State Blinken meet to discuss the US extended deterrence commitment, nuclear, and conventional missile defense capabilities to defend South Korea, and denuclearizing North Korea. They sign an agreement on science and technology cooperation.
: South Korea and the US stage combined air drills to show US “will and capability” to keep its security commitment to South Korea and to improve combined operational capabilities.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin meets US Congress members to further strengthen US-South Korean relations and discuss South Korean concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: State Department Press Secretary Price states that the US is willing to engage in dialogue with North Korea and stresses the need to hold North Korea responsible for its recent missile provocations.
: Nathaniel Fick, US ambassador-at-Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy, travels to South Korea amid efforts to curb illegal cyber activities by North Korea.
: South Korea and the US stage combined air drills over the Yellow Sea. South Korea’s defense ministry states that the two countries will enhance confidence in the US extended deterrence commitment by “strengthening combined drills in connection with the deployment of US strategic assets.”
: Following Secretary Austin’s visit to South Korea, North Korea warns that it will take the “toughest action” to US military action under the “nuke for nuke and an all-out confrontation for an all-out confrontation” principle.
: In response to debates in South Korea whether the country should pursue nuclear armament, the US Department of Defense releases a Korean-language version of its Nuclear Posture Review.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and US Secretary of Defense Austin pledge to “expand and bolster” the level and scale of this year’s combined exercises and training in response to intensifying North Korean provocations.
: North Korea may have tested a solid-fuel missile engine, which would mark the first weapons test by the regime since its short-range ballistic missile launch on Jan. 1.
: North Korea states that NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg’s visit to South Korea is a “prelude” to a “new Cold War” in the Asia-Pacific region as it appears to be “instigating” the creation of an Asian version of NATO.
: Secretary of Defense Austin arrives in South Korea for talks with South Korean officials regarding deterrence against North Korean nuclear and missile threats.
: NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg stresses the importance of the US extended deterrence commitment to South Korea and agrees to strengthen cooperation in areas such as defense science and technology with South Korea.
: According to a Gallup Korea poll of 1000 adults, seven of 10 South Koreans support the pursuit of an independent nuclear weapons development program in South Korea amid concerns over growing North Korean provocations and security threats.
: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visits South Korea and meets with President Yoon. Stoltenberg emphasizes interconnectedness amid North Korea’s military support to Russian war efforts and an increasingly “unpredictable and uncertain world.”
: South Korea’s Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park Jeong-hwan and US counterpart Gen. James C. McConville sign a strategic vision statement to expand security cooperation in military, science and technology, and space.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, states that the US is “further crossing the red line” by “escalating the war situation” in Ukraine through military hardware support.
: If active dialogue with North Korea commences, the US will consider appointing a special envoy singularly focused on North Korea states Ned Price, Department of State Press Secretary.
: The US House of Representatives proposes a resolution calling for the return of USS Pueblo, a US Navy Ship seized by North Korea 55 years ago.
: Strategic Communications Coordinator for the US National Security Council John Kirby reports that North Korea continues to provide ammunition to Russia.
: Department of Defense requests US Forces Korea to provide equipment to support Ukraine in the war with Russia and stresses that this move would have “zero impact” on its commitment to South Korea.
: Following a six-year hiatus, South Korea seeks to resume bilateral consultations with the United States on promoting North Korean human rights.
: South Korea’s advanced Army unit stages a joint field exercise with a US Stryker Brigade Combat Team near the inter-Korean border.
: Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ryder emphasizes US extended deterrence to its allies in the Indo-Pacific region to demonstrate continued support to deter and counter potential aggression against South Korea.
: President Biden highlights the strength of the US-South Korea alliance in statement observing Korean American Day.
: Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirms trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan against North Korean provocations in a joint press conference with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Japanese Defense Minister Hamada Yasukazu.
: In response to North Korean provocations, South Korean President Yoon calls for “further strengthening of the security cooperation” between South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
: President Biden states that Hanwha Solutions’ plan to build a solar panel production facility in the US will help bring back supply chains and is a “direct result” of his economic plan and the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: Jose Fernandez, under secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment meets South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-Hoon regarding the US Inflation Reduction Act, supply chain issues, and other bilateral issues.
: US Department of State Press Secretary Ned Price states that the United States will work with South Korea and European allies regarding concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korean Second Industry Minister Park Il-jun meets Under Secretary of State Fernandez to discuss cooperation on critical minerals and energy issues to ensure stable supply chains.
: Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder states that the United States will “coordinate closely” with South Korea to monitor threats posed by North Korea.
: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre affirms the US commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea.
: White House confirms that the US and South Korea are not discussing joint nuclear exercises but are working on an “effective coordinated response” to a range of scenarios, including nuclear use by North Korea.
: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol states that South Korea is in talks with the United States about joint planning and exercises in terms of nuclear capabilities.
: Chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States, and Japan hold three-way phone talks after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile during a ruling party meeting. They warn that North Korean provocations would deepen its isolation.
: North Korean leader Kim and his daughter inspect dozens of intermediate-range and short-range ballistic missiles, emphasizing Kim’s declaration to “exponentially increase” missile production in the new year. North Korea also tests a nuclear-capable “super-large multiple launch rocket system” which North Korean leader Kim Jong Un states can strike anywhere in South Korea.
: Kim Gunn discusses the need for a stern response to North Korean provocations with US counterpart Sung Kim. Kim Gunn also urges China to take a more active role in holding North Korea responsible for its provocations during a consultation with Liu Xiaoming, China’s top nuclear envoy.
: South Korea’s Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang states that South Korea will maximize the benefits from the US Inflation Reduction Act in the battery, solar, and wind power generation fields to minimize fallout in the car industry.
: Five North Korea drones cross the inter-Korean border, with one flying over northern Seoul. South Korea fails to shoot down the five drones but sends its own drones to the border, with some crossing the border to carry out surveillance and other operations.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, following the combined South Korea-United States air drills the day before.
: North Korea reportedly conducts the first static ground test of a large solid-propellant rocket motor, the first indication that the regime is developing a propulsion system usable in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or ICBM-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
: South Korea and the United States plan to conduct around 20 combined “realistic” training programs in the first half of next year to address growing North Korean security threats. The allies also consider staging their first large-scale combined live-fire demonstration to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of their alliance and to demonstrate the allies’ “overwhelming deterrence capabilities against North Korea.”
: Kim Yo Jong, Vice Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticizes those who question the regime’s satellite development capabilities and reconnaissance satellite project.
: South Korea, the United States, and 13 other member nations participate in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework ministerial meeting.
: South Korea and the United States conduct combined air drills to strengthen the credibility of America’s “extended deterrence.”
: Leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party Chung Jin-suk condemns North Korea’s latest missile launches, stating that such provocations are aimed at breaking up the South Korea-United States alliance.
: North Korea conducts an “important final-stage” test that evaluates the capabilities of putting a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. A spokesperson at the National Aerospace Development Administration states that North Korea will finish preparations for its first military reconnaissance satellite by April 2023.
: South Korea and the United States hold their sixth Cyber Policy Consultations to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation on cybersecurity and countering cyber threats posed by North Korea.
: United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution calling for international efforts to improve human rights conditions in North Korea, making this the 18th consecutive year the General Assembly has adopted such a resolution.
: North Korea successfully conducts a static firing test of a high-thrust solid-fuel motor, which the Korean Central News Agency states is an “important test” that provides “sure sci-tech guarantee” for the development of a new strategic weapons system. John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, statesthat North Korea is pursuing military capabilities that pose a threat to the region.
: United States military launches US Space Forces Korea, a unit focused on strengthening bilateral space security coordination in the Indo-Pacific region.
: Air Force Major General Michael E. Martin, Commander of the Special Operations Command-Korea (SOCKOR), states that the SOCKOR unit is committed to military readiness by conducting peak-level “realistic” training.
: US State Department spokesperson Ned Price stresses the “complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula” as an overarching US objective and to holding North Korea accountable for its recent missile provocations.
: At the seventh Senior Economic Dialogue, South Korea’s 2nd Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon meets with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and Environment Jose W. Fernandez to discuss concerns about the US Inflation Reduction Act. Both sides reaffirm commitment to continuing discussions on the issue.
: South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo expresses concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act and calls for an “exceptional clause” for countries that have entered a free trade agreement with the United States prior the IRA.
: United States imposes sanctions on over 65 individuals and entities in 17 countries, including North Korea’s border guard bureau, for serious human rights violations and other crimes related to North Korea.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim talks with China’s Special Representative on Korean Peninsula Affairs Liu Xiaoming to discuss North Korea’s recent missile provocations.
: During a meeting between several US lawmakers and a South Korean delegation, US lawmakers state that revisions to the US Inflation Reduction Act are unlikely during a lame-duck session of Congress.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin meets with a delegation from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) and urges NCAFP’s support in strengthening bilateral ties.
: US State Department Press Secretary Ned Price states that China and Russia must “fulfill its obligations” and implement U.N. Security Council resolutions on North Korea to push back on North Korean provocations.
: United States Senate and House of Representatives reach an agreement on the National Defense Authorization Act which requires the US to maintain a minimum of 28,5000 US service members in South Korea and reaffirm its commitment to providing extended deterrence to South Korea.
: North Korea fires 130 artillery shells into inter-Korean maritime buffer zones.
: Major Gen. Kim Su-kwang, Director of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, discusses strengthening US extended deterrence against North Korean provocations with Rear Admiral Anthony Carullo, Director of Plans and Policy at the US Strategic Command.
: United States designates North Korea and 11 other countries as Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998.
: Ned Price, US State Department Press Secretary, announces that the United States is working with allies to prepare for any contingencies from North Korea, especially a seventh nuclear test.
: Eliot Kang, Assistant Secretary of State for international security and nonproliferation, states that Russia and China have gone to “great lengths” to shield North Korea from “accountability for increasingly provocative behavior.”
: South Korea’s Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geon and the European Union’s Vice-President Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, agree to work more closely for joint responses to the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea sends its second official written opinion to the United States regarding the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: General James Dickinson, commander of the US Space Command, states that the Command is working to integrate US assets into an architecture that will provide both the US and its allies and partners “as much advanced warning as possible” regarding missile activity out of North Korea.
: United States calls on the United Nations Security Council to hold North Korea accountable for its recent missile provocations and attributes inaction to China. and Russia, two veto-wielding members of the council.
: On the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai agree to continue consultations regarding the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un states that the recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile is representative of North Korea’s “strategic forces and its powerful combat performance as the strongest strategic weapon in the world.”
: A US B-1B Lancer strategic bomber joins a US-South Korea joint air drill, one day following North Korea’s firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: North Korea fires an intercontinental ballistic missile toward the East Sea. The launch involves the Hwason-17 ICBM, notorious for its sheer size and range capabilities. Yoon orders a strengthening of the US-South Korea combined defense posture and executability of extended deterrence against North Korea. South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, US Vice President Kamala Harris, and prime ministers of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, jointly condemn the launch.
: Anne Neuberger, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, states that North Korea is believed to fund about 30% of “its missile and other malicious programs” through cyber attacks.
: North Korea fires one short-range ballistic missile into the East Sea, making this its second missile provocation in a little over a week, which the United States condemns. North Korea has launched 50 ballistic missiles this year, the largest number of ballistic missiles launched in a single year.
: US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy Richard Johnson meets with Director-General of the South Korean Defense Policy Bureau Ha Dae-bong to explain the recently released US Nuclear Posture Review and Missile Defense Review.
: Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning North Korea for systematic human rights violations and calling for efforts to improve human rights conditions, marking this the 18thconsecutive year the committee passed such a resolution.
: Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the US State Department, states that China has a “responsibility” to encourage North Korea to act responsibly and not engage in nuclear or ballistic missile tests.
: South Korea and the United States co-host the Symposium on Countering DPRK Cyber-Exploitation of Cryptocurrency Exchanges. Officials from more than a dozen countries discuss ways to counter cryptocurrency theft and other illegal cyber activities of North Korea.
: Lee Tae-woo, the South Korean Director-General for North Korean nuclear affairs, meets with his US counterpart Jung Park to share updates on North Korean cyberthreats and extortion of cryptocurrencies.
: South Korea and the United States celebrate the completion of the relocation of their Combined Forces Command headquarters from Seoul to Pyeongtaek.
: Biden calls on Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discourage North Korea from taking further escalatory steps, as the United States will take “more defensive” actions that will be “up in the face of China” should North Korea conduct a nuclear test.
: South Korea’s Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin meets with Swedish State Secretary of Foreign Ministry Hakan Jevrell discuss ways the two countries can work together to resolve concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: Yoon and Biden state that the two countries will respond with “overwhelming force using all available means” if North Korea uses nuclear weapons in any form.
: Yoon announces South Korea’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy, promoting peace and stability in the region, along with the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative. This marks South Korea’s first time presenting a diplomatic strategy specific to the Indo-Pacific.
: South Korea’s Defense Ministry reaffirms its commitment to not provide Ukraine with lethal military support.
: US State Department Press Secretary Ned Price calls on North Korea to “put the interest of its people first” and states that the United States is looking for ways to support the “humanitarian needs” of the people of North Korea.
: Kim Gunn meets with members of the Korean Peninsula Club, a consultative channel of the ministry and 20 foreign ambassadors based in Seoul. Gunn encourages member countries to step up against North Korea’s illegal cyber activities.
: US Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder states that the United States is closely watching the suspected delivery of North Korean artillery shells to Russia.
: During a visit to the US 7th Fleet Headquarters, South Korean Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lee Jong-ho meets with US Vice Adm. Karl Thomas to discuss strengthening the allies’ combined defense posture against North Korea.
: Kim Gunn condemns North Korea’s missile provocations along with his American counterpart Sung Kim and Japanese counterpart Funakoshi Takehiro.
: North Korea launches one short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea. The missile is assumed to be one of North Korea’s new SRBMs.
: US State Department Press Secretary Ned Price calls on China and Russia to hold North Korea accountable for its missile launches in violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions, after China and Russia vetoed additional sanctions on North Korea during the ninth UNSC meeting this year on North Korea’s missile launches.
: Under the Korea-US Supply Chain and Commercial Dialogue, South Korea and the United States discuss the impacts of recent US measures to restrict exports of advanced semiconductor equipment to China.
: South Korea’s climate ambassador Na Kyung-won and US climate envoy John Kerry sign an agreement to establish a green cargo shipping route linking South Korea’s Busan port with the US Tacoma port near Seattle to better achieve maritime carbon neutrality.
: South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and Japanese Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Mori Takeo strongly condemn North Korea’s latest missile launches.
: North Korea fires four short-range ballistic missiles toward the Yellow Sea on the last day of the Vigilant Storm drill of South Korea and the United States.
: United States calls on the United Nations Security Council to hold North Korea accountable for its recent ballistic missile launches, and most recently, its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: While wrapping up the South Korea-United States Vigilant Storm exercise, two US B-1B aircraft join the drills, making this the first time that long-range supersonic bombers have been deployed to South Korea since 2017.
: South Korea and the United States agree to extend the Vigilant Storm drill by another day in response to recent North Korea’s recent firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: South Korea scrambles around 80 warplanes after detecting more than 180 North Korean military aircraft activities.
: North Korea fires an intercontinental ballistic missile and two short-range missiles toward the East Sea.
: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup meetduring the 54th Security Consultative Meeting to discuss matters such as the allies’ combined defense posture, strengthening cooperation in various areas such as cyber, and responding to North Korean provocations.
: South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong and US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman condemn North Korea’s latest missile launches during a phone call consultation and agree to maintain a strong combined defense posture.
: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns North Korea’s missile provocations, especially it’s “reckless decision” to fire a missile below the Northern Limit Line.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup visits the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and meets with Director Frank Whitworth. Lee and Whitworth share intelligence regarding North Korea’s recent missile and artillery firings and agree to stronger cooperation.
: According to John Kirby, spokesperson for the US White House National Security Council, North Korea supplies a large number of artillery shells to Russia for use in the ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
: North Korea launches a barrage of missiles and artillery shells, with one short-range ballistic missile flying across its de facto maritime border with South Korea.
: Pak Jong-chon, secretary of the Central Committee of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, states that the US and South Korea will have to “face a terrible case and pay the most horrible price in history” if they attempt to use armed forces against North Korea.
: Yoon condemns North Korea’s recent missile launches, as one of the missiles crossed the Northern Limit Line. Yoon orders the military to maintain “full readiness.”
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemn North Korea’s latest missile launches, calling them an “unprecedented, grave provocation.”
: South Korea will submit an official written response providing feedback to the United States regarding the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: In response to the US-South Korea Vigilant Storm drills, North Korea states that it will respond with “more powerful follow-up measures” if the US continues “military provocations.”
: Ned Price, press secretary of the US Department of State, asserts that the United States does not and will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons state.
: US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg meets with leaders of South Korea’s ruling and main opposition parties to discuss improving bilateral cooperation, North Korean threats, and the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea continues to engage in defense deals with European nations as they seek to become a bigger player in international weapons sales, bringing forth concerns from US defense industry insiders.
: Yoon thanks Biden, other foreign leaders, heads of foreign embassies, and US Forces Korea for their condolences over the Itaewon stampede.
: South Korea and the United States conduct the five-day Vigilant Storm exercise involving stealth jets and more than 240 aircraft.
: US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins states that the United States welcomes a conversation with North Korea about arms control.
: Sabrina Singh, deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, asserts that the United States condemns North Korea’s recent missile launches and continues to seek dialogue with North Korea.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: In its National Defense Strategy, the US Department of Defense states that any nuclear attack by North Korea against the US or its allies and partners is “unacceptable” and will result in the “end of that regime.”
: South Korea’s Ambassador to the US Cho Tae-yong states that the two countries are working together to strengthen extended deterrence to “strongly and sternly” react against North Korean provocations.
: South Korea launches an interagency task force to prepare for the envisioned Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement with the United States, an effort to strengthen cooperation in defense supply chains.
: Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder of the US Pentagon affirms that the US has no plans to adjust its defense posture in the Indo-Pacific region, such as deploying tactical nuclear weapons to the region.
: US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen states that the US Inflation Reduction Act will be implemented without exception. Yoon states his believe that Yellen’s statement is “slightly different from the general view of the US government.”
: A seventh nuclear test by North Korea would constitute a “grave escalatory action,” states Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson of the US State Department. Patel furthers that the US has a “number of tools” to hold North Korea accountable for future provocations and calls on China and Russia to hold North Korea accountable when necessary.
: US Department of State Press Secretary Ned Price announces that the US assesses that North Korea is preparing for its seventh nuclear test.
: South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong states that the “geopolitical situation in Northeast Asia is grim” due to North Korean provocations and the end of the Chinese Communist Party Congress.
: As part of the annual ongoing Hoguk drills, the South Korean Navy begins a large-scale exercise in the Yellow Sea involving American troops.
: At the Trilateral Chief of Defense Meeting, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Kim Seung-kyum, US General Mark Milley, and Japanese General Yamazaki Koji emphasize the importance of trilateral security cooperation against North Korea.
: Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder of the US Department of Defense states that the US is not considering deploying nuclear weapons to South Korea.
: US Forces Korea discloses footage on artillery live-fire training in response to North Korea’s recent firing of artillery shells.
: South Korea and the United States agree to continue working-level consultations to seek solutions regarding the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Kim Seung-kyum and US counterpart General Mark Milley reaffirm to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and developing the countries’ joint defense posture at the annual Military Committee Meeting.
: North Korea fires around 100 artillery rounds into the Yellow Sea and another 150 rounds into the East Sea, falling into the eastern and western buffer zones north of the Northern Limit Line. North Korea calls this a “serious warning” over South Korea’s ongoing military drills, calling on the South to immediately stop “reckless and inciting provocations.”
: South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun meets with British Ambassador to Seoul Colin Crooks, Swedish top envoy in Seoul Daniel Wolven, and Charge’ d’affaires of the European Union Christophe Bess to discuss the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea and the United States stage combined river-crossing military drills to strengthen readiness to counter evolving North Korean threats.
: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken states that North Korea may be trying to draw US attention and argues that North Korean provocations may be a reaction to the growing cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan.
: US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg stresses the United States’ “ironclad” commitment to extended deterrence for South Korea and denounces recent threats of tactical nuclear weapons. Goldberg also criticizes China for having “done little” to mitigate North Korean provocations.
: US Forces Korea reveals it conducted a “quick reaction force training” with South Korean special warfare troops as the allies strive to sharpen deterrence against evolving North Korean threats.
: Vice Admiral Karl Thomas of the US Seventh Fleet states that the recent joint US-South Korea naval exercise may have “precipitated” North Korean provocations, especially “after many years of not Operating in the Sea of Japan and visiting South Korea.”
: A group of around 10 North Korean military aircraft flies close to the border with South Korea, prompting the South Korean Air Force to scramble its F-35A stealth fighters and other assets to the scene.
: North Korea claims that its latest ballistic missile launch was a countermeasure to the South Korean military’s “provocative” and “reckless” moves in the frontline area.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises the test-firing of long-range strategic cruise missiles involving units operating “tactical nukes” to send a “clear warning to the enemies” and a demonstration of the country’s deterrence capabilities.
: Representative Chung Jin-suk, party leader of the ruling South Korean People Power Party, calls for a stronger US nuclear umbrella.
: In its 2022 National Security Strategy, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy and to strengthening US alliances to address “shared challenges” while outmaneuvering geopolitical competitors.
: Rather than the redeployment of tactical nuclear weapons, South Korean Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul states that the most desirable way to deter North Korea is through the “redeployment of US strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula in a timely, coordinated matter.”
: South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Tae-yong states that the two nations may need to “quietly review creative solutions” to the “real threat” posed by North Korea.
: Kim Song, North Korean Ambassador to the United States, urges the US to refrain from providing a nuclear umbrella and to suspend joint exercises with South Korea.
: John Kirby, US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, states that the US remains open to dialogue with North Korea without any preconditions.
: US State Department rejects the notion that the United States’ “defensive actions” such as joint military and naval exercises with South Korea do not justify North Korea’s “escalatory and unlawful behavior.”
: South Korea’s industry, finance, and foreign ministries hold a third round of their joint task force meeting with officials from the domestic car and battery industries to discuss concerns over the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervises an exercise of tactical nuclear operation units to check and assess the “war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability” in response to recent joint US-South Korea military trainings. Kim states that North Korea has “no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so.”
: North Korean state media reports that North Korea’s recent missile provocations were the simulated use of its tactical battlefield nuclear weapons to “hit and wipe out” potential South Korean and American targets.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, making this its seventh missile provocation in two weeks.
: South Korea and the United States conduct a joint naval exercise involving a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to reinforce the allies’ operational capabilities against North Korean provocations.
: South Korean Ambassador Lee Shin-hwa, special envoy for international cooperation on North Korean human rights, argues that appointing a US special envoy for North Korean human rights—a post vacant for five years—will send a clear message to North Korea that human rights matter.
: Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, agrees to redouble joint efforts to block North Korea’s nuclear and missile program financing through cryptocurrency theft with American and Japanese counterparts Sung Kim and Funakoshi Takehiro.
: United States imposes sanctions on two people and three entities for violating UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea for being involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers of petroleum with North Korean vessels designed to evade UNSC sanctions.
: US Forces Korea brings in new pieces of equipment to its THAAD missile defense unit to complete the three-stage Joint Emergent Operational Need program to enhance the efficiency of its overall anti-missile capabilities.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, making this the sixth missile test in under two weeks. In response, Yoon states that he “will thoroughly take care of the people’s lives and safety through a strong South Korea-US alliance and security cooperation between South Korea, the US, and Japan.”
: North Korea condemns the United States for redeploying the USS Ronald Reagan into the waters east of South Korea, stating that the US “poses a serious threat to the stability of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
: South Korea, Japan, the United States, and eight other UN member countries issue a joint statement condemning North Korea for its ballistic missile provocation and call on other UN members to urge North Korea to abandon its “unlawful weapons programs.”
: Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and American counterpart Sung Kim voice “serious concerns” regarding North Korea’s recent firing of two short-range ballistic missiles.
: South Korea, Japan, and the United States conduct a joint naval exercise in the East Sea focusing on countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
: South Korea and the United States fire four ground-to-ground missiles into the East Sea in joint drills to demonstrate the allies’ deterrence capability.
: Biden sends a letter to Yoon expressing his willingness to continue talks on the Inflation Reduction Act.
: United States, among other countries, call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The session ends with no agreement on next steps, with Russia and China insisting that US-led military exercises in the region provoked North Korea.
: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan discusses appropriate responses the international community should take with his South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-han and Japanese counterpart Akiba Takeo.
: USS Ronald Reagan returns to the waters east of South Korea to conduct a trilateral exercise with South Korea and Japan in a show of force following North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches.
: North Korea fires an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan, making this the North’s first launch of an IRBM in eight months and the fifth missile test in just over a week. In response, a South Korean F-15K fighter fires two JADAM precision bombs at a firing range on a Yellow Sea island and air drills with the US in a combined strike package.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken agree to strengthen cooperation in responding to North Korea’s missile tests, including a new UN resolution against North Korea and trilateral action with Japan.
: South Korea-US Combined Forces Command plans to move its headquarters to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, just a day a day after South Korea, the United States, and Japan staged an anti-submarine warfare exercise. This marks North Korea’s fourth missile launch within a week.
: In light of North Korea Freedom Week, the US State Department releases a statement urging for global efforts to improve human rights conditions in North Korea.
: Following recent North Korean missile provocations, a US Forces Korea unit carries out Exercise Teak Knife, a series of surgical strike drills, at US base Camp Humphreys.
: United States Indo-Pacific Command releases a statement reaffirming its “ironclad” commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan following North Korea’s recent firing of two ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
: South Korea, Japan, and the United States conduct a trilateral anti-submarine exercise, following North Korea’s short-range ballistic missile launches this week.
: Harris promises Yoon that the United States will look for solutions to South Korea’s concerns regarding the Inflation Reduction Act.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, just three days after the North fired one SRBM earlier this week.
: South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Jeong Dae-jin meets with 18 ambassadors to Seoul from several EU nations to ask seek joint responses over the US Inflation Reduction Act.
: Kim Song, head of the North Korean mission to the United Nations, states that the “security environment of the Korean Peninsula is now caught in a vicious cycle of tensions and confrontations due to the growing hostility of the United States” during an address to the UN General Assembly.
: Previous USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams states that the United States will preserve “all options” in determining what forces might be used in the event of a military conflict between China and Taiwan.
: South Korean Ambassador Cho Tae-young states that South Korean Yoon and Biden have reaffirmed their commitment to resolving issues concerning the Inflation Reduction Act.
: US Department of State Press Secretary Ned Price states that North Korea is in a “period of provocation” but the United States remains committed to engage with North Korea in serious diplomacy.
: South Korea draws investment worth a combined $1.5 billion from seven North American firms in the semiconductor, battery, and energy sectors. The seven firms plan to build facilities in South Korea.
: In reference to a video circulating of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaking to his aides in vulgar language in supposed reference to the US Congress and US President Joe Biden, Yoon’s office clarifies that the president was speaking about South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly.
: On the sidelines of the G20 meeting, South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai agree to make joint efforts to seek solutions regarding the Inflation Reduction Act.
: Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon meets with White House Indo-Pacific Coordinator Kurt Campbell to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act. Lee also meets with Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Georgia), Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Illinois), and Rep. Young Kim (R-California).
: US stands by its intelligence that Russia is seeking to purchase ammunition from North Korea, despite a North Korean statement earlier this week that it has never exported any weapons or ammunition to Russia and does not plan to do so.
: Nuclear-powered USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea to conduct its first combined drills with the South Korean Navy, two days later, North Korea fires a short-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea, the North’s fifth missile firing since the Yoon administration took office.
: Biden and Yoon hold a brief bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 77th of the United Nations General Assembly and reaffirm “their commitment to strengthen the US-ROK alliance and ensure close cooperation to address the threat” posed by North Korea.
: In an address to the UN General Assembly, Biden names North Korea as one of the main reasons why the United Nations should work to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime and states that the US is prepared to pursue “critical arms control measures.”
: Yoon asks Biden to resolve South Korea’s concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act. Biden affirms that he is aware of the concerns and states that both sides should continue discussions.
: Yoon and Kishida agree to improve relations by resolving pending issues and share concerns about North Korea’s nuclear program.
: South Korea’s Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul assures the South Korean public that the US and South Korea will ensure that “consultations would not move in a direction that undermines security on the Korean Peninsula.”
: South Korean and US Marine Corps develop a five-year plan to strengthen combined amphibious landing exercises.
: Yoon asks UN Chief António Guterres for a stern response to North Korean provocations and thanks Guterres for supporting the “complete, verifiable, and irreversible” denuclearization of North Korea.
: Yoon arrives in New York to attend the 77th session of the UN General Assembly and plans to hold a series of summits on the sidelines with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.
: After meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, South Korean Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang expresses worries that the negative impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act will have impacts on bilateral ties.
: South Korean and American soldiers conduct combined training at the National Training Center in California to improve “warfighting” and “interoperability” capabilities.
: Reports say the US made a dialogue offer in July to North Korea through the New York channel but North Korea has yet to respond.
: Yoon states that “South Korea will take a more clear position with respect to US-China relations” and criticizes the diplomacy of his predecessor, Moon Jae-in.
: South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong points out the “discriminatory elements” in the Inflation Reduction Act while meeting with US officials.
: United States and South Korea hold the third meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) which provides a forum for discussions on strategies to strengthen Alliance deterrence on the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup states that South Korea and the US will revise contingency plans for nuclear crisis scenarios in their joint deterrence strategy and make intelligence-sharing more systematic.
: South Korean Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul visits the Pentagon to discuss bilateral cooperation in high-defense tech projects. Shin also holds bilateral talks with US Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante to discuss the expansion of South Korean firms’ participation in the US defense supply chain.
: South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission approves the fines of 69.2 billion won ($55.2 million) for Google and 30.8 billion won for Meta Platforms for collecting personal information without users’ consent.
: A recent Korea Information Society Development Institute report finds that South Korea’s participation in the Chip 4 alliance would be a “rational” decision for the country amid intensifying competition for global technology.
: South Korea and 13 other member nations of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework agree to start official negotiations to boost regional economic cooperation.
: North Korea celebrates the 74th anniversary of its founding. At the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea announces five conditions for a nuclear preemptive strike, states that it will not share nuclear weapons and technology with other countries, and reaffirms that the country will resist all sanctions and pressures to give up its nuclear weapons.
: US develops “Unhiding Hidden Cobra,” a nine-day training program designed to help detect and prevent malicious cyber activities by North Korea.
: After meeting with White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun states that South Korea and the US will launch ministerial level talks on minimizing damage from the Inflation Reduction Act on South Korean carmakers
: South Korean Land Minister Won Hee-ryong meets with US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg to discuss cooperation in transportation and construction. Goldberg asks for South Korean companies to invest in US transportation infrastructure and launch the relocation project of US Embassy headquarters in Seoul. Won asks Goldberg to deliver Seoul’s concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo meets with US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg and requests Washington’s consideration for South Korean firms entering the US market following the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun arrives in the United States for talks on the Inflation Reduction Act and meets with White House National Economic Council Director Brian Deese and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup discusses with a group of visiting US House representatives to bolster combined defense posture amid concerns of another North Korea nuclear test.
: South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo meets with a US congressional delegation led by Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Florida) to raise South Korea’s concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act.
: President Yoon Suk Yeol meets with Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona and asks for Ducey’s cooperation in addressing South Korea’s concerns about the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea and the US wrap up the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. US Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder notes the importance of the exercise for strengthening the “security and the stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.”
: Seoul announces that the national security advisors of South Korea, Japan, and the United States will meet in Hawaii to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues of potential cooperation. The meeting takes place Sept. 1 at the US Indo-Pacific Command in Honolulu.
: Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department, insists that THAAD is a “purely defensive measure to protect ROK” from North Korea threats. Criticism or pressure on South Korea to abandon its self-defense is inappropriate, states Patel.
: Washington agrees to launch formal talks with Seoul to minimize the adverse effects of the Inflation Reduction Act on South Korean electric vehicles.
: South Korea participates in Pacific Vanguard exercise, a US-led multinational maritime exercise, involving Australia, Canada, and Japan.
: South Korea waits for a ruling from the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes on the multibillion dollar damages suit that US private equity firm Lone Star filed against the country more than a decade ago.
: Seoul’s armed forces reveal that the ROK Navy joined a US-led multinational maritime exercise in waters off Guam earlier in August to enhance combined operational capabilities.
: South Korea launches government-civilian body tasked with an environmental impact assessment of the THAAD battery unit in Seongju. It consists of officials from provincial governments, environment and defense ministries, representatives of local residents, and experts in relevant private sectors. The Yoon administration has been pushing normalization of the battery.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets troops at the Ground Component command, a wartime unit formed to conduct South Korea and the US’s Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.
: Daniel Kritenbrink, US assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, meets South Korean counterpart Yeo Seung-bae and makes courtesy calls on Foreign Minister Park Jin and Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon. Park raises concerns of Washington’s discriminatory treatment of Korean companies under the Inflation Reduction Act and Kritenbirk states that Washington is well aware of Seoul’s concerns and will continue consultations between the two governments. Kritenbrink reaffirms Washington’s “strong support” for Seoul’s “audacious” plan.
: Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association seeks a joint response with the European Union over the US Inflation Reduction Act that excludes electric vehicles assembled outside of North America from tax incentives.
: Seoul pushes for discussion with Washington over its new Chips and Science Act. South Korea’s industry ministry sets up a joint response team with private firms to review related trade regulations, boost communications with the US, and enhance monitoring of major nations’ moves regarding the law. Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang meets with related firms in the semiconductor, car, and battery sectors including Samsung, SK, LG, Hyundai, and Kia.
: Vedant Patel, US Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department, reaffirms US commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan.
: South Korea leads Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise for the first time, a sign of progress in the plan for the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON). South Korean Gen. Ahn Byung-Seok takes the commanding role as the two countries conduct the full operational capability (FOC) assessment, the second part of the three-stage program to assess the South’s capabilities to lead combined forces.
: US State Department spokesperson Price urges Pyongyang to respond positively to Seoul’s offer to help North Korea in exchange for denuclearization. The remarks come after Kim Yo Jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister, rejected South Korea’s offers.
: South Korea and the US begin Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise. The first segment involves drills on repelling North Korean attacks and deafening the greater Seoul area while the second focuses on counterattack operations. The exercise also includes operational capability (FOC) assessment, a procedure for the envisioned transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington to Seoul.
: South Korea reviews whether to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over the Inflation Reduction Act.
: South Korea’s People Power Party (PPP) calls on the government to negotiate with the US to get South Korean-made electric vehicles eligible for tax benefits under the newly legislated Inflation Reduction Act. The PPP argues that Korea-made electric cars should receive equal tax benefits as those produced in the States in accordance with the free trade agreement between the two countries.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and US counterpart Blinken discuss the dismissal from Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, of President Yoon’s “audacious” initiative as the “height of absurdity.” They “expressed regret” over her statement.
: First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong conducts separate phone conversations with US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and EU mediator Enrique Mora to share the latest progress in negotiations to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is aimed at restoring a 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
: South Korean National Assembly speaker Kim Jin-pyo meets US Ambassador Goldberg to discuss ROK-US relations.
: Department Press Secretary Price states that the US sees the need to take “incremental steps” with North Korea to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
: In light of North Korea’s recent firing of cruise missiles, State Department Press Secretary Price reaffirmsthe US commitment to the defense of South Korea and the maintenance of strong sanctions against North Korea. Price states the US supports President Yoon’s initiative to engage with North Korea.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets Gen. Paul Nakasone, commander of the US Cyber Command, to discuss cyber threats and ways to bolster the allies’ response capabilities.
: Major South Korean automakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. voice concerns over the newly implemented Inflation reduction Act in Washington, which would provide tax incentives for electric vehicles solely manufactured in North America.
: North Korea test-fires two cruise missiles toward the Yellow Sea as President Yoon holds a press conference to mark the 100th day since taking office.
: Principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department states the US is concerned by North Korea’s “strengthened rhetoric” and is preparing for all contingencies amid signs North Korea is preparing for its seventh nuclear test. He also expresses concerns over the health of North Korean people during the pandemic.
: South Korea and the US hold regular defense talks on North Korea and a range of alliance issues such as THAAD during two-day Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD). They agree to expand the size and scope of the combined Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise.
: South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, and the US finish biennial Pacific Dragon exercise, reflectingdesires to step up security cooperation amid tensions caused by North Korea’s recent missile launches.
: Secretary of State Blinken highlights the importance of the US-South Korea alliance on South Korea’s Liberation Day.
: Poll by the Pew Research Center finds that nine out of 10 South Koreans hold a favorable view of the US and that 89% of South Koreans think the US is a “reliable partner.”
: President Yoon meets with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to discuss cooperation on vaccine development and other health issues. The South Korean government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sign a memorandum of understanding to expand international health partnerships and to enhance biotechnology manpower in low- and middle-income countries.
: President Yoon meets with Sen. Ed Markey to discuss strengthening the bilateral alliance. Markey expresses confidence the relationship will grow stronger with the CHIPS and Science Act, which focuses on the semiconductor industry.
: Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association sends letter to the US House of Representatives with concerns regarding the tax breaks in the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act and requests changes in proposed tax credits for EV purchases.
: Defense officials Park Nam-hee and Kelly Fletcher of South Korea and the US respectively, discuss cooperation in the area of defense-related information and communication technologies (ICT). Park and Fletcher exchange assessments of current trends regarding 5G networks and cloud computing.
: President Yoon hosts a dinner for US Ambassador Goldberg and US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera to welcome the new ambassador to Korea and evaluate the security situation on the Korean peninsula.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declares victory over COVID-19 at a national meeting where his sister, Kim Yo Jong, gives a speech stating her brother suffered a fever and blames the North Korean COVID-19 outbreak on leaflets flown across the border from South Korea.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agree that disputes over the US THAAD system should no longer hamper Seoul-Beijing relations. The ministers also discuss the supply chain issue and Park notifies wang of Seoul’s decision to join the US-led Chip 4 alliance “purely” in consideration of national interest.
: US imposes sanctions on virtual currency mixer Tornado Cash for its involvement in laundering over $455 million in virtual currency stolen by North Korea’s state-sponsored hacking group known as the Lazarus Group.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup visits a US military base south of Seoul to highlight the “solid” US-ROK alliance and the need for thorough preparations for the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) exercise.
: US Forces Korea (USFK) reveals that South Korean and US special commandos conducted combined military drills at Pilsung Range in an apparent show of firepower against evolving North Korean threats.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Secretary Blinken discuss Indo-Pacific strategy on the sidelines of ASEAN-hosted annual sessions.
: US Ambassador Goldberg calls on North Korea to respond to Washington’s dialogue offers and stresses the firm goal of denuclearizing Korea through diplomacy.
: Unification Minister Kwon Young-se meets Ambassador Goldberg to discuss North Korea. Kwon also discusses ways to improve human rights in North Korea with Damon Wilson, president of the US-based National Endowment for Democracy.
: South Korea participates in the Global Sentinel exercise, a US-led multinational space security exercise.
: National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo meets Speaker Pelosi. Kim and Pelosi agree to support efforts to denuclearize North Korea and expand ties between the allies in other areas such as defense security, the economy, and technology. Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the ruling People Power Party and Rep. Park Hong-geun of the main opposition Democratic Party also attend the meeting.
: President Yoon calls Speaker Pelosi to reaffirm his efforts to deepen the bilateral alliance and states that Pelosi’s visit is a sign of deterrence against North Korea.
: North Korea strongly denounces US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and calls it an “impudent interference of the US in internal affairs of other countries” and that Washington is the root cause of “harassed peace and security in the region.”
: South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho meets Alondra Nelson, acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to discuss ways to strengthen the countries’ technology alliance, such as through semiconductor and space exploration.
: Amid fears of a potential North Korean nuclear test, Secretary of State Blinken highlights the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty during his address at the 10th NPT Review Conference at UN headquarters.
: South Korea’s foreign ministry refuses to comment on Nancy Pelosi’s expected visit to Taiwan but reaffirms position on the importance of “stability and peace” in the Taiwan Strait.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and US counterpart Austin decide to restart the allies’ Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) in September and strengthen the Table Top Exercise (TTX).
: South Korean Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lee Jong-ho visits US to discuss how to bolster military cooperation and ocean security with Secretary of Navy Carlos del Toro, Commander of US Indo-Pacific Command John Aquilino, and other senior military officials. A Korean fleet of warships, maritime aircraft, and around 1000 troops jointhe US-led Rim of Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
: In response to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s warning, State Department spokesperson Ned Price reaffirms that the US is firmly committed to the defense of South Korea and dismisses Kim’s threat as nothing new.
: President Yoon receives credentials of Philip Goldberg, newly appointed US Ambassador to Seoul.
: US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera stresses importance of strengthening the US-ROK alliance and notes that the Korean War has not ended and DPRK continues to be a threat.
: President Biden receives honorary Korean name of Bae Ji-sung by the ROK-US Alliance Friendship Association, as part of a weeklong commemoration to mark the end of the Korean War.
: Anne Neuberger, US Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, visits Seoul to discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in countering cybercrimes, particularly those committed by North Korea.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns that the Yoon administration and its “military gangsters” will face annihilation should it make any “dangerous attempt” like a preemptive strike. Kim stresses that his regime is “fully prepared” for any military confrontation with the US, referencing to the increasing frequency of US-ROK joint military exercises. This is the first time that Kim officially launched his position on the Yoon government.
: President Biden calls on Americans to honor those who sacrificed “everything to defend freedom and democracy” during the Korean War.
: NSC coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby states that the US and allies will take appropriate steps to hold North Korea accountable should it conduct a nuclear test.
: US military discloses photos of last week’s combined Marine Exercise Program (KMEP) drills with South Korean troops. This disclosure marks a shift from the allies’ low-key stance on the drills during the Moon administration.
: A ceremony for the Wall of Remembrance, a new Korean War monument in Washington, hosts around 3,000 people, including government officials, Korean War veterans and families, and other South Korean and US citizens. President Yoon celebrates the unveiling of this monument, saying that it represents the “firmness of the South Korea-US alliance.”
: US Undersecretary of State for Politics Affairs Victoria Nuland and First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun-dong discuss the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG). Nuland also meets South Korea’s top nuclear envoy Kim Gunn, Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon, and Foreign Minister Park Jin to discuss North Korea policy, global supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine.
: President Biden talks virtually with Chey Tae-won, chairman of South Korea’s SK Group, and Gina Raimondo, US secretary of Commerce. They discuss SK Group’s investments in US manufacturing and jobs. This meeting is part of Biden’s goal to boost foreign investment in the US, especially in the semiconductor industry.
: South Korea issues a joint statement with the US and seven other countries condemning the recent executions of pro-democracy leaders in Myanmar.
: Around 800 bereaved family members visit the Wall of Remembrance, a new Korean War monument in Washington D.C. The monument is open to family members of troops who went missing or were killed during the Korean War before its official unveiling this week.
: A 14-member delegation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) meets more than 25 senior officials of the Biden administration to discuss the new US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF). The delegation prioritizes South Korea as a key ally in the IPEF, identifies supply chains as important for US-ROK dialogue, and states that AMCHAN plans to create an IPEF working group to work on bilateral relations. AMCHAM proposes “concrete and strategic ways” that the US could deepen its economic ties with Seoul.
: South Korea seeks to coordinate with the US and other countries before announcing details of its “audacious plan” to revive North Korea’s economy in the event it accepts denuclearization.
: Kim Gunn, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, and Sung Kim, US Special Representative for North Korea, meet in Indonesia to craft a North Korea policy road map that will include economic incentives and security guarantees.
: To better handle North Korea’s missile threats, South Korea and the US plan to establish the Counter Missile Working Group (CMWG) and resume regiment-level or larger-scale combined field training programs, which were suspended in 2018. The summer allied training set for Aug. 22 to Sept. 1 will be called Ulchi Freedom Shield and will stage 11 combined field training sessions. In the first half of next year, both nations plan to conduct 21 combined training programs.
: During a policy briefing to President Yoon, Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup outlines defense priorities, including resuming larger-scale ROK-US field training and accelerating efforts to build the “three-axis” system against North Korea.
: South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup discusses regional security with US Ambassador Goldberg.
: South Korea’s National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyou-hyun makes an unannounced visit to the US amid concerns over the possibility of a North Korean nuclear test.
: In its annual human trafficking report, US State Department downgrades South Korea to Tier 2 from its position of Tier 1 which it has held since 2002. South Korea’s foreign ministry vowed more efforts to combat human trafficking.
: South Korean National Security Advisor Kim Sung-han meets US Ambassador Goldberg to discuss the global comprehensive strategic alliance agreed by both presidents.
: South Korean Foreign and Trade Ministers Park Jin and Ahn Duk-geun participate in a virtual two-day Supply Chain Ministerial Forum co-hosted by Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. Participants discusses ways to reduce short-term bottlenecks and solutions to longer-term supply chain challenges.
: South Korean ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho states that South Korea should be cautious in deciding whether to participate in a US-proposed chip alliance known as Chip 4 or Fab 4. The proposal puts South Korea in a delicate balancing act between the US and China.
: President Yoon meets Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to discuss rising inflation, stabilizing global energy prices, resolving supply chain disruptions, and strengthening the economic security alliance. Yellen advocated for bilateral “friend-shoring” to build more stable supply chains to reduce economic dependence on China.
: In a recently passed defense budget bill, the US House of Representatives stresses the need to maintain and possibly strengthen US military presence in South Korea.
: C.S. Eliot Kang, assistant secretary at the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, warns industry and government officials of North Korean IT workers posing as third-country citizens.
: Ambassador Goldberg stresses expanding bilateral relations in the face of global challenges such as interrupted supply chains, COVID-19, and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
: South Korea presidential official says Seoul and the US are using various channels to strengthen cooperation on semiconductors. This endeavor would also involve Japan and Taiwan.
: Ambassador to South Korea Goldberg speaks on evolving the bilateral relationship into a “comprehensive strategic one.”
: Commercial satellite imagery of North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Center shows the 5 MWe Reactor continues to produce plutonium for the country’s nuclear weapons program.
: Amid concerns that North Korea may conduct its seventh nuclear test, Department of State Counselor Derek Chollet visits Seoul to discuss ways to strengthen the US-ROK alliance.
: South Korea and the US consider the resumption of combined field training during their regular military exercise set for the next month.
: South Korea and the US conduct their first combined air drills, officials say, in an apparent show of force against North Korea’s growing military threats.
: According to South Korea’s military, North Korea fires artillery shots from multiple rocket launchers.
: At a G20 meeting, chief nuclear envoys of South Korea, Japan, and the US reaffirm their commitment to stronger trilateral cooperation against North Korea security threats.
: North Korean government-based hackers have stolen billions of dollars by raiding cryptocurrency exchanges and have also been planting operatives in tech jobs throughout the industry, as part of an evolving effort by the DPRK to gain revenue.
: Philip Goldberg, new US ambassador to South Korea, arrives in Seoul to fill a position that has been vacant for one and a half years.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, Secretary of State Blinken, and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa hold tripartite meeting to bolster cooperation on North Korea and pursue “future-oriented cooperation” to promote regional prosperity.
: During a G20 meeting in Indonesia, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin calls for efforts to strengthen “rules-based multilateralism” and shared South Korea’s vision to play a greater role for global freedom. Park encouraged G-20 members to cooperate to assist Ukraine.
: South Korea and the US hold first session of their economic security dialogue, a channel established as part of a summit agreement between Presidents Yoon and Biden in May. South Korean Presidential Secretary for Economic Security Wang Yun-jong will soon meet with senior director for technology and national security on the White House NSC Tarun Chhabra.
: South Korea Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup discuss issues related to regional security and the bilateral alliance with Sen. Rick Scott. Lee asked for US Congress’ support for the development of a “global comprehensive strategic alliance.”
: In response to trilateral talks held on the sidelines of the NATO summit last month, North Korea criticizes South Korea, Japan, and the United States for pushing to boost trilateral military cooperation targeting the North.
: During an address at the NATO summit, Yoon calls on the international community to show resolve to denuclearize North Korea and stated that ROK will fulfill a bigger role and responsibility, especially in economic and cyber security areas.
: President Yoon talks briefly with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio during a gala dinner for NATO summit participants and expressed hope for future-oriented development of bilateral relations.
: JCS Chairman Gen. Won In-choul and US Indo-Pacific Command Chief Adm. John Aquilino hold virtual talks to discuss stepping up security cooperation amid concerns about the possibility of North Korea carrying out its seventh nuclear test.
: South Korea’s top nuclear envoy Kim Gunn meets senior Treasury Department official Brian Nelson to discuss North Korea’s development of a nuclear and missile program. Both sides agreed that the North will face tougher international sanctions and isolation if it “refuses to accept dialogue offers and continues provocative acts.”
: Amid growing security threats from North Korea, South Korea’s military plans to participate in a Cyber Flag exercise, a US-led multinational exercise on cyber operations, in October, officials say.
: US House Armed Services Committee endorsed annual defense policy bill for fiscal year 2023 that will maintain the current level of around 28,500 US troops in South Korea.
: During a major party meeting, Kim Jong Un and top officials discussed adding missions and revising organizational and operational plans of front-line military units of the Korean People’s Army (KPA).
: South Korea establishes a task force composed of key industry sectors such as semiconductors, cars, steel, and renewable energy resources for discussion with experts and the private sector on its strategy on the newly launched, US-led IPEF.
: Delegation of South Korean businessmen, led by chief of Korea International Trade Association (KITA) Koo Ja-yeol, meets US members of Congress and White House officials to discuss bilateral economic cooperation.
: In a show of readiness against North Korea security threats, South Korea and the US conduct a combined patrol flight over key former battle sites.
: Top military officers of South Korea and the US, Won In-choul and Gen. Mark Milley, hold virtual talks on North Korea’s military threats and agreed that the allies’ combined defense posture is “more solid than at any other time.”
: North Korean state media publishes photo of Kim Jong Un directing a meeting of military officials. A photo in the background, of South Korea’s east coast, triggers concerns of tactical nuclear weapons deployment.
: South Korea will establish a mission to NATO in Brussels, officials say, and President Yoon will focus on three purposes: strengthening the “value alliance” with NATO states and partner nations, building a foundation for a “comprehensive security network” with NATO, and holding a series of bilateral summits to focus on economic and security issues.
: South Korean satellite makes two-way communication with ground station at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), confirming Nuri’s satellite deployment capability.
: South Korea and the US tentatively agree to hold biannual Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in July. Agenda items include Seoul’s push to strengthen the enforceability of US extended deterrence and expansion of combined military exercises.
: South Korea’s top nuclear envoy Kim Gunn meets senior State Department officials for updates on North Korea policies amid concerns of a DPRK nuclear test.
: South Korea’s Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets members of the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) to discuss regional security, the US-ROK alliance, and strengthening security coordination.
: After meeting with US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin states that South Korea and the United States will continue to hold ministerial-level dialogue to implement the outcome of their leaders’ summit last month.
: South Korea’s Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul attends a US-led forum on support for Ukraine.
: South Korean Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon and US Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose W. Fernandez meet on the sidelines of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). They agree to bolster coordination for economic security issues and in industries such as semiconductors and batteries.
: Korea Aerospace Industries Co., South Korea’s sole aircraft manufacturer, says it has signed an agreement with the US defense firm Lockheed Martin to boost sales of advanced trainer jets in the United States.
: South Korea seeks to “normalize” security cooperation with Japan and strengthen trilateral collaboration involving the United States to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, according to the Seoul’s defense minister.
: North Korea fires artillery shots, presumably from multiple rocket launchers, according to the South Korea’s military, in another show of force by the reclusive regime.
: In response to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup and US and Japanese counterparts Lloyd Austin and Kishi Nobuo agree to hold tripartite military exercises on a consistent and more public basis.
: North Korean state media reports that leader Kim Jong Un calls for stronger “self-defense” measures to tackle “very serious” security challenges while presiding over a key ruling party session earlier in the week.
: Defense Secretary Austin reaffirms US commitment to reinforcing “extended deterrence” against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats during the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
: Defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States, and Japan agrees to step up cooperation to counter North Korea’s missile threats through combined regular security exercises, including missile warning drills.
: Yoon gives credentials to new ambassador to the United States Cho Tae-yong. Cho says he will focus on expanding the scope of the bilateral alliance to entail broad elements for economic security by facilitating strategic communication efforts.
: South Korea and the United States fire eight ballistic missiles into the East Sea in response to North Korea’s missile launches the previous day, according to the South’s military.
: South Korea and the United States conduct a combined air power demonstration involving 20 warplanes, including F-35A stealth fighters, over the Yellow Sea, Seoul officials said, in another display of readiness following North Korea’s weekend missile launches.
: Top South Korean and US nuclear envoys hold an emergency meeting in Seoul, hours after North Korea test-fired another salvo of ballistic missiles into the East Sea.
: North Korea fires eight short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, a day after South Korea and the US wrapped up joint drills near the peninsula involving a US aircraft carrier, according to the South’s military.
: Philip Goldberg is sworn in as US ambassador to South Korea.
: US says it is set to adjust its military posture to counter North Korea’s continued provocations and threats.
: South Korean Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun drums up support from the US Congress to expand bilateral trade and investment. Ahn made the request during a meeting with Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Il), where the two noted the achievements of the May summit between Yoon and Biden, and discussed ways to deepen their economic ties.
: South Korean supergroup BTS highlights the need to respect one another as they made their first visit to the White House for a rare meeting with President Biden.
: South Korea approves a 750 billion won ($605 million) project to upgrade its Patriot missile defense system by 2027, according to the state arms procurement agency, in the wake of North Korea’s recent missile provocations.
: South Korea’s foreign ministry launches in-house economic security center to better handle global supply chain issues following months of preparatory work.
: China and Russia veto a US-drafted UNSC resolution to strengthen sanctions on North Korea over a spate of missile launches, the first time that the five permanent members of the Council have been divided on the issue since they began punishing Pyongyang in 2006.
: South Korean government expresses “deep regret” about an unprecedented rejection of a proposed UNSC resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea for its provocation.
: North Korea fires three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, including an apparent ICBM, just a day after Biden wrapped up an Asia trip highlighting the US security commitment to Seoul and Tokyo.
: Chinese and Russian warplanes enter South Korea’s air defense identification zone (Kadiz) on two separate occasions without notice, prompting the Air Force to scramble fighters to the scene, according to the Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
: Yoon says South Korea will contribute to the newly launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) across all sectors and propose ways to cooperate on supply chain resilience, the transition to a digital economy, and clean energy and decarbonization.
: South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group says it will invest an additional $5 billion in the United States for robotics and autonomous driving software development, just a day after announcing a similar size investment to build an electric vehicle plant in the US.
: US is not considering adding South Korea to Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, says a senior US official.
: South Korea and the United States agree to launch a ministerial-level dialogue to discuss cooperation on supply chains of key industry items and other economic security issues.
: Presidents Yoon Biden agree to begin discussions on expanding joint military exercises between the two countries amid growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
: North Korea reports over 260,000 new suspected COVID-19 cases, with the total number of such cases surpassing 2 million, eight days after it first confirmed the virus outbreak.
: Presidents Yoon and Biden tour a Samsung Electronics chip plant, demonstrating their commitment to expanding their alliance beyond the security sphere to global supply chains and other key areas.
: US military has flown a reconnaissance plane toward the East Sea, an aviation tracker says, amid concerns about the possibility of another ICBM launch by North Korea.
: US commits to engaging with North Korea in serious dialogue and is willing to take “action for action” with North Korea toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, says National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
: Chief nuclear envoys of South Korea and Russia hold phone talks to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak and missile tests.
: North Korea does not appear to have developed a hypersonic missile, but its tests to develop such a system warrant US concerns, says the head of the US Missile Defense Agency.
: Top diplomats of South Korea and the United States express concerns over recent COVID-19 outbreaks in North Korea and agree to continue consultations on humanitarian aid to the reclusive country during video talks.
: North Korea fires three short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea, its first missile launch since the inauguration of the Yoon administration.
: UNSC convenes an emergency meeting to discuss North Korea’s recent missile provocations but fails to produce a tangible outcome due to opposition from China and Russia.
: US calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss North Korea’s latest missile provocation.
: President Yoon says the alliance between South Korea and the US is a “linchpin” of regional peace and prosperity, during a meeting with US second gentleman Douglas Emhoff and other members of a delegation sent by Biden to attend Yoon’s inauguration ceremony.
: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio underscores need to resolve his country’s longstanding diplomatic standoffs with South Korea as his foreign minister arrived in Seoul for the inauguration of Yoon Suk Yeol. He emphasizes the importance of cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo as well as trilateral partnerships involving Washington, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that “could shake up the foundation of an international order.”
: North Korea fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile four days after conducting a ballistic missile test.
: US imposes sanctions on virtual currency mixer Blender for helping North Korea launder stolen virtual currency, the first time the US has imposed sanctions on a virtual currency mixer, according to the Treasury department.
: US Senate votes unanimously to approve the nomination of Philip Goldberg, a career diplomat, as new US ambassador to South Korea
: North Korea launches a ballistic missile into the East Sea. Some experts say it could have been a Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a completely new missile.
: President-elect Yoon Suk Yeol meets with Australia’s ambassador to Seoul and asks for his country’s support for cooperation between South Korea and working groups under the Quad security partnership, says his spokesperson.
: US plans to move forward with a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution condemning North Korea’s recent missile activities, says US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
: US plans to boost deterrence against China and North Korea, partly by increasing “prepositioned stocks” of military supplies in the Indo-Pacific according to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
: US-South Korea alliance is an incredibly important relationship that is vital to many issues in the region and around the world, a White House spokesperson says regarding President Joe Biden’s planned trip to Seoul.
: President-elect Yoon says he will “positively review” South Korea’s joining of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, an anti-China security partnership, if invited, according to a report.
: South Korea and the US sign their first bilateral document on joint space policy research, in their latest push to reinforce cooperation in the increasingly crucial security domain.
: North Korea holds a military parade in Pyongyang to mark a key national anniversary, in what was seen as a highly choreographed event to cement internal unity and highlight its military heft. During the parade, North Korea rolls out what appears to be a new type of solid fuel missile alongside the country’s largest-known ICBM.
: South Korea successfully test-fires two submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) consecutively earlier this week, in a sign the missile is nearing operational deployment.
: South Korea will set up a task force to deal with its potential participation in a US-led economic framework, as the United States accelerates preparations to launch the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
: US special representative for North Korea Sung Kim says that Seoul and Washington will respond “responsibly and decisively” to Pyongyang’s provocative acts while voicing concerns over its “escalatory actions.”
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversees the successful test-firing of a new tactical guided weapon meaningful in improving the efficiency of tactical nuclear operations.
: North Korea holds celebrations for the 110th birth anniversary of late founder Kim Il Sung with fireworks and a mass dance performance in its capital, footage from state media showed.
: US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier enters the international waters of the east of the Korean Peninsula, in an apparent show of America’s military might.
: Head of the UN civil aviation agency urges North Korea to make prior notifications on its missile launches, saying Pyongyang’s unannounced missile tests pose a risk to international civil aviation.
: North Korea condemns the US for making the crisis surrounding Ukraine a human rights issue and imposing sanctions against Russia, denouncing US President Biden as “an old man in his senility” and a man of a “repeated slip of tongue.”
: US and its allies are prepared to deal with any further provocations by North Korea, says US special envoy for North Korea, noting the recalcitrant state may conduct a nuclear test in the future.
: US seeks to ensure peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region partly by reinvigorating its trilateral cooperation with South Korea and Japan, says US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
: South Korean delegates representing President-elect Yoon discuss the possible deployment of US strategic assets to South Korea in a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim and China’s Liu Xiaoming meet in Washington for talks on ways to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
: Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the IS agree to jointly push for a new UNSC resolution against North Korea over its recent series of ballistic missile launches.
: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, blasts South Korea’s defense minister for highlighting Seoul’s “preemptive strike” capabilities and threatens the South for making such “reckless” remarks, according to Pyongyang’s state media.
: US imposes fresh sanctions on five North Korean entities involved in the North’s recent missile tests that included its first ICBM launch in over four years.
: South Korea conducts its first successful launch of a solid-fuel space rocket as part of a project to deploy civilian and military surveillance satellites, says the Defense Ministry.
: President-elect Yoon calls for closer trilateral cooperation with the US and Japan to deter North Korea from pursuing its nuclear weapons program in a meeting with Japan’s ambassador.
: Biden administration seeks a 4.1% increase in defense spending, citing the US’ growing competition with China and threats from North Korea.
: US and South Korean intelligence believe the ICBM launched by North Korea was actually a Hwasong-15 missile disguised to look like the newer, larger Hwasong-17, according to South Korean military sources.
: North Korea says that it successfully test-fired a new ICBM, called the Hwasong-17, the previous day on the direct order of leader Kim Jong Un.
: North Korea fires an apparent long-range ballistic missile toward the East Sea says South Korea’s military. The North’s move came four days after it fired four artillery shots into the Yellow Sea, apparently using multiple rocket launchers.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Secretary of State Blinken discuss North Korea’s missile tests over the phone, condemning them as violating UNSC resolutions.
: US condemns North Korea’s launch of an ICBM, vowing to take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the country and its allies.
: President-elect Yoon says that North Korea’s recent artillery firing was a violation of an inter-Korean military tension reduction agreement.
: North Korea fires four suspected shots from its multiple rocket launchers into the Yellow Sea says South Korean military officials.
: North Korea fires an apparent ballistic missile, but the launch ended in failure, says South Korea’s military.
: USTR Tai says the South Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA) has greatly increased bilateral trade and investment but more can and should be done to advance the countries’ economic ties.
: US imposes fresh sanctions on two Russian individuals and three entities for enabling North Korea’s weapons program, says the US Treasury Department.
: Getting US-Korea ties back on track will be a top priority, says President-elect Yoon at his first press conference after the election results were released.
: North Korea appears to be working to restore underground tunnels of its purportedly demolished Punggye-ri nuclear test site.
: North Korea’s two most recent missile launches aim to test a new ICBM system ahead of a possible full-fledged ICBM test, says a senior US official.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits the country’s space agency, saying the recent development of a reconnaissance satellite is aimed at collecting information on the US military in the region and its “vassal forces.”
: Opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol is elected South Korea’s next president.
: US intensifies its intelligence collection activities around the Korean Peninsula.
: UNSC holds a closed-door meeting to discuss North Korea’s recent missile test, but fails to produce a text condemning the regime of its sanctions violations.
: North Korea may resume nuclear and ICBM testing before the year’s end, says a US government report.
: Analysts say recent photos taken from space show new buildings and other signs of work at North Korea’s nuclear testing facility.
: The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog says that signs of activity have been detected at North Korea’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex and other facilities and called the reclusive regime’s nuclear program deeply regrettable.
: South Korea wins an exemption from the United States’ expanded export restrictions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, says Seoul’s industry ministry.
: North Korea appears to continue producing fissile materials for nuclear weapons at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility, says a US monitoring website, citing recent satellite imagery of Yongbyon.
: South Korea backs a statement issued by 10 other members of the UN condemning North Korea’s latest missile launch in the strongest terms.
: South Korea decides to ban exports of strategic materials to Russia as part of efforts to join global sanctions against Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.
: North Korea ascribes the armed conflict in Ukraine to US “high-handedness and arbitrariness,” accusing Washington of having pursued “military supremacy” in disregard of Russia’s security concerns.
: Top diplomats of South Korea and the United States strongly condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reaffirm their support for Ukraine.
: South Korea vows to join the international community to impose export controls against Russia in case of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine but stopped short of drawing up its own punitive measures against Moscow.
: President Moon Jae-in says South Korea will join international sanctions against Russia as he expressed regret over Russia’s attack on Ukraine, saying any use of armed force causing human casualties cannot be justified.
: In an apparent warning to North Korea and China, the United States deploys an unspecified number of F-35A stealth fighter jets to Okinawa.
: More than half of South Koreans support the acquisition of nuclear weapons either through indigenous development or the deployment of US assets, according to a survey by Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
: Biden administration’s new Indo-Pacific strategy looks to cement trilateral cooperation with Asian allies, South Korea and Japan, as a core lever to counter China’s assertiveness and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions under its newly unveiled.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, Secretary of State Blinken, and Japanese FM Hayashi urge North Korea to halt its destabilizing actions and return to dialogue.
: President Joe Biden nominates a senior member of the US foreign service, Philip Goldberg, as ambassador to South Korea.
: Top nuclear negotiators of South Korea, Japan and the US discuss ways to engage with North Korea.
: North Korea harbors an undisclosed missile operation base built specifically for a unit equipped with intermediate-range and potentially intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), according to a CSIS report.
: Senior defense officials of South Korea, Japan and the US hold three-way talks to discuss ways to mitigate threats posed by North Korea, says the US Department of Defense.
: Top diplomats of South Korea and the US express strong concern about recent advances in North Korea’s missile program and stress the significance of diplomatic efforts to resume talks with Pyongyang.
: According to US congressional records, South Korea seeks to purchase six close-in weapon systems (CIWS) for its naval ships from the United States.
: North Korea fires ballistic missile toward the East Sea said South Korea’s military. It conducted four other launches earlier this month, including those of what it claimed to be hypersonic missiles.
: South Korea’s top trade official calls on the United States to swiftly begin talks to revise Section 232 tariffs on Seoul’s steel exports. South Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo made the request to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai during a meeting in Washington.
: North Korea sets off another volley of suspected short-range ballistic or tactical guided missiles. South Korean military authorities say the missiles landed in eastern waters off the Korean Peninsula.
: Department of Defense Press Secretary Kirby says the US is equally focused on dealing with the threat posed by North Korea just as it is with all other major security issues.
: North Korea fires two suspected cruise missiles from an inland area, its fifth such test this year.
: Department of Defense Press Secretary John Kirby says the US . continues to call on North Korea to stop its provocations and instead return to dialogue to find ways to de-escalate tension.
: United States and seven other members of the UNSC call on all UN members to fully implement UNSC sanctions on North Korea.
: North Korea holds policymaking politburo meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party presides over by Kim Jong Un and decides to consider restarting all temporally-suspended activities.
: South Korea’s top nuclear envoy holds back-to-back phone talks with US and Chinese counterparts amid rising tension over North Korea’s apparent threat of nuclear and long-range weapons tests.
: Top trade officials of South Korea and the US agree to strengthen their strategic partnership to actively respond to supply chain issues, new technologies, and other major trade issues.
: Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US, and Japan hold discussion about North Korea’s latest missile test and agreed to maintain close trilateral cooperation in the region.
: United States blasts North Korea for its tactical guided missile test, which the North’s official state news agency revealed was conducted by its railway-based missile regiment.
: Secretary Blinken condemns North Korea’s recent missile tests as a violation of multiple UNSC resolutions and reaffirmed the “ironclad” security commitment to South Korea.
: North Korea fires two suspected ballistic missiles eastward, South Korea’s military said, after Pyongyang publicly warned earlier in the day of a “stronger and certain” response to the United States’ imposition of new sanctions.
: US Department of Treasury designates five North Korean individuals, one based in Russia and four in China, for illegally procuring materials for the North’s WMD and ballistic missile programs.
: North Korea fires a suspected ballistic missile toward the East Sea, less than a week after it launched what it claimed to be a hypersonic missile. US Indo-Pacific Command characterized the North’s projectile as a “ballistic missile,” which highlights the “destabilizing impact” of the North’s illicit weapons program.
: Pentagon press secretary John Kirby says North Korea’s latest missile test is in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, regardless of whether it involved a hypersonic missile as claimed by the North, said.
: Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and the US hold phone talks over North Korea’s latest launch of a ballistic missile and stressed the importance of maintaining the allies’ combined defense posture.
: United States and five other countries (Albania, Britain, France, Ireland and Japan) call on North Korea to cease missile tests and engage in denuclearization negotiations. They argue the tests will advance the North’s capabilities and add to its illicit arms exports.
: Senior diplomats of South Korea and Iran discuss Iranian assets frozen here under US sanctions, with the thorny bilateral issue on the table for talks in Vienna aimed at restoring the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal. During the meeting, South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun expressed hope for an early agreement on the nuclear deal, while the two sides shared the understanding that Tehran’s frozen assets should be released soon.
: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemns North Korea’s latest missile test in his telephone conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa.
: South Korea and the US have “effectively” agreed on draft text of the proposed declaration of a formal end to the Korean War, says Seoul’s top diplomat amid their continued push to resume dialogue with North Korea. The US declines to directly comment on any progress, only stating that the US remains committed to dialogue with North Korea.
: President Biden signs US defense budget bill that calls on his administration to maintain the troop level of US Forces Korea (USFK) at the current level.
: Seoul’s Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and Chinese counterpart, Le Yucheng, hold first “Strategic Dialogue,” which touched on geopolitical issues related to China-US relations and the Taiwan Strait. China provided explanations in broad terms rather than specifically when talking about how it looks at the global situation, while South Korea hoped to play a role promoting cooperation between the two major powers.
: South Korea will expand “future-oriented” cooperation with the US on supply chains, technologies, and other areas next year while reinforcing “conflict prevention” efforts with China, says the foreign ministry. The ministry delineated the plans in a written policy report for 2022 to President Moon as Seoul seeks to craft an optimal diplomatic strategy amid a hardening China-US rivalry on technological primacy, security, trade, and other fronts.
: President Biden has banned provision of nonhumanitarian aid to North Korea for fiscal year 2022, accusing the state of human trafficking, according to the White House.
: UNSC should address human rights issues of North Korea in an open session, says US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, with representatives of the UK, Estonia, France, Ireland, Japan, and Norway in a joint statement following a closed-door meeting.
: First Vice Industry Minister Park Jin-kyu holds talks with Jose Fernandez, US undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment, to deepen the allies’ economic ties.
: It is reported during the fifth ROK-US Joint Public-Private Economic Forum in Seoul that South Korea and the US plan to discuss cooperation on “trusted” 5G networks, global supply chains, and other key issues in upcoming talks amid intensifying US-China rivalry.
: Seoul-hosted virtual conference of Asia-Pacific parliamentarians opens to discuss inclusion and solidarity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The forum has 27 member states, including South Korea, China, Japan, Russia, Vietnam and the United States.
: President Moon says that the US, China, and North Korea agree “in principle” on declaring a formal end to the Korean War and Seoul will push to make it happen.
: South Korea’s intelligence chief says US possible proposal to provide COVID-19 vaccines to Pyongyang could create momentum to bring it back to long-stalled nuclear negotiations.
: US has no hostile policy toward North Korea while it continues to wait for a positive response to its outreach, says Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department. He reiterated the US remains ready to meet North Korea any time without any preconditions.
: North Korea appears to be aiming to counter or cripple US missile defense programs in Northeast Asia, says a US Congressional Research Service report.
: On Human Rights Day, US designates North Korea’s Defense Minister Ri Yong Gil and a number of other entities in North Korea, China, and Russia for human rights violations.
: North Korean state media uses Human Rights Day to lambaste the US-led mission in Afghanistan, which suffered “the bombardment of ‘protection of human rights’ and ‘counter-terrorism’ by the US and the West.”
: US designates a number of entities in China and Russia for violating UNSC resolutions that prohibit UN member states from employing or hosting North Korean workers.
: South Korea and the US launch a bilateral dialogue platform to discuss ways to boost cooperation on the semiconductor sector.
: Thirty-five Republican House members, including the party’s two Korean-American representatives, signletter voicing “grave concern” with discussions of an end of war declaration with North Korea, stating there is “no historical precedent” for the regime abiding by such an agreement and warning of premature US troop withdrawal from the peninsula.
: US missile defense system capabilities, including those in South Korea, are constantly reviewed and upgraded to meet evolving threats says, Pentagon press secretary.
: South Korean government reiterates principled support for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics following US announcement of its decision to boycott the event diplomatically, expressing hope again that it will contribute to peace and inter-Korean relations.
: South Korea’s tightened vaccine pass regime sparks discrimination complaints by foreign residents unable to have their overseas vaccination status officially recognized here and subsequently denied access to cafes, restaurants, and other multiuse facilities.
: US completes construction of a new long-range radar in Alaska designed to give early warnings for incoming ballistic missiles from rogue nations, such as North Korea.
: US announces diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics over China’s human rights abuses.
: US officials have started calling the end-of-war declaration, a signature diplomatic goal of the Moon Jae-in administration, an end-of-war statement.
: UN excludes North Korea from its global humanitarian assistance plan for 2022. The decision comes as North Korea maintains a strict border lockdown to stave off the coronavirus, prompting international organization staff members necessary for on-site monitoring and assessment to leave the country.
: US says it is keeping South Korea on its list of countries to be monitored for currency practices.
: South Korea and the US agree to update joint wartime contingency plans to deter North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats during the Security Consultative Meeting.
: South Korean National Assembly’s committee on foreign affairs in South Korea approves the bill to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stresses the importance of unity in the South Korea-US alliance to confront the “challenges of tomorrow” amid intensifying Sino-US rivalry.
: Department of Defense concludes review of the global defense posture, calling for cooperation with allies and partner countries to deter North Korean threats and potential Chinese aggression.
: US defense official reiterates the US steady commitment to offering “extended deterrence” to South Korea, voicing concerns over North Korea’s “problematic and irresponsible” behavior.
: Biden’s administration commits to achieving peace with North Korea through dialogue as the US and South Korea discuss an end of war declaration.
: Samsung Electronics Co. says it has selected Taylor, TX as the site of its new $17 billion chip fabrication plant, a move to boost production amid a global chip shortage.
: South Korean government says it will join US-led plan to release strategic crude reserves along with other major oil-consuming nations to help bring down soaring energy prices.
: Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai meet to discuss supply chains and steel tariffs. They agreed to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership on rising trade issues like those regarding the supply chain, technology, digital and climate change, in light of recent changes in the global trade order.
: South Korea, the US, and Japan agree during vice foreign ministerial talks to keep working together for regional peace and response to such global issues as climate change, supply chain resilience and COVID-19.
: ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman holdstalks to discuss ways to bring North Korea back to dialogue, including the declaration of a formal end to the Korean War. They also discussed the alliance and other issues of common interest, including COVID-19 vaccines and the global supply chain crisis.
: US designates North Korea as a state violator of religious freedom.
: US plan to host a joint news conference backfires after Japanese and South Korean officials opt out of the event because of a dispute over an islet that both claim.
: Agreement to launch of the Energy Policy Dialogue is made between South Korea’s Industry Minister Moon Sung-wook and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm in Washington. It aims to promote collaboration across policy, technology, and commercialization, and support decarbonization efforts, by sharing experiences and strategies and conducting joint research in such fields as hydrogen storage, next generation batteries and lithium-ion battery recycling.
: US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and South Korean counterpart, Moon Sung-wook, agree to cooperate on enhancing supply chain resiliency. They also agreed to expand their commercial forum to tackle other issues, such as setting global standards for key industrial sectors.
: Group of 23 US lawmakers sends letter to Biden urging him to “prioritize: engagement with North Korea and support a formal declaration to end the Korean War.
: US and South Korea fully agree on the need to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy, State Department spokesperson says. He declined to comment on whether the US agrees with a Seoul-proposed declaration of an end to the Korean War.
: China has the ability to help steer North Korea toward a diplomatic solution of its nuclear standoff, saysPentagon Press Secretary. He insisted one way for China to do so would be to faithfully implement UN Security Council sanctions on the North.
: US remains committed to implementing UNSC sanctions on North Korea, says State Department spokesperson. He said the US urges all other UN members to do the same to prevent North Korea from advancing nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities.
: Senior officials from South Korea and the US hold talks in Washington on ways to restart dialogue with North Korea. They discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, prospects for humanitarian cooperation, and the potential for dialogue with the DPRK.
: FM Chung pushes for a formal declaration to end the Korean War during meeting with Secretary Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome. National Security Adviser Sullivan admits that Korea and the US “may have somewhat different perspectives on the precise sequence or timing or conditions for different steps” when it comes to Seoul’s proposal for an end-of-war declaration as a catalyst to restart nuclear talks.
: North Korea demands sanctions to be lifted as a condition for negotiations to discuss a formal declaration to end the Korean War.
: Report from the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence recommends an expansion of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing alliance to include South Korea, Japan, India, Germany, and France.
: State Department seeks to provide up to $12 million in grants to entities working to implement US sanctions on North Korea and prevent its weapons proliferation.
: Mark Lambert, deputy assistant secretary of State for Korea and Japan, says the US is reviewing possibility of declaring a formal end to the Korean War, during a meeting with Lee Seok-hyun, vice chairman of South Korea’s National Unification Advisory Council.
: Senate Foreign Relations Committee passes Otto Warmbier North Korea Censorship and Surveillance Act, aimed at countering North Korea’s repressive censorship and providing outside information to the people of the reclusive North.
: South Korea and the United States decided to set up a director-level dialogue channel for regular discussions on semiconductor issues, says Seoul’s industry ministry.
: US and South Korea are aligned on the need to engage with North Korea diplomatically, but may differ when it comes to when and what steps should be taken to bring the recalcitrant North back to the dialogue table, says US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
: President Moon and US President Joe Biden will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Italy or US climate summit in Britain.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim says he looks forward to exploring options with South Korea to resume dialogue with North Korea, including the proposed declaration of a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War. He also mentioned US willingness to help address the North’s humanitarian concerns, while urging Pyongyang to stop missile launches, which he cast as “concerning and counterproductive.”
: President Moon says South Korea’s first domestically built space rocket completed all flight sequences as scheduled but fell short of putting a dummy satellite into orbit.
: North Korea’s recent missile test underscores need for engaging it and sanctions relief can be considered part of incentives to bring it back to negotiations, says FM Chung.
: North Korea fires what appears to be a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) toward the East Sea, as top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the US, and Japan meet in Washington to discuss efforts to bring the North back to dialogue through humanitarian aid and other incentives.
: US Defense Intelligence Agency projects that North Korea may resume underground nuclear tests if it does not agree to complete denuclearization.
: Gen. Jay Raymond, chief of Space Operations at the US Space Force calls for strong space cooperation with South Korea, stressing credible deterrence in the “contested” security domain comes from a robust partnership based on “mutual trust and shared values.”
: South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy says that a formal declaration of an end to the Korean War could pave the way for resuming stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea.
: US remains prepared to meet with North Korea without preconditions as it awaits the North’s response to its “specific proposals,” says State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
: South Korea and the United States agree to consider a new bilateral working-level defense dialogue aimed at promoting cooperation between their regional policy initiatives.
: US official says officials from more than 30 countries, including South Korea, will discuss ways to counter ransomware attacks from countries, including Russia and North Korea, in a two-day US-led virtual “counter ransomware initiative.”
: North Korea will continue to strengthen its “self-defensive: deterrent, says North Korean ambassador to the UN Kim Song, claiming military activities between South Korea and the United States are reaching a “dangerous level.”
: North Korean leader Kim claims need for boosting the country’s military capabilities to counter “hostile forces” against Pyongyang but said the move is not aimed at a war against South Korea or the United States.
: According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, South Korea will strengthen its “tailored” deterrence, along with the US, against North Korea’s nuclear and missiles threats while enhancing its attack and missile defense capabilities.
: North Korea announces it testfired a new type of anti-aircraft missile. The latest launch marks North Korea’s seventh major weapons test this year.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says he will restore inter-Korean hotlines early next month, calling Washington’s outreach to Pyongyang for dialogue “a petty trick.”
: South Korea launches indigenously developed 3,000-ton-class submarine, Shin Chae-ho, equipped to fire ballistic missiles. The Shin Chae-ho is the third and final submarine in the Jangbogo-III Batch-I vessel class that the ROK has developed using domestic technology.
: Department of Commerce makes a request to major chipmakers, including Samsung Electronics, Intel, and TSMC, for sales figures, inventory totals, the names of largest clients and the share of sales to these clients. Although the survey is voluntary, chipmakers perceive it to be obligatory given that the Biden administration indicated that it could leverage the Defense Production Act to penalize the companies that fail to comply.
: North Korea fires unidentified projectile into the East Sea, days after Pyongyang held out the prospect of an inter-Korean summit if the South drops “double standards.”
: North Korea could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by South Korea and even discuss holding an inter-Korean summit if the South treats the North with “impartiality” and mutual respect, says Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea’s leader.
: During trip to the US, Moon stops in Hawaii to receive the remains of 68 Korean service members from US accounting agency for prisoners of war and those missing in action.
: North Korea rejects Moon’s proposal to declare a formal end to the Korean war as something premature,” arguing that such a declaration would be meaningless as long as US “hostile policy” remains unchanged. Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song says an end-of-war declaration has “no legal binding force” and will “become a mere scrap of paper in a moment upon changes in situations.
: US military in South Korea conducts a surgical strike drill simulating attacks on major North Korean facilities, amid tensions on the Korean Peninsula over the North’s missiles launches. Meanwhile, the North has shown signs of restarting a plutonium-producing reactor and expanding uranium enrichment facilities at its mainstay Yongbyon nuclear complex.
: Leaders of the US, Australia, Japan, and India (the “Quad”) call on North Korea to engage in dialogue and abide by UNSC resolutions that prohibit its ballistic missile tests.
: Top diplomats of South Korea, Japan, and the United States meet in New York to discuss North Korea and other issues.
: President Moon reaffirms his country’s commitment to playing a leading role in the fight against COVID-19, while attending a virtual summit hosted by US President Joe Biden.
: Yoon Seok-yeol, leading opposition presidential contender, says he will demand the US redeploy its tactical nuclear weapons to the rok and have nuclear sharing with Seoul if national security is threatened by North Korea’s nukes and missiles.
: US is open to discussing a possible end of war declaration with North Korea as it seeks to engage in dialogue over a number of other issues, says a Pentagon spokesman.
: US President Joe Biden says his country seeks to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula through diplomacy at US General Assembly in New York.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggests in his UN speech that the two Koreas and the US, probably joined by China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War.
: Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong holds phone call with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and discusses efforts to bolster climate action, including achieving carbon neutrality.
: North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant within the Yongbyon nuclear complex, reports the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Activities at the plant likely reflect plans to increase nuclear weapons production, says the report.
: North Korean state media denounces the United States for meddling in Taiwan issues and voices support for Beijing’s “One-China” principle.
: North Korea fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, says South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).
: South Korea unveils development of a supersonic cruise missile to improve maritime defense capabilities just days after the North fired a new long-range cruise missile in a sign of accelerating military competition between the two Koreas.
: State Department condemns North Korea’s ballistic missile launches, calling the act a violation of US Security Council resolutions that poses a threat to its neighbors and the international community. A department official adds that US remains committed to dialogue with the North.
: South Korea’s Unification Ministry says it will continue efforts to resume operations of the inter-Korean liaison office as it marked the third anniversary of the office.
: Ambassador Sung Kim says the US “is prepared to work with North Korea to address its humanitarian concerns regardless of progress on denuclearization” after holding three-way talks with South Korean and Japanese counterparts in Tokyo to discuss humanitarian aid and other incentives to resume dialogue with the North.
: North Korea successfully test-fires a new type of long-range cruise missile, a low-level provocation amid stalled talks with the United States.
: ESTsecurity, a cybersecurity firm, says a hacker group believed to be linked to North Korea, has attempted to steal data from South Korean experts working as members of an advisory panel for the defense ministry.
: North Korea denounces the US-led war in Afghanistan as a “human rights crime,” accusing Washington of committing “atrocities of mass destruction.”
: North Korea’s Foreign Ministry criticizes the US pullout from Afghanistan, calling the American government a “destroyer of human rights and democracy.
: US reconnaissance aircraft monitors the Korean Peninsula amid speculation that North Korea might be preparing for a military parade to mark major national anniversaries.
: Commander of US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) saysUnited States stands ready to respond to any missile launch by North Korea should the North decide to stage such a provocation.
: According to the Defense Ministry’s 2022-2026 defense plan, the ROK military will begin to deploy new weapons systems and significantly upgrade its technological capabilities in response to South Korea’s shrinking population and the North’s development of nuclear weapons.
: US Department of State announces the extension of its travel ban on North Korea for one year due to serious risk to US citizens and nationals of arrest and long-term detention constituting imminent danger to their physical safety.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim expresses hope for North Korea’s return to dialogue, saying the US remains committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy.
: ROK Unification Minister Lee calls for the early resumption of talks with North Korea, saying dialogue is the only way toward achieving objectives that everyone wants.
: UN nuclear watchdog says it has detected “deeply troubling” indications of Yongbyon nuclear reactor operating since July, including the release of cooling water.
: White House press secretary Jen Psaki stresses the “urgent need” for dialogue and diplomacy with North Korea following news that the North had restarted activity at its primary nuclear reactor for the first time in three years.
: 38 North publishes additional evidence of the Yongbyon 5 MWe reactor’s activation, namely “a discharge of cooling water into a new outflow channel.”
: ROK Unification Minister Lee calls on Russia to play a “constructive role” in advancing the peace process on the Korean Peninsula during talks with Moscow’s nuclear envoy.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim arrives in Seoul for talks with his South Korean and Russian counterparts to resume dialogue amid renewed tensions over the ongoing military exercise between Seoul and Washington.
: State Department spokesperson Ned Price says that the Biden administration prioritizes alliances with NATO, South Korea, and Taiwan as a “profound source of strength” for the United States.
: ROK Unification Minister Lee urges North Korea to come back to the negotiating table within this year, expressing concerns that upcoming political events in the region could slow down the peace process with Pyongyang.
: US aids the evacuation of South Korean Embassy staff in Afghanistan under a memorandum of understanding that the two countries signed earlier this year in the event of a contingency.
: South Korea and the United States start their annual joint military training Monday amid North Korea’s strong protest and threats of a serious security crisis.
: 400,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine that the US agreed to provide arrive in South Korea on Sunday, according to the US Embassy in Seoul.
: North Korea denounces the expiration of a pandemic-related US government ban on residential evictions, saying Washington should address its own human rights issues before “poking its nose” into other countries’ affairs.
: United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai virtually meets with South Korea’s Trade Minister Yeo Han-Koo to discuss the Biden-Harris administration’s trade priorities and opportunities in supply chain resilience, tackling climate change and WTO reform.
: North Korean Ambassador to Moscow Sin Hong-chol calls for US troop withdrawal from South Korea and called the US-ROK joint military exercise a “war rehearsal.”
: Cheong Wa Dae dismisses an allegation that it might have had a secret deal with North Korea for the reconnection of direct communication channels earlier this month.
: Kim Yo Jong, sister of Kim Jong Un, slams South Korea and the United States for going ahead with joint military exercises, denouncing the drills as the “most intensive expression” of Washington’s hostile policy toward Pyongyang.
: Secretary Blinken expresses a willingness to consider different “options” and “possibilities” with North Korea in a renewed call for its return to dialogue at a regional forum.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the upcoming US-ROK military exercise is not “constructive,” calling for Washington to avoid any action that would cause tension with North Korea.
: South Korea decides to conduct upcoming military exercise with the United States as planned despite North Korea’s warning.
: Director-general and deputy-level officials of the United States and South Korea meet to coordinate efforts to achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: ROK FM Chung and Secretary Blinken agree to make continued efforts to engage with North Korea and foster lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula during their phone talks.
: US national intelligence officer for North Korea at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Sydney Seiler says that the US will never accept a nuclear-armed North Korea.
: ROK Unification Ministry says that South Korea will deal with the issue of joint military drills with the United States in a “wise” and “flexible” manner so as to not heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
: Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North Korean leader, warns that annual military drills between South Korea and the United States will cloud the future of inter-Korean relations.
: Congressman Brad Sherman (D-California) proposes the “Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act,” which more than a dozen US lawmakers sign on to, seeking to formally end the Korean War and establish liaison offices between the United States and North Korea.
: ROK FM Chung calls inter-Korean hotline restoration to restore trust and improve ties between the South and North.
: Deputy Secretary Sherman highlights need for the US and China to work together in dealing with regional and global issues such as nuclear-armed North Korea during her visit to China.
: South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman have talks in Seoul over stalled nuclear diplomacy with North Korea and other bilateral and global issues.
: Deputy Secretary of State Sherman stresses the importance of cooperation between the US, South Korea, and Japan in addressing regional issues such as the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says that the United States maintains and continues to advance its capabilities to counter any cyber-attacks from China and North Korea.
: North Korea’s foreign ministry accuses the United States of using humanitarian aid as a political tool to interfere with North Korea’s internal affairs.
: RIK chief nuclear negotiator Noh Kyu-duk speaks by phone with US counterpart Sung Kim and discussed efforts to advance the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim has phone talks with Chinese counterpart after he sought to reach out to North Korea during his trip to the South.
: South Korea’s Navy joins a US-led multinational maritime exercise Vanguard in Australian waters to enhance cooperative operation abilities.
: Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says that the US remains committed to the joint defense of South Korea and that includes maintaining an appropriate level of US forces on the Korean Peninsula.
: US shortlists North Korea as a nation complicit in human trafficking and forced labor again.
: South Korea and the US agree to speed up cooperation in supply chains such as memory chip and battery sectors, in the follow-up to the outcome of their leaders’ summit.
: Moon Chung-in, former adviser to the South Korean president, says ending the bilateral “working group” forum on North Korea policy between South Korea and the United States cannot be an incentive for Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table.
: President Moon reaffirms his commitment to doing his best to reinvigorate the Korea peace process in a Time magazine interview.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim wraps up his five-day trip to Seoul after redoubling Washington’s calls for dialogue with a recalcitrant Pyongyang.
: State Department spokesman Ned Price says the United States is willing to hold dialogue with North Korea at any time and any place.
: South Korea and the United States agree to consider terminating their “working group” forum on North Korea policy.
: Sung Kim says he looks forward to Pyongyang giving a “positive response soon” to Washington’s dialogue offer, referring to Kim Jong-un’s recent remarks that Pyongyang should be ready for both dialogue and confrontation.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim arrives in Seoul for talks with his South Korean and Japan counterparts to resume nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says the North should be ready for both dialogue and, more importantly, confrontation with the United States, while calling for efforts to stably control the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
: G7 nations issue a joint statement calling for the complete denuclearization of North Korea, welcoming the commitment of Washington to engage with Pyongyang through diplomacy.
: Secretary Blinken stresses the need to work with China to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula in a phone call conversation with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi.
: State Department spokesman Ned Price says the US seeks to engage with North Korea diplomatically to make progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) says that South Korea and the US have established a senior-level expert group to follow up on their summit deal on their “vaccine partnership.”
: President Moon will visit Britain for G7 summit followed by state visits to Austria and Spain for talks on bilateral ties.
: Secretary Blinken pledges to work with the two Koreas to help realize long-awaited reunions of Korean-Americans with families in the North, calling it a “heart-wrenching” issue.
: South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun plans to visit Washington later this week for talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues between the two countries.
: South Korea plans to accelerate its space development program including boosting cooperation with the US in a move that may help the Biden administration’s Asia strategy to check China’s growing global clout.
: ROK Unification Minister Lee calls for “maximum flexibility” in deciding what to do with joint military exercise with the US set for August, saying such drills should never serve as a chance to cause additional tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
: US Sen. Duckworth says that the recent lifting of US curbs on South Korea’s missile development would be “complementary” to America’s regional deterrence efforts.
: ROK FM Chung meets three visiting US senators (Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)) and discusses bilateral and alliance issues.
: ROK FM Chung holds a breakfast meeting with US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John C. Aquilino in Seoul to discuss their countries’ alliance and peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.
: Secretary Blinken has called on NATO members to deepen their cooperation with South Korea amid US efforts to reinforce cooperation between US allies.
: ROK intelligence chief Park Jie-won is expected to return home after a weeklong trip to the US that apparently focused on discussions with his counterparts on North Korea.
: North Korea slams the US lifting of missile restrictions on South Korea as a “stark reminder” of Washington’s hostile approach to Pyongyang, saying the recently unveiled US policy on North Korea is “just trickery.”
: South Korea’s Unification Ministry says it will seek to restore communication lines and dialogue with North Korea based on “sufficient conditions” for engagement created by the summit between Presidents Moon and Biden.
: 38 North says that North Korea appears to be continuing activities at its Yongbyon nuclear complex but no clear evidence has been detected to determine if spent fuel rods have been transferred from the storage facility to produce plutonium.
: US Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Kim begins his work as a special representative for North Korea, speaking with his Japanese counterpart, Takehiro Funakoshi.
: ROK Unification Minister Lee In-young says the summit between Presidents Moon and Biden created “sufficient” conditions need to resume the long-stalled dialogue with North Korea.
: President Moon and President Biden hold 171 minutes of one-on-one, small group, and expanded summit meetings, about 20 minutes longer than meetings between the US president and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Moon and Biden reaffirm their security alliance and committed to a string of partnerships in vaccine collaboration and North Korea. Moon also announces a joint decision with the US to end guidelines that restricted Seoul’s development of missiles, and an agreement to work together to build stable supply chains for semiconductors, electric vehicle batteries and medical supplies.
: Biden pledges to provide full vaccinations for all 550,000 South Korean troops, agreeing to pursue a global COVID-19 vaccine partnership.
: South Korean biopharmaceutical firm Samsung Biologics signs a deal to manufacture Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine at its local factory.
: During a tour of the US, President Moon meets House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders to discuss the alliance, North Korea and COVID-19 vaccines.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in heads to the US for summit talks with President Biden on COVID-19 vaccine cooperation, North Korea, alliance issues and bilateral economic partnership.
: President Joe Biden says that the United States will provide up to 80 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries by the end of next month, reiterating his pledge to turn the US into an “arsenal” of vaccines for the entire world.
: North Korean propaganda outlets criticizes South Korea’s biennial integrated defense exercise with the United States, warning that it will only “stab itself in the eyes” by confronting the North.
: Secretary Blinken reaffirms his country’s commitment to UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea, amid US outreach for engagement with the reclusive North.
: US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines visits the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas as Washington seeks to round out its policy on North Korea.
: Head of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) Park Jie-won meets the intelligence chiefs of Japan and the United States in Tokyo and exchanges views on North Korea and other relevant issues.
: Department of Defense spokesman John Kirby says that the source and destination of illicit weapons seized over the weekend in Arabian waters are still under investigation, adding that the US does not exclude North Korea from its list of potential destinations.
: Former South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn says that the US and South Korea must remain firm and flexible in their commitment to denuclearize North Korea.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong says it is “desirable” for the US administration to appoint special representative for North Korea.
: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Global Security Jennifer Walsh says that North Korea continues to build up its chemical and biological weapons in addition to its nuclear weapons.
: Secretary Blinken calls for coordinated efforts to denuclearize North Korea at the G7.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and his US counterpart, Antony Blinken, hold bilateral talks on the margins of a Group of Seven (G7) meeting in London.
: South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that it will continue to coordinate with the US to encourage Washington to resume long-stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea.
: Washington Post reveals details of Biden administration’s completed policy review, indicating that the administration seeks to strike a balance between the Trump administration’s leader-to-leader diplomacy and the Obama presidency’s arm’s-length approach to the crisis.
: Biden says that he will work with allies to address threats from North Korea through “diplomacy” and “stern deterrence.”
: South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young says that South Korea will strive to restart the stalled peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and urges the US to engage North Korea at the earliest possible date.
: South Korean defense ministry says that it is trying to secure new “large-scale” firing ranges for the US Forces Korea (USFK) as the US military has complained about limited access to existing ones due to protests from residents.
: Chief of US Strategic Command Adm. Charles Richard says that the United States is ready and able to deter any aggression from North Korea.
: A Congressional Research Service reports says North Korea seeks to develop capabilities to degrade US missile defense systems deployed in the region.
: North Korea continues working on submersible missile test barge at its Nampo shipyard, a US think tank says, suggesting that it could be preparations for a ballistic missile test.
: President Moon urges the US to restart dialogue with North Korea at an early date during an interview with The New York Times, criticizing Donald Trump for failing to “pull it through” and reach a deal.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong says that South Korea is “earnestly discussing” the COVID-19 vaccine swap deal with the United States.
: President Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide commit to the complete, irreversible, and verifiable dismantlement (CVID) of all weapons of mass destruction in North Korea.
: South Korean Unification Ministry expresses that an upcoming summit between South Korean and US presidents will help build consensus on denuclearization, improving inter-Korean relations.
: South Korean Unification Ministry official says the upcoming US congressional hearing on South Korea’s ban on sending anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea will not affect South Korea-US alliance.
: South Korea’s Foreign Ministry expresses “grave concerns” over Japan’s decision to release Fukushima water into the sea.
: Biden hails settlement of an electric vehicle battery dispute between LG and SK as a “win for American workers and the American auto industry.”
: White House spokeswoman Psaki says that North Korea’s difficult conditions are caused by the actions of its own leadership, arguing that no US actions or sanctions are targeted at the North Korean people.
: US House of Representatives says it will hold a public hearing on South Korea’s ban on anti-Pyongyang leaflets into North Korea.
: White House spokeswoman Psaki says that the United States is prepared to engage in diplomacy with North Korea if it leads to denuclearization on the peninsula.
: South Korea’s Unification Ministry vows efforts to resume inter-Korean talks despite North Korea’s decision not to participate in the Tokyo Olympics.
: North Korea decides that it will not participate in the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics to protect its athletes from the coronavirus pandemic.
: South Korea’s Defense Ministry rejects Japan’s renewed territorial claims over the country’s easternmost islets of Dokdo, saying Seoul does not even have to repeat explanations on the matter.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US agree on the need to quickly resume dialogue with North Korea to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue.
: State Department spokesman Ned Price says that denuclearization will be at the center of any new US policy toward North Korea.
: Korea Institute for Defense Analyses says North Korea likely to conduct more test launches of its Iskander-variant ballistic missiles to replace Scud missiles with advanced solid-fuel ones.
: US Acting Assistant Secretary of State Lisa Peterson says the US will hold North Korea accountable for its “egregious” human rights violations.
: Kim Yo Jong criticizes Moon for his speech, mocking him as a “parrot” that repeats the US’ “gangster-like logic.”
: North Korea accuses the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of violating its sovereignty and applying a “double standard” for the recent missile test.
: North Korea accuses Biden of a “provocation” for criticizing its missile launches, warning that the US will face “something not good” if such “thoughtless remarks” continue.
: Director of North Korea policy at the South Korean Defense Ministry Cho Yong-geun and US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Affairs David Helvey express deep concerns over North Korea’s recent missile launches.
: Washington condemns North Korea’s ballistic missile launches as “destabilizing” actions violating UN Security Council resolutions.
: North Korea fires at least one unidentified projectile into the East Sea, according to the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.
: South Korea convenes emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting on North Korea’s latest projectile launch.
: North Korea fires two cruise missiles off the west coast, Pyongyang’s first missile test in about a year.
: 55-year-old businessman Mun Chol Myong, who faces money laundering charges, becomes the first North Korean citizen ever extradited to the United States.
: North Korean diplomats leave their embassy in Malaysia after Pyongyang said it would cut diplomatic ties with Malaysia over its citizen’s US extradition.
: Blinken says that the US and China had a candid conversation on North Korea during a ministerial meeting in Alaska.
: North Korea says that it will sever diplomatic relations with Malaysia for extraditing its businessman living in Malaysia to the United States.
: North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui says North Korea will continue to ignore any contact from the US unless the US withdraws its “hostile policies” toward North Korea.
: South Korea and the US hold “2+2” talks of their foreign and defense officials in Seoul to discuss a coordinated strategy on North Korea and efforts to reinforce the alliance.
: South Korea and the United States announce plan to launch a new working-level policy dialogue to reinforce their bilateral alliance.
: President Moon says South Korea will improve strained ties with Japan to bolster trilateral security cooperation involving the US during talks with Secretary of State Blinken and Secretary of Defense Austin.
: Four people of Korean descent are killed in deadly shootings in Atlanta.
: Foreign workers in Seoul complain of being singled out as Seoul mandates all foreigners working at for-profit organizations be tested for coronavirus by the end of the month.
: White House spokesperson Jen Psaki says that North Korea continues to be unresponsive to US calls for dialogue.
: Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong condemns South Korea for military exercises with the United States.
: South Korea and the United States plan to initial a defense cost-sharing deal after a 2+2 meeting of their top foreign and defense officials.
: Administration official says North Korea has not responded to the behind-the-scenes Biden administration’s diplomatic outreach since mid-February.
: Former US nuclear negotiator Robert Gallucci urges South Korea and the US to refrain from large-scale combined military exercises and for North Korea to avoid nuclear tests.
: Washington says it will not ease its sanctions on Iran, including Iranian funds in South Korea, until Iran returns to compliance with the JCPOA.
: US Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Phil Davidson says that North Korea poses a serious and most imminent threat to the US and its allies in the Indo-Pacific region, including South Korea.
: Seoul’s Defense Ministry says South Korea and the United States are to stage joint outdoor drills throughout the year, not during specific periods of time.
: South Korea and the US reach a defense cost-sharing agreement in maintaining US troops on the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea and the US kick off scaled-back combined military exercise.
: Pentagon spokesman John Kirby says the US takes its commitment to the security of South Korea very seriously, “making sure there are ready military capabilities should they be needed.”
: Secretary Austin includes North Korea on the list of threats to the US and its allies.
: State Department spokesperson says South Korea and the US are “very close” to an agreement to set Seoul’s share of the cost for US troops on the Korean Peninsula.
: Secretary Blinken lays out the “most urgent” priorities for American diplomacy, skirting the issue of how to deal with nuclear-armed North Korea.
: US Indo-Pacific Command says North Korea poses the “most immediate threat” to the United States until they agree to full denuclearization.
: South Korea’s presidential office says Moon is likely to talk with Biden in April during a global climate summit.
: Chief of the UN nuclear watchdog says North Korea has been showing signs of operating a steam plant at a plutonium reprocessing facility.
: Moon says South Korea is ready to talk with Japan anytime, stating that it would also be helpful to the trilateral partnership with the United States.
: US Defense Department spokesman says North Korea’s continued development of weapons poses a threat to the United States and its allies.
: US federal district court orders North Korea to pay over $2.3 billion in damages to the crew and family of a US naval vessel captured in 1986.
: Minister of Unification Lee urges that international sanctions on North Korea do not result in unintended negative effects on ordinary North Korean people.
: State Department spokesman says the US and South Korea may discuss Iran sanctions but that there has not yet been a release of Iranian funds held in the US.
: Minister of Unification Lee renews calls for building a joint response system with North Korea against infectious diseases.
: Minister of Unification Lee calls for efforts to restart a long-suspended project to compile a unified Korean-language dictionary project with North Korea.
: Ned Price, press spokesperson at the State Department, highlights the importance of South Korea and Japan working together, saying “any US effort to denuclearize North Korea will not be as effective without the support and close cooperation of South Korea and Japan.”
: South Korean Minister of Unification Lee In-young says that North Korea faces a food shortage of over 1.2 million to 1.3 million tons this year due to damage from heavy downpours that happened last year.
: US State Department says the North Korean nuclear issue is a top priority for the Biden administration despite the lack of direct engagement with the country.
: New ROK Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and Secretary Blinken stress close cooperation for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during their first phone talks.
: Biden says the US will not hesitate to use force to protect its people and allies.
: South Korea’s top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, and a senior US diplomat agree to close consultations on North Korea policy during their phone talks.
: South Korea’s Unification Ministry expresses hopes for the early resumption of the Kaesong complex as it marks the fifth anniversary of its closure.
: Acting US Ambassador to South Korea Rob Rapson highlights the strong bilateral partnership between the two countries in the first tweet he posted.
: Department of State says the US is committed to quickly reaching a “mutually acceptable” defense cost-sharing agreement with South Korea.
: National Security Adviser Sullivan says the US will closely consult with South Korea on North Korea issues.
: South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young says South Korea has been sufficiently communicating with the US on anti-leaflet law.
: President Moon pledges to upgrade the alliance with the US in a phone call with President Biden.
: Secretary Blinken says the US looks for optimal ways to advance the denuclearization process in North Korea.
: Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung sends letter to the US Congress calling for support for an ROK law enacted to ban the sending of propaganda leaflets into North Korea.
: North Korea’s Ambassador to Geneva Han Tae-song says Pyongyang is building up its war deterrent capabilities to defend itself and open a “genuine era of peace with eternally no wars.”
: South Korea’s Foreign Ministry launches a task force to strengthen policy-related communication with the new Biden administration.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping expresses active support for Korean denuclearization in phone talks with Moon.
: South Korea pushes for high-level meetings with the administration of US President Joe Biden at an early date.
: South Korean Minister of Unification Lee In-young hopes for a “wise” and “flexible” solution to joint military drills with the US to prevent serious tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea’s Defense Minister Suh Wook and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reaffirm the importance of their alliance, promising to cooperate on improving the relationship.
: South Korea’s top national security officer Suh Hoon discusses bilateral cooperation in advancing the Korean peace process and global issues with his new US counterpart, Jake Sullivan.
: Biden becomes the 46th president of the United States, underlining the importance of its relationship with allies.
: South Korean Defense Ministry says South Korea is ready to talk about any issues with North Korea via military channels to ease tensions.
: During US Senate confirmation hearings Secretary of State-designate Antony Blinken vows to improve its relationship with allies, saying Biden administration will review the entire approach to North Korea.
: North Korea holds a military parade in Pyongyang, displaying its new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
: US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris announces his pending departure from his post, officially leaving the post on Jan. 20.
: Senior defense officials from South Korea, the US, and Japan hold phone talks to discuss North Korea’s missile launches and reaffirm the importance of trilateral security cooperation.
: Kurt Campbell, former state department official for Asia during the Obama administration, is appointed Joe Biden’s “Asia czar”—coordinator for the administration’s overall Indo-Pacific policy.
: North Korea revises party rules at the 8th Party Congress in Pyongyang to clarify its aim to strengthen national defense capabilities.
: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approves creation of a new cyber-security and emerging technologies bureau to fight cyber-security threats, citing threats from North Korea.
: Spokesman for the South Korean Foreign Ministry congratulates US President-elect Joe Biden after the Congress’s certification of election victory.
: USFK-affiliated South Korean civilian workers and troops begin getting COVID-19 vaccinations. They are the country’s first citizens getting vaccinated against the virus.
: Data shows six countries—Russia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, and Bulgaria—have provided nearly $10 million in food aid this year to help North Korea respond to chronic food shortages.
: US Air Force reconnaissance plane flies over Korea as North Korea appears to prepare a military parade.
: North Korea’s trade with China slumps to just $2,382 in November due to Pyongyang’s measures to stop the entry of the coronavirus into the country.
: ROK Defense Ministry discusses with related authorities whether ROK Army troops assigned to USFK can get the COVID-19 vaccine shipped for US soldiers in South Korea.
: Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines for USFK arrive in South Korea.
: US State Department expresses strong support for South Korea to defend its air space after Chinese and Russian military aircrafts entered the KADIZ.
: USFK will be the first group in South Korea to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. It will start administering the Moderna vaccine against coronavirus to frontline health workers and first responders.
: Presidential Secretary Noh Kyu-duk is named Seoul’s new top nuclear envoy.
: North Korea says it will expand its Mount Kumgang tourist complex in “our way,” despite hopes of revived inter-Korean cooperation there.
: United Nations Command (UNC) suspends tours to truce village of Panmunjom due to the coronavirus pandemic.
: USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams calls for “immediate and aggressive” antivirus measures.
: Trump says he will veto US defense bill, which includes limits on the president’s ability to withdraw troops from countries including South Korea.
: North Korea starts regular winter-time drills, showing no signs of unusual movements.
: Biegun reaffirms the US commitment to complete denuclearization of North Korea.
: Kim Yo Jong, sister of the North Korean leader, slams the ROK foreign minister for “reckless remarks” on Pyongyang’s coronavirus handling.
: Biegun calls on North Korea to return to dialogue for complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: Treasury Department announces new sanctions on six entities and four vessels related to North Korea.
: Biegun arrives in South Korea for talks with South Korean officials, including the foreign minister and the minister of unification, regarding bilateral alliance and stalled nuclear negotiations with North Korea.
: ROK Minister of Unification Lee promises aid organization activists to send humanitarian assistance to North Korea.
: Head of US Army Pacific, Gen. Paul LaCamera, is nominated to be next commander of US Forces Korea (USFK).
: Six US soldiers and two other civilians in South Korea test positive for coronavirus.
: North Korean hackers have attempted to hack at least six pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines in the US, the UK, and South Korea.
: Department of State accuses China of “flagrant violation” of its obligation to enforce international sanctions on North Korea, saying the US would offer rewards up to $5 million for information about sanctions evasions.
: US expert says North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family have been vaccinated for the coronavirus with a vaccine provided by China.
: North Korea reinforces border lockdown to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading into its country.
: North Korean hackers are suspected of trying to break into the systems of British drug company AstraZeneca in recent weeks.
: Former Commander of US Forces Korea (USFK) Burwell Bell warns South Korea may lose allies if the country arms itself with nuclear weapons.
: China’s top diplomat Wang Yi and Kang hold talks in Seoul, discussing North Korea’s nuclear program and preparing a visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
: Kim Chong-in, leader of South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party (PPP), says South Korea may need to consider acquiring nuclear weapons if North Korea does not give up nuclear weapons.
: US State Department offers up to $3 million in funding for organizations working for North Korean human rights.
: Unification Minister Lee stresses that a breakthrough in South-North Korean ties could come “sooner than expected.”
: South Korea agrees to boost cooperation with US Air Force to respond better to emerging space threats.
: North Korea accuses the UN Security Council for labeling the country’s space program as threats, calling the agency an “undemocratic organ devoid of impartiality.”
: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suspects North Korea of producing enriched uranium at the Kangson facility.
: Department of Treasury adds two North Korean enterprises that operate in Russia to sanctions list on North Korea for alleged involvement in the exportation of “forced labor.”
: Unification Minister Lee says South Korea will formally offer talks with North Korea when the coronavirus wanes.
: US Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville meets South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook to discuss ways to strengthen and expand cooperation.
: Ambassador Harris congratulates four Korean-Americans on their election to the House of Representatives.
: Three members of ruling Democratic Party of South Korea leave for Washington for meetings with US congressional leaders and experts on the Korean Peninsula issues.
: Chairman of the Democratic Party of South Korea Lee Nak-yon calls on Biden to keep the deal signed between North Korean leader Kim and President Trump in 2018.
: Moon and Biden reaffirm commitment to their alliance and to work together closely on the North Korean nuclear issues in a phone call.
: Foreign Minister Kang reaffirms efforts to continue ensuring peace on the Korean Peninsula after Biden’s election.
: ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa visits Washington for talks with Pompeo.
: President Moon congratulates Joe Biden on his election victory.
: South Korean national security chief Suh urges US government to resume talks with the North Korean regime.
: Unification Minister Lee In-young urges North Korea to restore cross-border communication lines between the two Koreas.
: ROK troops take into custody a North Korean man who crossed the border.
: North Korea argues that the South is plotting to bring in additional U.S. missile defense system in the country, saying that it would lead to “self-destruction.”
: North Korea imposes requirements on foreigners to fight against coronavirus.
: A UN panel says the al-Shabab Islamic extremist group used a North Korean mortar in a terrorist attack in Somalia earlier this year.
: North Korea says South Korea is responsible for the death of a fisheries official killed at sea last month, although they reiterate regret over the killing.
: US Ambassador Harry Harris becomes honorary citizen of Seoul in recognition of his efforts to expand exchanges between the city and the United States.
: US government issues a warning on a North Korean hacking group before the US presidential election.
: Moon’s special security adviser, Moon Chung-in, says signing a declaration to end the Korean War is the first step toward the denuclearization.
: Biden says that North Korea possesses a great number of missiles because of Trump.
: North Korea warns citizens to stay inside over fears that yellow dust from China could bring coronavirus.
: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says he could meet Kim Jong Un if North Korea reduces the country’s nuclear capabilities.
: North Korea appears to have suspended gymnastic shows scheduled for this month.
: South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young says South Korea will keep seeking dialogue with North Korea for cooperation in railway linking.
: South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook and Adm. Phil Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, discuss denuclearization of North Korea.
: Civilian tours of Panmunjom will reopen early next month after a year of suspension caused by the African swine fever, the Unification Ministry says.
: U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien sees a chance to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea around next summer Olympic games.
: South Korean National Security Adviser Suh Hoon says Seoul and Washington are on the same page over the initiative to declare the end of the Korean War.
: UN condemns North Korea’s unlawful killing of a South Korean government official in waters.
: Defense Secretary Mark Esper says North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs pose a global threat, after seeing North Korea’s new weapons at military parade.
: Kim Jong Un inspects a mining area in South Hamgyong province, which was recently hit by flooding and typhoons.
: South Korean government holds emergency National Security Council meeting after North Korea unveils a massive intercontinental ballistic missile.
: South Korea grants permission to private organizations to send $1.24 million in private aid to North Korea.
: North Korea’s acting ambassador to Italy, who went missing in late 2018, reveals he lives in South Korea under government protection since last year.
: South Korea’s Unification Ministry calls on North Korea to respond to South Korea’s request for a joint investigation over the killing of a South Korean official.
: South Korean and US intelligence have spotted North Korea moving an intercontinental ballistic missile.
: Pompeo cancels a planned visit to South Korea.
: Kim Jong Un sends a letter to President Trump, expressing his hopes that he would recover from the coronavirus.
: Kim Jong Un inspects a flooded village damaged by recent typhoons.
: North Korea’s UN ambassador says North Korea has a “reliable and effective war deterrent for self-defense.”
: South Korean Coast Guard says that the South Korean official killed by the North Korean Navy sought defection to the North.
: Biegun says the US and South Korea discussed how to move the stagnated dialogues with the North.
: ROK President Moon apologizes to the South Korean public and the family of the official killed by North Korean troops.
: North Korea accuses South Korea of sending ships into its territory to find the body of the dead South Korean official.
: State Department says North Korea’s apology over killing of a South Korean official is a “helpful step.”
: State Department condemns North Korea’s killing of a South Korean official and demands an explanation.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-In calls for declaring an end to the Korean War at 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
: Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette says the US “remains committed to addressing the threats posed by the nuclear programs of both North Korea and Iran” at IAEA.
: US announces new sanctions on Iranian entities and individuals, saying Tehran and North Korea have resumed cooperation on long-range missile development.
: North Korean defector is arrested trying to cross back into the DPRK.
: USS Pueblo intelligence ship veterans file a lawsuit against North Korea, demanding compensation of up to $6 billion.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Pacific and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell says that the US is not discussing the possibility of withdrawing troops from South Korea.
: South Korean Minister of Unification Lee In-young visits Panmunjom, urging North Korea to implement agreements reached during the 2018 inter-Korea summit.
: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells the Atlantic Council that US talks with North Korea remain ongoing.
: Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun expresses Washington’s support for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula at a regional security meeting.
: Kim inspects recovery work in a flood-hit area, according to North Korea state media.
: US and South Korea agrees to launch a new working-level dialogue channel to discuss alliance matters.
: US Army chief Gen. James McConville says he doesn’t see full-scale ROK-US drills amid the coronavirus pandemic.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for an urgent recovery from typhoon damage.
: UN chief urges North Korea to resume denuclearization talks with the US and the South.
: North Korea sends only low or mid-level diplomats to UN General Assembly meetings this year.
: Satellite imagery suggests North Korea’s preparation for a submarine-launched ballistic missile at the South Sinpo shipyard.
: Senior adviser Jared Kushner says President Trump will reach a breakthrough with North Korea if he is reelected.
: Documents reveal that North Korea is seeking millions of dollars in medical supplies for an upcoming Pyongyang general hospital project.
: A company based in the British Virgin Island pleads guilty to laundering money for North Korean clients.
: US Forces Korea suspends training in Pocheon after a military vehicle driven by two US soldiers crashes into SUV killing four South Korean civilians.
: US Department of Justice files civil forfeiture complaint against 280 North Korean-linked cryptocurrency accounts.
: North Korea broadcasts alleged encrypted spy message for first time on state-run Radio Pyongyang’s YouTube channel.
: Esper says the goal of “complete, verifiable and irreversible” denuclearization of North Korea hasn’t changed, reiterating diplomacy as “best path forward.”
: North Korean TV stations air footage of damage caused by Typhoon Bavi as Kim Jong Un emphasizes need to minimize damage at politburo meeting.
: During speech on first day of Republican National Convention, Trump says he improved the 2012 US-Korea free trade agreement.
: South Korea reportedly to purchase 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 jets at the cost of $6.7 billion to be delivered by the end of 2021.
: Kim Jong Un reportedly delegates partial power to sister Kim Yo Jong, among other close aides.
: Department of State says it regularly “coordinates on diplomatic efforts” with South Korea on inter-Korean affairs following US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris’ statement reaffirming importance of inter-Korean cooperation working group.
: Kim Jong Un says he will present a new five-year economic development plan at a Eighth Congress of the Workers’ Party in January 2021.
: US and South Korea began computer-simulated annual Combined Command Post Training (CCPT/CPX) exercises planned to run until Aug. 28.
: President Trump says Kim Jong Un is among “world-class chess-players,” adding “we get along.”
: Kim Jong Un lifts lockdown on Kaesong, insisting on closed borders and rejection of international flood aid.
: ROK Unification Ministry launches investigation into North Korean civic and defector groups.
: ROK Ministry of Defense releases $252.7 billion five-year defense blueprint including acquisition of light aircraft carrier and multi-tiered missile interception system.
: US Deputy Special Representative for North Korea Alex Wong says “US is ready” to negotiate on North Korean denuclearization.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell says North Korea “must halt provocations, abide by its obligations under the UNSCRs, and engage in sustained negotiations” to achieve fully verified denuclearization during 33rd US-ASEAN Dialogue.
: Trump says “…you don’t know that, and they have spikes,” during interview when asked if he thought South Korea was faking its COVID-19 statistics.
: Trump says North Korea would be “wanting to make a deal” if US presidential elections were not months away.
: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper remarks that expanding “lateral partnerships with South Korea and other Asian nations can help deter China’s ‘bad behavior’” during Aspen Security Forum.
: Chicago Council of Global Affairs releases poll presenting that 90% of South Korean adults support the US-ROK alliance despite tensions over burden sharing.
: Donna Welton, former assistant chief of mission at the Embassy in Afghanistan, named new envoy for defense cost-sharing negotiations with South Korea replacing Jim DeHart.
: South Korea confirms former North Korean defector secretly crossed back to North Korea, but cannot confirm if he had COVID-19.
: Kim Jong Un calls his nuclear weapons a “reliable, effective” deterrent that could prevent a second war in address celebrating 67th anniversary of the Korean War armistice.
: North Korea declares state of emergency and places Kaesong under lockdown after allegedly finding South Korean runaway with COVID-19 symptoms in city.
: South Korea rejects UNC request to hold annual ceremony of Korean War armistice agreement at Freedom House in Panmunjom over coronavirus concerns and inter-Korean tensions.
: US flies spy plane RC-135W Rivet Joint over South Korea to reconnoiter North Korea, possibly in reaction to recent Central Military Commission meeting.
: Kim Jong Un rebukes officials during “field guidance” trip over “careless” construction of large-scale hospital planned for completion by October 10.
: South Korea says there were no discussions with US on US troop drawdown from Korean Peninsula following report that Pentagon provided troop cut proposals in March.
: Kim Jong Un presides over Central Military Commission meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party concerning “bolstering a war deterrent of the country.”
: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan claims President Trump called South Koreans “terrible people” during private dinner, and questioned US protection of South Korea because “they don’t pay us.”
: North Korean Pyongyang science research council claims it is developing vaccine for COVID-19.
: Pompeo says he is “very hopeful” about resuming denuclearization talks with North Korea.
: Kim Yo Jong states that she doubts a US-North Korea summit will take place this year, adding that the summit would only serve to benefit the US.
: Kim Jong Un suspends planned military action against South Korea in fifth meeting of the Seventh Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party.
: John Bolton, in his memoir, claims Trump thought the 2017 Singapore Summit with Kim Jong Un would be “great theater” and claims that Moon set unrealistic expectations concerning denuclearization.
: North Korea blows up inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, followed by US urging North Korea from “further counterproductive actions.”
: North Korean state media threatens South Korea with “severe punishment” over tepid approach to inter-Korean relations, saying “no need to sit face to face with the South Korean authorities.
: North Korean People’s Army’s General Staff says it is prepared to move armed forces into DMZ.
: North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon vowed North Korea would build a reliable force to cope with long-term military threats from US, adding his country would “never again” provide US with “another package” that Trump could use to boast.
: North Korean director general of the American affairs department of the Foreign Ministry Kwon Jong-gun warns the US against meddling in inter-Korean affairs, threatening a “hair-riser” during American elections.
: North Korean Central News Agency says the country will cut all inter-Korean communication following order of Kim Yo Jong.
: Kim Jong Un convenes Politburo meeting of Workers’ Party concerning economic self-sufficiency.
: Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, threatens to withdraw from inter-Korean military agreement and exchange projects over anti-Pyongyang leaflet activity.
: South Korean Ministry of Unification releases statement denoting suspension of leaflet activities as a risk to inter-Korean cooperation.
: In phone call Moon says he would accept Trump’s invitation to G7 summit.
: UN Command concludes that both North and South Korea violated 1953 armistice agreement during exchange of fire following multinational special investigation.
: US Justice Department indicts 28 North Koreans with facilitating $2.5 billion in illegal payments for Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons and missile program.
: Kim Jong Un, in first appearance in 20 days, convenes Central Military Commission meeting focused on increasing strategic nuclear deterrence capabilities, mentioning nothing on inter-Korean activity.
: South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in 3rd annual address to nation, says communications “not smooth” with North Korea, expressing hope for cooperation over coronavirus.
: North Korean military representative says South Korean military drills were a “grave provocation” and violated inter-Korean agreements.
: Kim Jong Un extends greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping, congratulating him on a successful COVID-19 response.
: Pompeo reaffirms that denuclearization remains key US strategic goal following North Korean leader Kim’s public reappearance.
: North Korean defectors-turned South Korean assemblymen Thae Yong-ho and Ji Seong-ho apologized for “rash, careless” remarks confirming Kim’s public disappearance.
: North Korean soldiers fire at a South Korean guardpost across the DMZ, prompting South Korean retaliatory fire with no damages or casualties, in the first breach of 2018 inter-Korean military pact.
: State media announces Kim’s public reappearance at a ribbon cutting for the Sunchon Phosphatic Fertilizer Factory. Trump tweets the following day that he is glad to see Kim “back, and well!”
: South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul says the ROK government is aware of Kim’s location during parliamentary session, and that his absence could be because of “coronavirus concerns.”
: North Korean media outlet Rodong Sinmun releases report stating North Korean leader Kim “sent his appreciation” to workers of the Wonsan-Kalma tourist zone.
: Trump says he has a “very good idea” about the condition of North Korean leader Kim, but “can’t talk about it.”
: South Korean special adviser to the President Moon Chung-in says Kim Jong Un“is alive and well,” adding that the ROK government position is “firm.”
: Satellite imagery analysis emerges depicting North Korean leader Kim’s personal train at Wonson on April 21 and 23. Kim does not celebrate Military Foundation Day publicly.
: Trump says reports concerning Kim’s ailing health are “fake news,” “incorrect,” and are based off “old documents.
: Trump says he doesn’t know about Kim’s health and wishes him well.
: CNN, citing officials, says US intelligence is closely monitoring reports on Kim’s health.
: North Korea-focused undercover media outlet Daily NK reports that Kim Jong Un’s health is in jeopardy following cardiovascular procedure on April 12, and is receiving treatment in Hyangsan County.
: South Korea’s Blue House says there are no unusual signs concerning North Korean leader Kim’s health.
: North Korean Foreign Ministry denies that North Korean leader sent any recent personal letter to Trump.
: Trump says he received personal letter from Kim Jong Un to press and during phone call with Moon.
: South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party wins 180 of 300 seats in National Assembly elections in a landslide victory, to the United Future Party’s 103.
: US departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security, along with the FBI release interagency report detailing North Korean cyber offensive campaign to launder money and extort companies to funnel resources for nuclear weapons program.
: Kim Jong Un is notably absent from celebrations of country’s founding father Kim Il Sung’s birthday.
: South Korean JCS says North Korea fired two short-range projectiles believed to be anti-cruise missiles from Wonson province on eve of national founder Kim Il Sung’s birthday and South Korean elections.
: US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper says he discussed importance of an “equitable” defense cost-sharing agreement with South Korean counterpart Jeong Kyeong-doo, following reports that a tentative agreement was reached.
: North Korea’s director of central emergency anti-epidemic headquarters Pak Myong Su says there are no cases of COVID-19 in the country.
: DPRK Director General of the Foreign Ministry criticizes Pompeo’s call for renewed sanctions, despite Trump’s letter, and warns against further provocations against North Korea.
: North Korea fires what appear to be two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: Pompeo says he called for renewed pressure and sanctions against North Korea at G7 teleconference.
: Trump holds phone call with South Korean President Moon Jae-in requesting medical equipment.
: Kim Yo Jong issues a press statement saying Trump sent a personal letter to Kim Jong Un expressing well wishes and offering assistance on COVID-19.
: North Korea fires two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea.
: Trump, in an address to the nation, says the US may reevaluate travel warning to South Korea if the COVID-19 situation improves.
: US Department of the Army suspends travel to and from South Korea by soldiers and their family due to COVID-19.
: South Korean JCS says North Korea fired three projectiles from Hamgyong Province toward the East Sea.
: South Korean JCS says North Korea fired two short-range projectiles from Kangwon Province toward the East Sea.
: US Department of State issues a Level 3 travel advisory to South Korea due to COVID-19.
: Trump decries Parasite’s Oscar win, saying “We’ve got enough problems with South Korea on trade. On top of that, they give them best movie of the year?”
: US CISA and the FBI release six Malware Analysis Reports (MARs) and update one MAR shedding light on malicious cyber activity from North Korea.
: US Department of State spokesperson Ortagus issues a press statement expressing concern over the vulnerability of North Korea to COVID-19, offering support and aid.
: Harris responds to criticism over his facial appearance, US Department of State spokesperson Morgan Ortagus also defends Harris.
: US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris says further work needs to be done on Special Measures Agreement, but gaps are closing.
: US President Donald Trump says China has been “very helpful” with respect to Kim Jong Un, and says the US will be working closely with China on North Korea in luncheon remarks following US-China Phase One Trade Agreement signing with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He.
: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa hold trilateral meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu; Pompeo urged South Korean cooperation in the Middle East, and Kang urged quicker reconciliation efforts with DPRK.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in his New Year’s Address calls US behavior “gangster-like,” and states that North Korea will deploy a new strategic weapon.
: KCNA reports that Kim said North Korea is no longer bound by its moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests. Kim suggests a “new strategic weapon” will be unveiled in the near future.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls US behavior “gangster-like,” and states that North Korea will deploy a new strategic weapon.
: Kim calls for North Korea’s “positive and offensive security measures” at a year-end party plenum.
: Microsoft Corp. says it has taken control of 50 web domains used as a “command and control infrastructure” by North Korean hacking group Thallium to steal information.
: National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien says the US would be “extremely disappointed” should Kim resume testing and will “demonstrate” that disappointment.
: US denies reports that it asked South Korea to pay 10% to 20% more for US troops.
: Media report that the US is backing down from its demand for a five-fold increase in host-nation support.
: Trump says if North Korea tests an ICBM, the US will “deal with it.”
: Bolton laments Trump’s “failure” on North Korea.
: US provides Reuters with photos of US and ROK commandos simulating a raid on an enemy facility.
: The US and its allies call on UN members to report compliance on returning North Korean workers.
: North Korea criticizes the US for targeting its human-rights record and warns it will “pay dearly.” Kim Jong Un convenes a meeting of the Central Military Commission.
: Esper says he is hopeful for a restart of diplomacy with North Korea, although he and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley also describe the US “high levels of readiness.”
: Esper suggests North Korea will test if it doesn’t “feel satisfied.”
: Biegun arrives in South Korea for a three-day visit, urging North Korea to drop its “hostile” tone and return to nuclear talks.
: North Korea says its undertook a “crucial” test at Sohae the day before.
: US Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell cautions North Korea against “ill-advised behavior” and notes that the US has “heard threats before.”
: Craft says the US is prepared to “simultaneously take concrete steps” with North Korea, but that the United Nations Security Council must respond to provocations.
: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he is “very hopeful” North Korea will abide by its commitments. North Korea lashes out at Pompeo and his calls for sanctions enforcement.
: North Korea’s UN Ambassador Kim Song says denuclearization is off the negotiating table with the US.
: Trump and Moon speak by phone and underscore that talks with North Korea should continue. North Korea says it carried out a “very important test” at Sohae.
: US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft warns that the Security Council is united against North Korea’s repeated missile tests. In a nod to diplomacy, US withholds support for a North Korea human rights debate at the UN.
: Commercial satellite imagery shows movement at North Korea’s Sohae Launch Facility, and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui warns against the “relapse of the dotage of a dotard” in Trump.
: Kim appears atop a white horse at Mt. Paektu, with cadre fallowing, hinting at a more confrontational stance moving forward.
: North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song described the US as dragging out talks and warns that that it is “entirely up to the US what Christmas gift it will select to get.”
: Trump states confidence in Kim, but also describes him as “Rocket Man.”
: FBI arrests US blockchain expert who aided North Korea.
: North Korea test fires two ballistic missiles on the US Thanksgiving holiday and a day ahead of the two-year anniversary of its long-range missile and nuclear testing moratorium.
: South Korea asks US for help in resolving issues with Japan.
: South Korea backs away from scrapping its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan after US pressure.
: Biegun suggests Kim hasn’t empowered his negotiators to engage seriously in talks.
: Esper denies reports of a US threat to cut troops over host-nation support.
: US walks out of military cost-sharing talks with South Korea; lead negotiator James DeHart describes South Korea as “not responsive to our request for fair and equitable burden-sharing.”
: Kim supervises air force drills for the second time in three days despite US and South Korea’s postponement of drills.
: South Korea and the US resume talks over US demands for enhanced host-nation support.
: The US and South Korea postpone joint Combined Flying Training event to allow for diplomacy with North Korea.
: Esper presses Seoul to pay more for US troops and maintain its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.
: Esper arrives in Seoul, with an eye to alliance management with Korea and Japan in general, and host-nation support talks in particular.
: North Korea warns of retaliation over reduced—but not ended—US and South Korea military drills.
: South Korea reiterates its intent to terminate its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, raising concerns in Washington.
: North Korea says the “window of opportunity” for talks with the US is closing.
: A South Korean parliamentarian suggests North Korea and the US will resume talks in mid-November.
: South Korea and the US suspend an air-power drill for a second straight year.
: North Korea tests a “super-large” multiple rocket launcher and short-range missiles, marking a dozen different tests since May.
: North Korean Central Committee Vice Chair Kim Yong Chol warns that the good relationship between Kim and Trump is no guarantee that tensions will not flare and that an exchange of fire could happen at any time.
: South Korea abandons its status as a developing country in the WTO after Trump criticism.
: North Korea asks for new US and South Korea solutions for conflict. The US wins a court battle over control of a North Korean cargo ship used to skirt sanctions.
: South Korean students break into the US ambassador’s residence in protest over increased host-nation support.
: Bolton writes in a letter to his political action committee that North Korea “isn’t our friend and will never be” and that they will “never give up their nuclear weapons. Period.”
: Kim rides a white horse on Mt. Paektu, revered as the birthplace of the Korean nation, symbolizing resistance to the US and a significant move in the near future.
: The United States and North Korea hold working-level talks in Stockholm.
: North Korea describes the US as having arrived at the talks “empty-handed,” although the US dismissed the assertion as not reflecting the “content or spirit” of the dialogue.
: North Korea announces a submarine-launched ballistic missile test, though with Kim absent during testing.
: KCNA announces working-level talks with the US within a week.
: North Korea urges Trump to adopt a bold move toward reviving diplomacy.
: KCNA reports that a lack of US progress casts doubt on future talks.
: Bolton contends that Trump’s courtship of Kim is increasing North Korea’s power.
: North Korea praises Trump’s “wise political decision” to fire National Security Adviser John Bolton.
: Trump says he “probably” won’t visit Pyongyang for a next round of talks with Kim, but might in the future.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly invites US President Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang, according to South Korea’s Joongang Ilbo.
: US sanctions three North Korean state-sponsored groups linked to hacking and high-profile ransomware attacks.
: North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports a test of a “super-large” multiple rocket launcher.
: North Korea says it is willing to resume talks late month, but calls for a new US approach.
: North Korea fires missiles despite moves to restart talks with the US.
: US Special Representative Stephen Biegun confirms that denuclearization talks have stalled.
: North Korea tells the UN to cut its international staff given undue US influence.
: North Korea says its hopes for more dialogue with the White House are “gradually disappearing,” and threatens to reconsider its conciliatory gestures.
: North Korea condemns Secretary Pompeo’s recent remarks and suggests that DPRK expectations for more US dialogue are “gradually disappearing.”
: ROK Vice Foreign Minister Cho cautions Ambassador Harris on US statements criticizing South Korea’s decision to withdraw from its intelligence-sharing pact with Japan.
: Secretary Pompeo says in an American Legion speech that “we recognized that North Korea’s rogue behavior could not be ignored.”
: US says the ROK decision to withdraw from intelligence-sharing pact endangers US troops.
: North Korea launches its seventh projectile test since July 25. Korean Central News Agency reports the successful test of a “super-large multiple rocket launcher.”
: South Korea scraps intelligence-sharing pact with Japan. North Korea Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho describes Secretary Pompeo as a “diehard toxin” and “impudent” and says North Korea is ready for dialogue or a standoff.
: North Korea describes a US mid-range cruise missile test and plans to deploy F-35 jets to South Korea as “dangerous” and possibly “triggering a new cold war.”
: KCNA reports Kim Jong Un oversaw the latest firing of missiles.
: North Korea test-fires two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, “the sixth launch of projectiles by the country since July 25.”
: North Korea says any deployment of US intermediate-range missiles in the ROK would be a “reckless act.”
: North Korea launches “the fifth round of launches by Pyongyang in just over two week,” sending two short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan.
: Trump says Kim is open to more talks following US-ROK exercises.
: Lee Soo-hyuk is named new ROK ambassador to the US. Defense Secretary Mark Esper meets ROK leaders amid Korea-Japan dispute and burden sharing debate. Trump notes a letter from Kim Jong Un complaining of military exercises.
: Trump tweets that “talks have begun” on US-ROK defense burden-sharing.
: Secretary Pompeo expresses hope that talks will resume within weeks.
: UN Sanctions Committee on North Korea releases a report showing DPRK-directed cyberattacks have raised to date $2 billion in funds to support its WMD programs.
: South Korea’s military reports that two “short-range ballistic missiles” were launched by North Korea into the Sea of Japan.
: National Security Adviser Bolton reminds Kim of his missile pledge following the DPRK warning that it may pursue a “new road.”
: US and South Korea hold joint-military exercises Dong Maeng 19-2, a “scaled-back combined command post exercise” that is executed primarily through computer simulations.
: Trump plays down the series of short-range missile launches. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri skips the ASEAN Regional Forum meeting.
: DPRK launches short-range missiles.
: North Korea launches two missiles from the Wonsan area. ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo says the missiles, which flew 250 km and reached a height of 30 km.
: DPRK launches two short-range missiles, traveling 690 km and 430 km, and describe its missile launches as a warning to ROK “warmongers.” Pompeo says he expects working-level talks with North Korea within weeks.
: National Security Adviser Bolton meets ROK officials to discuss North Korea and the alliance.
: Kim Jong Un inspects a newly built submarine with enhanced tactical abilities and weapons systems.
: Secretary Pompeo rejects North Korean charges that US-ROK exercises breach any Trump-Kim agreement.
: Assistant Secretary of State Stilwell visits Seoul as the Korea-Japan dispute worsens. Trump bemoans the request by the two US allies to “get involved.”
: Secretary Pompeo expresses hope that the US and North Korea can be “more creative” in nuclear talks. DPRK says nuclear talks are at risk if US-ROK exercises take place.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David Stilwell states that the US won’t seek to mediate the South Korea-Japan dispute, encouraging both to focus on key regional issues, including North Korea.
: ROK Foreign Minister Kang tells Secretary of State Pompeo that Japan’s export curbs are “undesirable.”
: DPRK’s Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui states that a Trump-Kim meeting at the DMZ “would serve as another meaningful occasion in further deepening the personal relations between the two leaders and advancing bilateral relations.”
: US Special Representative for North Korea Biegun meets South Korea’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon in Seoul ahead of President Trump’s visit to discuss resuming talks with Pyongyang.
: President Moon Jae-in says the US and DPRK are in talks over a third summit.
: US DIA Director Lt. Gen. Ashley states that the intelligence community assesses that Kim Jong Un “is not ready to denuclearize.”
: Kim Jong Un receives letter from Trump with “excellent content.”
: South Korea’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon meets US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun in Washington DC to discuss ways to facilitate the resumption of US-North Korea dialogue.
: Kim Jong Un, alongside Chinese President Xi, calls for a US response to stalled nuclear talks.
: US submits report to the UN Security Council’s North Korea Sanctions Committee blaming North Korea for breaching a UN-imposed cap on fuel imports through illicit ship-to-ship transfers.
: National Security Adviser John Bolton suggests a third summit is possible and up to Kim Jong Un. Trump publicly opposes using CIA informants against Kim, and says he received a “beautiful letter” from Kim.
: DPRK marks the one-year anniversary of the Singapore talks with a call for the US to change its “hostile policy.”
: US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris urges South Korean companies to avoid using Huawei equipment.
: Reports indicate diplomat Kim Hyok Chol is in detention and under investigation, but was not executed by firing squad as earlier reported.
: DPRK lead envoy Kim Yong Chol is seen with Kim Jong Un, despite reports of his demise.
: Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan suggests it is not necessary to resume major joint exercises with South Korea, allowing room for diplomacy with the North.
: DPRK warns that talks with the US will not resume without a “new calculation.”
: DPRK suggests “biggest issue” in relations with the US is the impounded ship.
: DPRK demands the return of the seized tanker Wise Honest.
: DPRK conducts second missile test of the month from a tracked vehicle.
: US seizes the Wise Honest, North Korea’s second largest cargo ship accused of violating international sanctions by transporting coal and heavy machinery back to North Korea.
: The 11th round of US, Japan, South Korea Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) is held in Seoul to discuss regional security issues.
: Pentagon suspends efforts to recover POW/MIA remains as DPRK talks stall.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun visits Tokyo and Seoul to meet South Korean and Japanese officials.
: North Korea tests new missile similar to Russia’s SS-26 Iskander from a mobile transporter erector launcher.
: US federal judge orders three Chinese banks to provide documents on a Hong Kong-based front company for North Korea’s nuclear program.
: North Korea warns of “undesired consequences” if no change in US position.
: North Korea accuses US of pressuring South Korea on implementing sanctions.
: Air forces of the United States, South Korea, and Australia undertake two weeks of “scaled-back” joint air drills around the Korean Peninsula, replacing the large-scale Max Thunder drill.
: North Korea dismisses Bolton’s call for denuclearization sign as “dim-witted.”
: Despite North Korean criticism, Pompeo underscores that “it’ll be my team” on North Korea.
: North Korea tests new tactical weapon, or a short-range guided missile, and calls for Pompeo to be dropped from talks.
: CSIS report reveals April 12 imagery of five specialized rail cars near its Uranium Enrichment Facility and Radiochemistry Laboratory at Yongbyon.
: Trump calls for a third summit with Kim and hope for a removal of nuclear weapons and sanctions on North Korea.
: Kim Jong Un signals end-of-year deadline for new US stance.
: DPRK central committee meets amid “tense situation.”
: President Moon travels to Washington DC to meet President Trump for a summit on North Korean diplomacy.
: Former UNC/CFC/USFK Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks calls for a “visible but not accessible” international development fund to promote North Korean denuclearization.
: South Korea detains a domestic ship over North Korea sanctions violation.
: Moon Jae-in describes hope that North Korea responds positively to US-South Korea efforts in advance of his Washington trip.
: DPRK describes Spain embassy raid as “grave terrorist attack,” but refrains from blaming the US directly.
: Reuters reports Trump called on Kim to denuclearize completely in one-page Bolton memo delivered at Hanoi. Pompeo meets counterpart Kang Kyung-wha in New York.
: UNC/CFC/USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams describes North Korean activity as “inconsistent with denuclearization” to House Armed Services Committee.
: South Korean Unification Minister-designate Kim Yeon-chul promises to seek a “creative solution” for the US and North Korea to meet again.
: Free Joseon, a political organization that opposes Kim Jong Un, claims responsibility for raid on the North Korean Embassy in Spain on Feb. 22. Information stolen from the embassy was later shared with the FBI, but the US government claims no involvement in the operation.
: North Korean officials return to liaison office after weekend pullout and Trump move to stem new sanctions.
: Trump blocks new “large-scale” sanctions directed at North Korea, in reality aimed at two Chinese shipping companies in violation of sanctions.
: ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo advises a parliamentary defense committee that despite US think tank reports of DPRK launch preparation, “it’s hasty to call it missile-related activity.”
: Pompeo says US hopes to continue talks with North Korea.
: North Korea warns it may suspend nuclear talks, but describes leaders’ relationship as “mysteriously wonderful.”
: Blue House adviser Moon Ching-in suggests US “all or nothing” approach won’t work with North Korea.
: UN Panel of Experts reports North Korea sanctions violations by 20 countries in 66-page report.
: Special Representative Biegun suggests diplomacy is “very much alive,” despite CSIS reports around Sohae rocket testing site.
: North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun reports that the public blames the US for the Hanoi summit ending without agreement.
: South Korea FM Kang signs Special Measures Agreement with US Ambassador Harry Harris, formally agreeing to pay $915 million for the upkeep of US Forces, Korea.
: North Korea Hanoi documentary focuses on Kim-Trump relationship, not summit breakdown.
: US analysts from 38 North and CSIS’s Beyond Parallel report that North Korea’s Sohae Launch Facility is returning to normal operating status after being moderately dismantled following the Singapore Summit, analysis based on commercial satellite imagery acquired on March 6.
: National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon says ROK and US military intelligence has a “detailed grasp” of DPRK uranium enrichment and other nuclear and missile facilities.
: Seoul calls for a quick resumption of talks after Hanoi breakdown.
: Sen. Pat Toomey and Sen. Chris Van Hollen introduce the Otto Warmbier Banking Restrictions Involving North Korea (BRINK) act.
: South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon visits Washington DC to meet Special Representative Biegun to coordinate plans following the US-DPRK second summit.
: US and South Korean militaries hold the inaugural Dong Maeng joint military exercise, a scaled-back version of the annual Foal Eagle and Key Resolve series.
: Trump says North Korea has no economic future with nuclear weapons.
: KCNA reports that the US and North Korea “deepened mutual respect and trust” in Hanoi. Kim vows to meet again, Trump says both sides know the issues.
: President Moon pledges to work with Trump and Kim after failed talks. US and South Korea suggest replacement of spring exercises with smaller drills.
: On second day of Hanoi summit, Trump walks away over reported DPRK sanctions demands. Trump credits China as a “big help” with North Korea.
: Trump hails North Korea’s “awesome” potential and that he is “satisfied” with pace of denuclearization.
: Twenty House Democrats introduce a resolution calling for an end to the Korean War but maintenance of US troops on the Peninsula.
: North Korea urges Trump to disregard skeptics.
: Special Representative Biegun meets DPRK counterpart in Hanoi for a second day of pre-summit negotiations.
: Trump confirms decreasing US troops in ROK not on summit agenda. White House suggests that if North Korea follows through on denuclearization, the US will explore “how to mobilize for investment, improve infrastructure, enhance food security, and more.”
: Chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot Engel, Armed Services Committee Adam Smith, and Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Adam Schiff send letter to Trump urging the White House to stop withholding information on North Korea negotiations.
: Trump suggests he expects to meet Kim again after Hanoi and raises prospect of easing North Korea sanctions.
: The Wall Street Journal reports the US is weighing opening a liaison office in North Korea.
: Secretary Pompeo says US is hoping to get “far down the road” with North Korea, adding pillars to “reduce tension, reduce military risks” in addition to denuclearization.
: US Indo-Pacific Commander Adm. Philip Davidson supports US intelligence community position that North Korea is unlikely to give up all its nuclear weapons or production facilities.
: South Korea agrees to pay $915 million in 2019 for US troops in Korea.
: Special Representative Biegun holds talks in Pyongyang.
: In comments at Stanford University, Special Representative Biegun notes North and South militaries working with UNC and USFK for confidence building and tension reduction. He notes that the US is willing to wait on key objectives, and that Trump is ready to formally end the Korean War.
: Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats tells Senate Intelligence Committee that “we currently assess North Korea will seek to retain its WMD capability and is unlikely to completely give up its nuclear weapons and production capability.”
: US National Security Adviser John Bolton calls on North Korea for a “significant sign of a strategic decision to give up nuclear weapons.”
: ROK Foreign Minister Kang calls for “concrete results on denuclearization” at Trump-Kim second summit.
: State media reports Kim Jong Un will advance “step by step” and was “satisfied” by recent Washington meetings and a letter from Trump. Secretary of State Pompeo hails “progress” in talks in Washington and Stockholm.
: CSIS report describes Sino-ri, one of 20 undeclared ballistic missile bases in North Korea, as a missile headquarters.
: Seoul describes US demands for funding increase for support of US forces in South Korea as “unacceptable.”
: US Special Representative for North Korean Policy Biegun meets Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui in Stockholm.
: ROK and US officials agree to seek a UN Security Council sanctions exemption for inter-Korean joint projects.
: Trump meets Worker Party Vice Chairman Kim Yong Chol and Special Envoy Kim Hyok Chol at White House.
: Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha notes that US and South Korea are discussing “corresponding measures” to reward North Korea for steps toward denuclearization.
: President Donald Trump unveils the US Missile Defense Review, which labels North Korea an “extraordinary threat.”
: North Korean Special Envoy Kim Yong Chol travels to Washington DC to meet Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun to “make progress on the commitments President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un made at their summit in Singapore.”
: President Moon Jae-in calls for “bold steps: ahead of second Trump-Kim summit.
: In New Year address, Kim Jong Un says he is ready to meet Trump “at any time” and demands an end to sanctions.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim sent Trump a “conciliatory message” about the stalled negotiations. Departing Defense Secretary Mattis urges the US to stand firm alongside its allies.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim sent Trump a “conciliatory message” about the stalled negotiations. Departing Defense Secretary Mattis urges the US to stand firm alongside its allies.
: Blue House says Kim Jong Un wants more summits with Moon in 2019.
: Blue House says Kim Jong Un wants more summits with Moon in 2019.
: Inter-Korean groundbreaking for rail and road reconnection occurs.
: Inter-Korean groundbreaking for rail and road reconnection occurs.
: US Federal Court Judge Beryl Howell orders North Korea to pay Otto Warmbier’s parents $501 million for “torture, hostage-taking, and extrajudicial killing.”
: US Federal Court Judge Beryl Howell orders North Korea to pay Otto Warmbier’s parents $501 million for “torture, hostage-taking, and extrajudicial killing.”
: ROK announces that the US will help it get flu drugs to the DPRK, despite stalled nuclear talks.
: ROK announces that the US will help it get flu drugs to the DPRK, despite stalled nuclear talks.
: Defense Secretary Mattis announces his resignation.
: Defense Secretary Mattis announces his resignation.
: ROK MND announces smaller military drills with the US in 2019 given North Korea negotiations.
: North Korean state media says denuclearization includes “eliminating the US nuclear threat.”
: ROK MND announces smaller military drills with the US in 2019 given North Korea negotiations.
: North Korean state media says denuclearization includes “eliminating the US nuclear threat.”
: Special Representative Biegun announces that the US will try to expedite humanitarian aid and review a ban for aid workers on his arrival for a four-day visit to Seoul.
: Special Representative Biegun announces that the US will try to expedite humanitarian aid and review a ban for aid workers on his arrival for a four-day visit to Seoul.
: KCNA commentary warns the US over stalled negotiations.
: KCNA commentary warns the US over stalled negotiations.
: US Missile Defense Agency reports successful missile defense system test aimed at intermediate-range missiles.
: US Missile Defense Agency reports successful missile defense system test aimed at intermediate-range missiles.
: US Treasury sanctions three DPRK officials for human rights violations.
: US Treasury sanctions three DPRK officials for human rights violations.
: Middlebury Institute Nonproliferation Center report suggests North Korea is expanding facilities to house long-range missiles.
: Middlebury Institute Nonproliferation Center report suggests North Korea is expanding facilities to house long-range missiles.
: Defense Secretary Mattis identifies North Korea as the most urgent threat to the US. National Security Advisor John Bolton says despite lapses, a second summit will occur.
: Defense Secretary Mattis identifies North Korea as the most urgent threat to the US. National Security Advisor John Bolton says despite lapses, a second summit will occur.
: US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Robert Brown describes the alliance as rock solid, and that to maintain readiness, high-level exercises should take place off-peninsula.
: US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Robert Brown describes the alliance as rock solid, and that to maintain readiness, high-level exercises should take place off-peninsula.
: Secretary Pompeo suggests a need for patience in resolving the denuclearization issue and underscores that sanctions will remain in place.
: Secretary Pompeo suggests a need for patience in resolving the denuclearization issue and underscores that sanctions will remain in place.
: IAEA reports the DPRK is expanding operations at its main nuclear site at Yongbyon.
: IAEA reports the DPRK is expanding operations at its main nuclear site at Yongbyon.
: Secretary Pompeo suggests progress on denuclearization should accompany better inter-Korean relations. Defense Secretary Mattis announces reduction in scope of 2019 US and ROK Foal Eagle exercises.
: Secretary Pompeo suggests progress on denuclearization should accompany better inter-Korean relations. Defense Secretary Mattis announces reduction in scope of 2019 US and ROK Foal Eagle exercises.
: US Treasury sanctions a South African for helping supply oil to the DPRK. North Korea destroys 10 guard posts in the JSA.
: Special Representative Biegun and counterpart Lee Do-hoon convene a US-ROK working group aimed at strengthening coordination on DPRK policy.
: US Treasury sanctions a South African for helping supply oil to the DPRK. North Korea destroys 10 guard posts in the JSA.
: Special Representative Biegun and counterpart Lee Do-hoon convene a US-ROK working group aimed at strengthening coordination on DPRK policy.
: North Korea state media reports that Kim Jong Un visited the site of a successful test of a “newly developed, ultramodern tactical weapon.” Pompeo thanks North Korea and Sweden for the release of US citizen Bruce Byron Lowrance, detained in October.
: North Korea state media reports that Kim Jong Un visited the site of a successful test of a “newly developed, ultramodern tactical weapon.” Pompeo thanks North Korea and Sweden for the release of US citizen Bruce Byron Lowrance, detained in October.
: President Moon tells visiting Vice President Mike Pence that the alliance has made the current situation possible. Pence says Trump will meet Kim in 2019, but won’t allow broken promises.
: President Moon tells visiting Vice President Mike Pence that the alliance has made the current situation possible. Pence says Trump will meet Kim in 2019, but won’t allow broken promises.
: US Congressional Commission reports China has relaxed sanctions enforcement on North Korea.
: US Congressional Commission reports China has relaxed sanctions enforcement on North Korea.
: Center for Strategic and International Studies says it identified 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared missile bases inside North Korea. Trump says DPRK missile sites are “nothing new.”
: DPRK’s Rodong Sinmun condemns US-ROK small-scale exercises by the Korean Marine Exchange Program as a violation of the Sept. 19 Pyongyang accords.
: Center for Strategic and International Studies says it identified 13 of an estimated 20 undeclared missile bases inside North Korea. Trump says DPRK missile sites are “nothing new.”
: DPRK’s Rodong Sinmun condemns US-ROK small-scale exercises by the Korean Marine Exchange Program as a violation of the Sept. 19 Pyongyang accords.
: Democratic Sen. Ed Markey calls on Trump to ease the ban on US aid workers to DPRK.
: Democratic Sen. Ed Markey calls on Trump to ease the ban on US aid workers to DPRK.
: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford notes that US-DPRK talks could affect US military posture.
: Gen. Brooks meets FM Kang, saying the alliance has “overcome a range of challenges as a team amid the changing situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
: Secretary of State Pompeo’s meeting in New York with North Korean Kim Yong Chol is abruptly canceled.
: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford notes that US-DPRK talks could affect US military posture.
: Gen. Brooks meets FM Kang, saying the alliance has “overcome a range of challenges as a team amid the changing situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
: Secretary of State Pompeo’s meeting in New York with North Korean Kim Yong Chol is abruptly canceled.
: Outgoing USFK Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks voices support for September inter-Korean military accord.
: Outgoing USFK Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks voices support for September inter-Korean military accord.
: US and ROK resume low-key military drills. North Korea warns of strengthening its nuclear arsenal without US sanctions relief in advance of Pompeo meeting.
: US and ROK resume low-key military drills. North Korea warns of strengthening its nuclear arsenal without US sanctions relief in advance of Pompeo meeting.
: Defense Secretary James Mattis describes “continuity for the ROK-led future CFC.”
: Defense Secretary James Mattis describes “continuity for the ROK-led future CFC.”
: No-fly zone and military drill ban take effect along DMZ.
: No-fly zone and military drill ban take effect along DMZ.
: Secretary of Defense Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo meet for the 50th Security Consultative Meeting in Washington, DC. The agree to strategic guidelines that aim to reduce uncertainty over transfer of wartime operational control.
: US announces Pompeo meeting with a DPRK counterpart in early November. ROK and US agree to wartime operational control transfer principles for facilitation.
: Secretary of Defense Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo meet for the 50th Security Consultative Meeting in Washington, DC. The agree to strategic guidelines that aim to reduce uncertainty over transfer of wartime operational control.
: US announces Pompeo meeting with a DPRK counterpart in early November. ROK and US agree to wartime operational control transfer principles for facilitation.
: ROK FM Kang asks US for “maximum flexibility” on Iran sanctions.
: ROK FM Kang asks US for “maximum flexibility” on Iran sanctions.
: Special Representative Biegun meets ROK counterpart Lee Do-hoon.
: Special Representative Biegun meets ROK counterpart Lee Do-hoon.
: ROK and DPRK agree to scrap 22 guard posts along the DMZ. ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reaffirms the temporary status of THAAD deployments.
: ROK and DPRK agree to scrap 22 guard posts along the DMZ. ROK Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo reaffirms the temporary status of THAAD deployments.
: US and ROK chairmen of respective Joint Chiefs of Staff hold annual Military Committee Meeting, underscoring the alliance.
: US and ROK chairmen of respective Joint Chiefs of Staff hold annual Military Committee Meeting, underscoring the alliance.
: US Treasury expresses “deep concern” over ROK bank plans for DPRK. UNC, ROK and DPRK hold second round of military working-level talks aimed at demilitarization.
: US Treasury expresses “deep concern” over ROK bank plans for DPRK. UNC, ROK and DPRK hold second round of military working-level talks aimed at demilitarization.
: US and ROK agree to suspend more drills in an effort to bolster diplomacy with the DPRK. US official suggests that the next US-DPRK summit will take place in the new year.
: US and ROK agree to suspend more drills in an effort to bolster diplomacy with the DPRK. US official suggests that the next US-DPRK summit will take place in the new year.
: Media reports suggest the US is opposed to inter-Korean agreement on a no-fly zone. The Wall Street Journal describes a US-ROK “wrangle” over DPRK policy.
: Media reports suggest the US is opposed to inter-Korean agreement on a no-fly zone. The Wall Street Journal describes a US-ROK “wrangle” over DPRK policy.
: ROK MND announces that UNC, ROK, and DPRK representatives are meeting about disarming the joint security area. State Department announces Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Biegun is traveling to Moscow, Paris, and Brussels for working-level meetings.
: ROK MND announces that UNC, ROK, and DPRK representatives are meeting about disarming the joint security area. State Department announces Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Biegun is traveling to Moscow, Paris, and Brussels for working-level meetings.
: Moon argues that Kim is sincere and should see rewards for abandoning nuclear weapons.
: Moon argues that Kim is sincere and should see rewards for abandoning nuclear weapons.
: Seoul says Pyongyang intends to abolish all nuclear weapons.
: Seoul says Pyongyang intends to abolish all nuclear weapons.
: Seoul says it has made no change on DPRK sanctions.
: Seoul says it has made no change on DPRK sanctions.
: ROK says Secretary Pompeo complained about inter-Korean military agreement.
: ROK says Secretary Pompeo complained about inter-Korean military agreement.
: President Moon suggests that a “new order is being created on the Korean Peninsula.” Pompeo describes seeing a “path” to denuclearization. Trump says a second summit will come after midterm elections.
: President Moon suggests that a “new order is being created on the Korean Peninsula.” Pompeo describes seeing a “path” to denuclearization. Trump says a second summit will come after midterm elections.
: Secretary Pompeo says North Korea is ready to let inspectors into the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and Sohae missile engine test facility after US and DPRK agree on logistics.
: Secretary Pompeo says North Korea is ready to let inspectors into the Punggye-ri nuclear test site and Sohae missile engine test facility after US and DPRK agree on logistics.
: Secretary Pompeo meets Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang and notes progress on Singapore commitments. Blue House announces Pompeo and Kim agree to a second US-DPRK summit.
: Secretary Pompeo meets Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang and notes progress on Singapore commitments. Blue House announces Pompeo and Kim agree to a second US-DPRK summit.
: Pompeo suggests optimism for “better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward.”
: Pompeo suggests optimism for “better understandings, deeper progress and a plan forward.”
: US Treasury sanctions a Turkish firm and a DPRK diplomat for weapons trade.
: The Arms Control Association announces release of North Korea Denuclearization Digest.
: US Treasury sanctions a Turkish firm and a DPRK diplomat for weapons trade.
: The Arms Control Association announces release of North Korea Denuclearization Digest.
: ROK FM Kang Kyung-wha suggests that the US should hold off its demand for a DPRK declaration and accept a verified closure of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
: ROK FM Kang Kyung-wha suggests that the US should hold off its demand for a DPRK declaration and accept a verified closure of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
: Washington announces Pompeo will visit Pyongyang again despite negative signals. Pyongyang says its steps toward denuclearization must be met by US concessions.
: Washington announces Pompeo will visit Pyongyang again despite negative signals. Pyongyang says its steps toward denuclearization must be met by US concessions.
: Trump tells US public rally he and Kim “fell in love.”
: Trump tells US public rally he and Kim “fell in love.”
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho tells UNGA that the DPRK in “no way” will disarm without trust.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho tells UNGA that the DPRK in “no way” will disarm without trust.
: Trump underscores there is no timeframe for denuclearization and anticipates a second summit with Kim. Pompeo tells UNSC the only path for the DPRK is diplomacy and denuclearization.
: Trump underscores there is no timeframe for denuclearization and anticipates a second summit with Kim. Pompeo tells UNSC the only path for the DPRK is diplomacy and denuclearization.
: Moon tells UN General Assembly that “ending the Korean War is an urgent task” and calls for a peace regime.
: Moon tells UN General Assembly that “ending the Korean War is an urgent task” and calls for a peace regime.
: Incoming USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams suggests a slight dip in readiness with the suspension of exercises and acknowledges tactical risk if US troops were removed from the Korean Peninsula in Senate confirmation hearings.
: Trump praises Kim, but says sanctions must stay for now.
: Incoming USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams suggests a slight dip in readiness with the suspension of exercises and acknowledges tactical risk if US troops were removed from the Korean Peninsula in Senate confirmation hearings.
: Trump praises Kim, but says sanctions must stay for now.
: Updated KORUS Free Trade Agreement is finalized.
: Updated KORUS Free Trade Agreement is finalized.
: Moon says Kim wants another Trump summit to speed denuclearization.
: Moon says Kim wants another Trump summit to speed denuclearization.
: DPRK invites foreign experts to watch closure of missile engine testing site and launch pad at Tongchang-ri. US says it is ready to resume talks with North Korea.
: DPRK invites foreign experts to watch closure of missile engine testing site and launch pad at Tongchang-ri. US says it is ready to resume talks with North Korea.
: Kim Jong Un says North and South Korea agreed to denuclearization efforts.
: Kim Jong Un says North and South Korea agreed to denuclearization efforts.
: Moon meets Kim, who credits earlier meeting with Trump as stabilizing region and promises to visit Seoul. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accuses Russia of “cheating” on DPRK sanctions.
: Moon meets Kim, who credits earlier meeting with Trump as stabilizing region and promises to visit Seoul. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accuses Russia of “cheating” on DPRK sanctions.
: New Yorker article describes US North Korea policy advisors: “None of them is where the President is.” Pompeo accuses Russia of actively undermining sanctions.
: New Yorker article describes US North Korea policy advisors: “None of them is where the President is.” Pompeo accuses Russia of actively undermining sanctions.
: Two Koreas hold working-level military talks. US imposes North Korea-related sanctions on Russian and Chinese technology firms. US approves possible $2.6 billion in military sales to ROK.
: US accuses Russia of covering up breaches of North Korea sanctions. Despite US warning, North Korea coal shipped into South Korea. DPRK decries US accusations of computer network hacking as a “smear campaign.”
: Two Koreas hold working-level military talks. US imposes North Korea-related sanctions on Russian and Chinese technology firms. US approves possible $2.6 billion in military sales to ROK.
: US accuses Russia of covering up breaches of North Korea sanctions. Despite US warning, North Korea coal shipped into South Korea. DPRK decries US accusations of computer network hacking as a “smear campaign.”
: Two Koreas open liaison offices with around-the-clock communications channels.
: Two Koreas open liaison offices with around-the-clock communications channels.
: Two more US service members’ remains returned in DPRK handover.
: Two more US service members’ remains returned in DPRK handover.
: Kim Jong Un sends Trump a letter requesting a follow-on meeting.
: Kim Jong Un sends Trump a letter requesting a follow-on meeting.
: North Korea military parade features floats and no long-range missiles. Kim Jong Un tells Chinese envoy North Korea he is upholding US nuclear deal.
: North Korea military parade features floats and no long-range missiles. Kim Jong Un tells Chinese envoy North Korea he is upholding US nuclear deal.
: President Trump states he is expecting a “positive” letter from Kim Jong Un.
: President Trump states he is expecting a “positive” letter from Kim Jong Un.
: President Moon underscores the need for the DPRK’s “complete denuclearization; and Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for “unwavering faith” after Kim suggests a denuclearization timeline.
: US accuses North Korea of engaging in a global cyber-crime wave.
: President Moon underscores the need for the DPRK’s “complete denuclearization; and Trump thanks Kim Jong Un for “unwavering faith” after Kim suggests a denuclearization timeline.
: US accuses North Korea of engaging in a global cyber-crime wave.
: US President Donald Trump speaks with South Korea President Moon in advance of ROK delegates heading north and Moon’s visit to New York.
: US State Department extends ban on US citizens’ travel to North Korea for another year.
: Trump says he thinks US is “doing well” in its diplomacy with North Korea, hails his relationship with Kim, and says there are no reasons to resume US-ROK military exercises at the present though, if he elected, they would be “far bigger than ever before.”
: Secretary Mattis announces that the US and ROK have no plans to suspend military exercises that are planned next year.
: DPRK’s Rodong Sinmun accuses US of “double dealing” and “hatching a criminal plot” against Pyongyang with drill preparations.
: Trump cancels Pompeo visit to the DPRK with new special representative for North Korea, Stephen Biegun.
: USFK commander Gen. Brooks acknowledges security risks in defense scale-down at DMZ, but is dealing with “change and uncertainty in stride.”
: Satellite imagery shows DPRK halted work to dismantle Sohae satellite launch site in the first part of August.
: US Treasury sanctions Russian firms for violating sanctions on the DPRK.
: Divided family reunions begin at Mount Kumgang.
: DPRK presses demands for end-of-war declaration ahead of Pompeo visit.
: US targets Chinese and Russian firms over DPRK sanctions breaches.
Aug. 9, 2018; DPRK criticizes US sanctions pressure on denuclearization process
: US backs guidelines in UN Security Council for streamlining delivery of humanitarian aid to the DPRK.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho says it is alarming that the US is returning to hostile ways “far from its leaders’ intentions.”
: Pompeo says DPRK weapons work counter to denuclearization pledge; confidential UN report says DPRK has not stopped it nuclear and missile programs.
: White House reports Trump received letter from Kim Jong Un.
: Washington Post reports that US intelligence agencies believe DPRK is working on new missiles.
: Trump thanks Kim for transfer of US war dead remains.
: DPRK hands over 55 boxes of US war dead remains.
: ROK Defense Ministry announces plans to reduce number of guard posts along DMZ.
: Secretary Pompeo and US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley urge strict UN sanction remain in place until DPRK acts on denuclearization.
: US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats says denuclearization in a year not likely.
: Trump tweets he received “very nice note” from Kim Jong Un; Pompeo says DPRK deal “may take some time” and sanctions to remain in place.
: Pompeo announces that US and DPRK to resume search for war remains.
: US accuses DPRK of UN sanctions breach and demands end to illicit fuel sales.
: Moon says US-DPRK talks are “on track,” dismisses criticism.
: Trump suggests China is interfering in US-DPRK talks.
: DPRK calls US stance “regrettable;” Pompeo urges DPRK to follow Vietnam’s example.
: Secretary Pompeo meets Kim Yong Chol in Pyongyang to “clarify” and says progress made; DPRK condemns US tactics as “gangster-like” after Pompeo’s departure.
: Wall Street Journal reports Middlebury Institute imagery shows DPRK expanding key missile manufacturing plant
: US marks departure of military presence in Seoul with opening of new headquarters facilities at Camp Humphreys.
: US intelligence reportedly believes DPRK making more bomb fuel despite talks.
: 38 North website reports that satellite imagery shows infrastructure improvements at DPRK’s Yongbyon nuclear plant.
: Pompeo says DPRK understands US on “complete denuclearization.”
: Pompeo says he won’t put a timeline on DPRK denuclearization.
: Pentagon indefinitely suspends some US training exercises with the ROK.
June 21, 2018; Trump announces DPRK has returned remains of 200 US war dead and that “total denuclearization” has begun; Pompeo plans DPRK meeting at “earliest possible date.”
: ROK Foreign Minister Kang says DPRK sanctions to remain until denuclearization; Kim and Xi discuss “true peace” and denuclearization in Beijing.
June 18, 2018; US and ROK agree to suspend joint military exercises scheduled for August.
: Trump says his agreement with North Korea will be good for China; ROK Blue House says US forces in ROK not subject to US-DPRK talks; Trump says he gave Kim his direct number.
: Gallup poll shows 66 percent of ROK respondents approve of US-DPRK summit outcome.
June 14, 2018; Secretary Pompeo says North Korea sanctions to remain until DPRK completes denuclearization, says US prepared to offer security guarantees.
: Reuters/Ipsos poll says half of Americans polled support Trump’s handling of North Korea.
: Trump-Kim summit held in Singapore. As summit begins, Trump says “we’re going to have a great discussion, and I think tremendous success.” Kim Jong Un says “there were fetters and wrong practices that at times covered out eyes and ears, but we overcame everything to come this far.”
: 38 North website reports DPRK is razing Ilha-ri, a key ballistic missile test site.
: Trump announces summit with Kim is back on, confirms June 12 date.
: Trumps says he expects letter from Kim Jong Un; US and DPRK working groups meet in Singapore, Secretary Pompeo meets Kim Yong Chol in New York City.
: Kim Jong Un says DPRK’s will for denuclearization is “unchanged.”
: Trump says DPRK’s Kim Yong Chol heading to US for talks; White House says Trump is prepared for June summit.
: US team in DPRK for talks on summit, says Trump; ROK says DPRK committed to Trump summit and complete denuclearization, and calls for more impromptu meetings.
: Moon and Kim hold surprise summit in Panmunjom.
: Trump says US in “productive talks” to reinstate summit.
: DPRK carries out demolition of nuclear test site; Trump cancels summit with Kim Jong Un, citing “hostility.”
: Trump blames China for summit problems; DPRK launches tirade against “stupid” US officials, calling Vice President Pence a “political dummy” and threatening to call off summit.
: President Trump meets President Moon at White House; Trump says June summit with Kim should be called off, but suggests it may work out over period of time.
: New York Times reports Trump grappling with risks of Singapore summit; Wall Street Journal reports Moon fighting for Trump-Kim summit.
: DPRK “declines,” then later permits ROK media to attend nuclear test site closure.
: President Trump nominates former Pacific Command commander Harry Harris as US ambassador to ROK.
: DPRK says it won’t hold talks with “incompetent” ROK; Trump says “if we make a deal, I think Kim Jong Un is going to be very, very happy.”
: DPRK says it doesn’t want US summit focused only on denuclearization.
: Satellite images show buildings removed from DPRK nuclear test site.
: DPRK casts doubt on Trump summit, suspends talks with South; Trump says “we’ll see.”
: Secretary Pompeo says US ready to lift sanctions if DPRK dismantles its nuclear weapons program.
: DPRK details plans to dismantle nuclear test site.
: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and suggests DPRK future “brimming with prosperity,” though he cautions denuclearization will require “robust” oversight.
: President Trump announces he will meet DPRK leader Kim Jong UN in Singapore on June 12.
: Three US detainees freed by DPRK, head home, thank Trump.
: Kim Jong UN meets Chinese President Xi Jinping.
: Wall Street Journal reports that US troops represent “potential bargaining chip.”
: DPRK denies US sanctions pressure is behind its denuclearization pledge.
: New York Times reports that President Trump has ordered the Pentagon to consider reducing US troops in ROK.
: White House says US prisoner release would be a goodwill move by the DPRK.
: US National Security Advisor John Bolton meets ROK National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong in Washington, DC.
: ROK says it wants US troops to stay regardless of any treaty with the DPRK.
: US intelligence detects DPRK actions at its nuclear test site.
: South and North begin dismantlement of border speakers in accord with April 27 inter-Korean leaders summit; ROK President Moon Jae-in asks UN for verification of DPRK nuclear site shutdown.
: President Moon suggests that Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump floats Panmunjom or Singapore as possible summit sites with Kim.
: President Moon and DPRK leader Kim meet in Panmunjom. Declaration aims at denuclearization, movement to a peace agreement, and opening of a representative office at the DMZ. White House hails the meeting and goal of denuclearization.
: South Korean Director of National Security Chung Eui-yong meets National Security Advisor John Bolton in Washington, DC, to exchange ideas.
: President Trump says Kim meeting will be “very soon.” Senior US official states that Pompeo will fill Seoul ambassadorship with former Pacific Commander Adm. Harry Harris, Trump’s proposed ambassador to Australia.
: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis suggests “reasons for optimism” after DPRK announcement.
: ROK and DPRK install direct hotline between leaders.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Sullivan calls China, Russia, Iran and North Korea “morally reprehensible” on human rights.
: KCNA reports that leader Kim Jong Un will suspend nuclear and ICBM missile tests and close the DPRK’s northern nuclear test site at Pyunggye-ri.
: President Trump expresses hope for talks with Kim. US vows continued pressure, and President Moon states North is seeking “complete denuclearization.”
: President Trump points to Pompeo forming a “good relationship” with Kim. Trump warns he could walk away from summit and that talks are underway for release of Americans held in North Korea.
: President Trump announces US had “extremely high” level talks with North Korea, subsequently revealed to have been between Pompeo and Kim.
: Secretary of State-designate Pompeo reiterates there will be no reward for the DPRK without complete denuclearization.
: ROK National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong meets US National Security Advisor Bolton in Washington to prepare for summits.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un talks about prospects for dialogue with the US, his first official comment on a planned summit with President Trump.
: KCNA reports leader Kim Jong Un assessed US talks at party meeting.
: CIA Director Pompeo visits Pyongyang and meets Kim Jong Un.
: US-ROK joint exercise Foal Eagle starts in Korea.
: UN Security Council announces new sanctions targeting one individual, 21 shipping companies and 27 vessels for helping the DPRK evade sanctions.
: Seoul announces inter-Korean summit between Moon and Kim for April 27. Trump says he may hold up on KORUS trade deal until after the US-DPRK summit meeting.
: Hyundai’s union says revised trade deal with US is “humiliating.” GM says ROK subsidiary will file for bankruptcy if no union concessions by April 20.
: US and ROK reach agreement on trade and steel tariffs.
: Seoul and Washington announce resumption of military exercises, with Foal Eagle slated to start April 1 and Key Resolve beginning in mid-April.
: President Moon says three-way summit with DPRK and US possible.
: H.R. McMaster, US national security adviser, Japan counterpart Yachi Shotaro, and Korean counterpart Chung Eui Yong meet in San Francisco.
: UN report outlines DPRK networks maintaining money flow despite sanctions.
: Deputy Secretary Sullivan meets South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kang and Japanese Foreign Minister Aso Kono in Washington DC.
: White House acknowledges “caution” in announcing Trump-Kim summit.
: CIA Director Pompeo describes Trump talks with Kim as not “theater.”
: Trump tweets that he believes DPRK “will honor that commitment” to not test and states that talks may lead to the “greatest deal for the world.”
: White House insists on “concrete actions” from DPRK prior to a meeting.
: President Trump agrees to meet Kim Jong Un.
: President Moon cautions that sanctions will remain and suggests it is too early to be optimistic. Trump administration offers support, but remains wary.
: Representatives from US and ROK meet in Honolulu for first round of talks to develop the 10th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), which will enter into force in 2019.
: ROK delegation says DPRK willing to denuclearize. Trump calls North Korea “sincere” on possible talks. Trump tweets that “a serious effort is being made,” and the US is “ready to go hard in either direction.”
: Trump suggests US will meet with DPRK. ROK sends envoys to DPRK as Trump suggests willingness.
: President Moon urges the US to ease way for DPRK talks. US announces senior envoy Ambassador Joseph Yun to retire after Trump rejects talks without preconditions.
: Trump responds “we’ll see” to Seoul push for US-DPRK talks.
: DPRK condemns US sanctions as officials attend Olympic closing ceremonies.
: ROK says US sanctions will bolster UN resolutions. PRC warns that new US sanctions threaten cooperation.
: US Treasury sanctions one person, 27 companies and 28 ships in its largest package aimed at pressuring the DPRK to abandon missile and nuclear programs. Trump warns of a “phase two” that could be “very, very unfortunate.” US pushes for more UN sanctions targeting DPRK oil, coal, and smuggling.
: ROK announces the DPRK will send Gen. Kim Yong Chol to the Olympic closing ceremonies.
: US officials say North Korea canceled Olympic meeting with Vice President Pence. ROK drops denunciations of Kim Jong Un from border broadcasts.
: President Moon describes a difficult road to an inter-Korean summit and the hope for US dialogue with the DPRK.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton states that there is no US “bloody nose” strategy for the DPRK.
: ROK reports that Kim Jong Un invites ROK President Moon for summit. Pence says allies united in isolating North Korea.
: PyeongChang Games open with senior US delegation alongside ROK President Moon and DPRK delegation nearby. Pence avoids encounter. Protesters burn flags.
: DPRK stages military parade in Pyongyang, displaying new missiles.
: ROK President Moon and Vice President Pence hold bilateral meeting at the Blue House in Seoul.
: Vice President Pence meets North Korean defectors in Seoul and visits Cheonan Memorial.
: DPRK informs the ROK that Kim Yo Jong, younger sister of Kim Jong Un, will join the DPRK Olympic delegation. Vice President Pence in Tokyo states that Washington will levy new sanctions against the planet’s “most tyrannical and oppressive regime.”
: US Ambassador Robert Wood says at UN Conference on Disarmament that DPRK is “only months away” from the capability to strike the US.
: ROK Blue House announces DPRK President of the Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong Nam to lead delegation to the PyeongChang Olympic Games.
: ROK says DPRK possible behind hack of Japan’s Coincheck.
: UN reports DPRK violated sanctions to earn $200 million in 2017 from banned commodity exports, as well as to export weapons to Syria and Myanmar.
: DPRK athletes arrive in Seoul for Winter Olympic preparations.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan Joseph Yun travels to Tokyo and Seoul to coordinate on the DPRK and other alliance and bilateral issues.
: President Trump honors DPRK defector Ji Seong-ho in State of the Union Address and acknowledges Otto Warmbier’s parents attendance.
: Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Selva states that the DPRK has not yet demonstrated all components of an ICBM, including a survivable reentry vehicle.
: White House withdraws nomination of Victor Cha as ambassador to South Korea.
: DPRK sends announcement to all Koreans calling for unification. US announces more sanctions on PRC and DPRK companies.
: US and DRK clash at UN disarmament forum over nuclear weapons.
: ROK President Moon Jae-in states that the Olympics should lead to nuclear talks with the US. Seoul protesters burn images of Kim Jong Un.
: DPRK delegation arrives in Seoul for Olympic preparations.
: US announces satellite imagery of six Chinese vessels violating sanctions against North Korea.
: US and ROK hold second meeting of the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) in Washington, DC.
: Secretary Tillerson suggests that there is evidence that DPRK sanctions are “really starting to hurt.”
: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announces that 20 nations meeting in Canada agree to consider more sanctions and US warns on military option. DPRK lambasts US on movement of six B-52s to Guam and dismisses Trump’s button size remark as “spasm of a lunatic.”
: DPRK agrees to send orchestra to perform during PyeongChang Games.
: False alert over DPRK missile threat rattles Hawaii.
: ROK President Moon suggests Trump deserves “big” credit for talks. Trump says, “who knows where it leads?”
: DPRK commits to send a team to the PyeongChang Games.
: ROK describes quick trade talks with US as an “uphill battle.” ROK and DPRK begin preparatory talks on Olympics.
: Trump says he would “absolutely” talk to Kim on the phone at the right time.
: Trump credits his firmness for restoration of ROK-DPRK dialogue, describing talks as “a good thing” and announcing US-ROK exercises would not occur during Olympics.
: President Donald Trump says his nuclear button is “bigger” than that of Kim in response to Kim’s claim that he has a “nuclear button” on his desk. DPRK uses the hotline to the ROK for a first time in two years.
: US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warns the DPRK against staging a missile test. ROK proposes border talks in light of Kim’s overture.
: In his 2018 New Year’s speech, Kim Jong Un repeats nuclear threats against the US, acknowledges the effects of sanctions against North Korea, and, in a major shift, is conciliatory toward South Korea, offering to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
: ROK reports the seizure of a second ship suspected of oil transfers.
: Reuters reports that Russian tankers have illicitly supplied fuel to the DPRK via transfers at sea.
: Trump tweets that China was “caught RED HANDED” allowing oil into the DPRK and preventing “a friendly solution” to the conflict with the DPRK. China blocks US effort to blacklist six foreign-flagged ships believed involved in illicit trade. ROK claims ship seizure over illicit petroleum trade with the DPRK.
: US Treasury announces sanctions against two DPRK officials behind ballistic missile program. China is reported to have broken sanctions on the sale of petroleum products to the DPRK with ship transfers.
: ROK Unification Ministry predicts DPRK will look to open talks with the US in 2018 in optimistic New Year forecast.
: DPRK condemns the new UNSC sanctions resolution as an act of war.
: UN Security Council unanimously passes UNSCR 2397 imposing more sanctions on the DPRK.
: A DPRK soldier escapes across the DMZ.
: US states DPRK is responsible for WannaCry cyber attack. ROK President Moon proposes curtailing military exercises to ease pressure around the Olympic Games.
: Secretary Tillerson says DPRK must halt missile and nuclear tests prior to any resumption of dialogue.
: Secretary Mattis says DPRK ICBM is not yet a “capable threat’ against the US. UN Secretary General Guterres urges communication with the DPRK to avoid escalation.
: UN Secretary General Guterres warns against “sleepwalking” into conflict with the DPRK A group of 58 retired US military leaders urge Trump to take a diplomatic approach with North Korea over military action.
: White House says time is not right for talks with the DPRK.
: Secretary Tillerson says US is ready for negotiations with the DPRK without preconditions.
: ROK announces sanctions against 20 DPRK groups and 12 individuals. Seoul asks US to delay spring military exercises until after Pyeongchang Olympics.
: US, ROK, and Japan conduct computer-simulated training to track DPRK missile launches.
: DPRK labels joint ROK-US drills as “confrontational warmongering” and poses the question “when will war break out?”
: Ambassador Haley suggests US participation in Pyeongchang Winter Olympics is an “open question.”
: US B-1B bomber joins joint US-ROK military exercises.
: UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman visits North Korea in highest-level UN effort to encourage negotiation since 2011.
: US and ROK conduct Vigilant Ace military exercise.
: Sen. Lindsey Graham suggests Pentagon should move US military dependents from ROK. North Korea says trump is “begging” for nuclear war.
: Trump tweets that North Korean leader Kim, whom he refers to as Little Rocket Man, is a “sick puppy.”
: DPRK tests Hwasong-15 ICBM. ROK stages “precision strike” drill within minutes of the DPRK launch. Trump tells reporters “we will take care of that situation.” Ambassador Haley warns that in the event of war, the DPRK regime will be “utterly destroyed.” Kim Jong Un declares the DPRK has “finally realized the great historic cause of completing the state nuclear force.”
: US Treasury imposes sanctions on 13 PRC and DPRK organizations accused of helping Pyongyang evade nuclear restrictions and supporting trade in commodities.
: US re-designates the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Joseph Yun says there has been “no signal” from DPRK for negotiations. DPRK UN Geneva Ambassador Han Tae Song rules out negotiations with the US as long as US-ROK military exercises continue.
: DPRK soldier is shot while attempting to cross the military demarcation line in the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom.
: DPRK says Trump begged for war during his Asia trip. Trump tweets “why would Kim Jong Un insult me by calling me “old,” when I would never call him “short and fat?”
: US conducts military exercises in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) involving three US carrier strike groups.
: Trump addresses ROK National Assembly.
: Following talks with Moon, Trump pledges cooperation and suggests “we cannot allow North Korea to threaten all that we have built.”
: On departure for Seoul, Trump tweets that President Moon is “a fine gentleman” and that “we will figure it all out!”
: Trump suggests “samurai” Japan should shoot DPRK missiles “out of the sky.” ROK imposes sanctions on 18 North Koreans.
: DPRK calls for halt to “brutal” sanctions.
: President Moon says the ROK cannot recognize the DPRK as a nuclear state.
: Secretary Mattis warns that Kim Jong Un is threatening “catastrophe.”
: Defense Secretary Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford arrive in Seoul for consultations.
: US and ROK conduct a joint naval exercise near South Korea.
: DPRK cautions international community and says “you’re safe” if you don’t join the US in its efforts against the DPRK. North Korean diplomat says nuclear weapons are a “matter of life and death” for the DPRK.
: North Korea warns that US threats are a “big miscalculation.” CIA Director Mike Pompeo says DPRK “months away” from ability to strike the US.
: South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and US Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan meet in Seoul. Lim also meets Sullivan and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama to coordinate policies on North Korea.
: US Pacific Command’s Adm. Harry Harris warns that the DPRK situation is a “recipe for disaster,” urging China to do more.
: DPRK labels Trump a “strangler of peace.” Secretary Tillerson promises US diplomacy until “first bomb drops.”
: US Navy Strike Group 5, led by USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), participates in a combined exercise with South Korea’s Navy near the Korean Peninsula.
: US flies bombers over Korea as Trump discusses options with military leaders.
: US bans four ships for transporting DPRK coal.
: Trump tweets criticism of past US approaches and that “only one thing will work!” in dealing with North Korea.
: DPRK’s Rodong Sinmum reports Trump’s “intention is to completely destroy the DPRK and exterminate the whole Korean nation.”
: ROK and US announce agreement to amend the KORUS FTA.
: White House rejects talks with DPRK on nuclear issue.
: Secretary Tillerson visits Beijing to press China on DPRK sanctions. He says US is “probing” to see if DPRK interested in dialogue. Trump tweets that North Korea talks are a “waste of time.”
: Trump states US is prepared to use “devastating” force on DPRK.
: North Korea says US “declared war” and threatens to shoot down US bombers.
: US sends bombers on flyover near the Korean coastline.
: DPRK envoy warns attack on US is becoming “inevitable.”
: Trump labels Kim Jong Un a “madman.”
: Foreign Minister Ri warns of a potential DPRK nuclear test over the Pacific. Kim Jong Un labels Trump a “mentally deranged US dotard.”
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho dismisses Trump’s UN address as the “sound of a dog barking.”
: UN Secretary General Guterres appeals for statesmanship to avoid war in Korea. Trump warns UN General Assembly that US may have to “totally destroy” the DPRK if threatened, and that “Rocket Man” Kim Jong Un is on a “suicide mission.”
: Two B-1B bombers and four F-35 fighters join ROK and Japanese jets in air maneuvers. Defense Secretary Mattis hints at military options against the DPRK.
: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson vows “peaceful pressure campaign” and suggests that “if our diplomatic efforts fall through, our military option will be the only one left.” US Ambassador Haley states that the UN has exhausted options on the DPRK.
: DPRK states it is seeking military “equilibrium” with US.
: US National Security Advisor Gen. H.R. McMaster warns that “we’re out of time” with North Korea.
: DPRK threatens to “sink” Japan and reduce US to “ashes and darkness.” DPRK fires missile over Japan, the second in one month.
: DPRK vows to accelerate nuclear program.
: North Korea warns US of “greatest pain” in the event of new sanctions. UN Security Council passes UNSCR 2375, tightening existing sanctions.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Un praises nuclear scientists with celebration. DPRK warns that the US will pay a price for spearheading sanctions resolution in the UN.
: Trump says he won’t rule out military action against the DPRK. North Korea dismisses US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley’s “hysteric fit.”
: Trump suggests military force against the DPRK is not his “first choice,” although the US is “not putting up” with DPRK actions.
: North Korea warns of “gift packages” for the US.
: US and ROK announce exercises in response to DPRK nuclear test.
: North Korea conducts its sixth nuclear weapon test.
: DPRK conducts its sixth nuclear test, which is of exponentially higher yield than the September 2016 test.
: US and ROK agree to revise a missile treaty that will allow the ROK to develop missiles with longer ranges.
: President Donald Trump speaks with ROK President Moon Jae-in by phone.
: President Trump tweets “talking is not the answer!,” although Defense Secretary Mattis cautions afterward that “we are never out of diplomatic solutions.”
: The Wall Street Journal reports that “Korea passing” has entered South Korea’s public and leadership lexicon, as Seoul appears bypassed in the standoff with North Korea.
: DPRK accuses the US of driving the Korean Peninsula to “explosion.” US proposes a UNSC statement condemning the latest DPRK launch and that all states “strictly, fully and expeditiously implement” sanctions. Kim Jong Un says missile test was for Guam.
: DPRK fires Hwasong-12 missile over Japan. Trump warns again that “all options are on the table,” and that the DPRK message is “loud and clear.”
: DPRK fires three short-range missiles from its east coast; one fails.
: Russia sends nuclear-capable bombers near South Korea and Japan. DPRK photos suggest a more powerful ICBM under development.
: President Trump suggests Kim Jong Un is “starting to respect” the US.
: North Korea threatens “absolute force” in response to UFG exercises. US Treasury targets Chinese and Russian entities for helping DPRK weapons development.
: ROK and US Combined Forces Command conduct the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise. In addition, UN Command forces from seven countries, including Australia, Canada, Columbia, Denmark, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, participate.
: President Trump praises Kim Jong Un for a “wise’ decision on Guam.
: President Moon warns the US against unilateral military action.
: DPRK delays Guam firing and US says that dialogue is up to Kim Jong Un. Defense Secretary Mattis says that if DPRK fires at the US, it could “escalate into war.”
: CIA Director Pompeo suggests DPRK likely to continue tests. US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford arrives in Asia and pushes diplomacy.
: Trump tweets that military solutions are “locked and loaded.”
: DPRK suggests it might fire missile into waters off Guam. Trump says his earlier comments might not have been “tough enough” and warns North Korea to get its “act together.”
: Secretary Tillerson states, “I do not believe there is any imminent threat,” from the DPRK, and that “Americans should sleep well at night.”
: DPRK states it is now making missile-ready nuclear weapons. Trump says US will meet DPRK threat with “fire and fury.” DPRK announces consideration of a plan to strike Guam. Former Defense Secretary Perry tweets that “nuclear deterrence is only effective if threats are deemed credible; bluster hurts our national security posture.”
: ROK and US agree to increase pressure on the DPRK. North Korea says it would use nuclear weapons only against the US. DPRK rejects nuclear talks and says US will “pay dearly.” China urges restraint.
: UN bans key DPRK exports over missile tests with 15-0 passage of UNSC resolution 2371. Chinese media stresses limits and condemns US “arrogance.”
: DPRK condemns US travel ban as a “sordid” limit on exchanges.
: National security advisers from the US, South Korea, and Japan hold a video conference to coordinate their response to North Korea’s missile and nuclear threats.
: Vice President Mike Pence says US won’t hold talks with North Korea. US bans travel to North Korea from Sept. 1, and advises all US citizens to leave the DPRK.
: Secretary of State Tillerson says to North Korea, “we are not your enemy,” expresses hope for dialogue “at some point,” and plays down talk of regime change.
: US flies bombers over Korean Peninsula. DPRK claims the entire US is within strike range of the Hwasong 14. Trump says China has done “nothing.”
: DPRK tests a second ICBM, the Hwasong 14, off its east coast. ROK pushes to build up its own missile defenses. Trump tweets disappointment in China.
: US intelligence agencies report that within one year the DPRK could have a missile that can reach US.
: US legislators strike deal on sanctions bill for Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
: US State Department announces a ban on US travel to the DPRK.
: Vice Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Paul Selva suggests DPRK lacks accuracy to hit US. DPRK dismisses ROK call for better ties as “nonsense.” US Navy chief asks PRC counterpart for help on DPRK.
: ROK proposes military talks, family visits, and opening of hotlines with DPRK.
: DPRK vows “corresponding measures” if UN adopts new sanctions.
: ROK prefers slow approach to KORUS FTA revisions. US prepares new sanctions on Chinese firms over DPRK ties.
: ROK contends that DPRK does not have ICBM reentry technology.
: US seeks funds connected to DPRK from eight large banks. President Moon delivers historic Berlin address on unification at the Korber Foundation.
: US bombers conduct drill in South Korea. A North Korean ship raises weapons at a Japanese patrol boat.
: China urges calm, while President Trump considers “severe things” over DPRK threat. Russia objects to UN condemnation and suggests the missile test was not of an ICBM.
: US and South Korea conduct military exercise that is described as a response to the North Korean missile launch on July 4.
: US tells North Korea it is prepared to go to war. UNSC holds emergency session.
: North Korea tests an ICBM using a PRC truck as a launch base and claims the ICBM can carry a large nuclear warhead. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson calls for global action.
: President Trump calls Prime Minister Abe and President Xi over DPRK threat.
: US head of missile defense states, “I would not say we are comfortably ahead of the threat” from the DPRK.
: Presidents Trump and Moon meet. Trump calls for firm response on North Korea and targets ROK on trade. The two presidents assert unity against DPRK provocations.
: Former Defense Secretary Perry and former senior officials urge Trump to begin dialogue with North Korea.
: White House announces Trump will press Moon at summit on trade deficits in steel and automobiles. US announces sanction of Chinese bank and individuals over DPRK financing.
: Samsung announces investment in a South Carolina factory ahead of presidential summit in Washington.
: Defense Secretary Mattis meets former ROK Defense Minister Song Young-moo and says US troop commitment in ROK is “ironclad.”
: ROK tests missile capable of striking all the DPRK. President Moon states that he and Trump share a “common goal.”
: President Moon calls Chinese President Xi Jinping to encourage more action on DPRK. Student Otto Warmbier laid to rest in Wyoming, Ohio.
: DPRK tests rocket engine for possible ICBM launch. Japan and US fail to shoot down mock missile in-flight.
: US B-1 bombers fly over the Korean Peninsula. US asks China to do more to rein in North Korea. China presses US to swap exercises for a DPRK freeze.
: Otto Warmbier dies days after release from the DPRK.
: Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Tom Shannon says DPRK poses a global threat over time. US blames DPRK for hacking spree and warns against more attacks.
: Defense Secretary Mattis describes the DPRK as the “most urgent” threat to security. Detained US student Otto Warmbier returns to the US in an unresponsive state.
: DPRK says it is “not far away” from an ICBM test.
: ROK suspends THAAD deployment. Head of US missile defense describes DPRK advances in missile development as being of “great concern.”
: DPRK fires several ground-to-ship missiles, saying the test launch verifies “combat application efficiency.” Kim Jong Un reportedly supervised the launch.
: DPRK rejects new UN sanctions.
: UNSC unanimously adopts resolution 2356 extending the number of DPRK individuals and entities under sanction, to include freezing assets and a travel ban.
: Defense Secretary James Mattis calls on China to do more on the DPRK situation and reassures Asian allies of US commitment.
: President Moon raises concern with visiting Sen. Richard Durbin over US military budget and missile defense.
: Blue House announces ROK Defense Ministry “intentionally dropped” THAAD units in report.
: President Moon orders probe after claims that ROK military was hiding information on US THAAD deployment.
: Department of Defense tests a new anti-missile system over the Pacific.
: DPRK claims its new missile can land within seven meters of target.
: Kim Jong Un observes anti-aircraft weapon and new guidance tests. DPRK launches a missile that lands in waters between Korea and Japan.
: ROK approves civilian contact with DPRK as a goodwill gesture.
: Rep. John Conyers and 63 other Democrats sign a letter urging a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and arguing against any US preventive attack.
: UNSC condemns North Korea’s latest missile test and directs its sanctions committee to redouble its efforts to implement existing sanctions.
: ROK announces US investments in advance of Washington summit.
: DPRK launches a missile from Pukchang. The missile flies 500 km, according to the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff. DPRK asserts that the test confirmed its warhead guidance system is ready for deployment.
: US, ROK, and Japan call for an emergency session of the UN Security Council to discuss the latest missile launch by North Korea.
: China and South Korea urge an easing of tensions between US and North Korea.
: US Navy moves second carrier near the DPRK.
: ROK suggests reopening communications with the DPRK after its missile launch.
: Prominent nuclear specialist Siegfried Hecker suggests US send special nuclear envoy to North Korea.
: China signals it may back new sanctions after the DPRK missile test.
: DPRK tests missile in the 4,500 km range. The missile travels 700 km for 30 minutes and lands in waters between Korea and Japan.
: Yonhap reports that the DPRK would dialogue with the US under the right terms.
: DPRK sends a letter of protest to the US House of Representatives over new US sanctions.
: President Trump advises President Moon that conditions must be right for dialogue with the DPRK before entering into talks.
: Moon Jae-in inaugurated as president and vows to seek peace with the DPRK.
: Department of Defense suggests DPRK Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) have “important shortfalls.”
: Moon Jae-in elected president of the Republic of Korea.
: North Korea detains US citizen Kim Hak-song of PUST on suspicion of “hostile acts” against the DPRK.
: US House of Representatives approves tighter North Korea sanctions 419-1.
: DPRK accuses the CIA of an assassination plot against Kim Jong Un. The next day it describes the plot as a “biochemical” attack.
: DPRK announces April 22 detention of US citizen Kim Sang-dok, who taught accounting at Pyongyang University of Science and Technology (PUST), for “attempting to subvert the country.”
: DPRK protests flyover of US bombers.
: US deploys drone to Japan for possible surveillance of the DPRK.
: President Donald Trump says he would be “honored” to meet DPRK leader Kim Jong Un “under the right circumstances.”
: US announces THAAD missile defense system in ROK as initially capable.
: Secretary Tillerson addresses the UNSC on North Korean developments. North Korea responds with a failed missile launch.
: Secretary of State Tillerson floats North Korea dialogue idea and suggests regime change is not a US goal.
: White House hosts US senators for top-level briefing on North Korea. US Pacific Command’s Adm. Harry Harris provides House Armed Services Committee testimony.
: North Korea conducts live fire exercise to mark the 85th anniversary of the Korean People’s Army.
: President Trump hosts UNSC diplomats at the White House, urging stronger sanctions and suggesting ‘it’s time to solve the problem.” USS Michigan pays a port call in South Korea in a show of support.
: North Korea says it is prepared to strike a US aircraft carrier.
: Vice President Pence suggests in Sydney that Chinese pressure might provide a chance for peace on the Korean Peninsula. USS Carl Vinson begins exercises with Japanese ships in the western Pacific.
: North Korea arrests US citizen Tony Kim (Kim Sang Dok) of the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology at Pyongyang’s international airport.
: Media reports Chinese and Russian troop movements toward their borders with North Korea. Both Beijing and Moscow deny the reports.
: Vice President Pence signals strong US resolve in Seoul and warns North Korea against further provocations.
: North Korea missile launch fails as Vice President Mike Pence arrives in Seoul.
: Day of the Sun parade in Kim Il Sung Square displays an array of missiles, including a possible ICBM.
: Trump suggests the US is prepared to deal with North Korea without China. US reports indicate that the DPRK has readied a nuclear test site. Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo tells legislators that DPRK missiles could carry sarin gas. China warns against the use of force.
: President Xi Jinping urges President Trump in a call to move to a peaceful resolution over North Korea. Foreign journalists visiting Pyongyang for the 105th anniversary of the birth of Kim Il Sung are told to prepare for a “big” event – an unveiling of a street.
: President Trumps signals that China will get a better trade deal with the US if it cooperates on North Korea.
: Secretary of State Tillerson and National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster describe the Syria strikes as a warning and the movement of the USS Carl Vinson carrier strike group as motivated by DPRK actions.
: Presidents Trump and Xi discuss North Korea and trade, with the US signaling China’s concern about North Korea’s passing a threshold in nuclear and missile development.
: DPRK fires a missile into the East Sea in advance of the Trump-Xi summit.
: Former President Park Geun-hye is arrested.
: UN broadens its inquiry into DPRK crimes against humanity. North Korea conducts another rocket engine test for possible ICBM use.
: IAEA warns that North Korea has doubled the size of its uranium enrichment facility. US House Resolution 1644 is introduced to expand US sanctions to target front companies and enablers funding the DPRK nuclear program.
: US and China pledge to get the DPRK on a “different course.” The DPRK responds the next day with a test of a new high-thrust rocket engine. Trump tells reporters at Mar a Lago that Kim Jong Un is “acting very, very badly.”
: US Secretary of State Tillerson visits Seoul, suggesting an end to strategic patience and negotiations, and that military options remain on the table. President Trump tweets that North Korea “is behaving very badly,” and that China “has done little to help!”
: ROK Supreme Court votes to uphold the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.
: China proposes that the US and ROK halt joint exercises in exchange for a North Korean freeze on its nuclear program. Foreign Minister Wang Yi warns of “accelerating trains coming toward each other.”
: US Ambassador to the UN Haley dismisses China’s suggestion of a dual suspension, decries Kim Jong Un as not “rationale” and displaying “unbelievable, irresponsible arrogance,” and emphasizing that “all options are on the table.”
: South Korea receives initial parts of the US THAAD missile defense system.
: SWIFT banking system blocks DPRK banks.
: ROK vows to protect firms against China pressure over THAAD.
: DPRK launches four missiles into the sea off Japan’s northwest coast. The missiles averaged a distance of 1000 km and altitude of 260 km.
: US announces visit by Secretary of State Tillerson to Korea, Japan, and China.
: US and South Korea conduct Foal Eagle joint military exercises.
: US withholds visas for North Korean representatives due to attend talks hosted by the National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) on March 1 in New York.
: UN Security Council (UNSC) holds an emergency meeting over the DPRK missile launch; US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley states, “it is time to hold North Korea accountable – not with our words, but with our actions.”
: Kim Jong Nam, elder half-brother of Kim Jong Un, is assassinated at the Kuala Lumpur airport.
: North Korea launches an improved Musudan intermediate-range missile; it flies 500 km, landing in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).
: Defense Secretary Mattis meets ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo and promises an “effective and overwhelming” response to any North Korean use of nuclear weapons against the US or its allies.
: South Korea Unification Ministry reports North Korea’s Minister of State Security Kim Won Hong has been purged in a further sign of a “crack in the elite.”
: US Defense Secretary-designate James Mattis vows to embrace allies and diplomacy in Senate confirmation hearings.
: China and Russia reportedly agree to “countermeasures” against US THAAD system in South Korea.
: Former Defense Secretary William Perry acknowledges “it is a matter of when, not if, North Korea will have an operational ICBM” and suggests dialogue over military options.
: Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautions that “with every passing day, the threat does get more acute” and that “we exercise sustained, comprehensive pressure on North Korea to get it to stop these programs, to come back to the negotiating table, and to engage in good faith on denuclearization.”
: President-elect Donald Trump tweets of North Korea’s imminent ICBM capability that “it won’t happen” and chastises China for not doing more to rein in North Korea.
: North Korean leader Kim Jung Un threatens imminent inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) capability in New Year address.
: US-ROK Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group meets, underscoring America’s “ironclad an unwavering commitment” to ROK defense.
: US hosts US-ROK-Japan Experts meeting on Cybersecurity of Critical Infrastructure addressing malicious cyber activity and coordinated responses.
: UN Security Council holds a session on DPRK human rights abuses, which is dismissed by China as not a “forum for discussing human rights issues, still less for the politicization of such issues.”
: South Korea’s National Assembly votes to impeach President Park Geun-hye.
: North Korea “categorically rejects” heightened sanctions and the latest UNSC resolution.
: UN Security Council Resolution 2321 is adopted. It aims at tougher sanctions to punish North Korea for its September nuclear test.
: United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks announces THAAD deployment within 8-10 months.
: Deputy Secretary Blinken visits South Korea to discuss strategies to deal with North Korea.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Japan for fifth round of deputy-level US-Japan-South Korea trilateral consultations.
: DPRK sends a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemning the “forced adoption of anti-DPRK” sanctions.
: North Korea fails again to launch an intermediate range Musudan missile.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Defense Minister Han visit Washington and meet Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter for the fourth US-ROK 2+2 meeting. They agree to establish an “Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group,” which is described as a US commitment “to defend South Korea through a robust combined defense posture and through extended deterrence, including the US nuclear umbrella, conventional strike and missile defense capabilities.”
: US State Department releases US Relations with North Korea Fact Sheet.
: UN press statement condemns DPRK failed missile test.
: DPRK conducts a failed intermediate-range missile test.
: President Park Geun-hye tells ROK government to prepare for large-scale defections from DPRK, days after a direct appeal to its citizens to flee their country.
: US and ROK conduct Invincible Spirit naval exercises to “strengthen maritime interoperability and tactics, techniques and procedures,” in South Korean waters.
: US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power travels to Japan and South Korea to discuss DPRK nuclear and missile programs and meet North Korean defectors on DPRK to discuss human rights abuses.
: US and South Korean navies conducted a joint exercise near the North Korean maritime border. The exercise marks the first time joint forces conducted naval training in an area closest to North Korea’s maritime border in the East Sea or Sea of Japan.
: Vice President Joseph Biden convenes a trilateral meeting of US, ROK, and Japan health experts to discuss trilateral collaboration on the Cancer Moonshot Initiative, aimed at enhancing research and data sharing on finding a cure for cancer.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry, Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio, and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se meet in New York to discuss responses to North Korea’s latest nuclear test.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry extends Chuseok (Thanksgiving) greetings to South Korea, noting the strength of the alliance and shared common vision between the peoples of the US and Korea.
: US House Speaker Paul Ryan tells visiting ROK National Assembly members that “strong US-Korea economic and defense ties are critical to the safety and prosperity of both nations.”
: DPRK conducts its fifth nuclear test.
: UNSC condemns DPRK missile launches.
: DPRK launches three ballistic missiles into Japanese territorial waters.
: South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo reports executions of DPRK Vice Premier and Education Minister Kim Yong Jin and former Agriculture Ministry official Hwang Min.
: US State Department spokesperson John Kirby urges the DPRK to pardon and release US university student Otto Frederick Warmbier “on humanitarian grounds.”
: Seoul-based research organization suggests that North Korea is building a 3,000-ton-class submarine designed to hold four SLBMs, with a goal of completion by October 2017. DPRK Sinpo-class subs carry a single SLBM with a displacement of 2000 tons.
: South Korea and the US-led UNC launch a second joint policing operation of 2016 at the Han River estuary to curb and repel illegal boat activity violating the Korean Armistice Agreement.
: Pyongyang reportedly orders the return of DPRK Ambassador to the UK Hyon Hak Bong following the defection of Thae Yong Ho.
: ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, Japanese FM Kishida Fumio and China FM Wang Yi meet in Tokyo.
: DPRK launches a KN-11 SLBM from waters off Sinpo. It travels 500km, falling within Japan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
: President Park Geun-hye suggests that DPRK elite defections signal “serious cracks” in the DPRK regime.
: ROK and US Combined Forces Command (CFC) conduct annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise.
: DPRK condemns defector Thae Yong Ho as “human scum who betrayed the fatherland.”
: Seoul announces the defection of the DPRK’s number two diplomat in the UK, Thae Yong Ho, the eighth or ninth diplomatic defections in 2016.
: Japan’s Kyodo News reports that North Korea’s Atomic Energy Institute says the DPRK has resumed plutonium production by reprocessing spent fuel rods and is producing highly enriched uranium on schedule.
: DPRK fires a mid-range Rodong missile from the DPRK’s southwest.
: President Park Geun-hye underscored ROK resolve to deploy THAAD despite domestic and Chinese opposition.
: ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting adopts a joint communiqué underscoring ASEAN support for denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: President Obama issues a presidential proclamation commemorating the National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.
: Secretary of State John Kerry and ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attend the 23rd ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Laos. New DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho makes his debut in Vientiane.
: DPRK launches three missiles from Hwanghae Province, including the short- range Scud and mid-range Rodong, which travel 310-370 miles.
: Vice President Joseph Biden and Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet ROK VFM Lim and Japan VFM Sugiyama for trilateral discussions. ROK Special Representative for Korea Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Hong-kyun meets US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim.
: ROK Deputy Defense Minister Yoo Jeh-seung announces THAAD deployment to Seoungju. The announcement meets considerable local opposition.
: ROK First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam and Japan Vice Foreign Minister Sugiyama Shinsuke meet in Hawaii to discuss enhanced cooperation in response to DPRK provocations.
: North Korea closes the New York communication channel, its only direct diplomatic link to Washington.
: DPRK fails in its test of the Bukguekseong-1, a KN-11 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which explodes at an altitude of only 10km.
: South Korea and the US announce the decision to deploy the Terminal High Area Altitude Defense (THAAD) system to South Korea to protect against the DPRK missile threat.
: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights names Tomas Ojea Quintana as special rapporteur on human rights in the DPRK beginning Aug. 1.
: State Department and Treasury Department name 11 individuals and entities, including DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, for violations of human rights in accordance with the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016.
: US, South Korea, and Japan conduct missile warning exercise off the coast of Hawaii.
: DPRK fails in its fifth Musudan intermediate range ballistic missile test of 2016, but succeeds the same day in a sixth test of the Hwasong-10, which flies 400km.
: President Barack Obama extends Executive Order 13466, Continuing Certain Restrictions with Respect to North Korea and North Korean Nationals, which was initiated under President George W. Bush.
: Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD) meets in Beijing.
: US House Foreign Affairs Committee approves HR 5484, the State Sponsors of Terrorism Review Enhancement Act, which increases the period a designated country must refrain from sponsoring terrorism from six to 24 months. HR 5208, the North Korea State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Act of 2016, mandates that the State Department report to Capitol Hill on the DPRK’s designation.
: USS Mississippi, a fast-attack submarine, visits the ROK Fleet base in Busan to signal strength in the alliance and expand naval cooperation.
: US-Korea Institute at SAIS issues a report, No Man’s Land: The Future of US Policy toward North Korea.
: US Defense Secretary Ash Carter delivers a keynote at the Shangri-La Dialogue (15th Asia Security Summit) in Singapore, attended by ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo. The two meet Japan Defense Minister Nakatani Gen on the sidelines.
: US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Mark Lippert addresses the Institute for Global Economics on Allies in Business: The Future of the US-ROK Economic Relationship.
: US Treasury Department classifies North Korea as a primary money laundering concern under Section 311 of the Patriot Act.
: DPRK fails in its fourth test in 2016 of the Hwasong-10 intermediate-range ballistic missile.
: Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduces an amendment to the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, calling for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployment to the ROK.
: Ninth round of the South Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) is held in Washington, led by South Korea’s Deputy Defense Minister for Policy Yoo Jeh-seung and US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy David Shear.
: North Korea test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Though traveling only 150 meters, the missile signals advances in DPRK technology.
: DPRK holds its Seventh Workers’ Party Congress, the first since 1980, further solidifying Kim Jong Un’s leadership.
: US Congressional Research Service releases a comprehensive report on US-South Korea Relations.
: US and ROK conduct the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle combined exercises. Command post exercise Key Resolve runs March 7-18.
: DPRK conducts a submarine-launched ballistic missile launch off its east coast.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong proposes in an interview a halt to DPRK testing in exchange for a curtailment of US-ROK military exercises.
: Incoming UNC/CFC/USFK Commander Gen. Brooks defends the cost effectiveness of stationing troops in Korea in Congressional testimony.
: DPRK intermediate-range missile launch fails on the anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birth.
: US and ROK hold a first meeting of the High-Level Bilateral Commission on Nuclear Energy, chaired by ROK Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Cho Tae-yul and Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.
: President Park and ruling Saenuri party lose seats in the National Assembly elections. The opposition parties gain seats and mandates.
: US and ROK Marine Corps share in the enlarged Ssang Yong 2016 military exercises, a biennial amphibious landing drill.
: US Ambassador for North Korean Human Rights Robert King visits Korea, urging consideration of all human rights violators in the DPRK regime.
: President Obama and President Park attend the fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington. They meet Prime Minister Abe on the sidelines.
: State Department releases a fact sheet offering US support and co-sponsorship of the UNHRC resolution on DPRK human rights.
: The Blue House holds an ad-hoc emergency National Security Council session to address inter-Korean tensions resulting from photos in the DPRK’s Rodong Sinmun of bombing drills targeting key Seoul facilities.
: UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopts a resolution on DPRK human rights, renewing the mandate of the special rapporteur and calling for a panel of independent experts to recommend mechanisms of accountability for the victims and ICC.
: Defense Secretary Carter announces the nomination of US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks to replace Gen. Scaparrotti as UNC/CFC/USFK commander.
: Special Representative Sung Kim and Sanctions Policy Coordinator Daniel Fried meet Special Representative Kim Hong-kyun in Seoul to address UNSCR 2270, unilateral sanctions, and international coordination on DPRK provocations.
: The White House issues Presidential Executive Order 13722, leveling new sanctions against the DPRK.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim and ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Hong-kyun meet in Washington to discuss DPRK nuclear issues.
: US and ROK agree to create a joint working group on THAAD deployment.
: US and ROK launch a High-Level Bilateral Commission on Nuclear Energy in Washington to better coordinate nuclear cooperation as part of the new 123 Agreement.
: Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se delivers a keynote address to the UN Human Rights Council, underscoring cooperation against DPRK human rights abuses.
: UNSC unanimously adopts Resolution 2270, the strongest sanctions yet imposed on the DPRK.
: Assistant Secretary of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel meets Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Deputy Minister Kim Hong-kyun in Seoul to discuss DPRK provocations and bilateral and regional issues.
: Commander, US Pacific Command Adm. Harry Harris and UNC/CFC/USFK Commander Gen. Scaparrotti provide Congressional testimony on DPRK provocations.
: US Naval Forces Korea opens new headquarters in Busan, following relocation from Yongsan.
: President Obama signs HR 757, the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act, into law.
: Deputy Secretary of State Blinken and ROK Deputy National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong meet in Washington to discuss North Korea provocations.
: President Park addresses the National Assembly on the shift to a hardline policy against North Korea, including the Kaesong shutdown.
: US State Department Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs releases a Fact Sheet on US Relations with North Korea.
: Gen. Joseph Dunford, Gen. Lee Sun-jin (remote) and Adm. Kawano Katsutoshi address measures to counter the DPRK threat, such as trilateral intelligence sharing.
: US Senate passes HR 757 (North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016) with a 96-0 vote, aimed at the DPRK’s nuclear development, human rights violations, and cyber threat.
: President Park announces the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
: Presidents Park Geun-hye and Barack Obama and then Prime Minister Abe Shinzo discuss the DPRK’s satellite launch by phone.
: US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper confirms the DPRK has facilities capable of uranium enrichment and a plutonium production facility at Yongbyon, which was shuttered in 2007. He cautions that plutonium could be reprocessed in weeks to months.
: Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se meets in New York with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Secretary of State Kerry on a stricter UN resolution against the DPRK.
: UN Security Council meets and strongly condemns DPRK launch.
: North Korea launches a satellite, the Kwangmyongsong-4, in violation of UN missile bans.
: US Undersecretary for Political Affairs-designate Thomas Shannon visits the DMZ and holds bilateral discussions on the ROK-US alliance, global cooperation, and North Korea policy.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the North Korean nuclear test and a UN Security Council sanctions resolution.
: Defense Minister Han Min-koo describes THAAD deployment as a military necessity, a shift forward from the ROK’s prior wavering.
: Deputy Secretary of State Blinken meets ROK Foreign Affairs Minister Yun Byung-se and ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo in Seoul, calling on China to play an “active leadership” role on DPRK nuclear concerns.
: ROK Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Shin Dong-ik meets UN ambassadors from the US, China, Japan, UK, and other permanent and nonpermanent UNSC member nations.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets ROK Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Lim Sung-nam and Japanese Foreign Affairs Vice Minister Saiki Akitaka in Tokyo to discuss trilateral cooperation in response to the DPRK nuclear test and other issues.
: The US Congressional Research Service releases its report, North Korea-US Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy and the Internal Situation.
: ROK President Park Geun-hye addresses the public on the North Korean threat after the nuclear test and calls for enhancements in ROK-US defense readiness, to include consideration of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
: North Korea conducts a fourth nuclear test of what is claims is a hydrogen bomb. Analysts dismiss the likelihood of a thermonuclear device.
: North Korea claims to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Un offers a New Year address promising war against “invasive” outsiders, but withholding mention of DPRK nuclear development.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Un offers a New Year address promising war against “invasive” outsiders, but withholding mention of DPRK nuclear development.
: South Korea and Japan announce a surprise agreement on “comfort women,” to include an apology and official fund for victims. PM Abe calls President Park with a “sincere apology.” National Security Advisor Susan Rice offers strong US support.
: US and ROK hold the fifth high-level Disarmament and Nonproliferation Consultation meeting in Washington, DC.
: ROK and Japan hold a second round of working-level talks in as many months aimed at resolving the “comfort women” issue.
: Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) releases a discussion paper on Unified Korea and the Future of the US-South Korea Alliance.
: UN Security Council addresses DPRK human rights abuses, with December president US Ambassador Samantha Power urging referral of the DPRK to the International Criminal Court.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim hosts a trilateral meeting in Washington with ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Ishikane Kimihiro.
: President Park and PM Abe meet at the Blue House.
: US and ROK hold the 47th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul.
: Defense Secretary Carter and ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo visit the DMZ. US and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairs Gen. Joseph Dunford and Gen. Lee Sun-jin hold the annual ROK-US Military Committee Meeting (MCM).
: South Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit is held at the Blue House.
: ROK Navy holds a fleet review in Busan, with participation by the US aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan.
: President Park names Kim Kyou-hyun senior secretary to the president for foreign affairs and security and Cho Tae-yong first deputy director of national security.
: President Park visits Washington for a summit with President Barack Obama. A Joint Statement condemns North Korea’s nuclear development and human rights abuses.
: DPRK marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean Workers Party.
: Congressional Research Service (CRS) issues report on US-South Korea Relations.
: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cyber security hosts testimony on Assessing the North Korea Threat and US Policy: Strategic Patience for Effective Deterrence?
: Harvard’s Korea Institute hosts former US ambassadors to Korea Stephen Bosworth, Kathleen Stephens, and Sung Kim at the 10th Kim Koo Foundation Forum.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry, ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio meet on the sidelines of the UNGA.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong attends the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
: President Park visits New York to deliver four addresses at the UN, including a keynote on the 70th anniversary of the UN General Assembly and speeches on health and rural development. Park meets with Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on the sidelines and hosts a dinner for individuals from New York-based nongovernmental organizations.
: CNN interviews DPRK scientists at Pyongyang’s General Satellite Control Center.
: US and ROK conduct ninth Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in Seoul.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim visits South Korea.
: US and ROK Marines conduct combined exercises in northern Gyeonggi Province.
: ROK President Park Geun-hye attends a bilateral meeting in Beijing and is featured alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
: Defense Secretary Ashton Carter cautions that “Korea is the single place in the world where war could erupt at the snap of our fingers” and strongly warns North Korea against provocations.
: US detainees in North Korea provide brief news conferences appealing for increased US government efforts to win their freedom. The family of US missionary Kenneth Bae expresses increased concern over his health.
: ROK and DPRK reach a six-point agreement after an intense several days of negotiation. Washington describes the situation as a “very tense several days.”
: The ROK and DPRK begin negotiations to resolve tensions in the DMZ at 6PM, past the DPRK threatened deadline.
: DPRK and ROK exchange live-fire, with the KPA firing rockets in the direction of ROK loudspeakers, and the ROK responding with 155mm shells. The DPRK sets a 4PM Aug. 22 deadline for the ROK to silence the speakers.
: US and ROK engage in annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises.
: South Korea marks 70th Anniversary of Korean Liberation Day following the end of World War II.
: US and ROK begin large-scale joint exercises at the ROK Army training camp at Pocheon, Gyeongii Province. The live-fire exercises display combat readiness against DPRK provocations and last the month.
: The ROK resumes loudspeaker broadcasts along the DMZ after an 11-year hiatus following the Aug. 4 maiming of two soldiers by DPRK landmines.
: North Korea announces it will set its clocks back one half hour beginning Aug. 15 as a marker of Liberation Day.
: Kim Dae Jung’s widow, Lee Hee-ho, visits a DPRK hospital, orphanage and maternity clinic, but does not meet neither Kim Jong Un or senior DPRK officials.
: Two ROK soldiers maimed by DPRK landmines in the southern part of the DMZ.
: ROK Defense Agency for Technology and Quality announces deployment of the Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) near the DMZ, doubling the range of the Kooryong MLRS antecedents.
: US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) and Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY) introduce House Joint Resolution 63 in support of the US-ROK Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation.
: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) introduces Senate Joint Resolution 20 in support of the US-ROK Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation.
: US Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks Sydney Seiler meets in Seoul with ROK counterparts on North Korean denuclearization, as well as Director General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs Kim Gunn and Japanese Deputy Director General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Takizaki Shigeki in a US-Korea-Japan trilateral session.
: ROK media reports DPRK completion of its Sohae Satellite Launch Facility, designed as a long-range ballistic missile and space booster test facility, near the Chinese border.
: US Congressional Research Service (CRS) releases its report on North Korea: US Relations, Nuclear Diplomacy and the Internal Situation.
: US Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift visits the ROK for meetings with ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Choi Yoon-hee, ROK Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Jung Ho-sup, and US Ambassador Mark Lippert.
: ROK Foreign Ministry’s Director General of the North American Affairs Division Shin Jae-hyun and USFK Deputy Commander Lt. Gen. O’Shaughnessy address the delivery of live anthrax spores to a USFK base in April in a SOFA Joint Committee session. The Seoul-Washington Joint Working Group also discusses the joint investigation into the incident.
: Seoul hosts a two-day meeting for officials and experts from the US, ROK, and Asia Pacific engaged in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), which aims to curtail the illicit transfer of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related materials.
: Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduce Senate Resolution 1747 to increase sanctions enforcement on and humanitarian organization efforts toward the DPRK.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Frank Rose meets the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs North American Affairs head Shin Jae-hyun and International Organizations Department head Yoo Dae-jong for discussion on arms reduction, nonproliferation, and space.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Policy Sung Kim visits Korea, meeting Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook.
: Citing an increasing DPRK threat and budgetary constraints, the ROK Defense Ministry announces a delay in the reduction of active-duty personnel, reducing troop levels from 630,000 to 526,200 by 2030, rather than 2022.
: ROK signs Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank articles, becoming the fifth largest shareholder with a 3.81 percent stake and 3.5 percent voting bloc. Media reports US opposition to Korea’s opting for the AIIB, but US officials voice support suggesting Korea will promote good governance and best practices.
: ROK Foreign Ministry announces sanctions against half a dozen Taiwanese and Syrian individuals and entities engaged in the DPRK weapons trade.
: US and ROK mark the 65th anniversary of the start of the Korean War.
: President Obama sends a letter to Capitol Hill extending executive orders imposing sanctions on the DPRK.
: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, alongside Foreign Minister Yun, formally opens Seoul office to monitor and document North Korean human rights abuses.
: US Strategic Command Commander Adm. Cecil Haney visits Seoul and meets ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Joint Chiefs of Staff Choi Yun-hee.
: South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) announces investigation of Citi, JP Morgan, Bank of America and three UK lenders on possible collusion to manipulate foreign exchange rates. US and UK fined six banks $5.6 billion in May for exchange rate manipulation.
: President Obama sends the new US-ROK Agreement for Civil Nuclear Cooperation to Congress for review for 90 days of the Hill session.
: North Korea test fires anti-ship rockets, with leader Kim Jong Un in attendance.
: Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz formally sign the revision of the 1974 Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement, agreed to April 22
: DPRK launches three KN-01 short-range (120 km) missiles in the East Sea off Wonson.
: President Park announces postponement of her June 14-17 visit to the US given the MERS outbreak. President Obama offers condolences in a phone conversation two days later.
: US Pacific Command Commander Adm. Harry Harris visits Seoul and meets President Park and other senior officials; he also visits the Cheonan memorial at Pyeongtaek.
: US State Department releases report acknowledging possible unidentified nuclear facilities in the DPRK.
: South Korean Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick and Chinese Trade Minister Gao Hucheng sign a bilateral FTA, eliminating tariffs on more than 90 percent of traded goods over two decades and increasing bilateral trade to over $300 billion per annum. Some US analysts see the move as an affront to the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative.
: US notifies the ROK of the extension of the US Visa Waiver Program until March 2017, allowing Korean citizens to visit the US without obtaining a visa for 90 days.
: Blue House announces June 14-17 visit by Park Geun-hye to Washington, DC and Houston. The Obama-Park meeting since has been rescheduled to mid-October 2015.
: The New York City-based Korea Society hosts an expert session on Unification and Alliance Support, providing an update on Seoul’s unification policy and encouraging greater US and Japanese cooperation.
: Pyongyang declares miniaturization capability, advancing US and ROK concerns about missile and nuclear development.
: US Senate Subcommittee Chairman on East Asia, Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduces a resolution recognizing the DPRK as a serious threat to US national security.
: United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon begins a five-day visit to Korea, participating in the World Education Forum and meeting President Park, Foreign Minister Yun and National Assembly Speaker Chung Eui-hwa. North Korea rejects Ban’s proposed visit to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry meets ROK President Park Geun-hye and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in advance of the US-ROK presidential summit, which was subsequently rescheduled to Oct. 2015.
: Arbitration begins between the Korean government and US-based private equity fund Lone Star at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington, DC – the first investor-state dispute filed under the KORUS Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
: ROK Defense Ministry identifies photographs of a May 9 DPRK missile launch from the sea as authentic and describes the DPRK’s developing submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) as “very serious and concerning.”
: Google opens a start-up and entrepreneurs campus in Seoul. President Park Geun-hye expresses gratitude to Google for selecting Seoul for its first Asian campus.
: Special Representatives Hwang Joon-kook and Sung Kim discuss the Six-Party Talks and denuclearization in Washington.
: Annual US-ROK military exercise Foal Eagle takes place in the ROK.
: US and ROK announce a new agreement on the civil nuclear relationship.
: The Wall Street Journal reports top Chinese nuclear experts estimate that the DPRK may have 20 warheads and may double that by 2016, with an ability to produce as many as 10 more annually. This exceeds most US estimates.
: US, ROK and Japan hold Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) in Washington.
: Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) is held in Washington.
: US Secretary of Defense Carter visits South Korea and meets Minister of National Defense Han Min-koo and visits the ROK Navy’s 2nd Fleet Command to honor those lost in the 2010 sinking of the Cheonan.
: NORAD and US Northern Command Commander Adm. William Gortney raises concerns about DPRK nuclear and missile advances.
: DPRK declares a no-sail, no fly zone in the East Sea, but fails to notify the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as it has in the past.
: US House of Representatives delegation visits the ROK. The group meets the ROK president, deputy prime minister, minister of strategy and finance, foreign minister and National Assembly speaker.
: North Korea fires five short-range KN-02 missiles with a range of 140 km.
: South Korea announces its intention to join the PRC-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), despite US concerns.
: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey visits Korea.
: DPRK Ambassador to the UK Hyun Hak Bong warns of DPRK capabilities to respond with nuclear missiles “any time,” if attacked by nuclear weapons.
: US Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network issues an update of nations, including North Korea, that fail to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing standards, mandating that US financial systems respond.
: ROK and US mark the third anniversary of implementation of the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). Trade continues to grow, with total volume at an all-time high of $145.2 billion, up from $126.5 billion in 2011.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Russel visits Seoul and meets Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Kyung-soo, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong, and senior Blue House officials to discuss a summer Obama-Park summit.
: DPRK launches seven ground-to-air missiles into the sea off its eastern coast.
: US Ambassador to the ROK Mark Lippert is attacked by a knife-wielding extremist in Seoul. As Lippert recovers, Koreans demonstrate strong support for him.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong warns in Geneva that North Korea has the power to deter an “ever-increasing nuclear threat” by the US with a preemptive strike.
: North Korea fires two Scud-C or Scud-D-type missiles from Nampo some three hundred miles over the peninsula and into the East Sea.
: Annual US-ROK military exercise Key Resolve takes place in South Korea.
: UN Human Rights Council convenes its 28th regular session in Geneva. ROK Vice Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers a March 3 keynote at the high-level segment.
: A conference co-hosted by CSIS marks the one year anniversary of the UN Commission of Inquiry Report on North Korean human rights violations, eliciting strong condemnation from the DPRK Mission to the United Nations.
: Korea Institute for Defense Analysis hosts fourth annual US-ROK tabletop exercise, with US Deputy Assistant Secretaries of Defense Elaine Bunn and David Helvey and ROK Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Ryu Je-seung leading the delegations.
: North Korea launches fives missiles with a range of 200km into the East Sea.
: US Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visits South Korea, meeting First Vice Minister Cho Tae-yong and Defense Minister Han Min-koo.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry and ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se meet on the sidelines of the 51st Munich Security Conference to discuss the US-ROK Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, North Korea, Northeast Asia tensions, and global issues.
: US State Department issues its latest fact sheet on US-South Korea relations, which are described as a “deep, comprehensive global partnership.”
: In confirmation hearings, Defense Secretary-designate Ashton Carter describes the DPRK as “one of the most intractable security problems for the United States and our allies.”
: UN Food and Agriculture Organization releases its assessment of North Korea, showing that DPRK food production remained steady in 2014, contrary to the hopes of some US experts that sanctions might check economic progress and force denuclearization.
: ROK Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Shin Dong-ik and US Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller lead the 2015 ROK-US Disarmament and Nonproliferation Consultation in Seoul.
: US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman meets ROK Foreign Affairs Minister Yun Byung-se in Seoul to discuss bilateral cooperation on regional and global security.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim visits Tokyo and Seoul and meets counterparts Junichi Ihara and Hwang Joon-kook to discuss North Korea policy. Sydney Seiler, special envoy for the Six-Party Talks, and National Security Council Director for Korea Allison Hooker joined the Tokyo discussions.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King addresses the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights in Brussels, noting that the DPRK “has few supporters left,” that the UN Commission of Inquiry report was a “critical step,” not an end, and that increasing the flow of information in and out of North Korea is of great importance.
: Ri Yong-ho, North Korea’s chief negotiator for the Six-Party Talks meets former US special envoy for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth and other US experts in Singapore.
: US and ROK officials launch a new division under Eighth US Army composed of the 2nd Infantry Division and a ROK mechanized infantry brigade. The combined division is under the command of US Maj. Gen. Thomas Vandal and ROK Brig. Gen. Ahn Sung-hwan.
: US State Department spokesperson reiterates US rejection of North Korea’s offer to suspend nuclear tests in exchange for scrapping joint military exercises with South Korea.
: US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs hosts a briefing on DPRK nuclear, missile, and cyber threats.
Jan. 13, 2015: North Korea offers to hold direct talks with the United States on its proposal to suspend nuclear tests, and says dialogue could pave the way to changes on the Korean Peninsula.
: USS Martin and USS John McCain join Gwanggaeto the Great and several ROK vessels in joint naval exercises.
: ROK President Park Geun-hye’s New Year press conference emphasizes labor, free trade agreement (FTA) benefits, and economic innovation to grow employment and per capita income. On North Korea, Park calls for family reunions and expressed openness to an inter-Korean summit.
: US State Department spokesperson calls North Korea’s offer to suspend nuclear tests as an “implicit threat,” saying it “inappropriately” links routine military exercises between Washington and Seoul to the possibility of a nuclear test.
: North Korea offers to suspend future nuclear tests temporarily if Washington suspends all upcoming military exercises in South Korea and its vicinity.
: US FBI Director James Comey confirms DPRK was responsible for the attacks on Sony Pictures, with hackers “sloppy” in covering their tracks.
: Seoul issues its 2014 Defense White Paper, warning of the “nuclear weapons of North Korea” – a first-time description – and “considerable” advances in warhead technology.
: White House announces a new executive order imposing sanctions on 10 individuals and three companies engaged in DPRK financial activity.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Un suggests resumption of “highest-level” inter-Korean dialogue in his New Year address, receiving a positive, though cautious, response in the ROK.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Un suggests resumption of “highest-level” inter-Korean dialogue in his New Year’s address, receiving a positive, though cautious, response in the ROK.
: ROK President Park Geun-hye vows an “actual and detailed” foundation for unification to end the 70-year division of the Peninsula in her New Year’s message.
: DPRK media condemns ROK for support of the UNGA resolution condemning DPRK human rights abuses and promising a “high price.”
: Following the overwhelming UNGA vote, UN undersecretary general for political affairs and assistant secretary general for human rights briefs UNSC members on “The Situation in the DPRK” at Australia’s initiation.
: President Obama blames the DPRK for the cyberattacks on Sony Pictures Entertainment and vows “proportional responses.”
: US Trade Representative Michael Froman and South Korean Trade Minister Yoon Sang-jick convene the third meeting of the KORUS Joint Committee.
: DPRK media condemns US “mulling” UNSC referral of its leadership to the ICC.
: ROK Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae visits New York and Washington, DC.
: ROK Presidential Committee for Unification Preparation delegation led by Vice Chair Chung Chong-wook visits the US.
: Sony Pictures Entertainment in California fall victim to a cyberattack claiming 11 terabytes of data (including several films), with immediate suspicion of North Korea as the provocateur.
: UNGA Third Committee votes 111-19 for passage of a resolution submitting the COI report to the UNSC and urging UNSC referral of DPRK leadership to the International Criminal Court. DPRK threatens to retaliate with a fourth nuclear test.
: North Korea releases US detainees Kenneth Bae and Matthew Todd Miller to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper at the conclusion of a two-day visit.
: Sung Kim is named US special representative for North Korea policy and deputy assistant secretary of state for Korea and Japan.
: Carnegie Middle East Center and Duyeon Kim release Beyond the Politics of the US-South Korea 123 Agreement.
: DPRK offers UN Special Rapporteur Marzuki Darusman the possibility of traveling to North Korea on the sidelines of a UNGA discussion.
: US Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks Sydney Seiler arrives in Seoul to participate in the first high-level meeting of the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI). Seiler meets ROK Director General for DPRK Nuclear Affairs Shin Chae-hyun.
: Defense Secretary Hagel, Defense Minister Han, Secretary of State Kerry and Foreign Minister Yun affirm the US-ROK bilateral relationship and Mutual Defense Treaty in a third ‘2+2” ministerial meeting.
: Mark Lippert sworn in as the new US ambassador to Korea by Secretary Kerry. Lippert departs for Seoul on Oct. 28.
: The ROK joins the US in not attending China’s newly launched Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) launch. The ROK joining as a founding member was a matter of contention.
: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Defense Minister Han Min-koo lead the 46th annual US-ROK Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington, DC.
: George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas hosts a discussion with North Korean refuges and private sector and public service leaders on ways to improve the human rights situation in the DPRK.
: North Korea frees US detainee Jeffrey Fowle.
: US and ROK navies conduct their annual Clear Horizon exercise designed to increase interoperability in mine countermeasures operations. Clear Horizon is one of 20 annual bilateral training exercises aimed at strengthening the alliance.
: DPRK Ambassador to the United Nations Jang Il Hun offers a defense of human rights in North Korea at the Council on Foreign Relations.
: US-ROK Defense Industry Consultative Committee (DICC) conducts its 23rd meeting aimed at developing US-ROK industry dialogue in Arlington, VA.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reappears in public after a 40-day absence and with cane in hand visits a new residential district for scientists and the State Academy of Sciences Natural Energy Institute.
: UN opens dialogue on an EU/Japan-led draft resolution on DPRK human rights violations, calling for referral of Kim Jong Un to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
: The Korea Society hosts a forum on New Dynamics on Korea-China-U.S. Relations in Seoul, featuring former Assistant Secretary of State James Kelly and senior Korean, Chinese, and US analysts.
: Warships from the two Koreas exchange warning shots after a North Korean ship briefly violates the disputed Northern Limit Line in the West (Yellow) Sea.
: Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel and Assistant Secretary of Defense David Shear meet ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo in Seoul to discuss bilateral affairs and regional issues.
: North Korea’s Hwang Pyong So and two other officials visit South Korea to attend the closing ceremonies of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon. They also meet South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae and National Security Director Kim Kwan-jin, agreeing to resume high-level North-South dialogue.
: US Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Sydney Seiler and US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies travel to Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo.
: In a speech at the UN General Assembly, DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong states that the DPRK’s nuclear weapons are not a “bargaining chip” and that the Korean nuclear issue will be resolved with termination of the US hostile policy.
: Secretary of State John Kerry participates in a senior-level discussion with heads of state, UN officials, and NGO leaders calling attention to the ongoing, widespread and systematic human rights violations in the DPRK.
: ROK President Park Geun-Hye visits New York for the UN Climate Summit, UNGA Opening, and sideline discussion with NY-based NGO leaders. DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong attends the UNGA opening, the first such gesture in 15 years.
: ROK and US representatives meet in Vienna to discuss the 123 Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation Agreement.
: ROK Chief of Office Planning and Coordination Ryu Je-Seung and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Helvey lead the sixth round of the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) to address OPCON transfer.
: DPRK submits its own report on its human rights situation, decrying “hostile forces” as behind the “false nature” of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) findings.
: ROK National Security Advisor Kim Kwan-Jin visits Washington and meets counterpart Susan Rice to discuss the Islamic State, missile defense, and OPCON transfer.
: DPRK Supreme Court convicts Californian Matthew Todd Miller of “acts hostile to the DPRK while entering the territory of the DPRK under the guise of a tourist” and sentenced him to six years hard labor.
: ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook arrives in Washington for three days of meetings with US Special Representative of the Secretary of State for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies.
: DPRK fires three short-range missiles off its east coast.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears at a Pyongyang concert and is not seen again until mid-October.
: UN Security Council Reslolution 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee meets to consider the mid-term report of its Panel of Experts, with a recommendation that the DPRK’s strategic rocket fire command and its head be subject to sanctions.
: US officials vow to “leave no stone unturned” to free three US citizens held by North Korea.
: Voice of America (VOA) reports an acceleration of the process of identifying US remains from the Korean War, with 49 of 208 boxes containing some 600 remains identified in just the last three years.
: North Korea warns of “military countermeasures” in the face of joint drills between the US and ROK through Deputy Ambassador to the UN Ri Tong Il.
: US approves anti-dumping duties against the ROK and other steel pipe producers; South Korea’s exports to the US exceed all other nations combined.
: 50,000 South Korean and 30,000 US troops take part in Ulchi Freedom Guardian, a computer simulation exercise aimed at evaluating and exercising capabilities in military intelligence, logistics, joint air procedures, and plans and systems, including combined space operations.
: Pope Francis visits South Korea, calling for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.
: Secretary of State Kerry delivers an address on the U.S. Vision for the Asia Pacific at the East-West Center in Honolulu.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry, ROK Foreign Minister Yun, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio meet on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
: DPRK Deputy UN Ambassador Ri Tong Il addresses a news conference at UN headquarters asking for an emergency meeting of the UNSC to protest ROK-US military exercises. The Security Council rejects the request.
: US Ambassador to Korea Sung Kim receives Seoul Honorary Citizenship.
: Korean War Veterans Association of America and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea share in the 61st National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.
: US and South Korea conduct annual naval exercises off the east coast of South Korea. The exercise includes a trilateral search and rescue exercise involving US, South Korean, and Japanese maritime forces.
: North Korea condemns the docking of the USS George Washington in the South Korean port of Busan.
: Chinese President Xi Jinping visits “old friend” President Park Geun-hye, senior officials, the business community, and Seoul National University students in Seoul.
: Following on President Obama’s April visit to South Korea, the Congressional Research Service issues a detailed 36-page report on U.S.-South Korean Relations.
: South Korean First Vice Minister Cho Tae-Yong visits the US to meet Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and other officials to discuss opportunities to further solidify bilateral policy coordination.
: Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel speaks to the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington on Assessing Threats Facing the U.S.-Korean Alliance, underscoring the US-ROK “global partnership.”`
: South Korea and the US hold the first in a planned series talks to discuss the transfer of wartime operational command of South Korean troops.
: National Committee on American Foreign Policy hosts a dialogue with Korean, US, Chinese, and Japanese representatives aimed at solution-building on the Korean Peninsula.
: US Ambassador Sung Kim and ROK Ambassador Ahn Ho-young address the Korea Society in New York City on opportunities and challenges in the US-ROK relationship. They underscore economic benefits since implementation of the KORUS FTA.
: The Fifth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM5) is held in Seoul with officials from Korea, the US, and some 20 states participating or observing to strategize next steps to accelerate deployment of clean and efficient energy.
: ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se addresses UNSC as rotating president. Yun lays the foundation for President Park’s September visit and speaks to the Korea Society on the Korean-U.S. Alliance: Toward the Next Sixty Years.
: Republic of Korea assumes its second turn at the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in its 24-month term.
: President Obama visits the Republic of Korea.
: Washington hosts the US-Japan-Republic of Korea Defense Trilateral Talks.
: President Obama extends condolences to the families of the victims of the sinking of the ferry Sewol.
: UN Security Council meets to discuss human rights violations outlined in the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea. Russia and China do not attend.
: USS Bonhomme Richard responds to the sinking of the ferry Sewol near Jindo Island off Korea’s southwest coast.
: Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King addresses Ewha Womans University students.
: Washington hosts the US-Japan-Republic of Korea Trilateral Meeting among senior working level representatives.
: South Korea tests 500 km range missile and promises an 800 km range option.
: North Korea fires more than 100 artillery rounds into South Korean waters. South Korea responds with more than 300 rounds into North Korean waters.
: Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, USFK Commander, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
: President Obama hosts President Park and Prime Minister Abe for a trilateral meeting at The Hague, on the sidelines of the Nuclear Security Summit. North Korea launches more short range and mid-range missiles in show of displeasure.
: UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) releases full report on DPRK human rights violations.
: UN Panel Report to the UN Security Council on North Korea Sanctions is released.
: US Department of Defense releases a report to Congress arguing that the execution of Jang Song Thaek will have little impact on Kim Jung Un’s rule or defense policy.
: Korea-US Economic Council holds Board of Directors and Regular Meeting crediting the KORUS FTA for expanding exports.
: US Seventh Fleet’s flagship USS Blue Ridge arrives as part of Key Resolve, and Yonhap reports nuclear submarine USS Columbus arriving in Busan, which USFK did not acknowledge.
: Key Resolve exercises aimed at strengthening ROK-US readiness are held.
: Foal Eagle joint and combined field exercises take place. The DPRK begins a series of missile launches.
: Inter-Korean reunions held at Kumgang-san.
: UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) releases report outline on DPRK human rights violations.
: Secretary of State John Kerry visits Asia with stops in Seoul, Beijing, and Jakarta to meet senior government officials to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.
: Congressional Research Service (CRS) releases U.S.-South Korean Relations report.
: South Korea and the US hold their first working-level meeting on cyber security to discuss ways to develop joint cyber warfare capabilities and an emergency response system.
: Arms Control Association releases detailed update of the Chronology of U.S.-North Korean Nuclear and Missile Diplomacy, tracing developments from 1985-2013.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies visits China, South Korea, and Japan to discuss North Korea policy.
: The World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body establishes a panel on US anti-dumping and countervailing measure on Korean washers.
: US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns visits South Korea, China, and Japan to discuss, bilateral, regional, and global issues.
: North Korea’s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland says that USFK joint military exercises Key Resolve and Foal Eagle drills are tantamount to a declaration of “full-scale nuclear war” and “if carried out, will fatally destroy the inter-Korean relations and trigger unimaginable calamities and disasters.”
: South Korea and US hold preliminary bilateral discussions in Washington on possibility of South Korea participating in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
: US announces the deployment of an additional mechanized infantry battalion equipped with tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles to Korea.
: US and South Korea hold ninth round of talks on replace of the 1974 treaty on civil nuclear cooperation.
: In her first press conference of the year, President Park Geun-hye states that “in a nutshell, I think unification would be the jackpot.”
: South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se visits Washington and meets Secretary of Defense Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry.
: ROK Foreign Ministry announces that negotiations with the US over the so-called 123 agreement on civilian nuclear energy will resume on Jan. 7, 2014.
: Japanese Prime Minister Abe visits the Yasukuni Shrine.
: South Korea approves private humanitarian aid to North Korea.
: Dennis Rodman visits North Korea to train basketball players.
: ROK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun meets Deputy US Secretary of State William Burns to discuss the evolving security situation with North Korea, China’s expanded ADIZ, and Japan’s pursuit of the right of collective self-defense.
: South Korea’s expanded ADIZ goes into effect.
: North Korea denounces Vice President Biden’s recent trip to Asia saying the trip was meant to militarily contain North Korea.
: Korean Central News Agency announces that Jang Song Thaek was tried before a military tribunal for attempting to overthrow the state and summarily executed on Dec. 12.
: US and South Korea hold working-level talks on the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON).
: South Korea’s head of the Defense Ministry’s Policy Planning office Lt. Gen. Ryu Je-sung visits Washington and meets Under Secretary of Defense for Policy James Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Zumwalt, National Security Staff Korea Director Sydney Seiler.
: Ninth round of SMA negotiations are held in Seoul.
: North Korea confirms via the Korean Central News Agency that Jang Song Thaek has been purged and releases a list of accusations against him.
: South Korea announces expanded ADIZ that includes Ieodo and overlaps with both Japan’s ADIZ and China’s recently declared ADIZ.
: North Korea releases Merrill Newman.
: Vice President Joe Biden and President Park Geun-hye meet in Seoul and agree to cooperate on the row created by China’s newly declared ADIZ.
: ROK National Intelligence Service announces that Jang Song Thaek has likely been removed from power following the execution of his two closest associates in November.
: ROK Deputy Prime Minister Hyun Oh Seok expresses South Korea’s interest in holding talks to explore possibility of joining TPP.
: China’s Ministry of National Defense announces East China Sea Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
: ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff approve the purchase of 40 F-35A stealth fighters with the option to later purchase 20 more over the course of four years beginning in 2018.
: Special Representative for North Korea Policy Davies reaffirms the US position that negotiations with Pyongyang cannot take place unless it suspends its nuclear program.
: National Security Advisor Rice says in a speech at Georgetown University that the US should not seek to resume negotiations with North Korea as long as parts of Pyongyang’s nuclear program are still in operation.
: Reports surface that North Korea is detaining a US citizen, 85-year-old Korean War veteran Merrill Newman.
: State Department issues a heightened travel advisory against North Korea.
: Seventh round of SMA negotiations kicks off in Washington.
: US Special Envoy on North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King arrives in Seoul for talks with South Korean officials.
: Following the rejection of Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 emerges as the only qualified contender for Seoul’s newly-restarted fighter jet project.
: Special Representative for North Korea Policy Davies meets South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Cho and Japan’s Director General for Oceanian Affairs Bureau in Washington to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization and conditions for re-entering the Six-Party Talks.
: South Korea again asks the US to explain allegations that the NSA targeted the Korean embassy following fresh reports that the NSA labeled South Korea a “focus area.”
: Special Representative for North Korea Policy Davies meets South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Cho Tae-yong in Washington.
: Sixth round of negotiations for the SMA are held in Seoul.
: Allegations surface that South Korea was targeted for wiretapping by the US National Security Agency (NSA). South Korea seeks clarification from the US.
: US-Korea Institute reports on its blog 38 North that North Korea appears to be digging two new tunnels near the Pyunggye-ri nuclear test site, prompting speculation that Pyongyang is preparing for another nuclear test.
: ROK Chief of the Presidential National Security Office Kim Jang-soo visits the US, meets National Security Advisor Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Secretary of Defense Hagel in Washington.
: South Korea and US sign agreement to set up system for monitoring bioterrorism.
: US Army Pacific Commander Gen. Vincent Brooks says the current timeline for transfer of operational wartime control (OPCON) to the ROK is realistic.
: Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin denies the ROK will join the US defense missile program.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US conduct naval drills off the Korean coast.
: ROK National Intelligence Service director Nam Jae-joon tells Parliament that the Yongbyon reactor has been up and running since August. Nam also confirms that North Korea is strengthening its military targeting Seoul and border islands in the West Sea.
: North Korea condemns the US and South Korea for “military provocations” ahead of planned US-ROK-Japan joint naval drills to be held off the coast of South Korea.
: Seoul remains silent following Japan’s controversial announcement of pursuing collective self-defense with US support.
: Blue House Foreign Affairs Secretary Ji Chul-ki says that South Korea is “greatly interested” in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and may bring up the possibility of entering negotiations at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in Bali, Indonesia.
: US experts, including former nuclear negotiator Stephen Bosworth, informally meet North Korean officials in London to discuss a revival of the Six-Party Talks.
: Secretary of Defense Hagel visits Korea. He visits the Demilitarized Zone, celebrates the 60th anniversary of the US-ROK alliance, attends the US-ROK Security Consultative Meeting, and signs with Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin a joint military strategy that reaffirms South Korea’s position under the US nuclear umbrella and outlines contingency plans for dealing with the North Korean threat.
: Fourth round of negotiations on Special Measures Agreement (SMA) is held in Washington.
: Former US envoy on North Korea Stephen Bosworth meets North Korean chief negotiator Ri Yong Ho in Berlin to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
: ROK Defense Acquisition Program Executive Committee restarts high-profile fighter acquisition project and rejects Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle as the winner of the project.
: China holds an unofficial seminar in Beijing to mark the 10th anniversary of the Six-Party Talks. The US and ROK decline to send official government representatives.
: Operations resume at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.
: US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins’ SAIS reports a resumption of activity at North Korea’s Yongbyon nuclear reactor.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies meets South Korean Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Cho Tae-yong in Seoul. Davies states that North Korea’s lack of a “positive attitude” toward denuclearization will hamper the Six-Party Talks process.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin asserts that the December 2015 deadline is not appropriate for Seoul to regain the wartime operational control at the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee meeting.
: US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reports to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that North Korea’s chemical weapons are a threat to the ROK Air Force and USFK.
: North Korea rescinds its invitation for US human rights envoy Robert King who was scheduled to visit Pyongyang to seek the release of Kenneth Bae.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Brunei.
: US Sen. John McCain says the US will not resume the Six-Party Talks until North Korea shows concrete action towards denuclearization.
: South Korea and the US hold the third round of negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) in Seoul. ROK also proposed an amendment to regulate the USFK fund usage to restrict it as a source for USFK base relocation from Yongsan to Pyeongtak.
: Robert King, special envoy for DPRK human rights issues, visits South Korea.
: Lockheed Martin announces that they are working with the US to make the sale of the F-35 fighter jet to South Korea, denying that the plane was eliminated by South Korean government.
: ROK-US Combined Forces Command (CFC) conducts the annual joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian.
: Eighth US Army confers the title of the honorary commanding general to retired Korean Army Gen. Paik Sun-yup for his service during the Korean War.
: Secretary of State John Kerry sends a congratulating message to South Korea for Aug. 15 Independence Day.
: UN Resident Coordinator Ghulam Isaczai announces a UN appeals to international community for $98 million to support the North Korea humanitarian program.
: Six South Korea F-15K jet fighters participate in the Red Flag exercise, an aerial combat training exercise hosted by the US Air Force, in Eielson AFB, Alaska.
: Institute for Science and International Security updates a satellite image of Yongbyun nuclear complex in North Korea showing a possible expansion of the building that houses centrifuge plant for uranium enrichment.
: US Senate confirms Lt Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti as the new commander for USFK, replacing Gen. James Thurman.
: Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) is held in Seoul in preparation for the OPCON transfer.
: ROK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kyou-hyun and US Treasury Department Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen meet in Seoul to review recent sanctions on Iran and North Korea.
: The 60th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice is commemorated at the Yongsan Korean War Memorial, honoring the sacrifices of Korean soldiers and UN allies. The US also holds a commemoration ceremony at the Korean War Memorial in Washington, with President Obama delivering remarks to honor the people who served in the “forgotten victory.”
: South Korea and the US fail to agree on the cost-sharing burden of the USFK.
: ROK Defense Acquisition Program Administration spokesperson announces that it will resume the bidding for the F-X Project and increase the overall budget if necessary.
: US House Foreign Affairs Committee passes a bill to extend the existing agreement on the civilian nuclear energy cooperation between South Korea and US.
: Track 1.5 US-ROK-China strategic dialogue is for the first time held in Seoul to discuss North Korea’s nuclear program.
: ROK government offers an increase in South Korea’s cost-sharing of the Special Measures Agreement from $778.1 million to $780 million.
: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency notifies Congress that the ROK government has asked to buy AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles to be installed in KF-16 and F-15K aircraft, with an estimated budget of US $452 million.
: Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey acknowledges that there are “some setbacks” to completing the OPCON transfer plan in his written testimony to the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
: USFK holds a ground-breaking ceremony for its headquarters relocation to Camp Humphrey in Pyeongtaek.
: US Defense Department announces that the ROK requested a delay in OPCON transfer. The ROK Defense Ministry in response releases a statement that the ROK would like to review all options regarding the transfer due to the current situation with North Korea.
: ROK Ambassador for International Security Affairs Choi Sung-joo and US State Department’s coordinator for cyber issues Christopher Painter meet at the second Cyber Policy Consultation in Washington.
: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano visits Seoul to meet Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Hyun Oh-seok.
: ROK Defense Acquisition Program Administration suspends the F-X project bidding, as all bidding contenders exceeded the budget limit of $7.3 billion.
: US State Department spokesperson expresses concerns about the health of Kenneth Bae, who has been detained in North Korea since November 2012.
: ROK and the US hold the first round of negotiations for the Special Measures Agreement. They exchange demands and express hope of reaching an agreement by October.
: DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun calls on the US to hold talks without precondition at the ARF meeting in Brunei.
: Secretary of State Kerry comments at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) that the US, Korea, China, and Japan are united in working toward the denuclearization of North Korea.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Thomas Countryman testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee emphasizing the importance of the extension of the existing 123-Agreement to allow enough time to secure nonproliferation and civil nuclear cooperation objectives with South Korea.
: South Korean police and USFK agree to establish joint patrols near Yongsan in Seoul to prevent civil-military incidents.
: President Obama sends a statement to Congress notifying it that the White House will extend economic sanctions on North Korea under the International Emergency Economic Power Act for another year.
: ROK Special Representative Cho Tae-yong, US Special Representative Glyn Davies, and Director General of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shinsuke Sugiyama meet in Washington and agree to enforce stricter terms on North Korea for resuming dialogue.
: South Korea and the US establish a joint committee to investigate pollution around the USFK base in Seoul.
: US Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter announces that the Pentagon will not cut its budget for security operations on the Korean Peninsula.
: Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and other republicans send a letter urging Secretary of State John Kerry to recategorize North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.
: President Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping agree to cooperate on the denuclearization of North Korea at a summit in Sunnylands, California.
: Rodong Sinmun criticizes Seoul for creating a new combined command body with the US after the transfer of wartime operation control in 2015, stating that the presence of the US in South Korea is the primary reason for the tension in the Korean Peninsula.
: US Secretary of State John Kerry announces that South Korea is exempt from the Iran sanctions outlined in Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
: ROK chief negotiator Park Ro-byug and US chief negotiator Thomas Countryman meet for the 7th round of the US-ROK 123 civil nuclear agreement negotiations in Washington, DC.
: ROK Defense Ministry announces an agreement with the US to establish a new Combined Theater Command for post-OPCON transition, replacing the initial Combined Forces Command plan.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel meet on the sidelines for the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore and agree to develop a joint deterrence posture in response to North Korea’s nuclear and conventional weapons.
: Rodong Sinmun releases an article stating that North Korea has no plans to unilaterally renounce its nuclear weapons and programs in face of constant threats from the US.
: Cho Tae-yong replaces nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam as South Korea’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs.
: North Korea reiterates that nuclear weapons are necessary to maintain its sovereignty in the face of a hostile US.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King travels to Korea to meet ROK officials, including Special Representative Lim Sung-nam.
: North Korea launches six short-range missiles from its east coast in response to “hostile” US-ROK joint military exercises.
: US State Department spokesperson urges the DPRK to grant Kenneth Bae amnesty and immediate release.
: Special Representative Glyn Davies visits Seoul and meets ROK counterpart Lim Sung-nam. He stresses China’s role in the denuclearization process.
: Rodong Sinmun refutes assessments that tensions have eased on the Korean Peninsula, citing US hostile actions such as the military exercises involving the USS Nimitz.
: ROK and the US conduct joint naval exercises off the east coast near Pohang.
: North Korea criticizes President Park’s US trip as “a prelude to war.”
: ROK Defense Ministry states that Seoul will focus on developing its own Korea air and missile defense system instead of joining the US-led missile defense system.
: ROK President Park Geun-hye visits the US. She meets UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York, President Barack Obama in Washington, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in Los Angeles; she delivers a speech to a joint session of the US Congress.
: USS Nimitz Strike Group participates in a joint US-ROK anti-submarine exercise in the Yellow Sea.
: ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lim Sung Nam visits Washington, DC to discuss North Korean issues with US Special Representative on North Korea Policy Glyn Davies and other US officials.
: DPRK Supreme Court sentences Korean-American Kenneth Bae to 15 years of hard labor. Former President Jimmy Carter conveys his plans to visit North Korea and possibly secure Bae’s release in a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry.
: US-ROK exercise Foal Eagle concludes.
: Unification Ministry proposes talks with the DRPK to resolve and normalize the KIC issue and warns of “grave action” if the North rejects the offer.
: US and ROK sign a two-year extension of the 1972 US-ROK Nonproliferation Agreement after failing to revise the agreement, moving the deadline to March 2016.
: ROK Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai-young calls North Korea’s conditions for dialogue “totally incomprehensible” and “illogical,” and asks for them to “make the right choice.”
: KCNA publishes a statement by Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army that Seoul must apologize first for its “hostile acts” before dialogue can resume.
: President Obama says in an interview that “based on our current intelligence assessments, we do not think that they have that capacity,” to arm a ballistic missile with nuclear weapon, but cautions that the US has to “make sure that we are dealing with every contingency out there” when it comes to North Korean threats.
: DPRK’s Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea calls President Park’s offer to “activate the trust-building process” a “cunning ploy to hide the South’s policy of confrontation and mislead its responsibility for putting the KIC into a crisis.”
: Korean People’s Army issues an ultimatum to South Korea vowing retaliation without notice if anti-North Korean activities continue.
: Senate Committee on Armed Services releases the report “Inquiry into U.S. costs and allied contributions to support the U.S. military presence overseas,” in which the committee finds that “South Korea’s contribution has not kept pace with the growth in U.S. costs,” in referring to burden-sharing in the alliance.
: Secretary Kerry warns North Korea not to carry out the Musudan missile tests during a press conference with Foreign Minister Yun in Seoul, but also stresses that the US is open to talks in order to accomplish the goals of denuclearization and reunification. He reiterates that North Korea will not be accepted as a nuclear power.
: Secretary Kerry meets President Park at the Blue House and pledges firm and strong US support for South Korea against North Korean threats and provocations.
: Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae asks for the KIC standoff to be normalized through dialogue.
: Representative Doug Lamborn (R-CO) discloses a new assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency which concludes with “moderate confidence” for the first time that North Korea has the capability to make a nuclear weapon small enough to be deliverable by a ballistic missile. This assessment was later refuted by the Department of Defense and also by the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.
: US-ROK Combined Forces Command raises surveillance status from Watchcon 3 to Watchcon 2 to monitor an imminent missile test by North Korea.
: ROK Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announces the results from its investigation into the cyber-attacks of March 20-26, and identify the DPRK’s Reconnaissance General Bureau as the mastermind behind the attacks.
: Secretary Hagel warns that North Korea, “with its bellicose rhetoric, its actions, has been skating very close to a dangerous line” and that it should be “neutralized” during a press conference at the Pentagon.
: DPRK’s Asia-Pacific Peace Committee releases a statement that foreigners living in South Korea should work out measures for evacuation to avoid being hurt in the event of war.
: Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se warns North Korea that it will gain “absolute nothing” from its threats and provocations.
: ROK lawmaker Chung Mong-joon calls for South Korea to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in the face of the North Korean threat, develop its own nuclear weapons, and for the US to redeploy nuclear weapons back to the Korean Peninsula.
: Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of US Pacific Command, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US and South Korean forces are confident in their ability to intercept a North Korean ballistic missile.
: US Forces Korea hands over the soldier in the BB gun shooting incident to the Seoul Correction Service after South Korea made the request under the “sympathetic consideration” clause of the Status of Forces Agreement.
: KWP Secretary in Charge of South Korean Affairs Kim Yang-gon announces North Korea will tentatively suspend operations at the KIC.
: North Korea sends warning messages to foreign diplomatic missions asking all embassies in Pyongyang to move out for their security.
: White House spokesman Carney urges North Korea to stop its provocations.
: South Korean government officials confirm that North Korea has moved Musudan missiles to the East Coast.
: Korean People’s Army announces that they have “final approval for merciless operations” against the US.
: North Korea bans South Korean workers from entering the Kaesong Industrial Complex (KIC) and only allows those inside to go home. Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin says the military is considering all available options, including possible military action, to ensure the safety of the South Korean workers in Kaesong.
: Foreign Minister Yun meets Secretary Hagel, Deputy Secretary of State Burns and National Security Advisor Donilon.
: In an interview with ABC News, Gen. Thurman calls the situation in Korea “volatile” and “dangerous,” and fears that a “miscalculation” can cause “a kinetic provocation.”
: Secretary Hagel calls North Korean behavior a “real, clear danger and threat to the US and its Asia-Pacific allies” in a speech made at the National Defense University.
: The Pentagon announces that it will deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Guam in response to the North Korean threat.
: Foreign Minister Yun meets Secretary Kerry in Washington.
: North Korea announces its intentions to restart the five-megawatt nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. State Department spokeswoman Nuland reiterates that the US will not accept the DPRK as a nuclear state.
: President Park orders the military take a strong response without political considerations in the event of any provocation by North Korea.
: US F-22 stealth fighter jets from Japan arrive at Osan Air Base to participate in US-ROK Foal Eagle field exercise.
: KCNA says Kim Jong Un has ordered the strategic rockets to be on standby so that they may strike the US mainland, its military bases in the Pacific and those in south Korea.”
: President Park meets Bob Corker, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking Republican, in Seoul and asks for congressional attention to ROK-US nuclear pact and for revisions that enable South Korea to expand its peaceful use of atomic power.
: Rodong Sinmun calls on countries involved in the “nuclear standoff” on the Korean Peninsula to come forward with their views on what future actions should be taken that can either lead to war or peace.
: Secretary of Defense Hagel says that the US has to be prepared for “any eventuality” on the Korean Peninsula during a news conference at the Pentagon.
: North Korea announces that it has cut a military hotline with South Korea. State Department’s deputy spokesman Patrick Ventrell condemns North Korea for severing the hotline but says the US will maintain its own direct communication channel with North Korea.
: Defense Secretary Hagel and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin speak by phone reaffirming the US commitment to South Korean defense, including extended deterrence. They also discuss the plan to increase US ground-based interceptors and early warning and tracking radar in response to the North Korean threat.
March 28, 2013: US Strategic Command sends B-2 stealth bombers to conduct a simulated attack on the Korean Peninsula as part of the ongoing Foal Eagle training exercise.
March 28, 2013: US Strategic Command sends B-2 stealth bombers to conduct a simulated attack on the Korean Peninsula as part of the ongoing Foal Eagle training exercise.
: KCNA releases a statement saying the DPRK military has ordered all of its artillery units, including strategic rocket and long-range artillery units, to adopt “combat readiness posture No. 1” in order to strike the continental US, its overseas bases and South Korea and in retaliation against US B-52 bombers flights over the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea’s Navy conducts maritime drills in the western sea.
: North Korea stages a national-scale combined army and naval exercise near Wonsan, Kangwon Province.
: ROK Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jung Seoung-jo, and Commander of the Combined Forces Command James Thurman, sign a combined counter-provocation plan, which guarantees a joint counterattack against any surgical strike on the South from the North.
: Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter meets Foreign Minister Yun and Defense Minister Kim in Seoul.
: ROK lawmaker Chung Mong-joon of the Saenuri Party says in a CNN interview that it is necessary to redeploy tactical nuclear weapon in South Korea.
: The 8th US Army public affairs officer vows to prevent misconduct of soldiers after a recent series of criminal incidents involving US soldiers.
: Drunken US soldiers are arrested for allegedly assaulting local South Korean police in two separate cases.
: Secretary Kerry congratulates South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in a phone call and suggests the ROK and US work more closely together at the UN Security Council, and on global issues including climate change.
: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announces plans for 14 additional ground-based missile interceptors in Alaska and California to counter North Korean military threats.
: President Obama and China’s new president Xi Jinping agree on the need for cooperation on the denuclearization of North Korea during their phone call conversation
: DPRK cuts the Red Cross telephone line that serves as a hotline with the ROK.
: Rodong Sinmun writes that the time for a showdown war is at hand and claims the Korean Armistice Agreement to be null and void.
: South Korea and the US conduct annual Key Resolve military exercises.
: North Korea’s official newspaper Rodong Sinmun claims its military has entered the “final all-out war stage, awaiting the final order to strike.” It also warns that the country’s nuclear arms are prepared for combat.
: DPRK announces that it is nullifying all nonaggression and denuclearization agreements with South Korea. ROK Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok says if North Korea attacks with a nuclear weapon, Kim Jong Un’s regime will be “erased from the earth.”
: North Korea vows to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the US. Several hours later, the UN Security Council unanimously adopts resolution 2094 imposing tougher sanctions on North Korea.
: North Korea threatens to turn Seoul and Washington into “seas of fire” through a “precise nuclear strike.”
: Maj. Gen. Kim Yong-hyun, the ROK joint chiefs of staff’s head of operations, says the ROK military will retaliate at point of origin, supporting forces, and command structures to the next North Korean provocation.
: North Korea threatens to nullify the Korean Armistice Agreement if the US and South Korea conduct Key Resolve military exercise. Jay Carney, White House spokesperson, responds by stating that North Korea will achieve “nothing by threats or provocations.”
: Two US soldiers are accused of firing a BB gun at pedestrians and leading police on a 12-km high-speed car chase in Seoul.
: South Korea and the US begin Foal Eagle, a two-month military field training exercise focused on the Korean Peninsula.
: Former NBA player Dennis Rodman watches a basketball game and has dinner with Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang.
: President Park and US National Security Advisor Tom Donilon meet at the Blue House and discuss cooperation over North Korea’s nuclear programs.
: Park Geun-hye is inaugurated as South Korea’s first female president.
: US Senate adopts a bill condemning North Korea for its nuclear test and urges tougher action against the country.
: North Korean diplomat Jon Yong-ryong threatens to inflict the “final destruction” of South Korea at a UN Conference on Disarmament meeting held in Geneva.
: US Ambassador to the ROK Sung Kim expresses opposition to South Korea’s nuclear armament and the redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons to the peninsula.
: ROK and US launch a three-day joint naval exercise on the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula to test combat readiness in response to North Korea’s recent nuclear test.
: House of Representatives passes a bill condemning North Korea’s provocations and repeated violations of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
: Presidents Obama and Lee Myung-bak discuss North Korea’s nuclear test and agree to work closely together to seek a range of measures aimed at impeding North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and reducing the risk of proliferation.
: Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin discuss collaboration in the wake of North Korea’s nuclear test. Panetta reaffirms US commitment, including extended deterrence commitment, to defend the ROK from aggression.
: North Korea announces it conducted a third underground nuclear test.
: President Obama calls North Korea’s nuclear test “a highly provocative act” and vows to pursue firm action in response. He also urges North Korea to meet international obligations at the first State of the Union Address of his second term.
: ROK presidential delegation meets White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon and delivers President-elect Park’s message to President Obama. The delegation also meets Secretary Kerry, Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, and Special Representative Davis.
: ROK delegation led by Lee Hahn-koo, the floor leader of the ruling Saenuri Party, meets Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman in Washington to discuss revision of the 123 civil nuclear agreement and KORUS FTA implementation.
: Secretary Kerry has a phone call with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to discuss UNSC Resolution 2087 commitments.
: US and South Korea conduct a joint naval exercise in the East Sea.
: Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan discuss North Korea’s possible nuclear test on the phone and agree on the need to “ensure that North Korea understands that it will face significant consequences from the international community if it continues its provocative behavior.”
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin orders fast development and deployment of long-range ballistic missiles to reach all of North Korea.
: Mark Lippert, assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, Lim Kwan Bin, ROK deputy defense minister for policy, and Nishi Masanori, director general of the Japanese Defense Ministry’s Defense Policy discuss regional security issues.
: ROK Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok states that the US and ROK have been jointly conducting small-scale crisis management task force in preparation for a possible third nuclear test by North Korea.
: Special Representative Davies meets Japanese counterpart Sugiyama Shinsuke in Tokyo.
: Special Representative Davies travels to China and meets Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying and Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei in Beijing.
: Glyn Davies, US special representative for North Korea policy, meets ROK nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam in Seoul.
: UN Security Council unanimously adopts resolution 2087 to sanction North Korea over its December 2012 ballistic missile launch.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell leads a delegation to Seoul and meets ROK President-elect Park Geun-hye.
: Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt visit North Korea.
: US Forces Korea (USFK) defers again tour normalization, which would have increased the number of US troops allowed to bring their families into South Korea.
: US Department of State spokeswoman Victoria Nuland states that the upcoming trip to North Korea by Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Google, is strictly private and does not carry any messages from the US government.
: House of Representatives passes a resolution condemning North Korean December 2012 rocket launch.
: US House of Representatives passes the North Korean Child Welfare Act of 2012 calling for the secretary of state to take measures to aid the North Korean children who live in dangerous environments outside of North Korea.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan visits a US base at the DMZ and states that the US-ROK alliance will be “far outlasting” regardless of leadership change in South Korea.
: Yonhap reports that the incoming Park administration will not differ much in its foreign policy than that of the Lee administration, as both administrations see the US-ROK alliance as the center of South Korea’s relations with other nations.
: UN Security Council decision in response to the DPRK rocket launch is delayed due to China’s implicit opposition to tougher sanctions against North Korea.
: President-elect Park and President Obama hold a phone conversation and agree to lessen the security crisis in the region that resulted from the North Korean rocket launch.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim Jong Un at a banquet celebration for the recent rocket launch orders scientists in North Korea to build more powerful rockets.
: Park Geun-hye wins the South Korean presidential elections.
: US pressures China to endorse UN sanctions on North Korea in response to its rocket launch. China has not shown any signs of complying.
: US Department of State announces that it will implement tougher sanctions on North Korea. It also adds that it will continue to engage the regime through bilateral and multilateral dialogues and interactions.
: Kim Jong Un leads memorial service for Kim Jong Il, marking the first anniversary of his father’s death.
: South Korean Navy rescue ship retrieves the North Korean rocket debris.
: North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) states the DPRK satellite is circling the earth with a speed of 7.6 kilometers per second.
: DPRK launches its Unha-3 rocket. The UN Security Council condemns the launch and convenes a meeting to discuss the appropriate measures in response to the launch.
: DPRK announces that it will extend the planned rocket launch window by one week to Dec. 29 due to a technical problem with the rocket’s first-stage control engine module.
: ROK Minister of Knowledge and Economy Hong Suk-woo announces that the US and ROK have agreed to increase cooperation on shale gas.
: US extends Iran sanctions exemptions to nine countries including ROK, China, India, and Turkey for reducing purchases of Iranian oil over the past six months.
: Combined Forces Command announces that it has raised its alert level by one notch in response to DPRK’s threat to launch a long-range rocket. US Navy ships move into the region of the Korean Peninsula to closely monitor Pyongyang’s potential rocket launch.
: Department of State deputy spokesman Mark Toner announces that the US government will continue with diplomatic push to dissuade DPRK from carrying out the rocket launch, but also states that sanctions will be taken into consideration in case of a launch.
: Incoming Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Relations Ed Royce (R-CA) highlights DPRK’s planned rocket launch as a “wake-up call” for the US and a threat to peace and security in Northeast Asia.
: DPRK announces its plan to launch a satellite between Dec. 10 and Dec. 22. Department of State spokeswoman Nuland calls the launch a “highly provocative act” and urges DPRK not to proceed with the launch.
: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dismisses the US secret trip to Pyongyang, saying that it is even “news” to him.
: Yonhap reports that a US delegation made a secret visit to DPRK in August in an attempt to prevent it from taking provocative actions before the US presidential elections.
: US Ambassador Sung Kim states that the US and ROK are ready to resume talks with DPRK, but only if DPRK displays a sincere commitment to dialogue.
: ROK government returns remains of two US soldiers killed during the Korean War as the Ministry of Defense completes an eight-month excavation for Korean War remains.
: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dempsey travels to Seoul and visits the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
: Department of State spokeswoman Nuland tells Yonhap that the Kim Jong Un regime has a clear choice between having improved relations with the US and continued isolation from the international community.
: Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) reports that with President Obama’s reelection, Korean exporters are likely to face higher trade barriers.
: ROK presidential candidate Park Geun-hye says that if elected in December, she would pursue “balanced diplomacy” between the US and China.
: US Ambassador Sung Kim expresses confidence in the continued stability of the US-ROK alliance, regardless of the outcomes of presidential elections in the US and ROK.
: President Obama wins reelection in the US presidential elections.
: ROK military officials acknowledge that the US-made cruise missiles that ROK was planning to acquire might be partially incompatible with the F-15K.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan tells media that China will be an important partner in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, explaining the need for Seoul-Washington-Beijing trilateral talks in the near future.
: Special Representative Davies says that regardless of the winner in the US presidential election, there will be no major changes in US policy toward North Korea.
: Assistant Secretary of State Campbell discusses the North Korean nuclear program in Seoul, emphasizing that the US-ROK alliance will remain strong regardless of the presidential election results in Washington and Seoul.
: Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Minister of Defense Kim Kwan-jin attend the 44th US-ROK Security Consultative Meeting in Washington and agree to pursue more active bilateral security consultation centered on the Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD). They also decide to identify specific types of nuclear threats by North Korea and develop joint deterrence strategies designed for each threat type by 2014.
: US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Jung Seung-jo attend the 36th US-ROK Military Committee Meeting and reaffirm their commitment to not tolerate any aggression from North Korea and to further strengthen the Alliance’s deterrent capabilities.
: National Security Advisor Chun Young-woo says that South Korea should think about alternative plans if the civil nuclear cooperation agreement is not revised as it wants.
: Special Representative Davies travels to Seoul and meets counterpart Lim Sung-nam, National Security Advisor Chun Yung-woo, and other senior officials.
: ROK Ambassador to the US Young-jin Choi states during an annual parliamentary audit session that the civil nuclear cooperation agreement will become the priority issue to be discussed between new governments in the US and ROK in 2013.
: Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Ho-young and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns co-host the US-ROK Strategic Dialogue in Seoul.
: US-Japan-ROK trilateral meeting is held in Tokyo.
: In response to North Korea’s warning that its missile range can reach the US mainland, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urges North Korea to stop bragging about its missiles and defends Washington’s decision to allow Seoul to extend its missile range.
: Blue House announces a new missile agreement with the US. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney reiterates that the missile deal is designed to improve ROK’s ability to defend specifically against DPRK ballistic missiles and the impact of revisions is thus limited.
: US military official states that the US is planning to redeploy a chemical unit to South Korea to strengthen the combined deterrence against North Korea, nine years after the withdrawal of the 23rd Chemical Battalion from South Korea in 2004.
: US government official states that the Congress is expected to approve the proposed sale of Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles to South Korea as a means of preparing the country to retake wartime operational control of its troops from the United States by 2015.
: President Lee Myung-bak seeks parliamentary support for his drive to reform South Korea’s armed forces, stressing that time is running short as the country is scheduled to assume wartime operational control over its forces from the US in 2015.
: Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller calls for North Korea to join the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
: Secretary Clinton meets her South Korean and Japanese counterparts in New York and asks the two nations to lower tensions in Northeast Asia, while reiterating that Washington will not intervene directly in bilateral issues between Seoul and Tokyo.
: South Korea’s Cabinet approves a revised bill to extend missions of troops in Afghanistan until the end of 2013.
: Robert King, US special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, visits Seoul to discuss the latest human rights situation in North Korea.
: Lim Sung-nam, South Korea’s chief negotiator to the Six-Party Talks, visits Washington and meets Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell to share evaluations of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea officially condemns the attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and the killing of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and his colleagues.
: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets President Lee Myung-bak on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Vladivostok. She urges South Korea and Japan to find a calmer approach toward Dokdo/Takeshima and stresses the need for cooperation among South Korea, US, and Japan in resolving North Korea’s nuclear issues.
: President Barack Obama announces that if he is reelected, he will continue to confront North Korea unless it abandons its nuclear program.
: US and ROK complete Ulchi Freedom Guardian.
: State Department spokesperson says that disputes between Korea and Japan make the US uncomfortable.
: South Korea admits to importing Iranian crude oil during July despite claims that it would not do so.
: US and South Korea launch Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) joint military exercise. In response, Kim Jong Un travels to the disputed ROK-DPRK sea border and calls the drill a threat to peace and stability in the region.
: Jang Song Taek meets President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing.
: Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye release the U.S.-Japan Alliance Anchoring Stability report, which states “it is essential for Japan to confront the historical issues” with South Korea, and declares the US has no place to judge on the situation.
: State Department spokesperson urges South Korea and Japan to repair ties emphasizing that the US would not take sides in the matter.
: President Lee visits Dokdo, heightening tensions between Japan and Korea.
: Joongang Ilbo reports that US and ROK are in talks to create a new joint military organization to replace Combined Forces Command (CFC) after the transfer of wartime operational control to South Korea in 2015.
: Ministry of Unification rejects North Korea’s allegations of South Korea’s plot of terrorism to sabotage statues in North Korea.
: DPRK Foreign Ministry says DPRK will build its nuclear arsenal against the US.
: Gary Samore, special assistant to the president and White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and terrorism, says South Korea can import enriched uranium from US or France, expressing an unyielding stance to the ROK’s demands in renegotiating 1-2-3 Agreement.
: US Ambassador to South Korea Sung Kim states that North Korea should follow Myanmar’s recent steps in making political and economic reforms and that nuclear ambitions will only further isolate North Korea.
: North Korea deploys 20 attack helicopters near South Korea’s Baeknyeong Island in the West Sea.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan states that he will urge the US to lift restrictions on the reprocessing of nuclear fuel.
: State Department spokesperson states that US has no hostile intentions toward North Korea.
: North Korea says that the country has no choice but to “totally reexamine the nuclear issue” after strongly condemning South Korea and the US for attempting to destroy statues of its founding leader Kim Il Sung.
: North Korea accuses South Korea and the US of inciting a defector to damage statues of the country’s founding leader Kim Il Sung.
: Kim Jong Un is awarded the title of marshal and supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army.
: North Korean Central News Agency announces that Gen. Hyon Yong Chol has been awarded the title of vice marshal of the Korean People’s Army.
: ROK DAPA announces that it has approved bid proposals by three foreign defense companies for a multi-million dollar fighter jet project.
: North Korean Central News Agency announces that the country’s military chief Gen. Ri Yong Ho has been relieved of all his posts due to illness.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Japanese Foreign Minister Gemba Koichiro meet on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phnom Penh and agree to form a trilateral consultative body.
: ROK deputy envoy to the Six-Party Talks Cho Hyun-dong and US counterpart Clifford Hart hold talks ahead of the ASEAN Regional Forum where they reaffirm that the two countries will not ease pressure on North Korea until it gives up a policy of confrontation.
: USFK Commander Gen. James Thurman apologizes for an illegal arrest of three civilians by US military personnel.
: In its response to a North Korean performance featuring Disney characters without authorization, the US stresses the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.
: Lt. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, deputy commander of United States Forces Korea (USFK), apologizes for the recent handcuffing of three South Korean civilians by US troops during a dispute over parking outside a US Air Base.
: Kim Jong Un attends a concert in Pyongyang, a debut performance for the newly formed Moranbong troupe featuring classic Disney characters.
: Kim Jong Un loosens government restrictions on outlawed food and strict standards on women attire.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan apologizes to the nation for pursuing a military pact with Japan without making enough efforts to win public support for the agreement.
: Oil imports to South Korea from Tehran halt due to the European Union’s ban on insuring Iranian oil shipments.
: South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says that Tehran made an offer to deliver crude oil to South Korea using its own ships.
: South Korea postpones the signing of the ROK-Japan military pact which would incorporate extensive intelligence sharing with Tokyo.
: Nominee for US ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell says that Myanmar should end all ties with North Korea if it wants to to normalize relations with the US.
: South Korea announces that it will halt oil imports from Iran starting in July due to a European Union ban on insuring shipments of Iranian crude oil.
: Russia Deputy Chief nuclear envoy Ambassador Grigory Logvinov arrives in Seoul for a three-day visit to meet South Korea nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam and Director General of DPRK Nuclear Affairs Cho Hyun-dong to discuss the resumption of Six-Party Talks.
: South Korea’s Ministry of Strategy and Finance says its reliance on Iranian oil imports decreased in the first quarter of 2012.
: South Korea and the US military conduct the largest, single-day joint military drill to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Korean War in Pocheon, South Korea.
: US Senate passes a bill to ban food aid to North Korea unless a presidential waiver is used.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US conduct their first official trilateral joint naval exercise joined by US aircraft carrier USS George Washington in the Yellow Sea.
: White House announces that it will extend North Korean sanctions another year as it poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat.”
: US deploys Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) artillery to USFK to increase firepower in South Korea.
: South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announces three bidders – Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II, and the Eurofighter Typhoon – for a $6.9 billion contract in acquiring 60 fighter jets.
: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta host a “2+2 meeting” with South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-Jin at the State Department in Washington.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell expresses US hope for a stable relationship between South Korea and Japan.
: State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland says the US is concerned about allegations that China assisted North Korea’s missile program.
: Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Carl Levin says he has no problem with allowing South Korea to develop longer-range missiles if they are deployed in a “non-threatening way.”
: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces that South Korea and India will be exempt from Washington’s sanctions on Iranian oil.
: Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-IL) says in a House hearing that deepening ties with South Korea by extending the current civilian nuclear pact will help US manufacturers.
: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces that it will sell $325 million worth of advanced weapons to South Korea.
: Pentagon replaces Brig. Gen. Tolley, commander of US Special Forces in Korea.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan warns North Korea of a “firm response” if it engages in further provocations.
: South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho Byung-jae states that North Korea cannot have a status as a nuclear-weapon state.
: George Little, spokesperson for the US Department of Defense, tells reporters that “[i]t was misreported that there are U.S. boots on the ground in North Korea.”
: DPRK’s Constitution is revised to state that North Korea is a “nuclear-armed state.” Spokesperson for the US Department of State comments that the US “will never accept North Korea as a nuclear power.”
: The Diplomat quotes Brig. Gen. Neil Tolley, commander of US Special Forces in South Korea, saying that “we send [Republic of Koread soldiers and U.S. soldiers to the North to do special reconnaissance” on North Korea’s tunnel infrastructure.
: US Special Representative for North Korean Policy Glyn Davies and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi state that US and Japan would engage in dialogue with North Korea if Pyongyang refrains from provocations. Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, comments that the US will consider food aid if Pyongyang is “serious about moving in a different direction.” South Korea warns Pyongyang that it would face greater sanctions and grave consequences if it conducts a third nuclear test.
: North Korea announces that it will not conduct a nuclear test but will continue to bolster its nuclear development and satellite capabilities.
: Nuclear envoys from Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo warn that North Korea will face tighter sanctions and greater isolation if it conducts a third nuclear test.
: US House of Representatives passes a bill to extend the North Korean Human Rights Act until 2017.
: White House National Security Council deputy spokesman Robert Jenson states that tactical nuclear weapons will not be redeployed to Korea.
: US exempts South Korea from Iranian oil sanctions after Seoul decreases dependence on Iranian oil by 30 percent.
: US House Armed Services Committee passes an amendment to reintroduce tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.
: Assistant US Trade Representative for Japan, Korea, and APEC Affairs Wendy Cutler states that the KORUS FTA will not be renegotiated.
: North Korea announces that it will continue to develop nuclear and missile capabilities, against the urging of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
: The UN expands North Korean sanctions after the failed rocket launch in April.
: A massive candle light rally takes place in Seoul to halt US beef imports and renegotiate the KORUS Free Trade Agreement (FTA) after a reported case of mad cow disease.
: President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko agree not to tolerate North Korea’s nuclear threat during Noda’s visit to the White House.
: President Barack Obama states that the US will no longer accept North Korea’s strategy of provocations for concessions.
: The Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Committee of South Korea’s National Assembly passes a bipartisan, nonbinding resolution to suspend US beef imports following a case of mad cow disease in California.
: The Blue House rejects increasing calls to halt quarantine inspections on US beef imports after an US dairy cow was found to have mad cow disease.
: Park Geun-hye, a leading presidential hopeful, says that South Korea should halt quarantine inspections of US beef until it is confirmed safe to consume.
: Two South Korea retailers halt US beef sales over new case of mad cow disease in California.
: White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says the US has raised issue with the Chinese government about suspected missile cooperation between China and North Korea.
: UNSC adopts a President’s Statement condemning North Korea’s failed satellite launch and orders its sanctions committee to expand sanctions against North Korea.
: North Korea withdraws its offer to accept IAEA inspections at the Yongbyon nuclear facilities in response to the withdrawal of the offer of food aid from the US.
: President Obama says that the US would work with the international community to further isolate North Korea after the country’s unsuccessful rocket launch.
: DPRK launches its rocket.
: North Korea holds the fifth session of the 12th Supreme People’s Assembly. Kim Jong Un is elected first chairman of the DPRK National Defense Committee.
: United Nations Security Council (UNSC) holds an emergency meeting to discuss the North Korean rocket launch.
: A legislative election is held in South Korea, with the ruling Saenuri Party surprisingly renewing a majority in the National Assembly.
: A ROK intelligence report reports the excavation at the Punggye-ri test site is in its final stages, hinting at North Korea’s intention of a third nuclear test.
: DPRK allows invited foreign press to tour the Sohae Satellite Launch Center and see the satellite.
: Pyongyang threatens to retaliate against any country that intercepts a DPRK rocket booster or collects the rocket debris.
: President Obama releases a Presidential Memorandum on sanctions on Iran.
: Peter Lavoy, acting assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific affairs, tells the House Armed Services Committee that the US has suspended food aid to North Korea.
: President Obama visits South Korea to attend the second Nuclear Security Summit and hold a bilateral summit with President Lee.
: Gary Samore, special assistant to the president and White House coordinator for arms control and weapons of mass destruction, proliferation, and terrorism, says the DPRK will face a “strong response” if it goes ahead with its plan to launch a long-range rocket.
: President Lee Myung-bak says in a joint interview that ROK and the US are expected to reach a compromise on allowing Seoul to develop long-range ballistic missiles.
: Through Korea Central News Agency, DPRK claims that its planned rocket launch has nothing to do with a recent nuclear deal with the US.
: US announces exemptions for 11 countries from the newly passed Iranian oil and economic sanctions, and does not include South Korea on its list.
: IAEA spokeswoman Gill Tudor confirms that the agency received the invitation from DPRK on March 16 inviting the agency’s inspectors to return to the country.
: US State Department spokeswoman says the North Korean rocket launch would violate UN resolutions prohibiting the use of ballistic missile technology.
: DPRK announces its plan to launch an earth observation satellite, Kwangmyongsong-3.
: The US-Korea Free Trade Agreement takes effect.
: Special UN Rapporteur on North Korean Human Rights Marzuki Darusman calls on all states “to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement,” making a thinly veiled request to China to not return North Korean defectors.
: In a joint press conference with ROK Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan in Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the US is opposed to the forceful repatriation of North Korean refugees, considering it a breach of international agreements.
: Ri Yong Ho, DPRK’s vice foreign minister and envoy to nuclear disarmament negotiations, and South Korean counterpart, Lim Sung-nam attend a two-day, academic forum on security in Northeast Asia in New York.
: Choi Young-jin, a former vice foreign minister and ambassador to the United Nations, is named South Korea’s new ambassador to the US.
: Robert King, US special envoy for North Korea human rights issues, and Jon Brause, senior U.S. Agency for International Development official arrive in Beijing to finalize arrangements for the first US government food aid shipment to DPRK in three years.
: DPRK threatens to launch a “sacred war” against ROK over alleged defamation of its leadership.
: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman says that China hopes the US-DPRK agreement will lead to the speedy resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
: Parallel announcements regarding the food-for-nuclear/missile freeze agreement are issued by the US and the DPRK.
: ROK and U.S. begin military joint exercise Key Resolve, which will last two weeks. DPRK has previously called these annual drills a provocative act.
: Special Representative Davies announces that the US and DPRK “made a little bit of progress” in talks aimed at finding ways to resume the Six-Party Talks.
: Glyn Davies, US special representative for North Korea policy, and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye Gwan meet in Beijing.
: South Korean and US navies hold a series of joint anti-submarine exercises in the Yellow Sea.
: South Korean Ambassador to the US Han Duck-soo announces his resignation.
: DPRK National Defense Commission says there are nine preconditions for resuming talks, including that ROK must apologize for failing to show proper respect regarding Kim Jong Il’s death.
Feb. 9, 2012: Democratic United Party and the United Progressive Party deliver letters to the US Embassy in Seoul threatening to repeal the KORUS FTA unless it is renegotiated.
Feb. 9, 2012: Democratic United Party and the United Progressive Party deliver letters to the US Embassy in Seoul threatening to repeal the KORUS FTA unless it is renegotiated.
: After meeting ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jae-shin and ROK nuclear envoy Lim Sung-nam in Seoul, Assistant Secretary Campbell says, “the road to improve relations [with Washington] run through Seoul for North Korea.”
: DPRK chastises ROK and the US for its recent military drills and warns against the joint military exercises planned for March.
: Iran’s Ambassador to ROK Ahmad Masumifar says in an interview with JoongAng Ilbo, “We can find our own customers and if Korea joins this sanction, Korea will be deprived of Iran’s market.”
: Robert Einhorn, US State Department special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, meets ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Jae-shin in Seoul and urges South Korea to help put more pressure on Iran.
: Assistant Secretary Campbell, Lim Sung-nam, ROK representative for Korea Peninsula peace and security affairs, and Japanese counterpart Sugiyama Shinsuke attend a trilateral meeting in Washington; they offer hope for restarting talks with for North Korea.
: ROK Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik visits Oman and the United Arab Emirates as the US continues to urge South Korea to reduce its Iranian energy imports.
: DPRK releases a statement that it remains open to suspending uranium enrichment in exchange for US food aid.
: President Lee meets Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing to discuss strengthening economic ties and North Korean and peninsular stability.
: Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, arrives in Seoul to discuss the situation on the Korean Peninsula following the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
: In his New Year’s message, ROK President Lee Myung-bak vows to deal strongly with any provocations from North Korea but keeps open the possibility of inter-Korean talks.
: DPRK holds a massive memorial service for Kim Jong Il and declares Kim Jong Un as the North’s “supreme leader.”
: DPRK leader Kim Jong Il’s funeral ceremony is held in Pyongyang.
: Lim Sung-nam, ROK’s chief negotiator to the Six-Party Talks, visits Washington and meets Special Representatives Davies and King to discuss next steps on North Korea.
: ROK National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee adopts a resolution demanding renegotiation of KORUS FTA, especially for the modification, reversing or abolition of the Investor-State Dispute settlement clause.
: DPRK’s Rodong Sinmun calls Kim Jung Un head of the Worker’s Party’s Central Military Commission.
: The US says that it is willing to continue talks with the DPRK on possible food aid and the resumption of the Six-Party Talks after the death of Kim Jong Il.
: Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lim Sung-nam meets Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei to discuss North Korea in the aftermath of Kim Jong Il’s death and ways to revive the Six-Party talks.
: President Lee says that the ROK does not want to show hostility to the DPRK and that it is willing to soften its official stance toward the DPRK as much as possible.
: ROK government expresses sympathy to the people of DPRK over the death of Kim Jong Il, but decides not to send an official condolence delegation to the communist nation.
: Secretary Clinton offers prayers to the people of DPRK while urging the country’s new leadership to follow “path of peace” following the death of Kim Jong Il.
: North Korean media report that DPRK leader Kim Jong Il died on Dec. 17.
: Yonhap reports that the US has agreed to provide up to 240,000 tons of food aid to North Korea based on North Korea’s pledge to implement initial measures of denuclearization that include a suspension of its uranium enrichment program.
: ROK imposes new sanctions on Iran, limiting financial deals with 99 Iranian groups and six individuals from the Middle Eastern country.
: ROK Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon says that KORUS FTA could be delayed until next February.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Human rights Issues Robert King and senior USAID official Jon Brause meet DPRK Director General for American Affairs Ri Gun in Beijing to discuss food aid.
: ROK Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan says KORUS FTA could be delayed until after Jan. 1, as further consultations with the US may be needed.
: US Special Representative Davies and Clifford Hart, US envoy and chief representative to the Six-Party Talks, visit Seoul to meet ROK foreign minister, unification minister and national security adviser to discuss DPRK nuclear issues.
: Derek Mitchell, US special envoy to Burma, visits Seoul to brief ROK government officials on the background of Secretary Clinton’s visit to the country.
: US State Department Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Robert Einhorn visits Seoul to encourage the ROK to participate in mutual sanctions against Iran and to review the US-ROK Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.
: Opposition parties in South Korea vows to continue their campaign against implementation of the KORUS FTA.
: US House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific unanimously passes a resolution that calls on North Korea to disclose the whereabouts of and repatriate all those kidnapped during the Korean War.
: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits South Korea to attend the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan.
: President Lee signs 14 bills linked to the implementation of KORUS FTA.
: US and ROK agree to seek improvements to the Status of Forces Agreement following a series of crimes committed by US service personnel in Korea.
: KORUS FTA passes the ROK National Assembly with the ruling Grand National Party pushing a surprise floor vote.
: US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman meets senior ROK officials in Seoul to discuss US-ROK alliance issues.
: South Korea, Japan, and the US hold trilateral talks on the resumption of the stalled Six-Party Talks, at the East Asia Summit in Bali.
: ROK’s main opposition party the Democratic Party rejects President Lee’s offer to demand renegotiations with the US on KORUS FTA after ratification.
: President Lee promises to renegotiate the investor-state dispute (ISD) settlement provision with the US within three months after KORUS FTA passes in the National Assembly.
: President Lee attends the APEC forum held in Hawaii.
: ROK Special Representative Lim Sung-nam visits Vienna and meets US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies.
: ROK agrees to resume sending medical aid to DPRK through the World Health Organization.
: About 1,000 people hold a candlelight vigil in Seoul to protest the KORUS FTA.
: ROK Unification Minister Yu Woo-Ik visits the US and meets Deputy Secretary Burns and Sen. Joe Lieberman in an effort to strengthen coordination on North Korean affairs.
: ROK military conducts large-scale military exercise as US and ROK agree to complete joint operational plan against DPRK this year.
: Assistant Secretary Campbell visits Seoul to debrief ROK officials on the outcome of the US-DPRK talks in Geneva.
: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta visits Seoul to attend the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting.
: Representatives from the US and North Korea meet in Geneva for what is described as a “continuation of the exploratory meetings.”
: State Department announces that current US Special Representative for North Korea policy Stephen Bosworth will be replaced by Glyn Davies.
: Members of the ROK Democratic Party storm the committee room at the National Assembly to prevent deliberations and a vote on the KORUS FTA bill.
: US and DPRK begin talks in Bangkok on resuming efforts to recover the remains of US soldiers killed during the Korean War.
: UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos visits the DPRK to assess the chronic food shortage situation.
: President Lee Myung-bak makes state visit to the US, meets President Obama, delivers a speech before a joint session of Congress, and visits a GM plant in Michigan.
: ROK’s ruling party officials vow to approve KORUS FTA within the month even in the face of strong opposition from opposition parties.
: US Congress approves long-delayed KORUS FTA.
: Lim Sung-nam becomes South Korea’s special representative for peace and security affairs on the peninsula, which entails serving as ROK envoy to the Six-Party Talks.
: President Obama submits three pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia to Congress for approval.
: US government issues an apology for the rape of a Korean girl by a US soldier stationed in South Korea.
: ROK Special Representative Wi Sung-Lac and DPRK Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ri Yong Ho meet for a second round of talks aimed at restarting the Six-Party Talks.
: President Obama warns that DPRK will face “greater pressure and isolation” if it continues its nuclear weapons program and hostile actions against ROK.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin states that Seoul and Washington are discussing a revision of restrictions on the range of South Korean missiles.
: ROK ruling party presents KORUS FTA to a parliamentary committee as a first step toward its ratification.
: ROK sends a shipment of flood aid (200,000 packets of baby food) to DPRK.
: ROK’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Wi Sung-lac visits the US for consultations on the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
: President Lee names Yu Woo-ik as the new unification minister and Hyun In-taek as special presidential advisor for unification policy.
: ROK rival parties agree to begin the ratification process for the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) at the same pace with the US Congress.
: President Lee Myung-bak replaces Unification Minister Hyun In-taek with Yu Woo-ik, a former chief-of-staff to Lee and former ambassador to China.
: US announces it will provide emergency aid valued at $900,000 to North Korea.
: ROK and the US conduct the annual joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian in South Korea.
: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urges the DPRK to “exercise restraint” and says the US wants to see North Korea take steps along the lines they discussed in New York for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks.
: ROK National Security Adviser Chun Yung-woo meets US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon and holds “very productive discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues,” including a request to reconsider use of “Sea of Japan.” Chun also meets Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns, with a brief attendance by Secretary Clinton.
: Three North Korean artillery shells fall in waters near Yeonpyeong Island. South Korean military returns fire.
: The US Department of Defense proposes a meeting with the DPRK to discuss recovering the remains of US soldiers from North Korea.
: US State Department confirms the policy of calling the waters between Korea and Japan the Sea of Japan; South Korea protests the decision.
: GNP members welcome Washington’s joint statement supporting passage of the KORUS FTA; lawmakers Nam Kyung-pil and Hwang Woo-yea state that the National Assembly should ratify the bill around the same time.
: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell issue a joint statement supporting passage of the trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama after the August recess with the condition of assured passage of the TAA being separated from the FTA.
: Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan meets Special Envoy for DPRK Policy Stephen Bosworth in New York. Newly named Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Clifford Hart and DPRK Human Rights Envoy Robert King also attend the meetings.
: Secretary Clinton says the US has invited Kim Kye Gwan, North Korean vice foreign minister, to New York for exploratory talks.
: North Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Pak Ui Chun meets South Korean counterpart Kim Sung-hwan at the ASEAN Regional Forum.
: Secretary Clinton says at the ARF that the US will not support a resumption of Six-Party Talks unless the DPRK proves it is serious about the effort, adding that a private meeting between the North and South is not enough and the DPRK should cease its provocative actions, improve relations with the South, and begin dismantling its nuclear program.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Secretary Clinton, and Japanese Foreign Minister Matsumoto Takeaki meet at the ARF to coordinate strategy toward North Korea.
: South Korean chief nuclear negotiator Wi Sung-lac and his newly-appointed North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho meet in a two-hour meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Bali.
: The main opposition Democratic Party announces a list of 10 + 2 points to renegotiate, blocking the National Assembly’s ratification of the KORUS FTA.
: US Army Gen. James Thurman is inaugurated as the new commander of US Forces Korea, vowing to strengthen the alliance between Seoul and Washington.
: Park Ro-byug, South Korea’s envoy for the civil nuclear accord talks, meets Robert Einhorn, the US State Department’s special adviser for nonproliferation and arms control, for a third round of Korea-US talks on revising a bilateral nuclear cooperation pact.
: Secretary of State Clinton calls for an end to partisan strife over free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama in a speech at the US Global Leadership Coalition Conference in Washington.
: Lee Myung-bak administration and the new leadership of the ruling GNP party agree to ratify the KORUS FTA during the August legislative session.
: House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee hold simultaneous “mock mark-up” sessions on preliminary draft implementing bills for the three pending free trade agreements including KORUS.
: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says that the US “understands” and talked to the EU regarding its decision to provide North Korea with food aid but stresses that it will make its own decision on aid.
: Unification Ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo says South Korea will not send any government food aid to North Korea.
: European Union Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva says the EU will send 10 million euro ($14.5 million) in food aid to North Korea to save the lives of at least 650,000 people.
: US Forces Korea says only small amounts of cancer-causing dioxin were detected last year near one of its bases in the country, citing its draft report on the inspection.
: In South Korea, 15,000 protestors rally against the KORUS FTA and rising college tuition costs, taking over Kwanghwamun Street for the first time since 2009.
: Joongang Ilbo reports that the US pressured South Korea during several meetings between officials to actively engage with North Korea to resume inter-Korean dialogue.
: Secretary of State Clinton and ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan meet and sign an agreement in Washington to better coordinate international development aid. They also agree to not ease pressure on North Korea’s government unless it changes its ways before resumption of stalled nuclear talks.
: Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Sung Kim is officially nominated as US ambassador to the Republic of Korea.
: South Korea’s Six-Party Talks Envoy Wi Sung-lac meets Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg.
: Joongang Ilbo reports that Seoul has told Washington that it does not mind it sending food aid to North Korea, but only after North Korea agrees to talk with the South.
: US. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton says, following a meeting of the Japan-US Security Consultative Committee, that the US is “committed to deterring further provocative behaviors by North Korea, supporting a North-South dialogue, and promoting the complete and peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”
: Wi Sung-lac meets with Special Envoy Stephen Bosworth and Assistant Secretary Campbell in Washington to discuss security issues and resumption of Six-Party Talks.
: Clifford Hart is named US Special Envoy to the Six-Party Talks.
: State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says the US is still looking for a new page in inter-Korean relations to come before all else in issues related to the two Koreas.
: Gen. Walter Sharp, outgoing commander of US Forces in Korea, says the US will not deploy tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea.
: Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell meets Wi Sung-lac in Seoul and says the US supports South Korea’s position that inter-Korean talks must occur before talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
: US Secretary of Defense-designate Leon Panetta says he will work closely with Congress in pressing ahead with the realignment of troops stationed in South Korea.
: Eighth US Army Commander Lt. Gen. John Johnson tells Environment Minister Yoo Young-sook that drums of chemicals were removed from Korea in 1982-1983.
: South Korea’s Defense Ministry begins a large-scale investigation of former US military bases due to claims by retired US soldiers who say that they helped dump large amounts of the toxic chemical Agent Orange inside a US army camp in 1978.
: North Korea frees Jun Young Su, a US citizen held since November 2010.
: The US Navy halts a North Korea ship suspected of carrying arms to Myanmar, but the vessel denies permission to board. The ship turns around and heads back on May 29.
: Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Issues Robert King and USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Jon Brause visit Pyongyang and meet First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan, Vice Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho, and Director General for North American Affairs Ri Gun to assess food shortages in North Korea and discuss the status of a US citizen who is being held in a North Korean jail.
: South Korean and US air forces launch a joint exercise, Max Thunder.
: ROK government and the Grand National Party agree to try to pass South Korea’s free trade agreement with the US through a parliamentary committee beginning in June.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth, Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Sung Kim, and Sydney Seiler, the new Korea policy chief at the National Security Council, visit Seoul and meet Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Wi Sung-Lac, and Presidential Security Adviser Chun Young-Woo.
: US House Speaker John Boehner says he wants the pending free-trade deals with Korea, Colombia and Panama to pass Congress before August.
: Yonhap News reports that US Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk wants Congress to approve the KORUS FTA “this spring.”
: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says he reached a deal with the Obama administration addressing his concerns with South Korea’s remaining beef import restrictions, clearing another roadblock on the Korea-US free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).
: ROK government withdraws the KORUS FTA bill from the National Assembly to deal with translation errors, which could delay its ratification for months.
: Former US President Jimmy Carter, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland, and former Irish President Mary Robinson visit China, North Korea, and South Korea in an effort to “ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.”
: The Obama administration dismisses calls from some senators to get wider access to South Korean beef markets in the pending KORUS FTA.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan meets US House representatives Tom Reed (R-NY) and Karen Bass (D-CA) in Seoul to discuss the KORUS FTA.
: President Obama reinforces trade sanctions against North Korea that have been in place since 2006.
: Secretary Clinton meets President Lee in Seoul and affirms her certainty that the US will approve the pending KORUS FTA in relatively short order.
: ROK Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology announces that the ROK and the US have agreed to carry out a joint study on safe ways to store spent fuel.
: Secretary of State Clinton meets Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan in Seoul to discuss bilateral relations and coordinate North Korea policy.
: North Korea announces that it is preparing to indict a Korean-American who has been in captivity for “unauthorized religious activities.”
: US announces that it has signed a missile defense agreement with the ROK.
: State Department urges North Korea to release a US citizen who is currently being held in the North.
: Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Wi Sung-lac visits Washington and meets Special Representative for North Korea Policy Steven Bosworth and Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Sung Kim to discuss North Korea issues.
: South Korea and the US open their first session of the Extended Deterrence Policy Committee in Hawaii.
: State Department affirms that former President Carter’s planned upcoming trip to Pyongyang will be a private, non-official matter.
: 12 North Korean economic officials depart on a 16-day tour of the US and its industry, dubbed by JoongAng as a “crash course in American-style capitalism.”
: Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Wallace Gregson meets Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin in Seoul to discuss bilateral security issues.
: The US reaffirms that it will consult closely with South Korea before agreeing to resume food aid to North Korea.
: South Korea and the US begin their second round of talks regarding the renewal of their civil nuclear deal which is set to expire in 2014.
: ROK government announces that it has no plans to seek a return of US nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula, citing their 1991 joint denuclearization declaration with the North as the primary reason.
: US National Security Council (NSC) restates that it has no plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea.
: South Korea and US conduct the annual Foal Eagle/Key Resolve military exercises. Key Resolve is a computer-based simulation and runs through March 10. Foal Eagle is the field training portion of the exercise, and will continue through April 30.
: US Pacific Command Commander Adm. Robert Willard meets ROK Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Han Min-koo and other ROK military leaders in Seoul to discuss plans for the joint military exercise that will begin the following week.
: State Department dismisses North Korea’s proposal for bilateral engagement.
: State Department says it has no immediate plans to give food aid to North Korea.
: JoongAng Ilbo reports that China is opposing an effort by a United Nations sanctions committee to adopt a report on North Korea’s uranium enrichment program.
: South Korea and the US sign the supplementary KORUS FTA, paving the way for its ratification in both countries’ legislatures.
: North and South Korea hold colonel-level military talks in Panmunjom but fail to reach agreement on an agenda for higher level talks or a date for further preliminary talks.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Robert King visits Seoul to discuss human rights issues.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell says “the essential first step in any process of reengagement with North Korea requires a true and significant North-South dialogue.”
: Deputy Secretary Steinberg travels to Beijing to meet Chinese State Counselor Dai Bingguo and discuss North Korea’s nuclear program.
: US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg meets President Lee and Foreign Minister Kim in Seoul to brief them on the US-China summit and to discuss North Korea and the resumption of the Six-Party talks.
: During his State of the Union Address, President Obama urges North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons. He also holds up South Korea as a model when discussing education and infrastructure.
: Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao release a Joint Statement and agree that North Korea must avoid further provocations and abide by its denuclearization commitments.
: Commander of US Forces in Korea (USFK) Gen. Walter Sharp warns of North Korea’s long-range missiles and says they must be destroyed if they pose a threat.
: South Korean National Security Advisor Chun Young-woo says on a PBS News Hour interview that North Korea must apologize for the Cheonan sinking and the Yeonpyeong shelling before engagement is possible between the two Koreas.
: Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara Seiji and President Lee meet in Seoul and call for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to deal with North Korea’s recently unveiled uranium enrichment program.
: Secretary Gates meets President Lee, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan in Seoul.
: South Korea and the US agree on a 10-year joint study to determine if Seoul should be allowed to reprocess spent nuclear fuel with a new, proliferation-resistant technology.
: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen states that North Korean nuclear and missile technology pose a serious threat to the US.
: Secretary Gates calls on North Korea to impose a moratorium on its missile and nuclear testing to help revive the Six-Party Talks.
: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates meets Chinese Minister of Defense Liang Guangjie in Beijing and discusses North Korean provocations and its nuclear program.
: Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker Nam Kyung-pil calls on the Congress to ratify the KORUS FTA, and the South Korean National Assembly will then follow suit.
: US Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth visits Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo and meets “senior government officials to discuss next steps on the Korean Peninsula.”
: In his first major address of the year, President Lee Myung-bak gives a message to North Korea that the “The path toward peace is yet open. The door for dialogue is still open.”
: South Korea stages massive firing drills involving missiles, artillery, and fighter jets near the border with North Korea.
: KCNA says North Korea is ready to launch a “sacred war” against South Korea on the basis of its “nuclear deterrent.”
: North Korea and the US restore their New York dialogue channel.
: South Korea conducts a live-fire drill near Yeonpyeong Island. North Korea does not launch an attack, saying the drill was not worth a response.
: Gov. Richardson says North Korea has agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to monitor its nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and is willing to negotiate the sale of 12,000 spent nuclear fuel rods. State Department welcomes the news, but adds that it will heed actions, not words regarding the North’s denuclearization.
: UN Security Council meets in an emergency session, but fails to reach any agreement on ways to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
: Russia expresses its extreme concern over South Korea’s upcoming drills and requests an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. China also expresses its opposition to South Korea’s upcoming drills.
: North Korea warns of ‘catastrophe’ if South Korea conducts live-fire exercises near Yeonpyeong Island.
: South Korea announces that it will hold live-fire drills on Yeonpyeong Island.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that Kim Jong Il said during a meeting with State Counselor Dai Bingguo that he was willing to consider allowing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections into the DPRK.
: North Korea’s Foreign Ministry states that the DPRK “supports all proposals for dialogue including the Six-Party Talks prompted by the desire to prevent a war and realize denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.”
: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson visits Pyongyang for an unofficial diplomatic mission at the invitation of DPRK negotiator Kim Gye-gwan.
: Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg leads a delegation to Beijing to discuss Northeast Asian security and developments on the Korean Peninsula.
: ROK negotiator Wi Sung-lac visits Moscow to meet his Russian counterpart, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin.
: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin urges North Korea to “unconditionally comply with UN Security Council resolutions” on its nuclear development.
: The US and the ROK form the Extended Deterrence Policy Committee, a joint committee to make decisions about the alliance’s nuclear and extended deterrence policies.
: Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov denounces North Korea for shelling Yeonpyeong Island.
: North Korean foreign minister says US and South Korean actions are forcing Pyongyang to strengthen its nuclear deterrent.
: Kim Jong Il meets Chinese State Counselor Dai Bingguo in Pyongyang.
: South Korean JCS Chairman Han Min-koo visits Yeonpyeong Island, and claims that the ROK “will completely crush the enemy” if the North attacks again.
: Chairman of the JCS Adm. Mullen meets with South Korean JCS Chairman Gen. Han Min-koo in Seoul.
: Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Secretary of State Clinton, and Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara Siji hold a trilateral meeting in Washington to discuss North Korea’s latest provocations and release a joint statement.
: According to the White House, President Obama asks President Hu Jintao “to send a clear message to North Korea that its provocations are unacceptable.”
: President Lee calls for the early ratification of the revised KORUS FTA.
: US and South Korea finalize a supplementary agreement on the KORUS FTA.
: US Senate passes a resolution condemning North Korea for its attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
: On the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) summit in Kazakhstan, Secretary Clinton and Foreign Minister Kim agree that the Six-Party Talks should resume only after North Korea takes concrete steps demonstrating its commitment to give up its nuclear programs.
: The US House of Representatives passes a resolution condemning North Korea for the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.
: South Korea and the US hold KORUS FTA talks in Columbia, Maryland.
: President Lee makes his first major address to the nation following the Yeonpyeong Island artillery attack and rejects China’s proposal for convening an emergency meeting of the Six-Party Talks. The US State Department echoes Lee’s rejection.
: China proposes emergency consultations with members of the Six-Party Talks.
: South Korea and the US conduct naval exercises off of the west coast of the Korean Peninsula with the aircraft carrier USS George Washington.
: Chinese State Counselor Dai Bingguo makes a sudden visit to Seoul to meet President Lee.
: The DPRK accuses the US of creating confrontation between the divided Koreas to increase its military presence in the region.
: North Korea threatens a “shower of fire” in response to the joint US-ROK naval exercises in the Yellow Sea.
: US Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Walter Sharp visits Yeonpyeong Island to survey the damage of the artillery attacks.
: President Lee names Kim Kwan-jin as minister of defense.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi expresses Beijing’s concern over the upcoming US-ROK joint exercises in the Yellow Sea.
: Chairman of the JCS Adm. Mike Mullen urges China to pressure North Korea to refrain from provoking South Korea and to abide by its denuclearization commitments.
: Secretary Clinton reassures the ROK of the US commitment to the alliance.
: North Korea rejects talks with the UNC on the Yeonpyeong artillery shelling.
: South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigns.
: The State Department urges China to influence North Korea to reduce tensions after the Yeonpyeong attack.
: The UNC proposes holding general-level military talks with North Korea to discuss the North’s artillery attack on Yeonpyeong.
: The ROK Defense Ministry and Blue House rule out redeployment of US tactical nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula.
: Special Envoy Bosworth travels to Beijing to meet his counterparts over the DPRK’s uranium enrichment facility and the possibility of the resuming the Six-Party Talks.
: North Korea fires approximately 100 artillery rounds on and around Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. President Obama denounces North Korea for the attack, consults with President Lee, and agrees that a first response will be to hold joint military exercises.
: Special Envoy Bosworth meets Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and ROK negotiator Wi Sung-lac in Seoul. He also meets his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo to discuss the most recent revelations regarding the DPRK uranium enrichment facility.
: Defense Secretary Gates denounces North Korea for violating UN resolutions with its uranium enrichment facility.
: US Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Bosworth travels to Seoul to discuss the resumption of the Six-Party Talks with South Korean counterparts.
: According to Yonhap, South Korea expresses “very grave” concern following a news report that North Korea has an operational uranium enrichment plant.
: According to Chosun Ilbo, Defense Secretary Gates says that North Korea’s new uranium enrichment plant gives the North the potential to build more nuclear bombs.
: Chairman of the JCS Adm. Mullen denounces the DPRK for seeking a uranium-based nuclear program in violation of its agreement to denuclearize.
: The New York Times reports that Siegfried Hecker was shown a highly sophisticated uranium enrichment facility during his recent visit to North Korea.
: South Korean Six-Party Talks negotiator Wi Sung-lac meets his Japanese counterpart Akitaka Saiki in Tokyo.
: According to Yonhap, the US Treasury Department blacklists two more North Korean firms managing slush funds for the North Korean leadership and other economic activities banned under UN resolutions and US domestic laws.
: Presidents Obama and Lee meet on the sidelines of the G20 in Seoul to discuss the KORUS FTA, North Korea, and resumption of the Six-Party Talks. They announce that they were unable to reach on the KORUS FTA and that negotiations will continue.
: A report by UN experts charging North Korea with supplying nuclear technology to Syria, Iran, and Myanmar, which had been blocked by China for six months, is submitted to the UN Security Council for consideration.
: US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Adm. Mike Mullen reiterates the US pledge to send an aircraft carrier into the Yellow Sea for joint drills with the ROK in the near future, despite objections from China.
: USTR Kirk and ROK Trade Minister Kim meet to address pending issues regarding the KORUS FTA.
: In a New York Times Op-ed, President Obama states, “President Lee Myung-bak and I will work to complete a trade pact that could be worth tens of billions of dollars in increased exports and thousands of jobs for American workers.”
: Assistant USTR for Korea, Japan, and APEC Affairs Wendy Cutler and Korean Deputy Minister for Trade Choi Seok-young hold working-level discussions on the KORUS FTA in Seoul.
: The UNC announces that it will begin an on-site investigation into the exchange of gunfire between the two Koreas at the border.
: President Lee Myung-bak and Secretary Clinton meet in Hanoi on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan meets separately with Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Hanoi.
: North Korea fires two rounds toward South Korea and South Korean troops immediately return fire.
: In a speech given in Honolulu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton refers to the US-Korea alliance as a “lynchpin” of peace and security in the region.
: The United Nations Command (UNC) and the Korean People’s Army hold a 90-minute colonel-level meeting in Panmunjom regarding the Cheonan incident.
: US Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk and South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon meet in San Francisco in an effort to finalize details of the KORUS FTA.
: South Korea and the US begin formal talks on renewing their civilian nuclear agreement, which is set to expire in 2014.
: The Pentagon announces it will postpone planned joint naval drills in the Yellow Sea with the ROK, but adds that China had nothing to do with the decision.
: US Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights Robert King calls on Pyongyang to improve human rights conditions for the betterment of bilateral ties.
: South Korean parliamentarians and members of the US Congress send letters to their respective presidents asking for “meaningful changes” to the pending KORUS FTA.
: North Korea strongly criticizes the PSI maritime exercise hosted by Seoul.
: US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley announces that the US will not lift sanctions on North Korea to lure it back to the Six-Party Talks.
: North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announces that Pyongyang is ready to follow through on a September 2005 agreement to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea hosts a multinational Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) maritime exercise off of the coast of Pusan.
: North Korea’s lead Six-Party Talks negotiator Kim Gye-Gwan meets Chinese Vice Foreign Minister and chief negotiator at the Six-Party Talks Wu Dawei in Beijing.
: Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and chief Russian negotiator at the Six-Party Talks Alexei Borodavkin travels to Seoul to meet Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s lead negotiator for Six-Party Talks, and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan.
: North Korean defector Hwang Jang-yop dies at his home in Seoul of an apparent heart attack at the age of 87.
: South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young meets Defense Secretary Robert Gates in Washington for an annual Security Consultative Meeting (SCM).
: Secretary Campbell visits Seoul for talks on a wide range of issues.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell visits Tokyo to discuss strategies to deal with North Korea.
: US Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) Leon Panetta makes a surprise visit to Seoul to discuss North Korean succession with President Lee Myung-bak.
: North Korea holds the Workers’ Party of Korea Conference.
: Kim Jong-un is named Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Korean Workers’ Party.
: South Korea and the US launch joint anti-submarine military exercises in the Yellow Sea.
: Kim Jong-un and Kim Kyong-hui are promoted to the rank of general in the Korean People’s Army.
: White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that North Korea will continue to face strong punitive sanctions unless it abides by its commitment to denuclearize.
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee, making it clear that the State Department won’t get ahead of Seoul in engaging North Korea.
: The Chicago Council on the Global Affairs releases a new report on U.S. attitudes towards the Republic of Korea.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth visits Seoul and meets with his counterparts.
: California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger visits Seoul and calls on the US Congress to pass the KORUS FTA.
: North Korea’s ruling party delays the start of a rare conference of the ruling Workers’ Party.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth and Special Envoy for Six-Party Talks Sung Kim meet Japanese diplomat Akitaka Saiki in Tokyo.
: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth and US Special Envoy for the Six-Party Talks Sung Kim arrive in Seoul to meet with Shin Kak-soo, the acting foreign minister, and Wi Sung-lac, the ROK’s chief nuclear envoy.
: ROK Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young-sun announces new sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program. State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley says that the US welcomes the South Korean government’s decision to impose sanctions on Iran.
: North Korea releases the Southern squid boat Daeseung 55 and its crew of seven on humanitarian grounds. They sail back to Sokcho port.
: ROK top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac visits Washington and meets US counterparts to discuss the North Korean issue.
: China starts a four-day artillery exercise in waters off Qingdao.
: President Obama signs an executive order mandating new financial sanctions on North Korea.
: Former President Carter leaves North Korea with US detainee Aijalon Gomes.
: China’s Special Representative on the Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei visits Seoul to discuss ways to resume the Six-Party Talks.
: Former President Jimmy Carter arrives in Pyongyang on a mission to release Ajalon Gomes detained in North Korea.
: South Korea and the US conduct the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise, a computer-based simulation involving about 56,000 ROK and 30,000 US troops.
: President Obama issues a statement congratulating the Republic of Korea on the 65th anniversary of its independence from Japan.
: A fourth round of talks at Panmunjom ends without progress.
: DPRK fires some 130 rounds of artillery into the Yellow Sea near its border with the South.
: South Korean government officials express concern that US sanctions on Iran will hurt Korean firms.
: South Korea kicks off one of its largest-ever naval exercises on in the Yellow Sea near the disputed western sea border with North Korea.
: Special Advisor for Nonproliferation and Arms Control Robert Einhorn and Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel Glaser visit Seoul to discuss new US sanctions on North Korea.
: Military officials from North Korea and the UNC hold their third round of talks since the sinking of the Cheonan.
: The US and South Korea conduct a large-scale naval exercise codenamed Invincible Spirit in the Sea of Japan, that includes the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and 20 other ships and submarines, 100 aircraft, and 8,000 personnel from the US and ROK armed services.
: The UNC and North Korea hold a colonel-level meeting in Panmunjom.
: The inaugural US-South Korea “two plus two” security talks are held in Seoul with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and Defense Minister Kim Tae-young as lead participants.
: Military officials from North Korea and UNC hold talks at Panmunjom.
: United Nations Security Council releases a Presidential Statement on the sinking of the Cheonan, which condemned the attack but does not directly blame North Korea.
: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says that China “resolutely opposes” joint naval exercises that South Korea and the US plan to conduct in the Yellow Sea.
: DPRK threatens to start a “death-defying war” if the UN Security Council adopts any statement that blames North Korea for the sinking of the Cheonan.
: DPRK refuses to discuss the Cheonan incident with the United Nations Command (UNC) Military Armistice Commission.
: ROK Foreign Ministry spokesman Kim Young Sun states that South Korea rejects North Korea’s proposal for direct military talks on the Cheonan incident.
: South Korea turns down North Korea’s proposal to hold direct military talks concerning the sinking of the South Korean warship Cheonan, stating that this situation should be dealt with under the Korean Armistice Agreement.
: In response to the statement made by China’s Foreign Ministry on June 29, State Department spokesman Crowley, says, “We [the US] continue our discussions with China and other countries in New York, but we think at this point there’s little ambiguity, and we believe the international community needs to send a direct and clear message to North Korea.”
: Reps. Dave Reichert (R-WA), Adam Smith (D-WA), and four other congressmen launch a working group for early ratification of the KORUS FTA.
: Trade Minister Kim announces that South Korea will not renegotiate to make changes to the original KORUS FTA.
: North Korea refutes criticism made by G8 over the sinking of Cheonan.
: North Korea announces that any accidental clash during an upcoming US-ROK naval exercise could spark a war.
: Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says China is more cautious in handling North Korea than the US since it has “direct and serious concerns” related to North Korea.
: State Department spokesman Philip Crowley says the US considers the sinking of Cheonan to be “provocative,” but not an act of terrorism.
: KCNA reports that North Korea will strengthen its nuclear capability in a new way, in response to US policy and military threats.
: President Obama says, the “main focus” of the US is “making sure” that there is “a crystal clear acknowledgement [in the UN Security Council] that North Korea engaged in belligerent behavior that is unacceptable to the international community.”
: In their summit statement, the G8 leaders state: “We deplore the attack on March 26 that caused the sinking of the Republic of Korea’s naval vessel, the Cheonan, resulting in tragic loss of 46 lives.”
: Presidents Lee and Obama hold a bilateral meeting before the G20 Summit in Toronto. At the meeting, they decide to delay Seoul’s scheduled takeover of wartime operation control of its troops (OPCON) to Dec. 1, 2015.
: President Obama says he will push for ratification of the KORUS FTA before the next G20 Summit in Seoul in November.
: Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) calls on China to join the US and other members of the Security Council in “condemning North Korea’s recent aggression against South Korea.” Sen. Dick Lugar (R-IN) says that “Beijing is apparently strengthening its assistance to North Korea, even after the sinking of South Korea’s ship and loss of 46 sailors.”
: Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi says Congress may not be able to ratify the pending KORUS FTA deal between the US and South Korea until next year.
: The State Department renews its demand from North Korea to release Aijalon Gomes, a US citizen imprisoned in North Korea since January, 2010.
: Foreign Minister Yu says that South Korea will consult related countries on resuming Six-Party Talks after completing its response to the Choenon incident.
: Secretary Clinton and Japan’s Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya pledge to pursue a “strong response” at the UN over North Korea’s involvement in the Cheonan incident.
: President Obama announces that the US will extend its current sanctions regime on North Korea by one more year, arguing that the “existence and the risk of proliferation of weapons-usable fissile material on the Korean Peninsula continued to posed an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the US.
: South Korean Army troops arrive in Afghanistan for the first time since withdrawing after a spate of kidnappings in 2007.
: South Korea and North Korea both speak before the UN Security Council. The Joint Investigation Group presents its findings and conclusion that North Korea deliberately attacked and sank Cheonan; North Korea rebuts the accusation by citing “major doubts” and “loopholes” in the credibility of the report.
: South Korea’s military undergoes major personnel changes following the release of a state auditor report about its “poor” handling of immediate aftermath of Cheonan.
: North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports “the attempt to resume the psychological warfare” is equal to a “full-out war declaration,” that will induce “military attacks on all battle fronts.” It says that the North’s attack will not be “a proportional one-on-one response but a merciless attack that can involve turning Seoul into a sea of fire.”
: Defense Minister Kim announces that South Korea will resume its psychological warfare after the UN Security Council carries out its action over the sinking of Cheonan. In a national assembly hearing in Seoul, Kim says “[the broadcasters] are on hold because South Korea and the US both think it is better that they start after UN Security Council measures.”
: North Korea writes to the UN Security Council, claiming that the “investigation findings’ by the United States and South Korea, which had been from their announcement subject to doubts and criticism, is nothing more than a conspiracy aimed at achieving US political and military goals.” North Korea requests an opportunity to present a rebuttal against the findings of the multinational investigative committee regarding the Cheonan incident.
: In a forum on inter-Korean relations hosted by the National Unification Advisory Council, Vice Unification Minister, Eom Jong-sk, asserts that South Korea will not return to the Six-Party Talks until North Korea pays its price for the Cheonan Incident.
: Secretary Gates asserts that, “the international community can and must hold North Korea accountable. The United States will continue to work with the Republic of Korea, Japan and our other partners to figure out the best way to do that.”
: President Lee Myung-bak writes the UN Security Council regarding the Cheonan incident, asking the body to “take action” against North Korea.
: South Korea’s ruling Grand National Party suffers unexpected setbacks in nationwide local and provincial (i.e., midterm) elections.
: Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, warns South Korea that North Korea may engage in “follow-up activities” to the Cheonan incident.
: Premier Wen “expresses his condolences to the South Korean people and the family members of the victims for the unfortunate incident.” Premier Wen also urges haste in establishing a free trade agreement between China and South Korea.
: China’s Premier Wen Jiabao pledges that China “will not patronize anyone” responsible for the sinking of Cheonan. The State Department calls on China to “support international efforts and South Korea as we consider appropriate action in the Security Council in the coming days.”
: President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio reaffirm their support for South Korea’s proposal to bring the Cheonan incident to the UN Security Council.
: Secretary Clinton says that “international independent investigation [on the Choenan Incident] was objective, the evidence overwhelming, the conclusion inescapable.” She further states, “We call on North Korea to halt its provocation and its policy of threats and belligerence toward its neighbors, and take steps now to fulfill its denuclearization commitments, and comply with international law.”
: South Korea conducts antisubmarine warfare (ASW) drills in the Yellow Sea.
: Defense Minister Kim Tae-young announces that South Korea will conduct “anti-proliferation exercises” in the Korean peninsula on its own as well as in coordination with the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
: President Obama pledges his support for South Korea’s proposal to bring the matter of the Cheonan sinking to the UN Security Council.
: The Pentagon announces that the US Navy and the ROK Navy will conduct joint anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercises in the “near future.”
: President Lee Myung-bak delivers a televised address demanding an apology from North Korea and outlining his government’s proposed response.
: MND formally accuses North Korea of attacking and sinking Cheonan.
: North Korea’s National Defense Commission announces that it intends to send a verification team to South to disprove the evidence of the Cheonan investigation.
: The US House of Representatives passes Resolution 1382, “expressing sympathy to the families of those killed by North Korea in the sinking of the Republic of Korea Ship Cheonan, and solidarity with the Republic of Korea in the aftermath of this tragic incident.”
: Secretary Clinton says during a visit to Tokyo that “overwhelming evidence” indicates that North Korea deliberately attacked and sank Cheonan.
: Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon, announces the US will “likely move to ratify the pending free trade deal with South Korea [only] after … elections in November.”
: South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reports that two North Korean patrol boats crossed into South Korea territorial waters in the Yellow Sea in two separate incidents and retreated after being fired upon by the Republic of Korea Navy.
: Lee Sang-woo, chairman of South Korea’s Presidential Commission on National Security, argues that the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) from the US to South Korea, originally scheduled for 2012, should be delayed.
: Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN), chairmen of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, send a letter to President Obama calling for ratification of the pending South Korea-US (KORUS) FTA.
: The US Senate passes Resolution 525 expressing “sympathy and condolences to the families … of the sailors of the Cheonan killed in action” and “solidarity with the people and government of the Republic of Korea.”
: South Korea holds a state funeral for the 46 dead and missing sailors from Cheonan at Pyeongtaek Naval Base.
: Recovery operators raise the remaining half of Cheonan.
: North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reports that the country’s Foreign Ministry has offered to “join international efforts for nuclear nonproliferation and on nuclear material security on an equal footing with other nuclear weapons states.” The US Department of State declares that Washington “will not accept” such an accord.
: South Korea’s Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, states that evidence of North Korea’s involvement in Cheonan incident would further hinder progress on the already stalemated Six-Party Talks, should any such evidence be found.
: President Lee declares that he will “resolutely and unwaveringly cope with the results” of the investigation of the sinking of Cheonan in a televised address to the country.
: North Korea denies involvement in its first official statement regarding the Cheonan incident.
: Yoon Duk-yong, the co-leader of the official state investigation team, affirms that an “external explosion” sank the Cheonan after surveying the recovered wreck of the vessel.
: Salvage workers raise the stern of Cheonan and recover 36 bodies from the wreck. Eight sailors remain missing.
: President Lee arrives in Washington for the Nuclear Security Summit.
: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announces that the US will leave “all options … on the table” vis-à-vis North Korea, including the use of nuclear weapons, because of their “failure to comply with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.”
: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says that North Korea may have up to six nuclear weapons.
: South Korean Ministry of National Defense (MND) announces that in addition to the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden have also agreed to participate in the investigation into the Cheonan incident.
: North Korea sentences Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a US citizen and formerly an English teacher in South, to eight years of “hard labor” for “illegally entering the country.”
: South Korea requests US participation in the official investigation into the Cheonan incident.
: US Trade Representative Robert Kirk announces that President Obama wants Congress to approve “at least one of three pending free trade deals with [South] Korea, Colombia, and Panama” in 2010.
: President Barack Obama “offers his condolences” to President Lee Myung-bak and pledges US military support to the rescue operations.
: ROK’s Yonhap reports that Secretary of State Clinton has acknowledged that the DPRK possesses nuclear weapons.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Tae-young says, “North Korea may have intentionally floated underwater mines to inflict damage on us.”
: Kim Sung-chan, South Korea’s Chief of Naval Operations, says that Cheonan did not sink from an internal explosion but from “a powerful outside pressure or explosion.”
: ROK officials rule out that an accident or collision with a reef caused the Cheonan to sink. Defense Minister Kim Tae-young suggests that one of the many DPRK sea mines placed during the Korean War could have sparked the explosion that sunk the Cheonan.
: DPRK accuses the US and the ROK of creating provocations by allowing tourists and journalists into the Demilitarized Zone. The DPRK demands an end to the tours, calling them part of a pattern of “psychological warfare” and warning of “unpredictable incidents including the loss of human lives in this area for which the US side will be wholly to blame.”
: US State Department spokesman Crowley says that the US has no evidence that DPRK is involved in the sinking of Cheonan.
: In comment on KCNA, the DPRK military threatens “unprecedented nuclear strikes” over a report that the US and ROK are preparing for possible instability in the DPRK.
: Gen. Sharp suggests discussions at the “highest levels” of the ROK and US governments over delaying the handover of full control of ROK troops to Seoul in 2012 at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Adm. Robert Willard, commander of the US Pacific Command, says that the US is ready to transfer the wartime command control of the ROK troops to Seoul as scheduled in 2012.
: ROK warship Cheonan splits apart near the maritime border with the DPRK and sinks after an explosion in the rear hull. The cause of the explosion remains unclear, and officials say it could take weeks to determine.
: An explosion breaks Republic of Korea Navy vessel Cheonan in half and causes it to sink in the Yellow Sea near the disputed ROK-DPRK maritime border.
: Korean Central News Agency announces that the DPRK will put on trial a US citizen identified as Aijalon Mahli Gomes, who entered the country illegally.
: Yonhap news agency reports that Pak Nam Gi, the ruling Workers’ Party finance and planning department chief who spearheaded the currency reform in the DPRK, was executed by a firing squad in Pyongyang.
: Korea Times reports that a US Joint Forces Command report says that the ROK, like Japan, has the technology to build a nuclear arsenal quickly if it decides to do so.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told US Ambassador Kathleen Stephens, an ROK lawmaker, and activists in a closed-door session that he doubted Kim Jong-il would live beyond 2013.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Tae-young says that the DPRK has increased its missile arsenal by 25 percent in the past two years to about 1,000.
: Asahi Shimbun reports the US has asked the ROK to put a regional defense system against ballistic missiles on the agenda for security talks between the two countries.
: Korea Herald reports that revision of a 1974 nuclear energy agreement between the ROK and the US is expected to be critical to the development of the alliance as Seoul explores ways to reuse its mounting nuclear waste.
: ROK government official says that the US has hired a US think tank to gauge public opinion in the ROK on the proposed delay of handing wartime OPCON to Seoul.
: Gen. Sharp says that US troops who would be tasked with eliminating the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction in the event of armed conflict are participating in the current Key Resolve-Foal Eagle US-ROK military exercise.
: South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-chan speaks at the Summit of Honor on Atoms for Peace and Environment (SHAPE), and reiterates Seoul’s intention to pyroprocess spent nuclear fuel.
: The US and the ROK begin their annual joint military exercise.
: Korean Central Broadcasting Station denounces the annual Key Resolve-Foal Eagle US-ROK military exercise saying it would indefinitely suspend denuclearization talks and all military dialogue as long as the “hostile war games” continue.
: US Special Envoy Bosworth says that the US and China agreed to boost diplomatic drives to resume the stalled Six-Party Talks “as soon as we can.”
: In a speech to the Conference on Disarmament, DPRK diplomat Jon Yong Ryong says, “The nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula should be settled between the DPRK and the US from every aspect as it is a product of the hostile policy of the US toward the DPRK.”
: ROK National Assembly approves a government proposal to send 350 troops to protect ROK civilian aid workers in Afghanistan. The troops will be deployed in central Parwan province from July 2010 to the end of 2012.
: Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) reports that Stanford specialists are working with doctors from Pyongyang’s Ministry of Public Health to develop that country’s first diagnostic laboratory for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
: US Special Envoy Bosworth says he is “confident” that Six-Party Talks will resume after meeting Wu Dawei, his Chinese counterpart, in Beijing.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Tae-young says he hopes the US security umbrella would remain intact for a long time.
: Korean Central News Agency says the DPRK’s “nuclear deterrent for self-defense will remain as ever and grow more powerful … as long as the US nuclear threat and hostile policy persist.”
: Korea Central News Agency reports the DPRK will seek to end hostile relations with the US through “dialogue and negotiation” and also push to mend ties and unite with the ROK by promoting reconciliation and cooperation.
: After his four-day trip to North Korea, UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe says the DPRK is not eager to return to the Six-Party Talks.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that a Gallup poll shows ROK citizens believe that the US-ROK alliance has become stronger since the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak administration.
: State Department spokesman Crowley says Kim Jong-il’s declaration that he is committed to shelving the country’s nuclear weapons program must be followed by action to rejoin international negotiations.
: In an interview with CNN, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Obama administration will continue engaging the DPRK to convince it to return to the Six-Party Talks.
: DPRK announces US missionary Robert Park would be released after admitting that he entered the country illegally and showed “sincere repentance” for the transgression.
: Officials at a House Armed Services Committee hearing say the US will mobilize additional forces to send to the ROK in case of a DPRK regime collapse or other contingency.
: State Department spokesman Crowley says the DPRK’s proliferation of weapons of mass destruction could result in relisting as a state sponsor of terrorism.
: US Defense Department report claims the ROK is interested in participating in a US-led ballistic missile defense system, but Seoul denies any concrete commitment.
: President Obama certifies that the DPRK would remain off the US list of terrorist states, despite some calls from Congress for the state to be put back on.
: Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair says in testimony before Congress that the DPRK relies on its nuclear weapons program because of a crumbling military that cannot compete with the ROK.
: US Forces Korea Commander Gen. Walter Sharp says US troop levels in the ROK will remain unchanged after Seoul takes back the wartime operational control of its troops.
: US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee that additional US ground forces may not be able to arrive in ROK in time in case of an emergency situation in DPRK due to US commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
: Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of US Army, Pacific, says the US wants to organize trilateral military exercises with the ROK and Japan to better deal with disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
: Rodong Simun urges the US to give up the Cold War mindset and conclude a peace treaty.
: Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg expresses US support for President Lee Myung-bak’s proposal to meet DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.
: ROK and the US agree to conduct a feasibility study on pyroprocessing.
: President Obama says he will move for congressional approval of pending free trade deals with the ROK, Colombia, and Panama.
: State Department spokesman Crowley dismisses a DPRK offer to reopen talks on finding US soldiers missing since the Korean War, saying Pyongyang must first resume discussions on ending its nuclear ambitions.
: US President Barack Obama in the State of the Union Address calls on DPRK and Iran to abandon their nuclear ambitions, warning of stronger sanctions if they continue to pursue atomic weapons in violation of international accords.
: Korean Central News Agency reports that DPRK detained a US citizen for illegally entering the country from China on Jan. 24.
: Adm. Robert Willard, commander of US Pacific Command, says the DPRK appears willing to resume the search for the remains of missing US service members on its soil.
: US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley denounces the DPRK for escalating tensions by firing artillery shells along the disputed western sea border.
: DPRK announces a shipping exclusion zone off part of its west coast.
: Korea Times reports that the ROK is moving to hold behind-the-scenes discussions with the US in a bid to amend an agreement on cooperation in nuclear energy.
: US Navy announces it assisted of a DPRK-flagged ship in the Gulf of Aden.
: US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell says the Obama administration will work closely with ROK toward congressional approval of the KORUS FTA at a hearing before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee.
: Korea Times reports that United States Forces Korea (USFK) will not pay for the cleanup of Camp Hialeah in Busan. Civic groups blame the ROK government for failing to get the USFK to share cleanup costs.
: Yonhap reports that the ROK defense minister said the proposed transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) to ROK is scheduled for the “worst” possible time.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that senior officials in the U.S. administration, congressmen, and staff see nearly no prospect for the ratification of the ROK-US free trade agreement by the US Congress, according to a group of ROK lawmakers following a visit to Washington.
: ROK Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon says that the ROK government will not respond if the US repeats its demand to amend a bilateral free trade accord.
: Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of DPRK Workers’ Party, calls for the withdrawal of US troops from ROK.
: In a conversation with ROK Internet users, Special Envoy King says the DPRK should follow in the footsteps of Russia and China and open its economic and political systems to improve conditions for its people. He also says the US will not normalize ties with a country that systematically abuses the rights of its people.
: US Special Envoy for the DPRK Stephen Bosworth says, “When North Korea comes back to Six-Party Talks and resumes making progress for the goal of denuclearization, the Security Council will examine the appropriateness of a revision of the sanctions resolution.”
: DPRK says it will allow in more US tourists after years of heavy restrictions on visits, according to the Koryo Group, a tour operator that specializes in DPRK tourism.
: DPRK Ambassador to China Choe Jin-su says that the DPRK will not return to nuclear disarmament negotiations unless the US agrees to peace treaty talks and lifts sanctions.
: Robert King, the US special envoy for DPRK rights issues, says the DPRK must improve its “appalling” human rights record if it wants better relations with the US.
: White House spokesman Robert Gibb dismisses the DPRK’s call for talks on a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War before addressing the issue of dismantling Pyongyang’s nuclear programs.
: DPRK Foreign Ministry says that the resumption of the Six-Party Talks depends on building confidence between Pyongyang and Washington and calls for a peace treaty.
: A senior US State Department official says that the US would welcome a visit to China by DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.
: KCNA rejects Lee Myung-bak’s “grand bargain” idea unless the ROK first discards confrontational policies.
: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg travels to Korea as part of week-long Asia tour.
: President Obama says that Iran and the DPRK “must be held accountable” if they continue to put their pursuit of nuclear weapons ahead of international security.
: State Department spokesman Ian Kelly reiterates that the U.S. will provide a package of incentives to the DPRK if it takes irreversible steps toward its denuclearization.
: An ROK official at the Ministry of National Defense says the ROK has no plan to participate in the U.S.-led global ballistic missile defense (BMD) network.
: Military sources in Korea say the U.S. has started deploying its latest Apache attack helicopters in the ROK to strengthen its deterrent capabilities.
: In a memorandum, President Obama says the U.S. will withhold funding for the DPRK and several other countries for their poor human rights record involving human
trafficking in accordance with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
trafficking in accordance with section 110 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.
: DPRK says that it has entered a final phase of uranium enrichment, and is building more nuclear weapons with spent fuel rods extracted from its only operating plutonium-producing reactor.
: U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Bosworth visits China, South Korea, and Japan for consultations on resuming Six-Party Talks.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong-il says in a commentary carried on Pyongyang Radio, “We can ease tensions and remove the danger of war on the peninsula when the U.S. abandons its hostile policy and signs a peace treaty with us.”
: Ambassador Philip Goldberg, U.S. envoy for implementing UNSC Resolution 1874, visits Seoul and says complete, verifiable denuclearization of the DPRK is “certainly our goal” and that the U.N. sanctions resolution “very much lays that out.”
: The U.S. and South Korea conduct Ulchi Freedom Guardian, an annual joint military exercise involving about 56,000 ROK troops and 10,000 U.S. troops.
: National Security Adviser James Jones says that the U.S. will deal with the DPRK through Six-Party Talks despite Pyongyang’s hope to improve ties with Washington through bilateral negotiations.
: President Obama reiterates that Bill Clinton’s trip to free the two female reporters was a private initiative and not a sign of easing international diplomatic pressure on the DPRK.
: Ex-U.S. President Bill Clinton visits Pyongyang. After talks and dinner with Kim Jong-il, he departs with two U.S. journalists, who had been arrested and sentenced for illicitly entering North Korea from China.
: The North Korea Sanctions Act of 2009 is submitted to the Congress. It calls on the Obama administration to “impose certain sanctions on North Korea as a result of the detonation by that country of a nuclear explosive device on May 25, 2009” under the Arms Export Control Act.
: A survey by Pew Research Center indicates that 78 percent of Koreans now regard the U.S. favorably. This compares sharply to 58 percent in 2007.
: DPRK media criticize annual joint U.S.-ROK Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises as “a military plan aimed at invading the North.”
: DPRK Ambassador to the UN Sin Son-ho says that Pyongyang is “not against dialogue” with Washington. He also says “the Six-Party Talks are gone forever.”
: Ri Hung-sik, director general of the DPRK Foreign Ministry’s International Organization Bureau, dismisses a U.S.-proposed “comprehensive package” of political and economic incentives for Pyongyang as “nonsense.”
: Secretary Clinton urges ASEAN Regional Forum members to keep pressure and enforce UN sanctions on the DPRK to end its nuclear program.
: A DPRK Foreign Ministry official calls Secretary Clinton “by no means intelligent” and a “funny lady.” He says, “Sometimes she looks like a primary schoolgirl and sometimes a pensioner going shopping.”
: Sen. John Kerry sponsors an amendment to the 2010 defense-authorization bill expressing a sense of the Senate that the Obama administration should conduct a review to determine whether the DPRK should be re-listed as a state sponsor of terrorism.
: Secretary Clinton says the DPRK must obey a UN resolution on its international shipments or its vessels will “find no port” for commerce.
: Secretary Clinton says “there is obviously a list of incentives and offers that could be made if the DPRK representatives evidence any willingness to take a different path than the one they are currently pursuing.”
: Assistant Secretary Campbell outlines a two-track strategy involving tougher sanctions but also negotiations if the DPRK is willing to give up its nuclear ambitions.
: Secretary Clinton likens Pyongyang’s behavior to that of unruly children.
: Assistant Secretary Campbell says, “If North Korea is prepared to take serious and irreversible steps, the U.S., South Korea, Japan, China, and others will be able to put together a comprehensive package that would be attractive to North Korea.”
: U.N. Security Council panel imposes new sanctions on North Korea, naming five people and five companies subject to travel bans and a freeze on financial assets. U.S. officials express satisfaction with the list and China agrees to most recommendations.
: Ah Ho-young, ROK deputy trade minister, reaffirms that ROK has no plan to renegotiate its free trade agreement (FTA) signed with the U.S.
: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and the Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell says North Korea is strengthening ties with Burma and that Washington will watch all external support for Burma’s nuclear development, including those by Russia and the DPRK.
: Commander of U.S. forces in Korea Gen. Walter Sharp says the U.S. has no immediate plans to allow South Korea to develop longer-range missiles to counter North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities.
: The DPRK, at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), harshly criticizes the U.S. nuclear threat on the Korean Peninsula, and defends its recent nuclear test.
: U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens says the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and South Korea should be changed based on the understanding that peaceful nuclear development is important to South Korea.
: Voice of America reports that nine more DPRK refugees arrived in the U.S. in June, bringing the total to 91 since passage of the North Korean Human Rights Act in 2004.
: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she hopes the DPRK will free two jailed U.S. reporters. She said the two reporters had expressed “great remorse for the incident,” adding that “everyone is very sorry that it happened.”
: U.S. senators introduce a bill to impose new economic sanctions on the DPRK, re-designate the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism, and expand U.S. military cooperation with ROK and Japan.
: Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker Choi Ku-sik who is spearheading the campaign for the ROK to obtain “programmatic consent” for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, emphasizes that his motive has nothing to do with proliferation.
: President Obama says he doesn’t think a war “is imminent” with the DPRK. He also says, “I think they understand that they would be overwhelmed in a serious military conflict with the United States.”
: ROK Defense Ministry official says the U.S. is open to talks on the possibility of South Korea developing ballistic missiles capable of striking all of North Korea.
: U.S. State Department spokesman Ian Kelly states that the U.S. will not resume food aid to the DPRK unless there is a guarantee that the food will be distributed properly among North Koreans who need it.
: Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan says his ministry will be in charge of persuading the U.S. to allow the ROK to pursue a broader commercial nuclear program including the “recycling” of spent fuel.
: North Korean ship, Kang Nam I, which the U.S. Navy had been tracking because it was suspected of carrying illicit cargo, returns to Nampo without delivering any cargo.
: The DPRK test-fires seven missiles. Vice President Joseph Biden dismisses the latest series of missile launches as, “Some of it seems like almost attention-seeking behavior.”
: President Barack Obama says the U.S. is trying to “keep a door open” for North Korea to return to international nuclear disarmament talks, even as Washington pursues sanctions against the DPRK.
: A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released says that Americans now consider the DPRK its biggest threat, above Iran, China, and Russia.
: North Korea test-fires four short-range KN-01 surface-to-ship missiles, with a range of 120-160 km, from a base at Sinsang-ri north of Wonsan.
: The Obama administration names Philip Goldberg to lead a task force coordinating Washington’s political, military, and financial measures against the DPRK.
: President Obama extends sanctions on commerce with the DPRK for a year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Trading with the Enemy Act.
: UN Development Program says that aid projects will continue as planned in North Korea regardless of the sanctions resolution. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also says plans to continue its medical aid projects for the DPRK.
: U.S. officials say the U.S. military is tracking a DPRK ship believed to be carrying illicit weapons in the Pacific Ocean.
: Secretary Gates orders the U.S. military to take defensive measures should the DPRK attempt to fire a ballistic missile toward Hawaii.
: DPRK newspaper Rodong Sinmun denounces the ROK for “begging” the U.S. for nuclear protection.
: President Lee and President Obama hold a summit in Washington. They adopt a statement for a “joint vision for the Korea-U.S. alliance.”
: Meeting with President Lee, Secretary Gates says the U.S. will use all means necessary, including nuclear arms, to defend the ROK against military threats from the DPRK.
: UNSC unanimously passes Resolution 1874, which calls on UN members to inspect cargo vessels suspected of carrying military materials in or out of North Korea.
: DPRK Foreign Ministry denounces UNSC Resolution 1874 and says that North Korea would “weaponize” its existing plutonium stockpiles, begin a program to enrich uranium and take “firm military action if the United States and its allies try to isolate us.”
: Special Envoy Stephen Bosworth says the U.S. will do what is necessary for the security of its allies, but has no plans to invade the DPRK or overthrow its government by force.
: North Korea’s official news agency announces two U.S. journalists who committed a “grave crime” would be sentenced to 12 years of “reform through labor.”
: Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip Crowley says the U.S. has no intention of relisting the DPRK as a state sponsor of terrorism despite nuclear and missile tests that escalated regional tensions.
: Former Defense Secretary William Perry says that if non-military options do not stem the DPRK’s escalation of tension, the U.S. must consider others, namely military options.
: U.S. delegation led by Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg visits Tokyo, Seoul, and Beijing for talks on how to respond to North Korea’s latest nuclear test.
: Secretary of Defense Gates says the U.S. would hold the DPRK accountable for selling or transferring nuclear material outside its borders.
: Yonhap reports the DPRK has restarted its nuclear reprocessing facility.
: North Korean newspaper Choson Sinbo reports that the DPRK will continue to raise the stakes no matter how seriously it is punished by the international community unless the U.S. takes direct action to resolve the nuclear crisis.
: North Korea announces that it no longer considers the Korean Armistice Agreement valid.
: President Obama criticizes the DPRK for its nuclear test, saying the world must “stand up to” Pyongyang and demand that it honor a promise to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
: South Korean government announces that it will fully participate in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI).
: President Obama tells President Lee in a telephone conversation that “U.S. military strength and nuclear umbrella were expansive enough to protect South Korea.”
: DPRK conducts its second underground nuclear weapons test.
: DPRK fires two short-range missiles from its east coast.
: DPRK’s Korean Central News Agency states that Chairman Kim Jong-il has expressed condolences to the family of former President Roh Moo-hyun.
: Former ROK President Roh Moo-hyun commits suicide.
: President Obama says the KORUS FTA would enhance and promote bilateral ties and prosperity between the two allies.
: U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the 30 ground-based missile interceptor system of the U.S. “is only capable against North Korea, and that 30 interceptors in fact provide a strong defense against Pyongyang.”
: DPRK government newspaper Minju Joson says the DPRK will not come back to the negotiation table unless the U.S. and the ROK give up their “hostile policy.”
: Russian Ambassador-at-large Grigory Logvinov, Moscow’s representative to the Six-Party Talks, and U.S. Special Envoy Sung Kim meet in Moscow and agree to search for diplomatic solutions for settling the dispute surrounding the DPRK’s nuclear program.
: U.S. Special Representative for DPRK Policy Stephen Bosworth says he would consider visiting Pyongyang to revive stalled talks on dismantling the DPRK’s nuclear program.
: North Korea rejects bilateral talks with the U.S. and vows to strengthen its nuclear deterrent because the Obama administration is taking a hostile stance towards the country.
: The DPRK criticizes the U.S. for seeking to increase its military spending, vowing to bolster its own defense capabilities to cope with what it calls “increasing American threats.”
: An unidentified DPRK spokesman says President Obama is no different from his predecessor in trying to “stifle” countries that are uncooperative with the U.S.
: Secretary Clinton says the U.S. will not provide economic aid to the DPRK until it stops threatening to conduct further nuclear and missile tests and returns to the Six-Party Talks.
: Secretary Clinton says it is “implausible, if not impossible” that the DPRK will return to international talks on ending its nuclear ambitions.
: The DPRK says it will conduct a second nuclear test and test-launch ballistic missiles unless the UN apologizes for condemning its recent rocket launch.
: The ROK and the U.S. fail to agree on the completion date and cost-sharing for the relocation of U.S. troops on the peninsula.
: Gen. Walter Sharp, the commander of the U.S. forces in Korea stresses that Washington will continue to offer the ROK protection under its nuclear umbrella after the 2012 transfer of wartime operational control.
: The ROK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee approves the KORUS FTA, paving the way for the entire Assembly to vote on the pact.
: The DPRK orders International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors and a separate U.S. nuclear monitoring team out of the country.
: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticizes the DPRK for its decision to restart its nuclear reactor and to boycott the Six-Party Talks.
: The U.S. and Japan propose lists of DPRK companies, banks, and missile-related equipment to be targeted by the UN sanctions that are to be enforced for the first time since they were imposed in 2006.
: The DPRK Foreign Ministry issues a statement saying the DPRK “resolutely rejects” the “unjust” action taken by the UN and that the DPRK “will bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense in every way.”
: The UNSC unanimously adopts a nonbinding President’s Statement on the DPRK rocket launch, condemning the action as a violation of a resolution banning the country from all missile activity and demanding no further launches.
: Yonhap reports that the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) wants a free trade pact with the ROK to be ratified without renegotiation.
: DPRK warns that it would take “strong steps” if the UNSC took any action in response to the launch, threatening to boycott the Six-Party Talks and restart its nuclear facilities.
: North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) meets and reelects Kim Jong-il to a five-year term as the Chairman of the National Defense Commission (NDC). The SPA also promotes Kim’s brother-in-law, Jang Song-taek, to serve on the NDC.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that the DPRK notified the U.S., China, and Russia in advance of its plan to launch the long-range rocket. According to a ROK National Intelligence Service official, “it is unprecedented for the North to notify the U.S. in advance of the time.”
: North Korea launches a rocket, which ends up in the waters about 1,984 miles from the launch site, about double the range compared to the 1998 launch. U.S. analysts say the failure to launch a satellite might reveal a significant quality control problem in the DPRK.
: President Obama tells Chinese President Hu Jintao that the U.S. would consider a DPRK missile launch provocative and that the U.S. would seek punishment at the UN in response. Obama and President Lee agree on the need for “a unified response by the international community in the event that North Korea launches a long-range missile.”
: Reuters reports that President Barack Obama told President Lee Myung-bak that he wants to make progress on a free trade deal between the two countries.
: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s state radio accuses U.S. RC-135 surveillance aircraft of spying on the launch site on its northeast coast and threatens to shoot it down. The DPRK also vows to wage war against Japan if it tries to shoot down a missile that the DPRK says will carry a communications satellite.
: Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates says that the U.S. has no plans for military action to pre-empt the launching of a long-range missile by North Korea and would act only if the missile or its parts appeared to be headed toward U.S. territory. President Lee says he also opposes any military response to North Korea’s impending rocket launch.
: Two U.S. Aegis radar-equipped destroyers dock in Busan. Rear Adm. Chae Hong-pil of the South Korean Navy says that the U.S. vessels would move into the sea between Japan and Korea to monitor the North Korean missile launch.
: North Korea places a long-range missile on a launch pad as it prepares for what it claims is a satellite launch in early April.
: Hillary Clinton warns that a missile launch would deal a blow to the Six-Party Talks and would bring “consequences.”
: A North Korean Foreign Ministry official warns that if the U.S. pushes for U.N. sanctions in response to its planned rocket launch, it would quit the already stalled Six-Party Talks and restart a nuclear plant making weapons-grade plutonium.
: Gen. Sharp, commander of USFK, tells the Senate Armed Services Committee that “It is both prudent and the ROK’s sovereign obligation to assume primary responsibility for the lead role in its own defense.”
: Yonhap reports that the U.S. and South Korea have reached an agreement on improving ways to share the burden for cleaning up U.S. military bases in Seoul that were returned to South Korean authorities.
: Two U.S. journalists who work for former Vice President Al Gore’s online news outlet are detained by North Korean guards near the border between China and North Korea. Gore asks Secretary Clinton for help, and according to a senior administration official, “She is very engaged and is following it closely.”
: North Korea refuses to accept further humanitarian food aid from the U.S.
: Shin Je-yoon, deputy finance minister, says South Korea is pushing to expand the size and maturity of its $30 billion currency swap deal with the U.S. as part of efforts to better prepare for a liquidity crunch.
: USTR nominee Kirk says he is “generally supportive of the Korea FTA” and pledges to work closely with South Korea to address U.S. concerns over restricted shipments of U.S. beef and an imbalance in auto trade before bringing the FTA to Congress for ratification.
: Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan says the pending FTA with the U.S. would ultimately serve both countries’ interests and expresses hope for swift approval of the deal.
: Secretary Clinton urges North Korea not to launch a ballistic missile, proposing to hold talks on North Korea’s missile program as well as Six-Party Talks on ending the North’s nuclear ambitions.
: A U.S. district court rules that South Korean computer memory-chip maker Hynix must pay a U.S. designer company Rambus $397 million for patent infringement.
: Ron Kirk, President Obama’s nominee for U.S. trade representative (USTR), says at a Senate confirmation hearing that the FTA deal with South Korea “isn’t acceptable” and “not fair,” implying a renegotiation of the deal.
: North Korea cuts military communications lines with South Korea in protest of the annual South Korea-U.S. joint military drills.
: The annual U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise Key Resolve/Foal Eagle is held. According to the USFK, this year’s drill involves 26,000 troops and a nuclear-powered carrier to test the ability to quickly deploy forces in case of a North Korean invasion.
: Stephen Bosworth, U.S. special envoy for North Korea, meets key South Korean policymakers including Minister of Foreign Affairs Yu Myung-ywan and Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee in an effort to restart talks over North Korea’s nuclear program.
: In response to North Korea’s warning, State Department Deputy Spokesman Gordon Duguid says, “The North Koreans should be working on their commitments to the Six-Party Talks rather than making statements that are threatening to peaceful aviation.”
: KCNA, the official North Korean news agency, warns that “security cannot be guaranteed for South Korean civil airplanes flying through the territorial air of our side and its vicinity” while joint military exercises between the U.S. and South Korea are under way.
: The Korean Airport Corporation (KAC) and the Eighth U.S. Army sign a memorandum of understanding that calls for annual antiterrorism drills to better handle explosive materials and to promote bilateral information and technology exchanges
: President Lee says, “It appears from Chairman Kim’s recent activities that there are no serious obstacles for him to continue ruling North Korea, and I think it is better to have a stabilized North Korean regime at this point in time for inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation.”
: In response to the upcoming annual U.S.-South Korea military drill, North Korean government newspaper Minju Joson says, “Our revolutionary armed forces are fully prepared with combat mobilization posture to sternly strike any provocative maneuvers by the enemies to harm the dignity and safety of our republic.”
: Jeon Jei-guk, South Korea’s deputy defense minister for policy, meets with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Sedney in Seoul for the Security Policy Initiative (SPI) meeting.
: A rare meeting between the Korea People’s Army and the United Nations Command is held in Panmunjom.
: The office of the U.S. Trade Representative says the Obama administration will move quickly to address issues related to Congressional approval of free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama.
: Gen. Howie Chandler, commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, says that radar-evading bombers and fighter jets have been deployed together for the first time in Guam.
: During a news conference, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill says that the U.S. will not develop ties with North Korea at the cost of relations with South Korea.
: Gen. Sharp, USFK commander, urges South Korea to participate in a U.S. regional missile defense network to thwart the threat posed by North Korea’s missile programs.
: Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell says at a daily news conference, “We feel we are well prepared to defend the South against any provocation.”
: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visits Seoul as part of her first Asian tour, meeting with Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan to discuss North Korea’s nuclear threat and other regional security issues.
: Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is appointed ROK ambassador to the U.S.
: National Security Advisor Kim Sung-hwan visits Washington for talks with counterparts from the White House, State Department, and Defense Department.
: The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) urges South Korean exporters to strictly follow revised safety rules for children’s products bound for the U.S.
: Yonhap reports that U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Commander Gen. Walter Sharp proposed in a closed meeting that the Eighth U.S. Army command remain in South Korea rather than move to Hawaii as part of a U.S. global realignment plan, even after Washington hands back full control of South Korean troops to Seoul in 2012.
: President Barack Obama and President Lee Myung-bak have a telephone conversation and exchange ideas on pending issues, including North Korea’s nuclear problems and global recession. Obama emphasizes that solving North Korea’s nuclear problem through the Six-Party Talks is important.
: The U.S. government imposes two-year sanctions on three North Korean firms for their involvement in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
: The Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea, the North’s agency in charge of relations with the South, declares all political and military agreements with South Korea void, including the 1991 Agreement on Reconciliation, Nonaggression and Exchange.
: Yonhap reports that a South Korean Navy destroyer has sailed into waters near the disputed western sea border with North Korea – the scene of naval skirmishes in 1999 and 2002 – to bolster defenses there.
: Foreign Ministry of North Korea announces the country would maintain its “status as a nuclear weapons state” as long as it perceived a nuclear threat from the U.S.
: North Korean military declares an “all-out confrontational posture” against the South and threatens a naval clash.
: North Korean Foreign Ministry calls for “free field access” to ensure there are no nuclear weapons in South Korea. The statement also says that the North will not to give up its nuclear weapons until the U.S. drops its “hostile policy” and establishes diplomatic relations.
: New York Times reports that a group of former Korean prostitutes have accused past South Korean governments and the U.S. military of taking a direct hand in the sex trade from the 1960s through the 1980s.
: U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley says intelligence officials are growing more concerned that North Korea may be continuing uranium-based activities.
: Opposition members of Parliament end their violent 12-day siege of South Korea’s Parliament after successfully delaying a key vote on the KORUS FTA. The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) agrees to postpone the vote until after Obama’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
: A team of senior South Korean officials and academics led by Deputy National Security Adivsor Kim Tae-hyo arrives in Washington to meet some of Obama’s diplomatic aides and Korea experts at Washington-based think tanks.
: The U.S. agrees to a South Korea-proposed timetable for relocating its military command out of Seoul by 2014, but the sides remain split on when to complete the relocation of a frontline U.S. Army base.
: State-run North Korean newspapers refrain from issuing their usual blistering New Year’s Day diatribe against the U.S. and reaffirm North Korea’s commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
: The last 520 South Korean soldiers depart Iraq, ending South Korea’s four-year mission to the country.
: Adm. Timothy Keating of U.S. Pacific Command states that North Korea possesses intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S., including Hawaii and territories of the U.S. in the Pacific.
: Secretary of State Rice states that the Bush administration is committed to continuing to work toward written commitments on inspections of the DPRK’s disarmament program until President Bush’s last day in office.
: The DPRK threatens to slow disablement of its Yongbyon nuclear facility after the U.S. announces it will suspend fuel aid due to the DPRK’s refusal to accept a nuclear disarmament verification plan.
: U.S. Department of Defense spokesman Stewart Upton states that a DOD report that characterizes North Korea as one of five Asian nuclear powers “does not reflect official U.S. government policy regarding the status of North Korea.”
: Six-Party Talks are held in Beijing, focusing on drafting an agreement on verification protocol. China circulates a draft protocol for verifying Yongbyon’s nuclear information. However, talks conclude with no written agreement regarding the denuclearization verification protocol.
: Secretary Hill meets with his DPRK counterpart Kim Kye-gwan in Singapore to discuss the protocol of verification, fuel delivery, and schedule of disablements prior to the start of the Six-Party Talks.
: Secretary of State Rice states that the purpose of the Six-Party Talks scheduled for Dec. 8 is to codify the “number of assurances and a number of understandings” regarding the disarmament verification protocol.
: Special Envoy Sung Kim states that “There is no confusion between Washington and Pyongyang on what was agreed” regarding disarmament verification.
: The U.S. and ROK reach an agreement on how cost sharing for operating U.S. military bases in South Korea over the next five years, with the ROK expected to increase its financial contribution by the same proportion as the local inflation rate for each year until 2013.
: The Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that a verbal deal reached between the DPRK and the U.S. last month would allow inspectors to take samples from the Yongbyon nuclear complex, but only after it enters the next phase of the denuclearization process.
: The Donga Ilbo reports that the U.S. plans to complete the relocation of U.S. troops from Yongsan Garrison and Gyeonggi Province to Pyeontaek by 2016, citing the impossibility of advancing the schedule due to budget and technical problems.
: President Lee meets former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Representative Jim Leach, two top aides to President-elect Obama, “to exchange views on various issues of mutual interest, including ways to overcome the global economic crisis.”
: North Korean Foreign Ministry states that it will not allow outside inspectors to take soil and nuclear waste samples from the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
: U.S. and ROK celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Combined Forces Command. CFC Commander Gen. Walter Sharp states that despite the pending deactivation of the command in 2012, the defense capabilities of the U.S.-ROK alliance would continue to improve.
: U.S. ships 50,000 metric tons of heavy fuel oil to North Korea as part of the nuclear disarmament deal.
: President Lee states that he would not oppose a summit between President Obama and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il if it helps bring an end to North Korea’s nuclear program, supporting a statement made by Obama during his campaign that he would be willing to hold direct talks with the DPRK.
: State Department spokesman Robert Wood expresses U.S. thanks to South Korea for the Zaytun Division’s contribution to Iraqi stabilization.
: During a telephone conversation, President Lee and President-elect Obama agree to further reinforce the bilateral alliance and to closely cooperate in addressing the global financial crisis and the North Korean nuclear issue.
: AP reports that a North Korean diplomat states that North Korea is ready to deal with any new U.S. administration following Obama’s election victory, and that the DPRK will be open to dialogue if the U.S. seeks it.
: Sung Kim, U.S. State Department’s special envoy for North Korea, and Ri Gun, North Korean Foreign Ministry’s director for North American affairs, meet in New York to discuss the next steps in implementing Pyongyang’s pledge to dismantle its nuclear program.
: Lee Hye-min, South Korea’s chief free-trade regulator, warns President-elect Obama that renegotiating the U.S.-ROK FTA would contradict international custom and potentially damage “the balance that was achieved when the deal was reached.”
: Rodong Simmun reports that the DPRK will further strengthen its defense capabilities against a nuclear threat from the U.S. in response to the U.S. Air Force’s Oct. 24 announcement that it would create a nuclear command.
: Negotiations between the U.S. and South Korea regarding how to share the cost of maintaining 28,000 U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula conclude without substantial results.
: Secretary Hill states that on-site inspections of North Korean nuclear facilities should start as early as the end of the year after Six-Party Talks delegates approve a recent U.S.-DPRK agreement on how to check information Pyongyang provides about its nuclear activities.
: The ROK Defense Ministry announces that South Korea and the U.S. will, for the first time, conduct a joint search of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) for soldiers buried during the Korean War.
: Following the annual U.S. – ROK Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) held in Washington, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates affirms that the U.S. remains committed to defending South Korea, that its armed forces would respond “quickly with appropriate military power in case of a military emergency, and that South Korea will continue to receive the protection of the “U.S. nuclear umbrella”.
: A ship carrying a delivery of food aid comprised of 20,000 tons of corn and 5,000 tons of beans departs from the U.S. and is scheduled to arrive in North Korea on Nov. 18.
: President George W. Bush announces South Korea’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program, which allows Korean citizens to stay in the U.S. for up to 90 days without visas.
: The ROK Justice Ministry announces that U.S. Forces, Korea (USFK) has refused to share the expenses the Korean government was forced to pay for lawsuits involving U.S. military activities. USFK’s says the Status of Forces Agreement allows it to differ from the Korean court’s decision if it was out of sync with its own judgment.
: IAEA inspectors reseal equipment and reactivate cameras at the Yongbyon nuclear complex.
: U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon, and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Kenichiro Sasae meet in Washington to discuss trilateral security cooperation issues, including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Northeast Asian political situation, regional cooperation, and major international security issues.
: North Korea lifts its ban on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections and announces that it will continue to disable Yongbyon nuclear facilities.
: U.S. removes North Korea from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. State Department spokesman McCormack states that “Every single element of verification that we sought going in is part of this package.”
: North Korea bars international nuclear inspectors from all parts of its Yongbyon nuclear complex and threatens to restart its reactor.
: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insists that North Korea must meet proper standards for verifying its nuclear disarmament, while declining to comment on the outcome of talks that Secretary Christopher Hill held with North Korean officials.
: Yonhap reports that North Korea fired two short-range missiles into international waters in the Yellow Sea as part of a routine military drill. State Department spokesman McCormack states that the U.S. advises against the firing of short-range missiles because “It’s not helpful in any way managing tensions within the region.”
: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill meets Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Dawei in Beijing to discuss the outcome of his negotiations with North Korean officials.
: U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack reiterates that a verification protocol is an “irreducible component of the six-party process moving forward.”
: ROK Defense Ministry states that the U.S. has asked for a delay in the schedule to relocate U.S. military bases in South Korea by up to four years due to budgetary constraints.
: Assistant Secretary of State Hill meets South Korean counterpart Kim Sook to discuss Hill’s visit to Pyongyang. Later, he meets his Japanese counterpart Saiki Akitaka for similar discussions.
: Christopher Hill, chief U.S. negotiator for the Six-Party Talks, visits Pyongyang for talks on nuclear disarmament.
: Assistant Secretary Hill departs for Seoul with the intent to travel to Pyongyang for meetings aimed at breaking the impasses on the verification protocol.
: In an interview with Reuters, Secretary Rice states that the U.S. is not considering halting fuel aid to North Korea despite growing tension over North Korea’s moves to rebuild its nuclear program.
: U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens arrives in Seoul, stressing that the U.S. and South Korea should work together to resolve issues such as the FTA, a visa waiver program, and the denuclearization of North Korea.
: Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan announces in Washington a final agreement on a deal with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to allow South Korea to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
: The IAEA announces that its inspectors have been barred from the reprocessing plant in Yongbyon and that North Korea announced that it intends to resume production of nuclear weapons-grade fuel within a week.
: The IAEA states that North Korea has asked the agency to remove its seals from the Pyongyang nuclear reactor.
: Defense Secretary Robert Gates states that the U.S. is monitoring North Korea closely for potential instability in the wake of Kim Jong-il’s stroke last month.
: The DPRK Foreign Ministry releases a statement that North Korea no longer wishes to be removed from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism List and confirms that it has begun reassembling the Yongbyon facility that can produce weapons-grade plutonium.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that North Korea has completed tests on an engine mechanism for an intercontinental missile capable of hitting major cities on the U.S. west coast at a previously unidentified missile launch site on the west coast of North Korea.
: In North Korea’s first reaction to reports that Kim Jong-il is in poor health, Ambassador Song Il-ho denies the claim and states that, “We see such reports as not only worthless, but rather as a conspiracy plot.”
: President of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly Kim Yong Nam states that the halt in disablement and the moves to reassemble the Yongbyon nuclear facility are aimed at pressing the U.S. to take North Korea off its State Sponsors of Terrorism List.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s failure to appear at a military parade celebrating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea prompts speculation regarding his health and rumors that he has suffered a stroke.
: The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announces that it will send seven inspectors from the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service to 22 U.S. meat processing and packing facilities to review conformance with established export rules.
: Assistant Secretary Hill completes two days of meetings in Beijing with his Chinese, Russian, Japanese, and South Korean counterparts, stating that the U.S. would take North Korea off the State Sponsors of Terrorism List “immediately” if it would agree to a verification regime for denuclearization.
: Reacting to activity at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, State Department spokesman McCormack denies that North Korea is rebuilding the facility, stating that North Korea is only “moving some equipment around that they had previously put into storage” and that no effort has been made to “reconstruct, reintegrate this equipment.”
: U.S. Ambassador Alexander Vershbow, who will leave his post in South Korea at the end of September, states that while the U.S.-ROK alliance has important security functions, its role should be expanded to include global issues such as climate change, food security, and multilateral trade.
: The IAEA reports that it was informed on Aug. 18 that North Korea had suspended disablement of the Yongbyon nuclear facility.
: South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak leaves for Washington to meet the U.S. presidential candidates, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte, and Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill to discuss regional issues and the Six-Party Talks.
: U.S. Forces Korea announces that when South Korea takes wartime control of all troops in the country in 2012, operations will continue under three military commands. The U.S. will lead one command, while South Korea will lead two commands.
: Negotiations in Seoul between the U.S. and South Korea on increasing South Korea’s financial share in maintaining U.S. troops on the peninsula conclude without agreement.
: State Department’s Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim arrives in Beijing for the second time in two weeks to consult with Chinese officials in an effort to resolve the stalemate in finalizing details for the North Korean denuclearization verification system.
: Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez notes during a news briefing that the ratification of the KORUS FTA was “just a matter of when, rather than if,” noting his hope for Congress’ action during the lame duck session.
: After the 45-day notification period to Congress (from June 26), the U.S. does not remove North Korea from the State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism List because North Korea has failed to agree to verification protocol for denuclearization.
: Kurt Tong, a National Security Council director, replaces Sung Kim as the head of the Korea Desk at the U.S. State Department.
: Presidents George W. Bush and Lee Myung-Bak meet in Seoul and issue a joint statement pressing North Korea to improve its citizens’ human rights, a rare mention of the North Korean human rights issue in a U.S.-South Korean joint statement.
: The South Korean government’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission completes an initial investigation concluding that the U.S. military indiscriminately killed large groups of refugees and civilians early in the Korean War. The Commission is urging the South Korean government to seek U.S. compensation for victims’ families.
: Kathleen Stephens is confirmed by the Senate to serve as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. The confirmation by voice vote came after Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., removed a hold on Stephens over objections regarding the Bush Administration’s policy on North Korea.
: A shipment of 2.2 tons of U.S. beef arrives at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, marking the first import of U.S. beef in four years.
: The Donga Ilbo reports that a group from the Institute for Strategic Reconciliation has been sent to teach English to North Korean middle school students, marking the first time North Korea has invited U.S. citizens to teach in the North Korean school system.
: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice meets with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun in Singapore on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum conference, marking the first time in four years that the U.S. and North Korea hold a Cabinet-level meeting.
: Senior defense officials from the U.S. and South Korea meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss how to share joint defense costs to maintain the 28,000 U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula, but are unable to reach an agreement.
: Yonhap News reports that a comprehensive report on environmental damages at U.S. bases in Korea covering the past 10 years shows significant environmental damage, with land contamination from oil being the most serious problem.
: U.S. Forces, Japan Commander Lt. Gen. Edward Rice urges North Korea to disclose more information about its military capabilities and purposes, describing the country as posing “a potential threat” to Northeast Asia.
: Head of Delegations Meeting of Six-Party Talks concludes in Beijing with North Korea apparently agreeing to disable its main reactor by the end of October and to allow international inspectors to verify its nuclear disarmament in exchange for economic aid. Technical details of the verification process are still to be determined by a working group.
: Head of Delegations Meeting of Six-Party Talks convenes in Beijing, focusing on the establishment of verification protocol for North Korean denuclearization.
: North Korea accuses the U.S. of escalating tension after the U.S. announces a U.S.-South Korean joint military exercise, which North Korea views as a criminal act. The exercise, Ulchi-Freedom Guardian, will be led by the ROK Army with assistance from the U.S. to prepare for transfer of full control of ROK forces to South Korea in 2012.
: Chosun Ilbo reports that the U.S. Department of Agriculture Quality System Assessment program, which guarantees that beef exported to South Korea comes from cattle aged under 30 months and is the last step prior to beginning beef exports to South Korea, is now under way in the U.S.
: The U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack responds to questions regarding whether North Korea fully disclosed information on its uranium program and nuclear proliferation by stating that Pyongyang’s declaration was “completed” and that North Korea “made statements that can be verified.”
: State Department spokesman McCormack reports that the U.S. has reserved $19.5 million to fund North Korea’s nuclear disarmament through the State Department’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund.
: South Korea’s Cabinet approves a bill on the KORUS Free Trade Agreement in an effort to win parliamentary approval for the delayed deal after resuming U.S. beef imports.
: On a tour through Asia, Secretary Rice meets ROK Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan in Seoul.
: North Korea demolishes a cooling tower at its Yongbyon reactor.
: Secretary Rice authors opinion article in the Wall Street Journal supporting the negotiation process with North Korea and confirming the intent to remove the DPRK from the terrorism list and TWEA with submission of its nuclear declaration to China.
: North Korea submits long-awaited nuclear declaration to China as the Chair of the Six-Party Talks. In exchange the U.S. agrees to lift key Trading with the Enemy Act sanctions and remove North Korea from its terrorism list.
: President Bush signs a National Emergency Declaration, which reinstates many of the TWEA restrictions due to continuing proliferation threat from North Korea.
: U.S. resumes beef exports to South Korea despite intensified protests. South Korean quarantine inspections restart as well.
: President Bush telephones Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda ahead of an anticipated nuclear declaration from North Korea to indicate support for Japan’s ongoing claims against North Korea over the abduction issue.
: Secretary Hill meets Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei to discuss North Korea’s denuclearization declaration.
: After a week of negotiations in Washington, DC, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon reach a revised agreement on U.S. beef exports to Korea.
: Trilateral talks among Six-Party Talks negotiators from U.S. South Korea, and Japan. Japan expresses concern over U.S. plans to remove the DPRK from its state sponsors of terrorism list.
: Secretary Rice speech at Heritage Foundation expresses support for the six party process and previews the U.S. steps in conjunction with North Korea’s declaration.
: In a televised statement South Korean Justice Minister Kim Kyung-han vows to take action against protestors against U.S. beef in order restore order.
: Gen. Walter Sharp assumes command of United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea.
: Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates meet in Seoul to discuss mutual military interests. During the meeting, Gates endorses extended tours for US troops in South Korea. They also agree to maintain current U.S. troop strength at 28,500.
: The Unification Ministry states that if the DPRK completely denuclearizes the ROK has agreed to send 1,000 tons of copper as economic aid.
: Papers report that the DPRK attempted to export a GPS jamming device to Iran and Syria. The device can interfere with the signal needed by GPS guided bombs and missiles.
: Secretary Hill meets Minister Kim Gye-Gwan in Beijing to discuss the aid that the DPRK will receive if it fully denuclearizes and the possibility of removing the DPRK off the US list of state sponsors of terror.
: An unidentified South Korean official confirms to Yonhap News Agency that the ROK plans to buy DPRK fuel rods in an attempt to speed up the denuclearization process.
: South Korea delays U.S. beef importation for up to 10 days due to public unrest. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez says the event is “unfortunate.”
May 18-19, 2008: Secretary Hill meets counterparts Kim Sook of South Korea and Akitaka Saiki of Japan in Washington, DC.
May 18-19, 2008: Secretary Hill meets counterparts Kim Sook of South Korea and Akitaka Saiki of Japan in Washington, DC.
: South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reports that the ROK government will send $9.6 million in humanitarian aid to the DPRK to mitigate the effects of famine.
: U.S. team headed by Sung Kim returns from the DPRK with 18,000 pages of documents on DPRK nuclear activities at Yongbyon.
: ROK Agriculture Ministry official confirms to Agence France-Presse plans to resume imports of beef from U.S. in late May.
: Presidential Spokesperson Lee Dong-kwan states that the Lee administration is trying to alleviate the public panic surrounding mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
: House Foreign Affairs Committee passes legislation to allow the DPRK denuclearization process to be funded by Department of Energy. The U.S. plans to give $50 million in the fiscal year 2008 and up to $360 million in fiscal year 2009. Committee also approves a bill that requires a “complete and correct declaration” of all nuclear programs before North Korea can be removed from the state sponsors of terror list.
: The ROK Defense Ministry reports that they were not notified when the U.S. relocated a Korea-based AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter squadron to Afghanistan.
: Agreement is reached between the DPRK and the U.S. that the DPRK will give thousands of pages of documentation on nuclear activity at Yongbyon.
: U.S. intelligence officials show U.S. lawmakers a videotape of a remote nuclear reactor site in Syria that links the activity to North Korea.
: U.S. Department of Defense announces a plan to extend the assignment period from one year to three years for U.S. military stationed in South Korea.
: CIA and White House officials brief key lawmakers on evidence of a DPRK-Syria nuclear technology transfer. The CIA describes the capabilities of a plutonium-based nuclear reactor to create nuclear weapons.
: Team of U.S. officials and nuclear experts led by Sung Kim, director of Korean Affairs at the Department of State meet Kim Gye-Gwan and others in Pyongyang to discuss the details of the North Korean nuclear declaration.
: President Lee holds summit with Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo in Japan. The leaders reach an agreement to strengthen U.S., ROK, and Japan relations, which includes a three-way dialogue to discuss the DPRK’s nuclear program.
: President Lee arrives at Camp David for his summit with President Bush.
: Presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan confirms that Cheong Wa Dae has decided to send at least ten police officers to train Afghan police cadets.
: A coalition of 500 U.S. businesses and state and local chambers of commerce present a joint statement calling for speedy ratification of the ROK-U.S. FTA to President Lee at the end of a meeting organized by the Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC.
: ROK Foreign Ministry names Kim Sook, former North American Bureau director, to be the top ROK negotiator to the Six-Party Talks replacing Chun Young-woo.
: President Lee Myung-bak’s Grand National Party wins a majority in the parliamentary elections by securing 153 of the 299 seats. The results are a blow to the United Democratic Party headed by minority leader Park Geun-hye.
: Top negotiators of North Korea, China, U.S., South Korea, and Japan meet separately in Beijing. Secretary Hill states that he has good discussions with all his counterparts but much work remains. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and lead Chinese negotiator Wu Dawei states that he expects a resolution in the fall.
: In confirmation hearings, U.S. Ambassador-designate to South Korea Kathleen Stephens expresses hope that the ROK will deploy troops to Afghanistan and that the issue will be discussed at upcoming talks between Presidents Bush and Lee at Camp David.
April 14, 2008: South Korea’s Yonhap News reports that after gaining a majority in the National Assembly, the GNP is pushing to open a parliamentary session next month to resolve several issues including the KORUS FTA. Spokesperson for the GNP Cho Yoon-sun, states, “We must open a May assembly session and vote on the ROK-US free trade agreement and other bills.”
: Assistant Secretary Hill and DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Gye-Gwan meet in Singapore. Press reports indicate that an agreement is reached in which the DPRK would acknowledge U.S. concerns regarding DPRK proliferation activities and concerns on uranium enrichment. Both negotiators express satisfaction in the main outcome of the meeting.
: The Rodong Shinmun attacks the U.S. for transferring nuclear technology to other countries including the ROK. It said “The United States is not entitled to say anything about the “nuclear issue” of others.”
: The DPRK’s Tongil Shinmun denounces the ROK’s possible membership in the U.S.-led ballistic missile defense system, condemning it as a preemptive strike on the DPRK.
: Lt. General Walter J. Sharp, nominated to be the commander of U.S. and UN forces in Korea, informed the Senate Armed Service Committee that the ROK should upgrade its anti-missile defense system to the PAC-3 Patriot missile defense system.
: Pyongyang announces that it will take unspecified “military countermeasures” if the ROK does not apologize for Gen. Kim Tae-young’s comment regarding a preemptive strike.
: The DPRK’s Worker’s Party Newspaper, Rodong Shinmun, criticizes President Lee Myung-Bak, calling him a “sycophant” a “confrontational maniac” and a “traitor”.
: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Kim Tae-young, states to the National Assembly that the ROK would consider a preemptive military strike on nuclear facilities in North Korea if it believed the DPRK was about to launch a nuclear assault.
: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill holds bilateral consultations with ROK counterpart Chun Young-woo in Seoul and meets other senior officials, including Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong, Vice Foreign Minister Kwon Jong-rak and Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon.
: The ROK government pleads with local assemblymen to pass the Korea-U.S. (KORUS) Free Trade Agreement.
: Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan visits the U.S. and meets Secretary Rice to prepare for the April 15 summit to take place between the presidents.
: U.S. State Department notifies Congress of six arms and defense exports to Korea in 2007, each amounting to $50 million.
: ROK National Security Advisor Byung-kook Kim leaves for Washington to meet National Security Advisor Hadley and Secretary Rice.
: Gen. Bell denies making the statement that ROK will pay $10 billion to relocate U.S. troops. He claims this was a misunderstanding and that ROK is actually expected to pay W5.59 trillion (approximately $5.75 billion).
: ROK claims that Gen. Bell’s statements to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee claiming that Korea will cover the majority of costs of relocating troops from Seoul are unrealistic and wishful thinking. The Korean Defense ministry states that the maximum amount paid by ROK will be $4.38 billion.
: President Lee urges farmers to end their opposition to the ROK-U.S. trade agreement in favor of constructive dialogue. He states that although the government has budgeted $100 billion for rural communities, free trade should be discussed on the part of the farmers.
: Gen. Bell tells the House Appropriations Committee that the ROK has agreed to cover majority of the costs of moving U.S. forces out of Seoul, an approximate cost of $10 billion, also stating that both countries will equally split the costs of relocating the 2nd Infantry Division.
: Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Christopher Hill and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan hold talks in Geneva aimed at breaking the deadlock over North Korea’s nuclear program. Hill describes the discussion as a good consultation. State Department’s head of Korean affairs, Sung Kim, remains in Geneva and has an additional meeting with representatives from North Korea on March, 14.
: Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee talks via phone with his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates to discuss the prioritizing of a cost sharing plan for U.S. troops in Korea. Ambassador Vershbow also visited Lee to further discuss the U.S. position on the issue.
: Announcement is made that Presidents Lee and Bush will meet at Camp David for a private dinner and summit in mid-April. This will be the first time that leaders from the U.S. and ROK will meet there instead of the White House.
: Ambassador Alexander Vershbow says the U.S. wants the ROK to assume 50 percent of non-personnel costs for U.S. troops in Korea. He also expresses the idea of a longer term agreement rather than continuing to renegotiate on an annual basis.
: Assistant Secretary of State Hill meets South Korean counterpart Chun Yung-woo to discuss how to resume the Six-Party Talks.
: The DPRK intensifies its criticism of the joint military exercises between ROK and U.S.
: 27,000 US troops, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, and a number of ROK soldiers begin the military exercises known as Key Resolve and Foal Eagle to improve both countries’ combat-readiness.
: President Bush meets 20 experts to discuss a strategy to win ratification of the FTA with ROK amid growing concerns that the agreement may not be ratified.
: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs a landmark concert in North Korea. The concert was broadcast live on local television and included the national anthems of both countries, music by two U.S. composers, and a Korean folk song. The visit entailed the largest U.S. presence in North Korea since the end of the Korean War.
: Condoleezza Rice attends the inauguration ceremony of President Lee and confirms the strong alliance between the two countries.
: The chief U.S. negotiator for the FTA repeats the message that the ROK has to open its market to beef imports if Korea wants the U.S. to ratify the agreement.
: A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine arrives in Busan to prepare for the Key Resolve/Foal Eagle Exercise 2008 scheduled for early March.
: Japan, Korea, and the U.S. agree to mobilize their militaries together to handle non-security related matters such as disaster situations.
: President-elect Lee urges President Roh to work closely with the National Assembly to ratify the U.S.-ROK FTA before his term expires. Lee Hye-min, ROK deputy negotiator for the FTA, states in a radio address that both countries agreed that there will be no additional negotiation of the agreement.
: President-elect Lee names former Ambassador to Japan Yu Myung-hwan as foreign minister and former Defense chief Gen. Lee Sang-hee as defense minister.
: ROK and U.S. sign an agreement to boost cooperation between the countries’ militaries in the information technology sector. This is done in preparation for the transfer of wartime OPCON of ROK forces so that both militaries will be able to effectively support joint missions.
: U.S. Representative Royce submits a bill to the House to upgrade ROK to the level of NATO +3 member status in the U.S. foreign military sales program. This will allow ROK to purchase a wider variety of military supplies at a lower price.
: In Hawaii, officials from ROK and the U.S. discuss the handling of U.S. ammunition reserves stored in ROK. These talks are part of a plan to end the program of stockpiling munitions in Korea.
: Members of the Democratic Labor Party blockade the location where the Parliament was to discuss the U.S.-ROK FTA, forcing the meeting to be postponed.
: President of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Lee Suk-haeng begins a four-day trip to the U.S. to discuss joint action with U.S. labor groups to block the ratification of the ROK-U.S. FTA.
: President-elect Lee, in a meeting with 10 members of the New Beginnings Group formed by Stanford University and the Korea Society, including former ambassadors Mike Armacost, Tom Hubbard, and Jack Pritchard, states that the ratification of the FTA would take the U.S.-ROK alliance to a new level of cooperation.
: U.S. Forces, Korea announces plans to reduce its troop level to 25,000 by the end of the year as part of a global plan to reposition U.S. troops.
: Gen. Bell announces plans to extend length of tours for U.S. soldiers from one to three years and increase opportunities for their families to stay in Korea.
: Following a month-long investigation, the Ministry of National Defense states that it aims to complete by 2010 a decontamination process at 18 former U.S. military bases transferred to ROK.
: Korean newspapers report concern that the ROK-US FTA is in danger.
: Commander, U.S. Pacific Command Adm. Timothy Keating states that the transfer of wartime OPCON is very important and the U.S. forces in Korea will remain between 25,000-28,000 troops.
: Gen. Bell states that the U.S. is unwilling to renegotiate the transfer of wartime OPCON of ROK, seeing “no military rationale” to delay the transfer.
: In his State of the Union Address, President Bush urges lawmakers to ratify the FTA with ROK, stating that it will enhance U.S. competitiveness in fast-changing Asian markets and strengthen the alliance between the two countries.
: Kathleen Stephens, advisor at the State Department’s East Asia and Pacific Affairs, is nominated as the next U.S. ambassador to ROK.
: Ministry of National Defense states that ROK and U.S. militaries agree to conduct joint recovery and identification of soldiers’ remains from the Korean War.
: A ROK liaison officer is sent to the US Navy’s 5th fleet in Bahrain to work on better cooperation with the U.S. Navy, and to coordinate protection of ROK citizens, ships, and sailors in the region amidst growing numbers of pirate attacks.
: Chung shows caution over renegotiating the transfer of the wartime military OPCON of ROK troops. He states that according to some Korea experts he met with in the U.S., the transfer could send the wrong message to the DPRK. Chung meets with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, but said he will not bring up the transfer first.
: President Bush “drops by” on Chung’s meeting with National Security Advisor Steve Hadley and indicates that bolstering the U.S.-ROK alliance is one of his top priorities and he is anxious for a visit from Lee.
: Chung Mong-joon, the special envoy of President-elect Lee, arrives in Washington to discuss positions of the incoming government including improvement of bilateral relations, ratification of the FTA, and the ROK’s entry into the U.S. visa waiver program. Chung also states that the U.S.-ROK relationship has been damaged in the past due to a lack of sincere dialogue and that the new government hopes to rectify this.
: President-elect Lee states that the Combined Forces Command is an important force in providing Northeast Asian security. He discusses with Gen. Burwell Bell many issues to further improve the ROK-U.S. military alliance and maintain a defense position against the DPRK.
: Ahn Sang-soo, floor leader of the Grand National Party, says the National Assembly has discussed the possibility of ratifying the FTA with the U.S. by the end of February. Sohn Hak-kyu, the new chairman of the United Democratic New Party, says he would back the agreement if provisions are made to help rural farmers who could be hurt by the agreement.
: The ROK presidential transition committee begins considering whether ROK should be a part of the U.S.-led Proliferation Security Initiative since full participation may affect inter-Korean relations.
: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill states that President Bush plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to attend President-elect Lee’s inauguration ceremony in February.
: Korea Herald reports that a U.S. delegation, intent on transferring wartime OPCON of ROK troops in 2012, will meet with Lee’s transition team on Jan. 14 to discuss the issue. The delegation will be headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Sedney.
: President-elect Lee, in a meeting with Assistant Secretary Hill, asks the U.S. to engage in dialogue with the North Korean military leadership to assuage fears of regime collapse.
: Transition team spokesman Lee Dong-gwan states that the scheduled transfer of wartime OPCON of ROK military forces needs to be carefully considered in light of the North Korean nuclear issue.
: U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab says in a teleconference from Las Vegas that the benefits from the ROK-U.S. FTA should not be sacrificed due to some opposition. She argues that the agreement benefits all Americans.
: President-elect Lee states in a meeting with U.S. experts led by Stephen Solarz that Seoul and Washington should work together to form a stronger alliance.
: ROK Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo says wartime OPCON of ROK troops must be transferred from the U.S. by the agreed April 17, 2012 date, but left open that this transfer may be rescheduled depending on security circumstances in 2012.
: North Korea fails to meet the Dec. 31 deadline for a complete and correct declaration of its nuclear programs.
: President-Elect Lee vows to revise “Sunshine Policy” with North Korea.
: Former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party is elected president of South Korea.
: Sung Kim, director of the Korea Desk at the U.S. State Department visits North Korea to discuss the declaration of its nuclear programs. According to sources, North Korean officials repeatedly denied the existence of a uranium enrichment program during the visit.
: South Korean news agency Yonhap reports that North Korea responded verbally to the personal letter from President Bush to Chairman Kim Jong-il saying the North “appreciates President Bush’s letter, will fulfill its obligations and expects the U.S. to perform what it has to do.” It was unclear whether the North Korean message was from Chairman Kim.
: New York Philharmonic Orchestra announces that it will perform in North Korea on Feb. 26, 2008.
: South Korea withdraws its military forces from Afghanistan.
: Christopher Hill delivers a personal letter from President Bush to Kim Jong-il that urges North Korea to fully declare their nuclear programs.
: Christopher Hill, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, visits China, Japan, South, and North Korea to discuss the North Korea disarmament process.
: House of Representatives proposes citizenship to Korean War children.
: President Roh proposes immediate four-party talks on peace on the Korean Peninsula.
: South Korea and U.S. conduct ground-breaking ceremony for $12 billion Yongsan base relocation project in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province.
: North Korea expresses gratitude for U.S. help in ending a high-seas standoff with Somali pirates, describing the maritime collaboration as a “symbol of cooperation” between the two countries “in the struggle against terrorism.”
: President Bush encourages U.S. Congress to pass FTA.
: U.S. team begins disabling North Korea’s nuclear facilities.
: President Roh calls for the National Assembly to ratify the KORUS FTA.
: South Korean Foreign Minister Song Min-Soon visits Canada and U.S.
: Nine-member U.S. team of nuclear experts arrive in North Korea to begin supervising the disablement of the nuclear facilities at Yongbyon, which is expected to begin within a week.
: U.S. Navy assists crew of hijacked North Korea ship of the Somali coast.
: U.S. and South Korea discuss visa waiver program and South Korea’s electronic passport progress.
: U.S. calls for talks among the U.S., South Korea, North Korea, and China regarding ending the Korean War.
: U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution calling on Chinese government to stop forcible repatriation of North Korea refuges.
: U.S. says it plans to share advanced surveillance aircraft, the Global Hawk, with South Korea by 2011.
: President Roh says his government will seek a one-year extension for South Korea troops in Iraq.
: Follow-on team comprised of 12 U.S. nuclear experts arrives in Pyongyang to negotiate specific steps in implementing the agreement to disable North Korea’s nuclear facilities by the end of the year.
: U.S. trade officials assert U.S. Congress will not debate KORUS FTA until U.S. beef imports resume to South Korea.
: U.S. and South Korea conduct talks to resume importation of U.S. beef.
: South Korea begins environmental cleanup for 32 of 59 U.S. military facilities that will be returned to South Korea as part of 2004 land swap to reposition U.S. forces south of Seoul.
: U.S. nuclear disablement team arrives in North Korea to finalize a plan for disablement procedures for North Korean nuclear facilities.
: South Korea resumes annual military training exercise Hwarang, which was delayed during the October South Korea/North Korea summit.
: President Roh and North Korea Leader Kim Jong-il sign a declaration for the advancement of inter-Korean relations, peace and prosperity at the close of the inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang.
: Beijing announces that a joint agreement reached at the Six-Party Talks on disabling North Korea’s nuclear facilities and declaration of its nuclear programs by Dec. 31 has been approved by all parties.
: White House denies that President Bush will meet presidential hopeful Lee Myung-bak, saying that it didn’t want to interfere with South Korea’s politics.
: At North-South Summit, Kim Jong-il and President Roh Moo-hyun discuss inter-Korean peace and investment plans.
: State Department spokesperson announces the U.S. has endorsed the draft joint statement that sets out the second stage of North Korea’s denuclearization process.
: Second Session of the Sixth Round of the Six Party Talks is held in Beijing. Delegates agree to a joint statement that requires North Korea to report and disable three nuclear facilities by Dec. 31, 2007.
: Upon arrival in Beijing for the Six-Party Talks, Kim Kye-Gwan denounces “lunatic reports” of North Korean nuclear assistance to Syria.
: Several news sources report that a Sept. 6 Israeli attack inside Syria was on what Israeli intelligence believes was a nuclear-related facility that North Korea was helping to equip.
: U.S. and South Korea discuss peace treaty for Korean Peninsula.
: President Bush reaffirms willingness to sign peace treaty for Korean Peninsula provided North Korea fully dismantles its nuclear program.
: Nuclear experts from Russia, China, and the U.S. visit North Korea to survey nuclear facilities and recommend ways to disable them.
: Presidents Roh and Bush meet at APEC.
: U.S. denies agreeing to remove North Korea from terrorism list.
: North Korea reports that the U.S. has agreed to remove North Korea from terrorism list.
: Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung visits the U.S. to discuss Korean issues with U.S. officials.
: Six-Party Talks Working Group on U.S.-North Korea bilateral relations meets in Geneva.
: U.S. confirms that U.S.-South Korea trade agreement will not be re-opened and renegotiated, but outstanding issues on beef will need to be resolved before U.S. Congressional approval.
: South Korea and Taliban insurgents reach agreement on the release of 19 Koreans held hostage in Afghanistan. The agreement calls for the release of all hostages beginning Aug. 29 in return for removal of all South Korean military forces by the end of 2007, ending all missionary work in Afghanistan, and banning all travel by Koreans to the country.
: South Korea government resumes inspections of U.S. beef shipments.
: South Korea’s financial regulator requests approval for new KOSPI 200 futures index from the U.S.
: U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise, Ulchi Focus Lens, begins.
: South Korea gives Tong-il Medal, South Korea’s most valuable military decoration, to U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace.
: U.S. signs into law the visa waiver program with South Korea.
: U.S. House of Representatives approves resolution condemning Japan’s sexual enslavement of women during WWII, some of whom were Korean, and urges Japan to apologize.
: South Korea announces it plans to issue e-passports as part of visa waiver program.
: U.S. calls for immediate release of South Korean hostages in Afghanistan, but affirms that it doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.
: First Session of the Sixth Round of Six-Party Talks resumes in Beijing after a four-month recess.
: South Korea and U.S. agree to provide political incentives for North Korea as part of denuclearization of the North.
: North Korea states that it has shut down its Yongbyon nuclear facility after receiving the first shipment of heavy fuel oil on July 13. IAEA verifies the shutdown on July 16.
: North Korean Lt Gen. Ri Chan-bok, who heads the North`s mission at Panmunjom, announces “Pyongyang wants direct military talks with Washington in the presence of a United Nations representative any place and any time.”
: UN inspectors head to Pyongyang to verify shutdown of North Korean’s Yongbyon nuclear facility.
: North Korea proposes bilateral talks with U.S. to replace armistice that ended Korean War in 1953.
: South Korea sends 1st shipment of 6,200 tons of fuel oil (of a total of 50,000 tons), to North Korea.
: South Korea’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Song Min-soon says South Korea should tie denuclearization of North Korea to the end of the Korean War.
: U.S. President Bush pledges to include South Korea in visa waiver program with U.S.
: U.S. and South Korea rename military drills from RSOI (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement, Integration) to “Key Resolve.”
: Bush and Roh agree to hold summit on sidelines of UN in September.
: Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi visits Pyongyang and meets with Kim Jong-il.
: At a forum in Seoul, Gen. Burwell Bell, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, comments that North Korea remains a threat despite its move toward dismantling their nuclear program.
: U.S. and South Korea sign bilateral trade agreement.
: U.S. and South Korean officials sign the FTA in Washington despite threat from Democratic Congressional leaders to oppose ratification of the agreement.
: South Korean PM Han Duck-soo says Korea has accepted new U.S. labor and environmental standards in the FTA, to further U.S. congressional ratification.
: A White House spokesman says the U.S. is “deeply troubled” by repeated North Korean short-range missile tests, which occurred on May 25, June 7, and June 27.
: IAEA inspectors visit the Yongbyon nuclear facility and the under construction facility in Taechon in North Korea.
: North Korea announces that it has received funds from the BDA accounts.
: Amb. Hill announces in Seoul that North Korea has reaffirmed its willingness to shut down its nuclear reactor under the Feb. 13 agreement.
: U.S. head nuclear talks envoy Amb. Hill visits Pyongyang and has discussions on “all aspects of the six-party process” with DPRK Foreign Minister Pak Ui-chan and nuclear talks counterpart Kim Gye-gwan.
: U.S. and South Korean negotiators begin talks in Seoul to negotiate additional FTA proposal submitted by the U.S.
: Ambassador Hill says BDA funds have been transferred to North Korea.
: ROK FM Song Min-soon and Secretary Rice consult by phone over the North Korean nuclear issue and the KORUS FTA.
: Seoul holds inter-agency ministers’ meeting to discuss the ROK’s position on Washington’s proposal based on new U.S. trade policy guidelines.
: The 13th Security Policy Initiative is held in Seoul. Topics covered relocation of U.S. bases and transfer of wartime control from the U.S. to South Korea.
: North Korea conducts a short-range missile test off its western coast.
: North Korea rejects implementing the Feb. 13 denuclearization agreement until the BDA dispute is resolved.
: Korean and U.S. FTA delegations meet in Washington to complete the legal review process of the FTA text.
: The full text of the U.S.-Korea FTA is released.
: PM Han Duck-soo says that Korea will not renegotiate the FTA even if requested by the U.S., however further talks are possible as “additional negotiations.”
: South Korea says it will “thoroughly consider” the U.S. request for renegotiation of the FTA.
: North and South Korea do a test-run of linked train lines. To do the test, South Korea agreed to supply the North with $80 million of aid to develop light industry.
: Chief South Korean FTA negotiator Amb. Kim Jong-hoon tells Yonhap News in a phone interview that “if the U.S. demands South Korea renegotiate to reflect its unilateral view, we could break down the agreement. We couldn’t one-sidely accept a request to renegotiate the agreement that already reflects the balance of interests.”
: Washington presents Seoul with specific text based on the new trade policy guidelines incorporating labor and environment concerns and a request to hold additional bilateral consultations in the later half of June.
: Amb. Vershbow says the U.S. seeks to revise U.S.-Korea FTA based on new U.S. trade policy guidelines that call for higher labor and environmental standards.
: ROK Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong tells Amb. Vershbow that FTA renegotiations would be “impossible.”
: Washington announces new trade policy that incorporates labor, the environment, and intellectual property rights protection.
: Amb. Vershbow says a peace treaty ending the Korean War could be negotiated before President George W. Bush’s term ends.
: U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Alexander Vershbow says South Korea’s policy of engagement with North Korea should keep pace with denuclearization process.
: The second ROK-U.S. Consultations on Reconstruction and Stabilization is held to share experiences with providing emergency relief and reconstruction assistance for countries hit by natural disasters.
: U.S. and South Korea concludes free trade agreement.
: U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators announce conclusion of a free trade agreement.
: U.S. and ROK military hold 12th Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration and Foal Eagle exercises in South Korea.
: Deputy Assistant Secretary Glaser meets Chinese Foreign Ministry officials in Beijing to discuss the transfer of the frozen North Korean funds held at Banco Delta Asia to the Bank of China.
: Six-Party Talks abruptly adjourn after technical problems prevent the transfer of frozen funds in a Macau bank to North Korea.
: U.S. and North Korea agree on the release of $25 million in frozen funds in a Macau bank; Six-Party Talks open in Beijing.
: IAEA head ElBaradei meets in Beijing with U.S., Japanese, and South Korean ambassadors in charge of North Korean nuclear issues to report on his visit to North Korea from March 13 to 14.
: FM Song and Secretary Rice review the process of the Six-Party Talks working group discussions and the status of the KORUS FTA.
: U.S. Treasury finalizes a ruling against Banco Delta Asia that prohibits all U.S. financial institutions from maintaining correspondent accounts for BDA and prevents BDA from accessing the U.S. financial system. China expresses deep regret over Treasury’s decision. It also announces that treatment of the North Korean BDA account will be left to the discretion of the Macau authority.
: Assistant Secretary Hill arrives in Beijing to attend the denuclearization working group, Northeast Asia security working group, and the next round of Six-Party Talks.
: IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei visits North Korea; President Roh calls for a new peace regime in Korea after the North Korea nuclear issue is settled.
: Prime Minister Abe reiterates “unfeigned apology” to the “comfort women” and that he stands by the Kono Statement – Japan’s acknowledgement and apology for Japan’s military direct involvement in the running of the “comfort stations” – on a Sunday morning NHK program
: The U.S. and North Korea hold working group meetings in New York to discuss North Korean nuclear arms programs, removal of North Korea from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism, and normalization of relations.
: PM Abe says that there is no evidence or testimony that the Japanese military forced the so-called women to become sex slaves during World War II.
: Newly appointed Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte travels to Japan, South Korea, and China to discuss Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, regional security, the war on terrorism, and trade.
: U.S. Treasury official Glaser meets Macau authorities to discuss Treasury Department findings on Banco Delta Asia.
: Defense Secretary Robert Gates and ROK Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo meet in Washington to reaffirm and to look at the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance. They agree that the Joint Forces Command will be disestablished on April 17, 2012.
: Diplomats reach agreement at the Six-Party Talks on phasing in a denuclearization agreement for North Korea.
: President Roh Moo-hyun tells South Korean residents in Spain that he welcomes the breakthrough agreement because a permanent peace regime will not only ease tensions in the region, but also strengthen South Korea’s global credit rating.
: The New York Times reports that the North Korea demand for huge amount of oil and energy in exchange for its nuclear weapons program nearly stalls the talks.
: Asahi Shimbun reports that during the January Berlin U.S.-DPRK bilateral meeting the parties signed a memorandum of understanding under which North Korea agreed to freeze its Yongbyon nuclear reactors for energy and economic assistance.
: U.S. and South Korean negotiators meet to resolve differences on the relocation of U.S. military bases in South Korea.
: The Six-Party Talks convene in Beijing. At the conclusion of the proceedings, a phased “action for action” agreement is reached.
: The U.S. and ROK hold Security Policy Initiative talks.
: U.S. Congressman Michael Honda (D-Ca) introduces nonbinding resolution in the House of Representatives calling for the Japanese government to apologize unambiguously for its role in the “comfort women” issue during World War II.
: Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Daniel Glaser hosts financial talks to discuss Banco Delta Asia and counterfeiting concerns with DPRK officials at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
: U.S. and North Korean negotiators meet in Berlin to discuss the nuclear issue.
: U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators meet in Seoul to continue discussions on a free trade agreement.
: Vietnam’s East Asia Commercial Bank closes all correspondent accounts to transfer money in and out of North Korea. The decision was the result of Vietnam’s entry into the WTO and growing ties with the U.S.
: Robert Gates sworn in at the 22nd U.S. defense secretary.
: Six-Party Talks held in Beijing and recess with little progress. On the sidelines Dec. 19, the U.S. and the DPRK meet to discuss the BDA issues.
: Eighth UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is sworn in.
: In Senate confirmation hearings, Robert Gates, defense secretary-designate states “strong military-to-military relations in Asia, particularly with Japan and South Korea, complement regional diplomacy with deterrence.”
: Presidential memorandum is sent to Secretary Rice to impose sanctions on North Korea as described in Arms Export Control Act and the Atomic Energy Act.
: U.S. Special Envoy on Human Rights in North Korea Jay Lefkowitz attends a UN meeting on North Korean human rights abuses. He states that China and South Korea should play an active role pressing North Korea to end abuses.
: U.S. and South Korean defense officials finalize military burden-sharing arrangements for 2007.
: South Korea announces it has informed the U.S. of its plan to reduce the number of Korean troops in Iraq while extending their deployment for one year.
: The U.S. and South Korea open their fifth round of bilateral meetings on a Free Trade Agreement in Big Sky, Montana.
: Korea rejects second batch of U.S. beef.
: U.S. Commerce Department reveals that luxury goods such as ipods and jet skis are on the list of items banned for export to North Korea under UNSCR 1718.
: Ambassadors Christopher Hill and Kim Gye-gwan begin two days of meetings in Beijing about resuming the Six-Party Talks; South Korea extends its deployment of troops in Iraq for a year.
: Korea rejects shipment of U.S. beef because of bone fragments.
: In Hanoi, Presidents Bush and Roh reaffirm their joint stance not to tolerate North Korea’s nuclear program.
: U.S. and South Korean defense officials begin two days of meetings on burden-sharing arrangements in Washington.
: South Korea announces it will not join Proliferation Security Initiative.
: First sub-ministerial meeting of the ROK-U.S. Strategic Consultation for Allied Partnership is held in Seoul with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan and Under Secretary Burns heading the respective delegations.
: President Roh nominates Lee Jae-jeong, senior vice president of the Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification as unification minister; Song Min-soon, chief secretary to the president for unification, foreign, and security affairs as foreign minister; Kim Jang-soo, Army chief of staff, as minister of defense; and Kim Man-bok, first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service (NIS), as NIS director.
: North Korea announces that it will return to the Six-Party Talks after a secret meeting between Kim Gye-gwan, Christopher Hill, and Wu Dawei. U.S. tells North Korea that it is prepared to discuss issues surrounding Banco Delta Asia and to form a working group to address the issue.
: Secretary General-elect and ROK Foreign Minister Ban makes a working visit to China to meet President Hu, State Councilor Tang, and Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and to discuss the North Korea nuclear standoff.
: Fourth round of U.S.-Korea talks on a Free Trade Agreement open in Jeju.
: U.S. and Korea reach agreement on transfer of wartime operational control at the 38th Security Consultative Meeting in Washington.
: ROK, U.S., and Japan foreign ministers hold a two-hour trilateral meeting at ROK FM Ban’s residence. This is the first trilateral meeting among the three countries ministers since October 2000.
: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Seoul urges President Roh Moo-hyun to “take stock of the leverage we have” on North Korea.
: The 28th ROK-U.S. Military Committee Meeting (MCM) is held in Washington, D.C.
: U.S. Congress enacts National Defense Authorization Act for 2007, which requires appointment of a senior U.S. coordinator on Korea within 60 days.
: Ambassador Vershbow urges South Korea to “thoroughly review” economic ties with North Korea.
: UN General Assembly elects ROK Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon as the next UN secretary general.
: UNSC imposes sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear test.
: DPRK Korea Central News Agency declares U.S.-initiated UN sanctions an “act of war.”
: North Korea conducts an underground nuclear test.
: Ambassador Vershbow says the nuclear test makes bilateral talks with North Korea less likely.
: Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and George W. Bush have a 20-minute phone conversation regarding the announcement of the nuclear test by North Korea.
: North Korea announces that it has successfully completed an underground test of its nuclear bomb.
: UN Security Council (UNSC) expresses “deep concern” about a possible North Korean nuclear test.
: U.N. Security Council issues an unanimous statement that a nuclear test would “jeopardize peace, stability and security in the region and beyond.”
: U.S. sends a message to DPRK via their UN mission in New York not to conduct the test.
: North Korea announces it “is set to conduct a nuclear test in the future.”
: North Korea announces that it would conduct a nuclear test at an unspecified future date.
: Assistant Secretary Hill at a CSIS conference states that the Six-Party Talks will enter a “crucial phase” in coming weeks and confirmed that Secretary Rice will be visiting Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo to get the talks back on track.
: U.S. Ambassador to Korea Alexander Vershbow tells Yonhap News that Assistant Secretary Hill could visit Pyongyang if the DPRK agrees to return to the table.
: U.S. and ROK participate in second round of Five Plus Five Talks in NY; China and Russia opt out.
: Ambassador Hill and South Korea’s envoy to the Six-Party Talks meet in New York.
: U.S. scholar Selig Harrison visits North Korea and has a six-hour conversation with the DPRK’s six-party negotiator Kim Gye-gwan. Kim tells Harrison that Pyongyang would be extracting more plutonium from its Yongbyon reactor.
: President George W. Bush and President Moo-hyun Roh hold a summit meeting in Washington.
: London Sunday Telegraph reports that Russian diplomats in Pyongyang believe that the probability of North Korea joining the nuclear club is very high.
: Third round of ROK-U.S. free trade agreement negotiations take place in Seattle, Washington. Korea announces it will resume beef imports from the U.S.
: Assistant Secretary Hill visit Japan, China, and South Korea to discuss regional and global issues with senior government officials in the three countries. He will also meet with the six-party negotiators to get North Korea back to the table.
: Ban Ki-moon tells reporters that Seoul is reviewing an action plan in the case of a possible North Korean nuclear test.
: ROK chief delegate to the Six-Party Talks Chun Young-woo meets U.S. chief delegate, Assistant Secretary of State Hill in Washington, D.C.
: U.S. and South Korea pharmaceutical sector experts meet in Singapore to work out the pharmaceutical details of the KORUS FTA.
: U.S. and South Korea start annual Ulchi Focus Lens military exercise; U.S. and South Korean trade negotiators meet in Singapore.
: U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab rules out inclusion of Kaesong-made products in U.S.-Korea FTA.
: ABC News reports that U.S. intelligence believes that a North Korea nuclear test is a “real possibility.”
: Ambassador Vershbow says that transferring operation control of armed forces during wartime to South Korea will strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance.
: The U.S. and South Korea conclude third round of defense burden-sharing negotiations without reaching agreement.
: Soldiers of North and South Korea exchange limited rifle fire at the DMZ.
: The ASEAN Regional Forum opens in Kuala Lumpur; Secretary Rice, FM Ban and eight other foreign ministers conduct side meeting to discuss the nuclear negotiations with North Korea while the DPRK foreign minister boycotts the meeting.
: ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials and Foreign Ministers meetings held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
: Ad hoc consultations among East Asia Summit senior officials take place in Kuala Lumpur.
: President Roh objects to a U.S. hardline policy of “strangling” North Korea.
: Six North Koreans will be granted permanent residency in U.S. for fiscal year 2007 as part of the 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery.
: Stuart Levey, U.S. undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, briefs officials in Hanoi on illicit North Korean banking activities in Vietnam.
: UN Security Council unanimously condemns North Korea’s missile tests with passage of UNSCR 1695.
: South Korea and the U.S. hold ninth Security Policy Initiative talks.
: South Korea lodges a strong complaint against North Korea for firing Scud missiles that could reach any area of South Korea and urges North Korea to return to Six-Party Talks; Ambassador Hill meets with Chinese officials in Beijing.
: Second round of Korea-U.S. FTA negotiations held in Seoul. The meeting ends a day early after the parties are unable to come to an agreement over pharmaceutical sector and other sensitive issues.
: Assistant Secretary of East Asia and Pacific Affairs Christopher Hill travels to consult with Six-Party Talk negotiators in Beijing, Seoul, and Tokyo.
: North Korea test launches six short- and medium-range missiles and one long-range missile.
: North Korea launches seven missiles – six Nodong and Scud and one Taepodong 2. All fall into the Sea of Japan.
: Eight nations including Japan and South Korea participate in the 20th Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2006 exercises.
: Ambassador Vershbow says issue of Gaeseong goods could “poison” U.S.-Korea FTA negotiation.
: In a Washington Post editorial, former Clinton defense officials William Perry and Ashton Carter argue for a preemptive strike against North Korea’s Taepodong missile while it is still on the launch pad; the White House quickly rules out this option.
: Bush administration says it does not have conclusive information about pending North Korean missile test; former President Kim Dae-jung postpones planned visit to North Korea.
: FM Ban urges North Korea to engage in a human rights dialogue.
: FM Ban says that South Korea and the U.S. are “deeply concerned” about reports that North Korea may test fire a Taepodong 2 missile.
: First round of negotiations for a U.S.-Korea FTA opens in Washington.
: After a U.S.-Korea defense ministers meeting in Singapore, DM Yoon says Korea will obtain full operational control of its military from the U.S. in five to six years.
: White House spokesman implies rejection of North Korean invitation to Ambassador Hill to visit North Korea; KEDO announces its official termination.
: South Korea holds by-elections. The opposition Grand National Party wins a majority in National Assembly, regional, and local government contests. The ruling Uri Party does not win a single seat in the National Assembly.
: ROK FM Ban travels to U.S. to attend meeting on HIV/AIDS at the UN and to consult with U.S. counterparts in Washington over Six-Party Talks.
: Ambassador Hill begins two days of discussions in Seoul on the Six-Party Talks; U.S. and South Korea conduct Security Policy Initiative meeting in Hawaii.
: U.S. and China reach agreement for four North Korean defectors seeking asylum at the U.S. Consulate in Shenyang to travel to the United States.
: South Korea begins withdrawal of troops from Iraq; ban on U.S. citizens maintaining any business relationship with North Korean-flagged vessels takes effect.
: Six North Korean refugees arrive in the United States.
: ROK police eject protesters from site of planned U.S. base in Pyongtaek.
: ROK President Roh meets USFK Commander Gen. B.B. Bell at the Blue House in Seoul. Also present are DM Yoon Kwang-ung and U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow.
: South Korea’s Ministry of Unification accuses U.S. Human Rights Envoy Jay Lefkowitz of “unthinkable intervention” for criticizing humanitarian aid to North Korea; President Bush meets with defectors from North Korea at the White House.
: At a summit meeting in Washington, President Bush asks Chinese President Hu Jintao to urge North Korea to attend the Six-Party Talks.
: U.S. trade official Wendy Cutler says the U.S.-Korea FTA will have to address nontariff barriers in addition to normal tariff reduction issues.
: Ambassador Kim Gye-gwan says North Korea will build up “more deterrent force” while the Six-Party Talks are in impasse.
: Ambassador Hill refuses to meet with North Korean Ambassador Kim Gye-gwan at NEACD talks in Tokyo.
: U.S. Treasury freezes U.S. assets of a Swiss company allegedly supporting North Korea’s WMD proliferation activities.
: U.S. and South Korea agree to form a joint panel to study South Korea retaining operational command of its armed forces during wartime.
: U.S. and South Korean forces begin annual military excercises – RSOI (Reception, Staging, Onward Movement and Integration) and Foal Eagle.
: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld states that ROK and U.S. generally agree on a transfer of wartime command of ROK forces to the ROK and are discussing a time table.
: FM Ban says North Korea could possibly discuss the counterfeiting issue within the framework of the Six-Party Talks.
: U.S. and South Korea continue SPI talks in Seoul.
: The White House releases National Security Strategy of the United States of America that reasserts the administration’s belief in the doctrine of preemption and describes the DPRK as one of the seven “despotic systems.”
: Ambassador Vershbow says there are “plenty of opportunities” to discuss North Korea’s alleged illicit financial activities in the Six-Party Talks.
: Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak travels to Washington, New York, and Los Angeles, meets Deputy Secretary Zoellick, Sen. Richard Lugar among many others. ROK opinion polls put Mayor Lee as the leading presidential contender.
: North Korea tests two short-range missiles.
: U.S. and North Korean officials meet in New York to discuss U.S. financial sanctions.
: U.S. and South Korea conduct a procedural meeting in Seoul for their upcoming FTA negotiation.
: State Department reports it has “substantial evidence” of North Korean counterfeiting of U.S. currency.
: North Korea claims it is also a victim of counterfeiting.
: U.S. embassy official reveals the U.S. has provided the ROK government physical evidence of DPRK counterfeiting activity.
: South Korea and the U.S. begin Security Policy Initiative (SPI) talks in Guam to discuss further development of the military alliance, including operational wartime control by South Korea.
: In the Quadrennial Defense Review, the U.S. Defense Department calls North Korea a “potentially hostile state.”
: U.S. and ROK announce plans to open FTA talks in May.
: South Korean court orders two U.S. manufacturers of Agent Orange defoliant used during the Vietnam War to compensate 6,800 affected Korean nationals.
: U.S. Treasury team briefs South Korea on alleged North Korean counterfeiting.
: The U.S. and South Korea issue a joint statement, after first Strategic Consultation for Allied Partnership talks, on the “strategic flexibility” of U.S. forces in South Korea.
: U.S., Chinese, and North Korean Six-Party Talks negotiators meet in Beijing; North Korean leader Kim Jong-il meets Chinese President Hu Jintao.
: U.S. Ambassador Vershbow says all South Koreans should be worried about North Korea.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il begins visit to China.
: North Korea officially denies U.S. claims of DPRK counterfeiting.
: Last of KEDO workers withdraw from the light-water reactor construction site in Kumho, North Korea.
: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls North Korea a “dangerous regime.”
: North Korea says it will not attend the Six-Party Talks as long as U.S. financial sanctions remain in place.
: National Assembly approves deployment of South Korean troops to Iraq for one more year by a small margin, but reduces number of forces.
: Unification Minister Chung resigns and his resignation is accepted Jan. 1, 2006.
: DPRK official news agency reports North Korea will start to develop and build light-water reactors based on indigenous technology.
: Pyongyang suspends indefinitely Six-Party Talks until U.S. sanctions against the North Korean companies are lifted.
: ROK Unification Minister Chung Dong-young travels to Washington, gives a “presidential” speech (Dec. 19) at the National Press Club on “Korea Peace Economics,” and briefs Secretary Rice (Dec. 20) on the recently held inter-Korea talks (Dec.13-16).
: South Korean National Assembly Speaker Kim Won-ki condemns Vershbow’s remarks.
: South Korean livestock panel determines it is safe to import American beef and lifts the beef import ban due to mad cow disease.
: North Korea terms Vershbow’s remarks “a provocative declaration of war on our people.”
: U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights Jay Lefkowitz in Seoul attacks North Korea as a “deeply oppressive nation” for human rights violations.
: Ambassador Vershbow calls North Korea a “criminal regime” for engaging in counterfeiting, drug-trafficking, and selling weapons.
: Pyongyang threatens to boycott Six-Party Talks unless the U.S. lifts sanctions issued Oct. 21 on eight North Korean companies for alleged counterfeiting, money laundering, and arms sales.
: North Korea rejects a U.S. proposal for a working-level meeting to provide an explanatory briefing on the legal basis for sanctions.
: North Korea says it will demand compensation for reported canceling of the KEDO project to build light-water reactors.
: Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon says Korea will notify U.S. of plans to withdraw 1,000 Korean troops from Iraq.
: KEDO board agrees to terminate light-water reactor project.
: APEC Leaders Meeting in Busan.
: Meeting in Kyong-ju, Korea, Presidents Roh and Bush pledge to launch a U.S.-Korea strategic dialogue and agree on the need for a new peace regime for the Korean Peninsula.
: The 17th APEC ministerial meetings is held in Busan, Korea.
: State Department says the recent round of Six-Party Talks was “useful.”
: Fifth round of Six-Party Talks held in Beijing.
: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visits Seoul for security consultative meeting.
: U.S. Treasury Department freezes assets in U.S. of eight North Korean entities for supporting WMD proliferation.
: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson arrives in Pyongyang for meetings with North Korean officials on nuclear issues.
: New ROK Ambassador to U.S. Lee Tae-shik arrives in Washington.
: Alexander “Sandy” Vershbow confirmed as U.S. ambassador to ROK.
: 2005: Asst. Sec. Hill says the next thing DPRK needs to do is to tell where its nuclear arms facilities are, noting there could be trouble ahead if DPRK refuses to admit to a uranium enrichment program in the next round of talks.
: North Korea declares it will return to the NPT only after receiving a light-water reactor from the U.S.
: The six parties issue a joint statement, based on a Chinese draft, in which North Korea pledges to dismantle its nuclear program and return to the NPT. The U.S. agrees to discuss in the future providing LWRs to North Korea.
: Hill rejects the DPRK’s demand for a LWR as a “non-starter.”
: Ambassador Hill says the U.S. would like to negotiate a peace treaty for the Korean Peninsula if the Six-Party Talks succeed.
: Six-Party Talks resume in Beijing as North Korean envoy Kim Gye-gwan asserts both a right to develop peaceful nuclear energy and a demand for a new light-water reactor (LWR).
: Contradicting Special Envoy Lefkowitz, Secretary Rice says the U.S. does not use humanitarian aid as a political weapon, as a matter of policy.
: Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea Lefkowitz’s tenure begins.
: South Korea pledges $30 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of Katrina; North Korean officials tell U.S. congressmen that Pyongyang intends to keep a peaceful nuclear energy capability.
: North Korean Red Cross expresses sympathy for victims of Hurricane Katrina.
: U.S. Congressmen Jim Leach and Tom Lantos travel to Pyongyang and surrounding areas.
: ROK FM Ban Ki-moon conducts meetings in Washington and reportedly achieves “consensus” with U.S. diplomats on DPRK’s peaceful nuclear energy use issue.
: U.S. official Joseph DeTrani contacts North Korean officials for the third time in a week on Six-Party Talks issues; U.S. and ROK forces begin command and control military exercise called Ulchi Focus Lens.
: Bush administration appoints Jay Lefkowitz as special envoy for human rights to North Korea.
: Unification Minister Chung says North Korea should be permitted to have peaceful nuclear energy if it gives up its nuclear weapons program.
: Six-Party Talks are adjourned for several weeks without adopting a final statement.
: North Korea calls for a peace treaty with the U.S. to replace the 1953 ceasefire agreement.
: In a press conference, North Korean negotiator Kim Gye-gwan says “only one country” opposes North Korea’s right to develop peaceful nuclear energy.
: North Korean Foreign Minister Paek says Pyongyang will rejoin the NPT after the nuclear issue is resolved.
: Fourth round of the Six-Party Talks opens in Beijing.
: President Roh accepts resignation of Ambassador to the U.S. Hong due to Hong’s involvement in an election scandal; prior to opening of Six-Party Talks, U.S. and North Korean delegations hold an informal bilateral meeting.
: Song Min-soon says the “human rights issue is not on the table” in the negotiations.
: President Roh says the U.S. “holds the key” to the success of the Six-Party Talks.
: Secretary Rice in Seoul welcomes South Korean proposal to provide North Korea with 2 million kilowatts of electricity.
: ROK representative to the Six-Party Talks Song Min-soon urges the U.S. to remove security threats to North Korea that allegedly underlie its nuclear weapons program.
: Unification Minister Chung says North Korea has a right to develop peaceful nuclear energy under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
: At a Beijing meeting, North Korean Ambassador Kim Gye-gwan informs U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill that the DPRK will return to the Six-Party Talks.
: After meeting with Unification Minister Chung in Washington, Assistant Secretary Hill says the U.S. will not object to South Korea’s proposal of a massive aid program for North Korea, if it rejoins the Six-Party Talks.
: U.S. negotiator DeTrani meets, though informally, for second time with North Korean officials in New York, while attending an academic conference.
: Korean Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young briefs Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley in Washington on his recent meeting with Kim Jong-il.
: FM Ban says South Korea will strive to reconvene a new round of Six-Party Talks in July.
: World Trade Organization overturns on appeal its previous ruling and leaves in place U.S. punitive tariffs against Hynix Semiconductor; major Korean agricultural groups call for maintaining import ban against U.S. beef after new U.S. finding of “mad cow” disease.
: South Korean media report that Kim Jong-il told Unification Minister Chung that North Korea might abolish all medium- and long-range missiles if the U.S. establishes normal relations.
: Kim Jong-il says North Korea will join the Six-Party Talks as early as July if the U.S. “recognizes and respects” North Korea’s sovereignty.
: Presidents Bush and Roh meet in Washington and jointly call for North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks; President Bush apologizes for accidental death a day earlier of a Korean woman killed by a USFK truck.
: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless meets with Korean defense officials to discuss “strategic flexibility.”
: North Korean Ambassador Kim Gye-kwan tells ABC News that his country has enough nuclear weapons to defend against a U.S. attack.
: Secretary Rice says the U.S. is unlikely to bring the North Korea nuclear issue before the UN Security Council soon.
: At a press conference, President Bush calls for peaceful solution to North Korea nuclear issue and refers to North Korean leader as “Mr. Kim Jong-il.”
: Pentagon confirms deployment of 15 stealth fighters to South Korea and suspension of joint U.S.-North Korea program to recover remains of U.S. soldiers from the Korean War.
: North Korea denies planning to conduct a nuclear test.
: South Korea and North Korea resume inter-Korean talks in Kaesong after a 10-month hiatus.
: Japan calls for reconvening the Six-Party Talks, even in the absence of North Korea; U.S. and North Korean diplomats meet in New York.
: State Department spokesman condemns North Korea’s “provocative statement and actions” for allegedly removing 8,000 spent fuel rods. Former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung says the Six-Party Talks are entering an “ominous stage” and urges direct U.S.-North Korea talks.
: North Korea claims it has finished removing 8,000 spent fuel rods from the five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon.
: U.S. negotiator for the Six-Party Talks Joseph DeTrani travels to New York to meet with North Korean officials at Pyongyang’s mission to the UN to show U.S. has “no hostile intent.”
: ABC News reports the U.S. has prepared contingency measures to prevent a North Korean nuclear test; at a meeting in Moscow, President Roh and Chinese President Hu Jintao urge North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks.
: Foreign ministers of Japan, South Korea, and China, meet in Tokyo to urge North Korea to make a “strategic decision” and return to the six-party process.
: U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Leon LaPorte says any military action against North requires U.S. and South Korean consensus; U.S. downplays North Korean missile test, saying it is “not surprising.”
: North Korea test launches short-range missile into the East Sea.
: North Korea retorts President Bush is a “hooligan bereft of any personality as a human being.”
: Ambassador Christopher Hill meets South Korean officials in Seoul.
: In a news conference, President Bush calls North Korean leader Kim Jong-il a “tyrant” and a “dangerous person.”
: South Korea announces agreement with U.S. on military burden-sharing with an 8.9 percent reduction in South Korea’s annual contribution.
: The Wall Street Journal reports U.S. has evidence that North Korea is planning a nuclear test.
: Foreign Minister Ban says Seoul opposes seeking U.N. sanctions against North Korea or taking other punitive measures.
: White House spokesman says the U.S. will refer the nuclear issue with North Korea to the UN Security Council if Pyongyang refuses to return to the Six-Party Talks; Seoul confirms that North Korea has shut down its five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyon, but says it may have been for “technical” reasons.
: North Korea is reported to have shut down its five-megawatt reactor at Yongbyun to remove spent fuel rods for the purpose of reprocessing.
: U.S. and South Korean military officials begin two days of Security Policy Initiative talks on the state of the alliance in Hawaii.
: North Korea calls for the exclusion of Japan from the Six-Party Talks.
: North Korea says Six-Party Talks should be transformed into regional disarmament talks now that it is a nuclear weapons state; North Korean UN ambassador says U.S. apology is necessary for North Korea to return to Six-Party Talks.
: South Korean FM Ban says the U.S. will treat North Korea as an “equal partner” in the Six-Party Talks.
: President Bush denies the U.S. has set a firm deadline for North Korea to return to the Six-Party Talks.
: Secretary Rice says she discussed with South Korea, Japan, and China putting pressure on North Korea by using “other options in the international system” if it does not return to the Six-Party Talks.
: Washington Post reports U.S. officials distorted intelligence reports that allegedly linked North Korea to sales of processed uranium to Libya.
: In Seoul, Secretary Rice emphasizes North Korea is a “sovereign state” and that the U.S. will not wait “forever” for North Korea to rejoin the Six-Party Talks.
: GNP leader Park Geun-hye, visiting Washington, calls on U.S. to offer “bold incentives” to North Korea to resolve nuclear issue; during her Asia trip, Secretary Rice reaffirms six-party framework and rejects “separate deal” with North Korea.
: Unification Minister Chung rejects Rep. Henry Hyde’s request to reinstate North Korea as South Korea’s “main enemy.”
: In congressional testimony, former U.S. Ambassador to Korea James Lilly calls for the human rights issue to be kept separate from the nuclear issue.
: President Roh addresses Korea Military Academy’s and Naval Academy’s graduating classes with his vision of long-term South Korean security; touches upon ROK-U.S. alliance, self-defense capabilities, and DPRK nuclearization.
: White House spokesman rejects separate bilateral negotiations with North Korea.
: North Korea denounces U.S. Advance Democracy Act as an immoral interference in its domestic affairs.
: Chinese Vice FM Wu Dawei urges U.S. flexibility in responding to North Korean demands that the U.S. drop its “hostile policy.”
: Japanese newspaper reports four conditions North Korean leader Kim Jong-il presented to Chinese diplomat Feb. 21 for North Korea to rejoin the Six-Party Talks.
: At a regular trilateral meeting, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan reportedly agree to offer North Korea substantive bilateral discussions with the U.S., within the Six-Party Talks; KEDO says it is willing to resume energy assistance to North Korea if Pyongyang makes progress in the Six-Party Talks.
: President Roh reaffirms U.S.-South Korea alliance, saying that South Korea will deal with the U.S. on an “equal footing.”
: Kim Jong-il tells visiting Chinese envoy North Korea will return to Six- Party Talks if certain conditions are met.
: U.S. Ambassador Hill calls for “coordinated approaches” between the U.S. and South Korea on economic and humanitarian aid to North Korea.
: South Korea says China will take “additional initiatives” to persuade North Korea to return to Six-Party Talks.
: South Korean Unification Minister Chung says it is “too early” to call North Korea a nuclear weapons state.
: South Korean FM Ban says Seoul will continue the Kaesong pilot project and its shipment of fertilizer to North Korea; denies VP Cheney made request to cut aid to Pyongyang.
: U.S. spokesman downplays North Korean statement on nuclear weapons and says U.S. continues to seek ways to reconvene the Six-Party Talks.
: North Korea announces it has nuclear weapons and will indefinitely suspend participation in the Six-Party Talks.
: National Security Council official Michael Green meets in Seoul with Korean officials on the Six-Party Talks; New York Times reveals classified U.S. intelligence report saying North Korea exported processed uranium to Libya; South Korean and U.S. trade officials conduct first negotiations on a free trade agreement.
: U.S. Embassy in Seoul institutes simplified visa procedures for South Koreans seeking to travel to the U.S.
: At her confirmation hearing, Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice terms North Korea an “outpost of tyranny.”
: U.S. and South Korean negotiators conduct third round of defense burden-sharing talks in Seoul.
: Rep. Curt Weldon says North Korea will join Six-Party Talks “in a matter of weeks,” after his delegation meets with officials in Pyongyang.
: U.S. congressional delegation begins visit to North Korea.
: North Korea calls for the U.S. to drop its “hostile policy.”
: North Korea says it will not return to Six-Party Talks unless Japan is excluded, based on Japan’s threat of` economic sanctions.
: Kaesong industrial complex opens and one company begins production.
: Deputy National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley says a goal of U.S. policy is the “transformation” of North Korea. Ministry of Foreign Affairs says working level talks with the U.S. on a proposed free trade agreement will begin in early February.
: Deputy U.S. Representative to the Six-Party Talks, DeTrani and ROK officials, meeting in Seoul, agree to push North Korea to accept a new round of negotiations.
: State Department spokesman says the U.S. is ready to join a new round of Six-Party Talks with North Korea, without preconditions; the U.S. and South Korea open two days of talks on burden-sharing in financing U.S. military presence; the U.S. and South Korea conduct visa talks in Seoul.
: In Paris, President Roh rejects calls for “regime change” or the collapse of North Korea’s government.
: In Warsaw, President Roh says North Korea will not collapse suddenly.
: U.S. representative DeTrani meets again with North Korean officials in New York.
: Unification Minister Chung says South Korea is willing to explain its reported nuclear experiments to North Korea at the next round of Six-Party Talks.
: At ASEAN Plus Three summit, Japan, China, and ROK call for greater trilateral cooperation to obtain a peaceful solution to the North Korea nuclear issue.
: IAEA criticizes South Korean government for keeping nuclear experiments secret but does not refer the matter to the UN Security Council; KEDO announces its nuclear reactor construction project will be extended until Dec. 1, 2005.
: At the APEC summit in Santiago, President Bush and President Roh agree to cooperate to hold the next round of Six-Party Talks at an early date.
: In a Los Angeles speech, President Roh rules out a military option for dealing with North Korea.
: Japanese newspaper reports U.S. sets a “red line” against North Korean export of nuclear materials whose violation could result in military action; the U.S. and South Korea begin quarterly trade talks in Seoul.
: Meeting North Korean officials in New York, U.S. representative Joseph DeTrani says the U.S. seeks a new round of Six-Party Talks “without preconditions.”
: U.S. and South Korean negotiators meet to discuss South Korea’s financial contribution to stationing U.S. troops in the country.
: North Korean ambassador to the UN protests Proliferation Security Initiative naval exercise as a violation of the UN Charter.
: At trilateral talks in Seoul, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. agree on the need to hold a new round of Six-Party Talks by the end of the year.
: Secretary of State Colin Powell visits Seoul for consultations; U.S. and South Korean military officials sign agreement for relocation of Yongsan Army Base.
: North says it will attend a new round of Six-Party Talks if the U.S. drops its “hostile policy,” agrees to compensate Pyongyang for shutting down nuclear activities and if South Korea agrees to fully disclose the nature of its nuclear experiments; the U.S. and South Korea begin annual defense consultation in Washington.
: President Bush signs the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004 into law.
: South Korean Ministry of Culture proposes to end the screen quota.
: U.S. agrees to delay withdrawal of 12,500 troops until 2008.
: U.S. Ambassador Chris Hill says if South Korea scraps its film quota, it could lead to a free trade agreement.
: U.S. Senate unanimously approves North Korea Human Rights Act.
: North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su-hon says at U.N. that Pyongyang will not resume participation in six-party talks until Bush administration ends its “hostile policy” and South Korea discloses details of its nuclear experiments.
: FM Ban meets Secretary Powell in New York, urging North Korea not to conduct any missile tests, as indicated by intelligence reports.
: North Korea threatens to turn Japan into a “sea of fire” if the U.S. attacks North Korea with nuclear weapons.
: U.S. and South Korean defense officials complete two days of talks in Washington on planned U.S. troop cuts in advance of October annual security dialogue.
: IAEA inspection team arrives in Seoul to investigate uranium enrichment experiments in the early 1980s and 2000.
: Scott Snyder and SoRhym Lee are married in Seoul.
: North Korea says it will not attend new round of six-party talks until Seoul discloses details of its nuclear experiments; North Korea shows foreign diplomats site of explosions related to construction of hydro-electric facility.
: Assistant Secretary James Kelly completes two-day visit to Beijing; at beginning of four-day meeting with IAEA, South Korea says nuclear experiments were isolated, academic efforts.
: The New York Times reports that North Korea may test a nuclear weapon
: South Korea confirms massive explosion in North Korea near Chinese border several days earlier but dismisses possibility it was a nuclear test.
: South Korean Foreign Ministry official denies South Korea has a nuclear weapons development program. South Korean and U.S. trade negotiators discuss opening of Korean market to U.S. rice exports.
: ROK admits to conducting plutonium research test in the early 1980s.
: South Korea denies its scientists enriched uranium to near weapons grade.
: South Korea acknowledges that scientists in 2000 separated uranium on an experimental basis.
: U.S. Forces Korea spokesperson denies that U.S. speeded up decision to reduce troops in Korea because of anti-American actions.
: North Korea calls Bush a “political imbecile” and says it would not attend working-group meeting for the six-party talks; U.S. and South Korea begin annual “Ulchi Focus Lens” war game.
: U.S. Deputy Asst. Secretary of Defense Lawless announces a closed round of defense talks in Seoul on scheduling a reduction of U.S. troops on the Korean Peninsula.
: At opening of two-day Future of the Alliance talks, U.S. negotiators show positive response to delaying withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea until 2007.
: President Bush confirms U.S. future realignment of U.S. troops in Asia and Europe, including withdrawal of 12,500 from South Korea; North Korea accuses U.S. of pursuing “hostile policy” and says it can’t attend working-level six-party talks.
: U.S. military completes air-lift of 3,600 troops from South Korea to Iraq.
: North Korean official Ri Gun and U.S. official DeTrani discuss nuclear issue at two-day NGO seminar in New York; they reportedly meet with South Korean Ambassador Han Sung-joo and State Department Policy Planning Director Mitchell Reiss.
: NSC head Rice says the U.S. is considering all available options for disrupting North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
: North Korea returns the Korean War remains of two U.S. soldiers through Panmunjom.
: U.S. and South Korean delegates to the six-party talks open two days of meetings in Washington on compensation North Korea would receive for ending its nuclear program.
: Pyongyang calls South Korea’s receipt of North Korean refugees “premeditated abduction and terrorism in broad daylight.”
: U.S. head of the six-party working group, Joseph DeTrani, arrives in Beijing for talks with Chinese diplomats.
: Over 460 North Korean refugees arrive in Seoul after the South Korean government air-lifted them from Vietnam.
: North Korea brands U.S. six-party talks offer a “sham proposal.”
: Seoul and Washington agree on transfer of troops and bases in South Korea, as part of the realignment of U.S. forces.
: U.S. House of Representatives approves North Korea Human Rights Act.
: U.S. arms control chief Bolton meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, urging that North Korea adopt the Libyan model of dismantling its nuclear program in exchange for political and economic benefits.
: During ROK visit, U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice says North Korea will reap “surprising” rewards if it abandons its nuclear program.
: North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-Sun meets with Secretary of State Colin Powell at ASEAN Regional Forum meeting in Jakarta; in Seoul, South Korean and U.S. business leaders call for swift conclusion of Bilateral Investment Treaty.
: Incoming Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan calls for “stable ties between South Korea and the United States.”
: President Roh rejects shake-up of foreign policy team until inquiry into terrorist killing of Korean hostage is completed.
: Six-party talks end with chairman’s statement calling for a new round of talks by September.
: U.S. presents detailed proposal for resolving nuclear issue at opening of six-party talks in Beijing.
: Iraqi terrorists behead hostage Kim Sun-il, causing national shock.
: President Roh confirms that South Korea will send 3,000 troops to Iraq despite the abduction of South Korean Kim Sun-il by terrorists.
: ROK Defense Ministry confirms that South Korea will send 900 troops to Irbil, Iraq in August, as first installment of its deployment.
: President Roh offers new program of comprehensive aid to North Korea if it resolves nuclear issue.
: TCOG meeting in Washington to prepare for six-party talks.
: South Korea’s NSC announces 3,500 troops will be dispatched to Irbil as part of Iraq deployment.
: North Korea calls for the U.S. to completely pull its troops from South Korea.
: At Future of the Alliance talks in Seoul, U.S. representatives inform South Korea that the U.S. will withdraw 12,500 troops by end of 2005.
: Former President Kim Dae-jung says South Korea should take advantage of U.S. troop reductions to lower hostility on the Peninsula.
: Assistant Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless and Kim Sook, head of the South Korean Foreign Ministry meet in Seoul for talks on reducing the number of U.S. troops based the ROK.
: U.S. expresses “strong regret” over South Korean media reports saying U.S. is attempting to “downgrade” U.S.-South Korea alliance.
: President Roh says U.S.-South Korea alliance is “solid.”
: ROK PM Goh Kun resigns.
: Approximately 19 sets of remains believed to have been U.S. soldiers killed in the Korean War are uncovered in North Korea and repatriated to the U.S.
: U.S. State Department welcomes results of Japanese PM Koizumi’s one-day summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.
: President Roh calls for accelerating South Korea’s “self-defense system” in response to U.S. decision to dispatch U.S. troops from South Korea to Iraq.
: USFK officials say U.S. decision to deploy U.S. troops to Iraq will not harm South Korea’s security.
: President Bush telephones President Roh to explain U.S. decision to redeploy 3,600 U.S. troops to Iraq.
: President Roh returns to office, offers apologies, and accepts responsibility for the illegal campaign funds scandal.
: ROK Constitutional Court dismisses charges against President Roh, overturning his impeachment.
: Six-party working group talks open in Beijing.
: ROK military officer, Shin Il-soon, deputy commander of the South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, is arrested on embezzlement charges.
: South Korean FM Ban Ki-moon reaffirms that South Korea will send troops to Iraq to support coalition forces.
: DPRK leader Kim Jong-il begins visit to China to meet top officials.
: In Seoul, Vice President Cheney meets with Acting President Goh Kun and voices concern about North Korea’s nuclear program.
: South Korea’s parliamentary elections result in a resounding victory for the progressive Uri Party.
: Chung Dong-young, head of South Korea’s Uri Party, resigns following criticism for his statements that older voters should “stay at home” on election day.
: TCOG meeting in San Francisco to discuss working-level talks on DPRK nuclear crisis.
: FM Ban says a North Korean proposal for a nuclear freeze would be unacceptable unless North Korea commits to have all its nuclear-related facilities frozen.
: DPRK slams planned U.S. air defense deployment as preparation for war; says it will boost its nuclear deterrent force to protect itself and further condemns U.S. plans to deploy a Aegis-destroyer off the Korean coast in September as a “preparation for war.”
: FM Ban says a North Korean proposal for a nuclear freeze would be unacceptable unless North Korea commits to have all its nuclear-related facilities frozen.
: DPRK slams planned U.S. air defense deployment as preparation for war; says it will boost its nuclear deterrent force to protect itself and further condemns U.S. plans to deploy a Aegis-destroyer off the Korean coast in September as a “preparation for war.”
: Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Sue C. Payton visits South Korea.
: Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Sue C. Payton visits South Korea.
: U.S. accuses North Korea of seeking to sell missiles to Myanmar.
: U.S. accuses North Korea of seeking to sell missiles to Myanmar.
: South Korea stresses that there is no disagreement between Seoul and Washington over plans to send 3,000 ROK troops to Iraq; explains the two sides agreed to change the dispatch location because of concern about the security situation in Kirkuk.
: South Korea stresses that there is no disagreement between Seoul and Washington over plans to send 3,000 ROK troops to Iraq; explains the two sides agreed to change the dispatch location because of concern about the security situation in Kirkuk.
: North Korea cancels rapprochement talks with South Korea for the second time in a week, this time to protest ongoing U.S.-ROK joint military exercises.
: U.S. and South Korea hold joint military training exercises SOI and Foal Eagle amid unresolved tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
: North Korea cancels rapprochement talks with South Korea for the second time in a week, this time to protest ongoing U.S.-ROK joint military exercises.
: U.S. and South Korea hold joint military training exercises SOI and Foal Eagle amid unresolved tensions over North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
: ROK halts plans to deploy forces to Kirkuk, Iraq. Government official states the ROK will eventually dispatch the troops, but only after finding a safer location.
: President George W. Bush delivers his White House address on the first anniversary of war in Iraq; recognizes Japan’s and the ROK’s historic troop commitments to help bring peace to Iraq.
: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage acknowledges the importance of ROK’s cooperation with the U.S. in the war against terror; considers ROK’s generous financial contributions, military support and decision to dispatch 3,000 additional troops to Iraq as very significant commitments.
: ROK halts plans to deploy forces to Kirkuk, Iraq. Government official states the ROK will eventually dispatch the troops, but only after finding a safer location.
: President George W. Bush delivers his White House address on the first anniversary of war in Iraq; recognizes Japan’s and the ROK’s historic troop commitments to help bring peace to Iraq.
: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage acknowledges the importance of ROK’s cooperation with the U.S. in the war against terror; considers ROK’s generous financial contributions, military support and decision to dispatch 3,000 additional troops to Iraq as very significant commitments.
: DPRK accuses the U.S. of instigating the impeachment of South Korean President Roh.
: DPRK accuses the U.S. of instigating the impeachment of South Korean President Roh.
: Pyongyang denounces the State Department’s recent report, which charges the DPRK with being involved in state-sponsored drug smuggling, as another political plot by the U.S. against North Korea.
: Pyongyang denounces the State Department’s recent report, which charges the DPRK with being involved in state-sponsored drug smuggling, as another political plot by the U.S. against North Korea.
: FM Ban warns North Korea not to use impeachment of President Roh as pretext to stall on moving ahead with six-party working groups.
: U.S. aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk arrives at Pusan port to participate in U.S-ROK joint military exercises.
: FM Ban warns North Korea not to use impeachment of President Roh as pretext to stall on moving ahead with six-party working groups.
: U.S. aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk arrives at Pusan port to participate in U.S-ROK joint military exercises.
: New York Times reports Pakistan’s Khan Research Laboratories provided North Korea with all necessary equipment to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
: New York Times reports Pakistan’s Khan Research Laboratories provided North Korea with all necessary equipment to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.
: Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge meets interim President Goh Kun; U.S. and South Korean defense officials confirm U.S.-South Korea alliance.
: Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge meets interim President Goh Kun; U.S. and South Korean defense officials confirm U.S.-South Korea alliance.
: National Assembly impeaches President Roh.
: National Assembly impeaches President Roh.
: FM Ban meets with Secretary Powell to discuss North Korea-related issues.
: FM Ban meets with Secretary Powell to discuss North Korea-related issues.
: Six-party talks end in Beijing with agreement to meet again by the end of June and to form working groups to facilitate greater progress.
: Six-party talks end in Beijing with agreement to meet again by the end of June and to form working groups to facilitate greater progress.
: U.S., South Korea, and Japan hold trilateral talks in Seoul, in advance of upcoming six-party talks.
: U.S., South Korea, and Japan hold trilateral talks in Seoul, in advance of upcoming six-party talks.
: South Korean Unification Minister Jeong calls for more U.S. flexibility at upcoming six-party talks.
: South Korean Unification Minister Jeong calls for more U.S. flexibility at upcoming six-party talks.
: South Korean FM Ban calls on North Korea to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
: South Korean FM Ban calls on North Korea to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities.
: National Assembly approves dispatch of 3,000 South Korean troops to Iraq. U.S. and South Korean military officials meet in Seoul to discuss transfer of U.S. forces out of Yongsan Army Base.
: National Assembly approves dispatch of 3,000 South Korean troops to Iraq. U.S. and South Korean military officials meet in Seoul to discuss transfer of U.S. forces out of Yongsan Army Base.
: Seoul provisionally suspends import of U.S. poultry because of reported bird-flu cases.
: Seoul provisionally suspends import of U.S. poultry because of reported bird-flu cases.
: North Korea says new round of six-party talks will begin Feb. 25 in Beijing.
: North Korea says new round of six-party talks will begin Feb. 25 in Beijing.
: Assistant Secretary Kelly visits Seoul and says North-South talks assist the progress of the six-party talks.
: Assistant Secretary Kelly visits Seoul and says North-South talks assist the progress of the six-party talks.
: South Korea tells U.S. government delegation it will maintain its ban on imported U.S. beef due to concern about “mad-cow disease.”
: TCOG meeting in Washington. U.S., South Korea, and Japan reach agreement on pressing North Korea to agree to nuclear inspections at the six-party talks. International Institute for Strategic Studies says North Korea could complete uranium enrichment program in two years and begin producing 5 to 13 nuclear bombs per year.
: U.S. and South Korean defense officials reach agreement on the relocation of U.S. troops to Pyong-taek and the return of Yongsan Army Base to South Korea by the end of 2007.
: Roh appoints veteran diplomat Ban Ki-moon as foreign minister; departing Minister Yoon calls for “balance” in South Korea’s foreign policy.
: Roh appoints veteran diplomat Ban Ki-moon as foreign minister; departing Minister Yoon calls for “balance” in South Korea’s foreign policy.
: President Roh accepts resignation of Foreign Minister Yoon Young-kwan.
: North shows its “nuclear deterrent” to visiting unofficial delegation of U.S. experts.
: South Korean Foreign Ministry expresses “regret” over U.S. move to put South Korea on “priority watch list” for intellectual property rights violations.
: South Korean Foreign Ministry expresses “regret” over U.S. move to put South Korea on “priority watch list” for intellectual property rights violations.
: North Korea in “bold concession” to U.S. offers not to test or produce nuclear weapons and to freeze its nuclear facilities.
: North Korea in “bold concession” to U.S. offers not to test or produce nuclear weapons and to freeze its nuclear facilities.
: North Korea confirms to a Chinese diplomat that it was willing to enter into a second round of six-party talks early in 2004.
: U.S. announces that it will send 60,000 metric tons of humanitarian food aid to North Korea.
: The ROK Cabinet approves dispatch of 3,000 troops to the northern oil town of Kirkuk, Iraq as early as April.
: President Bush thanks President Roh for South Korea’s decision to dispatch troops.
: President Roh announces that the ROK will send 3,000 troops, including 1,400 combat soldiers, to assist coalition forces in Iraq.
: Foreign Minister Yoon says six-party talks are not likely in December.
: North Korea formally rejects U.S., Japanese, and South Korean proposal for ending its nuclear program.
: President Bush rejects North Korea’s proposal.
: North Korea says it will freeze its nuclear program in exchange for removal from U.S. terrorism list, end of U.S. sanctions, and energy assistance.
: U.S., Japan, and South Korea reportedly reach agreement on joint statement for ending North Korean nuclear program.
: U.S. lifts safeguard tariffs on South Korean and other steel imports.
: Two South Korean civilian contractors are killed in Iraq.
: Ambassador Hubbard says U.S. will move its command and UN Forces Command out of Seoul, while denying any diversion of South Korea-based troops to Iraq.
: North Korean patrol boat briefly crosses NLL.
: KEDO’s executive board officially declares one-year suspension of $4.6 billion nuclear power plant project in DPRK beginning Dec. 1.
: Assistant Secretary James Kelly meets with South Korean officials to discuss six-party talks.
: Defense Secretaries Rumsfeld and Cho complete 35th Annual U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting in Seoul.
: North Korea says it is willing to give up “in practice” its nuclear program if the U.S. drops its “hostile policy.”
: Presidential Spokesman Yoon Tae-young says Korea will send no more than 3,000 troops to Iraq to assist the U.S.
: Ambassador Hubbard says U.S. will not revive KEDO project even if North Korea dismantles its nuclear program. President Roh says South Korean government “is in middle of decision-making process” on dispatching troops to Iraq and may send more than 5,000.
: State Department spokesman expresses confidence in early resumption of six-party talks with North Korea.
: South Korea’s Unification Minister Jeong says KEDO light-water reactor project will resume in a year, following suspension.
: KEDO decides to suspend light-water reactor project for one year.
: Ambassador Hubbard reaffirms that U.S. will give written multilateral security assurances to North Korea and may accept package deal regarding nuclear issue.
: South Korean navy patrol boat fires shots at North Korean fishing boat that crossed Northern Limit Line (NLL).
: North Korea says it is willing to accept President Bush’s offer of security assurances if they are based on the “intention to coexist” and the U.S. offers “simultaneous actions.”
: North Korea rejects U.S. offer of written multilateral security assurances, calling it “laughable”; North Korea test fires another short-range missile.
: President Bush and President Roh meet at APEC summit. North Korea test fires a short-range missile.
: Ambassador Hubbard expresses U.S. gratitude to South Korean government for decision to dispatch troops to Iraq.
: North Korean announces it is ready to demonstrate its nuclear capability.
: North Korea strongly criticizes U.S. for efforts to impose international sanctions and maritime monitoring of North Korean shipments; U.S., Japan, and South Korea meet to discuss future of KEDO project.
: North Korea demands that Japan be excluded from future rounds of six-party talks; U.S. rejects the North Korean demand.
: DPRK claims to have successfully finished the reprocessing of some 8,000 spent fuel rods, states “We (have) no intention of transferring any means of that nuclear deterrence to other countries.”
: U.S. requests South Korean troops to replace 101st airborne division in Mosul area of Iraq.
: Officials from the U.S., Japan, and South Korea meet in Tokyo for trilateral meeting on North Korea nuclear issue.
: DPRK describes Secretary Rumsfeld as “politically illiterate” and a “psychopath.”
: Representatives of U.S., China, Russia, South Korea, and Japan meet at United Nations to discuss six-party talks with North Korea; FM Yoon calls for next U.S. proposal at six-party talks to address North Korea’s security concerns.
: Secretary Rumsfeld addresses U.S. and ROK business leaders at the U.S./Korean Business Council Luncheon.
: A South Korean activist commits suicide in anti-capitalism protest at WTO meeting.
: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Lawless asks South Korea to send combat troops to Iraq to assist with maintaining security in the country.
: President Bush tells FM Yoon that that he strongly supports multilateral talks with North Korea; South Korea and U.S. finish meeting in Seoul on the relocation of U.S. forces.
: U.S. State Department spokesman expresses satisfaction with the progress made at the multilateral talks with North Korea.
: Leaving Beijing, the North Korean delegate announces it has no need for “these kind of talks” and will not attend in the future.
: Multilateral talks in Beijing end with apparent agreement on new round of talks and on not taking actions to aggravate the pending nuclear crisis.
: South Korean, Japanese, and U.S. officials meet in Washington to plan strategy for multilateral talks; South Korea files complaint with WTO regarding U.S. decision to impose duties on Hynix Corporation
: North Korea demands a legally binding nonaggression pact from the United States.
: South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun promises to reinforce security around U.S. military installations.
: Radical Korean students disrupt U.S. military exercise on a shooting range near the DMZ.
: U.S. imposes punitive countervailing tariffs as high as 38.74 percent on imports of polyvinyl alcohol from South Korea.
: North Korea agrees to accept six-way multilateral talks with South Korea, the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia.
: Under Secretary of State John Bolton visits South Korea.
: U.S. Forces Korea agrees to pay about $600,000 in disputed water bills to the Korean government.
: President Roh says North Korea can get a “security guarantee” from the U.S. in future multilateral negotiations on the nuclear issue.
: Presidents Bush and Roh agree by phone to keep pushing for multilateral talks on DPRK’s nuclear program.
: U.S. and South Korea agree on transferring Panmunjom military mission to South Korea and on relocating U.S. troops south from Yongsan Army Base in Seoul.
: South Korea announces it will challenge U.S. ruling imposing punitive tariffs on Hynix Corporation at the World Trade Organization.
: South Korean health minister signs memorandum of understanding with U.S. Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate health programs and research.
: North Korea demands the U.S. drops its “hostile policy” and legally commit itself to a nonaggression pact.
: South Korean Commerce Ministry reports South Korea’s trade surplus with the U.S. fell 35 percent in the first six months of 2003.
: The New York Times reports North Korea has built a second clandestine nuclear plant to reprocess fuel rods.
: Secretary of State Colin Powell says diplomatic track with North Korea is “alive and well” following China’s efforts to broker a negotiating compromise; North and South Korean soldiers exchange rifle fire at the DMZ.
: Former Defense Secretary William Perry says U.S. and North Korea are drifting toward war.
: North Korea says it would regard a U.S. naval blockade as an act of war; South Korean FM Yoon discount’s North Korea’s claim of reprocessing fuel rods.
: WTO declares that U.S. steel safeguard measures imposing tariffs on imported Korean and other steel violate WTO rules.
: North Korean patrol boat briefly violates northern line limit (NLL).
: ROK National Intelligence Service (NIS) reportedly testifies that the DPRK has reprocessed some number of its spent fuel rods and has tested devices used to trigger atomic explosions.
: North Korea claims in working-level talks with the U.S. that it has reprocessed 8,000 nuclear fuel rods and begun operation of a 4-megawatt reactor.
: U.S. endorses joint South Korea-China statement calling on North Korea to agree to multilateral talks on the nuclear issue.
: Ambassador Thomas Hubbard says it will be difficult for U.S. to move forward with KEDO project due to North Korean violations.
: At the Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting, U.S., Japan, and South Korea reaffirm multilateral negotiating strategy with North Korea.
: North Korea warns it will take retaliatory measures if the U.S. imposes sanctions or a blockade.
: U.S. states it may seek a presidential statement from the UN Security Council, condemning Pyongyang’s nuclear activities.
: At an ASEAN meeting, members call for North Korea to admit IAEA inspectors and comply with the NPT. U.S., South Korea, China, and Japan reportedly agree to UN Security Council consideration of the nuclear issue with Pyongyang.
: North Korea rejects multilateral talks on its nuclear program, saying U.S. true intention is to isolate North Korean regime.
: President Roh says South Korea will strive to increase cooperation and exchanges with North Korea.
: TCOG meeting in Honolulu. U.S., South Korea, and Japan agree to push for multilateral talks with North Korea on nuclear issue.
: U.S. Forces Korea issues statement apologizing for deaths of two school girls in spring, 2002; U.S. reportedly embarks on program of “selective interdiction” to stop suspicious shipments out of North Korea.
: U.S. and ROK officials agree on two-phase, multi-year consolidation of U.S. troops around “key hubs” south of Seoul and plans to invest $11 billion in new capabilities for ROK military.
: Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz urges South Korea to increase defense spending during visit to Seoul.
: Three U.S. members of Congress, led by Rep. Curt Weldon, leave Pyongyang after a three-day visit; South Korean Navy fires warning shots at North Korean fishing boats.
: DPRK accuses ROK of sending warships across the disputed Yellow Sea border, warns of “irrevocable serious consequences.”
: Seoul explicitly states its support for multilateral talks with North Korea.
: North Korea says it will accept U.S. proposal of multilateral talks on the nuclear issue, so long as the U.S. agrees to talk directly with the North as well.
: North Korea retracts threat to South Korea at inter-Korean talks and the South agrees to provide 400,000 tons of rice in humanitarian assistance.
: North Korea condemns South Korea’s joint statement with U.S. at summit, saying “the South will suffer from numerous casualties,” but calls for actively conducting “reconciliation and cooperation projects.”
: At Washington summit, President Bush and President Roh agree to pursue peaceful resolution of nuclear issue with North Korea while noting that “further steps” may be necessary in the face of an increased North Korean threat.
: North Korea accuses U.S. of building up military forces on Korean Peninsula and threatens a “merciless and exterminatory” counterstrike. WTO rules that U.S. tariffs on imported steel, including steel from South Korea, are a violation of global trade rules.
: South Korea says it will ask the WTO to rule against U.S. imposition of punitive tariffs on Hynix memory chips.
: North Korea says it will “take self-defensive measures” if U.S. seeks economic sanctions at the United Nations.
: North Korean, Chinese, and U.S. diplomats meet in Beijing to conduct multilateral dialogue on North Korean nuclear program.
: North Korea issues revised public statement to indicate it has not yet started to reprocess spent nuclear fuel rods.
: Leaked U.S. Defense Department memo calls for a U.S. policy of regime change in North Korea.
: North Korea says it will accept multilateral dialogue with the U.S. President Roh says South Korea will cooperate closely with U.S. to resolve nuclear crisis peacefully through dialogue with North Korea.
: U.S. and South Korea agree to relocate U.S. military headquarters from Yongsan Army Base in Seoul to Osan, south of Seoul, by 2004.
: National Assembly approves dispatch of Korean troops to Iraq as part of U.S. coalition. U.S. Commerce Department imposes high punitive duty of 57.37 percent on Hynix Corporation for alleged Korean government subsidies of memory-chip exports.
: President-elect Roh says he is “skeptical” of the U.S. approach to the North, and insists that “any U.S. move should fully consider South Korea’s opinion.
: Expelled IAEA inspectors depart North Korea.
: President Bush reaffirms his belief that North Korean program can be stopped “peacefully, through diplomacy,” asserting that “this is not a military showdown, this is a diplomatic showdown.”
: President Kim rejects “tailored containment,” stating that “pressure and isolation have never been successful with Communist countries.”
: Secretary Powell says the U.S. is “looking for ways to communicate with the North Koreans so some sense can prevail,” seemingly making a distinction between talking to as opposed to negotiating with Pyongyang.
: U.S. official discusses policy of “tailored containment,” including possible economic sanctions, to force North Korea to give up its nuclear programs.
: President-elect Roh warns that continued Northern nuclear defiance would negatively affect inter-Korean exchanges.
: President-elect Roh warns the DPRK that Seoul’s position could harden if Pyongyang ignored international concerns over its nuclear weapons program.
: IAEA Director ElBaradei accuses Pyongyang of “nuclear brinkmanship.”
: President Kim, at special Cabinet meeting, states “we can never go along with North Korea’s nuclear weapons development,” saying standoff should be resolved through dialogue.
: Russia calls on North Korea to cooperate with the IAEA.
: President-elect Roh meets with President Kim to discuss North Korea.
: IAEA reports that North Korea has begun to reopen its reprocessing plant. Without monitoring devices, it will be impossible to tell if plutonium is being diverted for weapons purposes.
: Secretary Rumsfeld states that the U.S. is capable of dealing militarily with Iraq and North Korea at the same time if necessary.
: Secretary Powell speaks to his counterparts in Britain, China, South Korea, Japan, and Russia to emphasize need for “a peaceful resolution,” without yielding to North Korean “blackmail.”
: North Korea begins to physically dismantle IAEA monitoring devices; IAEA inspectors ordered to depart North Korea.
: President Bush calls to congratulate President-elect Roh; the two “agreed to work closely together for peace on the Korean Peninsula and strengthen the South Korea-U.S. alliance.”
: In his first post-victory speech, President-elect Roh says the ROK-U.S. alliance “must mature and advance in the 21st century.”
: DPRK demands compensation for U.S. piracy and “reckless state-sponsored terrorism” over ship seizure.
: Roh Moo-hyun, the ruling Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) candidate, is elected president with 48.9 percent of the vote, defeating Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party (GNP), who won 46.6 percent, and several other candidates.
: North Korea declares that only a non-aggression pact with Washington can prevent “a catastrophic crisis of a war.”
: South Korean Red Cross officials meet North Korean officials during talks to establish a permanent reunion center for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.
: The U.S. military command announces it will surrender Sgt. Kirby to South Korean authorities.
: North Korea announces plans to immediately reactivate Yongbyon reactor; calls on International Atomic Energy Agency to remove monitoring devices.
: South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Evans Revere and 8th U.S. Army Commander Charles Campbell meet and announce agreement to form a committee to review the U.S.-Korea SOFA.
: In Seoul, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ronnie D. Kirby is convicted by South Korea’s Supreme Court of severely injuring a pedestrian in Osan City (south of Seoul) in a motor vehicle accident on July 1, 2001.
: President Kim meets with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in Seoul. Armitage issues apology for the deaths of the teenagers in June and announces the U.S. and South Korea will review the SOFA.
: A North Korean ship carrying Scud-type missiles is intercepted by the Spanish Navy and inspected by U.S. officials; ship is subsequently released when it is revealed the missiles are destined for Yemen.
: North/South Korea agree to second cross-border road to help build an industrial park in Kaesong, North Korea.
: ROK Defense Minister Lee Jun meets U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Washington. D.C.
: President Kim calls for revisions to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the U.S. military.
: The United Nations Command (UNC) agrees to let Southern tourists cross the DMZ without prior approval, ending a dispute that was delaying cross-border links.
: U.S. Ambassador Thomas Hubbard delivers apology from President Bush to the families of South Korean schoolgirls killed by U.S. military vehicle.
: A DPRK Education Ministry spokesman incites South Koreans to a “sacred war” against the United States over June accident.
: South Korean activists illegally enter U.S. Army base in Uijongbu, north of the capital Seoul, to protest the acquittal of two U.S. soldiers in June 13 accident that killed two South Korean school girls.
: South Korean activists throw firebombs into a U.S. military support post, Camp Gray, in southwestern Seoul, in protest of U.S. soldiers’ acquittal.
: Chung Mong-joon, liberal party candidate and Korean World Cup soccer football chief withdraws his candidacy for the presidency; joins forces with ruling party candidate Roh Moo-hyun.
: The North’s Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland (DFRF) calls on South Koreans to join the North and “shatter the nuclear fuss made by the U.S.”
: A U.S. military court also acquits vehicle driver Sgt. Mark Walker of negligent homicide.
: A South Korean warship fires warning shots at a North Korean Navy boat in South Korean waters.
: A U.S. military court acquits U.S. Sgt. Fernando Nino of negligent homicide in the June 13 deaths of two South Korean schoolgirls. Sgt. Nino was the track commander of the vehicle involved in the accident.
: Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization announces suspension of heavy fuel oil deliveries pending “concrete and credible actions” by DPRK to dismantle uranium enrichment program.
: Secretary Kelly visits Seoul to discuss North Korea nuclear issue.
: Secretary Kelly attends Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group meeting in Tokyo, meets with ROK Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Tae-sik.
: North Korea rejects international demands to end its nuclear weapons program on first day of talks aimed at normalizing relations with Japan.
: President Kim Dae-jung visits Seattle, meets with Washington State Gov. Gary Locke and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
: U.S. President George W. Bush, ROK President Kim Dae-jung, and Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro meet prior to the APEC Leaders’ Meeting in Los Cabos and reaffirm their commitment to a nuclear weapons-free Korean Peninsula.
: Secretary of State Colin Powell meets South Korean Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong in Los Cabos, Mexico on the sidelines of annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting.
: Secretary Kelly visits Seoul following talks in Beijing on North Korea nuclear issue.
: South Korean presidential candidates unanimously call on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
: State Department reveals that Assistant Secretary Kelly accused North Korea of building a clandestine uranium enrichment facility and North Korea acknowledged this secret nuclear weapons program.
: At Seoul press conference, Kelly describes meetings in Pyongyang as “frank” and “useful.” Meanwhile, North Korea broadcasts accuse Kelly of being “arrogant” and “high-handed” and condemn Bush’s “hard-line policy of hostility.”
: Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs James Kelly visits Pyongyang, North Korea.
: South Korean students illegally enter U.S. Embassy compound and demand an apology for June accident in which two schoolgirls were killed during U.S. military exercises.
: U.S. announces that Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Kelly will visit Pyongyang for consultations in early October.
: PM Koizumi urges the U.S. to resume dialogue “at an early date” with North Korea.
: North and South Korea connect a military hotline to discuss issues related to the construction of rail and highway links.
: North and South Korea begin clearing mines in the DMZ to allow construction of rail and highway links following Sept. 18 ceremonies.
: U.S. spokesman voices support for “positive results” of Koizumi-Kim meeting in Pyongyang; North and South Korea break ground for cross-border railway project.
: Japanese prime minister holds summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim in Pyongyang.
: Korean activists abduct off-duty U.S. soldier and force him to sign “confession” at public rally protesting death of two South Korean girls.
: President George W. Bush expresses U.S. support for Koizumi trip to Pyongyang for summit meeting with DPRK leader Kim Jong-il.
: U.S. Forces Korea announces trial of two soldiers for negligent homicide in deaths of two Korean girls.
: UN Command authorizes construction work on rail and highway links in the eastern portion of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
: Civic groups charge Seoul city government ignored laws in issuing construction permit for new U.S. Embassy housing site.
: TCOG statement reaffirms the importance of “engagement” of North Korea; recognizes North Korea’s recent “constructive attitude” toward international community.
: Japanese, South Korean, and U.S. diplomats meet in Seoul for Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting to discuss upcoming Koizumi visit to Pyongyang.
: Japan announces Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro will visit Pyongyang Sept. 17.
: South and North Korea agree on cooperative projects, including cross-border rail construction.
: U.S. Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Affairs John Bolton warns North Korea on need for early nuclear inspections to avoid U.S. rescission of 1994 Agreed Framework.
: Japan and North Korea begin two days of official talks in Pyongyang.
: U.S. sanctions North Korea for selling missile parts to Yemen.
: North Korean leader Kim Jong-il begins four-day visit to Russia.
: U.S. Under Secretary of Defense Zakheim requests more South Korean support for the war on terrorism.
: North Korea threatens to withdraw from 1994 Agreed Framework.
: Inter-Korean talks resume in Seoul on military, economic, and family reunion issues.
: Yielding to U.S. demands, South Korea cuts special consumption tax on large cars up to 4 percent.
: Ceremony held in North Korea for the pouring of the first concrete at the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) reactor site.
: North Korean military officials meet with U.N. Command at Panmunjom for the first time in two years.
: North Korea proposes military talks with U.N. Command to discuss June 29 naval incident.
: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun meet at ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Brunei.
: North Korea says it is ready to receive a U.S. envoy to resume bilateral security talks. Washington welcomes Pyongyang’s “apology” for the naval incident.
: North Korea proposes to resume talks with South Korea and expresses regret over June 29 naval clash.
: ROK Defense Ministry says it does not expect the U.S. to give up jurisdiction over two soldiers accused of negligently killing two girls in a training exercise.
: U.S. military team enters North Korea to search for the remains of Korean war dead.
: First public reports emerge that North Korea is scrapping its decades old rationing system and instituting price reform.
: U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says North Korea initiated naval clash.
: U.S. rescinds offer to meet with North Korea the following week, following West Sea naval clash.
: China releases 23 North Korean defectors after reaching agreement with Korea.
: TCOG is held in San Francisco.
: Ambassador Hubbard says U.S. will discuss with North Korea missile and nuclear concerns as well as humanitarian and refugee issues in resumed bilateral talks. U.S. coordinator on North Korea Jack Pritchard meets with North Korean Ambassador to the UN Pak Gil-yon in New York.
: A U.S. Forces Korea armored vehicle, on a training mission, accidentally kills two Korean teenage girls in Uijongbu, north of the capital Seoul.
: The conservative Grand National Party sweeps local elections in a major blow to President Kim’s Millennium Democratic Party.
: U.S. expresses “extreme concern” that Chinese police dragged North Korean defectors from South Korea Consulate in Beijing.
: U.S. and South Korea draw 1-1 in World Cup match, averting possibility of anti-American protests.
: Secretary Powell speech to Asia Society further defines U.S. Korea policy.
: U.S. raises South Korea’s rating in report on human trafficking to a country that complies with minimum standards.
: South Korea delays publishing a defense report identifying North Korea as the “main enemy.”
: China releases five North Korean defectors who entered a Japanese consulate in Shenyang, China on May 8 to travel to Seoul via Manila.
: Boeing agrees to cut price for F-15K fighters to approximately $4.23 billion, sealing deal with Korean government.
: North Korean experts visit South Korea to examine airports for re-establishing direct inter-Korean air link.
: Protests against U.S. Embassy plan to construct apartments in Seoul.
: South Korean legislator Park Geun-hye reports North Korea will conduct joint investigation of leaking dam after meeting with Kim Jong-il.
: South Korea demands compensation from the U.S. for damage to the South Korean steel industry from U.S. import safeguards.
: Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organization (KEDO) officials begin discussions of a protocol for nuclear liability with North Korean officials in Pyongyang.
: U.S. urges North Korea to resume economic talks with the South.
: North Korea cancels participation in inter-Korean economic talks.
: Presidential candidate Roh fires adviser who warned against U.S. interference in campaign.
: U.S. indicates that it accepts North Korea’s invitation to send an envoy to Pyongyang to resume dialogue.
: Divided Korean families reunite at Mt. Kumgang.
: Secretary Powell says U.S. is ready to resume dialogue with North Korea.
: South Korea announces it will buy 40 F-15K fighter jets from Boeing.
: U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Thomas C. Hubbard says the U.S. has no concerns about the emergence of Roh Moo-hyun as a presidential candidate.
: ROK Foreign Minister Choi Sung-hong meets President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell to discuss relations with North Korea.
: South Korea decides to send 200,000 tons of fertilizer to North Korea.
: Trilateral Coordination and Oversight Group (TCOG) meeting in Tokyo.
: Former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Donald Gregg visits Pyongyang in a private capacity.
: Lim and North Korea leader Kim Jong-il agree on new family reunions, economic meetings, and for North Korea to resume dialogue with U.S.
: Special Presidential Envoy Lim Dong-won calls on North Korea to reduce tension during meeting in Pyongyang.
: South Korea narrows choice of bidders in billion-dollar fighter jet project to Boeing and Dassault Aviation.
: South Korea announces that Presidential Adviser Lim Dong-won will visit Pyongyang as a special envoy April 3.
: President Bush refuses to certify North Korea’s compliance with the Agreed Framework but will continue heavy fuel oil delivery.
: China says it will crack down on nongovernmental organizations that assist defectors.
: Twenty-five North Korean defectors arrive in Seoul after first seeking asylum in Beijing.
: Special Envoy Pritchard meets in New York with DPRK UN Ambassador Pak for “useful” talks.
: North Korea says it will re-examine all agreements with the U.S., including the Agreed Framework, in light of new nuclear threat to North Korea by the U.S.
: Korean representative of Dassault Aviation acknowledges giving money to a South Korean military official to influence fighter jet procurement.
: European Chamber of Commerce in Korea announces it will send trade delegation to Pyongyang.
: The Bush administration is reported to prepare contingency nuclear attacks against seven countries, including North Korea.
: South Korea expresses strong regret at U.S. decision on steel import tariffs and weighs challenge at WTO.
: President Bush announces tariffs of up to 30 percent on steel imports.
: U.S. State Department Human Rights report condemns human rights violations in North Korea.
: Korean Business Survey Index hits two-year high based on improved Korean economy.
: President Kim says there is “no alternative” to the Sunshine Policy.
: North Korea rejects U.S. request to resume bilateral talks, saying the U.S. wants to “stifle” its system.
: In China, Bush asks President Jiang Zemin to help resumption of bilateral U.S.-North Korea talks.
: In South Korea, President Bush rules out offensive attack on North Korea and expresses support for Sunshine Policy.
: Radical South Korean students occupy offices of American Chamber of Commerce in Seoul to protest Bush visit.
: President Bush reaffirms U.S. offer to talk with North Korea and says if it “abandons” weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the U.S. would welcome more trade with North Korea.
: Secretary Powell says U.S. has “no plan to start a war” with North Korea.
: North Korea UN Ambassador Pak says the DPRK is ready to resolve tensions with U.S. and South Korea through dialogue.
: Pentagon report says most likely large-scale regional war scenario in the near term would be on the Korean Peninsula.
: U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission in Seoul Evans Revere says the U.S. would not take military action against North Korea without prior consultation with South Korea.
: President Kim calls for easing tension with North Korea through dialogue and preventing the threat of a new Korean war; ruling party leader Kim Geun-tae warns that Bush stance should not undermine Sunshine Policy.
: President Kim dismisses Han as foreign minister and appoints Choi Sung-hong in his place.
: Secretary of State Colin Powell expresses skepticism about the results of the Sunshine Policy to South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo.
: North Korea says Bush speech is “little short of a declaration of war.”
: The U.S. State Department insists that the U.S. is still open to dialogue with North Korea despite “axis of evil” rhetoric.
: President Bush, in his State of the Union address, says North Korea is part of an “axis of evil” threatening the U.S.
: U.S. and North Korea fail to reach agreement after four days of MIA talks.
: A BBC documentary claims U.S. commanders ordered indiscriminate killing of Korean refugees during Korean War.
: Opposition leader Lee Hoi-chang meets Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington.
: North Korea offers visitors to Mt. Kumgang free access to Pyongyang for festival celebrating anniversary of the late Kim Il-sung.
: U.S. and South Korea finalize environmental measures on U.S. bases.
: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officials arrive in North Korea to visit nuclear facilities.
: South Korean President Kim Dae-jung urges the U.S. “to allow North Korea to save face” to help re-start bilateral U.S.-North Korea talks.
: U.S. Special Envoy Jack Pritchard and North Korean UN Ambassador Pak Gil-yon meet in New York with no apparent progress.
: Economic indicators forecast imminent Korean economic recovery.
: North Korea calls for military build-up to meet the U.S. threat and for improvements in the DPRK standard of living.
: South Korean military lifts the high-alert status of its forces put in effect after the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks in the U.S.
: F-15 fighters deployed to Korea in October will reportedly be returning to the U.S. in December.
: Visiting U.S. official to Seoul indicates U.S. interest in a U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
: U.S. Forces, Korea reportedly plans to use the Yongsan Army base as a new “hub,” despite some calls for relocation away from the center of Seoul.
: Reports surface that the U.S. has proposed a visit by State Dept. Coordinator Jack Pritchard to Pyongyang.
: Korean Defense Ministry backs U.S. plan to build large apartment complex at Yongsan Army base, despite protests.
: U.S. and South Korea hold high-level consultation over relocation of the Yongsan Army base, also discussing controversial U.S. planss to build new housing.
: EU indicates that North Korea is willing to sign five more anti-terror international agreements.
: U.S. recommends tariff on steel imports, including those from South Korea.
: Bank of Korea estimates economic growth of 3.9 percent in 2002.
: FAA upgrades South Korea’s aviation safety rating after Korea revises laws and regulations in accordance with international standards.
: KEDO and North Korea sign agreement on quality assurance and warranties for two light-water reactors.
: On the arrival of KEDO Executive Director Charles Kartman, Pyongyang agrees to open a nuclear laboratory to international inspection.
: U.S. reaffirms it will provide humanitarian assistance to North Korea. Ambassador Hubbard reiterates Washington’s readiness to resume talks with North Korea.
: North and South Korea exchange gunfire at the DMZ.
: President Bush demands North Korea accept inspection of its suspected programs for producing weapons of mass destruction and halt missile sales.
: At a trilateral meeting, South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. reconfirm their support for the 1994 Agreed Framework.
: Bank of Korea reports South Korean economy grew 1.8 percent in third quarter.
: South Korea and European Union agree to cooperate in resisting U.S. steel quotas.
: At a Geneva conference, U.S. Under Secretary John Bolton accuses North Korea of developing biological weapons. In Washington, D.C., Asst. Secretary of State James Kelly says U.S. is still “hopeful” for resumption of dialogue with North Korea.
: At annual U.S.-Korea Security Consultative Meeting, the U.S. requests that South Korea buy Boeing fighters.
: North and South Korea break off talks without agreement; North Korea accuses the South of heightening tensions through anti-terror measures.
: North Korea ratifies UN anti-terrorism treaty.
: South Korea and the U.S. announce the postponement of their joint “Foal Eagle” military exercise until spring 2002.
: North Korea demands the U.S. remove it from the U.S. list of nations that suppress religious freedom.
: Ambassador Hubbard urges North Korea to join the U.S. and the international coalition in the war against terrorism.
: Ambassador Hubbard calls for South Korea to improve trade balance with the U.S.
: U.S. says foreign steel exporters including South Korea committed trade violations. North Korea says President Bush’s criticism of Kim Jong-il was “imprudent.”
: President Bush and President Kim Dae-jung meet at the Shanghai APEC conference.
: President Bush warns North Korea not to take advantage of U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan conflict.
: North Korea postpones family reunions citing South Korea’s security alert following terrorist attacks in the U.S.
: Seoul announces it will send 450 non-combatants on medical and transport missions to assist U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.
: Seoul expresses full support for U.S. military attacks against terrorists in Afghanistan.
: At the UN, North Korea expresses regret for terrorist attacks on U.S.
: US Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift reassures allies in Asia of US commitment.