North Korea

2024 - 4 - 9

Top Chinese Official to Visit North Korea Amid Tensions and Accusations

China - Illegal Ship-to-Ship Transfers - Kim Jong Un - Korean War - New Zealand - North Korea - North Korean Paratroopers - Royal New Zealand Air Force - South Korea - Zhao Leji

China's third highest-ranked leader embarks on a diplomatic mission to North Korea as tensions rise and accusations fly in the region. Read more for the juicy details!

Amid escalating tensions, a significant diplomatic move is set to unfold as one of China's top leaders, Zhao Leji, prepares to lead a delegation to North Korea this week. Zhao, a prominent member of the Communist Party's top leadership body, will attend the opening ceremony for the 'China-DPRK Friendship Year' during his visit from Thursday to Saturday. This visit comes at a crucial juncture, with North Korean media launching scathing attacks on South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, labeling him a 'fascist dictator' and a 'warmonger' on the eve of elections.

Zhao Leji's upcoming talks with Pyongyang officials mark the latest high-level exchange between China and North Korea, underscoring the complex dynamics at play in the region. Simultaneously, reports emerge of North Korean paratroopers sustaining injuries in military drills led by Kim Jong Un, a move seen as a direct response to joint war games conducted by the U.S. and South Korea. As heated electioneering unfolds in South Korea on the eve of parliamentary elections, political tensions in the region are palpable.

In a pertinent development, Zhao Leji's visit holds strategic significance, emphasizing China's role as a key player in the delicate balance of power in Northeast Asia. The accusations against President Yoon Suk Yeol reflect the deep-rooted animosity and political complexities between North and South Korea, highlighting the volatile nature of inter-Korean relations. These recent events serve as a stark reminder of the enduring geopolitical challenges faced by nations in the Korean Peninsula.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Voice of America"

Top Chinese official to visit North Korea this week (Voice of America)

FILE - Zhao Leji, current Communist Party of China's Politburo Standing Committee member, in Beijing on October 23, 2022. China's third highest-ranking official ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

One of China's top leaders will lead a delegation to North Korea this ... (The Washington Post)

Zhao is one of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party's top leadership body headed by Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "NK News"

China's third highest-ranked official to visit North Korea this week ... (NK News)

Zhao will attend the opening ceremony for the โ€œChina-DPRK Friendship Yearโ€ during his visit from Thursday to Saturday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Reuters.com"

North Korean media takes stab at South's president on eve of elections (Reuters.com)

North Korea's state-controlled media has called President Yoon Suk Yeol of its neighbour South Korea a "fascist dictator" and a "warmonger" a day before ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "South China Morning Post"

China's No 3 official Zhao Leji to lead delegation to North Korea on ... (South China Morning Post)

Zhao Leji is expected to hold talks with Pyongyang officials in the latest high-level exchange between the two sides.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Straits Times"

North Korean media takes stab at South Korea's President Yoon Suk ... (The Straits Times)

KCNA called Mr Yoon Suk-yeol a "fascist dictator" and a "warmonger". Read more at straitstimes.com.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "koreatimes"

China's top legislator Zhao Leji to visit N. Korea this week (koreatimes)

A Chinese delegation led by the country's top legislator, Zhao Leji, will visit Pyongyang, North Korea's state media said Tuesday, in the latest in a series ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Newsweek"

North Korean Paratroopers Injured in Kim-Led Drills, Agency Says (Newsweek)

The large-scale training exercise appeared to be a direct response to the annual Freedom Shield war games held by the U.S. and South Korea.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Yonhap News"

Yonhap News Summary (Yonhap News)

SEOUL -- Heated last-minute electioneering unfolded on the eve of the parliamentary elections Tuesday, with the ruling party denouncing the scandal-ridden ...

Joint Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of the Democratic ... (Human Rights Watch)

Since 2019, which marked the last UPR of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the human rights situation regarding the rights to food, health, ...

In new movie, the South started the Korean War, as Pyongyang has ... (Radio Free Asia)

Higher quality of propaganda film '72 Hours' is making it a blockbuster in North Korea. By Kim Ji Eun for RFA Korean 2024.04.09.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Associated Press"

One of China's top leaders will lead a delegation to North Korea this ... (The Associated Press)

A top Chinese leader will lead a delegation to North Korea this week. China's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that Zhao Leji would visit the isolated country ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "NK News"

New Zealand to deploy new aircraft to monitor North Korean ... (NK News)

New Zealand will deploy a patrol aircraft to support the monitoring and surveillance of illegal ship-to-ship transfers by North Korea, Japan's foreign ...

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan"

Monitoring and surveillance activities by Royal New Zealand Air ... (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)

From mid-April to early May, New Zealand will engage in monitoring and surveillance activities of illicit maritime activities, including ship-to-ship ...

Explore the last week