NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news on North Korea this week.

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U.S. leaves N. Korea on state sponsors of terrorism list in 2023 report

WASHINGTON -- The United States has kept North Korea on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, an annual State Department report showed Thursday, noting the reclusive regime repeatedly supported acts of international terrorism.

The department released the 2023 Country Reports on Terrorism, which serves as a guide for policy decisions on counterterrorism. The document entails the list of state terrorism sponsors, which includes Cuba, Iran and Syria.

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U.S. sets up reward of up to US5 million for info on N.K. IT firms, workers, money laundering

WASHINGTON -- The United States offered Thursday to provide a reward of up to $5 million for information on two North Korean information technology (IT) firms, accusing them of exploiting workers to generate revenue to support the reclusive regime in Pyongyang.

The State Department announced the reward for a tip on Yanbian Silverstar Network Technology Co., Ltd. in China and Volasys Silverstar in Russia. It also made public the names of 14 people, including Jong Song-hwa, the CEO of both companies, and Yanbian Silverstar President Kim Ryu-song and Volasys Silverstar President Ri Kyong-sik.

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Trump calls N.K. role in Russia's war 'complicating' factor, says he gets along 'very well' with Kim

WASHINGTON -- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said that Pyongyang's involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine is a "very complicating" factor, while boasting about his personal ties with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Trump made the remarks in an interview with U.S. magazine TIME published Thursday as he commented on issues related to Russia's war in Ukraine and instability in the Middle East.

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Pentagon warns 'any actor' against taking advantage of martial law turmoil in S. Korea

WASHINGTON -- A Pentagon spokesperson on Wednesday warned "any actor" against taking advantage of the political turmoil caused by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt last week, amid lingering concerns over the possibility of North Korea engaging in provocative activities.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh made the remarks as the opposition bloc is pushing for a second impeachment motion against Yoon who made a surprise emergency martial law declaration on Dec. 3 only to retract the decree hours later following political and social blowback.

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Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, Japan agree on close cooperation on N.K. threats at 'sensitive time'

SEOUL -- The top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan agreed Tuesday to work closely together to counter North Korea's possible provocations during a "sensitive time," Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, amid the chaos resulting from the failed martial law.

Cho Koo-rae, vice foreign minister for strategy and intelligence, shared the commitment with Hiroyuki Namazu, director general for Asian and Oceanian affairs at Japan's foreign ministry, during their talks in Tokyo, the ministry said in a release.

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