Summary of external news of North Korea this week

NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news of North Korea this week.

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U.S. remains ready to engage with N. Korea, but holding N. Korea accountable important: State Dept.

WASHINGTON -- The United States remains ready to engage with North Korea diplomatically but the country continues to show no interest in dialogue, a state department spokesperson said Thursday.

State Department Press Secretary Ned Price also highlighted the importance of holding North Korea accountable for its recent provocations.

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U.S. House passes resolution denouncing socialism, N. Korean dictators

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution Thursday denouncing socialism and socialist dictators, including North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

House lawmakers passed the resolution, titled "Denouncing the horrors of socialism," in a 328-86 vote.

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(LEAD) S. Korea, U.S. hold combined air drills, involving B-1B bombers, F-22, F-35 stealth fighters: defense ministry

SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States staged combined air drills, involving B-1B strategic bombers and F-22 and F-35B stealth fighters from the U.S. Air Force, in a show of Washington's "will and capabilities" against North Korean threats, Seoul's defense ministry said Thursday.

The allies conducted the drills over the Yellow Sea -- the first of their kind this year -- on Wednesday. The drills also involved F-35A fighter jets from the South.

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S. Korea's top diplomat, U.N. chief discuss concerns over N. Korea's possible nuke test

NEW YORK -- South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin met with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday to discuss international concerns that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future.

At the meeting held at the U.N. headquarters in New York, Guterres said a nuclear test by the North would deal a "devastating blow" to regional and world peace and that his office has conveyed such concerns to Pyongyang, Park quoted Guterres as saying while speaking to reporters.

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(LEAD) U.S. ambassador tries to allay S. Koreans' anxiety about 'extended deterrence' commitment

SEOUL -- Philip Goldberg, the top American envoy here, publicly asked South Korea on Wednesday to have confidence in Washington over its "extended deterrence" commitment against North Korean threats.

Goldberg made the remarks at a forum hosted by the Korean Women Journalists Association in Seoul, countering doubts among a growing number of people here regarding whether the U.S. is fully willing and ready to defend South Korea in the face of the North's advancing nuclear and missile programs.

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U.S., S. Korea to enhance joint deterrence, improve N. Korean human rights: Amb. Cho

WASHINGTON -- South Korea and the United States will seek to strengthen their joint deterrence against North Korea while also working to improve human rights conditions in the reclusive North, South Korea's ambassador to the U.S., Cho Tae-yong, said Tuesday.

The allies will also work together to cut off North Korea's funding for its illicit weapons programs, according to the South Korean diplomat.

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(3rd LD) Pentagon chief stresses 'unwavering' security commitment to S. Korea, reassures full 'extended deterrence'

SEOUL -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday highlighted America's "ironclad" and "unwavering" security commitment to South Korea, as some raise doubts about Washington's "extended deterrence" commitment for the key ally amid evolving North Korean threats.

He said there would be more frequent deployments of such high-profile U.S. strategic assets as advanced stealth jets and aircraft carriers to Korea, speaking at a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, following bilateral talks in Seoul.

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Adversary that challenges S. Korea challenging Seoul-Washington alliance as whole: U.S. defense chief

SEOUL -- U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned Tuesday that if an adversary challenges South Korea or the United States, it would be challenging the two countries' "alliance as a whole," reaffirming America's "ironclad" security commitment to the Asian ally.

Austin issued the warning in an exclusive contribution piece to Yonhap News Agency, as he plans to hold talks with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup in Seoul later in the day to discuss deterrence against evolving North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

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(LEAD) 7 of 10 S. Koreans support independent development of nuclear weapons: poll

SEOUL -- Seven out of 10 South Koreans see the need for Seoul to independently pursue its own nuclear weapons development program, a survey showed Monday, amid concerns over escalating military threats from Pyongyang and a lack of trust in denuclearization negotiations with North Korea.

According to the Gallup Korea poll of 1,000 adults, commissioned by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, 76.6 percent replied that the South needs to develop nuclear weapons independently to counter Pyongyang's intensifying nuclear threats and deter its provocations.

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(LEAD) NATO chief stresses continued need for U.S. 'extended deterrence' against N.K. threats

SEOUL -- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday highlighted the importance of the United States' extended deterrence for South Korea, saying it has an "extremely important task" amid Pyongyang's growing nuclear threats.

Stoltenberg made the remarks during an event in Seoul hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, responding to a question on the sensitive issue of whether Seoul needs a nuclear-sharing policy with the U.S..

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