NK weekly-external news

Summary of external news of North Korea this week

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news on North Korea this week.

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N. Korean leader's sister rejects Japan's summit proposal

SEOUL -- The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday rejected Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's hopes for summit talks, saying Japan must first abandon "anachronistic practices."

According to a pool report, Takaichi expressed "a very strong desire" to meet directly with the North Korean leader during her talks with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington last week.

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Ex-U.S. official sees 'low' possibility for Trump-Kim summit during Trump's anticipated China trip

WASHINGTON -- A former senior U.S. official said Monday the possibility of U.S. President Donald Trump having a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his anticipated trip to China is "somewhat low" due to the ongoing war with Iran and the need to focus on the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He made the remarks on condition of anonymity during a virtual forum, voicing skepticism that Pyongyang is as motivated as it was in the first Trump administration to seek diplomacy with Washington, given its rising reliance on Russia and China for support.

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Ukraine pledges to consider non-refoulement for detained N. Korean soldiers: civic group

SEOUL -- The Ukrainian government has affirmed that it will consider the humanitarian principle of not transferring prisoners of war against their will in the handling of two North Korean soldiers captured during its war with Russia, a civic group said Tuesday.

The legal support bureau of Ukraine's defense ministry pledged to consider the non-refoulement principle for captured North Korean soldiers, a civic group supporting the prisoners of war said, citing a reply it received from Ukraine.

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Belarusian president begins official visit to N. Korea: report

SEOUL -- Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has begun an official visit to North Korea to discuss cooperation in various sectors, a Belarusian news report said Wednesday.

The Belarusian leader is visiting the country from Wednesday to Thursday at the invitation of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for bilateral negotiations, Belta, a Belarusian news agency, reported.

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Belarus leader says ties with N. Korea upgraded to 'new stage': report

SEOUL -- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held summit talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Thursday and said bilateral relations will be upgraded to a "new stage," according to a Belarusian news report.

The summit talks between Kim and Lukashenko comes a day after the Belarusian leader arrived in Pyongyang for his first official visit to North Korea, aimed at expanding cooperation between their countries across various fields.

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China's Xi congratulates N. Korean leader on reelection to top leadership post

SEOUL -- Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Thursday on his reelection as president of the state affairs commission, a Chinese news report said.

Xi delivered the message to Kim, the Xinhua News Agency said, after Kim was elected to the post for a third consecutive term at the first session of the newly formed 15th Supreme People's Assembly earlier this week.

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