NK weekly-external news
Summary of external news of North Korea this week
SEOUL, April 11 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of external news on North Korea this week.
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N. Korea's Mount Paektu designated as UNESCO Global Geopark
SEOUL -- The North Korean side of Mount Paektu, an active stratovolcano on the North Korean-Chinese border, has been approved as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
The executive board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) endorsed the addition of Mount Paektu to its list of Global Geopark networks the previous day in Paris.
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S. Korea establishes diplomatic ties with Syria in foreign policy milestone
SEOUL -- South Korea established diplomatic relations with Syria this week, the foreign ministry said Friday, a diplomatic milestone that completed Seoul's endeavors to have formal ties with every U.N. member state except North Korea.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul traveled to Damascus on Thursday (local time) to finalize the procedure and met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani for talks on the development of bilateral relations, it said.
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(LEAD) U.S. military leaders negative about USFK troop reduction
WASHINGTON -- U.S. military leaders in the Indo-Pacific presented negative views about the idea of a U.S. troop reduction in South Korea on Thursday, amid lingering concerns that the Trump administration could seek a troop cut or realignment to focus more on threats from China.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr. warned the withdrawal or reduction of American troops from South Korea would raise a "higher" likelihood of a North Korean invasion, while U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson said a troop reduction would be "problematic."
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(LEAD) Unification minister says united global response key to deterring N.K. provocations
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said Thursday the key to addressing North Korea's provocations and nuclear ambitions lies in the unified goals and coordinated actions of the international community.
Kim made the remarks during a press conference in Tokyo, where he reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to achieving the complete denuclearization of North Korea, enhancing international cooperation and strengthening extended deterrence through the South Korea-U.S. alliance.
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(3rd LD) S. Korea, U.S. inked new joint wartime contingency plan last year amid advancing N.K. threats: USFK commander
WASHINGTON/SEOUL -- South Korea and the United States signed a new joint wartime operations plan (OPLAN) last year to counter evolving North Korean military threats, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea said Wednesday.
Gen. Xavier Brunson made the remarks in a written statement to the House Armed Services Committee, as Seoul and Washington have been deepening security coordination to deal with advancing North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile threats. He also leads South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.N. Command.
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Unification minister visits Japan for meetings with senior officials on unification, N.K.
SEOUL -- Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho will travel to Japan on Wednesday for a three-day visit that will include meetings with senior officials to discuss policies related to inter-Korean unification and North Korea, his ministry said.
Kim's visit to Tokyo through Friday aims to strengthen South Korea-Japan cooperation on unification between the two Koreas and North Korea policy under the Shigeru Ishiba administration, according to the ministry.
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