North Korean Troops on War Alert

(AP) - North Korea condemned a US pledge to provide nuclear defense of South Korea, saying the move boosts its justification to hold onto atomic bombs and invites a potential "fire shower of nuclear retaliation." The salvo in Pyongyang's main newspaper is the North's latest reaction to last week's summit between President Obama and South Korea's Lee Myung-bak. The allies issued a joint statement committing the US to defend the South with nuclear weapons. More»

UN sanctions will derail disarmament talks: Pyongyang

(NEWSER) - As the date of a promised “satellite launch” nears, North Korea has placed a long-range ballistic missile on the launch pad used for earlier test firings, Reuters reports. South Korea, Japan, and the US plan to seek UN sanctions if the nuclear power goes forward with what analysts believe will really be the test of a three-stage rocket that could reach as far as Alaska. More»

And regime's nuke ready for testing, maybe tomorrow

(NEWSER) - Thirty North Korean officials who took part in talks with South Korea were either executed or died in "staged traffic accidents" for failing to improve relations, according to Amnesty International. The human rights group's annual report found that another 200 were arrested in January as the regime transferred power from Kim Jong-il to his son, Kim Jong-un. Pyongyang typically rounds up officials who fail to satisfy the regime, even when they're only carrying out orders, the Telegraph reports. More»

Pyongyang will have 'no dealings' with Seoul: statement

(NEWSER) - The passing of Kim Jong Il won't change anything in North Korea, the country announced today in quite the blustery manner. "We declare solemnly and confidently that the foolish politicians around the world, including the puppet group in South Korea, should not expect any change from us," officials said in a statement, the BBC reports. The North "will have no dealings" with South Korea president Lee Myung-bak's "group of traitors forever." More»

It hopes to revive old pact calling for big investments

(NEWSER) - One thing hasn't changed in the dynamic of the two Koreas: The North wants its richer neighbor to pump in much-needed cash in the form of investments, reports the New York Times . The head of North Korea's parliament today pressed the issue when speaking with Lee Hee-ho, the widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, who paid a visit to offer her condolences. The two nations actually had a deal in place a few years ago for such investments, but it got scotched by the South in 2008 over the North's nuclear program. More»