Will North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un win Nobel Peace Prize?

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US sanctions 3 senior North Korean officials amid stalled nuclear talks

• By Conor Finnegan

Dec 10, 2018, 7:32 PM ET

PlayWong Maye-E/AP
WATCH Satellite imagery shows North Korea keeps developing secret ballistic missile sites

The Trump administration sanctioned three senior North Korean officials for human rights abuses and censorship in the country as discussions between the U.S. and North Korea over the regime's nuclear weapons program have stalled.
The U.S. Treasury Department, which announced the sanctions, said they were in honor of American Otto Warmbier, the 22-year-old college student who died after being released from North Korean custody in June 2017. He would have turned 24 on Dec. 12.

The sanctions are also part of a congressionally mandated report that details North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's violently oppressive rule. In particular, the State Department report identified three committees within the government and state political party that censor media by restricting the sale of any foreign media, confiscating any that is found and punishing those who obtain it.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-s...ry?id=59730861

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This is unforunate timing. It's not just Dems,Cohen,Mueller etc testing MAGA's negotiation & deal amking skills these days, foreign leaders also seem to be piling on perhaps sensing MAGA's weakness at home front:


North Korea says it will not denuclearize until the US eliminates 'nuclear threat'

By Will Ripley, Sophie Jeong and Matthew Robinson, CNN
Updated 1:32 PM ET, Thu December 20, 2018

(CNN)North Korea will not relinquish its nuclear weapons until the US eliminates its own "nuclear threat," according to a commentary published by state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"The proper definition of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is completely eliminating the American nuclear threat to North Korea before eliminating our nuclear capability," the commentary says.
The US and North Korea are deadlocked in negotiations over how Pyongyang will denuclearize in return for the easing of sanctions.
On June 12 in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump signed a vaguely worded pledge to "work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." However, in the six months since, talks have stalled and North Korean criticism of the US has sharpened, though Pyongyang has continued to heap praise on Trump.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/20/asia/...ntl/index.html




North Korea Is Expanding Missile Base With Eye Toward U.S.


[IMG]https://static01.********/images/2018/12/07/world/07nkorea-print/merlin_147793911_59e56fd1-45a1-48fd-bc78-ecf54c74da46-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upsc ale[/IMG]
North Korea is expanding a missile base that would be one of the most likely sites for deploying intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, according to new research based on satellite imagery, above.CreditCreditDigitalGlobe, via Middlebury Institute of International Studies

By Choe Sang-Hun
Dec. 6, 2018SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea is expanding an important missile base that would be one of the most likely sites for deploying intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, two experts on the North’s missile programs said Thursday, citing new research based on satellite imagery.
The activities at the Yeongjeo-dong missile base near North Korea’s border with China and the expansion of a new suspected missile facility seven miles away are the latest indications that North Korea is continuing to improve its missile capabilities, said Jeffrey Lewis and David Schmerler of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California. And they come despite President Trump’s repeated claims of progress in efforts to denuclearize the North.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/w...ile-bases.html






Related

Poll: Will North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un win Nobel Peace Prize?

Justice Department charges Chinese nationals in 'extensive' global hacking campaign

• Prosecutors accuse two people of hacking in conjunction with the Chinese government.
• They are accused of stealing information from at least 45 U.S. tech companies and government agencies.
• The two also allegedly targeted defense industrial companies and managed service providers as a way to gain entry to U.S. corporations and agencies through their suppliers.

Kate Fazzini | Kevin Breuninger
Published 7 Hours Ago Updated 5 Hours Ago

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Nobel Peace Prize chances have started to look slim again.

Courtesy of Zippy:

North Korea threatens "New Path" unless US Eases Sanctions

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North Korea warns US to stop 'meddling' in its affairs with South Korea

Thomas Maresca, Special to USA TODAY Published 12:16 a.m. ET Jan. 4, 2019


(Photo: KCNA/KNS via AFP/Getty Images)

SEOUL — North Korea sent a warning to the U.S. on Thursday to avoid “meddling” in its affairs with South Korea and criticized Washington’s “unreasonable attitude” and “hostile” policies.

An editorial in the country’s state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper blamed the U.S. for stagnation in the relationship between North and South Korea, claiming that “the United States does not want to see the improvement and development of the inter-Korean relations.”
While relations between Pyongyang and Washington remain at an impasse over North Korea’s nuclear disarmament and the lifting of international sanctions, Seoul has been pushing forward in peace gestures and engagement with the North.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ea/2478849002/


There is also rumors of another historic summit between alleged human rights abuser Supreme Leader of NK and MAGA.

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Time for another historic Peace Summit:

News Brief: BuzzFeed Report, U.S.-North Korea Talks, March For Life11:04

January 18, 2019

The negotiator's name is Kim Yong Chol. He's a former intelligence chief and vice chief of the ruling party. And last year, he was in Washington also. In May, he handed - delivered a letter from Kim Jong Un to President Trump. And that paved the way for the first-ever summit between the two countries in Singapore. And he's expected to do something like that on this visit. He arrived in D.C. last night. And he's expected to meet with Secretary of State Pompeo and then, possibly, President Trump before departing on Saturday.
One reason this makes sense is because that analysts generally believe that North Koreans want a second summit. And they think it's the only way to have a breakthrough, is at the presidential level. And so far, they've basically refused working-level meetings, including with Secretary of State Pompeo. Now they seem to want them, probably to work out logistics and an agenda for this meeting.

https://www.wbur.org/npr/686450944/n...march-for-life

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Trump boasts he saved 3 million people in Syria as he makes bid for Nobel Peace Prize

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Another MAGA- N. Korea summit going on and GOP base couldn't care less.. why?

Trump Walks Away In Korea Talks

US drops demand for full accounting of N. Korea nuclear program



Although Nobel Peace Prize was alreday in doubt, theories about deep stage or dems timing controversial Cohen hearing on the day of second historic summit should also be looked into. Distracting MAGA's negotiations focus during such a historic summit is regretable.

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Trump & KJU names missing on CSM's Peace Prize list, S Korea's Moon & Pakistan's Khan on the list

Granted final result of NK de-nuclearization has not been achieved yet, all the efforts for two historic NKorea peace summits don't count?




A starting list for the Peace Prize

Four world leaders stand out so far this year, showing how peace is possible and natural.

March 5, 2019
By the Monitor's Editorial Board

These may be trying times for the Nobel committee. So many world leaders are standouts to win this year’s Peace Prize. In the midst of their particular crises, each one is trying different ways to prevent violence. Yet each can be held up as a model of peacemaking in process, worthy of a supportive award.

In South Korea, President Moon Jae-in took office in 2017 and soon opened a door to a North Korea that was escalating its missile and nuclear tests. His deft diplomacy laid the groundwork for the first summit between the United States and North Korea last June. With the apparent failure of a second summit last month, he again seeks peaceful engagement. Reconciliation between the two Koreas, he says, is the “driving force” to denuclearize North Korea.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in peaceful leadership – and most critical to the world – is Imran Khan. The former cricket star became Pakistan’s prime minister last year in a country where the military traditionally controls security policy.
In a goodwill gesture that suddenly changed the mood, Mr. Khan returned an Indian fighter pilot shot down inside Pakistan.
“Nobody wins in a war. Especially countries that have the sort of weapons that India and Pakistan possess should not even think of war...,” he said.







Not sure how Christian Science Monitor came up with this startling starting list.
Iit is stunning that any of these leaders did not make starting list :




but this guy did make the list:






Could anti-Trump media bias be at least partially responsible?
This is what NYMag published recently that can tarnish MAGA's pro-peace image:

https://pixel.nymag.com/imgs/daily/i....w330.h412.jpg

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North Korea quits Kaesong liaison office with South Korea, was opened with great fanfare

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North Korea’s Hidden Cobra Strikes U.S. Targets with HOPLIGHT

Tara Seals

April 12, 2019
The custom malware is a spy tool and can also disrupt processes at U.S. assets.


A never-before-seen spyware variant called HOPLIGHT is targeting U.S. companies and government agencies in active attacks, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
In an advisory this week, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) said that there are nine different executable files being used to spread the malware, which is the work of the North Korean government’s Hidden Cobra APT (a.k.a. the Lazarus Group), it said. These files are signed with valid certificates to get around basic antivirus measures, and use encrypted connections to communicate with their command-and-control (C2) servers.

https://threatpost.com/north-koreas-...plight/143740/

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North Korea test fires new tactical guided weapon with ‘powerful warhead’

Associated Press
Reuters
Published: 7:13am, 18 Apr, 2019





North Korea has test-fired a “new-type tactical guided weapon,” its state media announced on Thursday, a move that could be an attempt to register the country’s displeasure with currently deadlocked nuclear talks with the US without causing those coveted negotiations to collapse.

The country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, observed the firing by the Academy of Defence Science of the unspecified weapon on Wednesday, the North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said. Kim was reported to have said that “the development of the weapon system serves as an event of very weighty significance in increasing the combat power of the People’s Army”.

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Smiling Kim arrives by train in Russia for his Putin summit

2 hours ago


In this image from video released by Primorsky Regional Administration Press Service, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un waves from his train as he leaves Khasan train station in Primorye region, Russia, Wednesday, April 24, 2019. Kim arrived in Russia by train on Wednesday, a day before his much-anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that comes amid deadlocked diplomacy on his nuclear program. (Primorsky Regional Administration Press Service via AP)

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AP) — A smiling and upbeat Kim Jong Un arrived Wednesday in far-eastern Russia aboard an armored train for a much-anticipated summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin that comes amid deadlocked global diplomacy over the North Korean leader’s nuclear program.
Both leaders have high hopes for their first one-on-one meeting: Kim for a win after his failed second summit with U.S. President Donald Trump and Putin for a chance to raise Moscow’s clout in the region and gain more leverage with Washington.

https://apnews.com/5fb86dab3ebd4bcb9f26318c88afc25c



North Korea 'executes four officials by firing squad' after failed summit with US

Kim Jong-un held the summit with Donald Trump in Vietnam but rumours spreading through North Korea suggest officials had leaked information before it took place

By Chris kitching

• 10:01, 24 APR 2019

North Korea executed four officials from its foreign ministry after Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump's latest summit failed, a new report has claimed.
The officials are said to have been killed by a firing squad in Pyongyang earlier this month after Kim and Trump's talks in Vietnam broke off without a deal.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-...cials-14544273

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Here they go again:




INCOMING
17 hours ago

North Korea Test-Fires Fires Short Range Missiles Into Sea of Japan

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoo

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff say North Korea launched a number of short-range missiles from the Hodo Penninsula into the Sea of Japan early Saturday morning local time, according to the BBC. The test launch is the first since Pyongyang tested an intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017. It is also the first test since U.S. President Donald Trump walked out of a summit in Vietnam earlier this year. Last month, North Korea announced that it had tested a yet-unidentified “tactical guided weapon.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/north-...o-sea-of-japan

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North Korea launches two short-range missiles, the second set of launches in a week, South Korea says








By Simon Denyer

May 9 at 9:07 AM
TOKYO — North Korea launched two short-range missiles on Thursday, according to South Korea’s military, marking the second such test in less than a week and raising tensions with Washington and Seoul.
The launch coincided with a visit to Seoul by Stephen Biegun, the U.S. special envoy for North Korea, as well as a trilateral defense meeting of the United States, Japan and South Korea.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said two projectiles, presumed to be short-range missiles were launched Thursday afternoon in an eastern direction from Kusong in North Pyongan province. The two missiles flew an estimated 260 miles and 170 miles respectively, the Joint Chiefs said in a statement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...91c_story.html

[AZJoe]

North Korea launches two short-range missiles, the second set of launches in a week, South Korea says

Basically saying - You wanted to put Bolton and Pompeo in charge to sabotage the deal talks. You did not want a deal. So just a reminder that you got no deal. You failed once again Dr. Art of the No-deal.

And to keep the Media Blitz in perspective, Washington did an intercontinental missile test at nearly the exact same time (within 10 minutes) of teh NK short range missile test. It was the 2nd such Washington missile test this month and fourth this year.

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Basically saying - You wanted to put Bolton and Pompeo in charge to sabotage the deal talks. You did not want a deal. So just a reminder that you got no deal. You failed once again Dr. Art of the No-deal.

And to keep the Media Blitz in perspective, Washington did an intercontinental missile test at nearly the exact same time (within 10 minutes) of teh NK short range missile test. It was the 2nd such Washington missile test this month and fourth this year.

3D.



In related, this would hurt KJU's Nobel chances:

Kim Jong-Un Executes Four Officials Over Failed Trump Summit

[UWDude]

3D.



In related, this would hurt KJU's Nobel chances:

Kim Jong-Un Executes Four Officials Over Failed Trump Summit

Look,. it's enhanced deficit spreading more fake news!

https://twitter.com/RobbieGramer/sta...27106022420480

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Kim Jong UN: North Korea missile launches were warning to US, South Korea

usatoday
Aug 7, 2019 - Kim Jong Un says North Korean missile launches were warning to US, South ... missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea, 06 August 2019 (issued 07 August 2019).




Chances of Kim winning Nobel seem to be slimming.




Related

Historic: American Trump and Korean Kim Jong Un to meet on June 12 in Singapore









Media cartoons cross the line as White House Coins honoring NKorea's Supreme Leader go on sale

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North Korea testing 'creative' weapons that could threaten US, experts say

Mon September 9, 2019




Seoul, South Korea (CNN)Clicking through a series of photo slides that depict recent North Korean missile tests, South Korean military defense expert Choi Kang reacts in a tone suggesting he's both fearful and impressed.

"This is really imaginative or creative thinking of using missiles," said Choi, a former director of South Korea's National Security Council and now vice president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, a prominent conservative think tank in Seoul.
Experts say the latest missile tests by Kim Jong Un's regime show Pyongyang is, for the first time, actively using testing weapons to target weak points in the advanced missile defense system that protects the US, Japan and South Korea.
Before resuming ballistic missile testing in May, North Korea hadn't test-fired any missiles since November 2017. That pause was a crucial factor in helping create the right conditions for the first meeting between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in June 2018.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/08/asia/...hnk/index.html

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Peace prize could be back in play soon, assuming this is not fakenews:

North Korea And US To Resume Nuclear Talks Saturday

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US-North Korea nuclear talks have broken off, North Korean negotiator says