N Korea’s Trade with China Contracts in 2015

North Korea said last month it wasn’t interested in aggravating tensions and that it would suspend nuclear testing if the US stopped joint military drills with South Korea, a proposal quickly dismissed by USA officials.

Japan, the United States and South Korea are concerned that North Korea could test-fire a long-range ballistic missile without any prior warning in the same manner as the nuclear test on January 6, as Pyongyang has shown signs of preparations for the test-firing of a missile.

In the latest nuclear test on January 6, North Korea did not notify the United States or China in advance, though the country had done so on prior occasions.

It indicated South Korea’s possible change in position over the THAAD deployment as Seoul had stressed the development of its indigenous missile defense system.

This was the first time the Saenuri chief expressed support for consideration of the placement of a Thaad battery in South Korea, a hot potato issue diplomatically because of opposition from China and Russian Federation.

South Korean media reported the animal was procured in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang, which lies north of North Korea.

Alexander Timonin said that Russian Federation was “paying close attention to the increased contacts over the issue between relevant organizations of the US and [South Korea]”.

The bill includes provisions to create a North Korean Human Rights Foundation that could fund non-governmental groups to conduct research and seek to improve the human rights situation in North Korea, educate South Koreans about rights conditions in North Korea, and provide humanitarian aid in line with worldwide monitoring standards.

The L-SAM is being developed as part of the Korean Air and Missile Defense project, slated to be ready in the early 2020s.

“L-SAM and THAAD are virtually separate systems since the nature and range they cover are different”.

But with Beijing declaring its reluctance to impose heavy sanctions on its traditional ally North Korea, that relationship has come under strain.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that any related move would be reviewed with national interest and security in mind.

When asked if negotiations between Washington and Seoul had begun, Moon, sticking to the official Korean government line, said, “There is talk within the USA government on the deployment of Thaad, but there has been no request to our government for discussion”.