| January
1. | - Chairman Kim Jong Un of the
State Affairs Commission gives his 2019 New Year’s
address.
- (Internal affairs) Emphasizing “the
self-supporting economy” and “the improvement of the
people’s living standards” under the uplifted banner of
“self-reliance.”
- (Inter-Korean affairs) Thoroughly
implementing the historic inter-Korean declarations and
expanding and developing inter-Korean cooperation and
exchange in an all-round way.
- (Foreign affairs)
Reaffirming “complete denuclearization” and expressing his
“firm determination to establish a new bilateral
relationship with the US.” |
| January 1. | - The ROK
government welcomes Kim Jong Un’s 2019 New Year’s
address.
- The ROK government “welcomes Kim’s expression that he would
continue to work hard for complete denuclearization,
establishment of permanent peace, and expansion and
development of inter-Korean relations.”
- “The
government will work closely together with the international
community while developing inter-Korean relations
irreversibly by improving reconciliation and cooperation
between the two Koreas along with the people.”
|
| January 2. |
- US President Trump releases a letter from North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un.
- “We’ve really established a very
good relationship .We’ll probably … have another
meeting.” |
| January 3. |
- The Blue House “expects that Kim
Jong Un’s letter addressed to Mr. Trump will play a positive
role in establishing peace.”
|
| January 6. | - US President
Trump states that a location for another summit with North
Korea is being negotiated but that sanctions on Pyeongyang
would remain in place.
|
| January 7. | - President
Moon Jae-in, in a dialogue with small business and startup
owners, has a Q&A session concerning inter-Korean
economic cooperation.
- (Regarding the resumption of
the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and tourism to Mt. Geumgang)
“They would be resumed quickly if international sanctions
are lifted.”
- “If inter-Korean economic cooperation
is realized, we would usher in a new era, so we need to
change our paradigm. I believe that small businesses and
startups should advance into economic cooperation with the
North. I will strive to make it happen.” |
| January 8. | - North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China (January 7-10) and
meets with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
- The two
leaders “carried out deep and honest communication in the
process of discussing plans for the joint handling of the
denuclearization negotiation process” and “focused
particularly on managing the situation on the Korean
Peninsula” (reported by KCNA).
- Kim was accompanied
by his wife Ri Sol Ju, Vice Chairman of the Central
Committee (CC) of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) Kim Yong
Chol, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the DPRK
Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) Ri Su Yong, DPRK Foreign
Minister Ri Yong Ho, Vice Chairman of the WPK Pak Thae Song,
Minister of the People’s Armed Forces No Kwang Chol, and Kim
Yo Jong, first vice director of the CC of the WPK.
|
| January 8. | - The Blue House declares, “Exchange
between Pyeongyang and Beijing contributes to complete
denuclearization and establishment of permanent peace on the
Korean Peninsula,” and expresses hope, saying, “It will
particularly serve as a stepping stone for the second North
Korea-US summit.”
|
| January
9. | - Business owners with
factories in the Gaeseong Industrial Complex apply for
approval to visit the North.
|
| January 10. | - President
Moon Jae-in, in his New Year’s press conference, expresses
his position on major pressing issues including inter-Korean
relations.
- “The denuclearization as mentioned by the
North is no different from that requested by the
international community.”
- “After a second North
Korea-US summit, the leaders of South and North Korea need
to sit down face-to-face in any format to share the outcome
of the second North Korea-US summit and discuss development
of inter-Korean relations depending on the outcome of the
virtuous cycle of inter-Korean relations.” |
| January 10-20. |
- The two Koreas field their first unified men’s handball
team at the 26th International Handball Federation (IHF)
Men’s Handball World Championship. - A total of 20 athletes
(16 from the South and four from the North) had joint
training in Berlin from December 22, 2018 to January 9,
2019.
|
| January 15. |
- The ROK Ministry of National Defense
publishes the 2018 Defense White Paper.
|
| January 16. | - The
ROK Ministry of Unification approves the shipment of TB
medication to the North by the Eugene Bell Foundation.
|
| January 16. | - The ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs, in
a New Year’s press conference, says, “If a second North
Korea-US summit and Kim Jong Un’s visit to Seoul are
realized, they will greatly facilitate the progress in
denuclearization, inter-Korean relations, and establishment
of permanent peace.”
- (Regarding the roadmap for
denuclearization) “Our basic approach is ‘comprehensive
agreement and phased implementation.’” |
| January 17. | - The
ROK-US working group on North Korea holds a video
conference.
|
| January 17. |
- The US Department of Defense, in
its Missile Defense Review, declares North Korea to be a
threat to the American homeland.
- “While a possible
new avenue to peace now exists with North Korea, it
continues to pose an extraordinary threat.” “ undertaken
extensive nuclear and missile … testing in order to realize
the capability to threaten the U.S. homeland with a missile
attack. North Korea has neared the time when it could
credibly do so.” |
| January
18. | - North Korea and the US
hold a high-level meeting in Washington.
- US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol, director
of the United Front Department. |
| January 18. | - US President
Trump meets with Kim Yong Chol at the White House.
-
(Trump) “(I agreed to) meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
for a second summit by the end of February.” “We made great
progress.” “We chose the location, but the location and the
date of the meeting with Kim Jong Un, the North Korean
leader, will be announced later.” |
| January 19-21. | - The
two Koreas and the US hold a working-level meeting in
Sweden.
- ROK Special Representative for Korean
Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon, US Special
Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun, and North
Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui.
|
| January 19. |
- The Blue House welcomes the holding of the second North
Korea-US summit.
- “We expect that the North Korea-US
summit will be a turning point to solidify lasting peace on
the Korean Peninsula.”
- “We will work together with
involved countries based on close cooperation with the US to
ensure that the summit will achieve specific and substantial
outcomes, leading to complete denuclearization and
establishment of lasting peace on the Korean
Peninsula.” |
| January 21. |
- The United Nations Security
Council (UNSC) Sanctions Committee on North Korea grants
sanctions exemptions to four humanitarian organizations for
relief activities in North Korea.
- The U.N.
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Eugene Bell Foundation, the
Christian Friends of Korea, and the Canadian NGO First Steps
Health Society. |
| January
22. | - The implementation
committee for the inter-Korean joint declarations (chaired
by the Presidential Chief of Staff) holds the third
meeting.
|
| January 22. |
- The ROK Minister of Unification, in
his congratulatory speech at the academic conference on the
Peaceful Use of the DMZ, says, “The government will do
everything it can to ensure that the second North Korea-US
summit ends in success and achieves specific and substantial
outcomes leading to complete denuclearization and
establishment of lasting peace on the Korean
Peninsula.”
|
| January 23. |
- North Korea holds a joint meeting
of the government, political parties, and organizations of
the DPRK and adopts an appeal to the entire Korean
people.
- Implementing the inter-Korean joint
declarations; creating a permanent peace zone; expanding and
developing exchange and cooperation; and coming up with
plans for peaceful unification. |
| January 24. | - North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un expresses great satisfaction with the
letter from US President Trump (reported by KCNA).
-
“Kim will believe in the positive way of thinking of
President Trump and wait with patience and in good
faith.”
- “Expressing satisfaction over the results of
the talks and activities done by the DPRK delegation in
Washington D.C., the U.S.” “Setting forth tasks and
orientation for making good practical preparations for the
second DPRK-U.S. summit.” |
| January 24. | - North Korea
designates the death anniversaries of Kim Il Sung and Kim
Jong Il as national memorial days (in a decree by the
Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly).
- “(The
SPA) decided that July 8 and December 17 will be observed as
national memorial days every year and that the North Korean
national flag will fly at half-mast in observation of
memorial days.” |
| January
25. | - The ROK Ministry of
Unification suspends approval of the visit to the North by
business owners with factories in the Gaeseong Industrial
Complex.
|
| January 26-28. |
- The DPRK friendship art
delegation gives performances at the State Grand Theatre in
Beijing.
- A total of 280 people including Ri Su Yong,
Hyon Song Wol, the State Merited Chorus, and key artists of
Pyeongyang City participated. |
| January 30. | - US President
Trump, on his Twitter account, states, “North Korea
relationship is best it has ever been decent chance of
denuclearization … …I look forward to seeing Kim Jong Un
shortly.”
|
| January 30. |
- North Korea condemns “sanctions
and pressure” and demands “corresponding measures” (reported
by Rodong Sinmun).
- “The hostile forces should hear
the demand of the international community that they should
take corresponding actions to North Korea’s proactive
efforts, and think and behave rationally.” |
| January 30. | - The
ROK government sends North Korea a nautical chart of the
joint waterways in the Han River estuary.
- Allowing
the freedom of navigation of private vessels in the Han
River estuary beginning on April 1 on a trial basis and then
expanding it in phases, in accordance with the Agreement on
the Implementation of the Historic Panmunjeom Declaration in
the Military Domain. |
| January
31. | - The two Koreas hold a
working-level meeting on road cooperation at the
inter-Korean joint liaison office in Gaeseong.
-
Delegates: (South) Baek Seung-geun, director-general of the
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport; and Shin
Hye-seong and Lee Moo-jeong, directors of the Ministry of
Unification. (North) Kim Ki Chol, Deputy Vice Minister of
the Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection.
|
| January 31. | - US Special Representative for North
Korea Stephen Biegun delivers remarks on North Korea at
Stanford.
- Expressing the principle of pursuing
denuclearization “simultaneously and in parallel;” preparing
for the end to the Korean war; and yet, maintaining
sanctions on North Korea.
- Emphasizing the need to
discuss complete dismantlement of the Dongchang-ri and
Punggye-ri nuclear test grounds under the observation of
experts and corresponding measures.
- Mentioning that
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un promised to scrap uranium
and plutonium enrichment programs. |
