| February 4. | - President
Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea has a phone call with
President Biden of the United States (08:25-08:57 a.m., in a
briefing by a spokesperson for the Blue House).
･“President Moon said that the ROK and the US should work
together to make progress in denuclearization and
establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
For its efforts, President Biden praised South Korea, the
key country in resolving the matters of the Korean
Peninsula, and said that it is important for the two
countries be in lockstep and that the US will work closely
with the South towards shared goals. The two leaders shared
the view that there is a need to devise a comprehensive
strategy on North Korea as soon as possible.”
|
| February 8-11. | - North Korea holds the 2nd plenary
meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers’ Party
of Korea (WPK).
･It discussed and made decisions on
five agenda items: ① thoroughly implementing the first
year’s tasks of the five-year plan, ② waging further
intensive struggle against anti-socialist and non-socialist
acts, ③ modifying the collection of the slogans of the Party
Central Committee, ④ examining “Description of Rules of the
Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK),” and ⑤ properly organizing
the Party. |
| February 12. |
- The ROK Ministry of Unification
holds an online Gyeongmo ceremony to pay respects to
ancestors in the North on the occasion of Lunar New Year’s
Day.
･“The government will begin with video reunions
and pursue face-to-face reunions of separated family members
on a day the two Koreas celebrate together as soon as the
corona pandemic calms down. At the same time, it will push
ahead with the outstanding or newly devised agreements to
resolve the issue of separated families, including regular
face-to-face reunions after renovating the reunion center,
confirmation of the life or death of separated family
members, and visits to hometowns (in a speech by the
Minister of Unification). |
| February 12. | - UNICEF is
discussing ways to provide vaccines to North Korea with WHO
and the DPRK Ministry of Public Health (in a report by RFA).
･(in an answer to the question of RFA) The
spokesperson for UNICEF’s East Asia and Pacific Regional
Office said, “WHO and UNICEF are working together with the
DPRK Ministry of Public Health to adjust the amounts of
vaccines and related goods to be distributed and to develop
and disseminate instructions and means of education and
distribution monitoring.” |
| February 22. | - U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says, “The United
States remains focused on the denuclearization of North
Korea and will work closely with allies” (in a report by
VOA).
･“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US
remains focused on the denuclearization of North Korea.
Secretary of State Blinken, in a video
address on the first day of the high-level segment of the
Conference on Disarmament, emphasized that the US will work
closely with allies and partners to address the North’s
illicit weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile
programs.” |
| February 22. |
- The UN Human Rights Council opens
its 46th regular session (closing slated for March 23).
|
| February 25. | - President Bach of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) announces that the Australian city
of Brisbane is the “preferred host” for the 2032 summer
Olympics.
|
