| October 1 | Supreme
Leader Kim Jong Un sent congratulatory message to President Xi
Jinping on the 74th founding anniversary of the People’s
Republic of China (Rodong/KCNA)
･ “I, together with you,
will strive to consolidate and develop the DPRK-China friendly
relations, which have entered a new historic period, and to
safeguard peace and stability in the region and the rest of the
world.” |
| October 2 | Remarks by the spokesperson of North Korea’s
Ministry of Atomic Energy Industry on IAEA’s adoption of
resolution (September 29), “North Korea’s status as a nuclear
weapons state has already become irreversible with
constitutional amendment to expand nuclear arsenal.” (KCNA) |
| October 2 to 3 (Local) | UN General Assembly 1st Committee (Disarmament
and International Security) condemned North Korea’s nuclear
weapons (New York) |
| October
4 | President Yoon Suk Yeol
attended the 71st anniversary of the Korea Veterans Association
and said, “The theory of fake peace is threatening our security
from the inside and outside.” |
|
October 4 | The Ministry of
National Defense warned that “North Korea will face the end of
its regime if it attempts to use nuclear weapons,” after the
North amended its constitution to enshrine its nuclear
policy |
| October 4 | The spokesperson for North Korea’s defense
ministry said, “The recent U.S. move (Announcement of the 2023
Strategy for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction) is another
grave military provocation.”
･ The spokesperson for the
U.S. Department of Defense commented (October 5), “We will
continue to cooperate with South Korea and Japan to cope with
North Korea’s threats and pursue our mutual goal of the complete
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” |
| October 5 | Enlarged
plenary meeting (online) of the Cabinet (October 16,
Rodong/KCNA) |
| October 8
| Statement by the spokesperson of the
Ministry of Unification, “We urge North Korea to immediately
send Kim Jung-wook, who is being detained in the North for 10
years, back home. We condemn their yearslong detention as
inhumane.”
o October 8 marks 10 years since the arrest of
South Korean missionary Kim Jung-wook by the Kim Jong Un regime.
A total of six South Koreans, including missionaries Kim Kuk-gi
and Choe Chun-gil, have been detained in North Korea against
their will and deprived of their freedom for extended periods of
time.
- North Korean authorities have sentenced our
people who have helped North Koreans in need to hard labor for
life. Moreover, North Korea has not provided any information on
their well-being, adding more agony for their families.
o
The South Korean government condemns North Korea's illegal and
inhumane measure and strongly calls on North Korea, a signatory
to the International Covenant on Human Rights, to immediately
send them back to their beloved family members.
- If
North Korea has any understanding about human rights, it should
not avoid the basic
human rights issue any longer.
o On August 18, the
leaders of the Republic of Korea, the United States, and Japan
adopted a joint statement reaffirming a shared commitment to the
immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and
unrepatriated prisoners of war, and on September 8, the Ministry
of Unification established a task force under its minister’s
leadership dedicated to resolving those issues.
- The
South Korean government will continue to work with the private
sector for the verification of the well-being of those detained
in North Korea and their repatriation and closely cooperate with
the international community, while calling domestic and
international attention to the issues.
- Moreover, the
government will use every endeavor to alleviate the unspeakable
pain of their families. |
|
October 10 | A researcher of
North Korea’s National Aerospace Technology General Bureau said,
“The U.S. is getting hell-bent on space militarization by
introducing space force into the Korean Peninsula.” (KCNA) |
| October 12 | North Korea and Russia exchanged congratulatory
messages to mark 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties
(Rodong/KCNA)
･ North Korea, “We firmly believe that
North Korea-Russia relations will steadily develop to a new
level in the future.” Russia, “The implementation of the summit
agreements signed at the Vostochny Cosmodrome will contribute to
further expanding the constructive bilateral cooperation for
ensuring security and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in
Northeast Asia.” |
| October
13 | Statement by the spokesperson
of the Ministry of Unification on China’s forced repatriation of
North Korean defectors, “Many North Koreans appear to have been
repatriated from China. Our government considers this situation
regrettable.”
o It appears to be true that many North
Korean residents in three northeastern Chinese provinces have
been repatriated. We cannot accurately confirm how many
defectors, patients and criminals were included among them.
o North Korean defectors staying overseas should never be
sent back home against their will under any circumstances.
- Sending North Korean defectors back home against their
will is a violation of the international “principle of
non-refoulement”.
o The South Korean government considers
this situation regrettable and has sternly raised this issue
with China and emphasized our position. |
| October 13 | A North
Korean commentator on international affairs issued an article
titled “The current Middle East crisis foreshadows a greater
strategic defeat for the U.S.” (KCNA) |
| October 13 (Local) | The NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communication
disclosed information regarding the North Korea-Russia arms deal
in a press briefing |
| October
16 | Top nuclear envoys of South
Korea and the U.S. held talks (Jakarta)
･ “We will hold
superior position against North Korea and deter the North’s
nuclear and missile threats by enhancing the ROK-U.S. extended
deterrence capability.”
･ “We expect China, a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, to have a responsible and
constructive role as it has a strong influence over the North.”
“North Korea’s nuclear and missile development is directly
linked to the human rights issues in the North as it came at the
expense of the livelihoods and human rights of North
Koreans.” |
| October 17 |
Top nuclear envoys of South Korea and Japan
held talks (Jakarta)
･ “South Korea and Japan agreed that
they will take a joint response with the international community
against North Korea if it carries out another spy satellite
launch despite multiple warnings.”
･ “They agreed to
strengthen efforts to share the realities of North Korean human
rights to the international community as the two nations will
play their roles as non-permanent members of the UNSC starting
next year.” |
| October 18
| China-Russia summit (Beijing) |
| October 18 to 19 | Russian foreign minister’s visit to North Korea
(October 16, KCNA/October 17, Rodong)
･ Russian and North
Korean foreign ministers stated that “Russia, China, and North
Korea oppose the unconstructive and dangerous line carried out
by South Korea, the United States, and Japan, and advocate the
establishment of a regular negotiation process on security
issues on the Korean Peninsula.”
< The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(October 19) >
o “Seoul is closely monitoring Lavrov’s
visit to North Korea. The North, no matter what it does, will
never be recognized as a nuclear power, and any cooperation
between Moscow and Pyeongyang should be conducted in a way that
complies with UN Security Council resolutions and contributes to
the peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.” |
| October 19 | South Korea and the United States warned
against hiring North Korean IT workers (Joint announcement by
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Intelligence Service,
and National Police Agency of South Korea and the Department of
State and FBI of the United States) |
| October 20 | North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with Russian foreign minister
(Rodong/KCNA) |
| October 20
| Presidium of the Supreme People’s
Assembly held the 28th plenary meeting of the 14th Central
Committee of the WPK (Rodong/KCNA) |
| October 21 to 25 | President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Saudi Arabia
and Qatar
･ President Yoon noted, “As Saudi Arabia has
adhered to its firm position in support of nuclear
nonproliferation on the international stage, the Republic of
Korea intends to actively cooperate with Saudi Arabia over North
Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and blocking their
development,” in a written interview with the Saudi newspaper Al
Riyadh.
< Joint Statement by the leaders of South Korea and
Saudi Arabia (October 24) >
･ “With regard to the
North Korean nuclear issue and Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the use
of force that causes innocent casualties cannot be justified
under any circumstances, and the two sides support international
efforts aimed at preventing the spread of weapons of mass
destruction.”
< South Korea-Qatar Summit (October 25) >
･
First deputy director of National Security said, “President Yoon
requested Qatar to cooperate with the international community’s
stern response to North Korea’s illegal nuclear and missile
development, and Emir Tamim stated his support for our Korean
Peninsula policy.” |
| October
23 | Director general of the
International Organization Department at North Korea’s Foreign
Ministry slammed the U.S. over the Israel-Hamas War (October 23,
KCNA/October 24, Rodong) |
|
October 23 to 27 (Local) | Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary
(Paris)
< Briefing by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of
Unification (October 30) >
o “FATF has identified
North Korea as high-risk for 13 consecutive years.”
o
“The shortcut to resolving all problems on the Korean Peninsula,
such as North Korea’s denuclearization and the promotion of
human rights in the North, lies in blocking the inflow of ‘black
money’ to North Korea. The South Korean government will actively
work with the international community to stop the North evading
sanctions and to cut off the funds.” |
| October 24 | A North
Korean family (3 women and 1 man) crossed the NLL in the East
Sea and reached the South on a wooden boat |
| October 26 | ROK-U.S.-Japan Joint Statement condemning
DPRK-Russia arms transfers
o The Republic of Korea, the
United States, and Japan strongly condemn the provision of
military equipment and munitions by the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea (DPRK) to the Russian Federation for use
against the government and people of Ukraine.
- We will
continue to work together with the international community to
expose Russia’s attempts to acquire military equipment from the
DPRK.
o We emphasize that arms transfers to or from the
DPRK – as well as the transfer to the DPRK of certain items and
technical cooperation related to the DPRK’s weapons of mass
destruction, ballistic missile, or conventional weapons
programs, – would violate multiple UN Security Council
resolutions.
- Russia itself voted for the UN Security
Council resolutions that contain these restrictions.
o In
addition, we are deeply concerned about the potential for any
transfer of nuclear- or ballistic missile-related technology to
the DPRK.
- Such transfers would jeopardize the ongoing
efforts of the international community to keep sensitive
technologies out of the hands of actors who are working to
destabilize regional security.
- They threaten peace and
stability on the Korean Peninsula as well as across the globe,
and necessitate renewed efforts to respond appropriately across
all elements of our national power to the advancing DPRK WMD
threat.
o We urge the DPRK and Russia to abide by
relevant UN Security Council resolutions and immediately cease
all activities that violate them. |
| October 27 | North
Korea’s foreign ministry slammed the United States on the
explosion at a hospital in the Gaza Strip (October 26,
KCNA/October 27, Rodong) |
|
October 27 | First Committee
of the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolutions (No.
30, 33, and 45) urging the elimination of nuclear weapons and
WMD |
| October 28 | North Korean foreign minister condemned the
joint statement (October 26) issued by South Korea and Japan’s
Foreign Ministers and the U.S. Secretary of State (October 29,
KCNA) |
