Kim Jong Il

Obama, S. Korean President Criticize N. Korea’s Actions

President Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak criticized North Korea's recent provocations Tuesday in the latest round of the ongoing diplomatic standoff. Analysts consider how international pressure and new sanctions may affect the region.

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North Korea Sentences 2 U.S. Journalists to 12 Years Hard Labor

By PBS News Hour

A North Korean court on Monday sentenced two U.S. journalists to 12 years in a labor camp, a move widely seen as a sign the Communist country is looking to escalate its confrontation with the United States.

North Korea Signals Succession Plan as American Reporters Face Trial

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has signaled he plans to have his third son succeed him, while Pyongyang plans a trial for two U.S. reporters: Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who work for Current TV. Analysts examine the developments.

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Kim Jong Il Reportedly Taps Youngest Son as Heir, South Korean Media Say

By PBS News Hour

Amid recent military moves, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has signaled that his youngest son will assume the ruling family dynasty and become the secretive nation's next leader, South Korean news reports said Tuesday.

Other News: Stocks Sink, California Approves Budget

Stocks plummeted after bleak unemployment and manufacturing reports, and the California legislature approved and sent a budget to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger after a long political deadlock. Jim Lehrer recaps the day's other news headlines.

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New Round of N. Korea Nuclear Talks Hits Impasse

By PBS News Hour

Three days of six-party talks in Beijing over the verification of North Korea's nuclear development program stalled Wednesday, top U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill said.

N. Korea Bars U.N. Inspectors From Nuclear Plant

By PBS News Hour

North Korea barred U.N. nuclear inspectors from accessing its main reactor and appears to be moving forward with plans to restart the plant despite a 2007 pact to end its atomic bomb program, officials said Wednesday.

North Korea Says Reactor Could Be Restarted

By PBS News Hour

North Korea said Friday it has stopped disabling its nuclear reactor in Yongbyon and that it no longer wants to be taken off a U.S. list of states that sponsor terrorism.

South Korean Intelligence Reports Kim Jong Il Recovering from Surgery

By Admin, PBS News Hour

Hours after North Korea dismissed rumors questioning leader Kim Jong Il's health as a conspiracy Wednesday, South Korea's intelligence agency released new information claiming Kim is recovering from surgery.

N. Korea Destroys Plutonium-producing Reactor

By PBS News Hour

North Korea demolished the cooling tower at its plutonium-producing reactor Friday, blasting apart the cylindrical structure in Yongbyon as a sign of its commitment to stop making plutonium for atomic bombs.