Mr. Kim has ruled North Korea since his father, Kim Jong-il, died in 2011. “It is a consistent stance by us and the international community that North Korea should not be recognized as a nuclear power,” said Jeong Joon-hee, a spokesman for the Unification Ministry of South Korea. More than 100 foreign journalists were granted visas to visit North Korea for the duration of the seventh congress of the Workers’ Party, the first such political gathering in 36 years. PhotoSEOUL, South Korea — North Korea expelled a BBC reporting crew on Monday for what it deemed a disrespectful portrayal of the country and its leader, Kim Jong-un, as Mr. Kim used a rare Workers’ Party congress to cement his totalitarian grip on power. Outside analysts who had hoped that Mr. Kim would introduce overhauls found few encouraging signs.

Source: New York Times May 09, 2016 02:29 UTC