Summary of domestic news in North Korea this week

SEOUL, Jan. 21 (Yonhap) -- The following is a summary of domestic news in North Korea this week.

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(3rd LD) N. Korea hints at lifting moratorium on ICBM, nuclear tests over U.S. 'hostile policy'

SEOUL -- North Korea held a policymaking politburo meeting of the ruling Workers' Party, chaired by leader Kim Jong-un, earlier this week and decided to consider restarting "all temporally-suspended" activities, Pyongyang's state media reported Thursday, apparently referring to its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.

The high-profile meeting was convened after the North conducted four rounds of ballistic missile tests this month alone, including two of what it claims to be a hypersonic missile. The U.S. responded to the launches by slapping new sanctions on the regime, and it is pushing for the expansion of the U.N. Security Council sanctions. A closed-door council meeting on the issue is slated for Thursday (New York time).

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(LEAD) N. Korea announces amnesty for convicted people to mark late leaders' birthdays

SEOUL -- North Korea has decided to grant convicted people amnesty, effective later this month, on the occasion of major birthday celebrations of its late leaders, according to its state media Thursday.

The pardons will be granted to those who were convicted of "crimes against the country and people" to commemorate the 110th birthday of Kim Il-sung and the 80th birthday of Kim Jong-il in a decision made by the Standing Committee of the Supreme People's Assembly, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

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(3rd LD) N. Korea says it confirmed accuracy of tactical guided missiles in test-firing

SEOUL -- North Korea said Tuesday it conducted the test-firing of a tactical guided missile a day earlier to confirm the accuracy of the weapons system under production.

On Monday, South Korea's military said the North fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from the Sunan airfield in Pyongyang, marking its fourth show of force this month.

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(4th LD) N. Korea fires 2 apparent ballistic missiles eastward from Pyongyang airfield: S. Korean military

SEOUL -- North Korea fired two suspected short-range ballistic missiles eastward from an airfield in Pyongyang on Monday, South Korea's military said, in the recalcitrant regime's fourth show of force this year.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the projectiles fired from the Sunan airport at 8:50 a.m. and 8:54 a.m., respectively, and that they flew about 380 kilometers at an altitude of 42 km.

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(2nd LD) Another N. Korean cargo train arrives in Chinese border city: sources

SHENYANG/SEOUL -- A North Korean freight train crossed a border bridge into the Chinese city of Dandong on Monday, sources said, following another train's return to the North apparently with daily necessities and emergency relief items aboard.

The empty second train arrived in the Chinese border city earlier in the day, shortly after the first train departed the city at around 7 a.m. to return to the North's Sinuiju, they said.
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