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North Korea

North Korea: Germany, China back 'peaceful' dialogue

Both countries' leaders have urged peaceful dialogue as a means to viable political solution to the crisis. But North Korea's leader has defended his nuclear weapons program, saying it ensures peace on the peninsula.

A woman watches a television showing North Korea's launch of an ICBM

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday backed tougher sanctions on North Korea after the communist nation conducted its most powerful nuclear test, said German government spokesman Steffen Seibert.

The nuclear test "represents a significant danger to the security of the entire region and a serious violation of international law," said Seibert.

Read more: What is China's role in the North Korean crisis?

"Both interlocutors called for a tightening of the sanctions against North Korea … At the same time, dialogue must be pursued to achieve a peaceful solution to the escalation."

Earlier this week, Germany summoned North Korea's emissary for talks in Berlin, saying Sunday's nuclear test "reached a new dimension" in provocation.

  • Kim Il Sung signing truce with South Korea (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    A young leader

    Kim Il Sung, the first and "eternal" president of North Korea, took power in 1948 with the support of the Soviet Union. The official calendar in North Korea begins with his birth year, 1912, designating it "Juche 1" after the state's Juche ideology. He was 41 when, as shown here, he signed the 1953 armistice that effectively ended the Korean War.

  • North Korea party congress 1980 (picture-alliance/AP Photo)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Hero worship

    In the years and decades after the war, Pyongyang's propaganda machine worked hard to weave a mythical narrative around Kim Il Sung. His childhood and the time he spent fighting Japanese troops in the 1930s were embellished to portray him as an unrivaled military and political genius. At the 1980 party congress, Kim announced he would be succeeded by his son, Kim Jong Il.

  • North Korea Kim Il Sung 1992 (Getty Images/AFP/JIJI Press)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Ruling to the end

    In 1992, Kim Il Sung started writing and publishing his memoirs, entitled "Reminiscences: With the Century." Describing his childhood, the North Korean leader claims that he first joined an anti-Japanese rally at 6 years old and became involved with the independence struggle at 8. The memoirs remained unfinished at Kim Il Sung's death in 1994.

  • North Korea Kim Jong Il (Getty Images/AFP/KCNA via Korean News Service)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    In his father's footsteps

    After spending years in the top tiers of the regime, Kim Jong Il took power after his father's death. Kim Jong Il's 16-year rule was marked by famine and economic crisis in an already impoverished country. However, the cult of personality surrounding him and his father, Kim Il Sung, grew even stronger.

  • A flag with the picture of Kim Jong Il at a military parade (picture-alliance/AP Photo)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Rising star

    Historians outside North Korea believe Kim Jong Il was born in a military camp in eastern Russia, most likely in 1941. However, the leader's official biography claims it happened on the sacred Korean mountain Paektu, exactly 30 years after his father, on April 15, 1942. A North Korean legend says the birth was blessed by a new star and a double rainbow.

  • Kim Jong Il sitting down with his son and three other family members (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Family trouble

    Kim Jong Il had three sons and two daughters with three different women. This 1981 photo shows Kim Jong Il sitting besides his son Kim Jong Nam, with his sister-in-law and her two children in the background. Kim Jong Nam was eventually assassinated in 2017.

  • Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un at a balcony (picture-alliance/AP Photo/V. Yu)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Grooming a successor

    In 2009, Western media reported that Kim Jong Il had picked his youngest son, Kim Jong Un, to take over as the head of the regime. The two appeared together at a military parade on 2010, a year before Kim Jong Il passed away.

  • Bronze statues of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Together

    According to Pyongyang, the death of Kim Jong Il in 2011 was marked by a series of mysterious events. State media reported that ice snapped loudly at a lake on the Paektu mountain during a sudden snowstorm, with a glowing message appearing on the rocks. After Kim Jong Il's death, a 22-meter (72-foot) statue of him was erected next to the one of his father (l.) in Pyongyang.

  • Kim Jong Un and Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang 07.09.2013 (picture-alliance/dpa)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    Mysterious past

    Kim Jong Un mostly stayed out of the spotlight before his ascent to power. His exact age is disputed, but he is believed to have been born between 1982 and 1984. He was reportedly educated in Switzerland. In 2013, he surprised the world by meeting with former NBA star Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang.

  • Kim Jong Un surrounded by crying female soldiers (picture alliance/dpa/Kctv)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    A new cult

    Like the leaders before him, Kim Jong Un is hallowed by the state's totalitarian regime. In 2015, South Korean media reported about a new teacher's manual in the North that claimed Kim Jong Un could drive at the age of 3. In 2017, state media said that a monument to the young leader would be build on Mount Paektu.

  • A propaganda balloon showing a cartoon of Kim Jong Un (picture-alliance/AP/A. Young-joon)

    The truth and myths of the Kim dynasty

    A Kim with a hydrogen bomb

    Altough Kim took power at a younger age and with less of a public profile than his father and grandfather, he has managed to maintain his grip on power. The assassination of his half-brother Kim Jong Nam in 2017 served to cement his reputation abroad as a merciless dictator. The North Korean leader has also vastly expanded the country's nuclear arsenal.

    Author: Darko Janjevic


'Peaceful means'

Xi told Merkel that Beijing remained committed to denuclearization in the region, but that progress on North Korea could only be achieved through peaceful dialogue.

Read more: North Korea: From war to nuclear weapons

"Facts have repeatedly proven that the Korean Peninsula issue can only be resolved through peaceful means, including dialogue and consultation. This requires the international community to work together," Xi said.

Weapons mean 'peace'

North Korea's latest test has put the international community on edge. On Thursday, European foreign and defense officials discussed imposing the EU's own sanctions against Pyongyang, saying its nuclear weapons program represents a "threat to global peace and security."

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said on Thursday that his country's nuclear weapons ensure security within the region in comments carried by Russian news agency TASS.

Read more: The North Korea crisis: 10 questions, 10 answers

"We have got a powerful nuclear deterrent that provides us with an opportunity to counter hostile attacks in any part of the world, and ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," said Kim. "The United States should by all means keep in mind the nuclear status of our country."

Since US President Donald Trump assumed office in January, tensions have risen between Pyongyang and Washington. Several White House officials have warned North Korea of underestimating US will to protect its interests in the region.

Infographic exploring North Korea's nuclear tests

ls/rc (AFP, AP, dpa)

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